‘The Last
Creative work that was once possible only after years of training and practice can now be done in mere minutes, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence. Lately, creative fields have felt the brunt of this everdeveloping technology, but a field that’s not being talked about as much is music.
Programs like Amper Music, Jukebox, Soundraw, Soundful, Aiva and Google’s Magenta are only a few AI music generators that enable everyday people to produce an entire library of music in under a day.
The technology has left many musicians and producers divided over the industry’s uncertain future.
“It’s like when cameras came out, everybody thought there was gonna be no more painters, but we still have painters. They just do a different thing. It’s not like we’re all going to disappear now,” said Radiance Francois, an Eastfield student and singer/ songwriter.
A common argument observed in social media is how this technology may make music more accessible to individuals who are disabled or otherwise economically disadvantaged, thus lacking resources to pursue their passion.
“It’s advantageous to put someone with limited means in a position to express themselves in a way they feel reflects their truest intent to a greater degree than they could have been able to do 20 or 30 years ago,” said Eddie Healy, an Eastfield music theory instructor.
Francois proposed that AI technology may also make music more enjoyable for those who aren’t well versed in certain aspects of music creation.
“I mix and master my stuff, but to have an AI do it makes it so much easier, faster, so I can focus on the things I want to,” said Francois. “ If the AI can do it quicker, I can focus more on the writing and creative side I enjoy rather than the mixing.”
While some may benefit from using the technology, Healy argues that they would lack true ownership of their work by not understanding
how to produce the sounds within. He said that society has become increasingly disconnected from an understanding of music and that AI may worsen this.
“People can get inspired all the time. That’s different than just [stealing] clips. There has to be a certain threshold before it’s considered your voice,” said Francois referring to music AI generators training on pre-existing materials to create their sounds.
Musicians like Healy have said that AI may make it easier for artists to express themselves, noting artists
It’s like when cameras came out, everybody thought there was gonna be no more painters, but we still have painters.
Radiance Francois, Eastfield student, singer/songwriter
who started off sampling but became increasingly independent over time, like Dr. Dre.
The lack of training required might also affect how music is taught in schools.
“AI is just a tool. It’s like giving someone a state-of-the-art piano, but they don’t know anything about playing the piano,” said Eastfield music instructor Oscar Passley. “I think if you have savvy enough people behind it, then they will innovate.”
Healy also said that AI is useful as a learning tool like YouTube tutorials and much more.
Like AI-generated art, some creatives have weighed the possibility that AI music will lead to the death of the instructor.
“Just about everything that isn’t a teacher has the potential to minimize the role of a teacher,” Healy said. “There’s always a point at which you hit a wall and need further discussion on a topic that a YouTube video is just not going to help you on.”
Healy doesn’t plan to implement any sort of AI tech in his own class-
room but is open to teaching his students how to use it more responsibly. His greatest hope is that students understand how to achieve the effects AI enabled them to so they can have a greater degree of ownership over their craft.
satirical purposes.
AI is just a tool. It’s like giving someone a state-of-the-art piano, but they don’t know anything about playing the piano.
Oscar Passley, Eastfield music instructor“Being able to combine traditional music learning with everything new that’s happening is a must to stay relative and relevant in the industry,” Passley said.
While many may benefit from increased accessibility to music creation, there’s also a darker side to AI’s ever-growing role in the music industry: In 2020, Jay-Z’s team copyright claimed a YouTube video deepfake of him rapping Hamlet and Billy Joel. After a while the video was reinstated, but it did highlight a concern many creatives have over their vocals being used without consent, even for
Jay-Z’s case was only the tip of the iceberg as deepfake AI tech has only become more efficient. Social media is currently teeming with countless videos spoofing famous celebrities, fictional characters and, most popularly, former U.S. presidents saying anything the creator desires.
“The technology is always way in front of legislation and policy,” Passley said. “ I think it’s just uncharted territory and we’ll see the government catch up later on.”
Washington state legislators recently proposed a bill for protections against AI deepfakes. As the technology becomes more efficient many are worried how this will affect perceptions of truth and reality.
“I think we already struggle to
Melawn Dineen was born into a military family, but she never expected to be a Marine.
