November 11, 2014 by Richland Student Media

CHRONICLE Richland

Vol. XL, Issue 13 November 11, 2014

Richland Thunderducks The New District Champions Pg. 7 Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com

Official Chronicle Outlets

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CAMPUS

Richland faculty member’s Thanksgiving invitation JOYCE JACKSON Copy Editor

For those alone this Thanksgiving who don’t have anywhere to go, physical education instructor Bill Neal and his wife Donna would like to invite the Richland community to their ranch for a free holiday feast. “Bring your appetite,” Neal said. “Dress casually. Stay as long as you like.” Neal has made this offer available for several years to those who want to enjoy the holiday with others. Neal said Richland has many international students who cannot make it home for the holiday, so this is a chance for them to enjoy a good meal and meet some new friends. Neal’s ranch is about a 75-minute drive from Dallas. After a meal at 1 p.m., guests can enjoy a variety of animals that roam around on his ranch, among them, horses, donkeys, chickens, dogs and cats. Neal is requesting that anyone who would like to be part of this special holiday and have Image courtesy Bill Neal Thanksgiving dinner call his office at 972-238Bill and Donna Neal will open thier ranch home near Canton to students and faculty who have nowhere else to go on Thanksgiving. 6267 on or before Nov. 24.

‘Rashomon’: Japanese drama competes at theater fest JOYCE JACKSON

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Copy Editor

Richland’s October production of “Rashomon” competed against seven colleges and universities in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Oct. 22-25 in Fort Worth. While the production did not advance to the next level of competition, three Richland students received awards for acting and two others for technical work. For acting, they are: Jermaine Johnson, who played the bandit Tajomaru; Kevin Dang in his role as the samurai and Raied Makhamreh for playing the wig-

maker. For technical work, it was Noah Allen, assistant lighting designer and Faith Yocom, stage manager. Drama chair Andy Long directed the play, which is based on Japanese stories by Ryunosuke. Akutagawa. Long said the KCACTF competition is held every year, but this is the first time Richland has competed in 21 years. It was his intent when he was hired four years ago for acting students to enter the competition, and he said he will do so every year from now on. Long said the nine Richland cast members of “Rashomon,” performed it once, along with plays performed by students from Tarrant County College (Southeast and North-

Staff photo Isai Diaz

Kevin Dang, left, Jermaine Johnson, Faith Yocom, Raied Makhamreh and Noah Allen.

west), Angelo State University, Sul Ross University and Texas Wesleyan University. “Five of the other six shows were comedies,” Long said. “One of the other six shows was a drama. Four of the seven shows were new scripts.” Out of the KCACTF region in the competition, which includes Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana and Texas, Long said only six productions advance to the regional level to compete again next February, with the possibility of advancing to the national competition in Washington, D.C. next May. “Putting the academics aside, one of the things I think that our students learned is that they belong and can compete with universitylevel students and hold their own,” Long said. “It [the competition] filled the students with a sense of pride for going to Richland. I also found that our facilities are much better than many other colleges, even universities.” Long said the single judge was a professor at Brigham Young University and she gave a 45-minute critique of “Rashomon” the next day. “It was all extremely positive,” Long said. “She thanked me for bringing the gift of this great literature to the festival.” Johnson, Dang and Makhamreh will participate in the “Irene Ryan Competition,” Long said, which was named after the famous stage actress best known for playing the role of Granny onw “The Beverly Hillbillies” TV show. “They will compete individually in scenes and monologues for scholarship money,” Long said. “A select number will advance from the regional competition in February to the national competition in May.”

