Etera
Eastfield College
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Volume 48, Issue 8
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
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Immigration ban sparks impromptu protests By KATRINA BOND Life & Arts Editor @KatBondETC
Terminal D, Gate 22 at DFW International Airport was mostly empty Jan. 31 except for some signs placed on the railings, one reading “Hate has no home here.” There were five protestors, standing about and comforting the two families of passengers who had been detained. This was a very different scene from two days before, when hundreds of people stood close together, holding signs, chanting in multiple languages “the people united will never be divided” and passing around water and pizza boxes as they waited for nine detainees to be released. “It was a really positive atmosphere, despite this really horrible thing that was going on,” said English professor Elise Matthews, who attended the protest on Jan. 29. “It was cool to see the community come together that way and be really supportive of each other.” President Donald Trump signed an executive order Jan. 27 barring citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days. The order indefinitely refuses entry to Syrian refugees and denies all other refugees for 120 days.
JOSUE HERNANDEZ/THE ET CETERA
A mother holds her sleeping child during protests at DFW Airport on Jan. 30.
James Robart of Federal District Court in Seattle reversed Trump’s order Feb. 3, suspending the travel ban. The Department of Justice tried to reinstate the travel ban, but the Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco denied the emergency appeal on Feb. 5.
With the order suspended, travel to and from the seven countries resumed. Legal briefs were submitted to the appeals court at 6 p.m. Feb. 6. A ruling was pending at press time. There are 47 students in the Dallas County Community College District who were and still could be affected by the order. The Et Cetera identified at least two who attend Eastfield. The college was unable to provide a count of affected students. Chancellor Joe May said the district would attempt to help impacted students. “About the only way they can find out the impact of them at this time is if they make an attempt to leave the country,” he said. May sympathized with students who were afraid to inquire about the order, lest they reveal information that could endanger them. “What happens in that environment is unknown [and] creates fear,” May said. Other colleges across Texas are also concerned with how the order will affect students. At the University of Texas at Austin, 110 students and faculty have been affected, and the university warned them not to cross or approach the border between the United States and Mexico. According to NPR, about 17,000 students in the U.S. are impacted by the travel ban.
Almost immediately after the order was signed, airports began turning away flights and detaining passengers. Security began interviewing people flying to the U.S. from the seven predominantly Muslim countries listed in the order. About 50 people were detained Jan. 28 at DFW Airport, and nine were detained the following day. On Jan. 30, a wounded soldier who had been coming home from Iraq was released after being detained for 15 hours. Professor Andrew Tolle, who protested Jan. 28-30, saw the families as they waited and as their family members were released. “I actually met the people whose families were behind those doors and could not come out,” Tolle said. “It’s very hard once you see human faces, eyes looking into your eyes, to not understand this is a human issue, rather than some bureaucratic issue.” On Jan. 31, eight people were detained from a flight from Qatar after it landed at 2:30 p.m. Al Masri waited for five hours for his brother, Ahmad Al Mansoor, to be released. Al Mansoor has a valid U.S. visa. Volunteer lawyers have been stationed at Terminal D since Jan. 28, when more than 100 lawyers offered free legal services to detainees See Travel, back page ➤
Global women’s march challenges new administration By ESMERALDA OLGUIN Contributor @TheEtCetera
With signs and chants, millions of people took to the streets at women’s marches across the globe to protest some of President Donald Trump’s policies a day after his inauguration. The Jan. 21 Women’s March on Washington expanded from a single gathering in the capital to events worldwide. “By the time we got to Washington on the actual day of the protest, the lines into the metro station were so great, we waited about 20 minutes until we could find a train we could fit on,” journalism professor Joanna Cattanach said. A march was held in at least one city in every state, including Washington D.C., Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago. Los Angeles had the largest turnout, about 750,000 people, while Washington drew about 500,000. “I remember seeing a picture of Trump’s inauguration the day before, and I knew I was standing in places where I saw no one had been the day before,” journalism professor Joanna Cattanach said. “That’s when I knew it was getting very big.”
Protests in other countries were also met with large crowds. About 60,000 protestors attended the Toronto Women’s March, and about 100,000 attended the London march. The Women’s March on Washington was organized by a group of civil rights activists and sponsored by organizations such as Planned Parenthood, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League Pro Choice America, the American Civil Liberties Union and others. Although called a “women’s march,” the protest was also in support of LGBT rights, worker’s rights, civil rights and immigrant rights. Celebrities such as America Ferrera and Madonna, activists, professors and the mothers of African-American men shot by police officers gave speeches at the Washington rally. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders attended marches in Massachusetts and Vermont, respectively, addressed issues such as equal pay, health care and the environment In Dallas, state Rep. Victoria Neave hosted a march for those who would not be able to travel to Washington or Austin for the official Texas march. More than 5,000 people walked about 2 miles from City Hall
to the CWA Hall on Washington Avenue waving signs and chanting slogans such as “This is what democracy looks like.” Wearing a U.S. Navy hat, a “Black Lives Matter” T-Shirt and colorful shoelaces, 65-year-old teacher Albert Woolum said he had several reasons to be at the Dallas march. “I’ve got two daughters, one of whom is lesbian,” he said. “I am the first man to complete a minor in women’s studies from San Diego University. I am a Black Lives Matter activist. I am a veteran, and my wife is Native American.” Some attended because they were personally affected by the policies of Trump’s administration, while others came for support. “If we stay silent, nothing is going to change,” homemaker Susan Christensen, 54, said. Former Eastfield student and immigration rights activist Maria Yolisma Garcia attended the march to represent the voices of black, immigrant and transgender women, whom she said are often “silenced.” “It breaks my heart that undocumented women don’t have access to anything,” Garcia said. In Austin, about 50,000 flooded
AHMAD ASHOR/THE ET CETERA
Thousands particpate in the Jan. 21 Dallas Women’s March.
streets around the Texas Capitol. “The diversity makes you feel really good,” said English professor Sabine Winter, who attended the Austin march. “Seeing that we all can come together is really nice.” Cattanach stressed that the marches were not a one-time event but the beginning of a larger resis-
tance to Trump’s policies. “We aren’t the snowflakes that [Trump’s] dismissive of,” she said. “Nobody at that moment thought that was a lark on a weekend. Everybody that I know who was involved has been joining groups since the election. The march was just our big coming out.”
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Controversy characterizes first week DAY 1 - Jan. 20
DAY 2 - Jan. 21
DAY 3 - Jan. 22
DAY 4 - Jan. 23
DAY 5 - Jan. 24
DAY 6 - Jan. 25
DAY 7 - Jan. 26
Donald J. Trump inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States.
President Trump visits CIA headquarters to thank intelligence community.
Kellyanne Conway calls Trump's inauguration crowd estimates "alternative facts."
Sean Spicer holds the first official White House Press Briefing since the inauguration.
Trump signs an executive order to continue work on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
Trump signs executive order to build border wall, says Mexico will pay for it.
Mexican president cancels trip to U.S. Steve Bannon: Media should "keep its mouth shut."
DAY 8 - Jan. 27
DAY 9 - Jan. 28
DAY 10 - Jan. 29
DAY 11 - Jan. 30
DAY 12 - Jan. 31
DAY 13 - Feb. 1
DAY 14 - Feb. 2
Trump signs order banning immigration from seven Muslimmajority countries for 90 days.
Steve Bannon is given seat on the National Security Council.
Spontaneous protests erupt in airports nationwide due to immigration ban.
Trump fires acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to support immigration ban.
Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch for vacant seat on the Supreme Court.
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn puts Iran "on notice" unless it stops testing ballistic missiles.
Trump cuts short a combative call with Australia's prime minister over a refugee agreement.
SOURCE: TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
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A BOOK TO CONSIDER
Society reminded of Big Brother amid tumultuous political climate
We all read (or pretended to read) George Orwell’s “Nineteen EightyFour” in high school English. Whether you thought it was prophetic, poignant or just plain weird, there’s no denying that some parallels are occurring between the novel and our lives today, which may be why it has recently become the No. 1 selling book on Amazon. —Compiled by Katrina Bond Plot In case you slept through the lecture, “Nineteen Eighty-Four” is a dystopian novel published in 1949 as a prediction of what life would be like if socialism and dictatorship took hold of the world. The book focuses on Winston Smith as he slowly discovers that the government he works for is brainwashing and lying to the public. Smith lives in Oceania, which is what used to be Britain and America. The government, called “the Party,”
uses everything in its power — constant warmongering, creating a new language, dictating marriage partnerships and rationing food — in order to control the people and their attitudes toward the government.
Times, Edmond van den Bossche said the novel “contains no prophetic declaration, only a simple warning to mankind.” Now it seems the book may be more prophetic than originally thought.
