Eastfield Et Cetera Jan. 31, 2018

Etera

Eastfield College

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Volume 49, Issue 8

power of music

Student’s love for music propels her to defy odds See page 11 ➤

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

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Chancellor aims to pick new college president before June

By JAMES HARTLEY Editor in Chief @JamesHartleyETC

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

College president Jean Conway dances with employees after Convocation before the beginning of the fall 2017 semester.

Conway to retire this summer

By JAMES HARTLEY Editor in Chief @JamesHartleyETC

Eastfield President Jean Conway, a 30-year employee of the Dallas County Community College District, announced Jan. 11 that she will be retiring at the end of the summer.

She has served as interim president from 2009 to 2011, when she was selected as the official president.

Conway took the helm during an accreditation-warning period, meaning that the college could lose its accreditation, and enrollment was on a steady decline.

Under Conway’s leadership, the college’s accreditation has not been at risk and enrollment has risen 54 percent.

Conway said she feels confident that she is leaving the college in good hands and wants to leave on a high note.

“We’ve got just some incredibly talented, capable employees here who are leading this college,” Conway said.

Conway credits the success of Eastfield under her watch to the employees and to the creation of a set of core values and a mission statement. She said the values and mission statement helped unite college employees under a universal goal.

Conway said her mentor, Steve Mittelstet, taught her that she needed to help the college become grounded when she was a vice president at Richland College.

“If I can help ground this college, then people can feel free to be innovative and creative and entrepreneurial,” Conway said. “I’ve got to help provide, again, through the values and mission perhaps, the stability that allows that creativity and innovation.”

Eastfield has also hired more full-time faculty, increased diversity among professors, renovated some outdated areas on the campus, increased the number of college-wide events and programs such as the common book and expanded certification and degree offerings under Conway’s leadership.

Joe May, chancellor of the DCCCD, said that Conway has been an ideal leader for Eastfield over the past nine years.

“She’s done a great job of representing the needs of

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Conway hosts Freshman Convocation in fall 2017.

Conway announced her retirement Jan. 11, during the spring 2018 convocation.

students, making sure that our policies, our processes, but mainly our resources are used to improve education,” May said. “Dr. Conway has students at the very center of everything she does.”

Sharon Cook, spokeswoman for Eastfield and Conway’s assistant, said she cried when Conway announced her retirement to a group of administrators the morning before convocation.

Cook said when Conway made the announcement at convocation, it was like the whole room gasped at once.

She was especially surprised that Conway had made the decision because the two had discussed retiring at the same time.

“She said, ‘I know that we talked about retiring at the same time, but you’re not ready and I am,’ ” Cook said.

“Sort of like that sisterly advice. … Of course, I’m thinking, ‘OK, the new president might come on board and he or she might not want me in this position and I may not want to work with him or her.’ Will my decision come See Conway, page 5 ➤

Joe May, chancellor of the DCCCD, said he hopes to have a new college president selected by May of this year and presented to the Board of Trustees for approval in June.

Jean Conway, the current Eastfield president, announced Jan. 11 during convocation that she plans to retire at the end of summer.

Conway served as interim president from 2009 until 2011, when she was appointed as the official president.

Students, faculty and employees told May what they expect from the next president during a forum Jan. 23.

Expectations included entrepreneurial leadership, innovation, taking an active role in student involvement, encouraging lifelong learning and supporting student success.

“I look for someone who fosters success in others, from the students, to the staff, to the faculty to other administrators,” government professor Cindy Castaneda said at the forum.

“I hope that as you are looking for qualities, you’ll look for evidence of someone who has mentored others into positions of leadership, whatever kind of leadership that person is seeking.”

Conway’s departure comes just as Eastfield is committing to eight-week terms, a transition that Daniel Murphy, a geology professor and one of the architects of the eight-week program, said may be difficult on a new president.

“They’re not going to be coming into a school that is stable, quite frankly,” Murphy said. “They’re going to be coming into a major change that they did not institute, and that can be scary for them and scary for us.”

Murphy said it is important that the next president be able to embrace the change and encourage continued innovation while bringing some stability to campus.

May said the Eastfield community would be important in ensuring that the finalist candidates are able to bring stability after the transition to eight-week.

“If we don’t see someone excited when they come onto the campus about this as an opportunity, we probably don’t want them in there,”

Share your thoughts The DCCCD is looking for feedback from Eastfield students, faculty and employees during the presidential search process.

Call and leave a message or email your questions, suggestions or comments about the search for the next Eastfield College president: Phone: 214-378-1604 Email: efcsearch@dcccd.edu Visit eastfieldnews.com for updates throughout the search process.

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

DCCCD chancellor Joe May addresses the Eastfield community about plans to find a new college president by June.

May said. “Hopefully they’re going to be the people that we describe, that are interested in innovating, not for innovations sake, but certainly for taking on something.”

Interviews for the position will begin in April and will be conducted by the main search committee, headed by Cedar Valley College President Joe Seabrook, and local committee of professors, staff and students.

Multiple forums focused on gathering college community input will be held throughout the process.

May hopes college employees will encourage students to be involved in the forums.

He said student forums often have the lowest turnout.

NEWS

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You’re Fired: White House Edition Looking back at who Trump let go his first year in office

From Breitbart News executive chairman to some loud guy called “The Mooch,” the Trump White House has been occupied by a colorful, quickly changing staff that proved the president still enjoys saying “You’re fired.”

The internal affairs of the Oval Office appeared to play out like a season of Survivor throughout most of 2017, with Trump staffers leaving— or being asked to leave— making frequent national headlines. Here’s a tribute to the most noteworthy.

— Compiled by James Hartley

Michael Flynn Michael Flynn has put on a real smile once in his life, and it was awkward as hell. That’s not why he was fired, though.

The retired Army lieutenant general lied to the always-smiling Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials about conversations he had with Russians.

Lying is something that is totally not tolerated in the Trump administration.

d e r i F Steve Bannon

Bannon was one of the most polarizing figures in one of the most polarizing presiden-

d e r i F

Sean Spicer Spicer’s first press conference was called as an emergency meeting. The emergency? The Trump administration felt the media misrepresented the size of crowds at the president’s inaugural address.

Spicer took the opportunity to tear into the “fake news media” with a fiery, slightly uncomfortable and awkward passion.

Spicer was also known to eat 35 pieces of gum a day before noon.

No, he didn’t just chew the gum.

He ingested it.

So there’s that.

CNN reported that Trump regretted appointing Spicer as communications director.

In the end, Spicer was replaced by Scaramucci, a man who was also known to yell a lot.

Anthony Scaramucci Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci served as communications director for a mere 10 days, a record for the turnoverplagued executive mansion.

His short tenure didn’t stop him from making waves, though.

Scaramucci spent most of his 10-day term raising hell with profane phone calls and insults against former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

Say what you will about him, but it’s hard to deny The Mooch was dedicated to his job.

The man missed the birth of his child to fly with Trump on Air Force One. Unfortunately for Scaramucci, he was fired the same day current White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was brought on board.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MANUEL GUAPO

d e r i F

Fired To top it off, The Mooch was listed in the Harvard Alumni Directory as being dead around the same time he was fired.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHITEHOUSE.GOV

cies. The now-former executive chairman of the far-right news outlet Breitbart, Bannon served as White House chief strategist and senior counselor for the first seven months of Trump’s presidency.

