January 21, 2014

CHRONICLE Richland

Vol. XXXIX, Issue 2 January 21, 2014

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CAMPUS

Emeritus director looking forward to retirement Joyce Jackson Copy Editor

Staff photo Joyce Jackson

Coordinator of Volunteers Dee Ann Benson, left, and returning director Mitzi Werther are part of the Emeritus program where Werther has been in charge for the last 20-plus years.

Richlandchronicle.com January 21, 2014

Upcoming events

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Tuesday-Wednesday, Jan. 21-22: Learning Center Open House Medina Hall, Room M-216 Ask Me tables will be scattered throughout the campus for information and student planners.

Monday, Jan. 27: 6:30 p.m.

Fannin Performance Hall Auditions The drama dept. is holding auditions for the fast-paced comedy, “The Nerd” by Larry Shue. The plot concerns a strange but hilarious dilemma of a young architect who gets a visit from a man he’s never met but who saved his life. It will be directed by drama chair Andy Long. Roles are available for men and women. Rehearsals will begin the night after auditions from 7 to 10 weeknights. Those auditioning will be required to do cold readings from the script. To audition, sign up on the call board in the Scene Shop in Fannin Hall, Room F-116. The dates of the performances will be March 5-8 at 7:30 p.m. For more information call 972-238-6256.

Friday, Jan. 31: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Spring Transfer Fair El Paso Hall Over 50 representatives will be in attendance to enable students to get answers to transfer questions. Flyers and pamphlets will be available. For more information contact Mike Wright at mwright1@dcccd.edu.

Tuesday, Jan. 28: 11:30 to 4 p.m.

Free STD testing East Circle Drive (outside library) The Dallas County Health and Human Services Sexually Transmitted Disease Mobile Medical Unit will be on campus providing testing. For questions contact them at 214-500-2968 or the clinic at 214-819-1819. For more information call the Richland Health Center at 972-238-6135 or stop by Thunderduck Hall, Room T-110.

Note: During inclement weather when school is in session, call 972-238-6196 to see if Richland will be open or watch any of the local TV stations by 6 a.m.

Mitzi Werther, director of Richland’s Emeritus plus 50 Program, has thought about retiring for at least two years. Now, that time has come.

What Werther really wants to do is spend more time taking care of herself. She said it’s been difficult to achieve an equal balance between her professional work and her personal needs.

“I really tried, but for me, it was extremely difficult,” Werther said.

Werther, 81, said her last day at Richland will be Jan. 31. She doesn’t yet know who will replace her but knows that the position will be advertised.

Werther has three children, Wendy, David and Steven, all in their 50s, who have families of their own. They’ve been after her to retire for a long time, Werther said.

“What I really want to do is take care of me. I want to take advantage of my blessings.

I want to have time for me, for my family and for my friends and passions.”

Besides her family and friends, her passions include hobbies such as painting and gardening and having plenty of time for volunteer work.

“Oil painting is my favorite and impressionism,” Werther said. “I have a nice-sized garden with perennial flowers. I’ve always loved flowers. I love to paint them, grow them and cut them and have them in the house. I love working with nature. I love working with my hands in the soil.”

Werther said she may return to Richland to volunteer in the Emeritus Conversation Partners Program. That includes helping people with their English.

Last year, Werther and several volunteers went to South Oak Cliff and helped an elderly man whose house had burned down.

“It was something that my daughter discovered on Facebook. We had so many people volunteer,” she said. “We spent nine months with my family going there and working there and doing hard work and putting his house back together.”

Werther was happy to say that they really made a difference.

“The people who live there have nothing, absolutely nothing. They could not believe that we were really going to stay with it and that we didn’t want anything in return. It just really, really opened my eyes to the desperate need of people who live in our own area.”

Werther said the Oak Cliff experience led her to join a group of the Salvation Army that meets monthly.

“We, over the weeks, have collected anything we can from companies and people we know,” Werther said. “The people that temporarily live at the Salvation Army have nothing, and they line up to get what we give them.

The way it has affected me is to realize how very blessed I am and we all are, comparatively speaking.”

Werther has her own personal philosophy about life. “I have always wanted to live a life that enables me to go to sleep peacefully at night. I mean, to lead as honest a life as I can.”

She also believes in exercise, which she doesn’t get enough of, proper nutrition, keeping one’s mind active and being passionate about many things.