Her father is retired from the Air Force, and her grandfather is retired from the Army. But Dineen was a high school cheerleader with no plans of joining the military.
However, when she was a 17-yearold student on scholarship at Eastfield, her brother was involved in a serious motorcycle accident after returning from deployment as a Marine in Iraq. When he couldn’t reenlist, Dineen reconsidered.
"Maybe it's my turn because he can't go," she thought.
In September of 2006, at age 19, Dineen made her decision without the knowledge of her family. She walked into the Marines recruiting office in Mesquite and said, "Hey, I think it's time I joined."
The recruiter responded jokingly, "The cheerleader?"
"Yes, sir," Dineen said. "I don't want to work in the air conditioning, I'd like to work on the helicopters that go over my house every day."
Soon she would find herself working on those very same helicopters, Boeing Ch-46, as an aviation electronics technician. She was one of six women in a unit of 287 soldiers.
Today, Dineen is a program lead for Veteran and Military-Connected Services program at Eastfield, which provides resources for students currently enlisted in the military as well as veterans and their dependents.
Dineen was one of five female veterans who spoke at Eastfield’s “Courageous Conversations: Women in the Military” event on March 21. The panel also featured fellow Marine Jacqueline Shorter and Army veteran Deandrea Montague, who are also program leads, as well as Air Force veteran Jessica Sanchez. It was moderated by VR Small, a Navy veteran and founder and CEO of the Veran Women’s Enterprise Center.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to become permanent servicemembers, and the 10th anniversary of all combat service roles being
open to women. Today, women make up about 18% of the U.S. military’s active-duty force, totaling 231,147 members, according to the Department of Defense.
Dineen served five years, but her experience did not come without its ups and downs. She met and married her husband during that time, but they were in the same unit and were often pitted against each other.
In 2009, Dineen was preparing for deployment to Iraq when she was told, “they didn't need any other females for deployment." Her husband was deployed, while she was given the job of training other Marines for deployment. Determined to prove herself, Dineen posted the best test scores, became the best shooter and reached supervisory status faster than her male counterparts.
When she left the military in 2012, Dineen had PTSD from military sexual trauma. It took her 11 years to bring it to the attention of Veterans Affairs. Then she was directed to a male physician who dismissed the severity of her sexual trauma.
"This delayed my seeking assistance and my emotional healing,” she said. “It was rough.”
Despite her struggles, Dineen said she says she has grown and become better because of her service.
"That's why I'm sitting here today."
For Jessica Sanchez, taking the leap wasn’t easy. But after joining the Air Force, it became her new motto.
Sanchez’s parents were born in
Mexico, and like many first-generation Mexican American students, she did not have a lot of guidance when it came to school. She had no plans after high school graduation. After speaking to a recruiter, she joined the Air Force and became the first in her family to serve in the military, serving for five years in Space Command, which is now Space Force.
“From then on, everything I've done has been that same model,” she said. “Take the leap. Just go for it and do it because you'll come out better on the other side.”
The military introduced Sanchez to nonprofits, which is how she became the manager of a nonprofit organization in her community. She is also the owner of The Color POP Print Studio in Grand Prairie, has written two e-books and serves on the Gildan Board of Decorators.
Sanchez was 17 when she was sent to boot camp for six weeks. As the youngest and one of few women in her unit during basic training, she faced much adversity. She was housed in dorms where “there were drugs, alcohol and anything you could think of that happens in university dorms.” The dorms were not separated by gender.
“A lot of stuff happened in the dorm rooms after hours,” she said.
Many women experience sexual assault or harassment during their service, including Sanchez.
“There was no one I could talk to, and I didn’t have the resources,” she said.
Afraid of what would happen if
she spoke out about the abuse she endured, she didn’t tell anyone until she left boot camp. Other panelists also discussed the challenges they faced.
Montague, the daughter of two Army parents who enlisted at age 22 and served for eight years as a supply sergeant for a medical logistics company, recalled the discomfort that came with being around large groups of male soldiers in Qatar.
"There wasn't a lot of control and restriction, so it fell back on the female soldiers," said Montague, who served as a Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention coordinator for her unit. "It got to a point where we couldn't wear certain things to the gym, instead of leadership taking the time to say, 'Hey, guys, males, control yourself.’”
