CHRONICLE Richland
Vol. XLVI Issue 19 February 11, 2020
A weekly student publication
Student plays take the stage Pg. 6 • President Trump acquitted Pg. 3 • DCCCD becomes ‘Dallas College’
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• T-Ducks lead conference Pg. 7 RichlandStudentMedia.com
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2 OPINION
UNIVERSITY OF
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February 11, 2020
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Photo The Associated Press
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tears her copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address after he delivered it to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 4.
Public sleeping on politics Jack Ramirez Bernal Managing Editor
Voter awareness is a subject Richland College and the Student Government Association (SGA) don’t take lightly. Richland holds town hall meetings, brings guest speakers to campus and the Office of Student life organizes events to get students interested and engaged in politics. Two of the most significant political events of the year, the historic impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump and his State of the Union Address, culminated in dramatic fashion as the nation moves towards the presidential election. And yet, it is clear to me that students, especially younger ones, are still not getting the message. How often do we see a president refuse to shake the hand of the Speaker of the House as Trump did before delivering his State of the Union address? Or see printouts of historic speeches being literally ripped apart by the Speaker of the House on live national television? Almost everywhere you look, be it social media, family reunions or even The Chronicle, where we recently published an in-depth series detailing the impeachment trial coverage, conversations are all around. There is simply no excuse to not be engaged. Among my associates, there’s not a single mouth that isn’t spewing something about politics. So, why am I sharing this observation? A day after the president gave his address and the impeachment trial was drawing to a close, I was looking forward to gathering student comments to be included in my next news article. surprisingly, I came away empty-handed. I approached numerous students on campus for feedback and they largely expressed no interest in the subject. I wondered why. I certainly take into account that the average student is juggling many responsibilities, including school, family, friends and work. Also the fact Richaland has an international po. Hence, it’s not entirely surprising that most students didn’t rush to their screens to watch an hour-long speech. But, does a busy schedule explain the lack of interest in history? Rocio VegaMartinez is a Richland student
who recently registered to vote. “I was really excited to register to vote, because it’s one of those pinnacle things,” VegaMartinez said. “But also it is sometimes like, ‘does my vote really matter?’” VegaMartinez said many young voters are discouraged by a process they perceive to be geared towards older voters. Kathleen Stephens, Ph.D., is lead faculty adviser for the Honors Program. She believes there is an another factor. In contrast to VegaMartinez, Stephens points to the Electoral College. “The presidency comes down to a few swing states,” Stephen said. “So, the emphasis is placed unnaturally on the state’s electoral college that will give the president the victory.” As of today, there have been four other elections when presidents won the popular vote but lost the election. This, of course, raises question about the validity of the American voting system. While I personally believe this argument is important, Stephens also brought up another reason.There are advantages retired voters have over younger ones: availability. Elections usually take place on Tuesday. Many young voters are attending class or working. When I asked Stephens about the Honors Program policy for election day and whether students were encouraged to skip class in order to fulfill their civic duty, her response was, it depends on the individual professor’s class policy. After contemplating the different responses, I have come to a couple of conclusions. Richland has done a terrific job getting students registered to vote. From what I have learned from the students I spoke to, the events hosted on campus, and the passionate words from our very own SGA president about how the Founding Father’s “fought, bled and died” for our nation, have raised awareness and inspired engagement. Although students are registering to vote, that doesn’t guarantee a proportinal turn up. For real progress to be made, it is paramount that Richland and SGA continue to keep education on the minds of registered student voters and find more creative ways for them to get involved in the democratic process.
February 11, 2020
NATIONAL/LOCAL 3
President Trump acquitted in Senate trial Adrienne Aguilar
Emeritus Editor-In-Chief This is part four of a four-part series. President Donald J. Trump was found not guilty and will continue to serve in office. That was the decision of the Senate that acquitted him Feb. 5 on the two articles of impeachment handed down by the House in Dec. 2019. With the impeachment trial completed, the focus of the public has returned to the 2020 presidential election as the Super Tuesday primary draws near. Both the House and Senate actions called into question whether the president was guilty of withholding military aide to Ukraine in exchange for announcing the launch of an investigation into the employer of Hunter Biden, son of Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden.
