Eastfield Et Cetera March 7, 2018

ELECTION RESULTS

SPRING BREAK GUIDE

A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN LAST NIGHT’S PRIMARY RACES

DAY TRIPS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR WEEK BETTER SEE PAGE 9

BACK

SEE PAGE 2

TO THE ROOTS EXPLORING THE DEEPER MEANING BEHIND BLACK HAIRSTYLES see page 7

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018

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2018 Primary Results

Professor wins on election night

5,560 of 7,677 precincts reporting

By JAMES HARTLEY Editor in Chief @JamesHartleyETC

Eastfield graduate Cindy Burkett lost her bid for a seat in the state Senate while adjunct professor Joanna Cattanach won her race, earning the Democratic nomination for House District 108.

Burkett said that the hardest part of the race had been the personal attacks.

“It’s been really nasty,” she said.

“We worked it really hard. You could always do something different I guess. … But we’ve put about 16,000 miles on my car since Sept. 5, just being out in the district.”

Partially in response to President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 election, Democrat voter turnout was unusually high for a Texas midterm primary. More Democrats entered traditionally uncontested elections this year, prompting speculation of a possible “blue wave.”

While Republicans held a lead in voter turnout, according to early voting numbers, Democrats did record a notable jump in turnout from 2014 midterm primaries.

This year, more Democrats voted than in the 2014 midterms. Republican turnout, on the other hand, worried some party leaders.

Abbott sent out a call to Texas conservatives to get to the polls in the middle of early voting, seeing the Democratic turnout surge. While turnout in the primary election does not impact directly the results of the general election, it can be a good indicator of what to expect in November.

Races on both sides went uncontested, but every U.S. House seat in Texas had a Democratic candidate, a rarity in the deep-red state.

Hall vs. Burkett One of the most divisive races on the Republican side was between incumbent state Sen. Bob Hall, R-Canton, and Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, who gave up her seat in the Texas House of Representatives to run against Hall.

The two attacked one another in ad after ad, arguing about which candidate could claim the title of most conservative.

At press time, Hall had a 7 percent lead over Burkett, with 75 percent of precincts reporting. Hall will face

SELECTED RESULTS

Governor Republican 0 Barbara Krueger 8.67% ☑ Greg Abbott 89.91% 0 Secede Kilgore 1.40%

Democrat R Lupe Valdez 42.60% 0 Tom Wakely 3.37% 0 Adrian Ocegueda 4.17% 0 James Jolly Clark 2.04% 0 Grady Yarbrough 5.49% 0 Jeffery Payne 4.68% 0 Cedric Davis Sr. 7.45% R Andrew White 28.89% 0 Joe Mumbach 1.27% 6,078 of 7,694 precincts reporting

Lieutenant Governor Republican 0 Scott Milder 24.18% ☑ Dan Patrick 75.81% 5,560 of 7,677 precincts reporting

Democrat 0 Michael Cooper 46.11% ☑ Mike Collier 53.88% 6,078 of 7,694 precincts reporting

State Senate District 2 Republican 0 Cindy Burkett 49.72% ☑ Bob Hall 50.27% 553 of 945 precincts reporting

Democrat ☑ Kendall Scudder State Senate District 16 Republican ☑ Don Huffines NIELS WINTER/THE ET CETERA

Joanna Cattanach poses with supporter and Dallas resident Clinton Swingle during her March 6 primary election watch party.

Democrat Kendall Scudder in November.

As supporters shuffled into the small conference room in the Springhill Suites in Rockwall, a campaign staffer set up a lop-sided projector to cast a live-updated spreadsheet of the results. The first wave of results, 6 precincts, showed Burkett with a lead of only a few hundred. While the supporters chatted and ate party foods, the mood felt tense. There was a good chance Burkett would lose.

She said herself that, while she had a gut feeling she would secure the Republican nomination, the race would be a “nail-biter” Terry Reid, 64 of Sunnyvale, said she was hopeful but uncertain about what the night would bring as the first wave of reports came in.

“Cindy Burkett personally goes out and touches more people and she always has,” Reid said. “She walks her neighborhoods all year long, unlike some people who just go walk two weeks before the primaries. But she’s been outspent. They’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars against

her, and that makes it hard.”

The Burkett-Hall race was contentious to begin with. Nasty, as Burkett put it.

It was characterized by back-andforth volleys of dramatic political attack videos, with deep voices and supposedly damning facts about each candidate’s opponent.

At 10 p.m., the race was still close. Burkett took to the center of the room to say she wasn’t giving up hope, but that supporters who needed to go home should go.

“It’s shaping up to be a long night,” Burkett said. But nobody left.

Cattanach vs. Duffy Cattanach, an adjunct journalism professor and Democratic candidate for the District 108 Texas House seat, was either at the polls or walking neighborhoods every day of early voting.

She sat with fellow Democrats, all women running for office for the first time, around a patio table at Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex restaurant in Dallas. Between announcements from

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES Primary frontrunners Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke easily secured their party nominations Tuesday night O’Rourke has seen national media attention as a legitimate contender to the incumbent Cruz. Cruz won with 85 percent of votes with 88 percent of precincts counted while O’Rourke won 62 percent of votes with 84 percent of precincts counted.

Democrat ☑ Nathan Johnson 70.69% 0 Joe Bogen 29.30% 411 of 798 precincts reporting

State House District 108 Republican ☑ Morgan Meyer Democrat ☑ Joanna Cattanach 62.89% 0 Zac Duffy 37.10% 411 of 798 precincts reporting

State House District 113 Republican ☑ Jonathan Boos 54.97% 0 Charlie Lauersdorf 27.07% 0 Jim Phaup 17.95% 424 of 798 precincts reporting

Democrat 0 Billy Ingram 35.81% ☑ Rhetta Andrews Bowers 64% 411 of 798 precincts reporting

Cruz

O’Rourke

Brandy Chambers campaign manager Tina Sohne and returns scrolling across the bottom of two TV screens showing “American Idol,” the women waited anxiously for election returns.

Catannach’s race, unlike Burkett’s, See Burkett, page 3 ➤

Dallas County Sheriff Republican ☑ Aaron Meek 67.88% 0 Chad Prda 32.12% 698 of 797 precincts reporting

Democrat 0 Eland J. Sigler 6.38% ☑ Marian Brown 59.32% 0 Roy Williams Jr. 34.30% 665 of 797 precincts reporting

View more results at eastfieldnews.com

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www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Chancellor vows to improve completion rates

By JAMES HARTLEY Editor in Chief @JamesHartleyETC

The Dallas County Community College District is planning changes to help counter low success rates and high poverty and illiteracy in Dallas County.

DCCCD Chancellor Joe May said more than 1 million Dallas adults will be illiterate by 2030 and 60 percent of all Dallas-area jobs will require postsecondary degrees.

The district plans to increase communication among campuses, expand corporate partnerships, retrain academic advisers and change the way colleges attract new students.

This plan, called the network, is intended to improve the local economy and education rates by making sure all high school graduates are college ready with at least 15 credit hours, dedicated to a career path by grade 9 and committed to attend and complete college.

To achieve this, the DCCCD is offering last-dollar help to give Dallas County high school graduates coming to a district college the opportu-

nity to get a tuition-free education.

The district is also forming partnerships with other schools, like Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas at Dallas, to give students access to a free or costreduced bachelor’s degree and building corporate partnerships to help non-transfer students get a job right out of college.

Corporate partnerships reach beyond just job opportunities for DCCCD graduates. In some Dallas area schools, 11 American Airlines employees work with students as a part of one partnership.

The plan is also designed to save Title III and Title V funding, which allow district colleges to offer federal financial aid. Because of low success numbers, this funding is at risk.

Students have access to assistance with food security, mental health resources and financial aid currently.

With the network, May hopes to see that assistance expand to address homelessness and other areas of insecurity that may impact a student’s ability to succeed.

Dallas County is last among cities in the U.S. in terms of high school

SOURCE: GALLUP, DALLAS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT, NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE

graduates completing a two- or fouryear degree, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

May said this is because of a design flaw.

Until recent years, a high school diploma was enough to get a middle class job, he said.

But that’s changed.

“We only needed about a quarter of the population with some kind of degree,” May said. “We designed higher education to weed out people, not to educate at the level we need to

be educating at. The game’s changed,.

The rules are different.”

“My sense from those who attended the presentation, saw the slides and heard the chancellor’s remarks, that they are compelled that, yes, in the district we can do better in meeting the needs of our community, getting our students to complete,” Faculty Association President Matt Hinckley said.

“Many of the students who intend to transfer and even those who complete our core curriculum or one of

MANUEL GUAPO/THE ET CETERA

our Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees end up not transferring, for whatever reason.”

Hinckley, a history professor, said he has found two responses from faculty. Those who were present at the event seemed less concerned or even supportive of the plan while faculty who only saw the slides expressed more concern about the direction the district is moving.

“It’s striking to me how different the interpretations are,” Hinckley See New plan, page 16 ➤

Burkett loses Senate bid, Republicans stick with Bush Continued from page 2 was not tight. She defeated Zac Duffy 63 percent to 37 percent, at press time.

She will face off with Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, in November. Meyer has been uncontested in his primary in the last two elections, securing his seat in 2016 with nearly 73 percent of the vote. He won in 2014 by nearly 61 percent.

Cattanach’s race mirrors many across the state in which Democratic, first-time candidates are challenging Republicans in seemingly secure seats.

