November 12, 2013

Chronicle Richland

Vol. XXXVIII, Issue 13 November 12, 2013

Richlandchronicle.com Official Chronicle Outlets #Chronicle DCCCD

A College of the Dallas County Community College District

For the Brave Who Served

also inside: A Richland veteran reflects Pg. 5 Soccer teams go national Pg. 11

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Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

Campus

You’re bullying me to death Staff Writer

“What really made me motivated and get off my butt and say, ‘You know, this has got to stop’ is when my baby brother wrote a suicide note because he was bullied at school, too,” admitted 19-year-old freshman William “Preston” Schudz, who is currently studying business administration and counseling psychology.

Preston admitted that he was bullied at school, starting in second grade, through his high-school years. He had no idea that his brother was preparing to take his own life.

Preston’s mother found her son Christian’s suicide note, luckily before Christian took any action to hurt himself. The 9-year-old hid that he was being bullied at school. When Preston was told, “It seems that you love your brother a lot,” he paused, then a moment of silence, and responded, “Yeah. He’s my world.” “And you would do anything for him?” “Yes,” Preston replied.

Preston is the president and creator of an organization on campus named Courage, started with the group’s sponsor, Ryan Miller, and his friends, Lydia Mulkey and Jerica Davidson. The three friends pitched in, working as one to come up with the rules/regulations and the mission statement of the group.

Miller is an adjunct instructor who teaches developmental writing. Miller is a Richland alumnus. He graduated in 2004 with an associate of arts degree in print journalism.

According to the Texas School Safety Center, “Bullying is one of the most prevalent and widely discussed topics pertaining to school safety and security. The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported that 20.1 percent of students have been bullied on school property and 16.2 percent of students had been electronically bullied (i.e. cyberbullied) during the 12 months before the survey. This type of conduct has been shown to have profound effects on youth, which often continue into adulthood.”

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. More than 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide and almost 7 percent have attempted it. The information and statistics above are listed at: www.bullyingstatistics.org.

This site also says, “Bully-related suicide can be connected to any type of bullying, including physical bullying, emotional bullying, cyberbullying and sexting, or circulating suggestive or nude photos or messages about a person.

Some schools or regions have more serious

problems with bullying and suicide related to bullying. This may be due to an excessive problem with bullying at the school. It could also be related to the tendency of students who are exposed to suicide to consider suicide themselves.”

For more information on the causes and treatments of being bullied and bullies, you can contact the Counseling Center. The office is located in El Paso Hall, E-082, and can be reached either at: www.richlandcollege.edu/counseling/ and by phone at (972) 238-3771.

Or contact the on-campus Courage club.

You can reach sponsor Ryan Miller at (972) 310-4727. They can also be reached at: www. facebook.com/pages/Courage/473072996124197.

Image courtesy www.childrensmn.org

Some of the warning signs of suicide: • Showing signs of depression, like ongoing sadness, withdrawal from others, losing interest in favorite activites or trouble sleeping or eating.

• Talking about or showing an interest in death or dying.

• Engaging in dangerous or harmful activities, including reckless behavior, substance abuse or self-injury.

• Giving away favorite possesions and saying goodbye to people.

• Saying or expressing that they can’t handle things anymore.

• Making comments that things would be better without them.

Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

Peter alexander hearns

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CamPUS

Stunning performance from Richland’s music department PETE SHANNON Staff Writer

Richland’s Arena Theatre bumped and thumped during the noon hour on Nov. 5.

The event was the Richland Music Department’s Fall Jazz Showcase Recital, which featured an amalgamation of instrumentalists and singers. Richland’s hottest jazz junkies flailed and wailed as their voices and instruments pleaded and howled, the audience bobbed and nodded in full-sync participation. No one was immune from the urge to rhythmically merge with the four gangs on stage.

Jazz is, of course, a uniquely American musical genre dating from the early 20th century, but defying rigid definition. By some accounts, it is characterized by its free-form style and invitation to improvisation. In some ways, listening to it reminds one of a group of kids jumping rope together where the players alternate entering the main action and acting out for a few moments their personal variations of the ongoing theme. Tuesday’s solo performers were no exception as they deftly exhibited their many talents.

