Merry COVID-mas Pg. 4 Amarillo College's News Source Since 1930
Vaccine nears Volume 91, Issue 5
acranger.com
November 26, 2020
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The COVID-19 vaccine that creates a viral protein which causes an immune response from the body to produce antibodies for the virus.
Students discuss vaccine requirement By MELISSA SANDOVAL and ARINE GALE GARIN Staff Reporters
As the COVID-19 death toll and case numbers continue to rise, the race for a vaccine is entering the final stage of clinical trials. If approved by the FDA, vaccine distribution could become widely available as early as December 2020 through Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) starting with high-risk populations, individuals who are prone to infections and healthcare workers. From there it will be available to the general public, including Amarillo College students and staff. As the development of the vaccine advances, students are debating whether or not they will take the vaccine. Some say the vaccine should be required for enrollment, while others feel it should be optional.“Since students are currently doing school online, they shouldn’t be required to take the vaccine when it’s available,” said Ehler Paw, a general studies major. “The virus hasn’t died down and we still need to practice social distancing.” Paw also said that she doesn’t think it should be required to go to school, and that it should only be for those that are or have been affected. “If students wish to not take the vaccine then they have the alternative of being an online student,” said Leslie Martinez, a criminal justice major. “Although I do believe that it should be a required shot for both staff and students that go on campus.” Martinez also
said that she would encourage people to take the vaccine to increase the safety of others, but she believes that in the end it’s still their choice to make. “I think students should take the COVID vaccine when it comes out because it’ll be better for everybody overall,” said Brenda Landeros, a physical therapy major. “And those who are more at risk of getting COVID won’t have to worry about it anymore when they go back to school.” Landeros also said that if students took the COVID-19 vaccine, it’ll help with the process of getting students back on campus and learning in the classrooms since many students like herself are currently struggling with their courses online. “I feel like the COVID vaccine should be required like the meningitis shot because it’ll help in reducing cases and overall help with returning things back to normal,” she said. The companies Pfizer and BioNTech are working together on the vaccine development and have reported that the vaccine is 95% effective. The vaccine focuses the use of the genetic molecule called RNA. RNA transfers genetic information from the nucleus (DNA) to the cell (proteins) for use. Pfizer uses our RNA to create a viral protein, causing an immune response from our body to make antibodies. As the general public waits for the vaccine, standard precautions to minimize transmission of COVID-19 are still encouraged through wearing masks, hand hygiene and social distancing.
Winter is coming A devastating reality for area homeless By CAYLEE HANNA Page Editor
ZACHARY QUIROS | The Ranger
Åccording to the most recent Housing and Urban Development-mandated Point In Time Count, Amarillo’s homeless population decreased from 774 to 600 between January 2019 and January 2020.
With winter approaching, new hardships are presented to the homeless people in Amarillo. They often have to seek shelter in order to prevent hyperthermia and frostbite to survive the cold winter months. Paul Johnson is head of homeless ministries for The Loft church, head of security for code blue warming
station and runs Love In Action urban ministries, he said that the City of Amarillo does well when it comes to making sure the homeless shelters operate properly and the Amarillo police department makes sure the homeless are safe during the winter. “The city does a good job making sure that shelters have access to many forms of funding to make sure they can operate properly,”
Johnson said. “And the Amarillo police department does a great job of reaching out to the homeless during the real bad weather to make sure they are safe.” Adam Leathers, senior director of community impact of the United Way of Amarillo and Canyon, said that the City of Amarillo acknowledges the issue surrounding See HOMELESS, page 4
November 26, 2020
HOW IS YOUR FAMILY PLANNING TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR? JUSTACE SMITHSON
Criminal Justice “We’re just going to stay at our house. We might go look at Christmas lights in the car, go get hot chocolate from Starbucks and drive around. We’re just going to stay home, and Facetime family members.”
MACI DeARMOND
Business Administration “Ten is like the max that you can have together, so we actually haven’t decided how we’re doing. We do like breakfast, then lunch, and then we do a big dinner type of thing, but I don’t know for this year.”
Illustration by DANIAR ONOZ | The Ranger
Support local businesses Local merchants need our help EDITORIAL
PATRICK ARANDA Engineering
“This year my family is in Dallas, so I’m going to spend the holidays with them after my first semester at AC.”