Cyndi Garza, a 45-year-old member of the Texas Latina List, said she hopes the blue wave opens up dialogue about differing ideas.

“The other party has good ideas and we have good ideas,” Garza said. “Nothing is black and white and nobody’s talking anymore. Everybody gets in their little corners and sticks to whatever extreme point and there’s a lot of people in the middle.”

Brandy K. Chambers, a Democrat running for Texas House in District 112, was uncontested in her primary. She is preparing to face incumbent Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, in November.

“I want the overall election result numbers to show Democrats that we can make a difference,” Chamber said. “That we do have hope,

LAND COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES

Incumbent George P. Bush defeated Jerry Patterson for the Republican nomination.

Patterson, winning 58 percent with 86 percent of precincts counted. Patterson had been openly critical of the incumbent, yet failed to get more than 30 percent of votes.

Patterson

WILLIE R. COLE/THE ET CETERA

nomination for a second term in the governor’s mansion.

He will face off in November with the winner of the Democrats’ runoff.

Challenges for another day, not tonight.”

Governor The Democratic race for governor will go into a runoff between former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and native Houstonian Andrew White, who both failed to reach more than 50 percent of the vote Tuesday.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott found little competition in his race to secure his party’s

Dallas County Sheriff With the retirement of Lupe Valdez from the Dallas County Sheriff ’s office, the seat had multiple contestants.

Democrat Marian Brown and Republican Aaron Meek, who graduated from the Eastfiled Criminal Justice Training Center, came out on top in their primaries and will face each other in November.

— Aria Jones contributed to this report

Cindy Burkett watches election night results at her watch party in Rockwall.

that if we actually show up and believe we can make a difference then we will.”

Cattanach said she is looking forward to getting some sleep before she begins her challenge against Meyers, but that the work is not done.

“It’s never been won by a Democrat, never been won by a woman, never been won by someone who didn’t live in Park Cities,” Cattanach said. “All of those are real challenges.

Bush

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‘I think of it as a nightmare’

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Threats to DACA leave students with uncertain futures

By ALE PENA and JOSUE HERNANDEZ Staff Writers @TheEtCetera

Gladys Castillo, an early college high school student at Eastfield, was six months short of being born on the American side of the U.S.-Mexico border.

In her parents’ hometown, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, the American side was rumored to promise jobs and schools. The Mexican side, the Castillos’ side, had family, comfort and a home. But Gladys’ parents, Maricela Torres and Pedro Castillo, knew that with their humble income, they would not be able to provide for their 6-month-old daughter.

So, while following a border smuggler, wearing all black, and with Gladys secure in their arms, they made the 454-mile journey to Laredo in the late 1990s. The dayslong trek involved crossing angry rivers and consuming the least amount of water and food possible to ensure their physical load remained light.

It required sleeping in the wideopen Sonoran Desert — a place with extreme temperatures, home to deadly rattlesnakes, centipedes, and scorpions — and having faith that the coyote, a paid border smuggler, wouldn’t lead them to a human trafficking ring.

The Castillos knew of these risks and the danger of being caught by Border Patrol agents. But they decided that it was worth it for one shot at the American dream.

DACA revoked Gladys Castillo is one of nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children and protected under the Barack Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The program allows those who qualify, known as Dreamers, to work, go to school and live life without fear of being deported.

President Donald Trump ended the DACA program in September with a six-month grace period for Congress to make DACA into law.

Several proposals were made, but none gained enough support to proceed. Lawmakers have since turned their attention to gun control follow-

ing last month’s school shooting in Florida.

Trump’s grace period ended March 5, but a California judge has ruled that DACA must continue pending the outcome of a lawsuit by the University of California on behalf of Dreamers.

Dreamers say they feel left in limbo, uncertain about their futures.

Everyday decisions such as a simple trip to the convenience store could be life changing. Over the weekend of Jan. 26, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 86 arrests in North Texas and Oklahoma in a three-day operation.

Castillo is just one of those who have been affected by DACA’s revocation. General studies major Dulce Giles, 21, said she is too afraid of deportation to continue her regular life.

Giles, like many other DACA recipients, was brought to the U.S. at a very early age. Her mother brought her here. Leaving this country is not an option Giles has considered.

“Everything I know is here,” she said. “My family is here, my friends and my life are all here. I don’t even know Spanish well enough to go to a university there.”

But with the end of DACA looming, Giles has opted out of registering for any classes this spring and instead will focus on working and saving money.

“Basically, right now I have until next year to do something with my life,” Giles said. “And even if I graduate, I don’t think I’m going to be able to work with the degree I’m going to have. I guess it’s the only reason why I’m not going back. I know if I study hard and I get what I want, the degree that I want, it’s not going to be valid.”

Applying for DACA did not guarantee acceptance. After twice renewing her DACA status, Giles encountered some trouble the third time she applied with three months remaining on her current permit. It took the letter an extra three months to get approved, leaving her out of work.

The cost of DACA The DACA application costs $495: a $410 work authorization document fee and $85 biometrics fee. It must be renewed every two years, and applications must be filed properly or the application is invalid. There are no

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

The future is uncertain for early college high school student and biology major Gladys Castillo. With DACA threatened, Castillo lives knowing that she could be deported should the protections be revoked.

refunds.

Hiring a typical immigration lawyer costs between $100 and $300 per hour. Expenses can quickly add up for a college student with tuition and book payments. This leaves DACA students wondering if their money is better spent elsewhere, rather than for tuition and books that will potentially lead to no reward.

Families and individuals desperately searching for help turn to Luis Gonzalez, 30, and “Raices” a nonprofit immigration law services firm.

Gonzales, a legal assistant, has seen firsthand how the current immigration changes have dwindled the spirits of young immigrants.

“One of the worst feelings is to love a country so much and time and time again be shown that they don’t love you back,” Gonzales said. “Its OK to feel angry, to feel disillusioned.

Its OK to not be OK, but you have to keep fighting.”

Statistics show that allowing DACA recipients to work legally and pay taxes has been a boost to the U.S. economy. According to the Center for American Progress there are an estimated 124,300 DACA recipients in the state of Texas, and an estimated 108,141 are working and paying annual taxes. Removing DACA and all those workers would result in an almost $6.3 billion loss in the Texas annual GDP alone.

Edith Delgado, a second-year stu-

dent at Eastfield, has seen the effects of the turmoil on her fellow students and her family.

“You gave them hope, and then you just took it away,” she said.

Castillo worries that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could pick up her parents at any moment.

And without DACA, she could be sent back across the same border her parents had put so much faith in crossing.

Sacrificing for a new home Castillo knows the sacrifices her parents had to make to immigrate to a land as close yet foreign as the United States in hopes of a brighter future for her. She has never physically met most of her family members.

All she knows of Mexico comes through the hazy stories her parents tell her and through Skype calls with her relatives on special events like her birthday.

“It’s sad because you miss things like birthdays and anniversaries,” she said. “My dad hasn’t seen his mom in like, nine or 10 years, and she’s getting old. He just wants to spend time with his mom, but, unfortunately, just time and the circumstances doesn’t allow it.”

Pedro Castillo works 12-hour shifts in construction. Torres works at an ice-cream shop and cleans houses for extra income.

The work ethic that her parents

live by made a mark on Gladys Castillo.

She has always been a straightA student with hopes of becoming an orthodontist. She enrolled in the Samuel Early College High School at Eastfield, a program that allows students to graduate with both an associate degree and a high school diploma. Castillo is in the top 5 percent of her class.

“When people say that immigrants just want to live off the state or the government, it gets me angry,” she said. “I know my parents work really hard. My whole family works really hard, and I worked really hard to get here. Not everyone gets accepted into early college and you have to grow up, especially with a kid, really fast, and be responsible. You get angry, but it’s also sad that people don’t realize that you work hard for what you have.”

Castillo also fears being separated from her 7-month-old son, Jonathan Jr. She married the baby’s father, who is a citizen, and considered applying for citizenship. But the naturalization process costs thousands of dollars. Lawyers advised her to pursue DACA instead.

It’s been a year since she applied, and her application is in review. She has to live with the fear of being separated from her family at any time.

“I drive to school because I have See For some, page 5 ➤

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PUT IT ON YOUR

For some under DACA, U.S. is their only home

Calendar March

Wed

7

Recital series: harpist Cindy Horstman, 12:30 p.m., F-117 Scanning Electron Microscope Demonstration, 9:30-11:30 a.m., C-350 Physics Lab Open House, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., C-320 STEMinar: Beekeeping, 12:30-1:30 p.m., S-100 Fetal Pig Dissection, 2-3 p.m., S-101

Thu

8

Movie: “The Imitation Game,” 9:30-11:30 a.m., S-100 Solar Observation, noon1 p.m., S parking lot Rubik’s Cube Presentation, 12:30-1:30 p.m., S-100 Strawberry DNA Extraction, 1:30- 2:30 p.m., S-101, sessions every 15 minutes Biology Labs Open House, 2:30-3:30 p.m., S-315

Fri

9

Women of STEM Trivia, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., C-202 Movie: “The 33,” 9-11 a.m., S-100 Documentary: “The Hubble Space Telescope,” 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., S-100 Meet STEM advisors, 12:30-1:30 p.m., C-201 Faculty Dance Concert, 8 p.m., Performance Hall, free

Wed

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ET CETERA FILE PHOTO

Protestors gather Feb. 18, 2017, in Dallas to protest Trump’s plans for a border wall and immigration moratorium.

