CHRONICLE Richland
Vol. XLV Issue 24 April 2, 2019
T-Ducks’ baseball heats up Pg. 7
• Register to vote on campus - Pg. 2 • Journalist inspires students - Pg. 3 • Community aids Venezuela - Pg. 6 RichlandStudentMedia.com
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2 CAMPUS
April 2, 2019
File Photo
Andrew Castillo talks to Office of Student Life coordinator, Kelly Sonastine about student registration ahead of the general election last fall.
Voter registration window to close soon Effort underway to register students before the municipal election
Jani Leuschel
RichlandStudentMedia.com
Staff Writer
Students and members of the Richland community can register to vote in the May 4 municipal election at locations scattered throughout campus April 2 and 3. The deadline for voter registration is April 4. The election includes many school district and city races, including a crowded field of candidates vying for the Dallas mayor’s seat. All 14 places on the Dallas City Council and a $1.1 billion bond package for DCCCD are on the ballot. “In the local election, given that the turnout is so bad, you could be one of 800 people voting, which gives you immense more clout than you would [have] in a national election,” said Dr. Raymond Sandoval, a political science professor at Richland. Sandoval, a former political consultant, said that although students get caught up in national issues, such as human rights, they are usually one among millions of voters so their chances of affecting election outcomes are minimal. The nine Dallas mayoral candidates are Mike Ablon, Albert Black, Scott Griggs, Eric Johnson, Alyson Kennedy, Lynn McBee, Regina Montoya, Miguel Solis and Jason Villalba. Races for the council seats are all contested with former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller running against Jennifer Staubach Gates for Place 13. Richland is in District 10 where incumbent Adam McGough is being challenged by D’Andrala “Dede” Alexander and Sirrano Keith Baldeo. “You know, it’s really interesting, the old saying, that all politics is local. But really, students and the general public become more and more embroiled and interested in huge issues: Whether the country is going to war; whether the country has a new policy regarding
gay rights or race rights. But, their day-to-day lives really are much more impacted by their city council, their county government and by the mayors, and so forth,” Sandoval said. “And so, we neglect the one branch that we can affect the most, which is local politics, and we pay attention to that branch we can affect the least, which is really national politics.” Postage-paid voter registration forms are also available in the Office of Student Life in El Paso Hall, E040. They can also be downloaded from www.dallascountyvotes.org, but must be printed and mailed. Forms are also available at many post offices and high schools or by calling the Dallas County Elections Department office at 214-819-6300. Texas law does not allow online voting registration. “You have to get a form. You have to fill it out. You have to sign it and you have to send it in to the county where you’re registering to vote,” Assistant Dallas County Elections Robert Heard, Sr. Administrator said. One of the reasons Texas requires voters to register by mail is fear of fraud, Sandoval said. He called it a “bugaboo of the mind and a myth” and said that fraudulent accounts make up maybe a tenth of a percent of voting, which is extremely small. Some states are going to same-day registration and voting or even online voting, he said. Sandoval speculated that it may become simpler to vote in Texas as more people from out of state move here and bring their voting experiences with them, and as a younger generation of voters move into political power. “Basically, young people are quite comfortable with changes because they didn’t experience an old voting system,” he said. Early voting at Richland takes place in Guadalupe Hall April 22-30. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22 to 27, 1 to 6 p.m. April 28 and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 29 and 20.
April 2, 2019
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Journalist discusses immigration and border politics Jack Ramirez Bernal and Ryan Duff Staff Writers
Corchado discussed his career as a correspondent in Mexico covering immigration cartels and life south of the border.
After the interview, Corchado joined some of the Chronicle staff for a conversation. He explained that he got into journalism while studying at El Paso Community College. “[My college professors] said, I had the potential to be a good writer, but my English was really bad,” Corchado said. He went on to explain how he went to work at the college newspaper to improve his language skills and got hooked. It would become the first step of his journalism career. Corchado jokingly warned the media staff about the rabbit hole they were getting themselves into. He discussed how journalism has changed over time and how journalists must adapt. “People that say ‘back in my time’ have to understand that that time is gone,” Corchado
Corchado autographs Sara Perchan’s copy of Homelands on March. 27.