The panelists said women in the military are forced to be strong and confident since they constantly have to prove themselves to their male peers. Shorter said sexual harassment from leadership was not uncommon.
“When I’m a private first class, and a gunner sergeant who’s supposed to be my leader is coming onto me, I have no guidance, “ she said. “But that’s not being done to male Marines.”
While efforts to combat sexual harassment in the military have been made, many female service members fear that reporting harassment will keep them from being promoted.
“Retaliation can come out in so many ways, with honorable discharge and medical discharge,” Small said.
Despite the challenges she en-
dured, Sanchez said her military experience was life-changing. She started the first Hispanic Heritage Organization on Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and continues to help educate and train people in her community who want to start their own business.
“The military really helped me become the woman I am today and helped me be that person that decided to take the leap,” she said.
Jacqueline Shorter had planned on earning a scholarship and going to college, then her house was destroyed in a fire. She lost everything.
Shorter changed her path and joined the military.
“I felt like I wasn’t a strong person in my character,” Shorter said. “And I looked at a commercial for the Marine Corps, and I was like … ‘You know, I’m going to do something to help me become a better person, a stronger person. To have agency over myself and my choices.”
Against her mother’s wishes, she enlisted and went to boot camp a week after graduation. But the physical demands were even more challenging than she expected.
“It definitely showed me that I was not even a varsity softball player,” Shorter said. “That level of fitness in high school was completely different than the Marine Corps level fitness, so I had a lot of catching up to do.”
Shorter not only made it through basic training but went on to serve as an unmanned aerial vehicle technician for more than eight years. Her job took her to locations like Okinawa, Japan, and Kaneohe, Hawaii and even led to her meeting her husband.
After winning several military medals and commendations, she has since earned her master’s degree in English literature and is a program lead for the Veteran and MilitaryConnected Services at Eastfield, where she helps ensure that others maximize their military benefits.
Shorter now enjoys helping provide services to student veterans. Her advice to female service members is to love yourself and know that your rank does not define you.
“Who you are when you lay your head down at night is what matters more than anything else,” she said.
When accounting major Tyric Francis lived in the Caribbean, he’d wake up early and go fishing with his dad. They’d sit at a jetty, lines cast into the water, anticipating a catch while they talked about anything that came to mind.
No matter the quality of that day’s catch, the conversations stuck with Francis up to his first art project in instructor Erica Stephens’ art appreciation class. He was prompted to create a sculpture about an important memory.
He sculpted “Dear Son, Love Pops,” a 8.5-by-3.5 inch wooden board adorned with fishing equipment and a vintage photograph of his father and grandfather. The work is bound by rope.
“It’s a piece that reminds me of what I had before I came here,” Francis said. The piece was his first venture into sculpting, and it advanced to the League for Innovation Art Competition’s international bracket.
“I was shocked,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it to go there.”
Five of 70 artworks submitted for a Dallas College competition advanced to the international level. Three were made by Eastfield students: art major Ryan Bustamente, art major Tonatiuh Perez and Francis.
“My art showed me there’s potential in what I can do,” Francis said. His work is currently featured alongside other local artists, including Bustamente and Perez, in
the “self unfixed: picturing identify” exhibit at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas.
After the recognition of his work, Francis decided to keep art as a hobby.
“He’s brand new to art and already starting to trailblaze,” Stephens said.
“I love it.”
Bustamente made a similar piece in art instructor Kathy Windrow’s
class. His 16-by-20 inch acrylic painting “What A Wonderful Night” is an environment piece featuring his grandmother’s front yard.
Initially, Bustamente thought his piece was just for fun. He didn’t expect to get an email from Windrow celebrating his selection for the art competition.
“[Windrow] said to paint something mesmerizing and recognizable,” Bustamente said. “I thought of my grandma’s house.”
Alongside Francis and Perez, Bustamente spent his night celebrating the personal victory.
Windrow and Stephens texted each other into the night, impressed by their students’ placement.
“This is the kind of thing that encourages them to keep going,” Windrow said.
Bustamente has explored art since he was 6 years old. He initially dabbled in watercolor after coming to Eastfield but switched to painting
when Windrow helped him enjoy the learning process.