The Literary & Fine Arts Festival will kick off April 3 and continue throughout the month of April, celebrating music, fine arts, literature and communications across campus.

This year, the festival includes a

dance performance, the annual Jazz Under the Stars night, a chance to explore communications fields and a play by the Harvester Theatre Company, among other events.

— Staff Reports

Recital series: soprano Melinda Imthurn, 12:30 p.m., F-117 Panel Discussion: Feminism after the #MeToo movement, 12:30 p.m., G-101

Fri

Geeks Who Drink team trivia, 11 a.m.-noon, C-135

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ABOUT THE COVER

OSER program coordinator Shernay Wormley PHOTO BY YESENIA ALVARADO DESIGN BY MANUEL GUAPO

Continued from page 4 no other option,” Castillo said, “My husband works and my mother-inlaw takes care of my baby, so she can’t bring me to school.

“So, it’s like, you’re risking a lot of things when you drive somewhere.

Even if you get pulled over for something little, and even for nothing, they can pull you over and ask for your citizenship and you have nothing. It’s dangerous.”

Although her parents are supportive and told her that it would be OK if she took time off school to focus on her newfound motherhood, Castillo knew that staying in school was a priority for her.

“My mom and my dad were like, ‘If you need money for school, or if you just want to take a break, you can. Or if you want to do online.’

But I was ready to keep on going to school,” she said.

Her dream is to get accepted into dental school.

“All of that stuff takes a lot of time, effort and money, and I just want to give my family a good future,” she said.

And this determination has paid

off. Because she is undocumented, she cannot receive federal aid. But due to her high grades, every university she has applied for has offered her scholarships.

Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M-Commerce and the University of Texas at Arlington have all offered her admission and up to $5,000 worth of scholarships a semester.

With her DACA application still in review and the future of the entire program completely uncertain, Castillo feels that her future is hanging on by a string.

“I think of it as a nightmare,” she said. “My son is 7 months old, and if they deport me, detain me and eventually send me back, I wouldn’t want my baby to go there. I would miss him obviously, but I think it would be better to let him stay here.”

Being sent back to a country where she had only resided as a newborn is terrifying. Castillo feels like an American.

“I am really grateful for everything I’ve been able to get here, for the teachers that I’ve had, and everything,” she said. “I do feel patriotic because this is all I’ve ever known.”

Events pack April calendar for campus festival

Speaker: Quitting tobacco, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., G-101

Thu

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Sarita Westrup from the “Tierra Firme” project creates natural dyes along with her partner, Analise Minjarez. They will do a presentation as part of the Literary & Fine Arts Festival on campus.

LITERARY & FINE ARTS FESTIVAL CALENDAR April 3 “Speak Easy” launch party, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., the Hive Tierra Firme: Analise Minjarez and Sarita Westrup, land loom arts talk and workshop, noon2 p.m., VIBee Lounge, exhibit continues through May 3 April 4 Haiku Workshop, 10:10-11:05 a.m., G-101 April 5 Jazz Under the Stars, 5-7 p.m., Lower Courtyard April 11 Dance and Snack , 12:30 p.m., Lower Courtyard The Et Cetera’s Poetry Slam, 5:30 p.m., G-101 April 12 Digital Media Workshop, 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m., L-116 Gallery show: H. Schenk, opening reception 6-8:30 p.m., H Gallery, show open through May 11

April 16 Lecture: War photographer Kale Alford, 12:30 p.m., G-101 April 19-20 Play: Anna in the Tropics, 7:30 p.m. both days, 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, 11:15 a.m. Friday, Performance Hall April 23 Lecture: Digital Scholarship, Cody Jackson of TWU, 11:15 a.m., G-101 April 24 Communications Career Day, 11 a.m., G-101 April 25 Spring Juried Student Art Exhibition, reception 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. , Gallery 219, show open through May 4 April 26-27 Spring Dance Concert, 7:30 p.m., Performance Hall May 1 Eastfield’s Got Talent Show, 6 p.m., Performance Hall

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Radio waves give new hope in search for life

By ANDREW WALTER Reporter @TheEtCetera

Although currently unsuccessful, a team of graduate students hopes to use new methods to detect exomoons and pave the way for a new field of science.

Eastfield recently held its first STEMinar of the semester with a presentation by University of Texas at Arlington physics doctoral candidate Marialis Rosario-Franco about using radio signals to detect the existence of exomoons.

Extrasolar planets and extrasolar moons, also called exoplanets and exomoons, are defined as planets and moons that inhabit solar systems besides our own.

Rosario-Franco discussed the importance of a new exomoon detection method and how finding exomoons could provide critical information for us here on Earth.

The premise of their method works like this: using a powerful radio telescope, they search for a specific radio signal in a region of space and use a formula to determine if an exomoon is present or not.

If Rosario-Franco and her team manage to find an exomoon, the scientific community would be one step closer to understanding how different star systems formed, if life exists elsewhere in the universe and how moons can affect their host planet.

Rosario-Franco’s research would currently be categorized as exoplanetary science. If she manages to find an exomoon, or extrasolar

moon, then a new field of study would be created for surveying moons in other star systems.

Rosario-Franco believes that because our moon helps to protect us against asteroids, keeps our climate stabile and controls the tides, other moons in other star systems could potentially do the same for the exoplanet that they orbit. Conditions such as these could indicate a planet capable of supporting life.

“Studying and understanding the formation, the dynamics, and the existence of exomoons will provide insight for us to know whether those exoplanets are habitable or not,” she said.

While there are other pre-existing detection methods, the one Rosario-Franco discussed appears to be the most promising. The detection methods currently in use have inherent limitations, therefore new methods of detection are constantly being sought.

Rosario-Franco’s doctoral studies center largely on a new method of detection developed by a former fellow graduate student and exoplanet study group member, Dr. Joaquin P. Noyola.

The significance of his detection method is that should it work in detecting an exomoon, by the very nature of the mathematical equations involved, it would provide the mass or radius of the exoplanet and the exomoon. These measurements usually must be established by other methods, but are required for confirmation of the existence of the exoplanet or exomoon.

“Bureaucracy in the astronomical community dictates that a planet cannot be confirmed

A radio telescope sends signals out to detect objects outside the solar system

Radio signals detect exoplanets and exomoons, as well as the gravity between them.

SEAN WATKINS/THE ET CETERA

until you obtain its mass or radius, and we have a direct equation that will give you the mass and the radius immediately,” Rosario-Franco said.

Physics professor Dr. Saeed Ahmad was intrigued by Rosario-Franco’s research and was able to elaborate on some of the finer details of the detection method.

“Solar radiation can break atoms and they become ions, charged particles,” he said. “An ionosphere is a sphere of particles around a planet. In Jupiter’s ionosphere, those particles interact with the magnetic field of Jupiter, and this interaction produces radio waves that we can detect. The detection method that the

speaker described involves using a set of equations that can provide the mass and radius of an exoplanet and its exomoon,” Architecture major Omar Salinas said that he was fascinated at the possibilities in scientific advancements that the discovery of exomoons would present.

“I found it very interesting that we have the instrumentation to detect exomoons, but have no definite proof of their existence,” he said.

“We are capable of advancing our technology to such a degree and still have room for improvements.”

Rosario-Franco and her team will continue their search for exomoons by checking different regions of space in the near future.

5 ways to celebrate St. Paddy’s, even if you can’t drink St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday for everyone to reveal the true Irish in themselves, or at least what they think is Irish. Bars will ruin perfectly good beer by turning it green and lightweights will drink pee water and call it a day well spent.

Like it or not, it’s time for the glorious celebrations, hilarious inebriations and an UBER driver’s most profiting day since New Year’s. Although it’s a holiday commonly used as an excuse to drink until the bottle is empty, not everyone wants to, or can, drink. So here are a few activities that can be done sober, or not, on the big day.

— Compiled by Niels Winter Check out the Parade This is one of the most obvious ways to celebrate a day named after a figure in history: Throw a parade.

This event will feature more than 90 floats, 1,700 participants, and

very important job that needs to be filled by very responsible people.

Not only does it allow your friends to drink as many light beers as they want, but it has the potential to save lives.

125,000 attendees. It will kick off on Greenville Avenue at Blackwell Street at 11 a.m. and will end on Yale/SMU Boulevard at Central Expressway.

Drive your drunk friends For the do-gooders of the world, being a designated driver is as glam-

BRYAN PEREZ/THE ET CETERA

orous as it sounds.

The only things that you need are a car, a group of friends to which you say, “Hey, I’ll drive,” and the ability to deal with the drunken fools that are your friends.

Now in all seriousness, this is a

Get cultured Learning can be a fun part of any holiday. Take the time to look up how the holiday came to be, what changes it went through to become what we know it as today, and how it is celebrated elsewhere. For instance, the pubs in Ireland used to close on St. Patrick’s Day by law.

You can immerse yourself in the culture behind St. Patrick’s Day and go to a traditional St. Patrick’s Day mass at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Dallas.

There will be a brisket, corned beef and cabbage lunch after the mass.

It will take place at 10 a.m. at 9643 Ferndale Road, Dallas. Be sure to wear something green.

Fight an evil leprechaun This one is for those who are looking for a little bit more fright out of their holiday. Saint Patrick’s Slay is a haunted house with leprechauns and witches, and you’re caught right in the middle of it all.

Not suggested for those who are sticklers for accuracy or those who get queasy easily. It’s located at 701 Taylor Dr., Plano and will be open March 16 and 17.