Author Orwell is the pen name for Eric Author Blair, a British novelist, essayist, critic and journalist who died in 1950 at age 46. He was No. 2 on The Times of London’s list of 50 greatest writers between 1945 and 2008. Orwell also penned “Animal Farm,” an anti-Soviet allegorical novella. His works have had a broad impact in popular culture. The term Orwellian describe totalitarian or authoritarian practices, and he coined the terms cold war, Big Brother and Thought Police. During World War II, Orwell worked as a producer for the BBC, where he produced the same propaganda he denounces throughout his
Current Relevance Press Secretary Sean Spicer lied to the media, claiming 1.5 million people were in attendance at Donald Trump’s Presidential Inauguration when crowd scientist Keith Still estimated it was really no more than 600,000. On Jan. 22, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway argued that Spicer’s statement was not a falsehood, but an example of “alternative facts.” This sounds a lot like the concept of “doublethink” in “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the idea that you can hold two contradictory ideas at once. After Conway’s statement, “Nineteen Eighty-Four” became the top-selling book on Amazon, and
literary works. Critical response When “Nineteen Eighty-Four” was originally published, “Brave New World” author Aldous Huxley wrote to Orwell to tell him “how profoundly important the book is.” In a review for The New York
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Club Fair
Briefs Free DART passes The Dallas County Community College District and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system have collaborated to offer free Student GoPasses to qualifying DCCCD students. Credit students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours to qualify, and continuing education students must be enrolled in at least 96 contact hours during regular semesters. During the summer, credit and continuing education students must be enrolled in three or more credit hours or 48 or more contact hours in the fourth quarter, respectively. For information, visit dcccd.edu/SS/OnCampus/Discounts/pages/dart-student.aspx
Eastfield writers win national honors Students Caitlin Piper and Alicia Oberlachner are finalists in the 2017 Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society’s National Writing Contest. Piper placed in the short fiction category, and Oberlachner placed in poetry. This is the first time Eastfield students have placed in the contest at the national level. Their exact placing will be announced in March.
Lit, arts magazine seeks submissions The Alternative, Eastfield College’s awardwinning literary and fine arts journal, is now accepting submissions of student art, photography, short stories and poetry for publication. Entries are due by March 6. Visit eastfieldcollege.edu/thealternative/ Students also have the opportunity to com-
publisher Penguin is printing more copies to keep up with demand. Other parallels include the government’s use of a scapegoat, in this case the scapegoat, Emmanuel Goldstein, whom they blame all of their problems on, much like the Trump administration is blaming all of the nation’s problems on Muslims and undocumented immigrants. The totalitarian government in “Nineteen Eighty-Four” is also promoted through propaganda and has no free press, which President Trump seems to be aiming for by calling legitimate journalism “fake news” and attacking government agencies that tell the truth about what is happening in the world. Trump says he should be the only source the American people can trust. This would eventually lead to a single news media outlet, which would produce nothing but propaganda and lies.
pete in the League for Innovation Student Literary Contest to win monetary prizes. Email RufelRamos@dcccd.edu for information.
Hill sworn in as police commissioner Lauretta Hill, the first police commissioner of the DCCCD, was sworn into office Jan. 17. As commissioner, Hill will manage campus and public safety, campus police and emergency medical response and preparedness.
ATM returns to campus An ATM has been installed in C building. This machine itself will not charge a usage fee, but transactions may be susceptible to bank fees.
Library housing all tutoring centers For the Spring 2017 semester, all science, math and writing tutoring services have permanently moved to the library. Students can receive tutoring 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. Some subjects are offered on limited schedules.
Committee picks next common book “Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free” by Hector Tobar has been selected as the common book for the 20172018 academic year. The common book will be integrated in various courses in an effort to teach critical thinking. — Compiled from staff reports
YESENIA/THE ET CETERA
D’Qwaylon Rose signs up for the Tennis Club at the Jan. 19 Club Fair. Another recruitment event for clubs will be held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Pit.
Join the Eastfield College Student Government Association at Dugg Burger for a Fundraiser! Wednesday, February 22 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. NE Corner of Casa Linda Plaza 9540 Garland Road, #407 214-584-6261 duggburger.com Bring this coupon on show it on your phone.
20% of sales donated to
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PUT IT ON YOUR
Calendar Wed
8
February
Club Fair, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., the Pit University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit Walk for heart health, starts 9:45 a.m. at Fireside Lounge, ends in G building lobby Coffee with the Commanders: meet Eastfield police, 10-11 a.m., the Pit
Fri
10 Sat
11
Mon
13
Transfer trip to Texas A&M-Commerce, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., visit TRiO in C-141 to reserve a spot Intramural open gym, 9-11 a.m., P-200 Club fundraising, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., the Pit P.H.A.S.E Project display on mental health resources, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the Pit OSER movie screening, 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., S-100 (Vote on the Eastfield app for a film.)
Tue
14
Free HIV testing, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., C-139 University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit Club fundraising, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., the Pit P.H.A.S.E Project speaker: “Effective Communication and Boundary Setting in Healthy Relationships,” 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., G-101 OSER movie screening, 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., S-100
Wed
15
University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit P.H.A.S.E Project event: Battles of the Sexes trivia, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., G-101
Fri
Calling All Cards: intramural card games, noon, the Pit
Tue
Chess Tournament, noon2 p.m., the Pit
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University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit
ABOUT THE COVER ILLUSTRATION BY EMYLEE LUCAS
www.eastfieldnews.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
District prepares for campus carry By JAMES HARTLEY Managing Editor @JamesHartleyETC
With campus carry going into effect Aug. 1, Eastfield and Dallas County Community College District officials are under pressure to finalize policies for guns on campus. Campus carry, already in effect at four-year public colleges, will allow students 21 years or older with concealed carry licenses to bring concealed handguns into campus buildings. The law allows for colleges to set a limited number of gun-free zones based on safety concerns. K building, where the campus day care is located, will be exempt from the law. Chancellor Joe May said he expects suggestions will be presented to the Board of Trustees by April and that gun-free zones should be finalized in June. The district is required to approve gun-free zones for each of the seven campuses. Rob Wendland, DCCCD general council, said the district has been making plans for the law since it passed in 2015. He said they’ve been watching how four-year colleges have handled restrictions. Amy Vance, associate dean of science, technology, engineering and math and district liaison for the Campus Carry Committee, said the district cannot declare large areas as gun-free zones. “If we say, ‘We don’t want guns in any of our classrooms,’ that would be considered a general exclusion because it encompasses a lot of real estate,” Vance said. “Same thing with faculty offices.” Vance said some of the suggested zones include the chemistry labs, the micro-biology lab, parts of T building, the financial aid office, advising, counseling and other areas that may be considered high-stress environments. She added that the committee would like W building, where the police academy is located, to be excluded as well. “They have some kind of simulation where it’s like you’re at a firing range, but it’s not real bullets,” Vance said. “Even though there may be signage on the day of the events, someone may not pay attention to the signs, walk in, believe it’s real and use their real gun to ‘save the day.’ ” She added that regular training drills in the halls, where police cadets
Plan it Out DCCCD Campus Carry Community Forums Feb. 8: 6-8 p.m., Pleasant Grove campus Feb. 16: 6:30-8:30 p.m., S-100
may be shouting, could cause stress or confusion. The attorney general has ruled that dual credit and early college high school programs at colleges – such as those at Eastfield – do exempt those campuses from campus carry. Community input Community input is one of the most vital parts of the decision-making process, May said. “While there are some obvious decisions that I think we could probably predict what would occur, there are other inputs that, without hearing from people, we just simply wouldn’t have thought of,” he said. Forums and surveys are expected to continue through February. During a Jan. 10 forum where the Campus Carry Committee asked faculty for suggestions, English professor Michael Morris asked if the district would provide professors with weapons, training and ammunition as well as extend health benefits to cover counseling or support to the families of “inevitable victims.” “I’m interested in knowing what money the district … will spend to offset costs to instructors who have been forced to work with firearms in their classrooms against their better judgment,” Morris said. Matt Hinckley, history professor and the president of the Eastfield Faculty Association, said despite concerns about safety and comfort, he does not expect faculty or students to leave the college. May said that the district intends to find ways to ways to make sure the DCCCD community feels safe and comfortable on campuses, including training. “One of the things that’s become clear from the conversations is that people have asked for training themselves,” May said. “If it’s being asked for, I’ll tell you we will make that available as soon as we figure out the best route to go and how to meet the needs of individuals.” Paul Gonzales, a student at Eastfield, said he’s not concerned at this point.