He’s using the victory to jumpstart his career goal of becoming an art teacher.
“If you’re struggling, that’s the beauty of art,” Bustamente said. “The answer isn’t always in front of you. But if you enjoy what you’re doing … you can find the answer.”
Perez put colored pencils to paper for his art piece, “Heliotropism,” a 25.75-by-19.5 inch drawing of endangered insects shrouded in flowers.
“Gardening is one of my hobbies so I try to incorporate nature into my artwork,” Perez said.
North American fauna were selected to add a sense of familiarity to the piece – telling viewers that such organisms can be found in the backyard.
The piece was tedious to create, Perez said, but the results were worth the work. Perez’s piece was initially turned in for the student art show, but he was later encouraged to enter in the League for Innovation’s art competition.
“There was nothing wrong with entering,” Perez said. “I wouldn’t lose anything from it.”
Although he has long since graduated from Dallas College, Perez has kept an eye on competition updates. He also keeps Windrow’s feedback in mind when creating art.
“I just hope they keep growing and growing and make it out there in the art world,” Windrow said.
Dallas College students on financial aid could get $820 more from their Pell grant, provided a federal spending bill passes.
President Joe Biden requested $90 billion for an education budget that increases the Pell grant’s maximum from $7,395 to $8,215, with plans to double the grant by 2029. The bill also allocates $500 million to establish a plan for establishing free community college.
“That’s going to jumpstart a lot of underprivileged students,” social work major Sarahi Aeevedo said. “They don’t have the money or they think community college is expensive.”
Although Aeevedo plans to go to a four-year
school, it depends on whether financial aid can foot the bill.
Biden has already increased the Pell grant by $900. The grant amount has increased twice during his term, after previously going untouched since 2009.
An additional $200 million in Biden’s education budget request would strengthen student recruitment in addition to workforce training, dual enrollment and work opportunities through employers.
Tuition subsidies are packaged with the proposal, provided a student is enrolled in a minority-serving institution such as Eastfield.
Students from families who make under $125,000 would receive $4,500 per year for two years.
“It’s a good first step in creating the equity
that other industrial places have,” said Marcel Jagne-Shaw, dean of student financial resources. “There are places in Europe and Africa where higher education is subsidized, and community college is a good testing ground for that.”
Pell grants usually pay most, if not all community college tuition, Jagne-Shaw said. The spending bill’s true strength lies in increasing the four-year degree’s accessibility.
“While the cost of community college has risen, it’s still largely affordable for most Americans,” Jagne-Shaw said.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid would receive $620 million to simplify its application process, a provision that was cut from Biden’s loan forgiveness plan. However, students worry about Republicans killing the bill entirely.
“They want these communities to stay underprivileged and they don’t do anything,” Aeevedo said.
With higher education being one of the main tenets of Biden’s administration, students and employees can only hope Biden delivers on his education promises.
“I hope to see more policies that empower students,” Jagne-Shaw said.
Higher education institutions and education leaders, such as the American Council on Education, have praised the proposal for its financial strength.
Even with contingencies in place, Aeevedo said she’ll take all the money she can get for advancing her education.
“It would show that this country cares for its students,” she said.
‘What A Wonderful Night’‘Heliotropism’ PHOTO COURTESY OF ERICA STEPHENS Art major Ryan Bustamente poses with his piece, “What a Wonderful World,” which is now featured at the “self unfixed: picturing identity” exhibit at the Bath House Cultural Center. The exhibit is curated by art instructor Kathy Windrow.
Trimmed grass isn’t an eco-friendly standard for your lawn, despite what your neighborhood homeowners association says. It’s a patch that’s inhospitable for organisms, plants and even nutrients in the soil.
As more people consider their carbon footprint, sustainability officials are urging homeowners on how to maintain lawns in a manner that benefits the environment.
“Eco-friendly lawn care covers a lot of different strategies and runs along a spectrum,” said Neil Kaufman, assistant director of sustainability in urban agriculture.
People can start by mowing lawns less often, Kaufman said. Letting the grass grow can breathe new life into lawns, complemented by using natural decorations such as native shrubs and minerals.
These recommendations are echoed by Dallas College’s strategies to beautify campuses while remaining sustainable.