The final Senate vote on the two articles of impeachment resulted in a 52-48 tally on the abuse of power charge and 53-47 for obstruction of justice. The Republican majority voted mostly along party lines. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Ut.) was the only Republican Senator who voted against the majority on the abuse of power charge. “I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice,” Romney said as he addressed the nation talking about his one ‘yay’ vote against the first article of impeachment. “My faith is a part of who I am.” Romney took a moment of silence and looked down at the podium. “I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, a leader of my own party, would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced,” he said. Both Texas senators, Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) and
Photo The Associated Press
President Donald Trump holds up a newspaper with a headline that reads “Trump acquitted” during an event celebrating his impeachment acquittal, in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 6.
Sen. John Cornyn voted “not guilty” on both articles against the president. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) were anticipated to venture away from their parties, but did not. In his closing statement to the Senate on Feb. 4, Cruz said, “We had an obligation under the Constitution to conduct a fair trial. That’s what the Senate has done.” Cruz said the House’s argument failed to show why the president should be impeached and Trump’s administration was no more nefarious than of President Barack Obama. “The reason that acquittal is the right decision is because the House managers failed to prove their case,” Cruz said. Members of the House of Representatives earlier voted to impeach the president on the two articles in Dec. 2019. Democratic Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) issued a statement, posted on his website, defending his choice to approve both articles of impeachment during the House proceedings. “I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and I thought it was important that the American people see and hear the testimony in a public setting at the hearings by the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees,” Allred said. Saying he reviewed the evidence and testimony and found impeachment a worthy option, Allred voted to send the articles to the Senate to consider removing the president from office. Allred said he received support from Dallas residents. The statement read, “It is clear the president engaged in an abuse of his authority, putting himself above the law, and his personal interests above the nation’s.” Regardless of political views, the decision to remove the president from office would have
been a first for the country. Although two previous presidents have been impeached, none have been removed from office. “This is a somber moment for our nation and I have not reached this decision lightly,” Allred said. On Jan. 31, the Senate voted on whether witnesses would be allowed to testify and documents allowed in the trial. Both items were defeated. Party leaders declared it a victory or a severe loss, depending on their respective affiliations. Due to the Republican majority in the Senate, some lawmakers felt that the decision to remove the president from office was over from the beginning. Any chance to unite the country and move forward ended along with the conclusion of the trial. “This is not about partisan politics, it is about protecting our democracy and fulfilling my role as a member of a co-equal branch of government tasked with upholding the rule of law,” Allred said. Impeachment, though devastating for the country, is important by historical standards. It boils down to defending the legitimacy of the U.S. Constitution. Romney defended his choice and said later that the lesson from the trial was “to not lose sight of our promise to defend [the Constitution.]” Allred also said he was guided by the document and the values he learned growing up in North Texas. As the country moves forward to consider the 2020 election, the president can finish out his term and run for reelection. Texas voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots on March 3 as part of the Super Tuesday primary. Romney ended by saying, “We have arrived at different judgements but I hope we respect
ideas with the chancellor and be notified if their suggestions are approved or denied. Those representatives would report back
to the executive board of their respective campuses and to the general assembly of the student government organization.
Alex Ortuno Staff Writer
The Dallas County Community College District is changing its name after 54 years. With a final vote by the Board of Trustees on Feb. 4, the seven colleges will be known as Dallas College moving forward. The move is part of a larger transition to merge the seven colleges into a single entity to receive accreditation under the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Student Government Association president, Edward Sesay, says more changes are underway, including changes to El Paso Lounge. “After Valentine’s Day, or before spring break, you’re going to see El Paso transformed. New couches, new everything,” Sesay said. Additional visual changes to signage, websites, vehicles, ID badges and business cards will take place over time.
The merger is being implemented in an effort to help more students graduate on time and take classes at more than one location. “We are one college, so even if you take classes at Brookhaven and take classes at Richland, you are still going to graduate under one banner,” Sesay said. More changes will take place throughout the year. Tuition will go up, but the cost of books will go down. “All the books are going to be online. No more buying access codes,” Sesay said. “Everything’s going to be online and [available through] the computers. So, you can access [books using] the computers,” Sesay said. The merger will not affect the individual identities of each college. Clubs and organizations at Richland will not change, but there will be opportunities to innovate. “We’re thinking about having an SGA advisory board,” Sesay said adding that representatives would meet with the chancellor on a regular basis. Representatives would discuss
Staff Photo Dara Jones
Student Goverment Association members lead a meeting about the “One College” merger.