Go green in Cowtown This isn’t what you think it is at first. No, they will not be hosting a party to paint the poor cows green, nor will they paint the historical buildings.

What they will have are all kinds of interesting kid’s activities and food. There will also be a parade after 4 p.m. It will be at Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District from noon to 8 p.m. March 17.

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Wrapping locks, uncovering black history Story and photos by Yesenia Alvarado

It’s not just hair. As part of the events for Black History Month, Eastfield held a presentation, The Evolution of African-Americans as Told by My Hair, on Feb. 20. Guest speaker, Chesley Antoinette from Cantoinette Studios talked about the history of the headwraps and where a panel discussed various social issues dealing with hair in the black community.

“Headwraps are seen as a symbol of empowerment, beauty, and creativity just as women from back then did,” she said.

The headwrap, originated in subSaharan Africa, represents more than a piece of fabric.

In Spanish colonial Louisiana, a law in the late 18th century implemented by the Spanish government demanded all women of color to use a headwrap or headdress to cover their hair. Before this law, free colored women used their money to create elaborate hairstyles, which caused competition with European women.

So the Spanish government created the Tignon law to lower the social status of black women. This was a way to oppress free black women by distinguishing them from white women and minimizing their beauty.

When it comes to hairstyles, nothing is really new, history always repeats itself.

Hairstyles like this or others may look like they were worn in the 70s or even earlier than that. Hair is just a part of you, it doesn’t mean that’s the whole makeup of who you are.

-Shernay Wormley, Program coordinator For OSER

Instead of blending in with slave women, the free black women created all sorts of styles using the Headwrap, adding accessories like feathers and pearls using expensive colorful silk.

“The significance of the Headwrap is seen as a symbol of rebellion,” Antoinette said. “Using creativity amongst women who reinvented the Headwrap against the intentions of the Spanish government.”

From headdresses to slick hair to afros and dreadlocks, hair has been one of the most notable changes along with African American’s journey through history.

“My hair is my crown,” music major Jamiah Sandles says. “When I went natural I felt so free.”

“Nappy,” a word that was adopted to describe the short and tightly coiled of some African American’s hair, was used to negatively compare their textured hair to European’s hair.

Today, African American women embrace this once derogatory word and give it a new light.

There is currently a resurgence of natural hair portrayal in pop culture as well as in movies, such as Black Panther, and magazine covers.

With so many different styles, See Natural, page 16 ➤

I say this a lot: my hair is my crown and my glory.

It represents who you are.

When I went natural, I felt so free because I didn’t have to worry about keeping up another type of hair that wasn’t my own. I’ve been treating it like I would treat myself because my hair is a part of me.

I think it represents uniqueness, strength, and pride. The history of it has to do with a women defining who she is and the different ways she can represent her uniqueness.

-Jamiah Sandles, 20, Music major

I didn’t go natural until the end of high school but to me it’s important because you’re making a conscious choice saying “I’m visibly black, I love my blackness.” With natural people, I assume they’re more woke but you can be just as conscious with relaxed hair. You have to learn to love what you have.

-Kia Jackson, Psychology major

19,

Life &Arts The Et Cetera

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Student’s hobby steeped in ancient culture

By JESUS AYALA Photo Editor @AyalaETC

Jeff Cornelius carefully carries the cast-iron kettle from his apartment kitchen to the small dining room, setting it down on a wooden holder and taking a seat at the table. The tea, a dark brew called a Pu’er, is already in the small clay teapot.

He sits down and prepares. First, he lifts the small lid off the little pot, pouring steaming water into it. He uses this water to rinse the cups, pouring the almost instantly brewed tea from the pot into the matching cups to cleanse them. He sets the pot down when empty and dumps the tea into a large bowl, repeating twice more before finally serving the Pu’er.

Cornelius grabs each individual teacup with care and passes them across the table with both hands. The tea has a light orange color. Steam rises from the heated teacups. The liquid emits a melody of natural scents, woody and fresh. The first sip has a warm bitter taste followed by a light citric flavor, with hints of minerals in the aftertaste.

Cornelius, a 36-year-old radiology major at Eastfield, has been aging teas and collecting teapots, cups and other accessories since he was in his 20s. Cornelius has a passion for the beverage and the cultural history that comes with it, from the common Chinese Pu’er to more hard-to-find Korean teas. It’s a hobby that requires patience and a willingness to spend some money.

Most of the time, Cornelius sits alone once a day and pours his tea into three cups, all in front of him.

The odd number of cups is more aesthetic and a part of qi beliefs and traditions in China. The time is spent slowing down, focusing on the way the tea tastes, smells and makes the body feel.

While in the Eastern world tea drinking is communal, in the West it tends to be a more solitary practice.

Because of the rarity of truly devoted tea connoisseurs, it can be hard to find someone who enjoys the slow, lengthy process as much as Cornelius does. It requires patience and, to some degree, focus. A tea ceremony can take minutes or hours, depend-

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Jeff Cornelius serves tea with antique teaware and a technique called Gong Fu: the practice of making tea. The Pu’er tea goes through multiple brews with the flavor changing for each individual person.

ing on the person, the time they have to devote to the process and the personal preferences of the tea drinker.

History of Pu’er The Cultured Cup , co-owner Kyle Stewart, Specialty Tea Institute Certified Tea Specialist and Tea Mentor, said the story of how Pu’er tea came to be was more of an accident rather than an advancement. Chinese people for thousands of years were the only ones that knew how to grow and process the tea.

They wanted to keep this a secret from the world, since they had some-

thing that nobody else had.

Transporting the tea was difficult.

Since they never told anyone about it, they had to do it themselves. The tea transportation could take up to two years, moved on the backs of pack animals as conditions constantly changed.

“If you had loose leaf tea, it only has about 3 percent moisture,” Stewart said. “It is like a sponge and it absorbs all the moisture and the aromas. That is not a great way of transporting tea.”

The Chinese figured out that if

they ground up the tea and compressed it into bricks, they could wrap animal skin around it and protecting it better. The tea even in that compressed form would still collect enough moisture, 10 percent or more, to attract fungi and bacteria from the air.

At the end of the trip, the tea transporters noticed that the bricks changed colors from the bacteria and fungi. Their buyers said it tasted better than when they purchased it fresh.

It took thousands of years for the

Chinese to figure out, due to lack of scientific advancements, how to start this bacteria and fungi process.

There’s no other tea in which you add bacteria and fungi.

“That’s an interesting thing about this story,” Stewart said. “I don’t think they planned on this happening at all. It was the only tea that I think was created by an accident.”

Preparing the tea Some Chinese ceremonies that involve Pu’er Tea are called Gong Fu Cha, which is the more practice the better you get, similar to Kung Fu and Cornelius method. With Pu’er there’s two ways. Sheng is a slow aged Pu’er and Shou a rapidly ripped.

Shou takes two months to make but doesn’t age like the slow aged one, replicating a slow 10 year aged one; method created in 1972. Rinsing the tea leaves and immediately pouring it off, opening the brick a little, doing it once or twice depending on the age, then start steeping depending on the age of the Pu’er Tea. The name of the tea process Cornelius uses is Gong Fu, which is a quick steep afterwards longer brewing periods can be done. It starts off with boiling two pots of spring water, using a glass kettle and a Japanese Tetsubin cast iron pot. Spring water is used to prepare and make the tea.

Purified water makes the tea taste light while spring water contains the right amount of minerals.

A gas range stove is used for the heating process. The fact that his apartment came with a gas range stove was a bonus, if not Cornelius would have to be making tea outside.

Cornelius uses the hot water from the glass kettle to clean, rise and warm the cups; putting tea in cold cups will make it get cold quicker.

The Japanese Tetsubin is used to heat up the tea. Afterwards he evenly spreads the tea among the cups, removing the lid from the teapot so that it will not oxidize. The process is repeated and can be done for long periods of time.

Tea in the United States Tea in America has not been that popular, mainly due to the American Revolution and the heavy taxes placed on tea. Most Americans still got tea but from countries other than See Student page 12➤

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Don’t waste your week Seven must-do day trips to make your spring break worth remembering

Congratulations, you survived the first half of the semester.

Congratulations, you survived the first half of the semester.

break.

much and split the cost for these fun-filled day trips that will

It’s only normal for you to want to sit back, grab your favorite snack and binge watch Netflix. And I encourage you to do so, just not all week. Otherwise you’ll end It’s only normal for you to want to sit back, grab your favorYes, spring breaking can be difficult, especially if you’re have you simultaneously living your best life and being cauup like the watch Sunday night after Thanksgiving break. ite feeling snack and binge Netflix. short on cash, yet there’s plenty of single-day activities that tious of wildlife.

Yes,And spring breaking especially if you’re won’t shortbreak on cash, yet there’s plenty of single-day activities that won’t break your12piggybank.

I encourage youcan to dobeso,difficult, just not all week. Otherwise your piggybank.

Spring break is March to March 16 and campus will be So grab in your life that don’t you too much andthe split the cost forlife these day will have youenjoy simultaneously you’ll endthe up people feeling like the Sunday night afterannoy Thanksgiving So grab people in your that fun-filled don’t annoy youtrips too that closed, so go and your time off.living your best life and being cautious of wildlife.

