VOLUME 90 | ISSUE 8
February 20, 2020
“
Gender has no effect on the dream you are pursuing.
Women shatter
STORMIE SANCHEZ I The Ranger
stereotypes
By STORMIE SANCHEZ
Staff Reporter
At Amarillo College, women are disregarding stereotypes and pursuing careers that have been considered traditionally “male.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 13.9 percent of engineers in 2019 were female. The numbers are lower when it comes to welding, with 5.3 percent being women. The gender gap may be daunting for some, but it isn’t keeping local students from pursuing their dreams. One of those women, Ashley Scott, a mechanical engineering major, said she always had a love for math, but, through the encouragement of professors, branched into engineering. “I began taking a few engineering classes and enjoyed the academic challenge, therefore, I continued with my pursuit,” Scott said. Passion isn’t the only motivator. Faith Harm, a student in AC’s welding program, said she just wanted to “try different things. I like hands on things. I didn’t want to be stuck in an office all day.” However, being in the minority has its disadvantages. “I have had men doubt my knowledge on a subject just because I am a girl.” Scott said. Continued on page 5 Illustration by SHAWN McCREA
Winter weather causes chaos By JENNIFER FERNANDEZ AND RANGER STAFF Staff Reporters
A recent snow and ice storm led college officials to close the Amarillo campuses the evening of Feb. 4 and all day Feb. 5. The next week, it snowed again, but classes remained in session. Joe Wyatt, assistant director of marketing and communications, said AC follows the Amarillo Independent School District weather closing policy because the schools have a lot in common. “There are many people that work and attend the college that have kids in the schools. We need to be aligned with them to have the best outcome
for everyone,” Wyatt said. When it snowed again Feb. 11, both AC and AISD stayed open. Some students said that was a mistake. “Missing that day caused no issues; however having class on another day the next week when it was even more dangerous was somewhat problematic,” Maeve Emersyn, a psychology major, said. For one student, the road conditions during the second snowstorm led to a car accident. “I had trouble getting to class because of the roads and ended up in a fender bender,” said Danielle Salas, a medical laboratory technology major. When the college is closed due to weather issues, AC uses a system called “AC Alert”
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that notifies students and staff through phone calls, text messages and email. “AC did a good job alerting me on the cancellation of classes,” Cecilia Mendoza, a visual arts major, said. Salas, however, did not receive the alert, though she said she has received AC Alerts in the past. Most students said they enjoyed the unexpected day off from classes, but, in some courses, the cancellation has put them behind schedule. “My speech class had to cut out an entire speech. We were only doing three, so now we’re doing two because we ended up being so behind from the snow,” Alice McDonald-Pate, an English major, said. Wyatt said that regardless www.acranger.com
of whether the campus is closed, students must use their own judgment about traveling to campus. “We always tell people to
please make their own decision based on where they live. While you may get a foot of snow at your house, at my house I may get an inch of snow,” Wyatt said.
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Oh, snow, you didn’t. Recent snowfall turned college parking lots into a guessing game, creating potential hazards and road blocks for other drivers. Twitter and Instagram: @acranger
Opinion
2 | The Ranger February 20, 2020
How does AC encourage diversity through clubs and organizations? "They encourage it a lot because you get a lot of emails from different clubs that you can join and you’re always updated," ANNAMARIA ALONZO Graphic Design
“During the 2019 spring semester, we had the International Student Organization. I’m not sure if they still have it, but back then they actually encouraged students to come along. It was a safe place for people from different cultures.”
Illustration by DANIAR ONOZ | The Ranger
Student media reps fail to represent EDITORIAL MARC PAMPLONA Mass Media
“I come from a different country so it's interesting to intermingle, interact and share experiences with people from different countries, different places all over the world," HASSEM HAMMD
Business Management
Changing face of sexism OPINION By ISABELLE LINK Columnist
If you are aware of your surroundings at least a little, you can see sexism everywhere. It can be subtle and bred into acceptance with ideas such as “a man should always pay for dinner,” to more notable statements like “you can’t do that cause you’re a woman,” which I have been told many times before. Regardless of who is dishing out the sexism, it is everywhere. Sadly, it seems to happen in more cases against women, though I am speaking from a woman’s perspective so I am more sensitive to that type of sexism. I have read and heard a lot of stories about women changing their identity to be more masculine in the hope of their work being acknowledged. I have seen it in a comedy skit by Logan
Guntzelman, where she talked about how her mom gave her a more masculine name so her resume would be favorable when future bosses looked at job applicants. I have heard about sexism in cinematography in Star Trek where one of the writers had to hide the fact that she was a woman. While these sexist limitations didn’t stop the people in these examples, it has stopped others. There was even a documentary called “Big Eyes” about Margaret Ulbrich and how her husband took all the credit for her art. Men taking credit for a woman’s work is not uncommon, but society is moving away from those times, in part because of technological advancements. We have made advances in some areas. We discovered electricity, advanced known medicine, and even made long distance travel possible. If we have come up with all of this, why can’t we apply that same forward thinking to changing gender roles? If we applied the same commitment as the advancement of technology to the advancement of how we view people, I believe we could be much further in acceptance, with everyone.