Bannon’s reputation as a far-right fringe personality did not fare well for Trump’s image, and less than a week after the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, Bannon’s job with the administration ended.

While he was given the

option to resign and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the departure was mutual, it is believed that he was forced out.

Bannon has made headlines in connection to administration again in recent weeks with the release of a tell-all book about the inner workings of the Trump White House. Bannon is quoted in the book with disparaging comments about Trump’s children. Bannon has yet to deny the comments.

Reince Priebus The former chairman of the Republican National Convention, Reince Priebus was Trump’s chief of staff from November 2016 to July 2017.

His ousting was one of the least exciting to date.

Priebus was fired after The Mooch accused him of leaking information to the press, replaced by Homeland Security Secretary Gen. John Kelley.

The lack of drama surrounding the replacement of Priebus might be expected with other administrations, but in the Trump West Wing

d e r i F it’s noteworthy.

The fact that the guy was viewed as Trump’s nanny may have something to do with his departure.

James Comey It’s impossible to go anywhere without hearing discussion of the investigation into a potential connection between the Trump administration and Russia.

Comey had the misfortune of getting stuck in the middle of this congressional investigation and subsequent media storm.

Comey was obviously uncomfortable with Trump.

The New York Times reported that Comey told a confidant that he didn’t one to go to a banquet honoring law enforcement because he didn’t want to “form a closer relationship” with the president.

He tried to hide in a corner, next to a curtain, during the banquet.

Comey still looks uncomfortable almost any time he’s asked to talk about Trump.

Fired The Obama-appointed director was fired in the middle of his investigation into the possible Trump-Russia connection.

Comey said he was primarily fired over the FBI investigation into Trump and Russia.

Trump has denied it had anything to do with the investigation.

But he also confirmed that it did.

We’ll let you decide what you want to believe.

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Campus police hold forum to combat violence against women

By CAROLINE CEOLIN Life & Arts Editor @CaroCeolinETC

According to the latest report from the US Department Of Justice, 68% of victims of serious violent crime, including rape or sexual assault, reported experiencing socio-emotional problems as a result.

Another one of their reports revealed that only 1 out 4 of all rape or sexual assault victims received help from a victim service agency.

Campus police Sgt. Nona Titus hosted a Women’s Safety forum on Tuesday, Jan. 23 in G-101 to inform staff, students and community members about taking preventative measures against sexual violence.

The event was in collaboration with the campus counseling services and the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center.

Titus began her safety slides with a trigger warning and a message of how serious the effects of such violent crimes were.

Assault, rape, stalking, harassment, dating violence and family violence were listed and defined, followed with the most common places, which Titus said was basically everywhere, where women were attacked in their everyday lives.

“What we’re trying to do is make students and faculty and everyone aware of what’s going on at the school about everyday safety and things that you can do to keep yourself and others safe.” Titus said.

Titus went over ways women could defend themselves against different attacks such as staying on the offense, being constantly aware of their surroundings, not having a set routine, maintaining eye contact with strangers, walking with confidence and purpose, and keeping a barrier, such as a purse, between them and a stranger.

Although learning to use and carry a gun was the most strongly advised method of protection against most crimes, other tools were listed such as a stick or umbrella.

If possible, women should attempt to talk their way out of a dangerous situation.

In cases where this is not possible, Titus said to try to get control of the attacker’s hands or hips.

Titus also said mental state was important when fighting back.

For example, being ready to jump out of a vehicle in case of an abduction and if unrestrained, or injuring an attacker.

She suggested using cuticle trimmers as a defensive weapon or stabbing an attacker in the eye with a key.

She also presented tips for online safety, parking lot safety, tips on how to react in a possible carjacking, a safety app that can be used to inform family or friends of one’s location, how to be a good bystander by speaking out and how to tell if a loved one or stranger is being inflicted.

Titus and Cpl. Moises Avelino both expressed similar thoughts in an interview about what the woman’s safety event would cover.

“I think one of the most important things is going to be know where the resources are,” Avelino said. “They are out there for victims of some of these crimes that are sadly occurring.”

Jaime Torres, a campus counselor, announced that Eastfield was awarded, in connection with The Violence

COURTESY OF ANTHONY FLETCHER

Michael Love, right, made the All-Tournament team in playoffs 2013.

Arrest made in murder of former Harvester athlete

By JULIO VEGA Staff Writer @JulioVegaETC

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Campus Sgt. Nona Titus gives tips on how women can be prepared to protect themselves.

Campus police 972-860-4290

Against Women’s Act, a $300,000 grant by the Department of Justice to improve campus security and provide services for those who have suffered from sexual harassment or violence.

Sean Woods, primary prevention coordinator from The Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center, spoke about the services the center provides, including counseling, crisis intervention and advocacy for those affected by sexual violence.

The grant, with the assistance of DARCC, is to encourage a coordinated community approach and to help ensure that offenders are held accountable and the correct trauma care is given.

“We want to drive effective change, and that’s including to orientate the student body, teaching incoming freshman about rape culture, consent, violence on campus,” Woods said. “That means training for staff, faculty and campus law enforcement.”

“I think it’s very important that we’ve gotten this grant,” said Melanie Reynolds, a human resources specialist who attended the event. “I think that’s huge with everything going on in other colleges. It seems to me like Eastfield is really stepping up and trying to be the forerunner in the district of taking care of the student body and the staff.”

Former Harvester basketball player Michael Ryan Love, 26, of Mesquite, was killed on the evening of Jan. 3 in Garland after he tried to recover a stolen camera, according to police.

The incident occurred in the 6500 block of Glenmoor Drive near Interstate-30 and Broadway Boulevard.

Police believe Love met with 39-year-old Terry Albert Simmons and 46-year-old Nathaniel Wooldridge. After Love obtained the camera, an argument and subsequent shootout resulted in the deaths of Love and Simmons.

Woolridge has been arrested and charged with the murder of Love.

The investigation of the death of Simmons is ongoing.

Love’s mother, Lynn Love, said he didn’t go looking for trouble that day.

“Anybody can tell you what a nice guy he was,” she said. “He had a lot of friends and didn’t dislike anybody.

His family meant the world to him.

He loved his family, he loved his friends and he loved basketball.”

Love was born Sept. 29, 1991, in Fort Worth. Funeral services were held Jan. 11.

Love lived in Mesquite and attended West Mesquite High School.

After graduating, he attended Kansas Wesleyan on a partial basketball scholarship before returning to Texas and playing for Eastfield.

Anthony Fletcher, who coached Love during his time at Eastfield, said as a player he was “laid back” and liked to joke around with his teammates.

“He was quiet, not really rambunctious and loud,” Fletcher said.

“He was a team player. In conference, he only averaged around 10 points per game. But when we went to the national tournament, … he played really well, just lights out. He gave up himself to the team and his selflessness helped us.”

Under Fletcher, Love redshirted his first season as a Harvester but was a starter the following year with the team that placed second in the 2013 National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament.

In the tournament opener, Love scored 31 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer to help the team advance to the semifinals. He was named in All-Tournament Team that season.

Love’s mother said he had played basketball since he was 6 years old and said she supported his love of basketball throughout the years.