A few bullet points to keep in mind A community forum will be held on Feb. 16, where community members can ask questions, make suggestions and voice concerns. Campus carry goes into effect Aug. 1. Carriers must be 21 years or older and must have licenses to carry. Guns remain prohibited in childcare centers, including K building.
Gun-free zones cannot cause a general exclusion, where the effect is a campuswide gun ban. Only handguns are allowed. They must not exceed 12 inches in length. Open carry is not allowed on campus. Police will not keep a record of gun owners or require students to notify campus police if they opt to carry.
“It’s supposed to be concealed, so I don’t think anything will change,” Gonzales said at a Feb. 2 student forum on campus carry. May said the DCCCD is consulting with four-year universities, where the law went into effect in Augiest 2016, for input on implementing it. The only incident involving campus carry since its implementation was an accidental discharge in a Tarleton State University dormitory. Enforcement and security Vance said it could be tricky to enforce gun-free zones. “There won’t be a way to determine if someone is carrying in a noncarry zone unless they violate the law by taking it out,” Vance said. DCCCD police commissioner Lauretta Hill said she will be looking into ways to enforce gun-free zones once the district adopts its policies. “Once we determine those areas that are prohibited, we will determine what sanctions and when will officers arrest, when will they make a report, when will they refer them to criminal court versus administrative action,” Hill said. “Once it’s developed, we will know exactly what the criteria is.” Hill said she does not believe campus police will need much additional training because they learn how to handle situations involving a gun or a suspected gun in their regular training. Campus police expect an increase in calls in the early months of enforcement, but they will be well prepared, Hill said. Officers will respond to all calls and have the right to ask anyone carrying a gun to show the proper license. Hill said police officers are
ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA
Associate Dean Amy Vance, district liason for the Campus Carry Committee, leads a forum last month solicting input on gun-free zones.
the only people authorized to require anyone to produce their license to carry. Anyone who has a gun without a license to carry or is found carrying in a gun-free zone will be arrested. “I’m confident that as we go through as a district, as a whole, that we will have the staff understanding what the policy is, what we can and cannot do,” Hill said. “We’re already well aware of the laws as it comes to a license to carry outside campus, so our officers will still be able to perform accordingly.”
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District extends registration to boost enrollment By JAMES HARTLEY Managing Editor @JamesHartleyETC
Last-minute extensions and latestart classes gave Eastfield the boost needed this semester to surpass enrollment numbers from spring 2016, but it wasn’t enough to meet campus goals. In an effort to meet last year’s registration numbers, the Dallas County Community College District extended registration deadlines at all seven campuses for spring 2017. Enrollment at Eastfield went from 14,234 in spring 2016 to 14,361, a 1 percent increase. Enrollment dipped last spring for the first time since 2011, falling from 15,000 students the previous spring. “Of course, in every semester we want to see a significant increase,” Associate Vice President Kimberly Lowry said. “I think the good news is our enrollment this semester is very consistent with where it was last spring.” Long lines characterized weekend and late night registration toward the end of the enrollment period. Joe May, DCCCD chancellor, said he believes problems with eConnect, the computer system that handles registration, were partially to blame
ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA
A line stretches around the bookstore toward the end of enrollment as students get the textbooks needed for their classes.
for the low numbers. “Our colleges did very well,” May said. “What we have is a student information system that was put in in the late ‘90s, and it’s really designed for the district at a different time. Our numbers were quite a bit smaller than they are right now. … In effect, it’s much like overloading when we’re in the midst of heavy registration.” May said that the DCCCD is looking to replace eConnect with a new system built to handle the larger
number of users. “I can only imagine the frustration people feel when they’re trying to get in class, to get the knowledge skills they need to support them and their careers, and run into a system that is not able to handle that,” May said. Lowry said power outages, campus closures and other technical difficulties added to frustration and likely hurt enrollment. Still, Courtney Carter Harbour, executive dean of arts and communi-
cations, said the district might need to expect extensions in the future. “The students were coming, but they were coming slowly,” Harbour said. “It seems to be a trend, unfortunately, that some of our students register late. Maybe we can explore as a college how we can encourage our students to enroll before they leave us when the semester concludes.” Harbour said the Arts and Communications Division did well in enrollment and met its goals. She credits that to personal phone calls, emails and case management encouraging students who took arts and communications classes in the fall to enroll for spring classes. Lowry said college administrators are looking into ways to increase enrollment in coming semesters. “I think overall, sometimes when there’s changes in the economy, when there’s changes just in general, that can be reflected in the change of enrollment in the students at a college,” she said. “I will say that, as in institution, we always respond. We have more students in dual credit now. We have way more students doing other programs now, which is why our enrollment is exactly where it was last spring.” Lowry said that Eastfield is focusing a lot of recruitment efforts in
high schools, chambers of commerce and local businesses. “We’re being more intentional about where we’re getting the word about Eastfield out,” Lowry said. “You may see billboards, bus stops, ads the Dallas Morning News. We’re also looking at how we market both internally and externally.” She said other efforts, like the First Year Experience, which includes special advisers and orientation, a communication plan for checking in with students about their classes and plans for next semester and the special second-year advisers, have been a major part of Eastfield’s retention strategy. May said the DCCCD is dedicated to finding any way possible to reduce the burden of college for students. The DCCCD began offering free DART passes to students this semester, and May said the district is in talks with local food pantries to provide meals to students who cannot afford them. “We really need to continue to get more people in the door, so we are going to focus on anything that’s a barrier,” May said. “It really is about how you are able to live your life so that it doesn’t get in the way of your ability or anyone’s ability to earn an education. From my point of view, that’s what we’re all about.”
Free biology textbooks anchor efforts to lower school expenses By DAVID SILVA Editor In Chief @DavidSilvaETC
Professors around campus are looking for alternatives to traditional textbooks to save students money, including a free biology e-book. The average cost of a new textbook was $82 in 2014, while books and supplies for a year at a public, two- year college cost $1,390, according to the College Board. With the cost of a three-credit course at $177, Dallas County Community College District students often pay more for their textbooks than they do for class. “I’ve spent about a good $150 on textbooks, and that was just renting,” dual credit student Matthew Honeycutt said. “I’m never buying any books. It’s either going to be renting or sharing or finding free e-books.” From January 1977 to June 2015, textbook prices have risen by 1,041 percent, over three times the rate of inflation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Textbook publishers also sell online add-ons, often forcing students to pay for access codes. “If there’s a free trial for a program, I try to get it done before the free trial expires,” pediatrics major Alexis Adame said. Some professors have noticed the burden this puts on students and are making efforts to offer aid. History professor Liz Nichols requires no textbook for her online students and allows her face-to-face students to use an older edition. “It takes a little bit more time,” Nichols said. “I go on the Internet and find primary sources, articles, videos, and I basically provide the links and the documents.” English professor Michael Morris said cost is one factor that prompted him to write his own textbook. “The majority of faculty here at Eastfield are very sensitive to how much it costs to get an education,” he said. “They want very much for students to not have to spend a lot of money.” Morris said that the use of elec-
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tronic books saves students money and enhances learning. “They are easier to take notes in,” he said. “They’re easier to use to transfer your work. Some set-ups are more interactive. You can do the reading and click on something and work on an experiment for class or go to a video.” Some professors have made hardcopy books available for check-out at
the library reference desk as well. Professors created an e-book for biology for non-science majors with OpenStax, a non-profit resource from Rice University. They’ve been met received positive feedback from students. “The book also integrates with educational programs,” professor Jose Flores said. “As you do your homework, it highlights parts of the book
that you should read, and you can create study guides from there.” Biology professors have likewise written a lab manual for biology nonscience major classes and are implementing it this semester. “Our class is totally cost-free,” Flores said. “Students don’t pay a penny for books.” — Sarah Sanchez contributed to this report.
Life &Arts
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
l r Gi Boss
ALEJANDRA ROSAS/THE ET CETERA
Above, Judith Dumont takes her 5-year-old son, Ryder Dumont, to the park to play. Left, Ryder drew on a mirror that hangs in Dumont’s office.