YouTube causes issues OPINION By ALYSSA FANT Staff Reporter
Most families are cutting their cable cords in favor of streaming services, but it seems to me that for the most part, it’s adults who are watching their own shows on Netflix, while the kids are watching their favorite Youtubers. In fact, research shows that younger viewers watch 2.5 times more internet video than TV. I’ve noticed that a lot of college-aged people tend to gravitate toward our favorite childhood TV show because of the nostalgia factor, but I worry about the next generation. This is especially true regarding little kids, from about 2 to 7 years of age. I didn’t start watching YouTube until I was twelve or thirteen, and children’s content on Youtube has been called into question more than once. It’s not uncommon for a parent to let their little kids borrow their phones and let them watch whatever YouTube video they can find. Youtube Kids’ content has a history of being violent or sexualized. Recently, however, there
Online Editor Alyssa Fant
Page Editors
Joey Pantoja, Bridget Ulloa, Taylor Burton, Caylee Hanna, Jessika Fulton, Pierce Lawson
Design Manager Shawn McCrea
have been rules put in place to limit this kind of inappropriate content from making its way onto YouTube. Children’s brains aren’t developed enough to tell the difference between what’s good and what’s bad, and that includes what they watch. What they experience in the first 3 years of their lives will affect how their minds develop and who they will be forever. Too many parents don’t understand this and will let their children watch anything that will entertain them, which is … just about anything. Not only are online videos typically low in quality, but they are also short and numerous, which may affect a child’s short-term attention span. If they are used to watching a different video every couple of minutes, then they may have difficulty paying attention to something that’s hours, or even several minutes long. On the other hand, there are YouTube videos that are educational and of high-quality. And, obviously, YouTube is free, making it an option for all families with internet access. No matter your preference, remember to be vigilant about what kind of content your little ones are watching.
Staff Reporters
Arine Garin, Raygan Lopez
Columnists
Emma deGrood, Ruth Martinez
Graphic Designers
Sidney West, Daniar Oñoz
Photographers
Brandon Belflower, Zach Quiros
The Texas Panhandle has seen a large influx of COVID-19 cases just in time to coincide with the holiday season. The pandemic will likely impact local businesses as fewer people shop in person in favor of online options. So as we start our holiday shopping we need to remember that those local merchants are our friends, neighbors and family, and they need our support as COVID-19 chips away at the local economy. It is no secret that small businesses fight an uphill battle in trying to remain relevant in the era of online giants such as Amazon or Walmart. COVID-19, however, has added a solid layer of ice to that uphill journey causing more trouble for local merchants trying to find a solid footing. Many argue that it’s a necessary evil, that we’re supposed to be avoiding public gatherings and shopping,
which leaves no other option than to buy from Amazon. They’re not wrong. Public health is a huge concern right now and it’s hard to argue the logic of staying home. One thing remains though, which is the necessity of being able to earn a living in order to purchase food and supplies. We all have that need, and if you’re lucky enough to be able to do it from home, then count your blessings. However, not everyone can do the same. For many, going to work hasn’t changed during the pandemic. People still work at their job locations. For those that are employed at a large corporation, be it Tyson or Target, there is a sense of security in your income in that large corporations will remain steady in their business. Local merchants don’t have that security though. Small business owners go to work and need business to prosper
or risk failing with no corporate safety net to keep them above water. Many Amarilloans have lost their jobs, while others have seen their hours dwindle. There are already fewer shoppers, in general, this year as people have less money available to spend and are reserving more funds toward necessities. It affects us all one way or another. The best that we can hope to do is ride out the storm together and help each other along the way. The fact is that we will continue to purchase what we need no matter what happens, but we have a choice of where to buy it. Amazon doesn’t need you, and Target will survive as well. It’s your friends, neighbors, and family that own local businesses who depend on you. Show them a little love this holiday season.
Internships should be required OPINION By EVAN STATON Staff Reporter
For me, something that has been on my mind a lot lately has been looking back to what was done to prepare me for college and life after high school. And to be honest, there was not a whole lot done to prepare me. Even though teachers had us apply to college and apply for scholarships. It still left me with a ton of unanswered questions. I think the focus overall was just getting students in college, and not actually caring what they did with their lives or their passion. By no means am I saying college is bad, it just is not for everyone, and maybe there is something else they would be great at, like opening a business, joining the military, becoming a pastor, etc. Anyway, my point is not that college is
not necessary, the point is to help students find what they are good at early on and then start helping them go down that path and help make them successful in college or other endeavors. Then I think beginning in freshman year, students should actively be thinking about what they aspire to achieve in their lives and what career they want to pursue. When it comes to junior and senior year in high school, I think internships or apprenticeships should be mandatory. Juniors have fewer free periods so they should have one period at the end of the day that is their internship period and the school should also help offer transportation if they do not have a ride. Seniors should have a three period internship or apprenticeship. It could be anything from helping a plumber to interning at
a church or helping teach younger grades. Then at the end of every month, the students report back to school and tell the teachers how their internship is going. They should also be able to request a change of internship if what they are trying is not for them. I really believe that it would help students explore new career fields and get insight into what that profession is like day to day. For me, if I would have had something like this, it would have helped me not change my degree so many times and would have helped me narrow down what I am really passionate about. I realize that this is a very big ask and it would take a lot of funding to make happen. In the long run, however, it would be investing in the future generation of leaders for our country, and I think it would be worth it.
