Ranger AMARILLO COLLEGE’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1930
VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 11
April 18, 2019
Early voting begins for bond Funds needed to carry out campus master plan By STEVI BRESHEARS Editor-in-Chief
STEVI BRESHEARS | The Ranger
Summer, fall registration begins By MICHAEL SULLEN Staff Reporter
Registration is underway for fall and summer semesters at Amarillo College. “A lot of students do not realize we are registering for both summer and fall semester,” Ruth De Anda, a division adviser, said. Advisers meet with students by appointment only, Monday through Thursday, and take and walk-ins on Fridays only. They suggest appointments and urge students not to wait until the last minute to register. “You risk a class being full,” De Anda said. “You risk getting class times that you are not OK with, for example: 7:30 a.m. or 7 p.m. If you are in a program that requires classes that are only available at certain times, for example: spring only or fall only, you could delay completing your program and graduating.” AC will offer two six-week summer terms. “Summer 1 classes will be May 20 through June 28 and our Summer 2 classes start July 1 through Aug. 8,” Emily Showers, an advising associate, said. Students enrolling in Summer 1 classes must register by May 17 and payments for Summer 1 classes must be in by May 10. The Summer 2 registration deadline is June 28. Online classes are also available for eight weeks during the summer from June 3 to July 25.
Amarillo College, along with help from architecture firm Parkhill, Smith and Cooper, has developed a ‘master plan’ of projects to improve the AC campuses. “It was developed as the precursor to the next strategic plan,” AC President Russell Lowery-Hart said. “The master plan gives us economic and employment projections and data. It assesses future needs and with it we can build a new strategic plan and ensure our physical spaces allow us to meet future needs. No Excuses 2020 is our current strategic plan that ends next year.” The master plan addresses issues based on current and future enrollment and the things needed to serve those students efficiently. Changes such as additional parking, technology upgrades, building upgrades and renovations to ensure Americans with Disabilities Act compliance are all a part of the various projects that make up the master plan. “One thing led to another, one discussion led to another,” Mark White, the college’s executive vice president, said. “The board of regents has a longterm vision about things and determined that we should simply have an entire master plan done instead of just looking at one thing, so it became one large, comprehensive project.” After about eight months of planning, the board came down to a figure of approximately $110-120 million to finish all the projects that need to be completed. White said that there are three options for funding — charitable contributions,
reallocating money within the existing college budget or issuing bonds. According to White, bonds are “investment vehicles” for investors to purchase. AC would make money by selling the bonds to investors. The college would then repay the investors plus interest, which would be funded by an increase in property taxes. The regents placed a master plan bond measure on the ballot for the upcoming May 4 election. Amarillo citizens will have the opportunity to vote on the bond, which is set at $89,206 million. If it passes, AC will have the authority to issue bonds for up to $89, 206, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they will and especially not all at once. “It would be done in fairly small increments over a number of years,” White said. In the event that the bond passes, property owners would see an increase in taxes. In total, the property taxes would increase approximately $40 for every $100,000 in property valuation. Essentially that means if you own a $100,000 home, your taxes would increase $40 over a span of several years. While passage of the bond would supply a major source of funding for completing the master plan proposals, it isn’t the deciding factor in whether or not all the projects will be completed. “All of these things, they’re not emergencies,” White said. He explained that if the bond doesn’t pass, it will take longer to complete all the upgrades included in the master plan. “At the end of the day, AC wants to do what the community wants,” he said. “After all, it’s their college.” More information about the different aspects of the master plan can be found on pages 4-5.
Liberal arts welcomes new dean By ISABELLE LINK Staff Reporter
Amarillo College have officials announced the selection of a new dean for the liberal arts division, Becky Easton. Easton has been serving as chair of the English department. She and Dan Ferguson, an English professor, both applied for the job “With two candidates this was an extremely difficult decision,” Dr. Tamara Clunis, vice president of academic affairs, said in an email to AC staff. “I am confident that Becky will serve the liberal arts division with distinction.”
BECKY EASTON
Easton said she is looking forward to helping students prepare for their futures. “I am most excited to find new ways for the Liberal Arts
departments to prepare our students for what comes next, whether it be a career or transferring to a university,” she said. “Most of our majors in liberal arts areas need to graduate not only from Amarillo College, but also from a university to get interesting, well-paying jobs. I want to ensure that our students continue to shine when they transfer to finish their bachelor’s degrees,” Easton said. Ferguson will move into Easton’s vacated position as English department chair. “I am very excited about our new dean,” he said. Ferguson described Easton as hard-
working and knows the in’s and out’s of Amarillo College. “She will do a fantastic job,” he said. “I have worked with Mrs. Easton since 2002, and I have never known her to be anything but cordial and professional all the way,” Ferguson said. “She and I work really well together, and I am looking forward to working with her in this new capacity.” The liberal arts division is comprised of visual arts, the Matney Mass Media Program, English, speech, theatre, humanities, foreign language, music, social sciences/ psychology and education. “I feel grateful that so many of my peers and administrators have trusted me to serve a whole academic division,” Easton said.