RichlandStudentMedia.com
‘Dallas College’ new name for all campuses
4 MOVIES
February 11, 2020
Kirk Douglas: He was ‘Spartacus’ Ricky Miller Entertainment Editor Honorary Oscar-winner Kirk Douglas has died. He was 103. Douglas received top honors from the Academy for his body of work in 1996. He was praised for his “50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community.” Douglas was a great actor who I enjoyed in many movies, including Stanley Kubrick’s “Spartacus” (1960) and “Paths of Glory” (1957). He also made notable turns in “Tough Guys” (1986), “Eddie Macon’s Run” (1983) and John Landis’s “Oscar” (1990.) Douglas was nominated for Best Actor in “Champion” (1950), “The Bad and the Beauti
“Spartacus” (1960)
ful” (1952) and “Lust for Life” (1957). He was the father of Michael Douglas, also an Academy-Award winner, who received a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Oliver Stone’s “Wall Sreet” as Gordon Gekko (“Greed is good”) in 1986. On a personal note, I enjoyed the senior Douglas’ work in roles that included Andrew Steven’s dad in director Brian De Palma’s “The Fury” in 1978. I also relished him with odd titles such as his lead in the strange concoction that was “Saturn 3” in 1980. It was unusual, in part, because actress Farrah Fawcett, 40-plus years his junior, played his wife. Douglas is survived by his wife Anne of 60 years, three surviving sons and their families.
Matthew McConaughey and Michelle Dockery in “The Gentlemen.”
‘Gentlemen’ is quirky, fun whodunit Ricky Miller Entertainment Editor
“Tough Guys” (1986)
Photo Courtesy IMDB
Kirk Douglas, left, and Anthony Quinn in “Lust for Life” (1956)
“Joe Versus the Volcano” (1990) – This quirky romantic-comedy from writer-director John Patrick Shanley features Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”) as hypochondriac Joe Banks in this dry, witty tale involving a man who loses his soul.
A
Photo Courtesy IMDB
Director Guy Ritchie has a knack for the spoken word. He uses engaging, fun dialogue, which takes his films to a different level. Ritchie recently directed the live action version of “Aladdin” last summer with superstar Will Smith headlining as the Genie. I gave that flick a C. It was mediocre at best. But it grossed a billion dollars worldwide, which is hard to believe. All I can say is, to each his own. Now, with “The Gentlemen,” Ritchie delves into an arena he knows well, going back to his debut, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” (1998). It was a quirky gangster flick, filled with nifty twists and turns. Ritchie’s return to the gangster genre is filled with a plethora of inside jokes. Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey is Mickey Pearson, a drug dealer who only deals with natural stuff from the earth instead of the wicked line of chemicals that send people to an early grave. “The Gentlemen” features rich and engaging dialogue and interaction among the characters. With a different approach from the flashy visuals of filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Ritchie takes a fun swipe of the pen in writing catchy dialogue for the denizens of this film. Charlie Hunnam’s Ray is a consigliere for Pearson, overseeing all aspects of his operations. He is the go-between for the way things are done and finished. Ray even tolerates the shenanigans of Hugh Grant’s Fletcher, who tries to bribe Ray by
“Fool’s Gold” (2008) –5Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, who starred together in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” re-team for this story about a recently divorced couple searching for a lost treasure which led to their separation in the first place.
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telling him a ridiculous story. Fletcher is bisexual and his character provides plenty of laughs when he inadvertently puts his hands near a hot oven. “The Gentlemen” is a fun flick through and through. McConaughey has great on-screen chemistry with co-star Michelle Dockery. If she looks familiar, is because she portrayed Lady Mary Crawley on BBC’s “Downton Abbey” from 2010-2015. Also amusing is Colin Farrell’s persona “Coach.” He handles an outreach program for troubled kids in a London neighborhood. Farrell’s scenes provide plenty of smiles and smirks. As a filmmaker, Ritchie has pursued projects of many different genres. “The Gentlemen” is one of his better entries of late. Like his two “Sherlock Holmes” entries, in 2009 and 2011, Ritchie’s storytelling structure has become more concrete. He still offers an occasional wink and a nudge to the audience, but he knows how and when to make it fun for the audience. The supporting performers do their just due and fulfill their roles to meet the needs of the project. This includes Henry Golding as a rival drug dealer, Dry Eye, who wants his own piece of the pie. Eddie Marsden portrays Big Dave, one of the adversaries of this wellcrafted tale. The plot twists here are not abundant, but just used to the right degree to keep the story enthralling. “The Gentlemen” is a definite must-see for the theater. Ritchie makes this captivating experience worth the trip. Grade: A-
“Dazed and Confused” (1993) – Richard Linklater directs this Austin-set high school comedy that takes place on the last day of school. This is the film in which McConaughey uttered the famous line “All right, all right, all right.”