“Right now, the younger generation has an advantage when it comes to reporting the news.” -Alfredo Corchado said. “Right now, the younger generation has an advantage when it comes to reporting the news.” The last event on his schedule was the Honors conference. Corchado shared his experience as a reporter and the threat on his life that caused him to leave the country. He acknowledged the commitments and struggles Mexican journalists face in Mexico. “I’m no more courageous as my Mexican colleagues. Six journalists [have been] killed in Mexico this year,” Corchado said. “The difference between my Mexican colleagues and me, is that I have a US passport. If anything goes wrong, I drive straight to the airport.” A question and answer session followed his presentation. Students had the opportunity to ask Corchado his opinion of the new Mexican president and the transition of journalism to digital formats. He encouraged those attending to subscribe to newspapers as an alternative to social media. Corchado concluded his presentation by asking the audience to “imagine a world without reporters. “What to do?” he contemplated. “Pursue facts. Tell stories. Tell truths. Point out deception.”
Staff Photos Jonathan Lin
Corchado’s new book “Homelands” is available in the Richland bookstore. The recorded interview with Corchado is available online at www.RichlandStudentMedia.com.
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Award-winning journalist, Alfredo Corchado described his career in journalism as “an infection that once you get, you can never get rid of.” The Mexico Border Correspondent for The Dallas Morning News was the keynote speaker at the fifth annual Honors Conference, “Global Responsibility and Citizenship.” Corchado discussed his career in journalism, covering cartels and border issues along with his new assignment of covering presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. He also discussed his new book, “Homelands: Four Friends, Two Countries, and the Fate of the Great Mexican-American Migration.” The book focuses on the timeline of Mexican immigration to the United Stated told through the eyes of four different characters, including Corchado. The story is set in Philadelphia during 1980s in a small cantina where they share their passion for conversation and tequila. This was Corchado’s second visit to Richland. In 2015, under the sponsorship of the Richland Honors Program, he discussed his book, “Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter’s Journey Through a Country’s Descent into Darkness.” That book documented his experience during the early 2000s investigating drug cartels in Mexico and its ties to government that resulted in one of country’s most violent periods. Before his address to the honor students, Corchado met with Chronicle TV reporter Ryan Duff for a one-on-one interview. Duff asked Corchado his views on the recent MexicoAmerica border disputes. “Looking back, I realize that there were Mexicans moving throughout the country” Corchado said. “This happened because in 1986 you had the Immigration Reform and Control Act and that I think this bolstered, [and] underscored, the movement of Mexicans to arrive in the United States.”
4 ENTERTAINMENT
April 2, 2019
Dumbo flies again Ricky Miller
Entertainment Editor For some unknown reason, the mighty mouse (The Walt Disney Studios) is leaning heavily on live-action updates of animated classics for the next couple of years. Liveaction versions of both “Aladdin,” with the powerhouse casting of Will Smith as the blue genie, and “The Lion King” are set for release in the summer. Today we’re here to talk about “Dumbo,” the Tim Burton-directed tale of a flying elephant that gets ostracized by his circus troupe. Burton is back in top form with his penchant for whimsical set pieces and scenes in which his mind runs all over the place. It really shows when Dumbo looks at floating bubbles in the shape of various elephants floating in the sky above him. Michael Keaton plays V.A. Vandevere who is essentially a grifter, a con artist of sorts, who is only involved with the circus for shortterm gain. Vandevere doesn’t care about the lives of the animals. He just wants to make a buck for his own selfish gain. Burton worked with Keaton in 1988’s “Beetlejuice,” 1989’s “Batman” and 1992’s “Batman Returns.” Keaton is one of the few actors to star in
back-to-back Oscar winners, for his lead role in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Vistue of Ignorance)” in 2014 and in writer/director Tom McCarthy’s “Spotlight,” a true-life story in which Boston priests committed heinous acts against youths of the Catholic Church, the following year. In “Dumbo,” Eva Green is Colette, a circus trapeze artist who spends time with Vandevere. Colin Farrell is great as Holt Farrier, a soldier who lost an arm fighting overseas in the Great War. His wife died while he was gone and the entire circus troupe serves as a surrogate family for his kids. Alan Arkin appears later in the story as J. Griffin Remington, an investor who wants to see the elephant fly just like the rest of the public. He befriends Danny DeVito’s Max Medici, the circus owner, and offers to buy him a hot dog. “Dumbo” works because it follows ideas in the original animated tale, yet adds enough diversity to appeal to modern audiences, although the story is set in 1940s America. I wanted to dislike this movie, but I had such a good time with it that I was still smiling when the end credits began to roll. Although not a masterpiece, “Dumbo” still works as a stand-alone flick in the great Disney tradition. Grade: B
“Dumbo” takes a bath in this live-action version of the Disney classic.