“I have very little need for TV most of the time,” Werther said. “I have no interest in social media. I don’t want to spend my time sitting in front of a computer for social media purposes. I want to keep learning here at Richland. I am also quite sure that part of my plan is to work a couple of days a week, just to keep my mind as active as I can.”

Werther’s past includes an associate of arts and science degree from Richland, which she received in the 1990s. She has had two major previous jobs throughout her lifetime.

One was at the Dallas Trade Mart’s gift showroom, where she was manager. She traveled extensively to represent more than 200 different companies with gifts. Her second position was as general manager for six upscale women’s retail stores in Dallas. For that, she said, she had to go to New York, attend all of the fashion shows and buy for the retail stores.

Originally from New York, Werther was the secretary to the base commander at Fort Eustiss in Virginia before she had children. And, she also worked for the American Red Cross while living in Williamsburg, Va. “What I’m going to miss terribly is the wonderful and simply marvelous students that I have gotten to know so well over the years,” Werther said. “They’ve stayed with this program over the years. I will also miss the many, many wonderful instructors and presenters who I have worked with and of course, staff, personnel here at Richland and the beauty of this place.”

Werther wasn’t interested in having a party for her retirement.

“Part of me is very sad to leave to the point of where I don’t want to have a party. I could not get through it without breaking down. It’s a good ending. But you know when it’s time to leave or move on,” she said.

The Emeritus Program is geared toward students over 50. Elaine Sullivan was the creator of the program, but retired in 1992 when Werther took over. The program offers three kickoffs per year – in the spring, summer and fall. Two enrichment series for six weeks each are offered in the spring and fall semesters. All lectures are pro bono. Last semester a health series was added.

Beginning in 1996, Dallas County residents 65 and older became eligible to enroll in up to six credit hours each semester at any of the Dallas County Community Colleges without paying tuition as part of the Emeritus Program. For more information on classes call 972-238-6972.

SPORTS

A hard beginning of the year on the basketball court Sports Editor

After the winter break, Richland’s basketball team came back to the court Wednesday night, losing at home to Cedar Valley, 94-81.

Despite a passionate audience, the T-ducks got off to a slow start. Richland’s team tried to stay close, but Cedar Valley always managed to hold the lead.

“It was a hard, hard, hard game. Cedar Valley is a good team. They just came ready to play. We weren’t ready to play,” assistant coach Michael Gross said.

“It is always disappointing to lose a conference game, but, especially, to lose a conference game at home,” head coach Bill Foy said.

In the final few minutes, although Cedar Valley had a lead of about 10 points, the Richland team found its second wind and began to dominate.

This was not enough to overtake Cedar Valley, however, which appeared more focused and relaxed.

“We didn’t come ready to play tonight, [we] came really slow,” guard Mister Carroll said.

Carroll explained that, although they played hard at the end of the game, the comeback should have begun earlier, so the team would have had a better chance to win.

“There were a lot of little things that led in the loss tonight,” forward Chris Runnels said.

“It was a lot of frustration, but, at the same time, there were a lot of things that we learned

league, it doesn’t matter if you are at home or away, you are going to be beat,” Foy said.

For more information about the basketball team please visit www.rlc.dcccd.edu/basketballteam or stop by Guadalupe Hall, Room G-120.

Staff photos Blanca Reyes

The Thunderducks show their frustration in a loss to Cedazr Valley Wednesday.

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BLANCA REYES

from this game,” Gross said. “We learned we couldn’t turn the switch on and off.”

“We have to come stronger next time,” guard Brandon Woods said. “I think we really needed this loss.”

Woods is a freshman trying to earn a sports management degree.

Foy said that during the game the team had trouble concentrating and playing like a unit; there was too much individual play. Also, the defense was not as good as it usually is.

Woods said that even though some of the best advice the Thunderducks have received from the coaches is not to get emotional and stay strong as a team, on Wednesday, frustration played a big role.

“Losses are never, never a good thing, but hopefully, we can learn from this game and try to move forward,” Foy said.

Despite the defeat, the Thunderducks have played well this season. At press time, out of 20 games, they have lost only five.

Richland has a few more conference games before the playoffs. The Thunderducks know they need to maintain a high level of play.

“We probably needed the loss to get it right, so we can start to play hard,” Carroll said.