November 26, 2020
Registration underway for spring classes By RILEY MORPHIS and FLOREYA QUINTERO Staff Reporters
Spring registration is underway at Amarillo College and AC officials are encouraging students to sign up before classes fill. “AC makes the registration process incredibly easy and it is more than appreciated,” Bethany Saldana, a business major, said. “It is nice to know that I don’t have to fight to better myself. It makes me feel as though AC believes in me just as much as I do.” For students who took a break from school during
the fall semester due to the pandemic, the upcoming spring semester will allow those students to get back on track to graduate. “Sometimes schooling just doesn’t work into your life like you would like it to,” Miley Barber, a radiology major, said. Barber took time off from school due to COVID-19 and her work schedule. “Despite having to take a break from school, I know exactly where I am coming back to when I find the right time in my life to keep pursuing my education.” College officials have announced that many spring semester classes will be taught
in a tech-supported format rather than face-to-face due to the COVID-19. The majority of spring lecture classes will be held virtually through Zoom, Google Meets or Blackboard Collaborate. Some classes that require labs will have exceptions and will have split attendance days. Many students say they prefer meeting in person rather than meeting online. “I enjoyed in person classes way more than I will enjoy online learning,” Megan Dickenson, a nursing major, said. “I’ll miss seeing the professors and my peers.” “In class learning is way
more beneficial,” Pedro Hernandez, a nursing major, said. “Students can focus more and get their work done without any distractions, and without procrastinating.” Hernandez also said it is hard to find motivation and silence in a busy household, whereas in school, there are a limited number of excuses keeping him from doing his assignments and staying on task. “I understand the need for transitioning to online classes; it’s for the greater good,” Ngan Trinh, a business administrator major, said. “However, I personally prefer in person classes. I honestly can’t hear
my professors sometimes, my hearing is bad and the quality of the video can be bad sometimes.” Trinh also said that online classes cause problems for those who don’t have a reliable internet connection, although students can come to campus to use computer labs and The Underground. The pandemic has also changed the way students planning to register will meet with their advisers. The majority of adviser meetings will be held virtually to ensure safety. Call AskAC at (806) 3715000 to learn more about registration procedures or visit the AC website at www.actx.edu.
RAYGAN LOPEZ | The Ranger
Student services prepares to pack By ALYSSA SPANGLER Staff Reporter
As part of the bond project that was approved in 2019, the Amarillo College Student Services Center on the Washington Street Campus will be going through some big changes. While those changes have not started, planning is now underway. Currently, college officials are looking at moving the Student Services Center to Russell Hall. “We have an architect. We are in a very early phase known as the programming phase,” said Shane Hepler, the college’s chief information officer. “This is where all the ideas are thrown out there and multiple designs are shown so we can see different options to accomplish the end goal.” Officials say that the ultimate goal of the project is to make the Student Services Center a place where students can get help for all of the things they could possibly need. “The goal of the Student Services Center is to create a one-stop-shop for students so they can get all of the tasks they need done to be a student without having to be sent all over the place,” said Hepler. “Registrar, advising, financial
aid and many other student support services all in one spot. This makes, in my opinion, an ‘easy option’ for new students.” While the Coronavirus pandemic has affected many aspects of AC life, it has not affected the planned changes to the Student Services Center. “If it does cause any delays in the future it would be the ability of the contractors to get the material they need to build,” said Hepler. Students say that the changes sound helpful. “I like the idea of having all of the help I need in one building,” said Savannah Gordon, a pre-nursing major. “When I first started at the college, I was a little bit confused just trying to get everything set up.” “I think the college already does a great job of catering to the needs of its students so I believe that any changes they are making will be great for us students,” said Jazmine Garcia, a pre-physician assistant major. The timeline and specific details are still unknown for this project. “Once we get to the phase where we have the design and we have a contractor then we can get to the full project plan with timelines on the job,” Hepler said.
