Eastfield Et Cetera Feb. 22, 2017

Etera

Eastfield College

Sweet release: vibrator play debuts See page 7 ➤

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Volume 48, Issue 9

A Nation in Protest Eastfield students, faculty voice their stance on Trump’s recent immigration policies

See page 5 ➤

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Panel examines minority, police tensions

By ANTHONY RESENDEZ Reporter @TheEtCetera

Patrick Patterson has been on both sides of the badge — as a black motorist pulled over by a white officer and as a military police and small-town cop.

Patterson, a criminal justice professor, said distrust between citizens and police is largely due a history of racial inequality.

“Considering the history of racial relations in this country, the police have to check their past, need to acknowledge that it’s their fault,” he said.

Many officers disapprove of racism among police, he said, but not enough is being done about it.

“We really need to look at legislative changes,” Patterson said. “Looking at old films, the things they did were not good at all to minorities. … Some of those mentalities still exist today.”

Patterson participated in the Crisis in Law and Order panel Feb. 16, which covered the history of police in America as well as topics including racism, legislation and trustworthiness between officers and citizens.

Richard Miles is president of Miles of Freedom, an organization that fights for wrongfully convicted individuals. Miles was wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years for murder and at-

tempted murder.

To him, the modern American prison system parallels the history of slavery in the United States.

“From personal experience, we have to peel back the walls of the prison system and then parallel it with the slavery mentality — disassociation of family, lack of education, lack of proper nutrition, working without being paid,” he said.

Miles said most people in the prison system are there because they defied police.

“At the end of the day, it boils down to authority and defiance of authority,” Miles said.

“And then defiance of authority is not a racial issue, it is an individual issue.”

Government professor Anthony Carr described the original purpose of enforcement as a means of achieving social control. Police and civilians don’t naturally clash, he said, but that one or both parties having a negative or belligerent attitude can escalate their interactions.

“Word choices that people use are very important,” he said. “It just takes two people making [conflict] for a situation to basically spiral into something negative.”

He referred to a recent case of a Fort Worth mother who called police to report an assault on her son and ended up in an altercation with the officer that resulted in her arrest. The charges were later dropped.

“It doesn’t take someone, especially from an

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

From left, history professor Elizabeth Nichols, criminal justice professor Patrick Patterson, Miles of Freedom President Richard Miles and government professor Anthony Carr discuss relations between police and minorities at a Feb. 16 panel.

African-American community, to invite negative things,” Carr said. “When a person starts out with a negative perception of you, typically it goes south from there anyway.”

Government professor Stacey Jurhree said that shared respect between citizens and police officers is crucial.

“A lot of these guys are doing what they’re not supposed to do,” he said. “Do what you’re

supposed to do, there will not be a problem.”

Audience member Javier Chaparro, an officer from Ferris, Texas, advised civilians to volunteer for neighborhood watches to better understand the perspective of police.

“You’re going to have a better perception of what to do and how to do it, to know what the officers go through by getting involved in Citizen’s Academy,” he said.

Nikki vs. Nicki: Speakers compare words of black female artists

By CHELSI HARRIS Reporter @TheEtCetera

One is a Grammy-nominated rap artist, the other a leading civil rights activist and poet.

But Nicki Minaj and Nikki Giovanni share something in common: their drive to break through the glass ceiling of societal expectations.

“These are two African-American women who have been considered controversial in their own right because of their language, the perception of who they are, what they represent, and our interpretations of the meaning behind some of their word choices,” said Courtney Carter Harbour, executive dean of Arts and Communications.

Harbour and former student Stephanie Sample compared the women’s work during “Nikki vs. Nicki: The Rhetorical Analysis of Language and Meaning,” a seminar held Feb. 9 for Black History Month.

They discussed the themes of love, selfawareness and women’s empowerment present in the works of Minaj and Giovanni.

Harbour was originally scheduled to speak alongside English professor Larissa Pierce,

Plan It Out More Black History Month Events Lecture: “Pleasant Hill Quilters: The Secret Codes of the Underground Railroads,” 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 22, S-100 Recital Series: Vocalist Barbara Hill, 12:30 p.m. Feb. 22, F-117 COURTESY OF RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

COURTESY OF NIKKI GIOVANNI

who had to drop out due to illness. Sample, a Long Beach, California, native and self-proclaimed freedom rider, stepped in.

Sample wasn’t familiar with Giovanni’s work before conducting research for the seminar, but she now references her as a pioneer for social and political change in the black community.

“She has paved the way and done a lot of work that gives me the ability to stand before you today in the skin that I’m in,” Sample said.

“I’m able to have freedom of expression because of people like Nikki Giovanni.”

Above, Nicki Minaj, a black hip-hop artist. Left, Nikki Giovanni, a black poet.

Harbour and Sample used Minaj’s “Pills and Potions” and Giovanni’s “I Have You” to determine whether love is dysfunction, bliss or somewhere in the gray area between.

They then analyzed the theme of selfawareness using Giovanni’s “Dreams” and Minaj’s “Moment for Life.”

The seminar concluded with the topic of what it means to be a “girl boss,” using Giovanni’s “Ego Tripping” and Minaj’s “Feeling Myself ” as points of reference.

The comparisons prompted dialogue with the audience on issues that impact women,

Discussion: “Examining the Anti-Black Stereotypes in Pop Culture,” presented

by History 1302 students, 9:30 a.m. Feb. 28, C-135

particularly those of African-American descent.

Subject matter ranged from body positivity to the use of the phrase “sex sells.”

Student Valerie Ramirez encouraged college officials to sponsor similar discussions in the future.

“I love it when we get to talk about feminism in a public forum, because then people who think they have idea of what feminism is can learn what it’s supposed to be,” she said.

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ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA

Former video game developer Gary Brubaker, who got his job at NASA, dishes out advice for getting a job in game development.

STEMinar highlights demand for designers

By JOEL SIERRA and ALYSSA R. FULLILOVE Reporter @TheEtCetera

Dozens of students, one dressed as Pikachu, gathered Feb. 7 to learn about career paths for aspiring video game developers.

Former game developer Gary Brubaker shared his experiences in the field in “Unexpected Ideas from the Video Game Industry,” part of the spring 2017 STEMinar series.

Brubaker directs Southern Methodist University’s Guildhall, a graduate-level video game development program that teaches art, design, production and programming.

While potential game-makers need creativity, he said, the most valued qualities in the market are technical competency and the ability to work in a team.

“Skills will get you the interview, and character will get you through the door,” he said.

Brubaker, who has a bachelor’s in physics and a master’s in business administration, started his programming career at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working on NASA’s Voyager and Galileo projects.

He switched to game development in 1992, joining LucasArts Entertainment to create “Star Wars: Rebel Assault,” “Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire,” “The Curse of Monkey Island,” “The Dig” and “Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine.”

He also worked for Stormfront Studios and Atari/Paradigm before

Plan It Out Next STEMinar Careers in Cybersecurity March 1: 12:30-1:30 p.m., S-100

joining Guildhall in 2004 to teach programming and game studies.

Brubaker said video games are a growth industry accounting for more sales than music and film combined.

He said PC and mobile games are outselling console games.

A huge demand exists for developers who know how to make games for Steam, an online digital distribution platform, he said.

Students in Brubaker’s program get hands-on experience and create multiple games before they graduate.

He showed students’ 3-D art, including a depiction of what a Starbucks would look in the fictional realm of “World of Warcraft.”

“Our students are very passionate,” he said.

Student Gentry Tovar, who critiques games, said he found the seminar informative and “learned that video games are not just for playing.”

Film major Anahi Reyna said she was curious about ways film and video games could be integrated aside from movies based on games.

“Nintendo of America has always been looking for commercial editors to promote their products,” she said. “So hopefully, in the near future, once I get my degree, I’m hoping to apply for that.”

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The stereotype of the broke college student holds some truth to it — with tuition, books and newfound independence, it can be difficult to manage what little money you have. Fortunately, there are resources specifically made to help students pay for college, become financially independent and have fun on a budget. Here are the five best financial blogs for students.

— Compiled by Katrina Bond

→ Cheap Scholar

College administrator Doug Schantz has spent years helping students and their families figure out how to pay for college.

He started his blog to share that knowledge, posting articles with information on financial aid, budgets, scholarship opportunities and affordable dating.

This blog is great for students because it has multiple posts for every category of finance you can think of, so students can continue to find helpful information even after graduation.

→ Studenomics

Martin Dasko believes that young adulthood should the most exciting time of your life, and he wants his readers to have the financial freedom to enjoy those years.

Instead of approaching personal finance from a penny-pinching standpoint, Dasko encourages his readers to blow money on fun things while still being smart about their savings.

Dasko also offers advice on investing in rental properties, world travel and taking the steps to finding your dream job while still making bank.

→ 20something Finance

While in his 20s, G.E. Miller realized he had zero savings, and consequently, zero financial independence.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Miller took a few years to master his money-saving techniques, and he now saves more than 85 percent of his income.

With more than 750 posts covering topics from frugality and budgeting to investing and retirement, this blog is the perfect starting place for students who want to do more with their money.

Despite the name, most of Miller’s readers are not in their 20s, but the advice is applicable for just about everyone.

→ The Penny Hoarder

CEO Kyle Taylor created what became The Penny Hoarder in 2010, when he was drowning in student debt.