As the Chronicle went to press, the Thunderducks were scheduled to face one of the best teams in the nation, Brookhaven College, on Saturday.

Foy said that they must forget the defeat against Cedar Valley and get ready for a new challenge.

“If you don’t play good basketball in this

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MOVIES

Bradley Cooper

RICKY MILLER

Richlandchronicle.com January 21, 2014

Entertainment Editor

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Here we go. This is my annual 10 Best list with some brief reasons why I liked these movies so much. You might notice the absence of “Gravity” and Martin Scorsese’s “Wolf of Wall Street,” but they are in my top 25. “Gravity” clocks in at 19 while “Wall Street” is No. 23.

1. “American Hustle”— As I’ve written before, director David O. Russell knows human drama. After all, he steered both Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence to golden statuettes. Bale won his for “The Fighter” a couple of years back while Lawrence won last year as a widow in his “Silver Linings Playbook.” Something that stood out for me was that all four actors involved each received Oscar nominations: Christian Bale for male lead, Amy Adams for Actress, Bradley Cooper for supporting actor and Jennifer Lawrence for supporting actress. What amazed me was the detail involved with the characters and their motivations, such as when one of the people involved has their first experience with a microwave oven and does not heed the warning of not putting anything metal involved into it. “Hustle” is gritty, realistic and energetic as all get out. Grade: A

Amy Adams

Christian Bale

Jennifer Lawrence

Jeremy Renner

And the rest of the Top 10 2. “The Book Thief”—This is a fascinating look at a girl who adores the written word. Trouble is, however, she is in the midst of World War II. A-

Northup (Chiwetel Ejifor, “Serenity”), who is unjustly sentenced to servitude despite his freedom. It’s a great movie that I don’t plan on watching again any time soon. A-

3. “Dallas Buyers Club”— Matthew McConaughey won a Best ActorDrama Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ron Woodruff, a heterosexual AIDS patient who fights the system and tries to find ways around the United States government’s asinine laws concerning the transportation of illegal drugs that actually help people in need. A-

6. “Philomena”— In this emotional drama in which Judi Dench’s character tries to find the status of her son, who she was forced to give up her parental rights when she was just a teenager.

Dench received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for best actress in this year’s Oscar race. A-

4. “Inside Llewyn Davis”— The Coen brothers did it again with this slice-of-life tale about a folk singer (Oscar Isaac) in Greenwich Village, circa 1961. A-

7. “The Spectacular Now”— In this finely nuanced tale, a popular kid (Miles Tanner, “21 and Over,” 2011 version “Footloose”) falls for a girl outside his status circle (Shailene Woodey, “The Descendents”). A-

5. “12 Years a Slave”— Here’s an intense, harrowing, true-life tale concerning a free black man Solomon

8. “Iron Man 3”— Screenwriterturned-director Shane Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”) steered the ship

on this one with our hero Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. “Chaplin,” “Sherlock Holmes”) battling two villains with The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley, “Gandhi,” “Schindler’s List”) and scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce, “L.A. Confidential,” “Prometheus”). Both Gwyenth Paltrow and Don Cheadle reprised their roles from the previous “Iron Man” films. A9. “The Grandmaster”— Here’s an awesome martial arts tale from director Wong Kar Wai that follows Ip Man (Tony Leung, “Hard-Boiled”), the teacher who taught the famed Bruce Lee all that he knew. A10. “Her”— Joaquin Pheonix (“Walk in the Line,” “Gladiator”) is a divorced writer who falls in love with Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson, “Iron Man 2,” “The Horse Whisperer”) the voice of his computer operating system.

B+

ENTERTAINMET

Childish Gambino: The next great raptor Ben Siebel Staff Writer

Donald Glover owes his early rise in comedic fame to the Internet, specifically YouTube, through videos he and his friends made as Derrick Comedy.

The nationwide success of Derrick Comedy led to a writing job on the NBC sitcom “30 Rock” and, eventually, a starring role as Troy Barnes on NBC’s “Community.”

Glover emerged on the rap scene as Childish Gambino, a rap name given to him by the Wu-Tang Clan name generator. Unlike other “raptors” (a person famous for having a succesful rapping and acting career) before him like Mark Wahlberg, LL Cool J and Will Smith who used their rapper status to propel their acting careers, Glover used his acting and comedic status to transition into musical success.