This issue of “The Ranger” focuses on diversity. At Amarillo College, we frequently talk about the importance of understanding diversity diversity of race, ethnicity and culture, gender and sexual orientation, age and marital status, political ideology and more. College officials stress the importance of teaching students to thrive in a diverse workforce and to relate to people unlike themselves. But at AC Student Media, we may be failing. It is our job to provide an open forum for AC students to learn and discuss things that matter to them. We exist to serve the student body, yet how can we achieve this without a diverse news staff? According to college officials, the average AC student is a Hispanic female around 25 years old. She is a first-generation, part-time
student with at least one child. More often than not, she plans to transfer to a four-year university after completing courses at AC. Officials call this student Maria. Unfortunately for “The Ranger,” there is no one on the news staff who fits this description exactly. In fact, our staff is predominantly white and under the age of 25 with no children. There are whole areas of the student body either underrepresented or not represented at all by AC Student Media. For example, just over 6 percent of the student population at AC is black. For the size of our staff, we should have at least two black students on the news staff to accurately represent our student body. Students who identify as Native American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, even as a mixed race, do not have a voice in this publication, despite making up close to three percent of the student population combined.
It's a tough pill to swallow for an organization that preaches the First Amendment. So the question is whether we can provide an accurate perspective on diversity if our news staff is not diverse. The answer is no. It’s hard to talk about diversity when we lack diversity. So what can we do about it? One way is to make a more conscious effort to include students with backgrounds different from what we’ve seen, either as a part of staff or in the stories we publish. We need students from different races and cultures, students with different religions or beliefs, students who can provide unique perspectives on topics and ideas we discuss. We urge our readers to reach out to us, to help us achieve this mission. We want to tell your stories. We want to represent you - but we need your help.
Local business doesn't make the cut OPINION By JOHNNY LAWHON Staff Reporter
While driving to attend my classes, I pass a local business called “Men’s Only.” The name bothers me because of my belief in equality for women and men. Having a business in Amarillo that only serves men is upsetting. It is a form of discrimination that has me questioning how much progress we’ve
made towards true gender equality in today’s society. I did not want to judge “Men’s Only” just by driving by the business, so I decided to ignore my negative feelings and go in to see what they are about. I found out that “Men’s Only” is a hair salon that caters to men and is reminiscent of an old-style barber shop. I talked to one of the hair stylists, and she told me that she had lost a lot of customers when transferring over to “Men’s Only” because most of her former clients were women. Again, this left me questioning why a place of business would choose not to serve half the population. “Men’s Only” offers a special discounted rate for first responders. I thought
this was a fantastic idea, but there are female first responders as well. I wonder if a female paramedic has sat across the way, looking at a business that excludes her gender. What could she have been been thinking? There are situations where a business can exclude certain services based on gender, but this is a form of discrimination that we must protest. Old timey barbershops still have a place in today’s society, but why not move with the times and be welcoming for women as well? I will not be going back to “Men’s Only” and will continue to voice my beliefs of gender equality .in all areas of my life. We are in a changing society and I look forward to when there is true equality.
Get in touch with us Page Editors VOLUME 90 | SPECIAL EDITION
August 22, 2019
For a complete staff listing, please visit The Ranger online at www.acranger.com therangereditor@gmail.com Twitter @acranger Instagram @acranger Facebook @acrangerpaper
Editor-in-Chief Lauren Ebben Page Two Emily Reeves Page Three Caylee Hanna Page Four Shawn McCrea
Page Five Shawn McCrea Page Six Jessika Fulton Page Seven Isabelle Link Page Eight Brittnee Talley
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
February 20, 2020
The Ranger | 3
Camp provides hands-on learning By JESSIKA FULTON Staff Reporter
Plans are underway for Badger Kids Camp 2020. Badger Kids Camp is a program for elementary and middle school students to learn and interact with individuals from their prospective career field and to experience hands-on learning. Linda Dominguez, the Badger Kids Camp coordinator, said last year the camp hosted 3,500 students and awarded $40,000 in scholarships. Cullen Lutz, the Panhandle PBS community development coordinator, helps run the mass media section of the camp. Lutz said campers are given the opportunity to learn how to do things such as interviewing, video and audio editing, production, camera operation and other activities from the world of mass media. “This collaborative effort provides an opportunity for teenagers to work with professionals while becoming acquainted with Amarillo College, course offerings in the Matney Mass Media program,
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Brian Frank, Panhandle PBS content producer, shows Camper Isaiah how to edit a video and sound clips during last summer’s radio/TV Camp.