“I was at every game and maybe missed only two home games,” she said. “I was even known to get in my car and drive to Kansas to watch him play. I was the basketball mom.”

After graduating Eastfield, Love played for another season at Jarvis Community College before returning to live in Mesquite.

“I remember when he got his starting spot, I had messed up, so he started and balled up,” Danny Sanders, Love’s teammate from Jarvis, said. “As a player he was great and awesome. As a friend he was even better. He always looked out for everybody. Everybody was his friend.”

Love is survived by his mother; sisters Lindsey Cheney and Rachel Love; and his fiancee, Chelsea Johnson.

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PUT IT ON YOUR

Calendar Wed

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Tue

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University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Fireside Lounge

Fri

Fun Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Hive Student government meeting, noon-2 p.m., C-297 University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Fireside Lounge Mardi Gras Celebration, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Hive Speaker: Kyra Bradley of Parkland Hospital, “Building Healthy Relationships,” 11:15 a.m., C-135

Wed

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Food bank to visit college The North Texas Food Bank will visit Eastfield Jan. 31 to hand out food and combat “food insecurity” as a part of a partnership with the Dallas County community College District.

The truck will hand out food to students in need. Food will include fresh produce and perishables that must be refrigerated. Students can visit the truck from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in parking lot 4.

University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Fireside Lounge

Service Learning Fair, 9 a.m.-noon, the Hive

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Briefs

February

Thu

Tue

NEWS

Recital series: soprano Brandi Estwick and guitar professor Eddie Healy, 12:30 p.m., F-117

Recital series: Friday’s Foolery, 12:30 p.m., F-117

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Continuing the dream

University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Fireside Lounge

Meet a STEM transfer coordinator from Texas A&M-Commerce, 9 a.m.noon, C-201

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

January

Free HIV tests, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., C-139, appointments preferred, 972-860-7190

Wed

www.eastfieldnews.com

University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Fireside Lounge STEMinar: “Searching for the First Exomoon in the Radio,” 12:30 p.m., S-100 Recital series: Barbara Hill Moore Vocal Studio, 12:30 p.m., F-117

ABOUT THE COVER

PHOTO BY YESENIA ALVARADO

Music major, Vanessa Kincheloe sings on Nov. 1. with the choir at a recital on campus.

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Dallas celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Jan. 15 with a parade through the city. The parade traveled down Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard from Holmes Street to Fair Park.

Conway seen as more than just a boss Continued from page 2 then? We’ll see.”

Cook, who has worked under 11 presidents during her time at Eastfield, said Conway is a “melting pot of all of them, in a good way.”

Conway’s ability to see the strengths and weaknesses of her employees and give them tasks accordingly is a valuable trait, Cook said.

Still, more than her abilities as a leader, Cook said Conway is a true friend.

“She is more than a president and more than a supervisor and mentor,”

Cook said. “We’ve traveled together and we’ve roomed together for conferences and national championship tournaments.

We’ve just grown to be more of like sisters, that type of relationship.

But I still respect her knowing that she is my supervisor.”

Conway said that she doesn’t have any more big plans to implement before she retires but instead will observe and make sure things run smoothly. She trusts that the people in charge have the dedication to

do their jobs.

“Part of what’s fun is to actually sit back and watch the employees we’ve hired mature into who they are and who we hired them to be,” Conway said.

Conway said she may spend more time working with a real estate investment company she runs with her son. She’s also considering becoming involved with the DCCCD Foundation, which offers scholarships and other financial assistance to DCCCD students.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CALENDAR Thursday, Feb. 1 Telling Our Story: The Black Experience Through Storytelling and Readings, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Performance Hall lobby Traditional storytelling and selected readings that celebrate the experiences, music, culture and traditions of AfricanAmericans.

Tuesday, Feb. 13 The Second Line: Parade Culture in New Orleans, 10:30-11:15 a.m., G-101 Learn about the history and traditions of an authentic New Orleans Mardi Gras.

Wednesday, Feb. 7 Recital Series: Friday’s Foolery, 12:30 p.m., F-117

Wednesday, Feb. 14 Repairing Our Roots: Healing the Community through Mental Health, 11 a.m., C-135

Workout Wednesday, 10 a.m., Pleasant Grove Campus Agbara Latina dance workout.

Friday, Feb. 9 The Value of You, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., S-100 Extract your own DNA and learn more about genetics.

Mardi Gras Celebration, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Hive

Recital Series: Barbara HillMoore Vocal Studio, 12:30 p.m., F-117 Friday, Feb. 16 Film Screening: Dear White People, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., G-101 Tuesday, Feb. 20 The Evolution of African

Americans As Told By My Hair, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., C-135 Explore the work of Cantoinette Studios’s wearable head wraps and speak to an on-campus natural hair expert.

Wednesday, Feb. 21 Recital Series: Trombonist Byron Sleugh, 12:30 p.m., F-117 Workout Wednesday, 12:30 p.m., Lower Courtyard Agbara Latina dance workout.

Tuesday, Feb. 27 No Beats, Just Bars, 11 a.m.12:30 p.m., C-135 Jonathan Jones uses current hiphop music to inspire action and leadership beyond Black History Month.

Wednesday, Feb. 28 Recital Series: Eric Willis Jazz Quintet, 12:30 p.m., F-117

Black History Month kicks off Eastfield will celebrate Black History Month with DNA testing, musical events, lectures and a film screening. For a full list of events planned for Black History Month, see our calendar.

Register to Vote The deadline for voter registration for anyone wanting to cast their ballot in the 2018 primary elections is Feb. 5. The primaries, which will be held on March 6, require voters to be registered.

A number of county, state and national positions are up for grabs this November. Primary voters will be able to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary.

Votes on March 6 will decide which candidate from each party will be on the general election ballot later this year.

Chilean photographer to visit campus Morty Ortega, one of two photographers allowed at the mines during the 2010 Chilean mining accident, will visit Eastfield Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. to speak during a common book event.

Ortega taught photojournalism at Eastfield during the 2016-2017 academic year as an adjunct professor.

Ortega is a freelance narrative and visual storyteller. As a journalist, he has documented conflict, culture, the 2010 Chilean earthquake, the Dalai Llama and various U.S. domestic issues.

Ortega has worked for Getty Images, Hartford Courant, the German Press Agency and Korea Air’s Morning Calm magazine, among others.

He currently works for Baylor University producing multimedia marketing content.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Artist challenges definitions of fine art

By CAROLINE CEOLIN Life & Arts Editor @CaroCeolinETC Kathy Lovas tries to push the boundaries of art with everything she does, questioning social understandings of what art really is, in her “Close Up Magic” gallery collection.

Pieces like a store-bought shovel mounted on a plain, white wall make reference to work that pushed boundaries and questioned objective ideas of what makes a display fine art.

The piece was inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s infamous “In Advance of the Broken Arm,” in which the artist bought a shovel, hung it from a ceiling and declared that it was art.

“It was a thing that he didn’t make,” Lovas said. “He didn’t sculpt it or he didn’t take the picture. He didn’t put it together or anything. It was just a thing that he bought and just stuck in the gallery. It was pretty controversial. I added it as a reference to Duchamp.”

Business and political science major Jose Chavez said he was initially skeptical of the meaning behind the work.