Three tribes of instrumentalists, the Fusion Band, the Jazz Ensemble and the Jazz Combo, led by directors Ron Jones and Brad Williams, plucked, blew and smashed their way through their respective sets. In true jazz style, the numbers allowed several members to step forward and show their stuff to which the au-

Aaron Jones (left) plays a saxophone solo with the Jazz Ensemble group. The Jazz Combo (top) entertains the crowd with Kerry Burkhart playing a solo on his Ibanez Pat Metheny Signature Guitar (bottom).

Staff Photos by Melanie Brandow dience responded appropriately with brief applause as the beat continued.

A fourth group, the Jazz Singers, under the direction of vocal artist and faculty member Jimin Lee, was particularly noteworthy. Clad all in black with red accessories, the singers blended in perfect harmony while they rendered the familiar favorite, “Brazil,” into their hand-held mikes. Then, led by soloist Christian Ruiz, they created an especially memorable moment with an a capella rendition of the old song, “When I Fall in Love.”

Upcoming events Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

Each week, the Division of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts at Richland College presents its Recital Series. All performances are on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. and are free to the general public. For more information about the series, contact Derrick Logozzo, coordinator of music, at 972-238-6254.

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Today: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

The Richland College choral ensembles will perform.

Wednesday, Nov. 13: Noon to 1 p.m.

Lunch Concert Series Cafeteria Stage, El Paso Hall Everyone is welcome to enjoy the lively sound of the steel band.

Thursday, Nov. 14: 4 to 5 p.m.

Women in Math and Science Club Meeting Sabine Hall, Room S-118 Guest speaker: Kris Roberson, an RN, will inform attendees about her experiences in the medical field.

Men are also welcome to join the club and attend the meeting.

Friday, Nov. 15: 7:30 p.m.

Fannin Performance Hall The public is invited to hear the relaxing music of the women’s chorale, Richmen, the gospel choir and the jazz and chamber singers.

Thursdays: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

El Paso Hall, Room E-081 Free Relaxation Group – open to all students and staff The Richland Counseling Center invites students to relax with a group. It will consist of simple yoga postures suitable for all abilities.

Wear comfortable clothes and bring a mat or towel. For more information contact Julie Hanson at 214-890-3825 or by email at jhanson@dcccd.edu.

The audience, many unaccustomed to hearing such absolutely lucid lyrics and clinging to every word, sat as rapt as the poignant pauses between the singers’ phrases. The room suddenly became still and relaxed in a magic silence. The singers ended their set with the delightful “Le Nommage,” a song without words but filled with folderol.

This week, Fannin Hall will be the site of three full-length, free evening performances at 7:30 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights when the same jazz groups will appear again.

Call for submissions: Parallax wants your help Dr. Bill Matter, English professor, is accepting submissions for Richland’s award-winning magazine, the Parallax.

He said he hopes to publish the 23rd volume in mid-to-late December, but doesn’t have quite enough material for the edition.

Only Richland students can submit material for the magazine.

Matter is looking for one page or less of poetry, short stories and essays no longer than 1,500 words, fiction and non-fiction, art work and photographs. There are no limitations on subject matter.

“We prefer images that include people rather than scenery,” Matter said. “Stories of human interest would be great. We desperately need material in order to print.”

Matter said they typically publish 72 pages for each edition. That would include images.

Distribution would be in the spring, possibly in January, Matter said.

For questions or to submit an article, contact Matter at wmatter@dcccd.edu.

Image courtesy The Parallax

The latest issue of Parallax is now available in Wichita Hall, WH-101.

Student media wants you!

Visit room E-020 for more information.

Joyce Jackson Copy Editor

Somewhere out in space, originating in the far, far, far outreaches of our solar system, a comet is speeding toward the sun.