Staff illustration Quan Tran

Trash talking: America Recycles Day

Richland College and Southwest Center Mall are participating in America Recycles Day Saturday. Hard-to-recycle items can be dropped off at either location from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Acceptable items are electronics (e-waste), televisions, video games, cellphones, computers, calculators, printers, small appliances, fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs, auto and alkaline batteries, tires (5 tire limit), scrap metal, documents for shredding and plastic bags. Items should be brought to Parking Lot E in the northwest corner of the Richland campus off of Walnut Street. For a complete list of items to recycle go to http://events.americarecyclesday.org/event/ fall-recycling-round-up-2/ or call 214-6704475. Richland College is located at 12800 Abrams Rd., Dallas.w Southwest Center Mall is at 3663 Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas. Do the planet a favor and reduce your unwanted clutter at the same time. — Doris Brogan

CAMPUS

Jackson Eli: Guitar man inspired by his father CHARLIE VANN Staff Writer

For a lot of musicians, there is always a beginning story where they found the love of music that would impact their life so much that it became second nature to them. Richland student and local guitarist Jackson Eli is a musician who found the love of music at a young age. Eli was 10 when he started playing the guitar. “I remember picking up the guitar as a kid and just playing it without any formal training,” Eli said. Eli would mimic the guitar riffs he heard on the radio. Once his mother took notice of what her son could do with the guitar, she thought it would be good for him to start taking lessons. Eli performed in his high school jazz band and then continued to pursue music at the University of North Texas, where he spent a short time before focusing on his music career. Eli’s father, who is a songwriter and has helped him with writing songs, introduced him to a variety of artists that helped inspire him musically. “Well, my dad, he always was playing a lot of records on vinyl when I was a kid,” Eli said. “I was exposed to a lot of different styles of music, such as rockabilly, classical western swing and flamenco.” Eli said the first song he learned was “Walk,

Don’t Run” by the Ventures – an example of a surf guitar style of music. He still has his first guitar, which he has had for 22 years; Yamaha acoustic, ‘60s version, that his dad had lying around the house. Eli said he has written many songs on that guitar. “ I don’t even want another guitar because of its history,” Eli said. He and his father eventually turned the acoustic guitar into an electric one. On the weekends you can find Eli performing at various venues throughout the Metroplex. He has been performing for years. You can hear him play such classics as “Roly Poly” by American western swing musician Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. He also plays some Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and of course, his own songs. Eli has had quite a musical journey. He’s been a front man aside man and has toured with bands, as well as being featured on other artists’ albums. As a songwriter, he has written 30 songs with his father and published them through his own publishing company, Jackson Eli Publishing. Eli has released four albums with the help of his father and a fifth one is on the way. Eli is not only a musician but he is also a teacher of the craft of guitar playing. Even without a degree, he was given the opportunity to teach the instrument he loves to 6- to 13-year-olds at Ballard Street Music Company in Wylie, a private music school. “I got about 30 or 40 students a week,” he

Staff photo Yolmar Gonzalez

Jackson Eli plays a wide variety of tunes at The Wine Therapist in Dallas.

said. He not only taught his students how to read music, but also how to play it by ear. He eventually left the school after his father got cancer. He moved back in with his family, started teaching privately and hanging out with his father. Today, you can find Eli teaching students at Lucky Dog Books in Dallas.

Eli’s main goal now is to return to the University of North Texas and eventually receive his Ph.D. in either music therapy or musicology. Whether he is playing classical or surf music, it’s not hard to see Eli’s love for music. Jackson Eli is definitely a musician to watch.

Richland College had its own polling place in the Nov. 4 elections. Voting booths were set up in Guadalupe Hall. An election official, Jim Frame, said the number of voters was lower than they were expecting because of the bad weather. According to Frame the inclement weather affected, especially, elderly people who had issues getting to the polling place due to the unsafe conditions. He added that people can avoid these situations in coming elections taking advantage of the early voting — Blanca Reyes

Staff photos Blanca Reyes

Above: Donna Frame and Ramdul Epps work the polling place at Guadalupe Hall. Right: A student voter casts his ballot.