“I saw it on the wall said, ‘That’s not art,’” he said. “That was my first impression.”

But after experiencing the entire exhibit, Chavez realized how personal the display was intended to be.

The majority of “Close Up Magic” is composed of references to other work, namely Lo-

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Art professor Gary J. Uribe gets a closer look at an interactive piece by Kathy Lovas.

vas’ own previous creations.

Many of the pieces in the exhibit are collections of her previous art that have been redeveloped to create something new.

“It’s over 20 years of stuff,” she said.

Gallery director Iris Bechtol said that while the gallery may not look like much at first, closer examination of Lovas’ displays reveals a more

complex message.

“A lot of her work in this exhibit is very narrative and it’s very personal and it has a lot to do with her family history,” she said. “So I think that’s something that’s really important to a lot of people. I mean it’s something that is important to our country. The idea of having a history going back and addressing history and seeing

how it’s current in our times.”

One of the more dominant pieces of the exhibit includes pixilated, zoomed-in photos of Lovas’ various family members.

Lovas created the piece when she was a photography major in college.

She video recorded still pictures of her family, then displayed them on an analog TV. Then, she took a photo of the TV screen and enlarged the photos in print.

Her intention was to see how far she could manipulate the image until the faces were no longer recognizable.

The piece, and Lovas’ belief that photography is mystical, inspired the name of the exhibit.

“It’s kind of magical,” she said. “We can just point our camera and have grandma or someone right there.”

Bechtol said this boundary-pushing art is an important part of culture.

“A lot of times artists kind of bump up against mainstream culture and question a lot of things and question a lot of ideas,” she said.

“I think that’s one of the great things about artists because they sort pull us back. ... Is this really something that should be accepted or should we change the way we think about this idea or belief or trend?”

“Close Up Magic” will be on display in F219C until Feb. 16.

— David Silva contributed to this report

Burger Style Cafe serves up best burgers in Mesquite

By MACKS PREWITT Senior Staff Writer @MacksPrewittETC

Mesquite is possibly one of the most boring places in Texas if you are looking for something to do. But if you are looking for places to eat, you might come across an abundance of top notch hole-in-the-wall donut places and my favorite burger place I have ever eaten at.

Twisted Root be damned; Burger Style Cafe has it beat.

Burger Style is a family owned and operated burger joint that is located just down the road from Mesquite High School and has some of the best burgers in town.

When you first walk in, the inside looks just like any other small business that operates in a strip, but upon closer examination you see how much they have made it their own.

The simple addition of hometown sports team posters, and a neon sign that simply states “Your Style is Our Style,” create a homey and inclusive space that is perfect to enjoy a burger made with homemade buns.

The atmosphere is welcoming and feels more like walking into a relative’s house than a restaurant. Burger Style is more than just a simple burger restaurant in a boring city.

While it has only won second place for the Star Local Media

reader’s choice for best burger in Mesquite, it is first in my heart.

Burger Style has personality and a homemade touch that sets it apart.

I always get the guacamole burger because it’s just perfect.

The guacamole itself is delicious and when it blends with the cheese, meat and whatever else you chose to customize the burger.

It is heaven in your mouth. All their burgers come in either quarter-pound or half-pound, for when you are ravenous.

As a customer who frequently visits Five Guys restaurant, I’ve gotten used to the way their burger sometimes turns soggy Burger Style’s burgers are the perfect median between not too juicy and not too dry. I’m not quite sure what they do, but it’s perfect.

They also sell homemade tater tots that are the second best I have ever had, runner up only to the Butcher’s Son’s tater tots.

Another feather in their hat is that Burger style sells Bluebell ice cream, which speaks volumes about their taste in food.

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Zachary Goings, 9, digs into a burger. He has been visiting Burger Style Cafe his entire life.

Burger Style opened in 2002, and have remained family owned and operated since then.

Despite competition from the SCRUBScious Pie Company, JC’s Burger Bar and other neighborhood burger joints, Burger Style is still moving along, serving homemade burgers on homemade buns with fresh ingredients.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

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The Et Cetera

Top five apps to use for your Insta-photos

Phone photography can be easy to do, especially since phone cameras continue to improve with higher megapixels, portrait-taking capabilities and better results in low-light.

For people interested in photography, phone cameras are a good first step.

Almost everyone has one, and they are cheap compared to DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

Although they don’t reach the quality of DSLR or mirrorless cameras, these five apps can raise your photography skills, and social media feeds, to a new level. All you need is a good eye to find the shots and snap them.

➤ Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC for your

phone Free, paid subscription optional Available on most phones

Photoshop isn’t just for your computer anymore.

For those familiar with Adobe products, this may seem like old news.

But this app’s simple-to-use interface, with a simi-

lar algorithm to that of the desktop version, allows for cropping, lighting corrections, some built-in presets and a few other cool features.

If you already have an Adobe account, you can sign in to get exclusive features such as a photo backup, the ability to make precise adjustments and, my favorite, edit RAW formatted photos.

If Lightroom is more your style, you can also find it on most app stores.

— Compiled by Jesus Ayala

Flowing river edited with Plotaverse. ➤ Plotaverse

$4.99 Apple only Plotaverse makes the list because it allows movement in your photos, similar to Apple’s live photos but with more options.

It’s pretty simple to use. Just attach

anchors to the things or people in the frame you don’t want to be animated.

For the movement you use the animate tool, which allows you to make objects such as wind, smoke and water move in specific directions.

This app is only on iOS right now, but should be coming to Google Play.

Solar Magnet No. 29 located by A and F building, edited with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC.

➤ Snapseed

Free Available on most phones Snapseed is Google’s refined version of Photoshop.

It has the basic preset styles, but the expansive tool section really makes it stand out.

It allows for a higher variety of edits, such as vintage effects, grainy film and lens blur.

The possibilities are almost endless with this app.

It also offers RAW formatted photo editing and the ability to change the photo size when exporting.

PHOTOS BY JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Science building’s mirrored interior edited with Snapseed.

Skybridge leading to N building, taken with Kultcamera’s Instant-O-Matic.

Photo illustration created with PhotoDirector.

➤ Kultcamera

➤ PhotoDirector

Free, paid options Available on most phones If vintage looks are more your style, then Kultcamera is the way to go.

It gives you the chance to pick from four cameras, each with a unique film, and seven lens options.

The photos give off a nice film look without the cost of real film.

The app works with reverse cameras for selfies.

Unfortunately, it does have ads that appear every once in a while, which you can get rid of for $1.99.

This also removes watermarks and gives you an infinite amount of film.

Free, paid options Available on most phones For more fun in your edits, try PhotoDirector.

It has the same editing software as most other apps, but you can also place your photos in fun scenes such as an album, billboard and a breaking news segment, as well as text for meme-making.

When editing for more precise selections, it displays a box either on the left or right side of the screen, adjacent from your finger so you can make precise highlighted adjustments to photos.

LIFE&ARTS

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

90s-inspired Welcome Week kicks off groovy semester

Eastfield kicked off the spring semester with a wacky 90s thowback week of events.

National Blondie Day had students decorating mugs while enjoying a brownie, the transfer fair brought in recruiters from multiple four-year colleges and universities for students to talk to about transferring to further their education.

The Club Fair and pajama and penutbutter jelly sandwhich party both took place in the Hive with music blasting and students looking for new ways to get involved on campus.