Dean embraces femininity, strength in leadership role By TAYLOR ROBERTS Contributor @theetcetera
“Who runs the world?” Judith Dumont wants to – or at least her little corner of it. A Beyoncé poster in her office asks that question. Dumont agrees with the singer’s response: “Girls.” Dumont is proving that “girls” can be successful, even those who were once told they weren’t “college material.” She has been promoted four times in a five-year period since coming to Eastfield College in 2010. Now, as executive dean of workforce, corporate and continuing education, she is responsible for organizing, planning and budgeting multiple departments as well as building relationships with corporate agencies to help find jobs for future students. In doing so, she has earned the respect of her staff, who have given her the title “Girl Boss.” “She is full of enthusiasm,” Center for Corporate Solutions account manager Janet Foreman said. “She’s full of ideas, and she sees into the future. She sees what this department can be and where we can go. She knows how to get us there.” But for Dumont, getting here wasn’t easy. Through many jobs and negative messages, Dumont has been on a journey to prove her leadership skills. She grew up in Enid, Oklahoma, where a high school counselor told her that she would be better off in
cosmetology school than college. The discouraging messages didn’t stop there. She felt disgraced by teachers and even family members. “You are very smart, Judith, but you lack discipline,” they said. “There was always a ‘but,’ ” Dumont says today. Sometimes Dumont feels like she’s still fighting that battle for respect. When she was promoted to executive dean last December, she was eager to share the news with her family. “I don’t believe you,” her father said. “Dad, I promise you.” Eventually, she sent a picture of her office nameplate to her father to prove it was true. Dumont has been working nonstop to prove herself once again. Since she has been executive dean, she has led the district in the tornado relief effort of 2015, created Camp Harvey, a youth camp for children to stimulate learning, and built up the Adult Education and Literacy Program. “She is whip-smart,” said Rachel Wolf, associate vice president of academic affairs and student success. “She’s hilarious, high-energy and she is able to take things that are really kind of undefined and underdeveloped and turn them into really amazing things.” Being a wife and mother of a 5-year-old while working consistently, Dumont finds it hard to juggle her husband, son and job at the same time. When she is at home, she fo-
cuses on her family, and when she is at work, she sticks to the task at hand. This past year has been long but rewarding for Dumont. “You know how the presidents look way older after they’ve served?” she says. “I kind of feel that way.” Her early life Dumont grew up poor in a small town with her brother, sisters and mother. Her father was rarely in the picture. One of Dumont’s earliest memories is visiting her father in prison. She was only 9 months old when he began serving a two-year sentence for his part in a stolen car ring. He spent another 18 months in a halfway house after that. Her mother raised four children on her own. With no college degree, she relied on welfare and donations from the church to get by. When the children needed clothes, she would buy them at thrift stores. When the children reached grade school, Dumont’s mother enrolled in college. Her father was out of prison, but he was a heavy drinker and druguser, so the children were kept busy. “We were at church Sunday and Wednesday. Softball Tuesday and
Thursday,” she says. “I realize now that [my mom] was booking us so we weren’t home.” But Dumont always knew where to find her father. His office was Chuck’s Place, a local bar. And she knew the
“
You know how all the presidents look older after they’ve served? I kind of feel that way. —Judith Dumont
Dean of Continuing Education
”
phone number by heart. Sometimes she even visited him there. One afternoon, Dumont walked into the bar, grabbed a cue and began shooting pool with her sisters. Then she encountered a bar regular who called her by name. “Oh, you’re Judith!” he says. “You were on student council, and you won the writing contest.” Dumont’s father had never attended any of her school events, but
somehow, everyone at the bar knew who she was. She felt special, like she was a celebrity. But not all the memories of her father were pleasant. “We didn’t know what behavior was going to walk through the door when my dad got home,” Dumont says. “We were scared to go to bed sometimes. We would hear my dad’s truck and we would hide and say, ‘Oh, what’s he going to do?’ Some nights it was fine, but other nights it wasn’t.” When Dumont was in sixth grade, her mother graduated from college and left her father. Her mother’s diploma allowed her to pursue a career in teaching, which gave Dumont and her siblings a more comfortable lifestyle. This was Dumont’s first lesson about the value of a college degree. “It was like an escape route,” she says. Noticing social injustices From a young age, Dumont saw injustice everywhere, and it seemed that girls and women were always treated differently. To her, nothing seemed fair. It wasn’t fair that her brother got to stay out until 2 a.m. while she had to be home by 11 p.m. It wasn’t fair that her father didn’t pay child support when her mother was raising four children on $40,000 a year. “We didn’t have a choice but to be poor, and that made me mad,” she says. She recalls sitting in a church pew with her siblings and feeling the stares of the congregation piercing through them during the sermon. See Social, page 8 ➤
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Social justice, dedication to students drive Dumont Continued from page 7 sermon. Everyone knew her father was in prison. They pitied her, and it pissed her off. Sometimes Dumont took her aggression out at school. “I popped off at teachers and was suspended a lot,” she says. “I was suspended once a year. Seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade and 11th grade. I skipped so much that I wouldn’t have graduated if I didn’t forge a bunch of letters from doctors.” Later, after she began working, she found more inequity. It wasn’t fair that a male colleague who had the same education as she did was taken more seriously than she was. And it wasn’t fair that every time she went to lunch with an older male mentor, she was automatically accused of sleeping with them for a promotion. It felt as if the whole world was against her. Finding her path Dumont knew at an early age that if she wanted to go to college, she would have to pay for it herself. Before graduating high school, Dumont was not happy at home. Her mother’s second husband had abusive tendencies. During her senior year, she basically lived out of her car because she didn’t want to go home. This strained her relationship with her mother. After graduating high school in 1995, she headed to Oklahoma State University. But she quickly realized that college was more expensive than she originally thought. “I could barely feed myself,” she says. “I was giving plasma to eat. I had to choose between shelter and school.” Dumont ended up choosing shelter. “I felt like a dropout and a quitter,” she says. At 19, with only $50 in the bank, Dumont wasn’t sure where to go. She was dating a law school student who was moving to Dallas, so she decided to move there and live with him. “It’s like a stupid 'Thelma and Louise' story,” she says now. Her boyfriend was the “perfect guy,” until he drank. Dumont soon saw that he was an alcoholic, just like her father. After living together for two months, he started becoming physically abusive. Dumont tried to get all
ALEJANDRA ROSAS/THE ET CETERA
Left, Dumont points out the United States to Ryder on a map mural. Above, Dumont pushes Ryder on a swing in the park.
of her belongings out so she could leave before he returned home one day, but she was too late. The two began arguing, and he hit her several times. She left with nothing but the clothes on her back. “I didn’t have a place to live for three to four weeks,” she says. “I stayed on [a friend’s] couch. I could have gone home, but I was too stubborn.” Five days before Christmas, Dumont moved into her own apartment. She recalls spending Christmas Eve listening to Christmas carols on the radio while sitting on her twin mattress. The only other furniture was an end table she found on the side of the road. “It was a dark time,” she says. “It was then I knew I needed to start doing something different. I just didn’t know what it was yet.” Dumont picked up extra shifts at the restaurant where she worked. Within a year, she earned enough money to go back to school at Richland College. This time, college was her escape route.
Fighting for social justice Today Dumont holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and a master’s degree from the University of North Texas. She is currently shopping for a college to begin work on her doctorate in educational leadership. While in graduate school, Dumont interned with Youth First Texas, a nonprofit agency that works with young runaways, ages 14 to 22, in the LGBTQ community. She chose the organization because one of her best friends in college came out as a lesbian as was kicked out by her parents. The internship led to a permanent position where she gained experience in administration. She sorted budgets, created programs and worked with agencies to find money. While working there, Dumont helped create a counselors group, survivors group, gender identity group and a Coming Out 101 program. “The gender question fascinated me,” she says. “I like anyone who challenges the system.” Dumont was selected to be a part of the “NOH8” campaign, a pho-
tographic silent protest in response to California’s Proposition 8, which prohibited same-sex couples from marrying. She was also a part of the 2009 Equality March in Washington D.C., which she attended with several of her Youth First kids. Her academic career began in June 2010, when Dumont became the program coordinator of the Gateway to College program at Eastfield. She quickly moved up to associate dean of college readiness and mathematics in December 2011, and three years later she became the associate dean for arts and communications. While in this position, she created The Link, a tutoring center for students enrolled in English, reading, writing or language courses. “In just a very short amount of time, she created a space in the library,” Wolf said. “We didn’t have a location for [The Link], so she created a space for it.” By December 2015, Dumont had moved up to her current position as an executive dean. In the past year, she has found ways to strengthen the college’s brand as well as the individual programs in the Workforce, Corporate and Continuing Education Division. “The thing I am most proud of is the team I hired,” she says. “Young people, fresh out of school and grad school that are ready to make a difference.” Reuniting with family Despite their rocky history, Dumont reconciled with both her parents. A few weeks before Thanksgiving, Dumont got a phone call. Her father had had a stroke. His organs began to shut down, and he was unable to control his body.