Faculty propose strategies for dev ed change By JEREMY STITSWORTH Staff Reporter
Amarillo College faculty members are getting ready for the changes coming to developmental education in the fall 2019 semester. Developmental education courses are being eliminated. Instead, these remedial classes will be integrated into college-level courses through corequisite classes, tutoring or other methods. Corequisites or other support methods will run concurrently with college-level classes, such as composition and college algebra. This means
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students will no longer have to complete remediation before starting to earn credits that count toward a degree. Faculty members have submitted Plan on Achieving Student Success (or PASS) proposals to give AC leadership an idea of how they plan to approach the upcoming changes. Edythe Carter, a math professor and dean of academic success, said that instructors have been collaborating with each other to ensure the material covered in the corequisite class will match up with what is being taught in the college level algebra course. www.acranger.com
“What the developmental math department and the college math department are doing is we are trying to weave our course work together so students can take what they learn in the corequisite class and use it in the college level classes,” Carter said. This way students are becoming more successful in the college credit courses, while also being taught the foundations, she said. Frank Sobey, associate vice president of student affairs, said the new approach is likely to evolve over time. “It is entirely possible that we will be making changes because at
this point, we don’t have any data. Once we receive the data on how the course integration and corequisite classes have impacted students, we may have to rework those classes that may not be performing well,” he said. Sobey also said that academic preparation is just one aspect of student success. “We can’t measure motivation; students have many things going on in their lives,” he said. “For instance, 11 percent of our students are homeless and that is something that we can’t control. We can help students in many ways, but some factors are out of our control,” Sobey said.
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Opinion
2 | The Ranger April 18, 2019
Student Speak What’s on your mind?
How do you prepare for elections? “I always research each candidate and gain solid information about what their stance and views are. Currently, I am still seeking information on the candidates and what they stand for. I hope that whoever wins that they put Amarillo and the citizens first,”
ANTHONY DO
Computer Science
EDITORIAL
“I don’t really prepare, and some people from the last election are running again,”
Illustration by Katie Milburn The Ranger
Uninformed voters, stay home BRANDON WALKER General Studies
"When a politician promises something, I look over how they make that promise, and I always ask, ‘are they really gonna make that promise they made to us to have us vote for them?”
ANTHONY CRUZ
Aerospace Engineering
Stop procrastinating, start planning
OPINION By CAROLINA BARBA Staff Reporter
College can get the best of us. Sometimes we find ourselves procrastinating on our school work for way too long and then get angry that our work isn't done and eventually late. People put other things first that they may believe is more important and eventually regret doing what they did instead of doing their school work. There are so many things students choose first such as partying, hanging out with friends, watching Netflix and spending timeless hours on social media refreshing the page. During that time, students could get most of their work done and don't even realize
that they can until their day has been wasted. It is OK to say no to friends once in a while and stay home and do school work. If we just spend one hour of our day doing school work so much could be accomplished. Social media will always be there, it is never going away. We could all use a little less time on our phone and be more productive with our days. A planner could be a solution for some students. Organizing your life visually can really help out like scheduling the things you would do throughout the day. It makes it easy to physically see what is planned next and go on with your day. Something similar to that is creating a to-do list. It is satisfying to be able to cross things off your list and it makes you feel accomplished. We can easily set reminders and place due dates on our phone such as the calendar that is provided on most phones. At the end of the day it is your education and your money that pays for it, so why waste time and money when you can just get things done and out of the way.
Local elections are right around the corner, and odds are, you’re going to be bombarded by people telling you that you need to go vote. We, The Ranger Staff, are here to tell you why you shouldn’t bother showing up to the polls. If you don’t get educated, that is. You absolutely should vote, especially in local elections. Often, people overlook these elections because they think they don’t matter, but that simply isn’t the case. The issues and candidates in local elections are just that — local. They’re right here in our community, and they directly impact the things we do on a day-to-day basis. Why anyone
by peer-pressure to cast your uneducated vote for Dumb & Dumber to take over the city. The bottom line is, we need you to put in the work. It isn’t that difficult — you could fill a whole baseball stadium with the amount of information about the ballots online. You just have to take a short break from all the memes and cat videos. If you really want to be heard or even see a change in this city, you have to vote. If you want your vote to be effective, you have to do your own research, form your own opinions and use them. Get out there and get educated, Amarillo. We’ll see you on May 4.
From leaving and entering my house to showering to procuring transportation, accessibility to everything is paramount. The importance of accessibility in my own life equates to functionality and quality of life. In order for me and others like me, to contribute to society, we first have to be able to function in our environment. Whether at home, at school or in the workplace, adjustments have to be made to accommodate our differences. I face physical barriers everywhere I go so I’ve been learning to compensate since I was a baby. When accessibility is unavailable, I have two choices… participate or not participate. Like most other people, I love participating in my own life — actually, in life period! Just because my body doesn’t function correctly, doesn’t mean that I am less worthy of contributing to society. Accessibility levels the playing field for all. Since we are in Gods eyes, created equally, shouldn’t we all have the same right to access? The Preamble to the Constitution even states that
we are all equal. I know that our founding fathers probably had other things in mind, but in my particular circumstance, it means that all of us have the inalienable right to accessibility. That means that people like me can enter a building that has steps or get to the second floor. It means being able to access transportation that accommodates wheelchairs and assistive devices. It means being to get from the street to the sidewalk. It means having the ability to move through my house and take a shower or brush my teeth like those who don’t have physical differences. Accessibility doesn’t just affect the physically challenged. It affects those who have learning differences too. Their accessibility to the same learning is through accommodations in the classroom. Accessibility encompasses many different areas and environments. All of these arenas have one thing in common — we all have something to offer. In order for each one of us to contribute to society, we have to be willing to create equal access to those who have differences.