Toward the end of the week, the Pit was officialy rebarnaded the Hive, with games and a DJ. The week was capped off with a 90s themed party that Friday.

Jean Conway, Katy Launius and Donielle Johnson cut a ribbon commemorating the opening of the newly named and redesigned Hive, formerly known as the Pit, during the Hive Launch Party.

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Jide Carew, intramural sports coordinator, knocks over a giant Jenga tower during National Blondie Day.

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Cristal Morales decorates the Lite-Brute during Eastfield’s 90s party in, Friday, Jan. 26.

Above Adriana Gobellan draws a flower on her mug during National Blondie Brownie Day Jan 22. Right, Stephanie Locke sings karaoke during The 90s Are All That Party on Friday, Jan 26.

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

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LIFE&ARTS

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

@TheEtCetera

The Et Cetera

How to recover from failed New Year resolutions Everyone already knows you failed your New Year’s resolution.

They know because they failed theirs, too.

Did you honestly think you were going to stop eating honey buns from the office vending machine and wake up at 5 a.m. to run a mile in the middle of winter?

We all know it never works out for us.

The odds, with a 92 percent failure rate for Americans, are stacked against us.

And yet, we continue to make them (mine was the honey bun thing), and we continue to fail.

But don’t fret.

You will always have a chance to hate yourself a little less.

So reassess, take it a day at a time and next time you’re by the vending machine, get the granola bar instead.

— Compiled by David Silva

➤ First of all, accept setbacks

You tried to quit honey buns, and decided to do it cold turkey.

You were cool for like two days and then Janet at work started stressing you out again, and you really wanted to take that honey bun break.

You take it, and next thing you know, you’re smoking through honey bun packs before the week is over.

That’s OK. Just accept that you slipped up.

You’re going to slip up a few more times before the year is over.

A setback does not mean defeat. ➤ Let go of the “don’t do

(blank)” mentality

When you’re trying to give something up, the hardest way to achieve this is by thinking “I’m not going to do this” over and over again. You’ll only manage to make yourself even more miserable, and it will make

your eventual downfall a steeper one.

Instead, focus on committing to a substitute for what you’re trying to avoid. Avoid bad habits by creating new good habits, not by suppressing yourself. ➤ What are you waiting for

If you fail and have to pick up the pieces or decide to go for a different resolution, don’t wait until next year.

The Earth’s relative location to the sun should not determine the motivation you have to better yourself.

What are you waiting for? Start today. ➤ Phone a friend

You can always do better when you have someone watching your back. Tell them your goals and tell them to check up on you at a specific date. They don’t necessarily have to be doing the same resolution as you, they can just check up on you to

JESSE LAY/THE ET CETERA

make sure you don’t slip up.

Make sure it’s a close friend so that you feel extremely guilty when you disappoint them. ➤ Set specific plans, then take

it a day at a time “Losing weight” is not a legitimate

goal. Losing X number of pounds by the end of the year is. Once you have your number, divide it down by months, then weeks. Make a plan on what you’re going to do this week that you can repeat or modify as time goes on. And make yourself go to the gym today, not tomorrow.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Death Cure’ gives ‘Maze Runner’ fans a fitting finale

By JAMES HARTLEY Editor in Chief @JamesHartleyETC

The third and final installment of the dystopian young adult series “Maze Runner” overcomes the poor pacing and terrible writing of “The Scorch Trials” to deliver an exciting, dramatic finale.

The “Maze Runner” adaptations have had mismatched quality. The first film was exciting at times but overly slow at others, and the second film was boring. But “The Death Cure,” the last of the trilogy, offers better pacing, dialogue and character development.

The film follows Thomas, played by Dylan O’Brien, a young, charismatic leader in a resistance group fighting a science-fueled government looking to cure a plague by any means necessary. That includes enslaving and killing immune children and young adults in hopes of discovering some enzyme or something. It was never made very clear.

Everything about “The Death Cure” is a step above “The Scorch Trials.”

Where the exposition in “The Scorch Trials” felt clunky and forced, it’s more organic in “The Death Cure” and works into the dialogue without disrupting the rest of the film.

Unlike the majority of action flicks, which seem to be plagued by plot-stopping, tension relieving humor in all the wrong places, “The Death Cure” does not rely on one liners or silly moments where the music halts and the plot stands still.

COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX

Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) fend off a WCKD attack.

Instead, the dry humor, sarcasm and subtle jokes play into the tone of the rest of the film.

It allows the tension to build up and the flow of the story remains relatively strong.

And the technical sides of the film are well executed. Lighting, cinematography and set color all work to help create an atmosphere that matches the story. The only technical aspect of the film that is truly lacking is the CGI. The opening shot from “The Death Cure” should be taught in film schools as an example of how not to do CGI. The introduction is obviously computer generated, with the movement of a vehicle looking choppy and unrealistic. The overall scene looks fabricated.

“Death Cure” had other struggles as well. A

couple of scenes of uninteresting dialogue in the middle drag on too long, interrupting the movement of the story.

A speech given by the relatively useless Vince, played by Barry Pepper sans sour-candy-face, is boring, pointless and trite. Vince’s attempt at motivational speaking in the final scene is worthy of at least three eye rolls. It’s not enough to ruin the whole film, but disrupts the closure that fans of the series want.

Some of the unimportant dialogue seemed to be designed so younger audiences don’t get lost. The brief communication feels too informal, without the use of any specialized jargon you’d expect. While it’s a small detail, it’s enough to remove the viewer from suspended disbelief.

The same adverse effect is achieved when Thomas and his comrades gun down enemy troops from a considerable distance with pistols, or when resistance leader Jorge points a revolver out the window of a truck traveling off-road and fires nonchalantly at a soldier on a train, finding his mark without any visible effort.

The climax of the film is almost free of clichés. A couple of jump scares and a who-shotwho moment in the final battle lack originality.

With war in the streets and the close quarters fighting in a medical experiment lab full of zombie-like flare-infected patients, the finale strays away from those worn-down mechanisms and creates a sense of mild chaos.

The final act of the film is a non-stop building of tension. Fighting in the streets of the last standing city acts as background for Thomas’ personal struggle, both moral and physical.

It’s possibly the strongest storytelling in the series, and it should have been the last scene of the film.

Instead, we get Vince talking inspirationally about a rock.

Despite the way the film has taken a different approach to the depiction of combat on a larger scale— most young adult stories will take the protagonist away from the brunt of the fight on some side mission— the film is ultimately still marketed towards teens. Anyone looking for something else will ultimately be disappointed.

LIFE&ARTS

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Choir student overpowers mental illness with music

By YESENIA ALVARADO Photo Editor @YeseniaA_ETC

Growing up watching movies about Tejano singer Selena, music major Vanessa Kincheloe found herself with a passion for music and singing at a very young age.

She spent her childhood singing and making music in her Odessa home, using a karaoke machine to belt out her favorite tunes.

“I want to be a singer when I grow up,” Kincheloe would tell everyone.

Kincheloe can’t remember a time when music wasn’t a big part of her life.

Now she’s pursuing that passion as a career.

After graduating high school, Kincheloe married her longtime girlfriend, Teresa Carasco.

She moved to Dallas in 2015 with her wife, who got a teaching job at Seagoville High School.