— Compiled by Daisy Orona

If you’ve taken geology you know what a granite pluton batholith is. If you haven’t, or if you just weren’t paying attention, don’t worry. It’s just a beautiful, fairly large chunk of granite that is peeking up from Earth’s crust. Ask your professor if you can get extra credit for heading down to Fredericksburg and taking a gander at the Enchanted Rock.

Entrance is only $7 for adults.

Texas is filled with scenic areas. I suggest you venture out to another one of Texas’ state parks. Be sure to have your playlist ready for this 3-and-a-half-hour drive down to Colorado Bend State Park. Bust out your favorite swimsuit so that you can enjoy the beautiful springs that are available to swim in, but mostly to capture the perfect Instagram photo with the sun’s rays shining on you. Entrance is $5 for adults.

Take an hour drive to the Galaxy Drive-In Theatre.

Be sure to get there early to get a good spot. Don’t worry if the sun is still out, you can walk over to their mini-golf section or beat the crowds and buy your food before the movie starts. Enjoy a double-feature for only $7.00 a person or, for kids 12 and under, $3.

Bring out your inner Noah Jr. and Allie Hamilton and head out to Caddo Lake State Park near the Louisiana-Texas border to take a canoe ride through the swamp-like lake. But if you’re not a fan of water, feel free to take a hike on one of the park trails for a canoe ride through the swamp like trees. It’s only a 3-and-a-half-hour drive, that’s approximately 55 of your favorite songs. The best part? Entrance is only $4 per person and canoeing cost $10 an hour for two people. Watch out for the alligators, though.

The HOPE Outdoor Gallery in Austin is a pretty basic outing, yes. But, and it’s a big but, its closing down soon. So, I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to grab your pals, some spray paint, and create a masterpiece on top of the layers and layers of art on the concrete walls. Then when you’re hungry drive down the street to Wingzup for some wings, burgers, nachos and so many more delicious dishes.

All aboard! If you’re a Harry Potter fan, or if you just really enjoy old-fashioned modes of transporta tion, this one is just for you. Head to Cedar Park for an old-fashion train ride to either Bertram, Burnet, or Austin. This event typically lasts from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and will give you enough time to grab lunch and explore the city a little more. Ticket prices start at $28 for adults. The train departs from 401 E. Whitestone Blvd., C-100, Cedar Park, TX 78613.

Spend your morning watching cartoons and eating cereal. Later, invite some friends over to play some board games, social sabotage is highly recommended if you want to embarrass your friends, or yourself more than you usually do.

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018

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The Et Cetera

Comedy shines on stage, in competition

By CAROLINE CEOLIN Life & Arts Editor @CaroCeolinETC

In the Harvester Theatre Company’s rendition of Christopher Durang’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” playwrights Durang and Anton Chekhov seemed to be battling over whose melancholy was the superior melancholy.

The play was staged at Eastfield on Feb. 22 and 23. The company performed it again Feb. 28 for the Texas Community College Speech & Theatre Association’s one act play festival, bringing home 17 awards for the cast and crew.

Durang, who is known for his domestic satire and absurdism, won the Tony Award for Best Play, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and more when his “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” went to Broadway in 2013.

The play centers on the three children of now-deceased theater-loving professor parents who named them after characters from Chekhov’s plays. As it turns out, their names are not the only thing they’ve inherited

NIELS WINTER/THE ET CETERA

Giavanna Ramos plays Masha who dresses up as Snow White for a costume party

from Chekhov’s lost souls.

Vanya and adopted sister Sonia live in their childhood home together after giving up a life of their own to care for their sick mother and father. Much like the same named characters in “Uncle Vanya,” they are hapless idlers who have never really lived.

Some of the lines sounded like they could’ve been taken straight

from Chekhov while others, not so much.

The actors, rather than simply taking stimuli from each other, seemed to be taking deep and often isolating plunges into their characters’ neuroses in the first couple of scenes, setting a mood that was a lot more Chekhov than Durang. This made for an awkward transition when switching from the contemplative and modernist Chekhov back to the comedic Durang.

The actors eventually relaxed a bit and were able to embrace the farcical aspects of Durang’s comedy along with his fine line between humor and tragedy.

Their bickering, desperate loneliness and psychotic depression flowed naturally along with the many zingers of the show.

“Are you dreaming?” Vanya asks.

“In documentary form?”

The real fun begins, with a quietly poignant footing of course, when Masha, the famous actress, arrives threatening to sell the family home.

Despite being named after Chekhov’s

Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Assocation Awards Excellence in Costume DesignDirectors Choice: Victor DeTerra, Giavanna Ramos, Maria Cabrera Superior Marketing and PRDirectors Choice: Vashti Moffet Superior Marketing and PRRespondents Choice: Vashti Moffet Excellent Sound Design- Directors Choice: Jamitah Sandles Excellent Lighting Design- Directors Choice: Josh Taylor Superior Stage ManagementDirectors Choice: Julissa Hernandez Excellent Stage Management-

“Three Sisters,” Masha’s character is a spin-off of Arkadina from the “The Seagull.”

Unlike her other two siblings, she’s actually had a life.

As an actress, she gets to gallivant around the world, spurning feelings of resentment and unresolved grievances in her siblings.

The worth of her life, however, is open to interpretation.

You don’t need to be familiar with the works of Chekhov to understand the play, but having some familiarity with the Slavic scribe certainly adds

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Respondents Choice: Julissa Hernandez Superior Props Design- Directors Choice: Joseph Hernandez Excellent Props DesignRespondents Choice: Joseph Hernandez Acting Achievement- Vashti Moffett, Joseph Hernandez Excellent Acting- Respondents Choice: Vashti Moffett Achievement in Set Design- Lori Honeycutt Overall Excellent Production Best Ensemble- Respondents Choice

depth to the comedy and makes it all the more enjoyable.

The play is a sunny story laced with heartwarming sentiments that not only lighten Chekhov’s despair with a calming sense of acceptance like that of an anti-depressant, but compared to Durang’s previous works, seems to lighten his own satirical despair as well.

Of course, it’s true what Sonia says in the beginning of the play: “If everyone took antidepressants, Chekhov would have had nothing to write about.”

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018

‘Panther’ changes black representation in film

By DANIEL DURRETT Reporter @TheEtCetera

The success of “Black Panther” has become a cultural watermark for African-American heritage. Prior to the film’s release date, significant press was attributed to the predominate number of the film’s black cast members, black director Ryan Coogler and setting in a technologically advanced African nation called Wakanda.

“I’m excited that it exists, and I’m excited that Marvel invested that much into the film,” said James Faust, Artistic Director for the Dallas Film Society.

Never before in industry history has a film with a predominately black cast had a $200 million dollar budget.

Austin Action Film Festival founder Chilimbwe Washington said the film has an impact on black audiences that others may not completely understand.

“I saw two very different screenings,” he said. “One was a mixed audience and the other was a black theater. At the black screening we caught every single nuance that the other one didn’t, why? Because the filmmakers were talking to us. It was written by black folk. It was directed by black folk. You can tell.”

Before the Black Lives Matter

movement, the story of the police shooting of Oscar Grant was told through Coogler’s first film “Fruitvale Station.”

Grant’s death sparked outrage and protest in the Bay Area where Coogler had grown up. These experiences provided a substantial foundation for Coogler’s direction for “Black Panther.”

The references to the Black Panther Party within the film are plentiful, starting with the film’s initial poster that parallels Huey Newton’s famous “chair” portrait.

During the opening of the film, N’Jobu (Sterling K. Brown), utilizes the ideas of The Black Panther Party as a symbol of pride and strength for the African-American community who were raised in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

From the inception, the police were at odds with the group resulting in a shoot-out with the Oakland police in 1967, where founder Newton allegedly shot and killed a police officer.

The political group supported the community with many social assistance programs such as health care, food pantries and student breakfast assistance, yet was also known for their “radical” ideals of black liberation.

N’Jobu’s character is similarly “radicalized,” making one of the film’s central themes black liberation

ment for women of color, something that’s not typical for films of this stature.

“There is nothing like the roles women portray in this film, everything “Wonder Woman” showed except with more clothes,” said Faust.

The strength female characters hold are near equivalent roles in the film’s storyline. They stand tall along with their male counterparts.

“I really liked the idea of the women in their culture,” Business major Christian Gaston said. “It had a lot to say about how traditional women are the ones in movies who need to be saved. And I like that now they are showed as heroines.”

When interviewed about “Black Panther,” Coogler said that he viewed the Black Panther as a Bond film, which becomes evident with Shuri who is portrayed by Letitia Wright.

Shuri fills the technological needs T’Challa has as Black Panther’s very own “Q.” “She was a scientist and she creates, that was really something I was proud of, to see a character that you don’t always see in films,” computer graphics major Angelica Fields said.

Bongani Mlambo, a Los Angelesbased filmmaker who was born in Zimbabwe, said “Black Panther” shows an interest in the black community that wasn’t present before the #OscarsSoWhite movement. ‘“Black Panther’s success is a form of validation that stories about and from the black community are as good as any other Hollywood story”, he said.

Although other films have showcased black superheroes, even within the Marvel universe (“Blade” 1998), none have had the significance or impact like Coogler’s “Black Panther.”

“It’s the strength of African women with the strength of African men but you have to have the African–American perspective to bring the story full circle”, business major D’Qwaylon Rose said.

The film’s success will likely not be lost on Hollywood executives.

as in New York and Europe are thought-provoking and substantial masterpieces. They produce new and experimental plays such as their adaptation of Neil Young’s “Greendale” and the world premiere of Len Jenkin’s “Port Twilight.”