“The Wedding Planner” (2001) – This rom-com entry that could have plagued McConaughey’s career, instead is merely a puff piece on his resumé. He shares genuine chemistry with co-star Jennifer Lopez as the pair tries to light a few sparks together.
B-
C-
“Crossing Delancey” (1988) – This great Joan Micklin Silver-directed rom-com centers around Amy Irving’s lovelorn Isabelle Grossman, who is set up on a date with pickle entrepreneur Sam Posner (Peter Reigert). This film is both charming and engaging. —Ricky Miller
B+
February 11, 2020
CAMPUS/REVIEW 5
The story of Owens: friendship and dedication Marcellus Martinez Staff Writer
After four decades of service to Dallas College , Jerry Owens, assistant director of facilities at Richland, bid the college life “farewell.” His last day in the office was Jan. 29. Owens left a legacy of improvements at Richland and the district as a whole. He helped keep the Richland campus clean through recycling and earned awards for his work. “We were [recycling] like 68, maybe 70%. Then one year, in 2016, on the awards, we [competed against] about 269 schools. At Richland, we recycled 81.7%,” Owens said. After retirement, Owens plans to return to the simple life. “I got stuff around the house, do a little gardening and I’m going to do a little golfing,” Owens said. Although he has decades of experience with Dallas College, he also plans to pursue his academic goals. “I’m going to try and get my Associate’s in air conditioning and refrigeration. Even though I have 50 years of experience, I got about 90 hours of nothing, but I’m going back to take some courses,” he said. The retirement party was held in Sabine Hall. Owens’ friends and colleagues filled the room to celebrate his many successes and Owens took the opportunity to thank everyone who worked alongside him.
Staff Photo Glen Pierre
Jerry Owens sits at his desk during his last day in his office.
“He would rarely do something for just Richland College. He would always be doing it for the whole college district,” said John Watson, a longtime colleague of Owens. “In many cases, he would do it for all higher education or reach out for as far as he could across the state of Texas.” Watson, the director of facility services at Northlake College, said Owens created an impact that spanned several decades. “Throughout those 20 years [that he has known Owens], he has always impressed me as a leader,” Watson said. Owens graduated from high school with an
air conditioning and refrigeration certificate in 1967, a milestone achievement that eventually led to his employment at Richland as an HVAC operator in October, 1972. A few years later, in 1978, he became the operations supervisor at Mountain View College. Watson said that Owens was “a role model [with] his leadership, and a lot of people should be paying attention.” Facilities at Richland takes ownership in what they do, said Watson, citing the campus recycling program and partnership with the Texas Tree Foundation. “Jerry was always the type of person you
understand and experience the full story of the series leading up to “Kingdom Hearts III.” The third mainline game, however, in spite of being the conclusion of the “Dark Seeker Saga” trilogy, still lacked the detail in the storyline to cover questions players have asked. Although the story is a bit confusing to follow, and are slightly under par in comparison to its predecessors, the multiple worlds Sora visits throughout his journey are enjoyable to experience and explore. Each world is based on animated Disney films, such as “Hercules,” “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Toy Story” and others. Thanks to the powerful Unreal Engine 4 that the game runs on, the beautiful graphics and animation of each characters’ worlds depict their original form from the corresponding Disney films. For example, in the Arendelle’” world from Disney’s “Frozen,” the iconic scene of “Let It Go” looks identical to the original scene from the film, with the exception of Sora, Donald and Goofy. Even with their involvement in each world, the plot remains the same as players progress through the story. The gameplay, on the other hand, is joy to experience. It consists of hack-and-slash combat mixed with magic to select from the cast and fight enemies like the Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed and more. Additionally, there are other new and innovative ways to obliterate
enemies. One way to return to the series is the drive form from “Kingdom Hearts II”. This allows Sora to transform into a special character for different and stronger attacks. Another tool to return is the focus gauge, where Sora can lock onto a single or multiple enemies and strike them one by one. For a wide-range attack, and the most fun and thrilling way to deal with enemies, “Kingdom Hearts III” also uses Disney attraction rides. This gives Sora the ability to summon Disney Park rides such as the Mad Tea Party and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters in the middle of combat, creating a more “Disney-fied feel to fighting enemies. Overall, “Kingdom Hearts III” is a very entertaining game. While it may not have the best storyline in the series due to the confusing plot, it is still a fun action-adventure game with plenty of side quests and mini-games to take a break from the main story. The Kingdom Hearts soundtrack by composer Yoko Shimomura is wonderful. Assisting her are Takeharu Ishimoto and Tsuyoshi Sekito, both of whom were known for their music in the Final Fantasy series. The music is a phenomenal work of art to enjoy as the player ventures through the story creating a more cinematic experience for gamers. Grade: B-
come to with a problem and he doesn’t tell you ‘I can’t’ or ‘I don’t know,’” said Captain Mark Lozano with the Richlandww Police Department. “[He] is a man of action.” Lozano said Owens cared about the needs of others on campus and made it obvious. “He understood police and what our needs were and he wanted us to understand facilities,” Lozano said. Owens had a big impact on others within the district. They all said they were glad to have known him and to have worked with him.