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COVID clinicals create challenges By ARINE GARIN Staff Reporter
The COVID-19 pandemic has left local hospitals over capacity and has put Amarillo College nursing students on the front lines. The nursing students must complete hands-on patient-care training in the hospitals, called clinicals. Denise Ruiz, a nursing student, said that every precaution has been taken to keep students safe during clinicals. “I felt at first anxious and nervous about everything going on, but the instructors and the facility ensured that I was safe throughout the entire clinical period as they took safety precautions and followed the protocols along with the hospital policies,” Ruiz said. Jan Cannon, a nursing professor, said that the pandemic has created new obstacles this semester.
“It was definitely challenging due to the increase of COVID patients at the hospital. It was a struggle finding a clinical unit to get all our students through in order to get them the required clinical hours,” she said. Despite these difficulties, Cannon said going through clincals during the pandemic gave students a valuable learning experience. “I think the students will take what they learned from the pandemic and the toll it has taken on the healthcare system, patients and families as a lesson to be more responsive to the needs and feelings of their coworkers and their patients.” DeAnne Sisco, a clinical nursing instructor, praised the students for their flexibility. “I see in the group of students that we took to clinical more resilience and more flexibility than probably any other group we’ve ever
had,” Sisco said. “We’re constantly having to change units, having to shift faculty around, but the students are coming out on top just because of endurance, resilience and flexibility. I don’t think we’ll turn out another group of nursing students ever to have more of those characteristics.” Sisco said she is proud of the way her students overcame the challenges of going through clincals during the COVID-19 crisis. “To see students learning to be the best nurses they can be has just been moving and inspirational. My students have inspired me,” she said. Nataley Carrington, a nursing student, said, as a newcomer to the healthcare field, participating in clinicals, even during a pandemic, was a good experience. “I felt that I acquired a variety of knowledge in my journey into becoming a nurse,” she said.
November 26, 2020
Happy COVID-mas
Pandemic may bring a new normal to the holiday season By BRIDGET ULLOA Page Editor
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or so the song goes. But with the pandemic still ongoing, it’s hard for some Amarillo College students and staff to feel the holiday spirit when health officials have discouraged gathering with family and friends during the time of the year that people expect to be together. “Honestly the holiday season doesn’t seem that exciting to me this year because I won’t be able to spend time with all of my extended family and friends. I do understand that it’s what we need to do for us to be safe so I can’t really complain,” Pedro Hernandez, a biology major, said. “Even though we won’t be able to celebrate Christmas like how we would normally do, I know that this will only bring us
Illustration by PIERCE LAWSON | The Ranger
closer together in spirit.” The holiday traditions that both students and staff have treasured may not be the same this year due to the ongoing pandemic and the enforcement of social distancing. Despite the changing holiday plans for this year, individuals say
they are trying to make best out of the situation. “Every year my wife and I hold a Santa’s brunch where we invite our family, friends, neighbors and their kids to enjoy brunch and visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus,” Christopher George, a computer science instructor,
said. “My wife makes her famous cocoa and I’m on Christmas cocktail duty and there are fun Christmas activities for the kids and they get to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. This year due to COVID we will be doing a neighborhood Christmas parade with San-
ta and gift baskets” As AC staff and students debate how to adjust their holiday traditions, many are looking back at memories from the past. “For many years beginning when Robin and I lived in New York, far from family, we gave each other Christmas tree ornaments,” Monty Downs, a theatre instructor, said. “We continued that until the boys were out of high school (maybe longer) enough that a seven-foot tree is completely filled. No place left to hang more.” Renee Stovall, a business management instructor, said, “I always watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” when wrapping presents.” Celebrating during 2020 may look a little different, but students and staff say they are determined to find new ways to mark traditions and connect with family and friends.
Holiday stress got you down? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. COURTESY PHOTO
Instead of struggling to buy a gift, let your loved ones know how much you care and would like to, but can’t afford it. Make time to rest and rejuvenate even amid the pressure of getting things done. This will give you more energy. Shop early and allow time to wrap and mail packages to avoid the shopping crunch. Make plans in advance, so you know how and with whom your holidays will be spent. Uncertainty and putting off decision-making add enormous stress. Don’t allow perfectionism to wear you down. Remember it’s being together and goodwill that matters.