While not specifically for students, The Penny Hoarder has great articles that don't just focus on ways to save money but ways to make money, as well.

Articles in the “Make Money” section detail the best ways to earn money from home, great ideas for side hustles and even guides to finding the best savings account for you.

Under the “Smart Money” category, you can learn how to rent an apartment with bad or no credit, how to survive sudden unemployment and how to pay off $30,000 in debt in 18 months.

→ Green Panda Treehouse

Four personal finance bloggers of varying ages and backgrounds started Green Panda Treehouse specifically for college students from all walks of life.

Complete with free spreadsheets, articles about building credit and lowering car insurance rates and information about finding a job after you graduate, Green Panda Treehouse knows exactly what students are looking for, whether they are just opening their first savings account or trying to get the most out of their tax return.

Week of Love: Battle of the Sexes

ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA

Joseph Alexander, secretary of the M.A.L.E.S. Club, moderates a Battle of the Sexes trivia competition Feb. 15 as the women's team discusses a trivia question. The competition was part of the Providing Hope, Awareness and Suicide Education initiative's Week of Love.

The women's team won the competiton.

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

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中国汽车学生访问学院

Chinese automotive students visit Eastfield

By DAVID SILVA Editor In Chief @DavidSilvaETC

With home more than 7,000 miles away, the instructors from Chongqing, China, knew that Eastfield would have a teaching culture very different than their own.

The delegation arrived on campus Feb. 13.

Their arrival was kicked off with an opening ceremony that included Dallas County Community College District Chancellor Joe May, Eastfield President Jean Conway, Executive Vice President Michael Gutierrez and many other Eastfield staff and DCCCD officials.

The visit is the result of Eastfield’s partnership with Global Corporate College, an organization that aims to provide training solutions for an expanding global economy.

Through this organization, Executive Dean of Workforce and Development Judith Dumont was able to pair Eastfield’s automotive program with 10 automotive institutions in Chongqing.

The instructors have traveled to the United States for the first time in their lives to learn about Eastfield’s automotive program, its teaching styles and the tools, machinery and vehicles to use.

The Chongqing instructors were taken through automotive technology courses with auto body faculty Carlos Ojeda and Martin Nicholas.

The group also toured the T building, had integrated class time with students and visited a professional body shop operation.

PHOTOS BY JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Clockwise from top left, Liu Jun examines a car engine in T building. Xiang Jiyong looks at the equipment and vehicles in the Eastfield auto shop. Chongqing instructors examines engine.

The campus visitors were quick to point out the novel distinctions between Eastfield and Chongqing.

“There are 171 [technical] col-

leges in Chongqing,” instructor Liu Jun said through an interpreter. “All the schools and colleges have a gate, a guard, and if you want to come in,

you have to go up and register your name.”

Delegates also said that Eastfield instructors are much more relaxed

and hands-on than those in Chongqing, where auto body professors hold traditional lectures.

“While China is preparing their students academically to compete and to be hired on a global level, the soft skills aren’t in place [such as] collaboration,” Dumont said.

Dumont believes that Eastfield’s style of teaching has made an impression on the delegation.

She believes that impression will transfer over to their teaching philosophies back home.

Ojeda credits their success to the teamwork behind the program.

“To be looked at from a country as far away as China, that says a lot about what we’re doing here,” he said.

With this partnership, Eastfield students and professors may soon get the opportunity to travel to Chongqing.

“The [delegation] leader already wants to talk to us about how we can engineer exchanges with faculty and students between the Chongqing region and Eastfield,” Dumont said.

“So hopefully we can send faculty students to learn from them.”

According to Dumont, visits between the two groups would allow both to learn more about the automotive technology industry on a global scale and be an experience of a lifetime for those involved.

“Hopefully it becomes this beautiful cycle of culture, international relations and study abroad,” Dumont said. “With how well this works, we can use this as a model to replicate with countries all over the world.”

The Chongqing visitors will remain at Eastfield until Feb. 24.

Heart walk

PHOTOS BY DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Faculty, administrators and staff in red attire walk across campus Feb. 8 to raise awareness for heart health and heart disease prevention.

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

ICE raids provoke unease across community

By KATRINA BOND Life & Arts Editor @KatBondETC

Students say they fear for themselves and their families in the wake of increased immigration enforcement stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

Architecture major Jessica Ortiz, a League of United Latin American Citizens member, said her mother’s friend was deported three weeks ago after being pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Now Ortiz fears being targeted despite her enrollment in President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants some legal protections to people who entered the country illegally as children.

“Everybody is worried, especially where I live, because I live in a Hispanic neighborhood,” she said.

“When I drive, I get nervous. I try to be careful now.”

Officials say no one has been detained in the Dallas area. Arrests across the U.S. have created anxiety.

“I’ve had six students now literally crying on my shoulder,” history professor Kat Reguero said. “I can reassure them as much as I can. I can empathize with them. But I am not in

If ICE Agents Show Up at Your Door:

ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA

History professor Kat Reguero, left, participated in the Feb. 18 march through Dallas in support of immigrants.

their situation, and I can’t offer them solid solutions.”

Thousands marched Feb. 18 in Dallas to support immigrants, two days after the national Day Without Immigrants, when people stayed home from school and work and abstained from purchases to show how immigrants affect the economy.

UT Southwestern student Daniel Mejia, who was handing out voter registration forms at the Feb. 18 protest at Dallas City Hall, said his family is afraid.

“It’s terrifying to think that there’s groups of people that can come and raid your home without having done any illegal activity,” he said. “These immigrants haven’t committed an illegal crime. They’re just undocumented.”

Reguero knows students whose family members were questioned in the last two weeks. One was in the Dallas area, while another student had cousins in Arizona who were deported. She also has students who came to the country legally or are

• Don’t open the door. Remain calm. You have rights.

• Ask what they are there for and ask for an interpreter if you need one.

• If they ask to enter, ask if they have a warrant signed by a judge* and if so, ask to see it through a window or slipped under the door.

• If they do not have a warrant signed by a judge*, you may refuse to let them in. Ask them to leave any information at your door.

• If they force their way in, don’t resist. Tell everyone in the residence to remain silent.

• If you are arrested, remain silent and do not sign anything until you speak to a lawyer. *An ICE administrative warrant (form I-200, I-205) does not allow them to enter your home without your consent.

Source: ACLU

protected by DACA. The Dallas County Community College District should offer guidance for professors to help students potentially affected by the raids, Reguero said.

“They tell us, ‘If a gunman comes into the campus and they are in your classroom, here’s your steps. This is what you do,’ ” she said. “I need

the same kind of steps. ‘If a student comes to you and they’re worried about being deported or their family being deported, this is what you do.’ More than, ‘Try to reassure them.’

Because I don’t want to give them lip service and possibly be lying.”

Reguero also suggested the district offer free legal services for students.

See Students, page 6 ➤

Free speech area unused despite political climate

By JON-MARK TAMEZ Reporter @TheEtCetera

A “free speech area” is available on campus for rallies and protests, but despite the contentious political climate, no groups have used it.

Accounting major Diego Seguinot said he believes students aren’t as active as they could be because of disinterest or a fear of backlash.

“This last election had a lot of emotion, a lot of opinions going against each other,” Seguinot said. “What happens is that a lot of people were afraid to say, ‘Hey, I support Trump’ or ‘Hey, I support Hillary’ because of the fear that they would be judged.

“I know that there is a part of the campus that didn’t care. In many ways, it’s a little bit of both.”

Students who want to use the free speech area in the Lower Courtyard for a gathering or protest must register with the Office of Student Engagement and Retention at least 24 hours in advance.

The space can only be used during regular business hours.

Although students do not have to get ap-

Free Speech Area The free speech zone is located in the Lower Courtyard.

Students must register with OSER at least 24 hours before a planned demonstration.

If students wish to advertise for a demonstration, the advertisement should be no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches.

proval from Eastfield administrators about the content of their events, they can be shut down if they become violent or disruptive to campus operations.

The space is not often reserved, and most gatherings are entertainment sponsored by the college.

Political gatherings have been rare.

Mike Walker, dean of Social Sciences, said the last major protest he remembers was 10 years ago, when the former college president removed government Professor Stacey Jurhree from his classes.

“Students and faculty gathered in the Lower Courtyard and protested,” Walker said. “Obvi-

ously, Stacey is still here today, so it worked.”

Free speech areas are common on college campuses. Six student groups on different colleges have filed lawsuits against colleges, claiming that limiting them to free speech zones violates their First Amendment rights. Five of those cases have been settled out of court, according the Student Press Law Center.

A designated free speech zone limits students’ ability to be active in political demonstrations, government professor Cindy Castaneda said.

“If administrators wanted to really minimize the social impact, they could say, ‘Yes, of course you can have a protest. It can be at the baseball field between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.,’ ” she said. “You can really sideline the student group by being restrictive about time, place and manner.”

Education major Sarah Frichette hopes that the free speech area can ensure orderly and peaceful demonstrations.

“Everyone is worried about what the other is going to say after they have been politically active, afraid they would be seen in another light and people wouldn’t come up to them and talk to them,” she said. “I think a free speech zone

is really good, I think it would really help students talk about issues on campus.”

Computer science major Blake Slade said protected speech should not be kept to a single area.

“We have our First Amendment,” he said.

“It guarantees our right to speech at any time.

I think it’s good they are giving us an area like that to express ourselves, but I don’t think we should be limited to that zone. It should be the entire campus or none of the campus.”