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Rainy election day at Richland

MOVIES

‘John Wick’: A man RICKY MILLER with a short fuse

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Entertainment Editor

Keanu Reeves. I am talking about an actor not known for his diverse roles. Case in point: “The Matrix,” “Constantine” and “Point Break,” the guilty pleasure stylings of the moronic-yet-fun surfing flick with co-star Patrick Swayze. He sometimes makes odd casting choices like “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Little Buddha” as well as “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” which will net a decent time spent at the cinema. I just like the guy as an actor, that’s all. In his latest action opus, “John Wick,” Reeves is a former assassin pulled out of retirement because of his nice ride, a ’60s-era Mustang fastback, stolen by unlucky thieves unaware of his killer instincts. Wick re-connects with some underlings from his past, including Michael Nyvqvist’s gangster Viggo Tarasov. Viggo befriends him at first while at the same time putting a $2 million bounty on Wick. Willem Dafoe shows strong support as Marcus, an old ally of Wick’s, while still also accepting that bounty on his head. Also showing fine support is character actor John Leguizamo (Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 “Romeo and Juliet,” “Ice Age”). He knows Wick from back in the day when he was still in the business of gunning down bad guys and unsavory people. Wick also has access to some gold coins that will get him anywhere in the unnamed city he lives in. Think New York City. Even though Wick does not look like an aged assassin, he spent the better part of his life with his wife (Bridget Moynahan, TV’s “Blue Bloods,” “Coyote Ugly”) who succumbs to cancer. When she dies, she leaves Wick a puppy as a sign she’s still close by. When watching this flick I had a tough time figuring out whether Dafoe’s Marcus actually wanted to help Wick in the end game of things. Reeves knows who to trust in the movie business. That’s why he reconnected with the directing duo of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch to hold the reigns in this one. Stahelski was Reeves’ stunt double in “The Matrix” trilogy. Chalk this one up as another win for Reeves, since even his so-so movies are far more interesting than a lot of the Hollywood dreck of late. Grade: B-

Ricky’s Take

Capsule reviews of some of the flicks I’ve seen recently:

“Interstellar” – Christopher Nolan tackles the depths of outer space with this Matthew McConaughey vehicle in which planet Earth is doomed and astronauts must discover another Planet. This amazing flick also stars Nolan regular Michael Caine, as well as Oscar winnerAnne Hathaway and Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain. Grade: A-

“Big Hero 6” – Another win for the mighty Disney studio in which viewers are introduced to Baymax, a first-aid robot that always wants to help people. BNew to video “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) – New to Blu-ray is the 1959 classic that put animated fare on Disney’s back burner until 1989’s “The Little Mermaid.” A-

“Planes: Fire and Rescue” (2014) – This unlikely sequel to 2013’s “Planes” finds Dusty (voiced by Dane Cook) putting his flying skills to use as a rescue firefighter. C“Fright Night 2: New Blood” (2013) – Yet another unlikely horror sequel that followed the decent 2011 version with Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin. C

CAMPUS

Chronicle staff receives Pinnacle award in Philly

Staff photo

Erica Edwards, left, Doris Brogan, Audrey Morton and Blanca Reyes with national award.

Copy Editor

The Chronicle was awarded second place in the National Pinnacle Award competition for Two-Year Weekly Newspaper of the Year. The Pinnacle Award is given by the College Media Association (CMA) and presented during the annual conference sponsored by CMA and the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP). Three Richland Chronicle staff members and Richland Program Coordinator for Student Media Erica Edwards attended the ACP/ CMA conference in Philadelphia Oct. 29Nov. 2. Edwards said the ACP and CMA are two separate organizations that have cosponsored the conference for several years. “This is a conference for two-and four-year programs across the country.” In June, writing coaches and student staff, along with Edwards, sent in three issues of the Chronicle for the competition. “I’m very proud, certainly, of the work that we do every issue. These were just three issues that the entire team thought were particularly excellent representations of the work that the publication does,” Edwards said. More than 2,800 entries were judged by media professionals from across the country from the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Time Magazine and others, Edwards said. In addition, there were 100 categories, 10 organizational and 80 individual categories that were judged. “We’re working to put up a ‘Wall of Honor’ for Chronicle awards,” Edwards said. “I’d like to recognize those students, both past and present, who have made a strong contribution as a way, again, to inspire new and incoming students and really all students who achieve the excellence that they’re capable of.” Doris Brogan, co-editor-in-chief of the Chronicle and an English major, said one of her favorite workshops was titled, Tight, Bright Writing and Editing. “It was basically just explaining how to take the excess words out,” Brogan said. “They are not needed. Simplicity is better.” Keynote addresses were given by Jim Brady, CEO of Stomping Ground and the