Source: PsychCentral.com, 9 tips to cope with holiday depression
HOMELESS: Amarillo’s effort to make sure homeless can find warmth during the cold Continued from page 1 homelessness, but the citizens in the city don’t want homeless people near them, which doesn’t help the problem at hand. “By my estimation, the City of Amarillo does recognize homelessness as a problem and takes it seriously,” Leathers said. “I believe a deeper concern lies with many citizens of Amarillo and Canyon who seem to want to turn a blind eye to homelessness and simply want to usher them out of their respective area instead of actually assessing the problem. There is a problematic sense of NIMBY—‘not in my back yard’—with many of us. Many people
simply don’t want homeless people in their neighborhood; but this is not a helpful way to address homelessness, as simply moving these people to a different part of the city is both dehumanizing and accomplishes nothing.” Johnson said that even though the city is helping the homeless get off the streets, it is only for a temporary amount of time before they are back on the streets again and that the city also needs to hold the homeless shelters accountable. “I think the city should hold shelters accountable,” he said. “Which for the most part they do but if a shelter is leaving people out in the cold for unacceptable reasons that should affect the funding they get and it should go to the ones
that are stepping up. The city did a great job getting people housed and off the streets but the casework and follow up has lacked, so a lot have ended up back in the streets.” According to the National Coalition for the Homeless’ website, homeless people are prone to hypothermia and frostbite during the winter which can be fatal. “With nowhere to stay except the streets, people experiencing homelessness have a much higher risk than the general population of developing exposure-related conditions such as hypothermia and frostbite,” the website says. “These conditions can be immediately life threatening and may also increase the risk of dying from unrelated
conditions in the future.” Johnson said that although the cold weather is a major problem for homeless people, they are also highly affected by mental health problems and help needs to be provided. “The general consensus is the city wants the homeless to go away and that will never happen,” he said. “What needs to happen is there needs to be a huge push to get mental health help out there for them. Most people don’t understand how big the mental health issue is out in the streets. Also we need options for true full rehabs. It’s almost impossible to get someone into rehab. Homelessness has to be treated at the core. Government officials, from local to federal, always
want to treat the symptoms, not the real issues. When you have cancer, you don’t just give them pain meds and hope it goes away. You have to attack at the cellar level.” Leathers said that homelessness has a negative connotation around it, but it is a systemic issue that needs to be solved. “People who are homeless are not in this position in life, by choice,” he said. “It eases the collective consciousness of the privileged to believe they are lazy or prefer to be nomadic, instead of confronting systemic problems that contribute to homelessness including job loss or cyclical poverty, mental health issues, addiction issues, lack of health care, incarceration and several others.”
November 26, 2020
Having paws-itivly festive holidays By MACKI EDWARDS Staff Reporter
TAYLOR BURTON | The Ranger
Many people incorporate their pets into their holiday traditions with stockings, Christmas card pictures and getting them presents of their own such as treats, beds and toys. Personally, I never had any kind of animal growing up so we didn’t do any of those things with pets. We had a pet fish every now and then but it would die after a week of being home due to everyone’s busy schedule. “I am super excited to be putting up the tree and decorating our home for my little family,” M’Kenna Styles, a nursing major,
said. Styles said she grew up with dogs and her family would always get them a stocking and they would give the dogs presents along with dressing up their pets too. They also would get family pictures done with their dog in the Christmas cards to mail out, she said. “I grew up with horses and cattle and we didn’t do anything special to incorporate them into our Christmas,” Cash Miller, a pre-veterinary major, said. Miller said he understands that the animals he raises are only here for a short amount of time since he shows his cows. He said he was raised to understand that cows are bought for meat to eat and
other necessities. When I was younger and I saw how people would dress up their dogs for Christmas or include them in matching pajamas with the rest of the family, I thought it was the cutest thing. I’ve always wanted a dog growing up but I couldn’t have one because my dad is allergic to any animal with fur. This year, being my first year with animals, I plan to include my pets in every part of the holidays no matter how ridiculous my boyfriend thinks it is. I already have stocking for them and I plan to get them little presets to enjoy too. I’m also very thankful they haven’t chewed up the tree or the tree skirt… yet.
The Ranger staff describe best and worst presents Daniar Onoz
“My best gift would be when my grandma and dad bought me my dream car — a red 2019 Mustang. I call him The Red Beast . The worst gift was long time ago when I was a child in Cuba. We had a gift exchange and the oth er kid gifted me a used toy. I think it was either a toy gun or a space ship, I couldn’t tell exactly sin ce was all broken. Someone later stole it from me .”