The audience, with drinks in hand, walks around the corner and down a small, dimly lit hallway where large doors open up to the performance area. On the way to their seats, the audience is surrounded by thin limbs of trees illuminated by firefly lights.

Large concrete pillars in the audience have been painted green and wrapped in leafy vines. Bright crystal chandeliers have been wrapped in a fog of white veil and hang over the stage as well as the green pillars

where ivy hang from sparkly crystals.

The historic Frank Lloyd Wright chairs, originally installed in the Kalita Humphreys Theater in 1959, add to the atmosphere. The carefully decorated set and round center stage bring the actors into the same space as the audience, creating an interactive and high-energy performance.

The evening’s brilliant performance was of Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sisters.” The trees, vines and benches give the impression that the audience was on the terrace with the characters, wandering through the dream like forest of birches and looking into the home of the sisters.

Undermain offers show tickets ranging from $10 to $25, which is one of the most affordable in town.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre tickets range from $10 to $40, and Kitchen Dog Theatre tickets are $15 to $30.

“Three Sisters” runs through March 11. Visit undermain.org for information.

COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY PICTURES

Director Ryan Coogler and star Chadwick Boseman on the set of “Black Panther.”

and the responsibility that Wakanda has in a world where black people have been historically oppressed.

The achievements of the film goes well beyond the box office to the heart of Africa in the setting of Wakanda.

The advanced civilization is built on the technology of the fictional mineral Vibranium which holds a unique place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only is the resource in Wakanda a powerful one for the nation, but it’s also a highly important mineral in the MCU, putting the characters of the story in an important place for films to come.

The film also makes a strong state-

Submerge yourself in a fine art experience at Undermain

By CAROLINE CEOLIN Life & Arts Editor @CaroCeolinETC

The Undermain Theatre is one of Deep Ellum’s best-kept secrets. The black box styled theater is tucked away in the basement of the historic 3200 Main Street building. The location makes it quite literally a hidden gem that presents a great mix of new age and classical theater.

Through the main glass doors, reinforced with steel, is a lobby of an empty loft apartment complex. At the end of the lobby is an oversized elevator and to the right, stairs with red brick walls and concrete flooring.

Walking from the gravel parking lot to the basement level of the Chicago-style building is the perfect balance of orientation and mystery.

Past the main desk, in the concessions area, posters of the theater’s past productions hang on both sides of the walls, many of them from the

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Joanna Schellenberg and Jenny Ledel play sisters Olga and Irina during a Feb. 28. performance of “Three Sisters” by Anton Chekhov

‘80s when the theater was first established. Edgy and experimental works cover both sides of the painted concrete walls in the concession’s room.

There’s a comfy looking black leather couch against a blue wall to the right of the concessions where a man sits, a $5 Starnold in hand.

On the side of the room opposite

the couch, an intimate couple is seated at a table in the corner drinking wine, and others have used the remaining table that circles a large gray pillar on the right side of the room to set their drinks down while they stand and chat with one another.

The plays that Undermain performs in its home theater as well

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Student’s tea-drinking finds roots in love for art Continued from page 8 However, tea consumption has been slightly growing in the West since the Victorian Era. The United States is the only Western country currently growing in tea imports and consumption. This is due to all demographics but mostly recently due to millennials who contribute up to 87 percent of tea consumption, with Generation Z starting to get involved, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, second only to plain water. But while the market has been making advances in America, the community of traditional, hottea drinkers is still relatively tiny.

Getting involved in Tea Studying art paved the way into tea culture for Jeff Cornelius. Art has a beautiful history of antiquity and antiques made by artists. Making his interest into artisan tea wear, paintings can cost thousands of dollars, while antique teacups can be inex-

pensive. Experiencing something of a high artisan level without breaking the bank, making it a cheaper transition, eventually leading to his obsession with Pu’er.

“It involves so much time, so much patience,” Cornelius said. “It’s an appreciation of older things so it was a big part of me getting into it.”

Cornelius and his friends even attempted to open a tea shop in Houston, but ran into problems with zoning laws. The store never opened.

Over the time trying to open the shop, Cornelius continued expanding his hobby by collecting antique Asian teapots and various forms of Pu’er Tea. Cornelius tried to share the love for tea and the experience with his friends, but most were more interested in generic teas and fruit infusions.

“Even people that love tea, you can’t always share it with them because it is a really specific area, it is such a big tea world,” Cornelius said.

Cornelius buys his teapots and

tea from online vendors. As a beginner, it’s a gamble. Some sources may not be that good. Cornelius says that spending money on unreliable sources is called a tuition fee.

“You can spend thousands of dollars on junk throughout the years,” he said.

With time, understanding of tea develops and picking out products gets easier, though there is always a risk of making a bad purchase.

The Pu’er Tea that Cornelius buys comes from the minority people in Southwest China or the Yunnan Province, some of the most pristine conditions in which tea can be grown. The tea is grown in steep mountain cliffs, in protected forests.

Common Ground Cornelius and his girlfriend, Madylin Harwell, meet with their similar interest in ceramics, due to her multiple BFA in ceramics and metalsmithing, allowing the two to share interests. Cornelius makes tea daily; keeping the tea in separate contain-

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Jeff Cornelius sips on a cup of Pu’er Tea. The Pu’er Tea is called “Da Qing Gu Shu Raw Puerh” from the year 2015.

ers.

“I would say it is just the same as any other hobby like collecting cards or drinking different beers, only less common,” said Harwell.

Harwell and Cornelius discuss and plan to one day go to Asia with their shared interests in ceramics, while drinking tea and studying from potters.

Author uses rap and hip hop to encourage dialogue

By SAMUEL FARLEY and ARIA JONES Reporters @TheEtCetera

Author and motivational speaker Jonathan Jones encouraged students to “take off your cool cap and put on your listening cap” before opening up a dialogue about hip hop lyrics during the college’s final Black History Month event, “No Beats, Just Bars.”

Jones, a Richland graduate, challenged the audience at the Feb. 28 event to pay closer attention to the messages artists are communicating in their music.

He said it’s important for students to understand the power of words because they must be intentional with what they say and to whom they speak.

Jones then played three hip-hop songs that touched on social issues such as racism, LGBTQ rights and suicide awareness.

The first song was “Land of the Free” by Joey Badass, which opened a discussion on race relations.

The song says that there are “three K’s and two A’s in AmeriKKKa” and that electing Barack Obama as the nation’s first AfricanAmerican president was “just not enough.”

It also points out how black Americans still have the names of their slave owners.

Eastfield student Zyjanae Martin’s spoke emotionally about the uneasy feeling of knowing the culture of her ancestors had been stripped away.

She said she went through a similar experi-

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

DCCCD graduate Jonathan Jones hosts the “No Beats, Just Bars” Black History Month event on Feb 28.

ence of questioning her heritage, like Joey Badass did growing up, because she knows things like her religion were taught to her ancestors.

“I grew up in Pleasant Grove and I’m African, but I don’t know who my people are,” she said. “We lost a lot when we were brought to this country.”

The next song, “1-800-273-8255” by Logic, brought up the topic of suicide and depression.

The title is the real phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

The artist’s words “I don’t want to be alive”

are repeated in the chorus at the beginning of the song, but by the end it changes to “I finally wanna be alive.”

Niko Robbins, an engineering major, spoke about the importance of realizing that the LGBTQ community is everywhere and that suicide statistics among trans people is particularly high.

“Since this is about LGBTQ people and I’m queer, there is actually something called the Day of Silence, and it is a day where people in public will not speak at all,” Robbins said. “It is to show respect and to show what it’s like for queer people or LGBTQ people who feel like they can’t speak or have even ended their lives because they didn’t even feel safe to be in the world” Robbins offered support to anyone in the room who was struggling.

“If you call that number, it really is them, and they will hear you,” she said. “And there are so many groups of LGBTQ people out there that you can join.”

Students and faculty discussed the importance of acceptance of people in marginalized communities.

“At the end of the day we all just want to be understood and loved,” history professor Liz Nichols said. “And we have to have compassion for people when they decide to share their stories with us.”

The song list also included a more upbeat song, “No Fear” by Dej Loaf.

“When it comes to fear, if we prepare accordingly for certain things, whether it’s a test or a relationship, we can eliminate it,” Jones said.

Throughout the event, Jones stressed the importance of being open, being respectful and exercising free speech.

The conversations involved personal experiences and outlooks, and people didn’t always agree.

The discussion remained civilized even when disagreements arose.

At one point two students debated whether artists should use derogatory language toward women.

“When I came in here, the environment was already set to pay attention, to get that energy, and receive those words with an open mind,” said Courtney Pickens, coordinator of the college’s Providing Hope, Awareness, & Suicide Education program. “Because I’ve seen conversations about race and sexuality go all the way to the left, I think it’s important to have a conversation but also be respectful of the differences.”

After the event ended students seemed more open to expressing themselves and their feelings.

“I was able to meet a fellow LGBTQ person at this event, and we have already begun to discuss how we can reach out to the LGBTQ community here on campus,” Robbins said.

Jones was pleased with the outcome of the conversations.

“Hearing the students interact was my favorite part,” he said. “Because when the engagement comes from a personal experience, then we begin to relate to one another and see others’ perspectives.”