The production of his second album, “Because the Internet,” is full of zigs and zags

such as jazz fills, dubby static, R&B sing-alongs, all of which are perfectly blended with Gambino’s punch line-per-line rapping style.

The album also contains snippets of glam, psychedelic and pop, among others over top of sputtering, computerized beats.

“Because the Internet” is a minefield of hash tag raps and clever-until-you-really-thinkabout-it puns in spots, featured periodically by lines such as “I got no patience, cause I’m not a doctor/ Girl, why are you lyin’? Girl, why you Mufasa?”

“III. Telegraph Ave. (‘Oakland’ by Lloyd)” begins with a tiny fragment of a Lloyd song blasting out of a radio station and kicks off into a full-blown Gambino R&B showcase.

Some might say Glover might be a better singer/crooner than a rapper now, as tracks like “Telegraph Ave.” and the curt, exquisite “III. Urn” present his singing ability.

“The Worst Guys” (which features Chance the Rapper and an epic guitar solo) and “Life: The Biggest Troll” are two of his most mu-

Images courtesy 90bpm.net,

sically interesting pieces to date, while likes of “Pink Toes” and the single “V.3005” also display Gambino’s crooning abilities, serving an ace against anyone still suggesting that the man is without talent.

Glover’s quick wit-filled rhymes compiled with his sick choice of beats, and his undeniable crooning abilities make “Because the Internet” more than worth the download.

This season will be Glover’s last on the show “Community” but he can be seen on the loosely autobiographical FX sitcom “Atlanta.”

Time will tell which talented side of the Raptor Glover will embrace, the quick-witted comedic acting side or the vicious, passionate music-making rapper. Either way I can’t wait to see what comes next from the next great raptor.

If you want to see Childish Gambino live, he performs at the South Side Ballroom in Dallas on March 7.

“Because the Internet” was released Dec. 6.

The original raptors: Rapper/actors in music and film

Images courtesy suntimes.com

Images courtesy swoonthydotnet.com

Images courtesy hdwallpapersci.com

Famous “raptors” were awarded a certain number of raptors depending on the success of their rapping/acting career.

James Todd Smith became LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James) and is known for pioneering hip-hop tracks such as “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”(went platinum), “I’m Bad,” “The Boomin’ System,” “Rock The Bells”(also went platinum) and “Mama Said Knock You Out,” as well as romantic ballads such as “I Need Love,” “Around the Way Girl,” and “Hey Lover.” LL Cool J the actor, is currently a series regular on the CBS police procedural “NCIS: Los Angeles,” a spinoff of “NCIS” (which itself is a spinoff of the naval legal drama “JAG”). He portrays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, an ex–Navy SEAL who is fluent in Arabic and an expert on West Asian culture.

Marky Mark / Mark Wahlberg Mark Wahlberg was known as Marky Mark as the frontman of the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Their biggest hit was the song “Good Vibrations” from the album “Music for the People” which later became a certified platinum single.

His physique in the “Good Vibrations” video led to being an underwear model for Calvin Klein and photo shoots alongside Kate Moss.

The success of that ad campaign led to an acting role alongside a young Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie “Basketball Diaries.”

He has earned many positive reviews for successful movies like “Boogie Nights” (as Dirk Diggler), Three Kings,” “The Perfect Storm,” “The Italian Job,” and “Four Brothers.” Wahlberg was nominated for the Academy Award for his role in the Martin Scorsese crime drama “The Departed.”

In order to see his family more, Wahlberg began producing shows such as “Entourage.” You can catch Wahlberg in the film “Lone Survivor” out now and this summer in Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction.”

The Fresh Prince / Will Smith Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey “DJ Jazzy Jeff” Townes as turntablist and producer, as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box.

The trio was known for performing humorous, radiofriendly songs, most notably “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.” They gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the rap category.

Smith’s acting career began when NBC built the sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” around him, which ran six seasons and was syndicated by numerous networks.

His success on “Fresh Prince” led to a role in Michael Bay’s “Bad Boys” alongside Martin Lawrence. Once he succeeded in blockbuster movies such as the “Men in Black” trilogy, Smith tried his hand at drama when he starred as legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the film “Ali” and later alongside his son Jaden in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Most recently Smith can be found along with his son Jaden in M. Night Shyamalan’s “After Earth.”