After a quick Google search, Kincheloe found that Eastfield was the closest campus and enrolled for the fall.

She wanted to get through her classes quickly so that she could transfer to a university, but her workload proved to be too challenging and her grades suffered.

She also struggled with maintaining her mental health.

When she used to feel depressed, she would blame her life for her reactions. Then she was diagnosed and realized it wasn’t her life but depression and anxiety that made her suffer.

“I think I had it for a while before I understood what it really was and how to help myself,” Kincheloe said.

Carasco has always been supportive of Kincheloe’s dreams.

But she knew when she saw changes in Kincheloe’s attitude that her need for help with mental illness was greater than pursuing her passion at that time.

One of the most telling moments, she took Kincheloe to the Winspear Opera House for a performance.

The opera house is “beautiful and gorgeous, but it’s really, really tall,” Carasco said.

Seated six floors up, surrounded by hundreds of people caused Kincheloe to have an anxiety attack and the couple had to leave.

Because of the signs of mental illness, Carasco suggested Kincheloe get help from a doctor.

Kincheloe was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but the diagnosis alone wasn’t helping her.

After a few visits, she learned that she needed to take daily medication.

She was reluctant at first, but she and others around her noticed the quick change in her behavior.

“It’s just a night and day difference,” she said.

“Now I’m here and I feel more dedicated than ever.”

During Kincheloe’s year off from classes,

PHOTOS BY YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Counter clockwise from top left, Vanessa Kincheloe, 21-year-old music major, performs in front of the mirror in her room. “Make it happen Shock Everyone,” written on her mirror by Kincheloe’s mom

as motivation for her.

As a singer, she spends a lot of time practicing music, whether it’s singing or piano, and sometimes even studying music theory.

Kincheloe performs solo piece, “The Black Swan” by Gian Carlo Menotti from the play, “The Medium”, a dark, somber lullaby, at the Wednesday recital on November 1.

she worked at a daycare, teaching children the alphabet. That’s where she realized she loved children.

She learned that her passion for working with children was similar to that for music.

Although she loved her job at the daycare, she wanted to get back to pursuing a career in music.

Once she felt a sense of stability again, Kincheloe decided to give school another try.

Voice professor and choir director Melinda Imthurn contacted Kincheloe during her recovery.

When she learned what Kincheloe was going through, Imthurn helped her find work that would fit with her studies.

Kincheloe now works at the Good Shepherd Episcopal School, where she teaches young kids

basic music.

“They only needed me for two hours, which was perfect because I will still have time for school and still work with kids but better: teaching them music,” Kincheloe said. “So it was like the perfect job.”

Now well into her recovery from depression and anxiety, Kincheloe packs her day full of things she loves.

She works at her job, then comes to Eastfield for her French, math, music theory and piano classes.

She spends several hours a week in voice practice and even sings with the Women’s Chorus of Dallas once a week.

Imthrun, the music program coordinator at Eastfield, also conducts the chorus.

Because of the role she’s played in Kinche-

loe’s life, Imthrun is one of her heroes.

Carasco has noticed the impact Imthurn has made in Kincheloe’s life.

“With someone like professor Imthurn as her role model, that can really help her,” Carasco said. “She sees in professor Imthurn a woman who she wants to be like.”

Finding the motivation to get up every morning is no longer a daily battle, but Kincheloe has found new obstacles in getting from work to class on time and making time to work out.

With a very busy schedule it can still get tough for her, even with the medicine, but she’s learned to make schedules and include breaks to help her throughout the day.

“I’m still learning,” she said. “I don’t get it See Kincheloe, page 16 ➤

opinion Etera Award-winning member of: • Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • Texas Community College Journalism Association • Associated Collegiate Press • College Media Association

Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Fax: 972-860-7646 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu Editor in Chief James Hartley Digital Managing Editor David Silva Managing Editor Bryan Perez Life & Arts Editor Caroline Ceolin Design Editor Manuel Guapo Photo Editors Yesenia Alvarado

Jesus Ayala

Senior Staff Writers Julio Vega

Macks Prewitt

Senior Staff Photographers Niels Winter Photographers Vaylan Jacques

Willie R. Cole

Videographers Narely Martin Daija Heaven

Amber Bell

Graphic Artists Sean Watkins Jesse Lay

Aldahir Segovia

Reporters Adrian Maldonado James Eyer

Andrew Walter Samuel Farley

Editorial Assistant Marie Garcia Advertising & Marketing Keturah Hill Student Publications Adviser Elizabeth Langton Digital Media Adviser Sarah Sheldon Faculty Adviser Lori Dann Editorial Policy The views expressed on the opinion pages and other opinion pieces and cartoons in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Et Cetera, Eastfield College or the Dallas County Community College District.

The Et Cetera is published every two weeks—except December, January and summer months—by a student staff. Each member of the college community is entitled to one free copy of The Et Cetera. Additional copies are available in Room N-240.

Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters will be edited for profanity and vulgarity, Associated Press style, grammar, libel and space when needed.

The content will remain that of the author.

Letters considered for publication must be 250 words or fewer. Deliver letters to Room N-240 or sent to etc4640@dcccd.edu.

First Amendment Right Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

OUR VIEW

Trump’s indecisiveness hurts America Those exhausted by Hollywood reboots and sequels will be really upset when they realize that the trend is making its way to Washington, D.C. The government shutdown that lasted from Jan. 20 to Jan. 22, a remake of the 2013 shutdown, is already headed for a sequel on Feb. 8.

The future of immigration, namely the future of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, the border wall and chain migration, were at the heart of the initial shutdown debate.

And all in all, the shutdown could have been resolved if not for President Donald Trump’s indecisiveness.

Government Shutdown Episode I, despite lasting only two days, may end up costing the economy billions of dollars and undoubtedly had damaging effects on hundreds of thousands of federal workers, many of who still haven’t received their proper compensation for the shutdown in 2013.

And tvhe agreement reached in Episode I only funds the government until Feb. 8, setting up the stage perfectly for Government Shutdown Episode II. Trump, who explicitly said during the campaign trail that he would cut Deferred Action for Childhood

Arrivals program outright, said last February that he would “deal with DACA with heart.”

In September, the president announced that he would end the program with a six-month delay, with the intention of kicking the issue to congress.

The president said he wanted funding for his proposed border wall and cuts to chain migration policies in exchange for protections to DACA recipients.

He stressed that he was willing to negotiate with Democrats, and even went as far as to say that he would sign whatever bipartisan bill Congress agreed on, a statement he quickly backtracked.

Days before the shutdown deadline, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly went on Fox News to say that he has convinced the president that the border wall is unnecessary, another statement that the president quickly denied in a tweet.

And in between those two incidents, the president was approached by lawmakers with a bipartisan bill that included funding for the border wall, limited chain migration and reduced diversity visas.The president said no.

So the issue escalated, leading to the shutdown, the finger pointing

JESSE LAY/THE ET CETERA

and the passing of a spending bill without resolution on immigration.

Regardless of anyone’s individual stance on DACA, and aside from the fact that President Trump went from definitely cutting it to treating it with heart to dealing with it like poker chips on a high-stakes wager, the larger issue is the president’s inability to understand, and communicate, what he wants.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell openly expressed his frustration, saying that he doesn’t know what the president is willing to sign, and once he did he

“would be convinced that we were not just spinning our wheels.”