According to physics professor Heather Appleby, Comet ISON is about as close to the sun as Mars. As it heads toward the sun, it’ll come in, make a quick trip around it and then go out.

What’s fascinating about this particular comet?

“It won’t be around [again] for 9,000 years,” Appleby said, explaining that people should be able to see it easily with no telescope or binoculars.

“Just walk outside and there it is,” Appleby said. “We have no reason to fear it.”

Appleby said if you look south east toward the Leo (the lion) and Gemini (the twins) constellations early in the morning before sunrise, you should be able to see the comet with the naked eye in the morning at the end of November and beginning of

Image courtesy clker.com

December.

The comet has been defined as “the comet of the century,” but Appleby said, while some media outlets have defined it this way, astronomers are not saying that.

“Media outlets don’t understand,” Appleby said. “Some media outlets have claimed that this [comet] will be brighter than the full moon. And they are wrong. They don’t understand it or they are making assumptions. Having said that, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a puny event.”

Appleby recalled Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997 in that it was bright and big and easy to find.

ISOM, she said, will be like that -- bright, pretty large and easy to see.

“It’s not likely you’ll have to hunt for an hour and a half to see it,” she said. “You’ll see the one thing that looks weird and that’s it. The thing about comets is that there are several of them that have passed through the solar system every year, but a vast majority of them we don’t see because they’re too small, they’re too dim.”

“That’s where this comet is different,” Appleby said.

“When this comet is as close to the sun as possible, it will be 720,000 miles form the sun,” she said. “For a comet, that’s close.

They can get much closer, but a comet is basically a ‘dirty snowball.’ Like a snowball, you get a lot of dirt mixed in.”

Appleby said she doesn’t keep track of comets, but some astronomers do.

“They are very interested in this one.

Why?” she said. “Because it’s the first time in the solar system. They get to learn more about what the solar system [our composition] is made of.”

“I’ll definitely be going outside to admire it, but I’m not researching it,” Appleby said.

“This comet is once in a lifetime. Because you don’t know if or when there will be another one just as bright.”

ISON was discovered by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2013 and named after their night-sky survey program, the International Scientific Optical Network, a group of observatories in 10 countries organized to track objects in space, according to a CNN News report.

Veterans Day history November 11 is a special day where we honor all those who served in the military. But it wasn’t always called Veterans Day. In 1918, on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 a.m., an armistice, or a truce, went into effect. All opposing sides agreed to cease fire.

One year later, President Woodrow Wilson named Nov. 11 Armistice Day. “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service,” Wilson said.

Armistice Day honored only those who

served in World War I. On June 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill which changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Instead of acknowledging only those from World War I, we now honor all veterans who have served in the military.

Any students who are considering enlisting should “choose wisely,” said Tom Sullivan, a Richland student who served in the Army. “It will definitely have huge impacts on your life.

Some people who enlist don’t realize that the Army is for real.”

Quentin Herrera, another Richland student who also served in the Army said, “Research what you want to do.”

Students who haven’t served in the military are often plagued with the toughness of thanking a veteran.

“I expect that [all civilians] have no idea what [Marines] go through,” said Richland student and Marine veteran Patrick Neligh. He said that he expects everyone to say, “Thank you for your service.”

– Christian Tanner

From a veteran Melanie Brandow Staff Writer

After many interesting years in the military, transitioning into civilian life wasn’t too difficult. The hardest thing was becoming familiar with civilians again. It was Sept. 6, 2006, when I joined the Army as an ammunition specialist for my MOS (Military Occupation Specialty).

I dropped out of college from Arizona State University to join the Army and serve in Iraq.

My reason for joining was I felt the need to serve my country.

Coming from a military family on both sides, tracing back to when my grandpa John Brown Jr. served as a Marine in WWII. He was one of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers. Most of my elders were very proud of me making such a life-changing decision. I am the eldest of five and the eldest grandchild on my father’s side.

A lot has been expected of me. Yes, my folks were upset and thought I was throwing my life away. After I let them know that I still believed I was making the right choice, I had a little more support.