Staff photo Audrey Morton

The Love Park fountain and famous Robert Indiana sculpture LOVE in JFK Plaza in Center City, Philadelphia, is one of the city’s famous landmarks.

Staff photo Blanca Reyes

The “China Gate” is a friendship arch created in sister city Tianjin, China, at the entrance of Philadelphia’s Chinatown district.

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JOYCE JACKSON

former editor-in-chief of Digital First Media, Chris Krewson, editor of Billy Penn, and Amy Webb, a digital media futurist and founder of the Webbmedia Group, a digital strategy agency. “The keynote addresses were very interesting and forward thinking,” Brogan said. There were also opportunities for on-site feedback at the conference. Brogan said she learned a lot from the critics. One of them was Michael Mercer from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. “There’s definitely room for improvement,” she said. “He [Mercer] didn’t like the fact that there were no stories on the front page. I don’t think he got the concept that tabloids don’t always have stories. Also, on the teasers we had, he didn’t care for the wording. They didn’t say what they were teasing to was about.” Brogan said she also enjoyed getting to see some of Philadelphia. “It’s a fascinating city with a lot of history,” she said. Chronicle staff member Audrey Morton is a broadcast journalism and mass communications major who also attended the conference. “There are a lot of great advances coming to college journalism departments, including their print media and digital online media,” she said. “There were keynote speakers and really good workshops every hour.” Morton participated in the Philly Shootout, a photography competition. Participants could enter a couple of photos from around the city to capture the theme of independence and reflect the city and its people. Chronicle photography editor Blanca Reyes also attended and said one of the speakers stressed the importance of using Facebook and Twitter in order to be successful. Reyes said the speaker focused on new tools would reach more people and that we have to compete with other writers. Reyes also competed in the Philly Shootout. “As a whole, I think it was awesome,” she said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to learn from other students and advisers and it’s a great idea to be able to see other peoples’ work. You can compare and see what you can improve on.”

OPINION/NEWS

Journalism evolution: From dinosaur to digital

Richland

CHRONICLE STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Layout Editor Photography Editor Entertainment Editor Copy Editor

Melanie Brandow Doris Brogan Kisten S. Chetty Blanca Reyes Ricky Miller Joyce Jackson

ON THE COVER Left: Halie Vasquez, Right: Jonathon Sanchez

COVER AND FONTS Staff photos Blanca Reyes

Certain cover fonts are provided by the following: http://www.nymfont.com - http://www.bvfonts.com

journosaur (jurń•oh•saher): n. 1 a practitioner of the ancient art of print journalism. 2 someone who no longer practices journalism. 3 a technophobic journalist who is having trouble adjusting to the latest journalism technology. Also see: unemployed

Staff illustration Quan Tran

DORIS BROGAN

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Editor-in-Chief

I’ve never been a fan of dinosaurs. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I am one. I’m a member of the genus “journosaur.” To those unfamiliar with the biological specialty, it translates to journalism dinosaur. I recently attended a National College Media convention in Philadelphia. Many of the workshops focused on the future of journalism, the digital future to be specific. Journalism’s evolution is inevitable and intimidating to my old-school mind. I can remember the hot type days of individual lead letters assembled upside down and backward. What a hot, messy business that was. Fortunately I entered the newspaper business during the days of cold type when long galleys of type were waxed, trimmed with Exacto knives and manually placed on pages in composing rooms. It was frantic fun. Enough about the past. I can’t live there anymore. Today journalism is a computer enterprise.