Bryan Pham Staff Writer “May your heart be your guiding key,” Master Yen Sid, the mentor figure of Sora in the “Kingdom Hearts” series, said as gamers set off on a journey to restore light to multiple worlds. “Kingdom Hearts III” is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in partnership with Disney Interactive. It was released in North America on Jan. 29, 2019, and is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. When Master Xehanort returns to bring darkness to the worlds, it is up to Sora, the main character, to master the key blade to restore light to the universe while protecting Kingdom Hearts. Fighting alongside the teenaged Sora are his best friends Riku and Kairi, along with the iconic Disney characters Donald Duck, Goofy and King Mickey. While there is a Roman numeral three in the title, “Kingdom Hearts III” is not the third game of the series. This creates unnecessary confusion to the storyline. New terms added to the plot only created more questions than answers. For newcomers who want to try out the game, it is recommended to also purchase “Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far” (exclusively on PlayStation 4), in order to truly
Sora in Arendelle.
Photo Courtesy Square Enix
RichlandStudentMedia.com
Leveling up with favorite Disney characters
6 CAMPUS
February 11, 2020
‘Richland Writes’ presents student plays CHRONICLE Richland
Joyce Jackson
STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS
Copy Editor
RichlandStudentMedia.com
The work of three drama students will be featured in the college’s production, “Richland Writes 3: A Festival of 10-Minute Plays.” Drama director Andy Long said he received 35 student submissions but he and the drama faculty selected only five short plays to be produced because the submissions had to meet a certain standard. One of the students wrote three of the selected plays and the others, one apiece. “I submitted all of them, plus others, to the Kennedy Center of the American College Theater Festival (KCACTF),” Long said. Every year, the regional Kennedy Center Festival holds a 10-minute playwriting competition, Long said, and he submits student productions. This year, it will be held in Abilene Feb. 24-28. The five student plays chosen to be produced include: “Cracks,” by Suha Kim. It concerns Mai, a young international student and Will, her Caucasian boyfriend, who try to figure out why people are “broken,” while analyzing their own relationship. “The Ledge,” by Michael Hampton, deals with two young people, Clarence and Robin, who meet on the roof of a building and are there for the same sinister reason. Konstantin Terentiev submitted three short plays. “Accidental Actor” is a futuristic sci-fi piece with two strange characters, an examiner and a patient, in which humans are put through a test to see if they identify with their own feelings and their own past. “Inner Thoughts” is a story about the sixmonth relationship of Mark and Alice that is told in 10 minutes. Each character has a counterpart, Mark II and Alice II, who only exist in their heads and represent their inner thoughts.
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Adrienne Aguilar Jack Ramirez Bernal Barbara Gandica Martinez Joyce Jackson Ricky Miller Dara Jones Jonathan Lin M. Daniel Mbega Ndoumou Damon Craig Ryan Bingham Duff Jorge Perez André Duncan
ON THE COVER
Suha Kim, left, and Zach Robbins rehearse their parts for a play Photo: Jonathan Lin
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Staff Photo Jonathan Lin
Bryan Ordonez-Santini, left, and Diane Briggs restrain Suha Kim during a rehearsal of Kim’s production, “Cracks”.