Panhandle PBS, FM90 and the Washington Street Campus itself,” Lutz said. “The number one thing that Badger Kids camp supports is the future of Amarillo College,” Dominguez said. “I feel very passionate that I am building future Badgers. If they see that
it’s not a scary environment or intimidating, then it’s an amazing place for the kids to feel safe, then maybe spark their parents to want to join,” she said. Dominguez said Badger Kids Camp also gives participants an opportunity to
interact with personnel from their possible future careers. “They actually get to interact in engineering camp with engineers and learn, ‘This is what my job is like, this is what I do,’” she said. Another program under Badger Kids Camp is
CYD, Community Youth Development. CYD is an after school program for students in the ZIP code area of 79107, The Palo Duro Cluster. CYD is a free program that gives underprivileged children to interact with the college through learning enrichment. The program is held on students’ home campuses, making it easier for families. Lemisia Adams, the site supervisor for CYD, said the CYD program is more than just about the classes and learning. “The programs are awesome because you get to see the kid grow up, like we have lots of regulars every year. We have fifth-graders that are now eighth-graders,” Adams said. Dominguez said this year the camp is seeking help from AC students and faculty. “We would like to hire some AC students to be our instructors for our summer program,” she said. For more information visit actx.edu/kidscollege . Dominguez said she is also planning a job fair in March, but the exact date
Kids classes relieve stress
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Aaron Faver, a government professor, and Dr. Beth Rodriguez collaborate before recording their podcast.
Podcast gains following By EMILY REEVES Staff Reporter
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Ella Walton, Ellee Wade, Emma Johnson and Sidney Johnson preparing for their yoga session at the AC Dance studio.
Yoga teaches children mindfulness By LONDON BLACKBURN Staff Reporter
Amarillo College’s West campus has started offering “Calm Kids Classes.” These classes introduce children to activities such as yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Calm Kids class is a new program that started this spring semester. It includes boys’ classes (age 8-12), girls’ classes (age 8-12 age) and coed classes (age 5-8). “Anxiety is such an epidemic in society, not only with adults, but also with children. By using these tools to teach kids how to deal with anxiety, they then can take it out into the world,” Ashley Walton, AC supervisor of sports and dance programs, said. Children deal with pressures from things like school, sports activities, social outings and home life, Walton, said. Yoga is proven to improve concentration, increase confidence, manage stress and numerous other
things to benefit the quality of life, she said. “Learning to quiet the mind and quiet the body for kids can be a challenge, Sharon Burkett, Calm Kids instructor, said. “We make it like a game, to see if we could do it for a minute.” she added. The expectation is not to stay still for an hour, but to work in increments to help the children become comfortable with yoga, Burkett said. It can also help children be aware of what’s going on in their hearts and their bodies and then make choices based on that information instead of having a negative reaction, she said. After each class, Burkett presents the children with a prompt that they visualize. After focusing on the prompt and using their imaginations, they draw what they see or how they felt. “As mother of two young energy-fueled boys, I’m glad AC has started a yoga class for kids. I wasn’t aware of it until
recently but I’m interested to see where it will go,” Montana Lee, a nursing major, said. Burkett also offers classes for adults such as trauma-informed yoga and expressive arts classes. “Yoga means to unite or to bring together. We have our physical self, emotional self and our mental self. Yoga is how we get those three parts of ourselves to work together so that we can be our very best self,” Burkett, said. The classes help children perform better in school and provide an outlet to process stress, she said. “It’s not like everything is going away. We still have life and things like homework; however, it doesn’t have to feel like we’re stuck in the middle of a snowstorm,” Burkett, said. Walton said she hopes to team up with Carter Fitness on the Washington Street Campus to not only grow the yoga class offerings but try to introduce things such as wheelchair fitness.