Family and friends came to visit Dumont’s father in his last few days, knowing there wasn’t much the doctors could do. He died Nov. 17. “[I’m] just really grateful I had as much closure as I did with him because absolutely nothing was left unsaid,” she said. While Dumont was in Oklahoma, she went through her father’s apartment and came across a few items. She found her father’s GED certificate, his voter registration card and a scrapbook with everything Dumont and her siblings had ever accomplished. “He had every news clipping,” she said. “Even though he wasn’t emotionally present and sometimes not even physically.” The favorite thing she found was his silver identification bracelet. Dumont wears it from time to time and thinks of him. Dumont is still healing from her loss. She feels as if she is in the middle and doesn’t know how she is doing yet. Dumont often draws upon her father’s energy and wants to enlighten people about him. “I try to think about what was really good about him and what was really beautiful about him, and how I can present those same characteristics,” she said. While happy with her successes, Dumont knows she will face further challenges, both professional and personal. But she plans to draw energy from a source that has never betrayed — her self-confidence as a strong woman. “It gives me a sense of relief that I can be a big, loudmouth, sassy girl that’s not going to roll over and be told who I am and what to think,” she says. “I’ve been called a bitch more in the last year than I have been in my life, but I’m OK with it.”
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Colorful, multimedia art highlight nature, humanity By KATRINA BOND Life & Arts Editor @KatBondETC
From bold, vibrant colors to soft pastels; from photography series to installation pieces, the new art exhibits featuring work from outside artists use a diverse range of media and subject matter. On Jan. 26, two new art exhibits opened on campus. Gallery 219 features Shamsy Roomiani’s “Botanica Spectrum,” and the H Gallery hosts Carlos Donjuan’s “Just Be.” Roomiani’s work focuses on nature with objects such as leaves, gems and fungi depicted in vibrant, psychedelic colors. The exhibit displays digital collages, resin sculpture and installation pieces. “I grew up in a garden,” Roomiani said. “Nature speaks to me.” Roomiani collects specimens from around her neighborhood and carefully arranges them inside tubes and jars displayed on shelves. She also uses digital photography, creating collages from her photos of nature, then manipulating the image and altering the colors to make them more vivid. “[I inspect] specific items, and then that inspires a piece,” Roomiani said.
TV REVIEW
Roomiani also has a series of rocklike objects that appear to be natural, but she actually makes them herself. “I had to carve original objects, then make a mold and then pour the resin in it, mix it all up, add different colors, and then I went in and manipulated some of it,” Roomiani said. Roomiani’s favorite project was her natural botanical dye prints. The prints are dark and look like galaxies, colors expanding and bleeding onto one another. “It’s made with vegetables and plant material, and I secreted the dyes from it so it dyed the paper,” she said. “It’s a surprise every time I open it up because I never know what it’s going to look like.” Roomiani earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas as well as a business degree. She works as a professional printmaker and illustrator. Donjuan’s series “Just Be” features paintings, photography and sculpture. The work on display depicts masked people to represent a feeling of alienation, he said. Many of Donjuan’s pieces are untitled, including a large white headdress. The mask is enormous, white and furry with a pink, scaly face and tiny blue pompoms for eyes.
PHOTOS BY DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA
Above, Carlos Donjuan's work, "Untitled (White Head Dress)" with "Ari Dylan Donjuan with Masks" behind it. Top right, a piece from Roomiani’s series, “Comet Sculptures.” Bottom right, gallery visitors examine Roomiani's works.
“It’s more about embracing who you are and your culture,” Donjuan said. “It started from that idea of immigration.” Donjuan moved to America at 3 and grew up in the United States. He draws inspiration from his experiences as an immigrant, much of his work depicting the idea of what it is to be “alien.” He believes his artwork will resonate with people, especially if they have ever felt like they don’t belong. Donjuan earned a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Texas in
San Antonio. He teaches painting and drawing at UT-Arlington and El Centro. The subjects in most of Donjuan’s paintings and photographs are people he has a personal relationship with. However, he used some of his students as models for the “Just Be” photo series. Iris Bechtol, Eastfield’s gallery coordinator, believes the exhibits will inspire students to use a variety of media. “The diversity of materials that each artist is exhibiting is really great
for the students,” she said. Seeing successful artists working in a variety of media can help students with their own art projects, Bechtol said. “It’s really interesting for two very diverse bodies of art opening at the
‘Series of Unfortunate Events’ mysterious, binge-worthy By LANDON WILLIAMS Staff Writer @TheEtCetera
If you are looking for entertainment that leaves you feeling happy and content, do not watch “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” If you are looking for a deep and meaningful mystery filled with secret organizations, answers that only lead to more questions and a brokenhearted crocodile, then look no further than this eight-episode season streaming on Netflix. The best description for this show can be found in its title. There are no happy endings. There is no hope for the newly orphaned Baudelaire siblings. The few moments of joy make the depressing parts even sadder. The show encompasses the despair that filled the original book series, written and “narrated” by Daniel Handler under the persona Lemony Snicket. The series far surpasses the 2004 movie adaption.
The first season covers the first four books in the series. From fierce and formidable leeches to a sawmill that’s in desperate need of a worker’s union, the orphans survive by taking care of one another in the darkest of circumstances. Violet the inventor, Klaus the reader and Sunny the biter work together to take on increasingly haunting situations brought about by the despicable Count Olaf. The Count was written to be a slightly goofy but sinister villain who leads a theater troupe hell-bent on stealing the Baudelaire’s fortune. Neil Patrick Harris plays the role flawlessly. Harris lives and breathes theater which makes him perfect to play the Count. I believe the most important character in any story is the villain. Without a good villain, the story would be empty and meaningless.
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Neil Patrick Harris embodies Count Olaf, the villian of Netflix’s vision of “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
Harris brings the Count to life in a way that Jim Carrey wasn’t able to do in the 2004 film. Harris uses overthe-top facial expressions and dramatic, theatrical movements to make you fall in love with the character. The show is narrated by Snicket,
played by Patrick Warburton, known for “Seinfeld” and his voiceover work in Disney’s “The Emperor’s New Groove” and “Family Guy.” Every time Snicket appears on the screen, you know your vocabulary is about to increase. He starts out each scene
by giving the audience a new word or phrase, then explaining what it means and how it ties into what is going on in the orphans’ lives. A few parts of the show do feel a bit cheesy, and the acting can sometimes feel overdone, but the great moments far outshine the bad. Part of me wondered if some scenes were meant to be cheesy on purpose. The orphans sometimes seem too happy, and Count Olaf ’s acting troupe can be over-the-top. In the end, every part fits together well, and the production team kept the original story mostly intact, so you won’t hear much complaining coming from me as a fan of the original books. “A Series of Unfortunate Events” fits right in with the steady stream of amazing original content exclusive to Netflix. The only disappointment you’ll be left with is when you realize you’ve finished watching all eight episodes in one sitting.
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Calendar
February
Wed
Recital Series: Trombonist Eston Bell, 12:30 p.m., F-117
Thu
Debate: “Poet Nikki Giovanni vs. Rap Artist Nicki Minaj: a Rhetorical Analysis of Language and Meaning,” 9:30 a.m., G-101
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9
Wed
15
Reception: Black History Month display “No Matter the Crisis of Storm, Education Institutions Were Born,” 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., library, display on view Feb. 6-28 Recital Series: Fredrick Sanders Quintet, 12:30 p.m., F-117
Thu
Panel discussion: “The Crisis in Law and Order: Race, Trust and Police Legitimacy,” 11 a.m., C-135
Tue
African-American History Month Read-in, 12:30 p.m., S-100
Wed
Lecture: “Pleasant Hill Quilters: The Secret Codes of the Underground Railroads,” 11 a.m., location S-100
16 21
22 Tue
28
Recital Series: Vocalist Barbara Hill, 12:30 p.m., F-117 Discussion: “Examining the Anti-Black Stereotypes in Pop Culture,” presented by History 1302 students, 9:30 a.m., C-135
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MOVIE REVIEW
‘Comedian’ dumps cliches for laughs By ANTHONY RESENDEZ Reporter @TheEtCetera
“The Comedian,” starring Robert De Niro, Danny DeVito, Leslie Mann, Harvey Keitel and many other stars of television and film, takes a realistic approach to the classic boy meets girl archetype, shaking off clichés in the often-overdone romantic comedy genre. The plot is about a comedy icon named Jackie (De Niro) hitting the low end of a successful career. He falls deeper into insecurity after assaulting a heckler during a performance. Jackie meets Harmony (Mann) at a volunteer soup kitchen, where he is serving community service and she is in the middle of an argument with her ex. As the two get to know each other, Harmony gradually realizes that she has to stand up for herself. From when they meet, the two inspire each another’s different life perspectives. Jackie is the jerk with a heart. Harmony proves to be a scarred but hardened love interest. DeVito plays the supportive brother on a leash, and Keitel plays the father with natural vanity. The characters were well played and believable.
COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Robert De Niro plays a struggling comic, and Leslie Mann is his love interest.