“Check Mate” concerns the interaction between a young man and an older man as they play a game of chess. Long said Kim’s submission, “Cracks,” is one of only six plays in the entire region that will be presented at the regional Kennedy Center Festival. The others, he said, are from either the University of Texas at Austin or Texas State University. Kim will meet her director at the Kennedy Center festival in Abilene where the play will be cast and rehearsed. On the final day, it will be performed. “Two of those six plays will be selected to be performed in Washington, D.C. in April for the national festival,” Long said. “So we hope it’s hers [Kim’s]. We don’t know, but it’s pretty cool.” He said the other plays performed at the
“I told my boyfriend he didn’t have to buy me anything fancy for Valentine’s Day and I think he listened to me.”
Staff Cartoon Jerry Weiss
regional festival were written by students from four-year schools. Richland is the only community college that submitted plays. Long said he was inspired to present 10-minute plays because of the focus on creative writing in theater classes. “Part of that process is training artists to create their own work and it just so happens this year we have some really creative new students [who] have a passion about writing,” Long said. “We wanted to inspire that and help expand that and so we put out the word for 10-minute plays early in the fall.” The plays had to be submitted by Thanksgiving, he said. All the theater professors, including Long, did a blind reading of the plays with names of the students redacted. Right before Christmas break, Long said, he and the other professors got together and selected five plays for the festival that would also be presented at Richland Feb. 14-15. Twenty student actors were selected to perform the plays since not all of the playwrights were available to act in their plays. “We have all-student directors, all-student designers, all-student actors,” Long said. “It’s a total student collaboration, which is really good for them.” Long said every single actor is in a theater class and receives faculty supervision. Long attends rehearsals every night and offers feedback to the student actors. Performances of “Richland Writes 3: A Festival of 10-Minute Plays” take place at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14-15 in the Arena Theater in Fannin Hall, 108, Long said. The production is free and open to the public. It’s not suitable for children. There is no sexual content or violence, but there is “some language.” Reservations are not required.
Rovenia Bartee Hevar Barzenji Andrew Castillo Bernard Cheatham Bobby Crawford Nabeela Iqbal Angela Ly Marcellus Martinez Natalia Pineda
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STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS Student Organization Community Service Award, 2019 Student Organization of the Year, 2019 CMA Pinnacle Two-Year TV Station Award, 2018 CMA Two-Year Radio Station Award, 2018 ACP Newspaper Pacemaker Winner Award, 2016 ACP Best of Show Awar,d 2015 ACP Photo Excellence Award, 2015 CMA Newspaper of the Year Finalist, 2014 1st Place – TCCJA Overall General Excellence, 2014 2nd Place – Pinnacle College Media Award, 2014 1st Place – TIPA Sweepstakes, 2005 3rd Place – TIPA Online, 2005 & 2006 Over 270 Texas college journalism awards since 2000
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
UPCOMING EVENTS All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.
February 11 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
M. Daniel Mbega Ndoumou
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The Thunderducks defeated a strong Mountain View College Lions squad 98-80 on Feb. 1 remain atop the Dallas-Athletic Conference (DA. Devonte Kane was the most productive player, leading the T-Ducks with 30 points, three assists and two steals. Kane, No. 13, filled the gap left by the injured Rashad Perkins, previously named Region IV Player of the Week. “My contribution to the game was more than what I usually do because my role on the team is scoring when I come off the bench,” Kane said. “With Rashad being injured with a broken hand, I had to start the game and play my best basketball.” The game revealed that the T-Ducks team has depth and the players can lean on each other, no matter the situation. Next, the Thunderducks faced Eastfield College on Feb. 5. Having lost the previous game on Jan. 15, the Thunderducks sought revenge when hosting their long-time rivals. The T-Ducks home court in Guadalupe Hall was full and noisy. The game between these two powerhouses was physically and tactically intense. With 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal, Francis Doe’s performance could not go unnoticed. The Thunderducks forward shot 80% from the three-point range.
Staff Writer The 2020 Australian Open women’s championship on Feb. 1 was intense and spectacular. Sofia Kenin, a Russian native who resides in Florida, took on a player who is no stranger to championships: Spaniard Garbine Muguruza. Both players fought in over 100-degree heat in the semifinals to square off for the title in front of a sellout crowd at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. Photo AP Kenin’s coach and father, Alex Kenin, and Muguruza’s coach, ‘94 Wimbledon Champion Conchita Martinez, were in among those in attendance among others in the player’s box. Throughout the tournament, every time a player on serve hit an ace, a donation was rendered to the Brush Wildfire Relief. The 14th-seeded Kenin prevailed in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Despite Muguruza serving nine aces, she constantly struggled with her ball toss, having to catch it numerous times while
Mobile food pantry Bring a bag East breezeway 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
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Recital series Guest artist: Rosana Eckert Fannin Performance Hall, F102
February 12 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. i
Free HIV testing Open to students, employees, the community, must be 18 or older, photo ID Health Center, Thunderduck Hall, T110 2:30 to 3 p.m.