Stories are typed, edited and placed on pages electronically via various programs designed to create visual amazement. Attention is the name of this modern game. Grab it quickly before it moves on. Twitter, that strange 140-character world, is one of the newer ploys designed to grab public attention. If one isn’t posting on Twitter, one isn’t living in the 21st century. I guess I’m the ghost of journalism past because I’ve never been to Twitter. I still think of tweets as bird sounds. Dinosaur? Yep, that’s me. The convention was bookended by innovative ideas of where journalism is headed. The opening keynote address, “Billy Penn: How to Connect your Community and Navigate the Future,” was presented by Jim Brady and Chris Krewson. Both Brady and Krewson have solid pedigrees in online journalism from washingtonpost.com and The Philadelphia Enquirer, respectively. This fall they launched a new online local news startup in Philadelphia. They believe the

time is right for their enterprise. The good news here is that journalism has a future. They have seen the nature of that future and think it is digital. The closing keynote address was titled, “Amy Webb Sees the Future of Media – And She’s Not Afraid! (You shouldn’t be, either.)” Webb is a digital media futurist. She’s the founder of Webbmedia Group, a digital strategy agency that researches near-future technology trends. She brought up interesting, if disturbing, thoughts about social media depriving participants of privacy. It was a valid observation that brought to mind images from Huxley’s futuristic novel “Brave New World.” Webb talked about millennials and their social media savvy. They seemingly take a loss of privacy in stride; the price of staying in touch with the times. Alas, I’m a baby boomer, further evidence of the appropriateness of the dinosaur tag rather than the hashtag, so millennials are a mystery to me. And if I never solve the mystery, I’ll be happy in my journosaur heart that journalism has a future.

Eastfield College police officers stabbed by campus trespasser Two Eastfield College campus police officers were stabbed during an altercation with a suspected homeless man just before 10 p.m. on Nov. 4. Miquel Angel Sarinana, 22, was suspected of trespassing on campus in a hallway of the C Building. One officer questioned the man, who then attacked the officer with a knife. Another officer arrived to provide backup and was attacked as well. After being Maced, the suspect fled toward Motley Drive, pursued by both police officers. The Mesquite Police Depart-

ment then responded to a request for assistance from Eastfield officers. Both officers received lacerations and were transported to Baylor University Medical Center. Sgt. Melissa Jacobs has served on the Eastfield’s police force for four years. Officer Elias Reymundo has served for two. Other area law enforcement agencies assisted with the search for the suspect. The Garland Police Department also provided canine officers to assist. Mesquite police officers apprehended the

suspect in a nearby neighborhood and transported him to the hospital to treat hand wounds. Dr. Joe May, chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District, and Dr. Jean Conway, president of Eastfield College, visited the officers the next morning and reported that both appeared to be doing well. Both officers were released from the hospital and are recovering at home. The suspect is in jail facing two counts of aggrivated assault of a public servant — Doris Brogan

STUDENT MEDIA STAFF

Jonathan Johnson Isai Diaz Mohamad Firas Shaban Charlie Vann Audrey Morton Pete Shannon

Ashling Han Gabriel Flores Yolmar Gonzalez Kim Sanders Quan Tran Jaime Zapata III

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS Terry Blend Erica Edwards Jack Fletcher David Goodloe

Tim Jones Steve Noviello Larry Ratliff Marshall Siegel

ISSUE DATES

November 04 November 11 November 18

November 25 December 09

AWARDS

ACP Pacemaker Winner, 2000, 2001, 2007 ACP Pacemaker Finalist, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007 ACP Online Pacemaker Finalist, 2007, 2008 1st Place - TIPA Sweepstakes, 2005 3rd Place - TIPA Online, 2005 & 2006 CMA Newspaper of the Year Finalist, 2014 1st Place – TCCJA Overall General Excellence, 2014 Over 170 Texas college journalism awards since 2000