As Jackie tries to reshape himself, audiences stop seeing him as the television persona from earlier in his career. As dramatic as the film sounds, it has its fair share of comedy to lighten the mood. From start to finish, the script played out the same girl meets guy drama, yet felt different. Harmony was not as traditional as the love interests in most romantic films. There were many obvious and a couple clever jokes, which covered ethnicity, sexual orientation and especially profanity. Some of the jokes could be considered offensive. Typically, those kinds of jokes would be taboo, but because of the crude humor,
Jackie finds himself in one viral video after another, promoting his career. Not everything meshed well, however. Some scenes featured different comedians performing with no significance to the plot. More or less, they felt like forced cameos or comic relief. A couple did interact with Jackie, which brings me to the next factor overused in the film: There would always be someone referencing Jackie’s TV character. The viral videos stuck out since they proved convincing, looking like something that could have come straight off of 2008 YouTube. “The Comedian” gives a satisfying experience regardless of the cons. It is an entertaining, well made film.
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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. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or sent to etc4640@dcccd.edu.
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OUR VIEW
Trump’s antagonism of press threatens First Amendment Less than a week after President Donald Trump placed his hand on the Bible and swore to honor and uphold the United States Constitution, he shook the country with more than a dozen executive orders of questionable constitutionality and repeatedly voiced contempt for the press, the First Amendment and the freedoms it promises in a series of speeches and tweets which are ironically protected by the very cornerstone of American democracy he wishes to abolish. And unfortunately, President Trump is not the only member of his administration to share such views. Press Secretary Sean Spicer, whose entire job revolves around media relations, held a Jan. 28 press conference that quickly devolved into a lecture railing against the White House press corps. Assistant to the President and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has referred to the press as “the opposition” and explicitly told journalists to “shut up.” An administration unwilling to recognize these freedoms with anything other than unabashed disdain is not an administration that is willing to protect its people. A free press is essential for a free country. The founding fathers valued it so highly that it was among the first to be protected alongside speech, assembly, religion and petition in the Constitution.
Just as freedom of speech guarantees the right for all Americans to express themselves without fear of censorship, freedom of the press guarantees a platform where information, whether critical or not, can be shared freely among the American people. Without either, we are effectively blind and mute in the eyes of the government. No one expects the press and the government to agree on everything. Bias and misleading or otherwise incorrect information in journalism should be rightly condemned. But the Trump administration’s eagerness to brand anything disagreeable as “fake news” is not just a recipe for disaster — it’s a mockery of American principles, and we as student journalists feel compelled to speak out. President Trump referring to journalists as “the most dishonest people on Earth” while counterintuitively threatening to “open up” libel laws for his own benefit goes against everything the Constitution represents. And once the press is censored, the people aren’t far behind. Perhaps Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway can answer to these transgressions with a few of her “alternative facts,” but for the rest of us, the truth of a free and independent press will do nicely.
Wednesday, February, 2017
Trump touches Bible, doesn't catch on fire
On an otherwise gloomy Friday in WashCaitlin ington, D.C., forPiper mer steak tycoon and “Home Alone 2” star Donald Trump descended the stairs of the United States Capitol to address the world as the 45th president of the United States, proving once and for all that anyone can persevere in the face of reason in the greatest nation on Earth. I watched the inauguration with a smile plastered on my face, thinking about all those trade regulations we’d be pushing on China before I had to stop and adjust the “Make America Great Again” button I’d picked out of a box from Beijing six months before. Here stood living proof that even a complete nobody could become a world leader in the blink of an eye, and I knew I was watching history being made as he shook Barrack Obama’s hand and took to the stage before Michelle could slip in her earplugs. Trump repeated the oath like a man who had lots of experience swearing on the Bible. I was so happy to finally have a true Christian president that I almost missed the opening words to his speech: “First they ignore you,” President Trump told the audience through uproarious applause, careful to keep his hands hidden behind the podium. “Then they laugh at you. Then they vote for you. Then you win. Muhammed Gandhi said that, and I think we all know he’s an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more!” When Barrack and Michelle boarded the helicopter after the event was over, Trump and first lady Melania walked them to the aircraft just as the Obamas did for the Bushes eight years ago. After the @POTUS Twitter account switched control from Obama to Trump, it shared a snapshot from the inauguration showing a crowd of more than 2 million people. Strangely, the photographer seemed to have missed Trump and shot the Obamas instead. The air only got more lively as all the relevant people made their way to the stage. Hillary Clinton said her piece before popping a Xanax and gritting her teeth at Bill. Former President George W. Bush, ever the loveable kidster, brought back eight years of fond memories as he declared war on his poncho. The day ended on a high note, the air still ringing with Trump’s delightful homage to “The Dark Knight Rises” as Press Secretary Sean Spicer counted up attendance again and again. A president who tells it like it is and is a fan of DC Comics? We are truly entering a golden age of America.
OPINION
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Government must take action to stop climate change
How is it possible that the most important global dilemma our generation has inherited can be refuted due to party alignment? On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump affirmed that he would specifically target former President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, according to a statement atwhitehouse.gov. The statement, addressing an “An America First Energy Plan,” says that Trump’s administration plans to eliminate policies that regulate the energy industry, such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule. It goes on to say that the administration plans to utilize shale, oil and coal to supply energy. President Trump’s administration went further by completely eliminating any reference to climate change on the whitehouse.gov website. On Jan. 24, the president signed an executive order and four presidential memorandums intended to streamline the environmental review process of the Keystone XL Pipeline,
David Silva
Dakota Access Pipeline and other forms of domestic manufacturing. This paired with the president’s claim that climate change is a Chinese hoax intended to cripple U.S. businesses leaves me petrified about what’s to come in the next four years. We can no longer afford to make climate change, global warming and other infringements on our environment partisan issues. The common argument against the validity of man-made global warming is that the Earth has periods in which it warms and subsequently cools. While that observation isn’t necessarily incorrect, comparing NASA’s data on carbon dioxide, methane and
other greenhouse gas levels over the past 400,000 years shows steady influxes every 100,000 years until about the 1950s, when levels have increased exponentially higher. Other arguments include the seemingly undramatic increases in the earth’s global temperature and sea levels. For those who deem a 3.4 millimeter sea level rise per year as nothing to worry about or a 1.7 degree Fahrenheit global temperature increase since 1880 as not a big deal, one must understand that these seemingly small changes already have evident consequences. Long and intense heat waves, changes in precipitation patterns and the destruction of coastal habitats have all occurred in the past year. On the very same day that Trump’s administration reshaped the whitehouse.gov website, the World Meteorological Organization reported that 2016 was the hottest year on record, dating back to 1880. Out of the 10 hottest years in the 136-year span, all but one has happened after 2000, ac-
Trump’s plans promise prosperity for America When I first heard Donald Trump on the campaign trail talking about his vision for a better America, I was drawn in. He was not speaking in ideological terms or rhetoric. He was speaking about real issues and problems faced by Americans on both sides of the aisle. President Trump is calling for a complete reformation of our system: term limits for Congress, antilobbying laws and economic and job reform. These are not partisan issues, but American issues. I may not agree entirely with the president, but I believe he has the best interests of the American people at heart. Even before he was sworn in to office, he worked to get jobs back into the economy. His love of his country and its people will drive him to succeed. Despite news reports propagating fear and anger, the American people are not buying it anymore. Despite his tough stance on immigration, he has said he wants to work on a plan that would allow Dreamers, children illegally brought to the U.S. by relatives, to stay in the country. “They got brought here at a very young age,” Trump told Time magazine. “They’ve worked here. They’ve gone to school here. Some were good
Jon-Mark Tamez
students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.” In Trump’s infamous great wall speech, he mentioned mass deportations. From that, his critics branded him racist. He later clarified by saying that he would deport the 2 million to 3 million “criminal aliens” in America. Trump wants to keep America safe. This is why he plans to build a border wall and why he has temporarily banned people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S. His critics state that he wants to deport Muslim citizens and bar all Muslims from entering the United States. In actuality, his policy is to set up a more stringent background check for immigrants from high-risk, war-torn areas. Last June, Trump spoke at length about the threat of terrorism and how terrorists posing as refugees could
come into the U.S. and plan attacks or radicalize the indigenous Muslim population of the country, much like what has been seen in Europe. “That is why one of my first acts as president will be to establish a commission on radical Islam, which will include reformist voices in the Muslim community who will hopefully work with us,” he said. “We want to build bridges and erase divisions.” Trump displays a willingness to work with people whom his opponents claim he hates. His current policies aim to build trust and fix problems at a community level. If Trump achieves half of his promises, America will be better for it. Thousands of new, well-paying new manufacturing jobs are on the horizon. America is a sleeping giant of manufacturing, and even agriculture, with untapped potentional in many sectors that can make America a powerhouse. America’s true potential can be realized by a man who understands how to unlock it from a business standpoint. This country has deep divisions in class, race, politics. But Trump is, and wants to be, a president for all Americans. Trump is a rare kind of politician: one who keeps his promises.