Basic training wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. It really is just a “psychological game.” The physical aspect is a must; be ready to work hard and train because you will be pushed to your limits. The drill sergeants help you overcome your fears quickly. As the years went by for my training as an ammunition specialist, I learned to strengthen my leadership and organizational skills.

When I deployed to Iraq, I expected the worst things to happen. I found that the stories I had heard from other soldiers were true and more. Once down range, though, you forget about all the terrible things you’ve seen and done. There is no room for complacency or emotion. I know that’s what saved my life a number of times.

Being in the Army has changed me and opened my eyes a little wider to reality and hardships of life. Before the Army I was a shy secluded little girl. The last couple of years were really harsh, but I had a lot of help to pick myself back up and keep my head high.

My encounters in the Army made me who I am today, and I am thankful. I medically retired with post-traumatic stress disorder and a few physical injuries.

I chose to go back to school because I wanted to earn a degree in photography. I chose Richland College because of the easy commute, diversity and options of courses.

The advisers and staff are very helpful to the student body, guiding us in the right direction to accomplish what we need. I believe my few years here at Richland will be another fun adventure and I am excited to turn the page for this chapter.

For my fellow battle buddies and veterans out there, I want to let you all know that first step for us coming back into civilian life and going back to school is another challenge we can overcome. We are always ready.

Happy belated Veterans Day.

Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

The ice mass cometh

SCIENCE/Campus

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Games

Love at first sight on the night before Christmas KISTEN S. CHETTY Editor-in-Chief

Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

Part 1 of this review ran in the Nov. 5 issue.

In essence, “Arkham Origins” is a tale of two individuals and the night they first meet, the explosive courtship and heart-wrenching conclusion. This game has all the trappings of a chick-flick, a full-fledged “When Joker met Batman.”

We have the classic case of mistaken identity pulling our leads together. At the start, there is conflict. Joker wants to kill the Bat, but that’s only the start. Soon the Joker realizes what he has found in the Bat. It causes his heart to beat a little faster, which in turn causes the Joker to stop the beating of several other hearts in the vicinity.

Our characters confide in their trusted friends about these new feelings.

Joker to Harley Quinzel: “Have you ever met someone that changed your whole outlook on things?”

Batman to Alfred: “I’ve never met a psychopath like this before.”

The stage is set for these two characters to have one hell of a first date.

And what a stage it is. A tip of the hat to the game developers who chose to set the game on Christmas Eve. We’ve all seen Gotham, dark and brooding reflecting the nature of its protector. With this game we get something different; it’s Christmas Eve and everyone is getting in on the fun.

From small touches like stockings hung to

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dialogue from the main characters, the developers were committed to this theme. Even though a winter wonderland does make it a little harder to buy that a man cloaked in black can sneak around, I think it’s a fair trade. It’s a creative way to add a unique stamp to an already established style. And that brings me to one of my very few gripes with the game.

They didn’t take enough risks. I don’t envy the developers, as “Rocksteady” left massive shoes to fill. However, I think they sold themselves short.

A good example is the Electrocutioner’s gloves, one of the few new gadgets in the game and probably the best present the Bat received. Being able to charge them up and then unleash a flurry of fits felt unreal. It allowed you to bypass the annoying thugs with shields that normally break your combo. It was also well-balanced because you had to charge them up first, as they only last a short amount of time.

The developers had a healthy respect for the source material, but in this case it went a little too far. It feels like in some instances the legend of “Arkham Asylum” and “Arkham City” hindered more then helped.

All in all, “Arkham Origins” is worthy of its predecessors with an engaging and intimate storyline. The game does a great job of being able to stand alone and can be used as the jumping-off point for anyone who hasn’t played any of the “Arkham” games yet.

It will still feel familiar enough, however, for older fans while offering a few surprises.

Image courtesy vswallpapers.com

SUCCEED Here, I feel at home and am surrounded by other passionate students who want to succeed.