Education major Maycee Kabanek believes the entire college should be a free speech zone.

“I think it should be anywhere on campus, and I think it should be free and open,” Kabanek said. “If you want to be able to express your opinion, you have to accept everyone else’s.”

Eastfield could propose a compromise, such as different zones and areas across campus instead of a singular area, Castaneda said.

“If anything, I think it would be more reasonable to have different zones that students can chose from because it might be more appropriate to choose one place more than another based on time of year or even the issues,” she said.

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PUT IT ON YOUR

Calendar February/March

Wed

22

University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit Journey to Success workshop: “Diversity Matters,” 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., C-237A Work Out Wednesday: Zumba, yoga, dance or cardio, 12:30 p.m., Lower Courtyard

Thu

23 Fri

24

Campus open but no day or evening classes Fabulous FAFSA: Get help applying for financial aid, 2-4 p.m., L-108C Campus closed; no day classes, night classes meet Student Government Association meeting, noon-2 p.m., C-295

Sat

Intramural open gym, 9-11 a.m., P-200

Tue

University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit

25 28 Wed

1

Mardi Gras celebration, 12:30-2:30 p.m., the Pit University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit SGA Self Defense Forum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., C-135 Recital Series: Cindy Horstman Jazz Harp Ensemble, 12:30 p.m., F-117 Work Out Wednesday, 12:30 p.m., Lower Courtyard

Thu

2

Fabulous FAFSA: Get help applying for financial aid, 2-4 p.m., L-108C

Mon

6

Art show: Mesquite ISD students, runs until March 30, Gallery 219 (F-219)

Tue

University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit Intramural 3-on-3 basketball starts, 12:302 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through March 30, visit C-237 for info

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ABOUT THE COVER

PHOTOS BY JAMES HARTLEY AND ANDREW GONZALES PROTESTORS GATHERED IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS ON FEB. 18 TO SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS. A HANDFUL OF COUNTERPROTESTORS WERE ALSO ON HAND.

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Quiz aids students in choosing majors

By JENNIFER SANMIGUEL Contributor @TheEtCetera

The Career Assessment, available on the Eastfield website, is part of a new Office of Student Engagement and Retention service called Career Coach that provides many career-seeking and resume-building services.

Completion Center Coordinator Sharon McKinney hopes the quiz will help students who haven’t chosen a major or need confirmation that they have chosen the correct field of study.

“We have implemented it with the new student orientation so every student who comes in through new student orientation… is introduced to the new Career Coach,” she said.

Previously, the college used a similar quiz called Sigi, but it could only help students choose a major.

With advances in technology and resources, students can now get a clear idea of what area of study best suits them in about 15 minutes.

McKinney said there are two versions of the assessment that can be taken online. One is seven questions long and uses a like/dislike format. The

other includes 166 questions with a yes/no/maybe format. Both tests have questions asking the student about their likes and dislikes, such as if they enjoy working with the elderly or if they enjoy conducting an experiment in a lab.

The quiz results place students into one of six personality types: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional. Then it offers a list of career fields compatible with that personality type.

Another part of the quiz allows students to add the degree they are seeking, matching their personality type with classes currently available at Eastfield.

Art major Alyssa Irvin said she enjoyed the assessment.

“It gave you an idea of what it was asking about instead of giving you some vague question like, ‘Do you like to help people?’ ” Irvin said.

Veterans can include information from their time in the military to find majors and jobs relevant to the skills they learned while serving.

The assessment also includes links to the websites My Next Move and Indeed.com, which show students the career options listed under their

personality type, identifies jobs that are currently available and provides information for companies looking to hire in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

McKinney said about 1,089 students are no longer undeclared majors after completing the survey.

“It’s a tool that can also be used to show parents who may, for whatever reason, want a student to go into some other areas,” McKinney said. “It solidifies what the student was thinking in the first place because you know yourself more than anybody else does.”

Computer science major Kevin Flores hasn’t taken the assessment but agrees that it is an excellent tool for students.

“Many students here I see basically struggling on what they want to do for a living,” he said, adding that the assessment could help identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses.

Irvin said students should keep an open mind and remember that it’s OK to change majors.

“Some people don’t know what they want to do,” he said. “My whole life I was like, ‘I’m going to be a psychologist. I’m going to help people with their minds.’ And then I went to the ocean one time and marine biology opened up for me.”

Students fear deportation for themselves, families Continued from page 5 When Barack Obama took office in 2009, he changed the immigration enforcement priorities to focus on deporting those who were threats to the nation. Obama also stopped worksite raids, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would target undocumented workers who did not have criminal records.

President Trump has changed the priorities again, authorizing raids and allowing the deportation of those without criminal records if they are found.

According to the Mexican Consulate, 44 Mexican immigrants were detained in Austin between Feb. 9 and 10. Until that week, an average of four to five people were detained each day. Reports of detainees in San Antonio, Houston, New York and San Francisco have the Latino communities on edge.

At this time, the district has not released an official statement regarding the ICE raids. English professor Andrew Tolle believes this is due to a lack of concrete evidence that raids are happening in Dallas.

“There was an immediate response regarding the Muslim ban because we had information,” he said.

“The ICE raids are so murky because everything that we get are unconfirmed reports.”

Tolle also said reports of Dallas

raids do not need to be confirmed to have an affect on students.

“Whether or not raids are happening in Dallas, it does not mean that their family members are not being raided elsewhere,” he said. “There are tons of people who have family members in San Antonio, the Valley, Houston and a lot of the places where we have actually heard confirmed reports of those raids.”

Reguero also believes the raids could affect students’ academic lives.

“You can’t study,” she said. “You can’t put your mind into your schoolwork when you’re terrified that you’re going to be deported.”

Although students under the DACA program are supposed to be protected, Josue Romero, a student at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, was arrested and detained for two days before being released.

Reguero said stories like Romero’s worry DACA students because President Trump can override the program with another executive order if he so chooses.

The ICE raids have also affected students from countries other than Mexico.

Rasila Ojha, an agriculture major and immigrant from Nepal, is afraid she will be questioned and possibly detained by ICE officers despite her legal status. She carries her passport everywhere and has had nightmares

about the raids.

“It has affected a lot of students mentally,” she said. “A lot of students, they fear getting deported back to their country.”

Computer science major Bryan Jennings said he believes that Trump’s actions are in the nation’s best interest. The majority of people who were detained are criminals, he said, and the targeted enforcement actions will aid immigration reform.

“He’s going to try to fix the immigration system,” Jennings said. “Putting a ban on immigration will keep people from being mixed up while all these rules are changing.”

Jennings also referred to the executive order banning refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries, which has since been suspended.

Dallas resident Jorge Ramirez, who is currently undocumented, believes that the president should reshape his immigration stance.

“There’s so many immigrants like me that are modern citizens, and it’s unfair to be treated like criminals,” Ramirez said in Spanish. “I haven’t had any deportation, any detainments [or] any run-ins with the police. I’ve never done anything to anyone. I’m just here to work and prosper with my family.”

Speech professor Nick Vera said President Trump’s enforcement is the

next step in the immigration reform process that was set in motion by President Obama.

“Most people don’t know that President Obama has a little bit of a role to play in this,” he said. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that [Trump] is doing what he said he was going to do, and it shouldn’t be a surprise given the previous administration’s hardcore, vigilant stance on arresting and deporting illegal immigrants.”

The Obama administration deported more than 2.7 million undocumented immigrants in eight years.

Tolle agreed that ICE raids have been going on for years, but they were never at this magnitude.

“It is important to note that these raids are not new, but they are different than they have been before, as far as their scope and the number of people that have been arrested in a certain time period,” he said.

Tolle said that due to the nature of the ICE raids, at-risk students would most likely not seek help for fear of drawing attention to themselves.

“It’s impossible for us to know who is affected because people will stay quiet,” he said. “I think that we need to emphasize that there are places for them to go because it’s going to be impossible for us to do the outreach.”

— David Silva contributed to this report

Life &Arts

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

‘Vibrator Play’ creates buzz on campus

By KATRINA BOND Life & Arts Editor @KatBondETC

Mrs. Sabrina Daldry, portrayed by education major Albamar Seguinot, lies on a table, knees apart, while a doctor holds a large electric contraption between her legs. Soon, she begins moaning and writhing as she experiences an orgasm for the first time.

“In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play,” is the Harvester Theatre Company’s spring play, which opens Feb. 24. Written by Sarah Ruhl in 2009, the play is a period piece that focuses on thew discovery of women’s sexuality and the use of newfound electricity in the 1880s.

“When I read the title, I was like, ‘People are overreacting. This is not about vibrators,’ ” Seguinot said.

“Then I read it, and I was like, ‘Oh, well, OK, this is the Vibrator Play.’ ” Theater major Vincent Perez, who plays Dr. Givings, also did not expect the play to be so direct.

“When I read the script, I was a little bit in shock, “ he said. “I was just like, ‘What did I get myself into?’ ”

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

From left, Albamar Seguinot, Giavonna Ramos-Woten and Vincent Perez star in The Harvester Theatre Company’s production of “In The Next Room, or The Vibrator Play.”

“In the Next Room” takes places in the 1880s, when domestic electric power was in its infancy.