Out of all the accomplishments that the Trump administration has made sure to boast about, from Trump’s campaign tapping into “something magical” during the election cycle to the self-proclaimed “historic victory” in passing a bill to overhaul taxes, the one thing that the Trump team, and subsequently the Republican party as a whole, has been unable to properly convince anyone of is the validity of their stances. They’re a party in power with no clear goal or limitations.

Sexual orientation is always a personal choice Sexual orientation is absolutely a choice.

Now this isn’t meant to be an attack on the LGBT community. I know people that identify as LGBT and hold them dear to me. But it’s time for me to own up to my beliefs.

Why do I believe this? It comes down to identity.

During the first few years of life, you are not pressured into finding your identity.

Sure there can be a few labels thrown around.

The bully, the jock, the nerd, the chubby kid, the class clown, etc. But none of these are much more than that, labels.

Yet as you grow older, you are expected to find out who you are.

It’s then that you discover there is more to identity than the way an individual behaves. It’s based on your beliefs. It’s the way you process your emotions. It’s your self-image or self-esteem, and so much more. Self-identity is psychological.

Sexual orientation is what we use to measure

Adrian Maldonado @TheEtCetera

and comprehend what we do or don’t like. It is more than just what we find pleasing aesthetically.

It is an emotional bond you develop with another person, whether it be a man or woman.

We as people are wired to be social creatures.

We love social connections and crave emotional intimacy. Because of this we are capable of forming deep emotional bonds with others outside of our sexual orientation. Once a person forms an emotional connection with someone, the possibility of a romantic relationship is there.

Even if it’s a 0.000001 percent chance of it happening, it exists.

We would just choose not to act on it if we

didn’t find it morally correct or it doesn’t line up with our religious beliefs.

According to an article by the New Scientist, neuroscientists proposed a theory of individuals being born with “gay” genes. Meaning they were able to spot variations on a region of the X-chromosome between homosexual and heterosexual men. However, the article states that even if men had these genes, not all of them act on their impulses. This is why I believe sexual orientation comes down to personal choice.

While I have no ill will to the “Born This Way” mantra, I don’t see it as anything besides a slogan meant to sell T-shirts. We have free will.

I choose the food I eat, the literature I read, the clothes I wear, the people I hang out with, what I do with my time, what music I listen to and who I find sexually compatible, all because it’s my right to do so.

— Adrian Maldonado is a journalism major and a reporter

OPINION

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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Online classes aren’t as bad as you’ve heard Often rumored to be ineffective and a hassle, online courses seemingly get a bad rap from the general student body.

Most if not all of my peers claim that online classes are poorly structured and paced, have confusing layouts and are not engaging.

This train of thought can be misleading.

In reality, online courses can provide an excellent alternative learning method for students who are well-disciplined and have tight schedules.

Flexibility is an added bonus, as a potential student would not have to regularly go to a traditional classroom and burn through an hour or more of their time.

I understand the frustrations associated with web-based coursework. Many of us have occasionally had bad experiences with courses offered online.

Whether the problem was an unresponsive professor, tests that did not cover any of the study material or an amalgamation of similar

Andrew Walter @TheEtCetera

problems, stories like these are common amongst students who have taken one or two classes online.

But problems like this sound eerily familiar to those sometimes encountered in traditional classrooms. I have not met anyone who claims all face-to-face classes are troublesome and a waste of time. So, why is it then that many students are quick to dismiss the benefits of online learning?

One explanation could be that these students took an online class in a subject they had little experience in or were not confident in.

I’ve overheard some classmates complain about how much they dislike math, then say

they took a math class online and had a negative experience. In this case, taking a course online for a subject they struggled in was probably a poor decision.

As someone who has taken seven classes online, my best advice for a student who wants to try taking an online class would be to start with one class worth three credit hours or less, and then gradually work toward taking a class in an area of study they enjoy.

Some examples of classes I have taken online include art appreciation, introduction to computing and general psychology.

Most of these classes are not widely considered to be difficult, and therefore make good candidates for first-time online classes.

Another flaw with complaints against online classes is that many of the accusations can be largely attributed to external factors.

Many students will not willingly admit that they did not manage their time properly, keep up with a course calendar or pay attention to

Civil rights remain modern history Shortly after watching the 1996 film “Selma, Lord, Selma” on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I began a conversation over Facebook with one of my high school teachers.

We discussed the importance of the Civil Rights Movement and the impact it left on the present-day United States.

I remarked that it struck me as sad, because it seems to me that the majority of people would like to think these events happened long ago, but when you really look at it, it was not long ago at all.

My former teacher agreed.

“Nope, that is modern history,” she replied.

My former teacher, who is AfricanAmerican, and I, a white man, soon found ourselves engaged in a deep discussion about our experiences with modern-day racism.

My former teacher noted hearing notions of academically successful black students “acting white,” including one who was given a “Most Likely to Blend in With White People” plaque.

Regarding my own experiences, I once attended a Black History Month event in high school.

As I was walking from exhibit to exhibit, a boy I had never met approached me, called me “n*gger lover,” and walked away without another word.

I never saw that boy again, but his words strengthened my already firm stance on combatting racism.

Black History in the United States has always been important to me, partly due to personal connection.

James Eyer @TheEtCetera

My late maternal grandmother participated in the civil rights movement in the 1950s.

I will not pretend to know the struggles of experiencing the movement first-hand, but what I have learned is the importance of continuing to work to make things better today.

Towards the conclusion of the conversation I had with my former teacher, I stated something that she described as one of the most accurate things she ever heard: there’s a reason people say “history repeats itself.”

It is essential to have knowledge of the relatively recent occurrences that have shaped so much of modern American life.

For example, interracial dating and marriage is at the highest rate it has ever been in the U.S., but some schools haven’t sponsored prom since the end of segregation.

This is still a reality in some rural, Deep South towns and cities. At least one high school in Georgia, Wilcox High, did not sponsor prom from the end of segregation until 2014. Instead, parents organized private, racially segregated prom nights.

Efforts to have an integrated prom hosted by the school were mainly led by interracial couples at the school with help of the local NAACP.

This certainly demonstrates progress made, and how much remains to be done.

It is a sad reality that hatred has always been part of human existence, and it is Utopian to think that this will ever entirely change.

However, we can keep the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. alive.

As King said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Fifty years after his tragic death, the dream is still alive.

It is alive in the form of citizens who uphold the legacies of our past heroes. It is alive in the form of my former teacher who influenced this column.

It is alive in the form of all who stand for a truly united nation.

There are many organizations all over the nation dedicated to that task.

The Men’s Empowerment Coalition and Club Y.O.U are organizations on campus that serve this purpose.

There are also annual reenactments of historical events such as the Selma March and March on Washington.

Others, such as the Center for Community Change, work to improve conditions of low-income minority-majority neighborhoods and schools.

We may never find ourselves fighting segregated facilities or rigged voting tests again, but everyday racism remains.

My call to action is for you to follow in the path of Dr. King and those who stood with him during the Civil Rights Movement. Every contribution matters.

— James Eyer is a journalism major and a reporter

important details listed in a class syllabus.

Once again, these criticisms also exist with traditional classrooms, if not on a larger scale.