AC’s behavioral and social sciences department has a running podcast called “Life in Bomb City” that covers issues that many students may not be aware exist in the Amarillo area. “I’m the creator and producer, but it’s definitely a team effort,” said Aaron Faver, the podcast co-host and AC government instructor. His co-host, Dr. Beth Rodriguez, teaches psychology. “Aaron does a lot of research and is very scripted,” Rodriguez said. Both bring different perspectives on relevant issues affecting the people in the Amarillo community. Faver and Rodriguez say they attempt to not only bring topics to the forefront of people’s minds, but help them understand how the issues fit into the bigger picture. “More than anything, we try to make this a place where we can contextualize Amarillo culture, politics and other things within the global context,” Faver said. “Life in Bomb City” has covered a wide range of topics already, from changing entertainment to the local foster care system to a four part miniseries about the opioid epidemic in town.
“We don’t just have one specific topic that we’re reaching. We’re kind of hitting all community issues and things that are happening,” Rodriguez said. “Dr. Rodriguez and I talk a lot about what we think people need to know about, where there are gaps in knowledge,” he said. Faver and Rodriguez take their podcast seriously, bringing in more than just local authorities. “Coming up, we’ve got lots of guests who are at the national level,” Faver said. The podcast is also gathering a large listener base. “We have somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 listeners, and we’re growing,” he said. “Some listeners are from outside the area.” Students at AC who listen to the podcast speak favorably of it. “The series is interesting. It’s a really well done podcast,” said Aden Hurly, a business information systems major. “It relates to the people of Amarillo and gives good insight on the things that go on here,” Hurly said “Life in Bomb City” can be found wherever podcasts are available, such as Spotify and iTunes. Car stickers are also available from Aaron Faver in the Dutton office suite on the second floor at the Washington Street Campus.
News
4 | The Ranger February 20, 2020
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Illustration by DANIAR ONOZ | The Ranger
Is a month enough? By KADEN BRYANT Staff Reporter
Black History Month is turning 50. The idea of an annual celebration of African-American achievements was first proposed by students from Kent State University in 1969. It was celebrated for the first time in 1970. Since then, February has become the month set aside for recognizing the central role of blacks
in U.S. history. On Feb. 20, the Amarillo College diversity committee will hold an event celebrating Black History Month on the first floor of the Ware Student Commons. The gathering will feature food and entertainment. Daneesha Gray, a general studies major, said that Black History Month means a lot to her because it is a time when people can connect to their roots and each other. “Black History Month is
about appreciation for the African-American heroes of the past, whether they be black or mixed like my siblings and I. There is something that is prideful to be born in my skin,” Gray said. Luke Del Toro, a graphic design major, said that Black History Month is celebrated to give credit where credit is due, credit that has been denied for many years due to racism and oppression. “Black History Month
is a time where everyone can recognize the culture and legacy that AfricanAmericans have created,” Del Toro said. The month is a time of remembrance, said Melodie Graves, associate director of academic advising and chair of the AC diversity committee. “To me, Black History Month is extremely important. It’s a time that I can celebrate my ancestors and explain to people, the impact that they’ve had on society.
I think it’s definitely a crucial thing that we celebrate Black History Month,” Graves said. Both Graves and Gray said that recognizing the contributions of black Americans should not just be relegated to a one month period. “While it’s important to celebrate it during Black History Month, what we need to understand is that those contributions should be celebrated throughout the year,” Graves said.
Infographic by SHAWN McCREA | The Ranger
News
Black History Month, explored through art
The Ranger | 5 February 20, 2020
Women breaking work barriers Continued from page 1
Photo by SHAWN MCCREA | The Ranger
From visual arts to musical performances, AC showcases Black artists By JESSIKA FULTON Staff Reporter
The Amarillo Museum of Art’s newest exhibit consists of 85 artworks by African-American artists, one of the largest collections in the country, collected by two individuals from San Antonio, Harmon and Harriet Kelley. One of the artists that is also being featured at the AMoA, is self-taught artist Vanessa German, the winner of the 2018 Don Tyson Prize. Deana Craighead, the museum curator of education, said what is significant about the exhibit is the perspective of the artists on everyday life and race. She also said German’s art is the best representative of this. “Vanessa German is creating artworks in order to communicate ideas about her own experiences. Her power figures are the embodiment of her life and the viewer can bring their own interpretation,” Craighead said.