cording to NASA. Not only does global temperature change disrupt the planet’s interdependent ecosystems, but projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline are direct environmental hazards to the surrounding soil, water and wildlife. Trump’s further proclamations to fast-track environmental reviews also threaten to make the most common infrastructure projects environmental liabilities. We must face the fact that climate change is occurring, and changing this course is going to be extremely difficult. Even if greenhouse emissions stopped overnight, the present concentrations in the atmosphere will cause at least a half-degree temperature increase. In finding a solution for climate change, the problem deepens. However, the conversation cannot begin if validity is still disputed and used as a political weapon. The bottom line in climate change reform is that renewable energy op-
tions are available. And although they are not as cheap or as common as our present energy providers, solar panels, wind turbines and electronic cars become cheaper and more reliable every year. This progress, with government support, is the future of global energy. Unfortunately, large oil and natural gas industries are the largest resistors of this change. Environmental regulations will make them accountable for their various emissions and will ultimately make clean renewable energy sources the industry leaders. Oil companies that have the resources to lobby elected officials have Republicans insistent on staying in the past, and that has bleed over into the party’s core ideology. It’s essential for us to be fully informed about the consequences industries have on our planet and for us to demand our elected officials, including our president (yeah, our president), to accept climate change as fact and allow the conversation to continue from there.
THE HOT TOPIC Based on the presidency so far, how do you feel about the next four years? “I’m actually kind of scared because right now, he’s putting gag orders on science associations …and I feel like we’re falling into the world of ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ because if he’s going to take control like that, what do we know is really the truth?” Alysa Irvin, Marine Biology Major
“I’m really worried. I’m scared about our future. I feel like [Trump’s] anger, his lack of being able to control his temper is going to have us have a lot of enemies.” Tina Sing, Deaf Studies Major
“I feel optimistic about the next for years, because on his first day he already signed executive orders, and that’s more than any other presidents have done.” Nick Singleton, Biology Major
“I’m hopeful that we become less a country of political extremists. Socially, in terms of my dear friend Shazia [Ali] and my DACA students, I’m nervous about some of those things because their situations are very real, and their fears are real.” Mike Walker, Dean of Social Sciences Division
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Baseball vs. North Central Basketball vs. Brookhaven Baseball vs. Bossier Parish Basketball at Mountain View Baseball at Texas Wesleyan Basketball vs Cedar Valley
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1997 national champions reunite, reminisce By JULIO VEGA Sports Editor @JulioVegaETC
Eight men step out onto the same court where, 20 years ago, they had played and practiced through the season leading up to the first national championship in Eastfield sporting history. The sound of squeaking shoes has long subsided, but the memories of that season still live on for members of the 1997 Eastfield Harvesters basketball team. Eight of the 11 former players reunited on Jan. 14 for the 20-year anniversary to reminisce about that winning season over lunch with coaches Bob Flickner and Mark Murdock. Then they met up at the home gym to see Eastfield’s current team host North Lake. At halftime, those present honored them as they walked back on the court. The championship team consisted of Henry Williams, Chuck Young, Rodrick Clarke, Devin Williams, Byron Bynum, John Baker, Jay York, Will Young, Cordell Ray Jr., Ray Lee and Greg Monroe. Among those present were Assistant to the President Sharon Cook, former Eastfield President Rodger Pool and former Et Cetera sports editor Michael Morrill. Flickner described the moment as special and was glad to see the players he once coached living their own lives. “All those guys did so much for me and so much for the school,” he said. “They’re a great group of guys. Being able to mesh [them] together is the biggest part of a coach’s task as well as developing that chemistry and culture where the guys want to play their best for the team.” Chuck Young remembers how in the start of the season, “Indian Relays” were the norm for conditioning. “We had 30 guys, and the last person in line would have to run up to the front,” he said. “We hated them!” Ray Jr. said the team spent that Thanksgiving with Flickner’s family, being treated “like one of their own.” York has fond memories of practice. “We just used to have a lot of fun, cutting up in practice,” he said. “But there were tough practices, and it was
Flickner (right) and Murdock laugh while telling stories before handing out old jerseys.
PHOTOS BY ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA
Back row left to right: Bob Flickner, Jay York, Will Young, Cordell Ray Jr., Ray Lee, Greg Monroe, Mark Murdok. Front row left to right: Chuck Young, Byron Bynum, Henry Williams. Other team members who were unable to make the trip to the tribute are Rodrick Clarke, Devin Williams and John Baker.
a lot of hard work. The fun we would have, goofing off and picking on each other, was probably the best thing about it.” Will Young remembers a few instances that brought him to laughter while at the national tournament in Delhi, New York. “We got grounded,” he said. “We actually went up and hiked the mountain one night and weren’t supposed to. We were supposed to be in our rooms. Coach Flickner had said, ‘Where were y’all at?! What are y’all doing?! There could have been an avalanche or something!’ Between that and our assistant coach almost running off the road because he saw a turkey that flew out in front of the van. He had yelled, ‘Oh my gosh! Did y’all see that turkey?’ So yeah, that was pretty funny.” In the national tournament during the 1996-1997 season, things weren’t always looking bright for the Harvesters. Down by 3 points in the semifinal, Eastfield eventually overcame Gloucester County College, then ranked first in the nation, to book a place in the final. York stepped up in the semis, scoring the final 4 points on a layup and two free throws to seal the victory. “Emotions were running high
[and] nerves were running high,” he said. “It was just a great feeling knowing we were one step [away from] the national championship.” The team faced Jefferson Community College of New York in the final. Trailing by 4 points with less than a minute to play, Eastfield fought back to win the national title. Chuck Young was especially relieved once it was over. “It was a lot of jubilation and excitement and anxiety,” he said. Will Young believes the bond between his teammates was the key to winning the title. “Anything could have happened, but all you can do is trust your teammates,” he said. “Y’all worked that hard to get where you are at.” Ray Jr., who holds the campus record for season rebounding with an average of 11.1 per game, was named the 1997 National Player of the Year after the season ended. “Winning that meant a lot,” he said. “I couldn’t have won Player of the Year without my teammates … and my coaches. That was us persevering and going over the edge, winning the national championship.” The players gave a lot of the credit to the coaches. Without their support and guidance, they said, history
would not have been made that year. Flickner described his assistant, Murdock, as a “sponge” who was always hungry to learn more. “He really energized me and the team,” Flickner said. “He even got me to do some basketball camps in Europe. Spiritually, we were on the same wavelength.” Twenty years later, many of the players have moved across the state, the country and even abroad. Ray, described as a “tall and intelligent player” by Flickner, transferred to Hawaii Pacific University, then served in the U.S. Army until 2006. He now works with the FBI and is assigned in Washington D.C. Chuck Young transferred to the University of North Texas and is now in gym management, working as a personal trainer at Impact Fitness at White Rock Lake. York racked up 96 career field goals. Described by Flickner as an “intelligent,” “fun” and “savvy” player, he transferred to Texas A&M-Commerce and now works as a regional director for Mylan Pharmaceuticals, overseeing the Southeast area of the U.S. Will Young, a “mountain of a man” standing at 6’7”, transferred to Oakland City University in Indiana
and won another national title his senior year in 1999. After, he joined Christian organization Athletes in Action and has traveled to New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa. Williams, known as “Little Henry” to Flickner, also stuck with basketball. He now officiates games at all levels in the Dallas area, including high school. Bynum now lives in Minnesota, where he has run his own barbershop for nearly 18 years. Baker, who holds 249 career assists, received his masters in divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary in 2007. He is now the lead pastor at Antioch Community Church in Salt Lake City. Monroe, a “strong rebounder” and “a real force on the court,” now lives in College Station. Murdock is a managing partner at CryoUSA in Dallas, which helps athletes with fitness and physical therapy. Flickner retired from coaching in 1998, but he continued working as the athletic director until 2005. He was inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame in January 2016. He is currently a fitness trainer and teaches tennis at Eastfield. Flickner believes it was God’s blessing that he has had such a lasting impact on the athletic program at Eastfield. He wants to continue that legacy for many more years. “Keep on keeping on,” he said. “I’m very thankful for continuing to serve the students, the school and the community to the best of my ability each and every day.”