The play focuses on Dr. Givings, who uses electricity to power a vibrator he uses to treat hysteria, a nowdiscredited disorder diagnosed in women who experienced symptoms of what doctors now recognize as stress, depression and sexual frustration.

The vibrator was supposed to relieve “congestion” in the womb and cause a “paroxysm,” or what is now recognized as a female orgasm, to relieve these symptoms.

“It was a way to treat women who were ‘hysteric,’ ” stage manager and film major Iris Hernandez said. “[Men] didn’t know that [women] needed to be loved by their husbands.

Back then, women were supposed to

keep the house, have kids and keep their husbands happy.”

Mrs. Daldry suffers from hysteria, and is the first patient to be treated in the play.

“She was lacking love and tenderness and the caring part of marriage,” Seguinot said.

The play explores themes of marriage, such as what makes a good wife and how a marriage can fall apart.

Mrs. Daldry engages in sexual acts with women.

When the power goes out and Dr. Givings asks his assistant, Annie, to treat Mrs. Daldry “manually.” This causes Mrs. Daldry a lot of confusion, because her husband has never caused her to experience sexual pleasure. Later, Mrs. Daldry shows Mrs. Givings how the vibrator works, and they both experience orgasms together.

Seguinot believes that her character’s sexual discoveries and explorations are still relevant today.

“Women do have orgasms, and we have the liberty and the right to stimulate ourselves,” Seguinot said.

This is Seguinot’s first venture into theater. Despite the obvious sexual

nature of the production, she is not embarrassed by her role.

Hernandez said that although “In the Next Room” can be a little uncomfortable for the audience, it is not graphic.

Michael Morris Jr., a film major who plays Mr. Stephen Daldry, finds some aspects of the play uncomfortable due to his sexual orientation.

“I consider myself asexual,” Morris said. “The idea of sex or orgasms or anything related to that usually makes me uncomfortable. The very first read through, I was like, ‘Why did I sign up for this?’ But I’ve gotten into it.”

Morris finds the over-the-top moaning funny, especially Seguinot’s final orgasm.

Perez hopes that people will see past the lighter themes and understand the larger ones: marriage, feminism and sexuality.

“You’ll laugh, but really pay attention to the message,” Perez said.

Seguinot agrees that there is more to the play than shock value.

“Keep an open mind,” she said.

“There’s more to it. Pay attention to what’s really going on and enjoy it.”

A MOVIE TO AVOID

Fifty shades of groans, disappointment, frustration

By JONATHAN AGUIRRE Staff Writer @TheEtCetera

It’s hard to put into words how bad “Fifty Shades Darker” is.

But what makes it so bad? Everything, really.

“Fifty Shades Darker” is the sequel to the not-so-acclaimed “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The movie stars Dakota Johnson as Ingénue Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as the dominant billionaire Christian Grey.

From the very start, the movie was tonally confused. It seemed as if it was going for serious and dark, but that was dropped in the first 15 minutes.

After that point, the movie jumps from mood to mood. It goes from drama to comedy to thriller to romance to softcore porn.

This jumbled tone confuses the audience.

When introducing too much (bad) comic relief in a supposed romantic drama, the audience doesn’t know what to laugh at.

In my theater, the audience laughed at every

little instance of awkwardness, most of it unintentional. A lot of this came from the two main characters having zero chemistry and terrible line delivery. The line starts to blur between laughing with and laughing at the film. I was certainly laughing at it.

The movie raises three major conflicts and then barely mentions them again. Something horrible happens, and in the next scene, we have a happy montage of love. It left me wondering, “Aren’t we supposed to be worried right now?”

Whenever there is a problem in the relationship, it gets resolved almost immediately. The movie followed a simple cycle. Christian does something that Anastasia is not OK with. An-

astasia gets mad at Christian. Christian plays victim. Anastasia forgives him. Repeat.

I probably couldn’t give a coherent summary of the movie without having a seizure.

Watching this film is the equivalent of saying “I read Playboy for the articles.” Dialogue fills in the time between mild BDSM sex scenes with the occasional excuse to show off the soundtrack.

You know how in movies there are these things called “acts”? Acts provide us with a sense of progression. We see our characters go through obstacles and ultimately overcome some conflict.

This movie has none.

Even “Fifty Shades of Grey” had acts. They were predictable romance acts, but they were still there.

But it doesn’t matter. From the poppy, seduction-filled soundtrack to the blatant sex appeal, this movie was made for one thing: money.

It will make a disgusting amount of money.

And the sad part is that I helped.

I don’t think I’m exactly the target audience

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

“Fifty Shades” sucks like your sex life.

here. What I felt was groan-inducing, the audience thought was romantic. I’m sure people don’t expect some high art from the “Fifty Shades” series. But when I spend money at a theater, I want to watch something at least mildly enjoyable.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of bad movies.

There’s a certain point of bad where a movie gets so terrible it becomes genuinely fun. “The Room,” “Samurai Cop” and “Dangerous Men” are all fantastic examples of “good” bad movies.

But “Fifty Shades Darker” is just bad.

8

LIFE&ARTS

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

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The Et Cetera

PHOTOS BY DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Bobby Sparks, an Eastfield alumnus who credits the college for giving him the skills he needed to win multiple Grammy Awards, performs Feb. 1 with his band in F building.

Grammy-winning artist returns to alma mater

By BRAULIO TELLEZ Contributor @TheEtCetera

Bobby Sparks stands behind a Hammond C3 organ and Fender Rhodes piano, right hand on the Rhodes, left hand on the Hammond. He runs them across the black and white keys and guides his band through the set, using only his eyes to communicate.

He’s performed in arenas in front of thousands of people, played alongside iconic musicians such as Prince, Ray Charles and St. Vincent and won multiple Grammy Awards. But right now, he’s just happy to be back at Eastfield playing for students, faculty and staff in a tiny room in the F Building.

Sparks remembers his father driving him from Corsicana to Eastfield as a kid to watch famous jazz players like Dizzy Gillespie blow his trumpet and Count Basie jam on his piano in the Performance Hall. Years later, he visited the college as a teen and met the music department faculty, who he said were very kind and inviting to him.

When it came time to choose a college in 1992, those memories helped him decide to attend Eastfield. He packed his bags and moved to Mesquite, where he still lives.

“Eastfield holds a very special place in my heart because this place is what made me become a musician,” Sparks said after kicking off Black History Month at the college with a Feb. 1 concert.

While his love for music initially steered Sparks toward Eastfield, that same love eventually steered him away from it.

Sparks never finished college and instead chose to become a traveling musician, but he still thinks about returning to earn his degree. While at Eastfield, he met gospel musician Kirk Franklin and began touring with Franklin’s band in 1994. Sparks later received two Grammy participation certificates for producing Franklin’s “NuNation” and “Hello Fear.” He also won a Grammy for Fred Hammond’s “Free to Worship.”

Winning a Grammy was like winning a Super Bowl ring, Sparks said.

He’s proud of his awards, but he doesn’t keep them at his house. They stay at his mother’s house so she can show them off.

Sparks first learned to play the organ on a Hammond at 5 years old, practicing gospel songs and hymns with his mother, who was a gospel singer.

His father, Bobby Sparks Sr., was a jazz trumpet player and introduced Sparks to artists such as Basie, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Sonny Stitt.

The contrasting musical styles were always pulling him in different directions.

“Then, around 8 or 9, I discovered Prince, and I became a funkster,” Sparks said.

The “funkster” was on full display at the recital. He churned out an electric solo on his zebra-printed Rhodes piano in the middle of Joe

Henderson’s “Black Narcissus,” turning a standard jazz tune into a fastpaced, breakneck-beats-per-minute ride as he blasted driving riffs and bent notes, face scrunched and eyes closed.

Sparks was positioned at the front left side of the stage, face in the keys.

Guitarist Todd Parsnow stood behind him, and bassist Justin McKinney stood to Parsnow’s left.

Drummer Jason Thomas was set up at the far right, and percussionist Frank Moka was sandwiched between the electric strings and drum kit.

Saxophonist Keith Anderson stood next to the assortment of keyboards, pianos and organs.

When the song was over, the crowd erupted into cheers and a flurry of claps, making Sparks’ words inaudible. The audience included dozens of music students taking the same classes he did.

He then ran through the beginning of Herbie Hancock’s “Sly.” As the song progressed, Sparks sent out cues for individual musicians to improvise, something they’d been doing throughout the show.

The band had only rehearsed 10 percent of the songs because Sparks likes spontaneity.

For him, it’s more fun creating the music on the spot than knowing what everyone is going to play. He calls it “exploring.”

“Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn’t,” he said. “You just gotta keep swimming.”

Moka was blown away by the in-

song creativity Sparks was able to extract from the band.

“It makes you antsy and anxious because you know Bobby is thinking about the future, and you’re excited to see what the ride is going to be like every show,” he said.

Sparks tries to be generous with the playing time for everyone in the band. Sometimes he wishes he could give everyone five minutes to do what they want.

“If the spotlight’s on you all the time, people get tired of it,” he said.

“But if everybody brings something different to the table, I think it’s just better.”

Music major Alexander Brown said it was a rush watching Sparks and the band jam out and concoct alternate grooves.

“It’s like driving 200 mph and then just getting out of the car,” Brown said.

Anderson said it’s the way Sparks

has always played. He and Sparks met while playing together in a band called “Magic Touch” in the ‘90s.

Since then, they’ve played together on countless bands and projects, most recently with Prince.