— Ben Siebel

Richlandchronicle.com January 21, 2014

Glover seems to have brought the term “raptor”(rapper/ actors) back from extinction, all while focusing most of his efforts on improving his music rather than on his accomplished comedic acting career. The raptors above established success in hip-hop by writing clever rhymes to sick beats and let their popularity from music open doors for them in Hollywood. Success in both the music business and Hollywood is an accomplishment in itself and the rapper/actors below made it look easy.

LL Cool J / James Todd Smith

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oPINION

How to get ‘gooder’ at college KISTEN S. CHETTY

Richlandchronicle.com January 21, 2014

Editor-in-Chief

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It’s the start of the spring semester. It may be your first semester at college or you may be a returning student. The funny thing about “new semesters” and “first days” for students is that they hold so much potential. We tell ourselves that we will not do as badly in that one subject (usually math) or we will continue to do as well as we did last semester. We promise ourselves all kinds of things about our performance and then somehow it starts to get muddy. We miss a class, don’t study for that one test and suddenly it’s 11:59 and we are submitting that essay that is in a language barely resembling English.

Here are three tips that have worked for me and may help you get a head start on this semester and stay ahead. We roll our eyes at most of them because they should be common sense. However, I’m often reminded that common sense isn’t that common.

Go to Class Right off the bat, this is an easy one that students are normally pretty good at, from the start. However, after about a week or two they begin to lapse. Skipping class is a snowball affair; once you skip the first one it becomes so much easier to skip the next. I didn’t go to class Monday so I didn’t get the assignment due Wednesday, therefore, I can’t go then either. Another thing to note about attendance is participation points and free absences. Most teachers will allow two free absences with no questions asked; after that, points will be deducted from your participation grade.

Don’t underestimate the value of participation points and free absences. They are your “get out jail free card.” Hoard them. This is usually how it happens. You used one absence because your other class was canceled on Friday and, man, that three-day weekend looked good. You used the second absence because you wanted something other than Subway for lunch. Now it’s mid-semester; you have no absences left and you may start facing legitimate reasons to miss class — you get sick, you get in a fender-bender, etc. Your absences are used up and point after point starts dropping from your grade.

Get Help This works better for some subjects than for others. Math is a good example; if you

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start falling behind at the start of the semester, it’s a problem. The harsh reality is that it’s only going to get harder as the semester goes on.

If you don’t understand key concepts at the start, then you are going to have trouble later.

More often than not, students take the headin-the-sand approach. We either tell ourselves we will study and figure it out before the test or we pray (to whatever deity will listen) that it won’t be on there. It usually is, and it’s the one question that says, “Show your work.”

If you are lucky enough to have a friend who is good at the subject and willing to help you out for the cost of lunch, then ask them.

By getting help early, before the workload becomes overwhelming, you do yourself a favor.

If your friend is having as much trouble as you are, Richland offers a plethora of options. The Learning Center offers tutorial time and can guide you toward more specialized help in certain subjects. Find more information at http:// www.richlandcollege.edu/tlc/. Do yourself a favor; if you don’t ask for help, it’s only going to get harder, not easier.

Extra Credit Although these tips aren’t in order of importance, I can honestly say that extra credit has changed my letter grade numerous times. I have been at Richland for four-plus semesters, in every single class the teacher offered extra credit in some way, shape or form. I could never understand why some students didn’t take advantage of it.

Part of the problem is our approach to extra credit; we wait until we have failed a test or missed an assignment. So, near the end of the semester when we “need” it, we go on bended knee to the professor, trying to turn in every single extra credit project we can. This makes no sense. Students always need extra-credit.

For me it’s a safety net if I drop the ball. It’s also easier to do extra credit at the start when your workload is less, rather than later on when you have tests and assignments.

College is hard whether you are a new or returning student. However, there are always options availabe to those who are willing to work for them.

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Column

Words: The building blocks of society What’s in a word, anyway?

DORIS BROGAN Contributing Writer

Staff photos Doris Brogan

Students Nigie Johnson, left, Marquel Matthews and Ciara West share their answers to the writer’s word survey.

know what I’m sayin.” He’s also not fond of “twerk,” “text,” “tweet” and “emoticon.”

Matter is certainly no stranger to inventing words. He said, “Oh, yes, I make up words rather often. I’ve discovered that, if I’m losing an argument, it’s a good tactic to begin using made-up words. That confuses my opponents and forces them to consider something that doesn’t really exist.”