— Raychel Taylor

Transfer student, music performance

YOU’RE INVITED TO TAKE A TRANSFER TOUR

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MOVies

A Cinematic salute to vets ‘Stalag 17’ (1953)

‘Das Boot: The Director’s Cut’ (1981)

‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)

‘Patton’ (1970)

‘The Beast’ (1988)

‘The Hurt Locker’ (2008)

latimes.com, mubi.com, imgobject.com, wordpress.com, highdefdiscnews.com , blogspot.com, warmovieblog.com

RICKY MILLER Entertainment Editor

With Veterans Day upon us again, I decided to recommend some war flicks that garner praise. Some of the actors, however, are not American since Wolfgang Petersen’s “Das Boot” and Kevin Reynolds’ Russian tank drivers in the little-seen “The Beast” are included.

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998) How in the world this movie lost the Best Picture Academy Award to “Shakespeare in Love” is anybody’s guess.

The opening sequence alone headlines an already great movie. A+ “Stalag 17” (1953) Awesome with a capital A! William Holden, coming off a Best Actor win for “Sunset Boulevard” two years prior, is captivating as prisoner of war Sgt. J.J. Sefton, who is held in a German POW camp.

Sometime-director Otto Preminger (“Anatomy of a Murder,” “Exodus”) is amusing as Oberst von Scherbach, who constantly plays off the wits of Sefton.

The director, Billy Wilder, had another spectacular flick under his belt with this entry. He constantly had fantastic movies in his

résumé, including “Some Like it Hot,” “The Apartment,” “The Lost Weekend,” “Double Indemnity,” “Sabrina,” “Irma la Douce,” “One, Two, Three,” “The Fortune Cookie,” “Witness for the Prosecution,” “The Front Page,” and the aforementioned “Sunset Boulevard.” A+ “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) Even though he took home the Best Director statuette for 1986’s “Platoon,” Oliver Stone received another Academy Award for this fact-based story of paralyzed veteran Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise, also a Best Actor nominee in the movie).

One of the best scenes involves him coming back home to see his mom (Caroline Kova, “Year of the Dragon”) for the first time after being wounded. A “Patton” (1970) Talk about greatness. This gem from director Franklin J. Schaffner (“Planet of the Apes”) has all the makings of a story that results in pure genius.

George C. Scott won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the general who never backed down from a fight. A “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) To me the two coolest cats in the yard were Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin.

The latter headlines this war flick as Major Reisman, who gets the thankless task of rounding up a group of misfits, murderers and pscychos. This group includes Victor Franko (John Cassevetes, “Rosemary’s Baby”), Robert Jefferson (Jim Brown, “Ice Station Zebra”) and Joseph Wladishaw (Charles Bronson, “Death Wish”).

In this entry, the action sequences are nonstop from the word “attack!” B+ “The Big Red One” (1980) Lee Marvin (again!) -- In this epic from director Samuel Fuller (“Shock Corridor”), the viewer gets to know only a close-knit band of soldiers fighting the enemy in World War II. Marvin’s character is just referred to as the Sergeant, who heads a group that includes Pvt. Griff (Mark Hamill, “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”) and Robert Carradine as Pvt. Zab (“Revenge of the Nerds”).

As with the aforementioned “Saving Private Ryan,” the battle sequences are intense enough to have one digging into their chair.

A“The Hurt Locker” (2008) Oscar-winning history was made with this flick, since it was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win a Best Director

Oscar.

The story focuses on a soldier (Jeremy Renner, “The Avengers”) who lives for the thrill of dismantling a bomb. A“Das Boot: The Director’s Cut” (1981)

Jürgen Prochnow (“Beverly Hills Cop II”) is commander of a German U-boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Even though the movie follows German soldiers, one can’t help but feel empathy for their plight.

With a lengthy running time of 209 minutes, “Das Boot” took the Best Foreign Language film over that year. A“The Beast” (1988) The underused Jason Patric (“The Lost Boys”) stars as a dismayed Russisan tank driver Koverchenko, who is at odds with his tyrannical commander Baskal (George Dzunda, “No Way Out”).