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Harvesters held to 3-3 in conference By BEN ENSIGN Reporter @TheEtCetera
Metro Athletic Conference play is more than halfway complete, and the Eastfield Harvesters basketball team has stumbled to a 3-3 record. A loss in the past two games has seen them drop to third place in the league standings. While the Harvesters are still ranked fifth nationally with an overall record of 19-6, they have been inconsistent in games against conference opponents. They lost their opening game to North Lake 116-110 in overtime, then won their next three, defeating Brookhaven 105-92, Mountain View 95-84 and Cedar Valley 109-94. However, that momentum ended with losses to Richland, 100-88, and North Lake, 76-74. The four remaining games are crucial for Eastfield’s chances of advancing to the
ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA
Sean Odum bodies off defenders versus North Lake.
regional tournament and beyond. “We’ve have got to find a way to get ourselves in a good position for the tournament,” coach Anthony Fletcher said. “There’s a lot of basketball to be played still.” Fletcher wants to keep the Harvesters focused from game to game. He knows what’s at stake nearing the start of the postseason. With a spot in the national tournament on the line, there isn’t much room for error. “We ask for perfection even though it is impossible, because when you go for perfection, you will find success,” he said. “It starts with defense. We’ve got to defend. We’ve got to play hard. Hopefully, we can make some baskets as well.” Despite their recent struggles, the Harvesters still believe they can finish the season strong. “We have very high confidence, and it gets higher with every game,” point guard JJ Murray said. “We have great depth
with 10-plus guys that can play, and we play good team basketball.” The Harvesters have six players averaging double digits in scoring. “Everybody on the team can score,” said shooting guard D’Angelo Streeter, who leads Eastfield in scoring, averaging 20.1 points per game so far this season. “There are mismatches at every position. We all have a winning attitude and make sure to focus on winning the next game ahead.” Fletcher said Eastfield must limit its mistakes and improve its overall play in order to advance in the postseason. He said the team is aiming for at least the second seed, but they will fight for first until the very end. Eastfield will host Brookhaven tonight at 7 p.m. and will visit Mountain View on Feb. 11. Next week, they host Cedar Valley on Feb. 15 and visit Richland on Feb. 18 to wrap up conference play. —Julio Vega contributed to this report
SPORTS
Pats’ comeback is no match against socially divisive ads Briefs What was supposed to be a runaway game for the Atlanta Falcons turned into the New England Patriots’ greatest comeback and, arguably, the greatest performance in Super Bowl history. The game was thrilling and captivating. But the ads stole the show. Again. This year’s list included many experienced and rookie advertisers. Some filled living rooms with laughter, and some hit us all right in the feels. Others carried stark political or social messages that had everyone in awe or shock. In light of the Super Bowl hangover, here are our top five most watch-worthy commercials from Sunday night. —Compiled by Julio Vega
→ Kia’s “A Hero’s Journey”
Incredibly hilarious with a subtle but strong message, this ad stars comedy actress Melissa McCarthy as she travels the globe attempting to save the environment. And fails. Miserably. The irony of the message is that no matter how much you may try to save the environment, whales, icecaps or rhinos, nature will come right back to bite you in the ass. So instead of trying to save the world by the way of tree-hugging, save it through technology. Buy the hybrid Kia Niro with up to 51 mpg. That’s what I call marketing.
→Hyundai’s Live “Operation Better”
Hyundai set the bar high by promising to air its ad live. The result was mind-blowing. The ad showed soldiers stationed in Poland enjoying the biggest
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game of the year alongside family members back home with 360-degree cameras and a circular projection room. What makes this so impressive is how Hyundai’s TV crew was able to put this together just as the game’s transmission ended, showing game reactions from the soldiers. An excellent homage to those who have served.
→ Audi’s “Daughter”
When a father’s love for his daughter meets the social cry for gender equality, it seems inevitable that tears will flow. Bringing in the “aww” then “wow” factor, this ad depicts a dad talking about the world his daughter will grow up in as she races down a hill in a soapbox derby, beating the male competitors. Its
message on how women can compete with and rise above their male counterparts is the main message presented in the commercial, supporting Audi’s stance on equal pay. An inspiring message to women and young girls.
→ Budweiser’s “Born the Hard Way” When the world’s largest beer brewer makes a statement about immigration, it’s hard to miss. Going back to its roots, Budweiser’s ad shows Adolphus Busch, co-founder of the AnheuserBusch beer brewing company, traveling from his German homeland to St. Louis and facing xenophobia, hardship and rejection. It’s a blatantly obvious message, especially considering the political climate. People come from other countries in search of greater things. Without immigrants, one of the world’s most famous names would have never taken shape. → 84 Lumber’s “The Entire Journey”
No doubt the most controversial commercial this year, it depicts a Mexican mother and daughter travelling north to the U.S. border. In fact, the full commercial wasn’t even aired on television due to its content. What you didn’t see on TV had to be viewed on their website, which was the conclusion where they find a border wall. Sound familiar? Their website actually crashed because of the overwhelming traffic. The message was simple but powerful: “The will to succeed is always welcome here.” This is the story of many immigrants overcoming struggles, passing through the wall’s door, looking for hope and a new life.
OSER plans spring intramural events
The Office of Student Engagement and Retention has announced intramural sports events for the semester. Calling All Cards will take place Feb. 17. A chess tournament is scheduled for Feb. 21. Starting Feb. 22, Zumba, yoga, dance and cardio will be available at Workout Wednesdays until May 3. Saturday Open Gym will begin Feb. 11 and continue every other Saturday until May 6. 3v3 Basketball will run from March 7 to March 30. The 3-point shooting contest will be on March 10. The Volleyball 5v5 Tournament will be played on Fridays from March 24 to April 21. Tennis matches are from April 2 to April 22 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The RecFest Chill Out “Fun in the Sun” event will take place in April.
Baseball slumps in poor season start
The Eastfield Harvesters’ baseball season has started off slowly with five straight losses to Bossier Parish, Hill College and Ranger College. Eastfield hosts a game against North Central Texas today at 3 p.m.
Wrapup The Et Cetera
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Travel ban put on hold amidst intense controversy Continued from page 2 15 hours to see if their family members had been released or deported. “All of us here are here on our own time, for free,” attorney Peter Schulte said. “We’re not receiving any compensation. When you have something like this, an executive order that we feel, as legal scholars, is unconstitutional on its face, the concern is, ‘What’s next?’ If we don’t stop the administration on this, what’s going to happen to regular citizens? Although the number of lawyers stationed at Terminal D dropped as the week went on, Schulte confirmed that there would always be lawyers offering their services pro bono as long as the ban stayed in place. “We’re going to be here,” he said. “We’re here for the long haul. Things may quiet today because it’s a slower travel day, but we’re not leaving. We’re staying here until the courts rule that the executive order is unconstitutional, or there’s more guidance that they’re going to rescind that.” Shulte was one of six lawyers working to help Al Mansoor. The lawyers are gathering information about the detainees as family members come to them. Masri did not approach anyone until after he waited two hours for his brother. “If they have been back there for more than four hours, that’s when we start our process,” Schulte said, referring to the contacting of federal
judges and issuing a writ of habeas corpus, or an order to send a detained individual to the court issuing the order. In cases of the latter, airport security released detainees to their families within the hour. “We’ve been seeing that pattern over and over again,” Schulte said. “We feel like they are completely avoiding trying to get these cases in front of a federal judge.” Eastfield students and faculty were among the protestors at DFW Airport on Jan. 30, including professors Tolle, Matthews, Shazia Ali and Kat Reguero,. “I went to the airport to show solidarity with the people who are being detained because they are legal residents, they have legal visas,” Ali said. “I think, at some point, you have to take a stand and support others who are being unfairly stopped at the airport.” Ali is Muslim like many of the detainees and has been stopped at airports and asked to go through extra security. Although she has never been detained, she has sympathy for these families. Reguero has participated in a number of similar protests before. She said immigration issues are very important to her, and she believes that she has an obligation to protest this executive order. “For me, it’s not a blue and red thing,” she said. “It’s not liberal [or] conservative. It’s human rights.
PHOTOS BY JOSUE HERNANDEZ/THE ET CETERA
Supporters and loved ones flocked to DFW International Airport to protest President Donald Trump’s executive order placing a temporary moratorium on travel from seven Middle Eastern, Muslim-majority nations in an attempt to prevent terror attacks.
Whenever human rights are violated, that’s when I have a problem.” Ali was pleased with the protest. She felt there was a lot of hope there. “That’s the beauty of the country, that you can have that kind of protest in a public place, in an airport, and
everyone is there,” she said. “It was very heartwarming, a very inclusive affair. It was symbolic of what America stands for, which is diversity.” Although the order is currently suspended, Tolle does not believe it will stay that way.
“We’re going to have to probably protest again,” Tolle said. “I think this administration is very intent on doing this regardless of what the court has said, and [Trump] has already said that he doesn’t think the court has any say here.”