Anderson said Sparks’ passion for music has always been strong.

“He lives and breathes it, “ Anderson said.

As Sparks stood in a room across from the theater where he watched jazz legends as a child, he packed up his gear and headed back out on the road, this time with Lauryn Hill.

He has a new record in the works, although with so much time dedicated to traveling, he doesn’t know when he’ll finish it.

No matter where his career takes him, he said he will never forget Eastfield and how it molded him into the man and musician he is today.

“Eastfield was very instrumental in my life,” he said.

LIFE&ARTS

9

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Vera teaches through travels

By CRISTHIAN HERRERA Contributor @TheEtCetera

It’s May 2012, and Nick Vera’s frequent flyer miles have brought him to the city that birthed the deadliest drug cartel on the planet. Arriving in Medellin, Colombia, at midnight, he asks his cab driver to take him to the center of the city, but the driver refuses. It’s too late, and he wants to go home. Instead, he takes Vera to a bus station.

On the way, the driver jerks his head and utters a word Vera isn’t prepared to hear.

“Cocaine?” the cab driver offers.

“Umm, no thank you,” sputters Vera.

“No way they would ask me this in Dallas,” he thinks.

After boarding a bus, Vera glances out the window and is introduced to the hierarchy of Medellin as the bus circles the city. Gorgeous mansions on top, residential homes and dance clubs in the middle, where nearly all the riders get off, and then his destination — the bottom.

It feels as if he’s descending through the levels of Dante’s Inferno.

“I should have done some research,” Vera tells himself.

A month earlier, studying the massive continent of South America had given Vera a desire for exploration. But researching his travel destinations or hotels isn’t his nature. As a full-time speech professor and a part-time solo traveler, the goal has always been to immerse himself in the culture, not to go to fancy tourist traps.

But this is not the vacation Vera expected.

When the bus reaches its final destination, the driver informs Vera that he’s uncomfortable dropping him off. He radios a nearby friend to escort him to the safest area in the vicinity.

“You see those two guys over there?” he asks

PHOTO BY ANDREW GONZALES AND ILLUSTRATION BY EMYLEE LUCAS/THE ET CETERA

Professor Nick Vera avoids tourist spots when traveling to destinations such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Vera, glancing across the street. “I guarantee they have their eyes on you.”

At 1 a.m., a complete stranger holds Vera’s carryon luggage and leads him through the most dangerous part of Medellin. In the dead of night, the wheels on the suitcase, which contains a month’s worth of clothes, crackle against the unkempt road, drawing the unwanted gaze of locals. If they were preoccupied, perhaps their glares wouldn’t feel so menacing.

But rather than drinking or talking, or even walking with a sense of purpose, they remain stationary, like patient crows waiting for an opportunity to snatch something shiny away and disappear into the darkness.

Vera has completed endurance marathons and scaled the peaks of icy mountains, but his previous endeavors have not prepared him to wander through the slums once ravaged by Pablo Escobar’s cocaine epidemic.

“These dark alleys are straight out of Gotham City,” he thinks.

Reaching the hotel, they wait for the doorman to let them in. As Vera steps into the build-

ing, he is relieved to watch the man close the door and lock its five security latches.

The inside resembles a rundown townhome with two flights of stairs leading to the hotel rooms. Opening his door, Vera notices an oddly placed bathtub in the middle of the room.

He turns the knobs, but no water comes out.

Near the bed there is a strange black swing with straps hooked to the ceiling.

And that’s when it hits him.

“They brought me to a brothel.”

Shaped by his travels Now, four years later, Vera strides through the walkway that connects the G and C buildings at Eastfield. Many people avert their eyes as they pass by strangers, but not Vera.

One of his former students, Bryan Crady, catches his eye and informs Vera that his wife just gave birth to their sixth child.

“I’ll show you some pictures later,” Crady says.

“Yeah, I wanna catch up,” Vera shoots back.

“Congratulations, man.”

Continuing down the hallway, Vera chats with another student, then follows his scheduled route from his classroom back to his office, greeting two more students and a custodian along the way. Vera knows them all by name.

Hired as a speech professor in 2011, Vera made quick impressions on his colleagues and students. At the age of 31, he wasn’t the youngest faculty member, but he wanted to be the most relatable. Wearing an Express button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up, faded jeans and cowboy boots, it is difficult to distinguish him from a student.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Vera opens the door to his office. A world map hangs on the wall opposite his desk. He often thinks about Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, South America and what he learned when he visited each destination.

“When you travel, you realize we’re all the same exact people,” Vera explains. “Every person has something to teach regardless of title or social class.”

See Adventure, page 10 ➤

10

LIFE&ARTS

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Adventure professor experiences culture through travel Continued from page 9 Outside of his office hangs a plaque with a quote from Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime.”

Vera has embraced this philosophy and indirectly utilizes it when he teaches.

For some students, it’s a process to become acclimated to his teaching style. Dual credit student Avery Williams didn’t know what to make of him when she first arrived for her Speech 1311 class.

Walking into the classroom, she was flabbergasted to hear hip-hop music playing in the background and see her new professor nonchalantly sitting on a windowsill with his feet up on the desk.

“Hey, come on in!” Vera said enthusiastically.

“What class did I get myself in to?” Williams wondered.

But after a few lectures she was captivated by his teaching methods. Williams was relieved that Vera didn’t teach verbatim from the textbook.

“He teaches out of the box,” says Angel Tobar, a military veteran. “He’ll write something the textbook says on the blackboard, cross it out and use his own terminology to help his students understand the big picture.”

Even though Vera is a seasoned traveler, he doesn’t lecture his students on the importance of seeing the world.

Instead, he teaches them the indispensable knowledge of learning from one another and has designed classwork with this principle in mind.

For one exercise, he instructs his students to each bring 50 cents to class. He doesn’t explain the reason, but promises they won’t regret it.

Students who arrive early wonder what is in store. They deduce it could be a competition, but what kind? Poker is suggested as fun but unlikely.

After Vera arrives, he collects the change from each student — about $13 in coins. He instructs the class that the winner of today’s exercise will earn the pool by persuading classmates to let them have it.

They look at one another in anticipation.

Persuasion was the name of the game, and utilizing what he taught them on ethos, pathos and logos was crucial to the exercise.

Williams was the runner-up. She knew that her classmates wouldn’t accept a selfish reason to take home the money. If she won, she told the class, she would bring snacks to share.

But Tobar cleverly pulled on the class’s heartstrings.

“I’ll use the money to buy a toy and donate it to a child,” he said.

Vera was silently impressed.

ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA

Students say they appreciate professor Nick Vera’s unconventional teaching style.

The original destination It’s 5 a.m. in Colombia and Vera has gotten less than four hours of sleep. As soon as he hears his alarm go off, he throws on a white tank top and heads downstairs. Only one thought permeates his mind.

“I’ve got to get out of this whorehouse.”

As soon as Vera arrives in the common area, he finds the desk clerk and tries to figure out where he should have flown to in the first place.

“Que esta buscando?” the clerk asks. What are you looking for?

Vera explains that he wants eat local food, enjoy the beach and experience Colombia’s culture.

The clerk has no idea why or how he ended up in Medellin. He points him to the right direction. North.

Vera frantically searches for a Wi-Fi signal to book a departing flight. Before he purchases his ticket, he fends off a couple of prostitutes and assures them he doesn’t want to have a good time.

Next stop? Cartagena, Colombia.

The harsh rain is an ill omen as he arrives

at Rafael Nunez International Airport, but Vera isn’t having any of it. Having learned from the previous night’s experience, he tells the bus driver exactly what he is searching for: not a five-star resort, but somewhere quiet, nice and safe.

After a four-hour bus ride, the rain begins to subside, revealing lush vegetation in the surrounding hills. This view soon transforms into the mountains that encompass the small town of Taganga, where Vera will spend the remainder of the month.

The hostel isn’t luxurious, but it’s exactly what Vera has been looking for.

Each morning, the owner and her 80-yearold mother entice Vera with their homemade tortillas and beans for breakfast. Some days he indulges. Others he declines because he is training for an upcoming marathon.

Before leaving to swim or run, he waves to the owner’s father sitting outside the hostel facing the Caribbean Sea. Although the old man is nearly blind and seems somewhat bitter, Vera can’t help but imagine what his life was like before. Living in an isolated paradise, the old man

must have come across some interesting travelers. After a few days, Vera meets one.

“Are you here by yourself?” she asks. “My brother and I are going to lunch. Come with us.”

Lone travelers, Vera has learned, recognize their own kind.

Carolina Galand, a French journalist searching for inspiration, quickly becomes Vera’s unofficial tour guide throughout Taganga.

Every other day they walk a couple of miles into Santa Marta to learn about its culture. The port northwest of the town is rich with activity, and ships constantly load and unload cargo.

Such a resource should be bringing prosperity to the town, but instead of a thriving economy, they witness a troubled community.

It is a weekday afternoon and the streets are littered with children as young as 4 years old. A few of the boys wear tattered shirts and shorts.

Most don’t even have shirts.

“Where are these kids’ parents?” Vera wonders.

As they stroll through town, Vera uses his iPad to pinpoint a restaurant.

“Put that away,” Galand scolds.

“Why? I’m trying to find a good place to eat,” he says.

“That costs around $700,” she says. “Do you realize what these people could do with that kind of money?”