Accessibility essential for equality
OPINION By JACOB MCGEE Staff Reporter
Can you imagine having a class on the second floor of a building and not have a way to get to that class? Or, what about living in a house where you cannot get through the doorways or get into the tub or shower? How about wanting to go somewhere and not having the means to get there? You can’t just call an Uber because they are not equipped to transport assistive devices. This is my worldview. Accessibility is defined as the design of products, devices, services or environments for people with disabilities as well as those who are unimpaired. As I am confined to a wheelchair, my first priority is always considering my wheelchair.
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would ignore the opportunity to be vocal about what we need from our community leaders is really beyond us. However, just because you have the right to vote doesn’t mean you have to. If you aren’t going to brush up on the candidates and figure out where you stand on the issues at hand, we would much rather you stay at home, nestled beneath the rock you choose to live under, far, far away from our polls. We’ve been studying up for weeks, maybe even months, just so we can make the absolute best decision for ourselves and our community. The last thing we need is for you to rush in at the last minute, compelled
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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 April 18, 2019
AISD students will thrive at AC By MARC PAMPLONA Staff Reporter
The Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) has started a program that will help students get through college. The THRIVE Amarillo Scholarship Program is set up to allow individuals who did well in high school to continue their education at Amarillo College without having to worry about finances. THRIVE covers the cost of 60-hours of tuition, books and fees at AC. Connie Bradford, THRIVE facilitator, said she thinks this is a great program. “We are hoping that we will see great success with it and that we will continue on for a very long
time,” she said. She added that one of the main goals of this program is to make sure that everybody has a path to a living wage. “We want them to be debt free if they ever choose to go on for a bachelor’s degree,” Bradford said. Ruth De Anda, an AC academic adviser, said that this program will help students to save up money in case they want to transfer to a university. “At least 60-hours for free is an incredible thing to get. That takes care the first two years of school and then they can go to a university where it will cost a lot more,” De Anda said. Thomas Diaz, a general studies major, said that students who are included in the program will have a sense
of security knowing that they do not have to worry about their tuition and getting their textbooks for their classes, “by being able to focus mainly on the classes, it allows me to do what I have to do and that is to learn,” Diaz said. There are multiple requirements for eligibility. A student must be enrolled in one of the four AISD high schools (Amarillo High School,
Caprock High School, Palo Duro High School and Tascosa High School) throughout his or her entire high school career in order to be eligible for the program. Students must also have at least an 80 percent final high school grade-point average and cannot have any disciplinary issues. Students must be eligible to apply for and receive federal financial
aid. THRIVE is called a “last money in” scholarship, meaning all federal and private aid is applied toward the student’s tuition balance before any award made by the THRIVE Amarillo Scholarship funds. To learn more about the THRIVE Amarillo Scholarship Program, go to https:// thriveamarillo.org.
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Nursing program receives perfect score By MARISSA RIVERA Staff Reporter
Amarillo College nursing majors have achieved a 100 percent pass rate on an important state licensing exam. The exam is called The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN exam). The test is given to determine if it is safe for students to begin practice as an entry-level practical/vocational nurse. Nursing students attend classes on the West Campus. LaVon Barrett, director of nursing, said she recognizes the hard work students put into their course work. “They all take the same classes all the way through the program. So, they are very
supportive of one another, and ultimately become like a family,” Barrett said. Barrett said she encourages students to study together. Jake Gonzales, a registered nursing major, agrees that it is helpful to study in groups every day. Batula Abdullahi, a student in the licensed vocational nursing program, said her goal is to study six hours a day. Due to her work schedule, she said she tries to study every moment she can fit in so she can feel prepared for her nursing exams. “Our pass-rate is highly significant of a stellar program. Our students can be very proud of their hard work and completion rate. It takes 100 percent effort of the part of every student and every faculty member,” Barrett said.