— James Eyre contributed to this report

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

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

Jesus Ayala

Senior Staff Writer Julio Vega Senior Staff Photographers Niels Winter Photographers Vaylan Jacques Jennifer Retiz

Willie R. Cole Husni Kasba

Videographers Narely Martin Daija Heaven

Amber Bell

Graphic Artists Sean Watkins Esther Moreno Reporters Adrian Maldonado James Eyre Aria Jones Daniel Durrett

Aldahir Segovia Anthony Lazon

Contributors Josue Hernandez Kathryn Higgins Keaira English Editorial Assistant Marie Garcia

Andrew Walter Kevin Meyer Juan Prado

Samuel Farley Colin Taylor

Martha Especulta

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

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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.

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13 www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

OUR VIEW

Young activists earn respect, attention In response to the deaths of 17 people in a school shooting, students who survived the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, decided they would not let the issue fade out of the public eye.

These students took to the media and to government officials to make their beliefs about gun control heard.

Emma González, a survivor of the shooting, spoke at a rally and called upon others to demand gun reform from their government.

While other advocates for numerous issues have lost the wind to their sails after days or if perseverant, weeks, these students do not show any sign of slowing down.

While we as an editorial board do not all agree on a solution to mass shootings, we applaud the students’ courage and their willingness to stand for what they believe despite fierce contention.

González has gained so much momentum that she now has more than 1.1 million followers on Twitter.

More people are following González than are following the NRA, which has around 600,000 followers.

This just goes to show how much González sentiment resonated with the majority of Americans.

The young activists participated in town hall discussions with CNN, conducted sit-ins at legislators’ offices and protested legislators supporting gun rights in the United States, online and on the streets.

This is not a unique occurrence in history. Young people have repeatedly shown they are willing to take a stand on issues that impact them.

From the 1950s through the 1970s, youth protested the Vietnam War by burning draft cards and fought to end the segregation of schools.

Students in Los Angeles staged walkouts over high dropout rates, overcrowding, and the lack of Mexican-American history lessons.

This time, a youth movement is brewing to meet Second Amendment advocates in the fight over gun control.

These students are fighting to make their schools safe. But they are facing criticism on substantial levels.

Some students have been accused by crazed conspiracy theorists of

MARTHA ESPECULTA/THE ET CETERA

being crisis actors. Internet trolls criticize them for being the same generation that swallows laundry pods for social media fame.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio even criticized the movement, tweeting that the newest generation is arrogant and boastful.

If you disagree with the arguments of these activists, challenging them with such weak character attacks is not the way to go.

Look at the movement they created and start your own. Instead of sitting behind your computer

retweeting a meme, fight their ideas instead of trying to discredit them with their youth.

We commend these young people for not being deterred from their beliefs and not allowing this debate to fade away as it has so many times before.

Their movement mirrors the ferocity of those during the civil rights movement.

They are challenging those in power and demanding a debate in Congress where it has previously been non-existent.

After ‘Black Panther,’ it’s time for more diversity “Black Panther” was the first mainstream black superhero that was created by Marvel in 1966.

Plans to make a movie about him have been thrown around since 1992, so when a movie did come out, it took the film world by storm.

Stars Chadwick Boseman (the Panther himself), Martin Freeman (CIA agent Everett Ross) and Michael B. Jordan (the villain Warmonger) have been praised by fans and critics alike.

However, not all viewers have been positive. While I was researching the film, I came across several reviews from both viewers and film critics complaining that the movie was “too black.”

One such reviewer was an admitted white supremacist who also argued that LGBT people, people

James Eyre @TheEtCetera

with disabilities, non-whites and non-Christians in films is a ploy to eliminate able-bodied, heterosexual, white, Protestant men from media.

Yet, this particular able-bodied, heterosexual, white, Protestant man believes it is a wonderful thing we are seeing more diversity in the media.

Doing further research on historical diversity in American film, I realized that the majority of films with black leading roles are about slavery or servitude.

One needs look no further than

“12 Years a Slave,” “Django Unchained” or “The Help.”

Limiting black actors and actresses to servant roles is nothing new. During the early-to-mid 1900s, black stars almost never appeared on film unless cast to said roles.

Aside from servants, black film stars have also been severely limited to being cast as criminals.

This is why I love “Akeelah and the Bee.” I find it refreshing to see a black protagonist depicted in a positive light.

In the film, Akeelah Anderson is a middle school student in a predominantly black school in South Los Angeles.

She is a spelling enthusiast, which at first makes her a target for school bullying, but she brings pride to her neighborhood when she wins the

Scripps National Spelling Bee. Writer and Director Doug Atchison, who is white, was himself tired of film media portraying the black community as nothing but negative and took action.

He also noted that in films when black people, especially children, have a rags to riches story, they rarely are academically successful.

In Atchison’s own words: “These lies about black inferiority have been seeping into our cinema, and that seeps into our kids. As a filmmaker, you can dig into these issues.”

I hope that Black Panther paves the way for even more heroic black characters, once and for all eliminating the stigma that black films stars can only be degrading.

— James Eyre is a journalism major and a reporter

OPINION

14

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Tattoos are not as taboo as they used to be Cutting skin for a purpose sounds like a complete disregard to ones’ well-being, but that’s the simplicity of getting a permanent image on your body.

Tattoos are a conflicting topic to the public, it comes down to whether a person would get one or keep their skin ink-free. Everyone has full jurisdiction of what they do with their body and my choice is to get as many tattoos as I can.

Tattoos originated in the times before civilization. The original word, “tatu,” meant to mark something. People had these marks on certain areas of their body to indicate different meanings such as health, tribes, belief, etc.

Tattoos carried on to modern day society with the same value of having a marking with a meaning behind it.

Tats have gone from being symbols of tribes to people tattooing their dogs on their arms.

People have the most innovative ways of getting ink on their body, just don’t get “ATM” tattooed on your lower back. There are many awesome tattoos, and there are some that are completely asinine.

The main thing to appreciate is how they’ve been accepted into our society because the norm has changed. We went from having only bikers, prisoners and criminals having ink on their bodies to doctors, lawyers, teachers and college students. Tattoos might still be denied

from being seen in a corporate environment, but they’re making their mark, becoming part of the standard.

These pieces of art can tell stories that other mediums can’t these days. Artists are finding new ways to make tattoos an awesome investment. Yeah, there is a downside when you pay a lot of money for a tattoo, but it’s like a lot of other expenditures. If you want a quality tattoo, it’ll cost more.

Good quality matches the satisfaction of the customer. It’s common sense, but not a lot of people have that so it’s easy to find pictures of horrible tattoos on the internet. It’s one reason there’s a market for tattoo cover-ups and laser tattoo removal. In order to not go through the process of getting a tattoo covered up by another or getting it removed, make sure you go to a quality shop that will give you something that’s worth putting on your body for the rest of your life.

One stereotype people give tattoos is that people only get them for the aesthetic purpose.

Though, there are some people who see a picture or a piece of art and immediately think “hey I want to get that tattooed on me.”

There are people who decide what they’re going to get tattooed onto them with good timing.

It’s a thought process of reminding yourself that this piece of art will remain with you for

Aldahir Segovia @TheEtCetera

the rest of your life and reassurance of what is going to happen.

Getting a tattoo isn’t simple because although it’s like drawing with a pencil on paper, it’s a completely different ball game. A tattoo is a machine penetrating one or multiple needles into the human body.

The degree of agony a person will endure depends on the area of the body they’re getting inked, how big the tattoo is and the pace of the tattooist. Every person must understand that there is no anesthetics or pain relievers given when going to get a tattoo. You’re going to go through the pain and deal with it.

The pain is inevitable, but if the tattoo is meaningful to you then the pain is worth getting lacerated. Also, people don’t understand that everyone has different tolerances of pain.

If your skin swells from a small pinch, good luck. The main thing that no one should do when going to get a tattoo is take something to suppresses pain.

Taking medication that makes you numb to pain before getting a tattoo is a bad idea.

Arming teachers is crazy I will be the first to claim I know I have no real need for the guns I own (unless Zombies) AND, I have zero plans to hand them over to any group of the government.

The whole of my life I have owned guns and been near guns.

I was 12 years old when I received my first gun, a Henry .22 Caliber rifle, as a Christmas present.

Not only did I get the gun as a gift from my Grandfather but got the safety instruction along with that gun. It was one of the most serious conversations I had ever had with my grandfather.

After serving in the Navy, where I qualified for both my rifle and pistol medals, I began hunting as a hobby. I began to collect guns. First a shotgun and then a rifle, then a few years later I bought a 9mm pistol.

I’ve added to my collection of guns to the point that I have built up what could be considered a private armory, including a Soviet made AK-47, H&K tactical .45, colt AR-15 variant, Fausti 12 gauge, Beretta Magnum 12 gauge and a few others.

However, I believe that guns have no place in a school. Eli Reiter a teacher and special reporter for the New York Daily News, said, “I create my classroom as an oasis, as a safe zone. No abuse or hate is allowed. No weapons made of metal or words. Possessing a firearm, even one safely hidden, soaks up all the safe air. Even if I never mention it or show it

Daniel Durrett @TheEtCetera

off, my students know it’s there. I can’t in good conscience tell a student he’s safe if I carry that thing”.

The concept of the only thing to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun is pure BS. First of all, knowing how to shoot while being shot at is a learned skill that no civilian is prepared for.

I have seen what daily trained shooters are able to do with a gun. The concept of a teacher with training is not going to be anywhere near enough to act as an adequate marksman.