“I paid good money for this,” Vera says “I earned it.”

But as he looks around, he sees poor neighborhoods and small children running around like wild dogs.

“Well now I feel like a piece of crap,” Vera thinks. “I might as well be painting a target on my back.”

In retrospect, he’s thankful for the privileges he has. “I could have easily been one of those kids wandering aimlessly,” Vera said. He would have missed this if he’d stuck with the tourist attractions.

Weeks pass and before he knows it, it’s time to go home. But leaving won’t be so easy. The people running the hostel have become his second family.

Despite the language barrier, Vera feels that for the short month that he has lived there, he has been treated as their son. As he’s about to leave, the daughter rips off a small piece of paper and writes her email. To keep in touch, Vera knew.

Instead of saying goodbye, he tells everyone, “Hasta luego.” See you later.

Enriching lives through his experiences Today at Eastfield, Vera collects materials from his office for class and is greeted by those words of Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness … .” The faces of friends he has made across the world flash in his mind.

As he steps inside his classroom, he reminisces about the adventures he has experienced, what they taught him and how he can pass them on.

LIFE&ARTS

11

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

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MOVIE REVIEW

‘Logan’ offers good character development, gore

By LARSEN ULLRICH Reporter @TheEtCetera

Hugh Jackman’s final cinematic portrayal of the famed Wolverine is gritty, bleak, dirty and at times, bloody. “Logan,” also the last installment in the “X-Men” Wolverine saga, is the first Marvel-based film of actual quality, but it is not what most people would expect. “Logan” takes a page out of “Deadpool’s” book and holds nothing back. With gore that would make “Gladiator” blush, this film is not for the faint of heart.

The savage violence inflicted by adamantium claws is unparalleled in its ferocity and, for the first time, we see all of it.

Pile on a few dozen harsh expletives (I never thought I’d see kind, old Charles Xavier, played by Patrick Stewart, use the f-word,) and you’ve got a worthy Wolverine film.

The story dives right into the action with a few quick dismemberments. We find that our hero, having shed his identity as Logan and now going by his original name of James Howlett, has given up his heroic feats as Wolverine and now works as a limousine driver.

With most of his fellow mutants

dead and his healing powers weakened, the only vestiges of his glory days are an adamantium bullet he keeps in his pocket and an aging Xavier, whom he now cares for.

At this point, it seems all that Howlett is concerned with is making sure Xavier is safe, both from his seismic seizures and from outside threats, while hoping to save enough money to buy a sailboat to escape to the sea.

This all changes when a mysterious child is thrust into his life.

Laura Kinney, perfectly portrayed

by Dafne Keen, is an emotionally detached killer capable of great carnage and has all the hallmarks of a young Wolverine, leaving her fated to follow in his footsteps.

The doting Xavier is taken with the child and forces Howlett to undertake the escort mission Kinney asks of him.

The escort mission itself is rather mundane and uninteresting.

I found myself constantly shifting in my seat, waiting for the next time Howlett or Kinney would unsheathe their claws — all the while being acutely conscious of just how long the middle of the film was.

The antagonist was generic and bland, but the imminent danger for

the older and now-vulnerable Logan was always present, keeping the story at least mildly interesting.

The plot was clearly established, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story and is easily forgettable.

Instead, our attention is continually drawn to the struggles of Xavier and Howlett, which allowed for some surprisingly good character development — sacrificing one device of good storytelling for another.

We are taken on a journey that sees Howlett go from a cold, selfish hard-ass to a self-sacrificing, caring hero.

For the first time in his 140 years, he can truly love and be loved, which may or may not have put some dust in my eyes.

The action was satisfying, but there could have been more of the untamed fury that Wolverine fans have always wanted.

In a 130-minute film, we got maybe 20 minutes of actual mayhem, and Howlett was consistently held back by his slow-healing injuries and age.

But when the claws came out, it was a sight to behold.

Kinney, also known as X-23,

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

Hugh Jackman reprises his role as the mutant Wolverine in “Logan.”

wreaks more havoc than the Tasmanian Devil on a 5-Hour Energy bender, and “Logan” can still make you squirm despite his handicaps.

“Logan” gives us just enough gory glory to experience how Wolverine violence should look.

It will make you care for Howlett in ways you never thought possible and appropriately brings the epic of Wolverine’s life to a much-needed and undisputed close.

Don’t go into the film expecting a non-stop slash fest, but expect to

be shown Wolverine’s heart (literally and figuratively) and see the hero successfully overcome the twilight of his life.

“Logan” brings a whole new type of superhero movie to the table and is rather disconnected from typical action-packed flicks starring Captain America or Iron Man, but with genuine character development, a grungy setting, honest vulnerability, beautiful cinematography and action that forces a wince or two, “Logan” is the best Marvel film to date.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘The Cure for Wellness’ lacks plot, themes, coherency

By DAVID SILVA Editor in Chief @DavidSilvaETC

The cinematic disappointment that is “The Cure for Wellness” can be summed up by the expression that I kept uttering throughout the not-so-psychological, not-so-thriller: “What’s the point?”

Director Gore Verbinski, whose most popular works include “Rango” and the first three “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, churns out the 146-minute mismanaged journey of Lockhart, played by Dane DeHaan, who travels to a mysterious wellness center in the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company CEO, Mr. Pembroke (Harry Groener).

Pembroke writes that the wellness center has relieved him of the psychological sicknesses of the modern world, but when Lockhart arrives, he quickly realizes that there’s more going on than water therapy for old people.

The movie has several things going for it, especially early on.

Visually, the cinematography is top-tier,

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

Left, Dane DeHaan plays Lockhart, who is trapped in the eponymous wellness center with the mysterious Hannah, played by Mia Goth (right).

sometimes breathtaking in its execution.

The pale color palette of the first act reflects the soulless grind of the corporate world, and a tightly crafted monologue shapes Pembroke’s urge for escape.

When we arrive at the beautiful Swiss castle that makes up the wellness center, we are met with a sea of eerie colors that paint an otherworldly tone alongside more displays of magnificent cinematography.

Then, unfortunately, the rest of the plot kicks into gear.

The dialogue in this film seems like it was written by a sixth-grader. The characters don’t behave like humans but instead say or do anything they can to painfully explain the plot to the audience. Even with the shameless over-explanation, I still don’t know what the movie was trying to tell me.

Verbinski and screenwriter Justin Haythe

quickly forget the anti-corporate theme that was sparked in the beginning. The filmmakers breeze through themes of youth and innocence, genetic superiority and social class but take no effort to flesh them out.

Let me remind you that this movie is more than two hours long. In all that time, we don’t get any substance because Verbinski forces us through half-baked, reoccurring symbolism, shock-value scenes for the sake of keeping the audience awake and tragic flashbacks that add nothing to DeHaan’s character (whose name I’ve already forgotten).

In the end, we saw more of the wellness center than any coherent plot or themes or character development. In fact, the building might just be the best thing about the movie. Grand and seemingly never-ending, the location may be on par with the infamous Overlook hotel from “The Shining.”

Unfortunately, it’s wasted on a film that fails to deliver its ambitious intentions.

Sports

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Feb. 22 Feb. 24 Feb. 25 Feb. 27

Baseball @ Mountiain View Baseball vs Mountain View Baseball vs Mountain View Baseball vs Texas Wesleyan, 2 games

www.eastfieldnews.com

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

12

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Plaque at field honors first baseball coach

By JULIO VEGA Sports Editor @JulioVegaETC

Oscar Blair opens the gate to the Eastfield baseball field, waving in a suited man holding a clipboard. The players stop their play and watch the man take a seat in the dugout.

The athletes think the man is a scout for a major league team, a little prank Blair and the man played on the team when he was the coach back in the 1970s and 1980s. In reality, the man is just his friend, Jack London.

“He wanted them to shape up and really play hard,” London said. “Whenever the kids wanted to come over and see what was on the clipboard, I’d say, ‘You can’t see.’ ” Blair was the founding coach of the three-time national championship winning Eastfield Harvesters baseball team. On Feb. 11, he was honored with a ceremony to honor his efforts.

From 1971 to 1984, Blair’s life revolved around coaching the Eastfield College baseball team. His family received a plaque to honor his legacy, which includes 10 Metro Athletic Conference titles, more than 20 years after his death.

The Oscar Blair Baseball Park, named after the late coach, now includes a plaque with Blair’s image and a brief description of his time and impact at Eastfield. Blair’s family also received identical plaques.

“It’s really special because I know Eastfield College was so important to him,” Blair’s wife, Carol, said. “It’s always nice to be recognized. He didn’t expect it, but it has been nice for our family. We’re honored.”

Afterward, granddaughter Hanna Dockter threw the first pitch.

Blair was described as a humble Christian man with a great sense of humor and a dedication to his work.

Blair died in August of 1996. Neither of his granddaughters remember much about him. Only stories from the previous generations help them piece together his life.

Oscar Blair Hanna Dockter recalled how her mother and grandmother would talk about how she inherited her grandfather’s love for sports.

“I love playing softball,” she said. “Getting to play a part of what he had such a huge role in meant a lot to me growing up, and [I know] that he would have been so proud.”

Granddaughter Haleigh Dockter enjoys how much Blair inspired those around him.

“I just love seeing the impact he left,” she said. “It’s all so honorable, and it’s something I can look up to.”

Daughter Meredith Martin remembers how when she was just a little girl, her father built the program from the ground up, starting with the field.