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ACPD holds meet and greet By MARK PAMPLONA Staff Reporter
The Amarillo College Police Department is holding two come-and-go events called “Cops and Cookies” so students can meet and get to know the people responsible for campus safety. The goal is to help students understand what campus police do on a daily basis and to build a bridge between them and the ACPD, Lt. Scott Acker, an AC police officer, said. The first “Cops and Cookies” was held April 11, and the second will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the second floor of the College Union Building. “We are trying to reach out and get involved more with the AC community,” Acker said. “The media and television in general represent cops as bad and grumpy individuals. We want students to see us on a different level – that we are humans too and we are not the way we are represented,” he said. According to Chief Stephanie Birkenfeld, the AC police chief, it is often difficult for students to approach campus police officers. “We do not want the
students to be afraid of us. We want you to know that it is safe to talk to us and that we are people too,” she said. Birkenfeld said she hopes the “Cops and Cookies” events will build a bridge between the students and the AC police officers by providing an opportunity for students to walk up and talk to the officials and get to know what their real job is about and how to reach them in emergencies. They also hope to let the students know that they are approachable and can be fun to hang around with, she said. Paul Herrera, an education
major, said he believes students shouldn’t feel fear when they see a police officer, but instead, will feel a sense of pride and relief knowing that the school is protected. “Cops are there to protect us, not to harm us,” Herrera said. “They are there to keep the campus safe and to make sure that us students get a proper education in a danger-free environment. If only students will give these people a chance to get to know them, they will realize that being around with a cop should not make them feel uncomfortable,” he said.
MARK PAMPLONA | The Ranger
Clean campus receives high marks from students, staff By JAKE DAY
Staff Reporter
If you’ve been around Amarillo College’s Washington Street Campus, you know there isn’t much excess trash or litter. Students say that they just try to pick up after themselves, especially in public. “Like my car is a mess, but I’m clean in public,” Noah Henley, a biology major, said. “Some students just don’t seem to care, but most of them do pick up after themselves.” There are only a few places on campus that students say they see some excess litter – mainly the bathrooms of the older buildings and in the parking lot. “I saw this guy carrying something, get to his car, look around, just dropped it by his car and drove off,” Whisper King, an engineering major,
said. “But that is the only time I’ve really seen anyone litter and I picked it up and threw it away.” Other students also mentioned picking up litter on campus. Dave Snelson, the custodial superintendent, has worked in groundskeeping and custodial services at AC for 20 years. In all those years, he said, he only recalls one memorable time of someone littering. “I was doing my rounds over by Ordway Hall and this student was just tossing things out of their car,” Snelson said. “When I went over to offer my trash bag, they got a little froggy and started putting everything back in the car, but if that’s the worst story from 20 years of work, I’d say that’s pretty good,” he said. “The students here have never really been bad about cleaning up after themselves.”
News
4 | The Ranger April 18, 2019
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The idea behind the Innovation Hub is to encourage the creation of local businesses and jobs through the use of robotics and other engineering creations or “innovations.
Innovation Hub proposed By JAKE DAY
Staff Reporter
The plans for renovating Amarillo College’s Downtown Campus focus on innovation. The remodeling proposals focus on improving and installing new technology and building a facility to be known as the Innovation Hub. The idea behind the Innovation Hub is to
encourage the creation of local businesses and jobs through the use of robotics and other engineering creations or “innovations.” “The Innovation Hub will be open to the public and designed similar to a makerspace,” Wesley Condray-Wright, director of communications and marketing, said. “There are plans for 3D printers as well as space to work on robotics.” AC officials say this
proposed facility is projected to have a high impact on the community and businesses that use it. “The Innovation Hub is AC’s investment in the future of the community,” Mark Nair, a business administration instructor, said. “The only significant way for economies to grow and add new jobs and opportunities is through technological advancement. The Innovation Hub should both inspire new businesses
to grow and hire as well as help current businesses in the community expand and hire new people.” The Hub may house robotics and engineeringbased technology. Artificial Intelligence, drones, 3-D printing and chip printing are possible technologies that could be on site, college officials said. AC leaders say they are waiting to see the outcome of the bond election before
finalizing plans for this facility. “The Innovation Hub is more conceptual,” Steven Smith, vice president for business affairs, said. “It will be open to the community and could help better businesses.” “We want to create an opportunity for businesses to implement technology and so people of the community can learn about the technology.”
ADA compliance requires investment Master plan addresses accessibility for people with disabilities By MEGHAN HOLLAND Staff Reporter
Imagine showing up to campus for an education, but you cannot make it to class easily, so showing up requires setting aside extra time out of your day. That is the case for many students at Amarillo College who require assistance in their daily activities. The AC disAbility Services staff has a goal of providing appropriate accommodations and accessibility for those students, however, AC is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in numerous ways according to Wes Condray-Wright, the director of communications and marketing. Condray-Wright said that AC is making ADA compliance more of a priority. Whether or not the upcoming bond election is passed, AC will focus on making the campus more accessible because many of the changes are necessary. “AC is really ahead of the game in my opinion, but still lacks all the necessary things for its students like handicap buttons on all doors,” Jacob McGee, a social work major who uses a wheelchair, said. McGee said he believes that in addition to equipping doors with buttons, AC should
inspect the elevators more regularly to ensure they do not break down and examine the ramps for accessibility. Many of the ramps on campus wind back and forth, and McGee pointed out that Dutton Hall has a wheelchair ramp that is blocked by the automatic door when it opens. He said that he has to go past the first ramp to the ramp on the other side to be able to use the door. Although McGee has his frustrations, including having to shift the desk and chair arrangement in many of his classrooms each time he enters, he said he realizes that AC is working to improve the facilities and help assist students in getting to class. “I don’t know much about the ADA guidelines, but I feel like there are more people with disabilities going to school and going after careers,” said Chancey Miller, a psychology major who uses a wheelchair. Miller said she believes the college should work on being ADA compliant to provide greater accessibility so that people with disabilities can be more productive citizens.