“This included discussions of increasing the number of sculptures and native plants, but the biggest thing we have done is to make strong strides across all main locations to integrate non-soil medium,” Spradley said.
Non-soil mediums such as decomposed granite and river rock prevent weed overgrowth, simultaneously reducing the need for watering and pesticides.
In turn, eco-friendly pest management can remove invasive species without killing important organisms.
“Integrative pest management is a practice of starting with the simplest, non-chemical methods to control pests,” Kaufman said. “This
reduces the risk of harming pollinators and soil microbes.”
Most industrial pesticides release runoff into local ecosystems, which spreads toxins to native organisms and social nutrients. Even nitrogen-based fertilizers can pose problems, and Kaufman recommends switching to organic solutions.
Landscapers were less available to tend campus grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to weed overgrowth. Groupskeeping crews had to adopt landscaping methods with less maintenance such as cultivating native plants.
Similar sustainable steps can be applied to the home lawn.
“For my own home, I focus on plants that are strong and hardy in the local climate, which
may have a large amount of rain in a short period, and long stretches without,” Spradley said.
Several Texas flora need less irrigation compared to the water required for trimmed lawns, especially one with non-native plants.
“If you think about it, nationwide, we spend trillions of gallons of water to keep them alive,” said Christopher Morris, climate coordinator for the city of Dallas.
Over 9 billion gallons of water are used for lawn irrigation every day, according to a 2017 Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense report.
Environmental guides have published the phrase “let clover take over” as a shorthand for resilient flora overgrowth that benefits grass and soil.
“One of my personal favorites are Bearded
Irises,” Spradley said. “I have several different varieties, and they are great at storing energy below ground during dry times, surviving without much water.”
Trimmed, suburban lawns tend to be monoculture, which cultivate one or few plants. Agricultural diseases thrive in these lawns.
“A healthy lawn will be green and lush,” Morris said. “It’ll have a couple of different species in there so you don’t have a monoculture.”
The effects of a trimmed and chemically cleansed lawn aren’t exclusive to your backyard.
“Conventional lawn fertilizer is very often misapplied,” Kaufman said. “Too much or just before a rain shower, the easily dissolved fertilizer will wash right into the waterway.”
Such cleaning products contain high amounts of nitrogen. When enough enters a body of water, a phenomenon called eutrophication occurs. The nitrogen concentration cultivates a toxic algae that dissolves oxygen and kills aquatic life.
“I have to work in stormwater, so when a rainstorm happens, it’s going to wash all those chemicals off your lawn and straight into the nearest stream,” Morris said.
Composting and recycling garden waste is the way to go for creating compounds that cultivate nutrients in the soil, said Kaufman.
A bountiful lawn doesn’t have to be just for beauty: Growing crops is possible, saving time and money.
Local wildlife also doesn’t have to be exposed to chemicals. Everything can be returned to the environment, and climate-aware individuals such as Spradley would rather manually pluck weeds and put them to use.
“Thankfully my lop-eared bunny, Boris, appreciates [weeds] as a snack, so I’m incentivized to do it,” Spradley said.
By MATT FAUGHT
‘80 s
Zombies began to wither out of popularity in horror films. Notable changes in this era would be establishing their lust for brains in 1985’s “Return of the Living Dead,” particularly with characters like the Tarman. 1985’s “Day of the Dead” also started to popularize more intelligent zombies through characters like Bub, who could use firearms. European zombie films continued to enjoy success through filmmakers like Lucio Fulci, whose films leaned into supernatural themes with “City of the Living Dead” (1980) and “The Beyond” (1981).
‘60 s
George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) set many conventions of the modern zombie film. The film’s zombies were slow-moving, hungered for human flesh, sported deteriorating skin, spread through infection and were killed by destroying the brain. They have little in common with their Haitian counterparts as Romero took more inspiration from the vampires in the novel “I am Legend.” The short story “Herbert West–Reanimator” by HP Lovecraft was the first time zombies were portrayed as cannibalistic corpses. However Romero’s film solidified this as a trope of the zombie genre.