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Jessika Fulton
“The best gift I’ve ever recieved was “5 Seconds of Summer” concert tickets. The worst gift I got was a Hello Kitty alarm clock that I got in last year ’s Student Media’s White Elephant game (Sorry Jill).”
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“The best gift I got was an infl ated Disney pr castle that cam incess e with a Disne y princess-the tent with walki med e-talkies. The worst gift I go a mini-meditat t was ion water foun tain. I got it fr Christmas exch om a ange and — w elp — never us so I gave it aw ed it, ay. Shhh.”
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Illustration by PIERCE LAWSON and SHAWN McCREA | The Ranger
November 26, 2020
Student ambassadors adapt to changes amidst pandemic Blue Blazers have big plans for upcoming academic school year
By RUTH MARTINEZ Videographer
Blue Blazers is one of many Amarillo College student clubs and organizations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The organization was founded in 1929, the same year the college was opened. Blue Blazers are student ambassadors who are nominated by professors every year. The students are interviewed and go through training before every school year. To qualify, a student must have a high gradepoint average, be involved on campus and actively participate in their classes. Blue Blazers help future students get enrolled and gives guided tours to those who want to visit the college before they apply. COVID-19 changed the
organization for the 20202021 academic year. “The pandemic has really affected both the recruitment of Blue Blazers and the retention of Blue Blazers,” Cassie Montgomery, the director of outreach services and Blue Blazer club sponsor, said. In the academic year of 2019-2020, Blue Blazers had eight members, but at the end of the year the organization ended up with only two members. Nominations were supposed to go out in the spring of 2020, but the pandemic caused the campuses to close down after spring break. Montgomery said she understands that the organization needed to take a break just like the rest of the world. “We also didn’t want to pile on yet another expectation on our faculty while they were trying to juggle
an alternative teaching style during the pandemic.” This year Blue Blazers have different duties. They are expected to make a lot of outbound phone calls to people who are interested in Amarillo College and get a better understanding of how to recruit future students to the campus. Currently, Blue Blazers only has four members: Maci DeArmond, Ruth Martinez and returning members Kimberly Guerrero and Mateo Mosqueda. “It’s been a long-term goal of mine to be a Blue Blazer, so when I officially got the call that I was invited to be one, I cried honestly because it’s so exciting,” said Maci DeArmond, a business administration major and Phi Theta Kappa president. DeArmond said she also understands that
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the organization has to be limited due to COVID. Being safe is the most important thing that the college cares about for all students, she said. Moving into spring semester, this group of students is going to continue to serve at
the Student Service Center during their one hour time slot every week. Spring semester recruitment events will most likely be virtual and the organization will be recruiting additional members, Montgomery said.
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Student life prepares Student profile: for relocation RUTH MARTINEZ | The Ranger
Carmen Nava By LINCOLN SISNEROS Staff Reporter
Carmen Nava is an Amarillo College criminal justice major who said one of her favorite parts of attending AC is participating in Student Government. Ironically, her family members discouraged her from joining the club. Nava then went on to accept an officer position in the club. “The biggest accomplishment for me in life was being secretary at SGA considering being that allows me to help plan out Amarillo College’s events by setting up ones such as Fall Fest, Pumpkin Patch and Adulting 101,” Nava said. Jenna Welch, the student life coordinator, said Nava has been a good addition to the SGA team. “She is very friendly as she can easily open up to new people, funny, dedicated to what she’s passionate
about and she is hardworking as well,” Welch said. Nava’s classmates second that opinion. “Carmen is very friendly,” said Favi Perez, a general studies major. “She is determined and stubborn about finishing tasks when she starts something especially if she’s passionate about it,” Perez said. Nava said her biggest influences in life come from AC students and faculty. She said her parents also have influenced her by encouraging her to never give up and to always go after her dreams no matter how difficult it gets. Nava said the father came from Mexico and had to work for everything he has. Her career goal is to work in law enforcement. “I plan to be working at the Amarillo Police department or at the Potter County Sheriff’s office,” she said.