Miller pointed out that the college bathrooms could use some improvements to accommodate wheelchairs. “The bathrooms could use the buttons to open the doors because someone would have to accompany me as it is now, or I’d get
trapped inside,” she said. AC recognizes many of the problems and will work to make the necessary changes, Condray-Wright said. Changes may be as simple as moving
around furniture or as complicated as reconstructing and installing certain measurements intended to assist students. To find out more about ADA guidelines, visit the website www.ada.gov and to learn about how the disAbility Services office assists students, visit www.actx.edu/ disability
SALVADOR GUTIERREZ | The Ranger
News
The Ranger | 5 April 18, 2019
Master plan helps first responders
New combined academy at East Campus proposed By FAYTHE REEVES Staff Reporter
Ordway Hall was built in 1936.
ARCHIVE PHOTO | The Ranger
Ordway could get facelift By JEREMY STITSWORTH Staff Reporter
Amarillo College’s Ordway Hall is home to the English department, the Writer’s Corner, the Conservatory Theater and the Amarillo Museum of Natural History. Ordway is also the oldest building on campus. Built more than 80 years ago back in 1936, Ordway Hall is not up to 21st century standards and needs renovations to meet the requirements set by the American Disability Association. These renovations are also a part of the AC Master Plan. Margie Netherton, an English professor with an office in Ordway Hall, said that many things needed to be updated. “Many of the doors, particularly the bathroom doors, are too narrow or heavy to open and get through. We also need to get some new fire alarms because some of them are out of order.” Netherton also said when making updates to Ordway, college officials should ensure that the historic integrity of the building that needs to remains intact. Objects such as the doors, the carvings of the gnomes on the corners of the building
and even the doorknobs are all historic value and give Ordway Hall that glint of the past, she said. Along with the upgrades to become ADA compliant Ordway could also get what many of the faculty and students are excited for, heating and air conditioning. JT Yellowtail, a computer science major and student lab worker, said that he is glad that Ordway Hall may finally get air conditioning. “In the summer we usually have to open all the windows and doors to get any air ventilation in this room, so I’m glad that we will have air conditioning soon.” Mary Dodson, an English professor whose office is also in Ordway Hall, said that it gets cold during the winter and sometimes her space heater just isn’t quite enough sometimes. “I’m usually huddled up by my heater, but with the heat and air conditioning going in it might be a little bit more comfortable.” AC has made a “Plan B” should the the voters decide against the bond issue. Wesley CondrayWright, AC’s Director of Communications and Marketing, said that some of these changes are necessary and will be made, regardless of the bond election outcome.
Within the Amarillo College master plan, AC staff plans to build a new first responders academy on the East Campus to combine firefighter, law enforcement and EMT students into one building. Although there are not many details available at this time, Wesley Condray-Wright, director of communications and marketing, said that they do have a location in mind. “There’s a building out at East Campus that does not meet current codes.
It’s going to be taken down and, in its place, will be the first responders academy,” Condray-Wright said. While AC currently offers the fire, law enforcement and EMT academies separately, Condray-Wright said that, in reality, these three professions work together all the time in real world situations. “Many of our police and fire academy graduates will need EMT training according to our industry partners. Greater alignment of these programs will ensure our graduates are more competitive in the hiring process and hopefully force increases in pay for EMT professionals, whom are
historically underpaid,” Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, AC president, said. According to LoweryHart, AC workforce data projects indicate that the community will have an increased need for first responder graduates. He also mentioned that AC needed to have a greater alignment with current first responder programs. “Any time we can be more responsive to our community partners and employers, we are helping improve job prospects for our community, while serving the community more effectively,” LoweryHart said.
Parking problems may be solved
Master plan poses some possible solutions to vehicular flow and parking issues on Washington Street Campus
BY MARIA VALLES, CAROLINA BARBA AND MEGAN MINSHEW Staff Reporter
Amarillo College’s proposed master plan could potentially create more parking spaces on the Washington Street Campus.“Right now, there’s a deficit of spaces for students to park, about 255 spots, and that’s causing overflow into the neighborhood,” said Wesley Condray-Wright, director of communications and marketing. Condray-Wright said that because of the overflow of vehicles AC receives several complaints from the neighborhood residents. AC also receives complaints from students, according to Condray-Wright “I definitely think that AC needs more parking spots because it’s really hard to find some in
the mornings,” Sierra Flores, a social work major, said. “Students are having to come early just to try and find a good parking spot and I’ve personally been late trying to find one,” Bob Austin, vice president of enrollment, agreed that the Master Plan offers benefits.“Adding more parking is an advantage for the students and for the people who live in the neighborhood,” Austin said. AC has a plan to renovate old parking lots and potentially create new ones. “What they’re doing is that parking lot nine will resurfaced and make it to where it’s a little more functional to park in. Also make it ADA compliant because it is not up to code,” Condray-Wright said. “They’re also proposing that we talk to the city about maybe taking over a portion of Memorial Park and connecting
Washington Street to Jackson or maybe even building a parking garage,” he said. Austin said there are people in the community who are opposed to the idea of giving up park space to get more parking. Some students agree.“I don’t think taking away from the park to make more parking is the right move. The park is used for a lot of things like sports and just enjoyment’’ “I don’t think taking away from the park to make more parking is the right move. The park is used for a lot of things like sports and just enjoyment,”Hector RiveroFigueroa, a mechanical engineering major, said.” However, I believe lot nine should be remodeled because it is one of the older looking and more rundown lots around campus and could use a more refreshing look in order to add to the visual value of AC,”
AC BOND ELECTION 2019 What is a bond election? A bond election is when a municipal entity asks voters to approve or deny a request to sell bonds to pay for proposed projects. By voting in favor of the bond issue, voters give a municipal entity permission to sell bonds to generate revenue. Renovation of existing buildings Construction of new buildings Innovation Hub Parking improvements Accommodations and accessibility for students with disabilities
YES NO AC seeks the approval of
$89,206,000 for construction, renovation and purchase of equipment for the college as outlined in the AC master plan.