CONTACT INFORMATION

El Paso Hall, Room E-020, 12800 Abrams Rd. Dallas, 75243 Newsroom: 972-238-6079 E-mail: richanchronicle@gmail.com Advertising: 972-238-6068 E-mail: advertise@dcccd.edu Fax: 972-238-6037 Staff meetings: Monday and Wednesday 2 p.m. in E-020 Letter Policy Letters to the editor may be edited for space. They will be edited for spelling, grammar and malicious or libelous statements. Letters must be the work of the writer and must be signed. For identification and verification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s classification (grade level), full name, address and telephone number, although address and telephone number will not be published. Editorial Policy The Chronicle is the official student-produced newspaper of Richland College. Editorials, cartoons, columns and letters are the opinions of individual students and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other individual student writers, editors, advisers or the college administration. © Richland Chronicle 2014

SPORTS

Thunderducks migrate East for national tournaments

BLANCA REYES Photography Editor

Richland women’s and men’s soccer teams pulled off a district championship two-fer. Now it’s time to reap the benefits for their hard work during the regular season. Both soccer teams are headed to the championship playoffs. The Thunderduck ladies, who are emerging as one of the favorites to win the national championship, hosted the playoffs because they ended the season in first place after of the regular season. The team was scheduled at press time to travel to Toms River, N.J. to compete in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) championship tournament Thursday through Sunday. Scott Toups, women’s soccer team head coach, said that the first game at New Jersey will be very difficult because Richland is playing the host team, Ocean County College. Although coaches and players are aware that the crown, the weather and the pressure are going to be factors. They are training harder in order to be ready for that day. “The best way we can prepare the team for

something like that is training hard the whole season,” Toups said. Toups has been coaching the Thunderducks since 2008. It is the fifth time that the team has been crowned district champion under his direction. Toups wants to repeat the victory of 2012 when Richland took national championship honors. On the other hand, the current district champion men’s teams are also one of the favorites to win the national trophy. The Thunderducks ended the regular season in second place. On Nov. 1, the team went to Rockford, Ill., to fight for the district championship. The Thunderducks played their third and definitive game against the host team, Rock Valley College, winning by a wide margin, 4-0. That victory gave the Thunderduck men the district championship. “The conditions were the toughest in what we have played,” head coach Sean Worley said. Worley said that the wind was howling 25 miles per hour and one point, of the game the temperature was 3 below freezing, but the team stayed focused and played well. Richland’s soccer men’s team was scheduled at press time to travel to Herkimer, N.Y.,

to play against the best teams in the national tournament as well. Worley said that the first team that they will line up against is Bunker Hill College from Charlestown, Mass., which is one of last year’s finalists and one of the toughest teams in the tournament. The team was training harder last week because, according to Worley, there will be several variables in New York like the extreme weather, the field and different game styles that can challenge the Richland team. “Since the beginning of the season was pretty good,” midfielder Mac Reyes said, “we know we can win the national championship.” Reyes said that the team feels ready for the challenge and they were just waiting to get to New York to prove what they are able to do and win the championship. Gearoid O’Sullivan, defender, said that the different styles of coaching that the Tunderducks have help them to become the strong team that they are now. For more information about the teams, results and schedules visit www.richlandcollege. edu/menssoccer and www.richlandcollege.edu/womenssoccer or visit the athletic department at Guadalupe Hall, Rooms G-116 and G-137.

Upcoming Events Today

11 a.m. to noon Richland Choral Ensembles Veterans Day Tribute Concert Cafeteria Stage, El Paso Hall Spring registration begins for returning students

Wednesday

Noon to 1 p.m. Richland Steel Sound Steel Band Cafeteria Stage, El Paso Hall

Thursday

Last day to withdraw from a class

Nov. 18

Chronicle Issue 14 on newsstands

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com November 11, 2014

Staff photos Blanca Reyes

Left: Richland men's soccer team practice up to the last minute despite low temperatures. The Thunderducks know the importance of preparation and tolerance to bad weather. Right: Aliyah Revely, one of two goalkeepers for the Lady Thunderducks, practices blocking opponents shots.

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