The Et Cetera
Zombies originated from Haitian folklore as a corpse roused by a sorcerer called bokor. They would forget their past lives and become enslaved to the whims their master. Zombies of this era vaguely resemble zombies today. Examples include “White Zombie” (1932), “Revolt of the Zom bies” (1936) and “I Walked With a Zombie” (1943).
‘70 s
While zombies didn’t change much in concept did become more grotesque. The lifting of the in America meant films here could push the with gore a lot more than before, with films of the Dead” (1978). Europe, which didn’t deal harsh censorship, also produced a handful tial films including Lucio Fulci’s “Zombie” (1979), featured stunning practical effects showing zombie designs.
s ‘30s -‘50 ‘90 s
While zombies had fallen mostly out mainstream, they were revived in the game scene through titles like “Resident and ”House of the Dead.” Both games pushed boundaries and featured mutated undead and fast zombies. Some critics believe games ignited a shift to more scientific in zombie media.
folklore called a lives of vaguely include ZomZombie”
Zombie fans are eating well right now. Tackling apocalypse fiction requires a perfect alignment of competent writing, compelling characters and chaos. Many have tried but creatively misfired, driving away fans of the medium.
But when entertainment gems like HBO’s “The Last of Us” demonstrate TV’s ability to move audiences, it reminds you that when you’re lost in the dark, you look for the light.
In a faithful but refreshing adaptation of the 2013 game, "The Last of Us" is a heartwrenching story about finding love and hope in a bitter apocalypse.
The show takes place 20 years after a fungal infection that turns its hosts into zombie-like abominations. We walk through the United States in the shoes of Joel Miller, a smuggler hardened by the loss of his daughter.
He’s bitter and doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, but receives a rude awakening when ordered to smuggle a teenage girl named Ellie.
of losing his daughter again. Each stop features dilemmas that pit Joel against the exterior that consumed him for decades. By the end of each episode, his connection with Ellie thickens - this culminates in the season finale when Joel has to make an impossible choice to preserve his bond with Ellie.
“The Last of Us” isn’t afraid to pull any punches. No matter the hazards thrown at our dynamic duo, we can trust they’ll come out feeling closer than ever.
There’s room for the apocalypse backdrop, but its moments of fungal chaos are calculated to avoid overshadowing Joel and Ellie’s survival. Its moments of genuine terror wouldn’t be the same without its characters adding an emotional stake to the action.
People trying to save themselves and others are what make survival drama gripping, not guts and gore. Other shows can take notes from this.
When this show was announced, zombie fiction was in a slump. “The Walking Dead” wrapped up its tumultuous, decade-long run to little fanfare. Furthermore, the “extended universe” marketed to reinvent the franchise is already off to a rocky start.
wouldn’t be different. Video game adaptations are known to fail: demonstrated by Paramount’s “Halo,” ruined by a source material departure that felt like betrayal.
Fortunately, ratings and viewership exploded - in just nine episodes, viewership rocketed from 4.7 million views to 8.2 million, giving other streaming gems “House of the Dragon” and its near 10 million viewers a run for their money.
Like the 2013 game, “The Last of Us” succeeds in elevating entertainment into an artform.
Similar shows like “Station Eleven” and “The Leftovers,” albeit not directly inspired by the fungal apocalypse, are examples of survival fiction that needs more humanity to keep audiences engaged.
While a fictional apocalypse rooted in cynicism can exist, viewers like myself have left the show feeling hopeful in humanity, despite how divisive our world feels at the moment.
concept they the Hays Code boundaries like “Dawn deal with such handful of influen(1979), which off grotesque out of the video “Resident Evil” pushed undead variants believe these scientific themes
Ellie is immune to the Cordyceps infection that brought humanity to its knees. After being put in Joel’s hands, the two embark on a journey across the country to a fabled facility where Ellie’s gift can be turned into a cure.
Along the way, Ellie helps Joel rekindle his lost humanity. He’s given someone to care for beyond the job and fears reliving the trauma
Shows like TWD took off because of legendary character drama. But as time, writers and even leading actors went on, the show decayed into an identity crisis. Matching its namesake, the show stumbled without a clear plan, let alone end, and the exhaustion was evident in the ratings.