“He started this program when I was 3 or 4 years old,” she said. “We had to … drag the diamond with his little Volkswagen.

There weren’t any grounds crews, bullpens or batting cages. It’s really awesome to see where this program is going.”

Carol Blair said her husband and his players often played pranks on one another.

ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA

Oscar Blair’s family, from left Haleigh Dockter, Shelley Johnson, Meredith Martin, Hanna Dockter and Carol Blair, at the Feb. 11 ceremony honoring the former coach at Oscar Blair Baseball Park.

“His baseball players thought it would be funny to pick that Volkswagen up,” she said.

They moved the car to occupy two parking spaces, prompting police to issue Blair’s first ever ticket.

Blair’s legacy lives on over three decades after his retirement.

Since 1998, the baseball team has appeared in the national tournament four times, winning three titles. They have also won 10 NJCAA Region V championships and 10 more conference titles.

“It’s really awesome to see where this program is going,” Martin said.

Baseball looks to regain form amid sluggish season start

By JULIO VEGA Sports Editor @JulioVegaETC

With inconsistent play plaguing the start of the new season, the Eastfield Harvesters baseball team is hoping to recover as they near conference play.

“It has not [been] very far down the line,” coach Michael Martin said. “If we’re playing our best baseball right now at this point in the year, I’m worried.”

Losing seven out of their first 11 games has shown an uncharacteristic lack of dominance.

Losses in their opening six games followed by winning four of their last five shows that play in the diamond has been faltering.

In those games, the Harvesters have scored 88 runs but allowed a batting average against of .341 compared to their own .292.

However, with three wins on the bounce, the team is beginning to hit their stride. Early stat leaders include catcher Will Crooker and pitcher Paul Bowman.

Crooker leads the team defensively with 54 total chances: 45 putouts, and nine assists.

Bowman has 17 strikeouts, averaging 8.66 per game pitched while also recording one putout and two assists, per the National Junior

JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA

Second baseman Logan Montoya tags up for a putout in a game against Kansas City Community College on Feb. 18.

College Athletic Association.

Martin knows expectations are high this year after the team won the NJCAA Region V championship last spring.

“We’re used to winning,” he said. “We have a tradition of winning here, and I expect this team to carry that on. We have gone on a slow start, but we hope to pick that up, get into conference play, get on a roll, play well enough [and] get into the district tournament.”

With 16 freshmen on the team, the Harvesters are aware of their inexperience.

“We’re still a pretty young team, so we’ve got

a few young jitters out there,” sophomore center fielder Joseph Sanchez said. “Being the team we were last year, that puts a lot of pressure on us.

But at the same time, it sets the bar high for us.

We can be that good.”

Martin believes that maintaining consistency in offense and defense will be the key.

“There’s been positives on both sides of the ball,” he said. “It just hasn’t happened at the same time for us. We’ve gone out and scored 10 runs in a loss and 14 in another. Then we turn around and throw a two-hit shutout.”

He added that with only 11 of 56 scheduled games played, there’s plenty of time to turn things around.

He wants the team to have a short-term memory regarding game results.

“Wins and losses, they don’t mean a whole lot until further down the line,” Martin said.

“We go out and win a ball game. So what? We forget about it. We’ve got to turn around and play another ball game. Same approach if we lose. We forget about that one and move on the next one. You can’t let those highs get too high and the lows get too low.”

Martin said proficiency will come with time and has confidence that the team will come together against conference opponents.

“We’re gaining [experience] against some

really tough competition,” he said. “We play quality competition, and I think that’s where it’s going to pay off.“ Catcher Skylar Black, who transferred from Stephen F. Austin State University, has shined offensively for the Harvesters, according to Martin.

Black is hitting .515 with a .568 on base percentage and 21 RBIs in the last 11 games.

He also boasts three doubles, a triple and four home runs, more than anyone on the team.

“I want to keep improving,” Black said. “I expect us to pick it up. Our offensive production is there. We’ve just got to finish games and win.”

Crooker said that despite the slow start, the team has its priorities set.

“We want a national championship,” he said.

“But [it’s] conference right now. I want to try to be a leader on the team and try to set standards high and have everybody’s eye on the same goal. We need to execute in practice, go into games with high intensity and look for a ‘W.’ ” Martin said that in order for the team to survive the long season, they must find their footing and stay steady.

“We see it in practice every day,” he said.

“We’re taking steps in the right direction. As long as we’re moving in that direction and taking positive steps to get better, we’ll get there.”

SPORTS

13

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Eastfield wins third seed for conference tournament

By BEN ENSIGN Reporter @TheEtCetera

The Harvesters closed the regular season with two strong wins to secure the third seed in this week’s Metro Athletic Conference Tournament.

Eastfield, which defeated Cedar Valley 94-83 and Richland 95-83 last week, was scheduled to host the first round of the conference tournament on Tuesday.

A coin flip determined the seeding for No. 1 Richland and No. 2 North Lake, who were crowned co-conference champions with 7-3 records and a split in their head-to-head games.

In games scheduled to be played after press time Tuesday, the Harvesters were facing No. 6 seed Brookhaven, and No. 4 Mountain View was taking on No. 5 Cedar Valley. Richland will play the lowest winning seed at 6 p.m. Thursday, and North Lake will face the highest seed at 8 p.m.

With a few breaks, the Harvesters believe their season could have turned out much differently, but two close losses to North Lake ultimately kept them from competing for the title.

“I think we could have been conference champs,” Eastfield coach Anthony

Fletcher said. “The tournament is coming up. We’ve got to go out there and prove that we should have been the No. 1 seed.”

Point guard JJ Murray said that the Harvesters are ready for the challenges in the postseason ahead.

“It just shows how crazy conference has been,” he said. “We feel like we can beat any team in our conference.”

Forward Sean Odum said he and his teammates still have their eyes set on the national tournament.

“The start of the season was a high point,” he said. “During conference, we lost some players, so we had to come together and figure it all out. It’s been up and down, but the last two games, we played good basketball.”

Point guard JR Delley knows every game only gets tougher from now on and that each one is a must-win.

“We must execute and continue to be consistent to win the [conference] tournament and then head out to nationals in Minnesota and continue to do the same thing,” he said.

The team’s biggest strength this season was its offense. The Harvesters finished with the second-best offense in the nation, scoring 106.1 points per game. Six players averaged double digits in scoring, with D’Angelo Streeter’s 18.9 points per

PHOTOS BY YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Above, Andre Watts goes for a layup, securing a 94-88 win against Brookhaven. Right, D’Angelo Streeter fights for the basket in 94-83 win over Cedar Valley.

game leading the way.

Fletcher added that in order to keep the momentum going in the postseason, the Harvesters need to communicate and keep their focus.

“We’ve just got to find a way to keep winning,” he said. “The biggest thing right now is to stay positive. Stay together.”

— Julio Vega contributed to this report

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

THE HOT TOPIC

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

Do you think students should be more politically active on campus?

Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Fax: 972-860-7646 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu

“Absolutely. It’s a good opportunity for them to learn about how they make differences in the world, and by being politically involved, they learn how to do that.”

Editor in Chief David Silva Managing Editor James Hartley Life & Arts Editor Katrina Bond

Sports Editor Julio Vega

Copy Editor Caitlin Piper

Design Editor Emylee Lucas

Photo Editor David Sanchez

Asst. Photo Editor Andrew Gonzales

Staff Writers Jon Aguirre Macks Prewitt

Emily Martinez Landon Williams

Jean Conway College President

“Not really. Politics isn’t really important, in my opinion. A lot of people like politics, but it just brings a lot of outrage.”

Senior Staff Photographers Ahmad Ashor Alejandra Rosas Isabel Espinoza Jesus Ayala Photographers Yesenia Alvarado Nakia Richardson Designers & Artists Alec Ogle Garrett Williams Editorial Assistants Martha Especulta Reporters Cat Dyson Anthony Resendez Valentino Jorge Matthew Weseman Alyssa R. Fullilove Laresen Ullrich Contributors Esmeralda Olguin Braulio Tellez Vanessa Ochoa Shekinah Berry Chelsi Harris Cristhian Herrera

Donna Mann

Marie Garica Avery Williams Ben Ensign Josh Taylor Jon-Mark Tamez Jessica Luther

Josue Hernandez Jasmine Oliva Joel Sierra Alber Molina Jose Delgado Jennifer Sanmiguel

Advertising & Marketing Keturah Hill Student Publications Manager Elizabeth Langton 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. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or sent to etc4640@ dcccd.edu.

MARTHA ESPECULTA/THE ET CETERA

OUR VIEW

Jesse Gibson Science Major

“There’s so much junk out there it’s hard to really want to care. I think that it’s OK to [protest], especially because everyone should show what they stand for."

Trump wrong to belittle courts With seemingly unrelenting attacks on the judicial branch of government — both courts and individual judges — President Donald Trump has set an ominous precedent for the next four years.

His comments on court decisions and judges show a lack of respect that bodes of an administration that will ignore or do anything possible to undermine the power of the judiciary.

The checks and balances within the federal government are essential building blocks of freedom in our republic.

But the attitude Trump has taken toward the courts and his Twitter attacks on judges show that he holds little to no respect for those checks and balances, instead taking the stance that anyone who disagrees or finds any of his actions to be less-than constitutional is either working against America or a “fake judge.”