Photo Courtesy IMDB
Photo Courtesy IMDB
Audience will see double of Lupita Nyong’o in Jordan Peele’s latest film “Us.”
The dopplegang’s all here Jeremy Gaydosh Staff Writer
Jordan Peele, former “MADtv” comedian and co-host of “Key and Peele,” surprised audiences and critics alike in 2017 with his directorial debut “Get Out,” which earned rave reviews and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Following up the sleeper hit must have been quite a task, but then Peele released “Us,” his second foray into the horror genre. Viewers follow a family of four during a beach vacation to Santa Cruz, Calif. Even before the film gets to the action, the audience knows that wife-mother Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) has a past involving a traumatic encounter with a girl who looked exactly like her. All seems well until they are about to settle in for the night when their son informs them there is a family in their driveway. Soon after they take a look at the visitors, they find themselves fighting for their lives from menacing look-alikes, all wearing red jumpsuits and wielding gold scissors. Dictionary.com defines the word doppelgänger as: “a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.” Encountering such “persons” has made for creative, often thrilling storytelling as with 2013’s “Enemy” with Jake Gyllenhaal or 1970’s “The Man Who Haunted Himself” with Roger Moore. In a recent Rolling Stone magazine interview, Peele said he was inspired by “The
Twilight Zone” episode “Mirror Image” in which Vera Miles portrayed a woman who became convinced that a doppelgänger she encountered was on a mission to kill her and take her place. In fact, Peele is one of the producers and narrates a revival of the series, set at press time to premiere April 1 on the CBS All Access on-demand channel. A group of highly talented performers make up the cast of “Us,” headed up by Nyong’o who gives a remarkable dual performance. This role adds to her already astonishing body of work that includes an Academy Awardwinning supporting performance in “12 Years a Slave” (2013), as well as her scene-stealing Maz Kanata in the recent “Star Wars” trilogy. Rising star Winston Duke (M’Baku in Marvel’s “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War”) plays her husband Gabriel Duke, and is often the comic relief, which Peele effectively uses throughout as he did with “Get Out.” Rounding out the main cast are Shahadi Wright Joseph as daughter Zora, the constantly on-the-phone type, and Evan Alex as Jason. He’s the quirky son who has the task of having to grow up instantly while he and his family are in jeopardy. Peele has proven, with two films as a director, to be one of the most exciting, visionary filmmakers in recent years. While this film may not be completely on par with his first, it still makes for great viewing and leaves movie lovers like me wondering what he’ll create next. Grade: A-
Photo Courtesy IMDB Cartoon Jerry Weiss
Evan Alex, left, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o and Shahadi Wright Joseph in “Us.”
April 2, 2019
Thank you card design winners
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Go transfer to a brighter future. Begin a journey that will lead you to greater things at Texas Woman’s University. We work closely with you to easily transfer your credits. Learn to lead at TWU. Learn more at TWU.edu/transfer
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Celebrate Richland Appreciate Week, April 1-5, by sharing one of these cards, available at the library, Thunderduck Hall and other locations around the campus. Write a note of thanks to someone who has helped you this year. The winners of the design contest are Jessy Marques, left, Mark Ammann, top, Lisa Grippo, middle and Polly Schulle, bottom.