4
2019
The bond election will be held on Election Day
MAY
Early voting begins on April 22 and concludes on April 30 With information from actx.edu and BALLOTPEDIA | Design by Salvador Gutierrez
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News
6 | The Ranger April 18, 2019
Badgerama is coming By STEVEN OSBURN Staff Reporter
MARC PAMPLONA | The Ranger
Student clubs show off their knowledge of general trivia in this year's Club Clash.
Students compete, bond in Club Clash By MEGHAN HOLLAND Staff Reporter
Club Clash offers an excuse to eat spicy wings, throw dodgeballs at friends, explore campus or even test your brain. The annual student organization competition, which was hosted by Beta Eta Phi Theta Kappa, took place April 16 and 17 at Amarillo College’s Washington Street Campus. It provided an opportunity for students to make new friends and have fun. Seven student clubs signed up to compete against each other in various activities, such
as an eating contest, academic bowl, dodgeball, nerf gun war, tug-o-war and a scavenger hunt, said Sami Landers, new student programs coordinator and co-adviser of PTK. Club Clash is intended to promote friendly competition between the clubs to bring them together and unity amongst them, she said. The event was organized by Karalee Tiller, vice president of leadership in PTK and a computer science major. Most of the games were arranged into brackets so that clubs could compete with one another on an individual level and then advance onto the next round. The clubs competed for
a trophy that stays down in Student Life. “Club Clash is amazing. It is some healthy competition,” Tiller said. One student who signed up for several events, Jimmy Ray Nye III, vice president of fellowship in PTK and a psychology major, said he believes that Club Clash is beneficial because it engages different clubs through friendly competition and encourages bonding and the building of friendships. “On-campus involvement is a crucial key to success, not just in the classroom or the workplace, but in social settings as well,” Nye said.
“It helps you break out of your shell, increase your emotional intelligence and most importantly, it helps you grow as a person,” he said. Nye said he encourages other students to get more involved on campus. He said that there is no need to be nervous because you get to meet new people, have a good time and step out of your comfort zone. To learn more about Student Life and the AC activities calendar, visit www. actx.edu/studentlife/ or visit Student Life down in the Burrow in the College Union Building basement on the Washington Street Campus.
“Badgerama is an annual outdoor festival hosted by Amarillo College Student Life.” according to Jenna Welch, student life specialist. This event will include live music, food from Sharkies Burrito Co. and activities provided by student clubs and organizations. “All AC students and employees can participate. T-shirts will also be for sale for $5,” Welch said. Students will need their student IDs to join in for free festivities, Welch said. “Employees can purchase a meal for $5.” The event will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at the Washington Street Campus. The music will be provided by Krigare, a Nashville singer songwriter, whose name is Swedish for warrior. According to Krigare’s website, her title translates to warrior in Swedish. She got her start performing when she was 6 years old, playing piano for Kelly Clarkson at the Grammy Awards. She has also managed to recover from stage IV thyroid cancer, and stage I melanoma, after being diagnosed at age 16. The website describes her style of music as “cinematic/pop” and says she is known for her “imagery,” and “storytelling lyrics.” The student government association, or SGA, co-hosts this event, Welch said. “Badgerama is something we do yearly,” said Cecilia Almanza, the SGA president and a nuclear medicine major. The SGA will make sure students are enjoying themselves, Almanza said. “Each club brings activities,” said Jimmy Nye, another SGA member and a psychology major. “We take shifts at different activities and stands.” According to Welch, this event used to be themed, but they have decided not to have a theme this year. “We just want to celebrate and encourage school spirit,” she said.