Trump’s reaction to the recent decision of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on his immigration moratorium is the latest example of this mindset put in action.

The president, of course, wasted no time before responding to the ruling, calling it “political” and “outrageous” with his usual sense of decorum.

“SEE YOU IN COURT” the president tweeted Feb. 9, though his administration was quick to request a postponement for the hearing not five days later.

While the legality of his order has not yet been determined, his contempt for the courts could lead us into a constitutional crisis, and the people of America would be caught in the middle.

After his crusade against the press late last month, which he renewed last week, it’s hard not to worry over just how little concern President Trump has for the foundation of the country he’s supposed to be leading.

Though far from perfect, the three-branch system of American government is crucial to maintaining constitutional democracy. No branch of the government may overtake the others, and no political power should be kept to the hands of a single group.

President Trump is certainly not the first president to disapprove of a judicial ruling. Former President Barack Obama openly criticized the Citizens United decision during a State of the Union Address in 2010.

But Trump is the first to so openly defy the linchpin of our justice system, and he seems to be under the impression that a three-branched government is undermining the American people, and, more importantly, him.

For the president, an ideal America is not one governed by freedom.

It is a country without a free press, a country without free speech or the freedom to choose a side.

It is clear that President Trump desires an America where only he has power, and he has proven himself more than willing to demean both the judicial and executive branches to do it.

Perhaps the president should brush up on his history while he’s waiting on that summons. The last time we had a single figurehead governing our country, we were wearing powdered wigs and chucking tea into the Atlantic.

Stephanie Gonzales Graphic and Interior Design Major

Brian Williams Neuroscience Major

“Students have to be politically active, and there are many ways to do that. ... You can protest in many ways by writing, not just rioting or going out. I would like to see more of a political affiliation at school, like a club that talks about politics."

“I think protesting [on campus] may be going a little too far because it could become a distraction to other students’ learning, but I do think that they should be politically involved in some capacity."

Nathan Masengill Undecided Major

"When students are more involved, then that means we have more communication.

And with more communication, we can branch out into networking.”

Brandon Williams Physical Therapy Major

OPINION

15

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

It’s time to redefine mental illness, treatment In recent years, certain behaviors and beliefs, such as homosexuality and women’s reproductive rights, have become more acceptable within American society.

However, many stigmas remain that should not exist. One is the stigma of mental illness.

While mental illness awareness has greatly improved over the last six decades, treatment is still not being taken nearly as seriously as it should be.

Mental illness is a subject that is avoided in American society, especially among young adults and teenagers.

People continue to tiptoe around its existence as if it is a dark, unspeakable entity.

The problem with this is that unlike homosexuality and women’s reproductive rights, mental illness is exactly what its name states: an illness.

Just as with any physical illness, a mental illness must also be treated, especially one that is severe. Left untreated, severe mental illness greatly increases the risk of early death.

A 2015 study supported by the

Alyssa R. Fullilove

National Institutes of Health estimated that life expectancy among the mentally ill may drop by as many as 10 years if left untreated.

Suicide and medical conditions that develop in the mentally ill such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and hypertension are factors that contribute to most early deaths.

Yet even with this information, mental illness is still overlooked by our society.

Today, this neglect can be seen in the steps that our community takes to raise awareness and help people seek treatment, especially during Mental Health Month in May. One would find that mental illness receives less attention than physical illness. I have seen this myself in Dallas.

As someone who suffers from

mental illness, this observation increasingly bothers me.

During Mental Health Month, the efforts in spreading vital information easily go unnoticed, and the brief coverage in Dallas news is not adequate.

Leaders like Mayor Mike Rawlings should be more vocal about mental health awareness and promote more awareness events.

Mental health organizations such as Mental Health America of Greater Dallas should create more activities that encourage involvement from the community.

Schools and businesses that participate in fundraising should support more causes for mental health.

There are many small changes that can be made within a community to help tackle the stigma of mental illness in America.

Early treatment is key in managing mental illness, so tackling this stigma within the youth, specifically in young children, is especially important.

A study published in January by the University of Cambridge showed that mentally ill young people who

have had contact with mental health services are less likely to suffer from depression later in life.

Despite this fact, several children miss out on this early treatment merely because of lack of information in their community.

Many young people, especially teenagers, suffer in silence for fear of being ridiculed for taking psychiatric medication or attending therapy.

Although I also shared the same fear in high school, I had already received early treatment at 12.

This treatment allowed me to be a highly functioning adult today.

My mental illness still exists, but I can still function because of my treatment.

Unfortunately, treatment can arrive too late for some people. This was the case with my late aunt, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as an adult.

My aunt showed early signs of mental illness as a girl, but because there was little awareness and support of mental illness in her community, her family didn’t know where to turn for help.

Even though she finally received

treatment as an adult, her illness continued to worsen until it was out of control.

As a child, I remember my aunt transforming into an entirely different person.

Her personality became unfamiliar, and psychosis separated her far from reality. Her mental health quickly deteriorated until she was no longer capable of taking care of herself.

When she stopped taking her diabetic medication, she slipped into a diabetic coma and died.

Had she received early treatment, there is a high chance that my aunt would still be here.

Even with improved mental health awareness, the stigma continues to claim the lives of millions of people each year.

When people are physically sick or injured, we feel a sense of urgency to help them. With the mentally ill, we become indifferent.

Changing this tragic mentality can only begin when we stop tiptoeing around the subject of mental illness and address it within our communitiy.

Graduation will cap my academic, personal progression I have failed 14 classes. Now let me tell you a little secret: I’m going to graduate this spring.

Five years ago, I was a 17-yearold high school senior, pudgy and awkward and tragically unsure of myself.

Like my peers, I shouldered one of life’s most unwelcome burdens, a single question even adults struggle with: What do you want to do with your life?

Of course, my peers talked about careers. For them, it was difficult.

For me, difficult was an understatement.

Even private high school didn’t prepare me for the struggle of pursuing a major and a career in college.

Homework intensified. The environment grew more competitive.

Dorm room chores at the University of North Texas hounded me.

University life demanded 100 percent of me. I couldn’t keep up.

Then the dominos fell.

I stopped believing in myself.

Crushed under the academia grind, my grades plummeted. Emotional and physical distance drove a wedge

Matthew Weseman

between me and my friends.

With no support and no goals, I buckled.

The diverging demands of adulthood drove me over the edge. Then depression seeped in, numbing my mind and body.

Soon, many of the joys in life melted through my fingers.

I lost my love of learning, my will to work and my aspiration to achieve.

My mindset brewed toxic thoughts: “Please do my work for me. Please solve my problems for me. I beg you.”

Soon scenes of suicide shrouded my mind.

I blamed everyone but myself.

After my first year of college, I fled in utter shame.

I refused to talk about what happened (and what didn’t happen), especially to my parents.

Their stern silence drove daggers into the person I was most disgusted with — me.

I still attended classes for the next few years, but the failing grades continued.

At my parents’ behest, I got a part-time job at a nearby golf course.

Unbeknownst to me, this was the first step I took to rebuild myself.

Over time, I came to know the regular customers, the elderly men who would come to fill their time with beer or golf, sometimes simultaneously.

One man supplied me with a simple epiphany.

“It’s better to laugh at your problems than cry,” he said. “There are times for crying, but laughing at them makes it much easier to solve. Not to mention you’re already smiling.”

I forged a solid work ethic, but my grades failed to recover.

In spring 2014, my GPA slipped down to 1.4. I was placed on aca-

demic probation and suspended for a semester. For nearly a year, I worked to discover what I was missing.

I still needed a goal.

Things started to change one afternoon as I mused with a co-worker about wanting to return to college. It seemed like a pipe dream. She gave me “On Course” by Skip Downing, a textbook that had changed her life.

Following the book, I started a progress journal. In every entry, I would write down my failures, my fears, my hopes and my dreams. I reminded myself what I was fighting for.

If I felt like waning under pressure or succumbing to laziness, I would read my past entries and create a new one.

Equipped with the self-help book, I gave one more try at college in fall 2015.

It was my fourth semester at Eastfield.

I was determined to face one class I failed four times — Composition II. The mandatory research paper

would set the tone for that semester: do or die.

I threw all the spare time I had into the paper, careful not to overwhelm myself. It paid off. I passed that semester, just one letter grade shy of straight A’s.

My GPA healed.

Today, I have a 3.46 and am university-bound.

My renewed confidence revived my old dream of being an author. I am torn between two majors: journalism and English.

This semester will help me decide which to pursue after Eastfield.

Some of my greatest obstacles are now the springboards to my success.

I want to pick up a second language and experience the world.

I am more curious than ever to see how I will grow in the years to come.

If you told me three years ago where I’d be today, I wouldn’t have believed you.

In 2014, I considered myself the world’s ultimate failure.

Yet here I am on the brink of graduation, and I feel more sure of myself than ever before.

Wrapup The Et Cetera

16 www.eastfieldnews.com

Student Issues By Garrett Williams

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Sudoku

ExtrEmylee By Emylee Lucas

Recital series

YESENIA ALVAREZ/THE ET CETERA

Trombonist Eston Bell plays at the Wednesday Recital Series on Feb. 8 for Black History Month. Bell performed pieces by William Grant Still, a famous African-American composer, who inspired and influenced him. Bell was invited to play by music professor Oscar Passley, who brings artists to perform on campus every Wednesday.

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