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CAMPUS/OPINION
April 2, 2019
Crossing Cultures club takes on Venezuela CHRONICLE Richland
Jack Ramirez Bernal
Staff Writer Richland’s Crossing Cultures club is hosting a donation drive to bring much-needed supplies to the citizens of Venezuela. The club will host a donation table April 2-3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in El Paso Hall. The escalating political crisis in the South American country has consumed news and media sources for weeks due to deteriorating living standards and an overwhelmed infrastructure. “We as a group want to take responsibility with a lot of other people to contribute to the [Venezuelan] community,” said Cody Mahan, one of the lead advisers of Crossing Cultures. The idea of the relief effort came from Richland student and Crossing Cultures member, Bárbara Gandica. She is a Venezuelan native who began studying at Richland last fall. She found a welcoming environment with the Crossing Culture club and the Richland community. “I came from Venezuela recently so I was new here and didn’t know anybody,” Gandica
said. “When I joined Crossing Cultures, I made new friends and felt safe.” It was during one of the club’s discussion sessions about selflessness that gave Gandica the courage to initiate the proposal. With the support of Mahan, other club advisors, student members and Gandica’s passion to help her homeland, the idea is to give students the opportunity to donate basic goods, from canned foods to toiletries, that are difficult to obtain in Venezuela. “We like to thank the people who took the time to understand the situation in Venezuela,” Arianne Mendoza, a Richland student and member of the Crossing Cultures club. “We also like to thank you for helping us with even the smallest contributions.” Crossing Cultures is a club at Richland that focuses on bridging the diverse cultural groups that attend Richland with the goal of initiating dialogue and creating a better college experience. The club may not have the backing of the nation’s federal reserve or a significant military presence, but they hope to make an impact
through the contributions and invite the Richland community to be part of the relief campaign. The club is open to everyone who wishes to participate. Topics of discussion range from building understanding between cultural groups, analysis and debate on traditions and global events.
Joyce Jackson Copy Editor
As students of a community college, I’ve often wondered why we, the students, faculty and staff, don’t have more access to local and national news on campus. Richland has a wide variety of students taking classes including Richland Collegiate High School students, traditional and returning students, and emeritus students over the age of 65. I realize many people have cell phones, laptops and computers on the campus, but what would really help to keep everyone attuned to daily events would be to have two or three televisions scattered around the campus featuring local and national news. With so much “fake news” out there, it’s hard to separate fact from fiction in today’s fast-paced world. It appears that there’s just as much tension going on around the world as
Staff Photo Adrienne Aguilar
Fahdil Olorire watches a TV show in the newsroom.
Editor-in-Chief Design Editor Managing Editor Assistant Mng. Editor Copy Editor Entertainment Editor Layout Editor Social Media Editor
Adrienne Aguilar Aly Rodrigues Kammonke Obase-Wotta Trace Miller Joyce Jackson Ricky Miller Dara Jones Kobloh-Obase Kammonke
ON THE COVER
Richland’s Riley Blanton bats against Eastfield on March 27. Staff Photo Jonathan Lin
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STUDENT MEDIA STAFF Drew Castillo Bernard Cheatham Willie R. Cole Ryan Duff André Duncan Kene Enemo Emily Escamilla Jani Leuschel Mirco Daniel Mbega Ndoumou
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Emily Metzger Everett Newson Sydney North Jack Ramirez Bernal Pete Shannon Ola Sawalhi Isabelle Tchoungang Jerry Weiss
STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS
A need to access daily news on campus there is in our country. International students need to keep up with these events on a daily basis. There are two TVs in the El Paso lounge area that are usually tuned to sports, a movie, soap operas or entertainment. I’ve never seen anyone actually watching one of the TVs. I believe they would if the news was on. People who are interested in what’s going on would stop and gaze at the headlines as they’re passing by. There’s a third TV near the cafeteria stage. That would be an excellent spot to catch the news as people sit down to eat lunch. In recent years, there have been several shootings in churches, nightclubs, a Last Vegas concert venue and elsewhere around the country. We’ve seen tornadoes and hurricanes destroy cities and demonstrations in response to political controversies. In all these circumstances, people on this campus need access to immediate news coverage, especially if it is local. In looking back to the 9/11 terror attacks in NYC in 2001, the American people were subjected to horrifying violence and hatred toward our country that was shocking. I distinctly remember where I was that morning. So do many other people who witnessed the events. I was supposed to be in my drama class at Eastfield, but I had a cold that day and was home in bed. My husband raced into the room shouting that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I jumped out of bed, raced into the living room and what I witnessed nearly took my
STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS
breath away. I was glued to the TV when the second plane crashed into the towers. For days after the attacks, I kept thinking about the final thoughts those people had before the plane crashed. Since the Nov. 2016 presidential election, the hatred and obstruction from both political parties, coupled with a dysfunctional Congress, has brought our country to a crossroads. The immigration problem is getting worse day by day on the border. Violence could erupt at any time and threaten the citizens of Texas. The country is in turmoil and the American people may be hamstrung until the next election. As a result of the state of our nation, I think the majority of people who work and go to school at Richland would appreciate having news coverage available in selected spots throughout the campus. Seeing something on a large TV screen is not the same as looking at a fire, shooting or a hurricane on a small cell phone screen.