By MELISSA SANDOVAL Staff Reporter
In the coming years, student life will be moving out of the basement of the College Union Building as a result of the 2019 bond project. Currently, college officials are considering moving the student life department to the building that now houses the Student Services Center, which may be moving to Russell Hall. “Back when the architects were putting together the master plan last spring, our main request was to be moved out of the basement of the College Union Building,” said Amber Hamilton, director of student life. “We know that wherever we end up, it won’t be for another few years,” said Hamilton. “So, I’m definitely not expecting to make this move anytime soon, but, when we do move, I be-
lieve a space will be created that fits our need to host large indoor events for our students and give the college the ability to host college-wide events on the employees side,” she said. Hamilton said it will be a flexible space for everyone to utilize and that student life hopes to have communal space for student organization gatherings, access to the latest technology and new outdoor gathering spaces. “It’s exciting to see a new possible space designed with the students in mind,” said Faviola Perez, a general studies major and SGA member. Perez also said that moving buildings will be a great change for the college and that it doesn’t make sense for student life to be located in a basement like it is currently and that it’s something that should be highly visible so more students can use it.
Other students say they like the current location. “Personally as a student, I’m not the biggest fan of this move,” said Tania Amaya, a nursing major and SGA member. “Student life is known for being in The Burrow and as a student you feel safe and not scared to go down there because the space is free and not many people are down there.” Amaya also said that the burrow is overall a fitting location for student life, but Hamilton disagreed. “I’m definitely excited about being more visible on campus. It’s hard to get students to come to the basement for any reason,” said Hamilton. “When they do find their way down here, it’s not somewhere they want to stay for extended amounts of time,” she said. “Being in a more central location will allow us to have better access to our students and vice versa.”
November 26, 2020
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‘The Witches’ remake falls short REVIEW
By BRIDGET ULLOA Page Editor
Once again, Hollywood has given the public a remake that no one necessarily asked for but the majority of us will watch nonetheless. HBO Max recently released a new adaptation of the film “The Witches,” based on the book by Ronald Dahl. As a fan of the original movie from 1990, I knew that I had to see the remake. I was a little skeptical at first because remakes are always a bit iffy to me. After seeing the cast, however, I couldn’t help but get a little excited especially when
I saw that Octavia Spencer was going to be playing the grandmother and Anne Hathaway the grand high witch. Two amazing women in a family Halloween classic? Sign me up please. Because this movie is a remake, I understood that there were going to be some differences. Especially since the 2020 remake takes place in Alabama instead of England. I actually didn’t mind the fact that the remake is set in Alabama because it was interesting to see of a different perspective on how the story unfolds. Another difference is of course the animation. For ex-
ample, in the original when the little boy turns into a mouse and the witches reveal their true selves, it was more or less trying to make it as realistic as possible. In the remake, it was much more clearly animated in a way that screamed family kid movies. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it did give me the impression that the main target audience was younger viewers. Especially due to the portrayal of the grand high witch and how she was animated, I would say that the original was my favorite. Another thing to mention is that in the remake, War-
ner Bros did receive many complaints about the way they animated the grand high witch’s hands because it was offensive to people with disabilities and especially to younger viewers who watched the film. Warner Bros and Anne Hathaway did apologize for the animation of the grand high witch’s hand design. One thing for me that I didn’t particularly like is the ending. Though when I looked up how the book ended, the remake was actually more like the book in that aspect than the original. I was not a fan, but for fans of the book, I think they’ll
like the remake better. Overall, I wouldn’t say that this remake is my favorite in comparison to the original. However, I will say that I think it’s a pretty good watch for a family movie night — if you can get past Anne Hathway’s accent (not sure why she had to have one, it didn’t really add anything). This remake clearly has a target audience, which is fine but personally it just wasn’t as good as the original. The idea was there but the execution didn’t really meet my expectations. But one expectation it did meet was the 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
New hauntingly good series REVIEW By MACKI EDWARDS Staff Reporter
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Tis the Season for Cleaning REVIEW By RILEY MORPHIS Staff Reporter
Maintaining a full-time job while being a full-time student is overwhelming at times. While being stuck in quarantine sucks, I have found one thing that simply gets overlooked in my household that makes a huge difference. Cleaning my house leads to a sense of self-accomplishment and overall leads me to be more successful. Along with my need to tidy up more than usual, I also adore all fall scents. Mrs. Meyers Household Cleaners has bundled necessity and pleasure in one happy package with their newly
released holiday scents line. Among those scents are my personal favorites: Acorn Spice, Apple Cider, Orange Clove, Iowa Pine, Peppermint and Snowdrop. Now arises a challenge. Finding the new holiday scents can prove to be as difficult as removing a stubborn stain. Mrs. Meyer’s website, along with Walmart, Target and many other retailers, state that the products are currently out of stock. But despite the shortage, I managed to find a few of these scents to give a try. Mrs. Meyer’s released a hand soap, a soy wax candle, a room spray, a dish soap and a cleaning spray in each of their new scents.