The Harmon and Harriet Collection will be shown through March 29, and the Vanessa German exhibit will be up through April 5. “African-American artists have often been overlooked, but within the Kelley Collection, we are able to see the contributions made in cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance, technical and artistic realms such as printmaking, and the ways in which they collaborated with each other, both inside and outside the borders of the United States,” said Craighead. Cecilia Mendoza, an art major and art club president, said the exhibit was beautiful and insightful. “African-American art, I believe, has evolved in popularity in the sense that now it is shown in modern media and can be openly celebrated and shown in museums. I loved the installations by Vanessa German and being able to view and enjoy this art that was
private for so long is just amazing,” Mendoza said. In conjunction with the art show, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20, Layota Lain, from the Amarillo Opera, will be having a live performance in the AC Concert Hall. She will be performing her lecture recital of “Narrative of a slave women: Songs of hope, justice and freedom.” Mary Jane Johnson, the director of Amarillo Opera and music professor, said it is a wonderful collaboration that is free and beneficial to all. “This is to celebrate the Black History month of February. It is most important to recognize the incredible black artists both visually and in song,” Johnson said. Johnson also said the performance will be music to the ears. “We are honored to present all of these artists at Amarillo College and thrilled to be able to collaborate together and invite the public to enjoy, as well. I have heard the program and it is amazing,” she said.
“I have had a man tell me that women are meant to be nurses and men are meant to be engineers because women have more maternal instinct,” Harm said. Alex Rubio, a civil engineering major, has had a different experience. “All my professors, peers, family, friends, etc. are extremely supportive of my decision to pursue engineering and have really helped me over the years by encouraging me to continue,” she said. Other issues, such as time management arise. “There is a lot of homework and assignments that need to be completed,” Rubio said. “Most assignments take several hours.” The students in the accelerated welding program meet four days a week for eight hours a day. Although they do all of their work in class, they are presented with their own unique challenges. “We spent four hours turning a 20-inch plate into these three little one quarter strips,” said Yose Ruenda, a welding student. “If the bridge cracks or it doesn’t pass, you have to start all over,” she said. Harm said it can be frustrating. “If you’re too frustrated you can’t actually weld,” she said. “You have to pretty much let it go and take a five to ten-minute break and calm down.” The programs may differ, but at least one thing is true for both: connections with classmates and instructors are an important factor for success.
Rubio said that many professors are willing to offer advice when things get tough. “All my professors have been extremely encouraging when it comes to pursuing engineering. I have had many meetings with professors who have talked to me about their experiences and challenges during college and given me helpful ways to deal with challenging situations.” Female students pursuing nontraditional careers find support and important insights from their peers as well. “Friends will hold you accountable, and organizations allow you to get advice on study habits, classes, professors, etc. since they are usually ran by upperclassmen who have already gone through most of the engineering program,” Rubio said. According to Ruenda, her peers help each other get better based on individual strengths and weaknesses. “It’s kind of a family in here,” she said. The students show passion for the careers they are pursuing, and offer advice to other women who are looking into nontraditional fields. “Gender has no effect on the dream you are pursuing. We are all human and we are all working tirelessly for our dreams,” Scott said. Ruenda said she tells women not to let gender hold them back. “If it’s your gut instinct, just go ahead and do it. You are just as good as any other welder,” she said.
News
6 | The Ranger February 20, 2020
Students tune into learning on FM90 By EMILY REEVES Staff Reporter Amarillo College’s FM90 offers hands-on training for students looking for a career in radio. “It’s really cool because here we use a lot of the same programs that commercial radio stations use,” said Jake Day, a mass media major and student music director for FM90. “I’ve been able to get a lot of experience with stuff that is being used in this industry right now,” Day said. Students who take Radio One and Two learn how to use the basic equipment for editing music that is used by most radio stations. “We set people up to go directly to a commercial radio station. Our job is to give students all of those
basic skills” said Amy Presley, FM90 program director. In Radio Two, returning students teach new Radio One students, which enhances Radio One students’ learning experience. “I’m teaching two different students the basics. It’s a way for me to show what I actually know” said Charles Diaz, a mass media major. “You don’t know something until you have to teach it yourself,” Diaz said. AC also offers a class called Radio Experience for those interested in being on FM90 after completing training or taking the classes. Students from any major can enroll in the one credit class and get to be on the air. FM90 is approved for 100,000 watts of power, the furthest reach that any radio station can legally have.
LAUREN EBBEN I The Ranger
Blake Lundy, mass media major, works as a student DJ for Amarillo College’s FM90.
“We are as powerful as any commercial station in town. Most colleges and universities do not have 100,000 watt station, but we do, and that means the record labels love us,” said Presley. Presley said many artists
stop by when they’re passing through Amarillo for that reason. FM90 has hosted visits from The Kongos, Gaelynn Lee and The Brevet, among others. While FM90 mainly plays alternative music, the station
also allows students to run specialty shows with their own themes such as rock and metal. Anyone who wants to listen to what AC’s FM90 has to offer, tune into the station on radio frequency 89.9 FM.