Heading back to Woodstock By CARTER HALL Staff Reporter
The weekend of Aug. 15-18, 1969 changed the world of music forever. More than 400,000 young people attended a music festival in Bethel, White Lake, New York called Woodstock. Half a century later, there will be one more Woodstock celebrating the festival’s 50th anniversary with both past and present artists. Woodstock 2019 will take place in the original city Aug. 16 through 18, 2019. Fans will be able see celebrities such as Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and Halsey. The original Woodstock was a three-day event that ushered in a scene that had never been seen before. Music lovers could come together and possibly see some of their favorite artist, that is if they did not back out. Last-minute venue changes, bad weather and the hordes of attendees were the cause of some headaches for “An Aquarian Experience: Three Days of Peace and Music,” which was the original name of Woodstock,
but this did not stop the positive energy of the weekend. A lot of sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll and rain were the reasons why there was indeed a peaceful celebration along with the music that made Woodstock what it is today. Time has passed and music has changed since the first Woodstock 50 years ago, but this does not mean it is never to late to attended music festivals. Fans have flocked to various music festivals such as Austin City Limits (ACL) and Coachella, but they might not live to the same hype as Woodstock once did. “I wasn’t around when the first Woodstock took place, but I feel as though some of the bands were definitely more authentic and much more talented honestly,” Maddisun Fowler, the student media coordinator, said. National music festivals draw huge crowds, and people want to hear their favorite bands. But there are local festivals that have been popping up and getting some recognition. For three
years, during hot summer days that escalated into cool and unforgettable nights, a student from Amarillo College named Drake Hutton put on Lovestock, a music festival that was held on 10th and Maddison Streets for all music lovers. “I think the greatest thing about putting a music festival together is being able to help people. Whether it be someone who’s just looking for something on Saturday night, or a local artist just trying to play a gig. It’s a great feeling,” Hutton, a mass media major, said. As people are wishing to enjoy good times with music from the past or present, many say they are hoping that this year will be better than the previous Woodstock revival in 1999. Twenty years ago, at Woodstock ’99, problems varied from crowd surfing during Alanis Morisette’s performance of “Ironic,” to overcrowding. “Have we all forgotten about Woodstock ’99? That was a train wreck. What precautions are being taken to avoid what happened in 1999?” Fowler said.
Culture
The Ranger | 7 April 18, 2019
Netflix releases second season of ‘The Punisher’ REVIEW By JAKE DAY
Staff Reporter
MARC PAMPLONA | The Ranger
The Freelancer is published once a year and features various types of work from AC students and staff.
Students, staff share work in 15th edition of the ‘Freelancer’
By RAFAEL FLORES Staff Reporter
The reception for the release of the 15th edition of the Amarillo College student and staff literary magazine, the “Freelancer,” was held on April 4 and took place in the Common Lobby Art Gallery. At the reception, writers featured in the publication read their pieces outloud. Joshua O’Brien, the Writer’s Corner coordinator and chair of the “Freelancer” committee, said the purpose of the reception is for people to understand the meaning behind the stories. The magazine is published once a year and features poems, essays, short stories and artwork chosen by a
committee. Evan Wilcox, a business administration major, started off the ceremony with his piece “Savage Wisdom,” an essay he wrote for an English class describing the overwhelming effects of technology’s latest advancements on humans. Wilcox said he was inspired after spending a whole summer in the woods as a boy scout camp counselor in New Mexico and then transitioning back to college. “Coming into the city then, giving up that life to go to school, sucked me into that frame of technology,” Wilcox said. Then came the presentation of a poignant essay titled “Role Model,” by Diane Ynojosa, a computer science coding major.
She shared about her struggles with drug addiction and crime. “I had to overcome addiction, greed, hate and anger that I had built up,” she said, adding that attending college has given her an opportunity to take a new path. Ynojosa said she credits God and her kids as a motivation to make the change in her lifestyle. The final presentation was a moving personal narrative, “The Path of Least Resistance” by Michael Sebastian, an art major. In his reading, he described how a life-changing car-wreck left him paralyzed on his right side. He told the story of how he moved from considering suicide to finding a newfound meaning in everyday things. “I was hit by a car, despite that, I’m going back to college,” Sebastian said.
COURTESY PHOTO
New movie tackles issue of abortion ‘Unplanned’ tells story of former director of Planned Parenthood
REVIEW By MARIA VALLES Staff Reporter
“Nobody ever said abortion was pretty,” Abby Johnson says to her husband. “Unplanned” might not be the best movie, but it’s a must-see film. This movie is based on telling the true story of Abby Johnson and her experience with abortion. I loved how this movie portrays the issue of abortion. There were no filters, just real raw content that educates and gives the viewers information about abortion; however, this movie is a bit difficult to watch. Johnson, the main character, begins by telling her own personal story. She gets drawn into working at Planned Parenthood.
She soon gets promoted as the director. At first, she sees it as girls having the right to choose what they want to do with their bodies, but then she is asked to assist with an abortion and as she sees the process, she begins to weep. She goes to a Christian organization, gets some advice and becomes an antiabortion advocate. The actors in this film do a great job portraying their characters. Ashely Bratcher, a pro-life actress who plays Johnson, brings many emotions to this film. Robia Scott, who plays Cheryl the cold-hearted executive, also does a good job acting and not showing any kind of emotion during the more sensitive scenes. This movie was not advertised because many
networks thought it was too sensitive to the human eyes, which many people agree with. The point of this film is not to judge those who have had abortions or people who are pro-choice, but to inform the people with this difficult choice. “Unplanned” gives a religious perspective, but is not considered a religious movie. It is rated R, because of some scenes that show violent content, such as a girl feeling pain and bleeding excessively after taking an abortion pill. All in all, abortion is a topic many people don’t like talking about, but this film does a wonderful job informing and helping girls in crisis. This film sends a powerful message that everybody needs to watch.