The plot involves a tank that gets separated from the rest of the unit and gets lost in the Afghan desert. Through various plot devices, Koverchenko meets Taj (Steven Bauer, “Scarface.”), an insurgent who wants to get rid of Baskal as well.

The score from composer Mark Isham flows cleanly into the images that director Kevin Reynolds puts on the screen. B+

Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

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‘Born on the Fourth of July’ (1989)

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Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

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NEws/Campus

Medal of Honor: A portrait of valor beyond the call of duty Staff Writer In a ceremony at the White House on Oct. 15, President Barack Obama awarded Capt.

William D. Swenson the nation’s highest military honor for valor, the Medal of Honor.

Swenson was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, as an adviser to the Afghan Border Police Mentor Team on Sept. 8, 2009, when both Afghan soldiers and their American military trainers were ambushed near the village of Ganjgal in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, by more than 50 Taliban fighters.

The official citation for the award reads in part: “Surrounded on three sides by enemy forces inflicting effective and accurate fire, captain Swenson coordinated air assets, indirect fire support and medical evacuation helicopter support to allow for the evacuation of the wounded. Captain Swenson ignored enemy radio transmissions demanding surrender and maneuvered uncovered to render medical aid to a wounded fellow soldier. Captain Swenson stopped administering aid long enough to throw a grenade at approaching enemy forces, before assisting with moving the soldier for air evacuation.

“With complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Swenson unhesitatingly led a team in an unarmored vehicle into the kill zone, exposing himself to enemy fire on at

New hires for RCHS pending Richland Collegiate High School (RCHS) will have a new principal and assistant principal by the beginning of next year.

RCHS superintendent Donna Walker said candidates for the positions are currently pending submission to the Board of Trustees and final approvals.

The two positions have been vacant since the beginning of the semester. Walker said both individuals left RCHS to accept positions within the Garland ISD for “substantial pay increases ranging from $12,000 to $30,000.”

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Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

RAYMOND THOMAS PRONK

enson should receive the Medal of Honor.

Swenson was outspoken and critical of his superiors for not receiving timely air and artillery support. An investigation subsequently led to three Army officers being reprimanded. Swenson’s Medal of Honor was delayed when the paperwork for the award was lost.

Swenson helped rescue and deliver to the medevac helicopter Sgt. Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M. Westbrook later died in the UNited States from complications from his wounds. This small part of the battle was captured in a video on YouTube titled “Army Capt. William Swenson Receives Medal of Honor.”

The four Americans killed in the ambush include: 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, 25, of Virginia Beach, Staff Sgt. Aaron Keneflick, 30 Image AP of Roswell, Ga., Corpsman James Layton, President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Honor to Capt. William D. Swenson, veteran of 22 of Riverbank, Calif., and Gunnery Sgt. the War of Terror at a White House ceremony on Oct. 15.

Edwin Wayne Johnson Jr., 31, of Columleast two occasions, to recover the wounded ed the Medal of Honor for valor in the Iraq bus, Ga. Also killed that day were 10 Afghan and search for four missing comrades. Afand Afghanistan wars, according to the De- troops and an interpreter. ter using aviation support to mark locations fense Department.

Swenson left the Army in February 2011 of fallen and wounded comrades, it became Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer was awarded but has asked to return and is waiting for a clear that ground recovery of the fallen was the Medal of Honor by Obama in 2011 for decision by the Army. required due to heavy enemy fire on helicoprescuing troops that same day and recoverAfter the ceremony, Swenson, standing ter landing zones. Captain Swenson’s team ing the remains of four Americans killed in in front of the West Wing, said, “Today, I returned to the kill zone another time in a the battle of Ganjgal and served beside Capt. stand with the Medal of Honor … but this Humvee. Captain Swenson voluntarily exSwenson. Meyer in his book, “Into the Fire: award is earned with a team, a team of our ited the vehicle, exposing himself to enemy A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordi- finest, Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy and fire, to locate and recover three fallen Manary Battle in the Afghan War,” said he would our Afghan partners, standing side by side. rines and one fallen Navy corpsman.” not be alive today if it was not for the actions This medal represents them, represents us.”