Performance group jazzes things up By KADEN BRYANT Staff Reporter Amarillo College’s own vocal club, dubbed “The Drastic Measures,” has shifted its image from a pop-like a capella group to a more jazz-like choir. The choir is led by Dr. Nathan Fryml, an AC faculty member. Student members consist of Codi Hittson, Thomas Bales, Jayson Sawyer, Emily Yates, Grace Aguilera and Tyler Long. Even though they are a strong sounding group, Fryml will occasionally sing with them to round out their numbers. Since transitioning from a pop-centered a capella group to a jazz choir, the members of “The Drastic Measures” have been preparing jazz songs for future performances. They recently lost a gig performing for the Special Olympics hosted at River Road High School due to a scheduling error, but that didn’t stop some of the members from signing up to
KADEN BRYANT I The Ranger
Amarillo College’s vocal jazz group, “The Drastic Measures,”practice for upcoming events like the festival in Greeley.
volunteer at the event to help in any way they could. Codi Hittson, a music major, sings alto two for the club and says she is excited for what is to come for the chior in the near future. “We are preparing for a
jazz festival in Greeley. It’s a big thing. So we’re honing in on our jazz skills and working on improv and stuff like that, so it’s going to be a fun semester,” Hittson said. Thomas Bales, a performing arts major, sings bass one
AC intramurals hit court By AUGUSTINE GALVAN-VEGA Staff Reporter The intramural basketball four week season started at the beginning of February, kicking off with seven teams on the roster. The first three weeks of the season is devoted to pool play, where teams play against each other in smaller rounds to determine a winner. “We’re just trying to give everybody the opportunity to play each of the other teams,” Trent Oneal, the intramurals coordinator, said. After the first three weeks are up and everyone has had a chance to play one another, they start the championship tournament. Each team is put in a bracket space and plays a two round elimination tournament with 30 minute
games. The winning team of the tournament could have an opportunity to move on and play against West Texas A&M University’s intramural basketball team. Oneal said that there are about 84 players and he wants everyone who signed up to have their time to shine on the court.
In addition to this tournament, Oneal offers Thursday Night Sports with basketball as sport of the month in February. No sign up is needed. All students have to do is show up at the Carter Fitness Center courts with their gear, ready to play pickup basketball games.
LAUREN EBBEN I The Ranger
Teams like “Cash App” and “The Outlaws,” featured above, battle it out on the court to determine a winner of the intramural basketball tournament. Qualifying teams play two to three five-on-five games every Monday starting at 5:30 p.m.
for the choir is skilled in both playing the piano and saxophone. Bales said that performing on multiple platforms within AC has helped him get over some of his anxiety when it
comes to performing in front of crowds. “I didn’t always enjoy performing. It just made me real nervous, but I’ve gotten out there enough. I still get nervous, but it’s exhilarating at this point. I know I’ve worked my tail off over the years and got to this point where I can show off and go ‘Hey, look at me I’m playing this really hard song’ so it’s a lot of fun,” Bales said. Some students said that they were hesitant about joining the vocal group, but are now glad they did. One of those students is Jayson Sawyer, a music major who sings tenor two for the choir. “Always enjoy new experiences, no matter where they take you. If somebody would be on the fence about joining this group, I’d just say, just do it. I was dragged in with my friends about a year and a half ago to audition with them for the first time. I don’t regret any moment of it,” Sawyer said.
Culture
The Ranger | 7 February 20, 2020
ISABELLE LINK | The Ranger
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Dark comedy thriller steals screen
West displays “Mojave”
By ARINE GALE GARIN
By JENNIFER FERNANDEZ
REVIEW
Staff Reporter
Bong Joon Ho’s film “Parasite” has garnered much praise and applause from audiences around the world. The film follows the Kim family as they climb the social ladder, given the opportunity for their son to become a tutor for the rich household of the Park family. With one after another, each family member infiltrates the Park family until they’ve become a “parasite” integrated into the Park’s daily lives. As the movie reaches its climax, it ventures off as a competition of greed between the two destitute families living within the Park’s home, trying to oust each other in every chance. This film of social satire delivers a sense of
humor and mystery that leaves the audience at a state of confusion and unpredictability until the very end. As Joon Ho recently arrived in Korea, he was greeted with applause and celebration after winning four Academy Awards at the Oscars for the film (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best International Feature Film.) Not only this, but “Parasite” is the first non-English film in history to take home the Academy Award for Best Picture. The movie also won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, as well as the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. With this said, this film could be the catalyst for other foreign films to enter the Hollywood film industry, which many have attempted
whether it be through casting or being recruited by a wellknown company. There is also a vast amount of films waiting to be explored, yet left in the shadows due to a language barrier. “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” Joon Ho said in his Golden Globes speech. In comparison to other films, “Parasite” was a versatile film that adapted well to many international fans for its unique setting of dystopia intertwines two classes into one. The film delivers this social commentary yet it isn’t overpowering that this film can be watched multiple times and still be as awe-shocked as the first time. Given it’s accumulation of fame, HBO has acquired the bidding right for a TV adaptation and is set to be a six episode series.