“The Punisher” is a brutal character. He was created by writer Gerry Conway. The original artists were John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. “The Punisher” debuted as a mercenary to kill Spiderman, but, in the 1980s, he had three series devoted to his own storylines. The Netflix series keeps the core story and background details of “The Punisher” similar to the original. He is a marine named Frank Castle, a father and husband to a murdered family, and will do anything to get revenge. He deals out his version of justice to whoever he feels deserves it. This is captured in visceral, violent chronicles throughout the series. It is dealt out most heavily to character Billy Russo, also known as Jigsaw, in the season one finale. Fans know that Russo is one of Castle’s most dangerous enemies in the comics; however, Russo in the series is not kept the same as in the comics. He is possibly more dangerous in the Netflix adaptation. In the series, Russo is a fellow marine and friend to Castle. Russo leaves the military to be in security contracting for more money. He even had something to do with the death of Castle’s wife and children. For this Castles goes after Russo and ends a long bullet and bloodfilled fight by bashing Russo’s face into a mirror. This backstory is important to admire the emotional depths the creators plunge to in the second season. When Russo awakens he is forced through trauma therapy that is compared, by a character in the show, to that of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patient. I can say as someone that has gone through therapy for a TBI as well as years of recovery, the show’s writers must have done their research. Russo’s primary psychiatric physician uses jargon and common psych nomenclature that anyone with anxiety will appreciate for authenticity. Her name is Dr. Krista Dumont and is also an adaptation of a comic book character.
After an incident at the hospital, Russo stays with Dr. Dumont. What follows is a deep look inside a criminal mind – a mind that is completely self-aware. After a severe trauma, it is common for the person injured to become hyperaware, not only of themselves, but of others. Russo is a villain who holds grudges, but accepts that everything has to end. He evolves so much as a character that his range reminds me of Robert De Niro’s character in the movie “Heat,” famous for the line, “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.” The show remains consistent with its dedication to representing real world circumstances, such as realistic damage to the characters in the most violent version of “The Punisher” to date. The extent of medically and anatomically correct gore in the show is disturbing. Even more disturbing is how quickly I got used to it. “The Punisher” does not often have emotional depths beyond his origin storyline shown on film, so characterwise, Russo does the heavy lifting in the series. Castle partners with a young woman he saves and teaches her how to protect herself from the people after her. They bond, but just when you think Castle is exploring his emotions, he isn’t. That’s “The Punisher” though. He is who he is. He knows who he is and what he is good at, so he does what he can to stop bad things from happening to good people. The multiple storylines converge eventually, but in order watch it and take away everything the creators are going for, attention is key. The series is compelling and engaging. It is well balanced in tone and structure. It has bits of humor that could only be in a Punisher series. The plentiful action sequences are frequent and have quality choreography, yet there is still plenty of story progression. Some acting to me still seemed forced or possibly just disingenuous. I would rate it 89 out of 100.
8 | The Ranger April 18, 2019
Feature
Annual art exhibition spotlights students By Faythe Reeves | Staff Reporter In order to give students and faculty the opportunity to exhibit their work in a museum setting, the Amarillo Museum of Art is holding the Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University Student and Faculty Art Show from April 5 through 20. Deana Craighead, AMOA curator of education, said that the museum has been partnering with AC and WT since the inception of the museum itself, more than 40 years ago. Craighead also said that the showing student and faculty art in a museum setting gives legitimacy to the artists participating. “It’s important to be able to put your work on the wall with your teachers and other students and have people come in with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with an opening reception, the public coming, gallery talks and conversations about the artwork. That is really beneficial in the long-term development of an artist,” Craighead said. “That’s really the reason why we do this. It gives this emerging talent that chance.”
A set of intergalatic digital prints by Caleb Morales
The best student art of the year is entered into the annual exhibition, according to Steve Cost, associate professor of art. He also said that students have to meet certain criteria in order to have their piece chosen by an instructor. “The criteria needed to enter is excellence in composition, technique and professionalism, and creativity is a plus,” Cost said. “This museum show is a major part of an artist’s resume.” A wide range of pieces are entered, according to Craighead. “There’s some ceramic pieces, some sculpture and lots of two dimensional work. There’s graphic design, painting, collages, printmaking and mixtures of it all. There’s also video work, which is relatively new,” Craighead said. Craighead said there are many reasons to participate in this art show.
An acrylic painting by sharon Burkett
“Students do receive financial benefit from it in addition to recognition and getting to invite people to come and see their work at the museum and things like that. Students compete for scholarship money, prizes and different things like that,” Craighead said. If a student or faculty member is interested in selling the piece they entered in the exhibition, the museum staff can direct potential buyers to them, although the museum staff is not directly involved in that process, according to Craighead. “That does occasionally happen with exhibitions of all different kinds. Occasionally someone will say ‘I just love that and I have to take it home’ and we can put that person in touch with the artist or teacher,” Craighead said. PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY REID | Page Editor
An archival pigment print by Rene West