Is it just me, or does there seem to be a pattern here? Here’s the real deal: Online courses are not for everyone.

They can require more dedication than the average on-campus class.

They will not always be as effective for people who like to have a professor who is physically present. They will even contain their own odd quirks and annoyances.

What online classes are typically successful at is providing freedom for the student.

More often than not, professors who teach online classes are willing to work with busy students who have busy schedules.

Online classes should not be the only kind a student takes, but they certainly deserve more praise than they usually end up getting.

— Andrew Walter is an engineering major and a reporter

Sports The Et Cetera

Jan. 31 Feb. 3 Feb. 3 Feb. 5 Feb. 7

Baseball @ Hill College Baseball @ North Central Texas Basketball @ Richland Baseball @ Le Tourneau University Basketball vs. Mountain View

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2 p.m.

Noon 2 p.m.

TBA 7 p.m.

14

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Basketball tops conference table halfway to playoffs

By JULIO VEGA Senior Staff Writer @JulioVegaETC

WILLIE R. COLE/THE ET CETERA

The Harvesters practice baserunning and putouts Jan. 26. Eastfield played its first game against the University of Texas at Dallas Jan. 29.

Baseball revamps pitching

By JAMES HARTLEY Editor in Chief @JamesHartleyETC

The Harvesters’ baseball team hopes to see improved pitching and a better team bond following a weak 2017 season.

The three-time national championship winners went 27-26 overall in 2017, losing their first six games.

The team lost 14 conference games, equal to the number of conference losses in the 2015 and 2016 seasons combined.

Coach Michael Martin said the team never properly glued together to work as one unit.

“We were not up to the standards of what we’re used to in this program,” he said. “I think you can contribute that to a lot of things, but I think one of the biggest things is our team. We didn’t really come together as a team last year. I didn’t feel like we were as close and cohesive of a team as we needed to be.”

The team’s pitching suffered throughout the season, recording a 6.12 ERA compared to a 4.22 ERA in 2016.

Martin said that although he thought the team played well defensively, pitching lacked aggressiveness and routinely fell behind on the count.

“When you pitch behind in counts you’re pitching in the hitter’s favor,” he said. “Our pitching philosophy is we want to pitch to contact, but we want to make them hit our pitch at our speed and our location. If we can do that, we can be successful.”

Jacob Perry, who will start at shortstop, said the 2017 season’s rough start and overall lack of consistency led them to barely scratch over .500.

“We definitely need more focus during the regular season,” Perry said. “Everyone has to stay in the game. The bench has to stay in the game. We have to take every pitch, every at bat [seriously].”

The team’s starting shortstop, second baseman and first baseman positions were all held by freshmen, a factor Martin said influenced their play.

He hopes those same sophomores will be team leaders this season.

“I think the maturity level is going to be a lot better,” Martin said. “The core of that lineup is going to be guys with some experience. … We expect those guys to carry the load for us.”

Martin hopes the leadership of returning sophomores Michael Tamez, Logan Montoya and Perry will help bring the team together and expects incoming transfer sophomore Michael Pilato and freshman pitchers to add depth to the pitching staff .

Tamez, a starting pitcher, said he hopes the Harvesters will encourage and push one another throughout this season.

“I think last year we struggled with being confident,” Tamez said.

“We have to click at the same time.”

Martin said that with improved pitching and continued success at the plate, the season should go well for the Harvesters.

While pitching was lacking last year, the Harvesters managed 32 home runs, the most in the past five years, and a .411 on base percentage.

“Offensively, we swung it pretty well,” Martin said. “ I expect us to be better this year than last year because we have more seasoning under our belt.”

Martin said he expects Brookhaven and North Lake to be competitive, but that he won’t know until the team sees the on the field.

“Those teams finished at the top of the conference last year so you expect that they’re going to be there again this year,” Martin said. “I haven’t seen them play and I haven’t heard a whole lot about what they’ve got coming back.”

The Harvesters played their first game of the season Jan. 29 after press time. They are scheduled to play their first conference home game on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m.

The Eastfield men’s basketball team leads conference with a 4-1 record halfway through the regular season, hoping to hold onto the top spot for a conference title.

Coach Anthony Fletcher said conference play has been highly competitive so far.

“Across the board, basketball in our conference is the toughest of any sport,” he said. “You look at some other sports and you can see two or three teams that are dominant, but in basketball, any of the six can realistically go to the national tournament.”

Eastfield started conference with a 95-91 win over Richland (2-3) and a 71-67 road win at Mountain View (2-3).

Their only loss came against Cedar Valley (1-4).

Fletcher said the 97-94 loss to the lowest ranking conference team was due to a lack of “major urgency,” one reminiscent to last year’s first-round tournament loss to Brookhaven.

“It’s not an act. It’s not a play. It’s not scripted,” Fletcher said. “You have to play and execute. I thought we walked in, thought we were better than what we were and got beat.”

Sophomore guard J.J. Murray, who leads the team with 20.6 points per game, said that loss to the Suns was due to a lack of focus.

“It was a wake-up call to us,” Murray said. “We got a grasp of what this conference can be like. If you take anybody lightly, you can lose on any night.”

The loss was followed by a blowout 101-85 away win at North Lake (3-2) and a 91-83 home win over

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

DaJuan Ridgeway goes for a layup in the Harvesters’ Jan 20 loss to Cedar Valley. Ridgeway had 23 points and seven rebounds against the Suns.

Brookhaven (3-2).

Fletcher said the loss was only a minor setback so far and said if the team can get four more wins this conference season, they can claim the regular season title.

The No. 8-ranked Harvesters are No. 3 in the nation in points per game (100.9) and No. 4 in field goals made per game (36.4).

With three true freshmen starters, guards Rashaun Coleman and DaJuan Ridgeway and forward Michael Fuller, Fletcher said this is one of the youngest teams he’s coached.

Eastfield’s second half of conference continues Saturday with a game at Richland.

Player honored

Sophomore J.J. Murray was named the NJCAA Region V Player of the Week for three consecutive weeks, winning the award for the Jan. 14-20, Jan. 7-13 and Dec. 31-Jan. 6 time periods.

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

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Sus Comics By Aldahir Segovia

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Kincheloe and her family scroll through Netflix to find a movie to watch before dinner on Jan. 25. She said her wife and brother are consistent sources of motivation.

Activists stand together outside City Hall

Kincheloe dreams of truly breaking musical traditions Continued from page 11

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Women hold up signs outside City Hall that read “Don’t legislate my lady parts” and “Let’s go ladies we’ve got a mess to clean up” for the second Women’s March on Jan. 21.

right all of the time or maybe I don’t get it right half the time, but I’m learning that’s the key: time management.”

Imthurn said she sees potential and talent in Kincheloe.

“Vanessa shows natural talent, drive, passion and discipline,” she said. “It’s not easy and you have to truly love singing. If you’re passionate about it, you’re going to want

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to spend the hours in the practice rooms, but if you’re not, the hours in the practice room are misery.”

Kincheloe has big dreams.

“I want to be a conductor,” she said. “I want to be able to conduct chorales, orchestras, symphonies, even a band even though I’ve never worked with one. I want to be able to conduct because there are not a lot of women conductors in today’s society or even in history. I want to help break that trend.”