An actual situation where an individual is pumped full of adrenalin and stress, the attempt to make any proper decision is almost an impossibility given the activity surrounding your actions and thoughts.

I believe that the best defense is the offense yet to have been discussed: a teacher in nearly indestructible body armor could charge and disable the active shooter. Why do both sides have to have guns to have a winner?

— Daniel Durrett is a reporter and film major

For example, taking Advil thickens the blood cells, so when a person takes a pill or two before getting inked it’ll cause them to bleed profusely. Another issue is when a person finds it challenging to remain still and relax. People can cause themselves to have anxiety and their sudden movements may lead to an error in the process.

As painful as it is, getting a tattoo is a fun experience. I have gotten three tattoos in the span of two years and I am not stopping any time soon. The meaning of my tattoos is as beautiful as the way they look because they’re a puzzle I create the pieces to. It’s addicting. A short time after getting a new one I want to get another, but I never look forward to the pain and irritation because I have sensitive skin. I believe that people should give them a try or at least appreciate the art of tattoos.

Tattoos grow in popularity as time progresses and it’s great because people are changing something that was belittled and shamed to something that is admired.

Everyone who is looking to get a tattoo must be willing to pay good money to get what they want on their body and endure the pain..

If you’re going to get a tattoo soon, eat before you get tattooed, stay hydrated and be chill my dude.

— Aldahir Segovia is a staff writer and an astronomy major

Sports The Et Cetera

March 7 March 14 March 15 March 21

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

Baseball vs. Mountain View Baseball vs. North Lake Baseball vs. North Lake Baseball vs. Cedar Valley

www.eastfieldnews.com

15 Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Harvesters ousted by Blazers, miss nationals

By JULIO VEGA Senior Staff Writer @JulioVegaETC

The Eastfield men’s basketball team fell to the North Lake Blazers 88-76 in the Region V Championship match Feb. 26.

The loss ended the Harvester’s season and sent the Blazers, the defending national champions, to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III tournament in New York.

The Harvester’s finished with a 24-8 record.

The team ranked No. 5 in the nation with 96.2 points per game, averaged 43.7 total rebounds per game, had a 3-point percentage of 34.4 and had the fourth-best points per game allowed with 48.6.

Sophomore Guard JJ Murray said the impact of the loss too time to sink in.

“When the clock hit zero, I didn’t really process it in the moment,” he said. “I just took the loss as any other. When it hit me the next day, I thought about the opportunity that we missed. Being on the team last year, I knew how hard it was to get to that point.”

Coach Anthony Fletcher said that despite not making nationals, he still

considers the season a success, with the team winning their 22nd regular season conference championship.

“This will fuel us for next season,” he said. “No, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to end. But we’ve still got to be men about it.”

Murray ended his Eastfield career with 1,062 points and 277 assists, ranking him third-highest in each category. He was also named to the First Team All-Conference for All Region V. He said that despite the accolades and records, the lack of a national title hurts.

“I feel incomplete because I really wanted to bring a national championship here,” Murray said.

Other sophomores Sean Odum, Adovante Johnson and Kuol Arup also ended their careers as Harvesters.

Standout freshman include Rashaun Coleman, Anthony McGee, DaJuan Ridgeway and Mike Fuller.

Coleman was named the Metro Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Coleman and Ridgeway were both named into the Second Team All-Conference for All Region V. McGee broke the Eastfield record of most 3-pointers in a single game with 11 and was named to Third Team All-Conference.

Ridgeway said that this new start

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Kuol Arop, left, and Anthony McGee listen to Fletcher after the loss.

Freshman forward Melvin Daniels forces a turnover rebound against North Lake.

to college basketball has helped him and his teammates grow into leaders on and off the court.

“Playing basketball at this level is like being a newborn,” he said. “It’s not like high school. Here, you have to relearn everything to play in a college team.”

Fletcher said that in his 13 years as coach, he’d never started three freshmen, but did so this year to great effect.

With the returning players, he believes the team can reach nationals again.

The Harvesters won the national

WILLIE R. COLE/THE ET CETERA

title in 1997. Their last tournament appearance was 2016, when they places fourth.

“Adversity makes us better,” said Fletcher to the team in the locker room following the loss. “If you’ve never had sour, you don’t know what sweet tastes like.”

Freshman guard Rashaun Coleman scores under pressure against North Lake.

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WRAP UP

16

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

@TheEtCetera

The Et Cetera

Natural hair offers more than just style options Continued from page 7

women find lots of way to change their hair. Afros from all sizes, Bantu knots, different types of braids, hair twists, and dreadlocks are some of the trendy styles today, some of which have existed throughout history.

Psychology major Kia Jackson explained a scale that distinguishes types of hair based on the curl, porosity, kinkiness, texture, etc.

“I’m 4C,” Jackson said. “I moisturize a lot, I can’t just go to sleep, I have to twist my hair, and

do a whole lock routine, but I think it’s worth it” Although hair is important to many cultures, African American women spend a lot of time, effort and money on their hair.

Senior Degree Audit Specialist and adjunct professor Terri Thompson said she spends a lot of time on her hair.

By continually twisting her hair and methodically “palm rolling” Thompson was able to achieve her dreadlocks “It took about a good six months to a year for it to start locking,” Thompson said.

I knit and twist my hair, then I put these little brackets in. The twist is actually from Africa, then the Africans brought it to America, so it’s just been passed down from generation to generation.

-Nakia Smith, 19, Photography Major

Today, African Americans are still fighting for their rights with movements like Black Lives Matter and they will continue to express their voice through music, art, fashion, politics, and even with their hair.

“We were pressured to shame our hair forever, we had to cover it up, plait it up, and all of it just strip us from any beauty, cause they want us to look ugly, to feel ugly,” Jackson said. “You don’t have to go natural, but you shouldn’t feel like you have to have a specific hair in order to do it for a job or be accepted.”

Certain things are generally accepted, like if you’re running for President, you can’t have a bunch of cornrows. They don’t understand it’s just hair, it doesn’t define the person and who they are, it’s just something they like. It doesn’t matter what kind of hair you have as long as you’re happy with it.

You don’t even have to have hair, just whatever makes you happy.

-Travis Spivey, 18, Biology major

New plan aims to remedy low student success rates in district Continued from page 3 the interpretations are,” Hinckley said.

Some faculty told Hinckley they that academic prgrams are being overlooked in favor of skills training such as welding, auto work and heating and air conditioning repair.

This feeling stems from a historic trend of elevating vocational training over academics paired with the national political climate with disdain for higher education, especially liberal arts, Hinckley said.

While he believes concern about a shift of focus from academics to workforce and vocation training may be a valid concern on the national level, it doesn’t appear to be the case in the DCCCD. During the early 2000s, the DCCCD began cutting back on vocational and workforce programs. Hinckley said faculty have been concerned since this trend reversed when May became chancellor.

“A few of them who remarked to me said they feared that we might be becoming an entirely technical or vocational college,” Hinckley said. “I think, even though I’m an academic credit and transfer faculty, I think he [May] very correctly added emphasis to workforce and career technical education programs where

it had been lacking for the last 15 years.”

He said the increased attention for these programs could create a feeling among forcredit faculty that they are being overlooked or undervalued.

Hinckley said that no faculty in academic, credit rewarding divisions have been laid off since the DCCCD began the push for more increase resources for workforce and vocational training and he expects more will actually be hired next year.

May believes the DCCCD can change that design, with the right moves going forward.

One of the changes that may have the biggest impact is by connecting with students before they graduate high school.

“I think we most agree that the old model of waiting for a student to graduate high school before connecting doesn’t work,” May said. “It’s just simply too late in the process to change what’s going on.”

Programs like the early college high schools and the Dallas County Promise will be the spearhead in the effort to get more high school graduates to complete a degree.

The problems with completion may run deeper, though, May said.

About 18 percent of first semester students

do not complete a single course in the DCCCD, according to institutional research. More than 80 percent of high school graduates are not college ready when they receive their diplomas, 41 percent do not enroll in their first year after graduation and 52 percent do not continue into their second year of college.

“I truly believe we have students who are suffering in ways like never before,” May said.

“We also are seeing too many students who are falling through the cracks. Eighteen percent of our first semester students never finish a course. We cannot afford for one of them to not complete, not be successful, much less 18 percent.”

May said the district would look to students who have found success on their own, without using only the tools provided by the district.

Many of these students, he said, attend multiple colleges and create networks with other successful students outside of the communication provided by the DCCCD. Eastfield President Jean Conway said she is excited about the changes.

“The district is planning to move forward in a way that hopefully we make a true difference, not only in students lives but we believe we make a difference in the city, the culture, the

economy, the county,” Conway said. “By doing the things that the chancellor has proposed in a network model, we have an opportunity to be a part of that.”

Hinckley said that the number of students who do not transfer or complete degrees is a sign that change is necessary. He said the Dallas County Promise will likely help.

He also believes Guided Pathways, which will tell students which classes to take and when, aid for students facing hunger or housing insecurity and assistance for students with mental health needs, all of which are receiving increased attention under the network, will all help students complete and transfer to a fouryear institution.

He believes a move more toward a single institution mindset rather than being seven separate colleges under an umbrella, which the network plan is a move toward, will be a great help to students and success rates.

“There are differences between the seven colleges, but the perceived differences are greater,” Hinckley said. “I’ve worked at two different colleges in the district. I’ve been to all seven. At all seven colleges, people care about students.

That’s why we do what we do, because we care about students. That’s a unifying culture.”