Marquel Matthews, 19, is majoring in electrical engineering. He took a few minutes to think about his answer to the question of his favorite word or phrase. “Let’s get to work,” he said, “because it reminds me what my purpose is here at school. It helps keep me motivated.”

Matthews was emphatic about his least-favorite word or phrase. “Impossible,” he stated, “because I don’t believe in letting anything limit me.”

His response to overused words included everything that could be considered an excuse, words such as hard and/or difficult when referring to school assignments.

When asked if he’d ever invented a word, he said, “No, not really.”

Dr. Jon Ewing teaches religion at Richland.

His favorite word or phrase is “I see.”

“In ancient cultures, to see is to perceive or to understand. The Greek word ‘idea’ was something that was ‘beheld’ in one’s inner vision [Plato]. When one says ‘I see’ in response to someone else’s explanation, one not only ‘understands’ but realizes within the knowledge being conveyed.”

Ewing doesn’t have any specific least-favorite word or phrase. He said, “Any word or phrase which doesn’t clearly convey what the speaker is meaning to say. Also, we are losing some of the richness of our vocabulary with our incessant acronyms and misspelled versions of words, e.g., ‘ur.’”

He considers the most overused and abused word in contemporary English to be “like.”

“Like is used so much, even to start a sentence [replacing ‘well’ or ‘say’], that it has simply been rendered useless.”

Ewing has, on occasion, invented words. He said, “Sometimes, if I’m writing a poem, I will invent a neologism, just for fun, such as ‘emeraldine’ or ‘porphyriotic.’”

Ciara West, 17, is a chemistry major. She said her favorite word or phrase is, “Goober, because I like referring to people like that.”

For her least-favorite word or phrase, she agrees with Nigie Johnson.

“Profanity, because I don’t like it.” “Like” is her overused word. She says she knows, “Because I use it all the time.”

West said she made up a word once. “‘Sniggle’ is a combination of snicker and giggle. When I was talking to my mom, I said it accidentally and now we laugh about it all the time.”

If these five people hadn’t previously given conscious thought to words, at least they took time to seriously consider them in my little survey. It goes to show that most people really are just as word-conscious as any of us nerds.

But that’s a good thing.

Richlandchronicle.com January 21, 2014

I must confess, I’m a word nerd with a penchant for poetry and a passion for books. As such, I thought it might be interesting to talk to some Richland students and professors about words, since words are the building blocks of our language. They enable us to communicate, to learn by sharing thoughts and ideas, to expand and advance as societies.

We talk, we write, we text, but do we seriously consider what we say? I decided to devise a short anecdotal survey in an attempt to answer that question.

I asked each person surveyed the same six questions: Do you have a favorite word or phrase?

Why or why not?

Do you have a least-favorite word or phrase? Why or why not?

Do you feel there are words that are abused by overuse?

Have you ever invented a word(s)? If so, list the word(s) and meaning(s).

Nigie Johnson, 20, is a psychology major.

When I asked about her favorite word or phrase, her initial reaction was, “Hmm, I’ve never really thought about it before.” After some consideration, she said, “‘That’s cute’ is probably my favorite phrase. I say that all the time.”

When asked about her least-favorite word or phrase, she quickly responded, “I don’t use curse words, so they’re my least favorite.”

Johnson had an unusual response to the question of overused words.

“Love,” she said, “because people say it all the time and don’t really mean it.”

She said she’s never invented a word.

Dr. William Matter teaches English and technical writing, as well as serving as the faculty adviser for the Parallax, Richland’s literary magazine. He’s also a lieutenant for the Richland Police Dept. When asked about his favorite word, he said, “I don’t know if it’s my absolute favorite, but I am quite fond of the word ‘glimpse.’ Just say that word aloud.

Isn’t it fun the way your tongue has to move around to say that word? Oh, and try saying it silently without at least slightly clicking your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

Tough, isn’t it?”

Matter’s least-favorite word is discharge.

He explained, “There is almost nothing good that comes from that word.”

He believes “Miley” and “Cyrus” are two overused words, as is the phrase, “You

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“ I’M

CONFIDENT I WILL FIND A

CAREER PATH THAT’S

BEST

FOR ” ME.

Richlandchronicle.com January 21, 2014

PRINCESS WALKER

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