Swenson is the sixth living person awardof Captain Swenson and advocated that Sw-

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OPINION/CamPUS

Plagued with the obsession for originality CHRISTIAN TANNER

Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

Managing Editor

You’re in your English class and your professor is assigning a topic for an argumentative essay. Instead of assigning you the topics, she writes four different topics on the white board and tells everyone to choose one.

You have to choose between gun control, marriage equality (or gay marriage, as some may call it), abortion or feminism. Which one would you choose? Is there a right or wrong answer? I believe people are asking themselves the wrong question; “Which one will be the easiest?”

I sit in the back of my early morning English class watching my professor write different topics on the white board. She tells the class she is sorry, we won’t be able to write about the easy topics like marriage equality or gun control.

No marriage equality?! This is an outrage!

No gun control?! This will be too difficult! No, it’s much more than that.

I see her write cheating/stealing on the white board and I hang my head in disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I have a wonderful English professor. But my problem is, I worry too much about what other people are doing. I want to challenge people just as much as I like a good challenge. I thought to myself that this topic would be the easy way out for everyone and that bums me out.

Then I see her write sports and I think to myself, oh great, another topic for everyone to use as an “out.”

After sports, she writes social media. OK, by now you are probably ahead of me. I practically fell out of my chair. All hope for humanity is lost.

What could she write next? I didn’t want to look. But wait, has hope for humanity been restored? She writes consumerism. “Yes!” I think. I practically throw my hands up in praise. There’s hope for my class.

After she writes the four topics on the white board, she turns around and tells us that we have five minutes to pick a topic. Silence grows in the classroom. Everyone has already picked a topic.

She asks for everyone who chose cheating/ stealing to stand up. Two or three students rise out of their seats. She puts them all in a group.

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30% Social Media

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Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Layout Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Entertainment Editor Radio News Director Radio Station Manager Copy Editor

Kisten S. Chetty Christian Tanner Lora Advincula Blanca Reyes Isai Diaz Ricky Miller Carla Davis Bubba Washington Jr. Joyce Jackson

ON THE COVER The silhouette of a soldier saluting in front of Richland’s American flag.

COVER AND FONTS Cover photo illustration Melanie Brandow

40% Sports

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

STUDENT MEDIA STAFF

24% Cheating &Stealing

Fred Allen Melanie Brandow Gabriel Flores Peter Alexander Hearns Sana Hussein Shikha Veronica Jacob Alana King Jonathan Lee

Noah Percival Nini Sterling Raymond Thomas Pronk Avery A. Rains W. Ben Roach Ben Siebel A.M. Stofko Leigh Wilson

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS

6% Consumerism Fellow students choices broke down as expected, with the bulk in sports.

She asks for all the students who chose sports to stand up. Five or six students stand up. They’re all in a group.

Then social media. And it seems as though the remainder of the class stands up. My professor is in shock at the number of students who chose the same topic. She sections them off into separate groups.

Then I cross my fingers. I knew I couldn’t be alone. My professor says to the class, “OK, come on. There has to be someone who chose consumerism.” And there I am, on the outside looking in. A classmate of mine sitting on my right holds his hand high only for me to look up and see that his finger was pointing down at me showing the entire class that I am alone.

Oh, how sad it is.

I have come across some interesting people when I polled students around campus. When I asked students which topic they would prefer,

the students who chose social media seemed to be more passionate about their topic. I love that. Students who chose consumerism chose the topic because they didn’t know much about consumerism. They want a challenge.

Look around. Observe what people are doing and what they’re talking about. Question what you’re talking about and ask yourself if it really matters. I’ve noticed everyone doing the same things while talking about the same things. And to me it seems like everyone is complaining about originality. Instead of complaining about originality like everyone else, why not go out and do something original?

Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to be the person who you want to be while learning something new. I know everyone has a lot to say about things they already know, but instead, try to learn more.