Corrections In the Chronicle’s Feb. 26 issue, we misidentified Will and Sara Hill as the original residents of Little Egypt. Will Hill was, specifically, the son of the original owners and was one of the patriarchs that led the community, along with his sister. The Chronicle apologizes for the error.
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CONTACT INFORMATION El Paso Hall, Room E020, 12800 Abrams Rd., Dallas 75243 Newsroom: 972-238-6079; richlandchronicle@gmail.com Advertising: 972-238-6068 Email: Advertise@dcccd.edu Staff meetings: Monday and Wednesday at 2 p.m. in E020 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 2019
SPORTS
April 2, 2019
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UPCOMING EVENTS All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.
April 2
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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Free HIV Testing - Open to all students, employees and the community, 18 and over with picture ID Health Center, Thunderduck Hall, T110 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
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Richland College Instrumental Faculty Arena theater, F108
April 2-3 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. i
Student government elections Student lounge, El Paso Hall
April 4 Noon to 1 p.m. i
Lunch concert: Richland Fusion Band and Jazz Improv Ensemble Cafeteria stage, El Paso Hall
Staff Photo Willie R. Cole
An Eastfield batter readies for a throw by Richland pitcher Gus Timmons. Richland lost to Eastfield 11-8 in the March 27 game.
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T-Duck’s hot start sizzles then fizzles Staff Writer
A fielding mishap in the bottom of the first inning cost the T-Ducks the lead early against Eastfield during the game on March 27. The T-Ducks fought back though. In the third inning, the T-Ducks’ bats couldn’t miss the ball. The hitting streak started with Oscar Martinez (24) and Cody Windisch (17) who performed single hits to get on base. Stormy Taylor landed the ball perfectly into deep center field, notching two runs batted in (RBIs), that were brought in to score by Dawson Zey. The T-Ducks continued their hitting ways well into the fourth inning. Cody Windisch, set up with runners on first and third base, drilled a deep center field homerun at some 400 feet that cleared the bases and pushed the Richland lead to 8-3. Unfortunately, the T-Ducks never scored again. In fact, their luck turned 180 degrees. A third recorded error in the sixth inning led
Wichita Hall, WH116
April 5 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. i
Dance concert Fannin Performance Hall, F102
April 9 i
11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. 36th Annual RLC Literary festival Octavio Solis, author, playwright Lago Vista Gallery, Richland library 7:30 to 9 p.m.
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Spring Richland Guitar Ensemble Concert: “Soul of the Strings” Fannin Performance Hall, F102
Inclement Weather Hotline Staff Photo Jonathan Lin
Dylan Byrd waits for a pitch against Eastfield College.
RLC students: 972-238-6196 RLC employees: 972-238-6912
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André Duncan
to a two-run score for Eastfield, decreasing the Richland lead 8-5. From that moment, the Richland pitching crew, which had allowed only three hits and three runs in the first five innings, gave up eight hits and six runs in the final three innings. That, including five runs in the eighth inning alone, caused Richland to relinquish the lead. The T-Ducks’ last chance to recover came in the ninth, but they could not re-spark the high-powered hitting they profited from earlier in the game. Richland lost to Eastfield 11-8. The series against Eastfield concluded with two additional games at Richland, expected to take place at press time on March 29 and 30. Richland will face Cedar Valley next in a threegame series on April 3, 5 and 6. The T-Ducks are treading water now as they look to even their conference record which stands at 5-8 at press time. The T-Ducks are still among the top three teams in the nation and first in conference when it comes to slugging percentage. They hope to continue their hitting success and improve pitching as they push onward toward the playoffs.
2 to 4 p.m. International Film Series, “The Joy Luck Club” (R) A drama in English and Mandarin
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April 2, 2019
Assignment meetings Mondays and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. in the Chronicle newsroom, E-020. RichlandStudentMedia.com
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