Staff Reporter
Rene West, assistant photography professor at Amarillo College, recently displayed her most recent art project; “Mojave – Ancient Lands and Animal Stories” at AC’s Southern Light Gallery. The Southern Light Gallery is curated by West. The gallery provides an opportunity for students and other photographers to display their work. It is located on the first floor of the Ware Student Commons on the Washington Street Campus. West spent eight days in solitude following a workshop she hosted in a Nevada desert where she spent her days drawing and taking photos with a pinhole camera she fashioned from old paint cans. “The wind blew for four days and I didn’t feel like I could get my camera out,” West said. Alone in the desert for a week and a day, West said she was happy to have encounters with different animals that inspired the creation of her art. “Every day they had a story to tell me,” she said. West’s at contains mandalas that she drew through a form of meditation while in the desert. “I like the practice of
sitting down and drawing, not thinking, just drawing.” A mandala is a symbol that represents the universe. It is a spiritual and ritual symbol that carries significance that is nique per individual. “I didn’t have WiFi, but I had a lot of time,” West said. She combined the drawings of the mandalas with drawings of the animals she encountered to create the pieces featured. “I scanned the drawings of the mandalas then began to build up composite images based on the shapes that were in the original drawings,” West said. According to West, this display is different for her. “I’ve never shown landscapes before, and I didn’t anticipate that’s what I’d do while there.” West has taught at AC for 11 years. West’s students said she inspires them through her passion for her work. “She is eccentric, at times overwhelming, but in a good way,” Brandon Belflower, current student of West and photography major said. Some students have taken several classes that West instructs. They believe that her years of experience show in her knowledge of photography. “Not only is she a great teacher, but a good friend,” Zach Quiroz, a photography major, said.
Theatre hosts comedy play By ANTHONY CRUZ
COURTESY PHOTO
Black Flag flips pub upside down REVIEW By ISABELLE LINK Staff Reporter
Black Flag preformed at Hoots Pub Friday, Feb. 7, and, while sadly they were not accompanied by one of the more original band members, Henry Rollins, they had with them instead Mike Valley, a professional skateboarder. While Valley obviously didn’t perform and Rollins’ company was surely missed, the show was just as crazy and wild like Rollins was known for in his time. The show was set to begin at 7 with an easy set of two bands. The first was the opening act called The Line Cutters with Black Flag to follow. Typical though for any punk show, it was late, about four hours late to be specific. Eventually, nearly an hour and a half after the opener played, Black Flag trumped onto stage, their gray hair shinning under the bright stage lights and without hesitation Black Flag flew into their old hectic behavior. As the band performed, the audience sang in sync with them, almost everyone was screaming
the lyrics along and jumping around in excitement. There were only a few onlookers who weren’t participating but instead joyfully absorbed the experience like a page in a journal. Black Flag has been part of the hardcore and post hardcore scene since 1976 and through the nearly 50 years of the band’s life, they have developed a reputation of DIY punk culture and how much they hate Nazis, the KKK or anything racist, coining the term with other punk bands, “Nazi Punks F*ck Off.” Despite the group’s open opposition to the racist culture, two audience members displayed white supremacist symbols. One wore the tattooed SS symbol on the back of his shaved head like it was a tribe’s flag. So it raises the question, how were they able to set foot into this punk show? Nobody mentioned it to them, or even tried to fight them for their views. Nevertheless, that is NOT the punk lifestyle Black Flag wanted, and honestly it is pretty disgusting that we have been dealing with (for more than 50 years) this awful white supremacy behavior to the point that bands had to coin
a phrase and start their own movement against it. With it being the start of a new decade, we should be past all the vile racism that has flooded the United States. I believe that we should create a world where people are scared to step out in their racist attire. I believe we should live in a world where when there is verbal or physical racism going on that without a doubt everyone around should act up and speak up about the manner and that exactly what these bands have been trying to do. For years Black Flag, Bad Brains, The Circle Jerks and other groups worked to take the punk scene away from the white supremacists and allow it to be a safe space for people to express themselves. These bands paved the road for future punks to stand up against white supremacy. The fact that Amarillo, Bomb City, let this man in with SS on his skull is insulting to the punk movement and their past efforts. In the scene or not, we should all be doing better to isolate Nazi punks and make them fearful.