Upon using the products, I was wildly surprised by how long the scent lingered well after I had used the product. Overall, my favorite products so far would have to be the room spray and the cleaner. The cleaner works astoundingly well on any stove top surface leaving no residue and a shiny surface. The scent even masked my husband’s work clothes from his long days at the feed yard. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to leave my house smelling just as ready for this season as I am. I might just so happen to stock up for year-round use if Mrs. Meyer’s happens to restock my favorite scents.
“The Haunting of Bly Manor” is a sequel to the 2018 series “The Haunting of Hill House” on Netflix. It is supposed to be a scary show, but there are only a few jump scares and that are all toward the bookend of the season. The first two episodes of Bly Manor are confusing because there are a lot of flashbacks. But as the episodes progress, they start to explain the characters’ “stories” and it leads to more information about them and how they ended up in the house where they stay. The flashbacks explain the reasons behind how the family got there and shows what has happened in their past.
For example, in the beginning, one of the main characters, Dani, keeps seeing the figure of a tall man with the appearance of having headlights as glasses. She only sees him when she looks in a mirror or when she sees her reflection. We later find out that the shadowy figure is actually the man she was engaged to. I thought it was a great show. If you’re looking for a drama and mystery show I think this is a perfect fit for you. Along with the mysterious nature of the show comes a handful of suspenseful moments. Like I said, it does take a little time to get into just because it is a little confusing in the beginning. Give it time and you’ll learn to love it.
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November 26, 2020
New film school
to sharpen
Innovation Outpost Next generation of film makers could graduate from AC By CAYLEE HANNA Staff Reporter
The Amarillo College board of regents recently approved an agreement that partners the college with a new local movie production studio called Sharpened Iron Studios, LLC to create the AC School of Cinematic Arts. This will be part of the Innovation Outpost located at the current site of the AC downtown campus. During the latest board of regents meeting, Sean Doherty, the chief executive officer of Sharpened Iron Studios, and Reagan Hales, the AC associate vice president for innovation and worked-based learning, presented the vision for the Outpost as well as the details of the partnership to the regents. “ This historic partnership will bring in $58 million,” Doherty said during the meeting. “I’m incredibly excited about where we are going to be positioned first and foremost, because of the impact we’re going to have in the city center.” During the meeting, Doherty also discussed how the Innovation Outpost would be the perfect collaboration with the studio because he wants to focus on the next generation and innovations in the cinematic arts. “One thing that I push hard is pushing the limits,” he said. “How can we better what George Lucas and Industrial Light Magic has done? What’s the next generation of cameras? The next generation of lighting? The next generation of performance? How can we push that? Being connected with the Innovation Outpost is how we push that.” Hales presented a
timeline to the regents with the expected dates that construction would begin and end as well as when students should be expected to be able to attend cinematic arts classes. “In order to maintain our schedule for construction both for the outpost and for Sharpened Iron to be able to start offering classes, we need to go ahead and move forward with site plans,” Hales said. “From March to December in 2021, we’ll see construction begin as well as the first cohort of students in the cinematic arts program. Hopefully by June 2022, construction will be completed and then from July to December 2022 we can officially bring all students on to campus.” Hales said she believes that this collaboration between the studio and AC will offer the college the potential to grow even more in the community. “ The college is stepping into a new role of leadership in this community and it’s going to look different and feel different,” she said. “And it may be uncomfortable, but where there’s sometimes discomfort, there’s growth.” “ But I think if we are really going to lead the shift in culture. If we’re really going to lead from the front , we’ ve got to think about what this ecosystem for our community is going to look like from the ground up, and across every atmosphere,” Hales said. “ We’ ve got to do all of these roles, really within this ecosystem.
And that ’s going to be hard, it ’s going to be uneasy and it ’s going to change. But we’ ve got to be willing to take that risk to do that innovation and serve that role if we’re going to be able to move forward.” In an interview with the Amarillo Globe News, Dr. Lowery-Hart, AC president, said that he is excited to form this partnership and that this could possibly have people view Amarillo as an innovative city. “I think it helps Amarillo see itself differently,” Lowery-Hart said. “ That we can dream bigger than we typically do. We are a practical people and it allows us to see ourselves as an innovator that goes beyond our core industries but supports them in the process.”
Illustrations By PIERCE LAWSON | The Ranger