Fans initially worried “The Last of Us”
The existence of “The Last of Us” and similar shows proves that apocalypse fiction can enrich us on a critical level, invoking a sense of humanity that moves its colorful cast. Its writers have done an excellent job at advancing the medium. No matter the amount of slop made for controversy, we can still get shows with passion at the wheel. On the second, third, or even fourth re-watch, there’s always something new to appreciate.
This show creates hope for future shows that will bud from its success like the spores of a budding fungus.
“28 Days Later” popularized the fast-moving zombie in 2002. Screenwriter Alex Garland cited “Resident Evil” as inspiration for his film, saying it reminded him how much he loved zombies. Zombie games continued to enjoy popularity with “Dead Rising” and “Left 4 Dead.”
“28 Days Later” also influenced other films such as “World War Z” (2013) and “Dawn of the Dead” (2004).
In 2010 AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, based on the 2003 graphic novel, mainstreamed zombie media once again. The first “Last of Us” game dropped in 2013, introducing the world to its unique brand of Cordyceps zombies. While unique, they share some conventions with zombies of the past, including loss of free will, spread of infection through biting, fast movement speeds and slower movement in advanced stages of infection.
First-generation student and Eastfield alumna Alondra Puentes has returned to campus as a dance instructor. She’ll soon guest-star in the spring concert on May 4. Puentes obtained her Bachelor of Arts in dance studies from Texas Woman’s University and will be graduating from Saint Mary’s College this June with her Master of Fine Arts in dance. She hopes to share the knowledge and skills she learned with her students. Puentes sat down with Et Cetera contributor Alexia Munoz to discuss her love for dance and the community at Eastfield.
QWhat was the biggest takeaway from your experience as a student at Eastfield?
ADefinitely the community that I have experienced here at Eastfield for a long time. Community in the classroom, community building with professors, specifically in the dance program. Community is such a big thing. You really get to know each other. It becomes like family. There’s a lot of support not just in the dance department but everywhere here. Even the counselors, advisers and professors I’ve had are very supportive and help you be successful at whatever associate degree you’re doing. That’s something that has really stayed with me.
QWould you say that’s why you returned to Eastfield?
AYeah, I can’t seem to leave. As funny as that sounds, there’s so much community here. There’s so much leadership and there’s so much support. I think that’s something that is hard to find in a lot of places. I believe that people thrive better when they’re being supported and they’re in a community that really cares for them and wants to see them be successful and helps each other out.
QAre you teaching alongside any of your former instructors?
She’s actually in my class so I’m very thankful for the support that I’m receiving inside the classroom, but also outside of the classroom.
QWhat sparked your passion for dance? Was it always an important part of your life growing up?
AYes, dance was always important. It’s my first language and it was huge in my household. That’s how we expressed our joy. We were always dancing in the kitchen, anywhere. ... I think my love of dance really established itself and flourished here at Eastfield because I was here for many years before I transferred to a university. So I really was able to grow and sink into it and develop my skills. It also really helped me understand that it’s not just a hobby as others see it, but it’s something that I really love and see myself being in for the long run.
QHow do you feel when you are performing?
then there’s this feeling of, “Oh, OK. I can perform now. It’s everything I worked so hard for.” There’s so many rehearsals leading up to a performance, and all those rehearsals pay off. There is excitement and love for moving your body and sharing that with an audience. It’s definitely beautiful.
QCan you remember your first performance?
AI was very young and I still lived in Mexico, where I danced a lot of ballet folklorico. I remember being in the common grounds of the elementary school and I believe we were celebrating Dia del Nino, which is Children’s Day. That is what the performance was for. The whole school was packed with everyone because there were no classes during this performance. ... That’s always going to stay with me because that was the first time I really performed for a lot of people.
QWhat body of work are you most proud of?
awareness for the femicides in Mexico and for the missing and murdering of indigenous women and children across the whole world.
QIs there a project you are currently working on?
AI am currently a guest star here at Eastfield for the dance company ... I am working with the company to create a contemporary folklorico dance. It’s about rebozos, or scarves or shawls in English.
QWhen is the performance going to be released?
AIt is expected to be ready by May 4 and 5. Those will be the two shows here at Eastfield in the theater.
QYou are working with the students as well?
A
I am. I’m teaching with Dr. Danielle Georgiou. … It’s just an amazing feeling, I pinch myself. I think it’s an opportunity I never expected to receive and I’m very thankful for it and very thankful for her support.