Staff Reporter
The Amarillo College theatre department will open the play “The Liar” Feb. 20. Performances will be the 20 – 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. in the Experimental Theatre. Monty Downs, theatre instructor and technical director, described the play as “a modern adaptation of the 17 century French piece.” The play is a comedy about lies and misunderstandings. Downs said theatre-goers should look forward to a lighthearted evening. “It’s just a silly, fun show, there is no deep meaning to it or anything else,” Downs said. “The Liar” will showcase the work of numerous AC theatre majors, whose contributions include everything from sets, lighting and costumes to their performances onstage. Many theatre majors say their studies give them a way to express themselves. Samantha Rodriguez, a theater major, said she gets on stage, becomes a different character and leaves her actual personality behind. “Honestly, just to be able to portray different emotions, to be able to try different things, you know, like, be someone who is British or someone from Ireland,” Rodriguez said.
Evelyn Rubalcaba, a theatre major, is one of many students who changed their major to pursue her dream career. “I was not really passionate about wanting to know about nursing. I was like, going to try theater, and I ended up loving it,” she said. Rubalcaba said she has many plans for her future and wants to transfer to WTAMU so that she can continue studying theater. “I plan to teach theater or just be a teacher in general because I’m kind of a little bit passionate about the youth,” she said. Hunter Eason, a theater major, said he plans to pursue a career as a script writer after graduation. “I want to learn how to write plays, and form a character and a storyline. Acting teaches you how to acknowledge other people’s emotions as well as your own,” he said. Eason said he has many ways he overcomes stress and prepares before getting onstage. “I like to meditate, or I like to write. It doesn’t have to be a specific topic or anything. I just like to write or read,” he said. Downs said any student can audition for the theatre department productions, regardless of their major. The next show will be the musical, “Bright Star.”
Feature
8 | The Ranger February 20, 2020
PRIDE:
CAMPUS CLUB CREATES COMMUNITY By London Blackburn
According to the Postsecondary National Policy institute, over 200 LGBTQ+ centers existed on college campuses across the country in 2018. Amarillo College was one of theose colleges, having fomed an LGBTQ+ club in 2015. Ruth De Anda, an Amarillo College adviser, said, “I really was concerned. I felt like something needed to happen.” So she took the initiative and started the AC Pride club. Five years later, the club continues to grow, and has gained two more faculty sponsors and elected student officials. “It’s an honor to be viewed as a trusted
resource for our students on campus, even if they just need a sweet from my candy bowl or a warm greeting.” Said Jacquiline Llewellyn, the AC Pride speech instructor and co-sponsor. “The more involved I am able to be in student life, the more students are able to recognize me as someone available to them who cares, and hopes to help.” AC Pride’s goal is to provide a safe place for individuals in the LGBTQ+ community and allies, De Anda said.
Shawn McCrea, the president of AC Pride, said the club unites people from different backgrounds and gives members the chance to meet others who share similar life experiences. For McCrea, the club has created a sense of community and a supportive environment. “I could have queer friends that know what it’s like to live a life out of the heteronormative,” they said. “Pride provides acceptance for students who may be feeling
mistreated for their orientation,” McCrea said. It is also a space for students to converse, hang out and find new friends. “We are open and accepting toward anyone who might feel like they fit outside the heteronormative spectrum. We also welcome allies. You don’t have to be gay to be in the club,” McCrea said. In November of each year, Pride hosts holds a Thanksgiving lunch for the club members. This is important because some of the members’ families do not accept them and will not celebrate the holiday with them, Fowler said. “I can’t even imagine that, so just being there
and being support for students who need it is everything,” she said. “Some students may not have support at home, but they know that when they step into a Pride meeting that they are surrounded with love and support,” Fowler said. “It’s wonderful to watch a group of students become a community.” said Llewellyn. “I love getting to be a part of student life and supporting students in their academic and social endeavors. Pride meets from 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Louise Daniels room in the College Union Building on the Washington Street Campus. For any questions, contact De Anda at r0343730@ actx.edu or Fowler at m0080374@actx.edu.
Illustration By Brittnee Talley