Come out and support Richland’s Clay Club The annual Clay Club sale will include a variety of ceramic pieces Tuesday through Thursday in the Brazos Gallery.

Jen Rose, ceramics coordinator and visiting scholar, said this year the club will have 500-plus pieces for sale.

“It’s strictly work made by students in the ceramics classes,” Rose said. She teaches two classes, but the works will come from a total of five classes.

Rose said that most of the works are

STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS

functional pieces, like bowls,cups, platters and plates.

“I know that there will be some planters with herbs in them this year, and some one-ofa-kind objects that hang on the wall,” Rose said. “Sometimes we have sculpture.”

“The students are able to set their own prices themselves,” Rose said. The prices will range from $3 to $70.

“It’s [the sale] a great way to showcase the works that Richland ceramics students do in

class,” Rose said. “It also generates interest for our ceramics classes.”

Rose said she hopes to have a wheel in the gallery to do some throwing demonstrations for creating work on the potter’s wheel.

The hours are: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

There also will be a reception Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

— Joyce Jackson

Erica Edwards Jack Fletcher David Goodloe Tim Jones

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SPORTs

Thunderduck soccer teams among best in nation Sports Editor

The Richland men’s soccer team was scheduled to travel to Herkimer, N.Y., today to compete in the 2013 NJCAA Division III men’s soccer national championship to be held Thursday through Sunday.

The first team the Thunderducks will face is Bunker Hill of Charlestown, Mass.

It won’t be the first time Richland has confronted Bunker Hill in the championship tournament.

Coach Sean Worley said that last year when Richland played against Bunker Hill both teams were competitive and were tied after regulation and overtime. Richland was beaten in a penalty kicks shootout.

“I’m not nervous. I expect that our boys play hard as they possibly can,” Worley said.

“Hopefully, it will be enough to win.”

Worley explained that this year’s team is younger and hungrier for the championship.

In addition, their attack is much better than last year.

“They have more energy and we are deep,” Worley said. “Younger is stronger.”

Worley added that this team has 25 excellent players who can play anytime, anywhere and still be as good as they can be.

The last time Richland had a shot at first place in the national tournament was under the coaching of Worley in 2007.

As with the national women’s tournament, the top eight men’s teams in the nation will compete.

Although this tournament represents a big

challenge, the Thunderducks are ready to give their best.

“They are having fun, they are enjoying their time, and they are practicing good, getting along with and looking forward to traveling from Dallas to New York,” Worley said.

Coaches and players are aware that the weather may make everything harder. Worley said that playing in cold weather is worse, and it may be raining or snowing.

“You cannot mess with Mother Nature,” Worley said. “I’m sure that the boys are going to be fine,” he added.

The Richland team knows that all the teams will be strong opponents and any one of them could become national champion.

“If we play hard, work hard and have a positive attitude, we create our own luck,” Worley said.

However, the Thunderduck men are not the only Richland team to make an appearance at the 2013 NJCAA national tournament.

Last week the Lady Thunderducks flew to Dryden, N.Y. for the women’s tournament.

The team lost its first game against Mohawk Valley College, 3-1.

On Friday, Richland took on Gloucester County for the right to stay in the tournament.

The score at the end of regulation was a 1-1 tie, but in the penalty kicks shootout, the Thunderducks were able to advance 3-0.

Richland could have assured a fifth place finish in the tournament with a win against the victor of the match between Anoka-Ramsey and SUNY-Delhi Sunday.

For more information about the teams, results and schedules visit the teams’ website at www.rlc.dcccd.edu or www.njcaa.org.

Images courtesy Facebook

The Lady Thunderducks practice hard despite chilly temperatures in New York.

Staff Photo Blanca Reyes

The 2013 Richland Thunderducks soccer team plays again this year in the NJCAA Division III men’s national championship in Herkimer, New York.

Richlandchronicle.com November 12, 2013

blanca reyes

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Richlandchronicle.com Novwmber 12, 2013