Jabrel Trammell defends against a Mountain View player.
The T-Ducks beat Eastfield 98-82 and hope to keep that momentum going throughout the month and the rest of the season. The Thunderducks have two more games in the regular
Staff Photo M. Daniel Mbega Ndoumou
season before moving on to the DAC playoffs. Brookhaven on Feb 12 at 6 p.m. and Cedar Valley on Feb 15 at 1 p.m.
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uncharacteristically serving eight doublefaults. Kenin had two aces with zero doublefaults. This proved to be a major factor in the match. The first set belonged to Muguruza. She broke Kenin’s serve for a 2-1 lead. She stretched it to 3-1 despite double-faulting twice. Trailing 4-2, Kenin was muttering to herself as she intentionally dropped her racket in disgust a couple of times, but quickly composed herself getting back in the match to hold at 4-3, saving four break points in the process as she raced back to her station before a television commercial break. Kenin leveled the playing field at 4 as Muguruza gifted her with two more double-faults. Eventually, Muguruza prevailed 6-4 while pumping her fist yelling out “C’mon” as the crowd cheered. The second set was all Kenin. She broke Muguruza’s serve twice to go up 4-1. Kenin continued to chatter to herself in frustration and elation on every point played. Leading 5-2, she spiked the ball to the ground determined to take the set. Kenin did exactly that breaking Muguruza’s serve again winning 6-2 while pumping her fist with an aggressive “C’mon!” Before the third set, Muguruza called for a
trainer as she supposedly tweaked her back. After a bit of stretching, the match resu med. Both players held serve at two games apiece. Muguruza was one point away from breaking serve to take the lead, however, the tide turned as Kenin hit five winners which included an ace, three backhands and a forehand down the line, sparking a major comeback preserving the game at 3-2 while chunking the ball over her head. The crowd went ballistic. Chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore several times admonished the crowd with “Please” and “Thank you, the players are ready.” Muguruza continued to struggle with her serve adding two more double-faults handing the game to her opponent for a 4-2 lead. After Kenin held at 5-2, the match ended with Muguruza committing two consecutive double-faults giving Kenin the set and match 6-2. Afterward, Kenin covered her face with both hands in jubilation as Muguruza walked over to embrace her. She then went to the player’s box to celebrate with her dad. Continue reading online at richlandstudentmedia.com.
Journalism Speaker Series: Jennifer Dunn with the National Weather Service El Paso Hall, E020
Sofia Kenin’s rising star headed to supernova David Acosta
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3 to 6 p.m. i
International Film Series: “Valentin” – an Argentine filmFree event Sabine Hall, S118
February 14 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. i
Valentine’s Day celebration El Paso Lounge
February 14-15 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. i
The Richland Drama Dept. presents “Richland Writes 3: A Festival of 10-Minute Plays” Arena Theater, Fannin Hall, F108
RichlandStudentMedia.com
T-Ducks slay Lions, lead DAC
SPORTS
February 11, 2020
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February 11, 2020 A - Alamito Hall M - Medina Hall B - Bonham Hall N - Neches Hall C - Crockett Hall P - Pecos Hall D - Del Rio Hall R - LeCroy Center E - El Paso Hall SH - Sabine Hall F - Fannin Hall T - Thunderduck Hall G - Guadalupe Hall U - Uvalde “Valentine’s Day is just not about couples, it is H - Hondo Hall WH - Wichita about families, being Hall united, and loving friends K - Kiowaand Hallyour God-given Y - Yegua right. ” L - Lavaca Hall
-Edward Sesay, Political Science Major
mythology, spooky stories and folk lore
RichlandStudentMedia.com
“It’s a nice holiday if you have somebody.” -Anthony Paul Poummer, Music Education Major
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Happy Valentine’s Day
from Student Media Meetings Monday and Wednesday at 2 p.m. in El Paso Hall, E020
RichlandStudentMedia.com
eclectically themed events
Richland Student Media
@RLCStudentMedia
Richland Student Media