ANervous at first. When you step onto a stage, you get nerves of being in front of an audience, especially now that we’re still in a pandemic, I definitely do think it’s nerve-wracking being able to be like, “Oh, there are people in front” and getting used to that feeling again, but there’s excitement once the nervousness leaves your body. You hear the music and see the lights shine on stage
AThis body was performed last year with some really close friends of mine. It was titled “La Opresion Desde Que Naces Mujer,” or “The Oppression Since You Were Born a Woman.” That is my proudest work to this day because I was at my most vulnerable with myself, but also with my friends and the people that I was collaborating with. It was also raising
AI’m working with them to collaboratively choreograph this dance and incorporate their ideas. They’re always welcome to express how we should incorporate those into the dance.
QIs it different performing with your students than it is with your teaching peers?
April 12 Baseball vs. Richland
April 14 Baseball at Richland
April 15 Baseball at North Central
April 17 Baseball at Cedar Valley
April 19 Baseball vs. Cedar Valley
The Eastfield Harvester Bees are no longer the No. 1 baseball team in the country, but their World Series goals are still intact after a weekend sweep of Dallas Athletic Conference rival Mountain View.
After holding the top spot in the NJCAA Division III poll since the preseason, Eastfield slipped to No. 2 in last week’s poll behind Caldwell Tech. The Harvester Bees have an overall record of 30-9 and are 15-3 in conference play with four DAC series matchups remaining.
“What contributes to our success is us not getting comfortable with where we’re at,” said sophomore third baseman Manny Moore, the DAC Offensive Player of the Week for March 12-18. “The end goal is definitely (winning the) World Series.”
The Harvester Bees have been one of the top-hitting teams in the nation this season, led by first baseman Angel Rodriguez with 64 RBIs and 12 home runs, which rank second and first, respectively, among all Division III players. Gus Witt is fourth nationally in RBIs with 44, while Cade Conway is fifth in stolen bases with 26.
“We welcome that opportunity to go out every weekend and prove ourselves,” Eastfield coach Michael Martin said. “And these guys so far have been up to the task.”
Eastfield’s national ranking and past accomplishments, including a second-place finish at last year’s World Series, have made them a bigger target for opponents, including those in the DAC. The Harvester Bees are hoping to finish the season strong in their final meetings with Richland, Cedar Valley, Brookhaven and North Lake.
“We’re probably going to get their
best baseball game,” Martin said. “Most of the teams kind of get up for us because of our history and what we’ve been able to accomplish in this conference.
Moore said the Harvester Bees are working hard to stay on top.
“Every practice is like a game. There’s always something to get better at,” he said. “No matter if they are the best team on the planet or the worst team on the planet, we’re out here to win.”
Rodriguez is optimistic about the season and is taking his leadership role seriously, urging his teammates to continue to improve.
“I think it’s good to have guys like me who are a little older in the lineup, or just even around to get the guys going a little bit. Hype them up,” he said. “I think we have a good shot this year to win some ballgames, and possibly get a chance to go to the next level.”
The party of small government keeps biting off more than it should chew.
Despite proclaiming that they support little government interference in everyday lives, Texas Republicans instead use their power to disenfranchise Texans rather than focus on real issues such as poverty, healthcare and the state’s abysmal gun control laws — or lack thereof.
Senate Bill 1029 would prevent insurance providers and health care officials from prescribing hormone replacement therapy for transgender Texans, limiting their right to pursue health care.
SB-12 would ban drag queen performances in the name of protecting children, equating men wearing makeup with sexual conduct.
House Bill 2390 would remove polling places on college campuses due to “safety concerns,” but allowing guns is fine.
Unsurprisingly, the Republican Party is once again showing its true colors. Personal freedoms are under attack, plain and simple, and Texas can’t afford to sit idly.
Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before state Republicans remove Texans’ voices. The state is already ousting Houston Independent School District officials elected by citizens.
Despite these attacks, the majority of Texans are still keen on voting for the party boasts about small government and lack of overreach while insisting that everyone fit their idea of “conservative values.”
The truth is that these moves are impeding
personal freedoms. “Protecting citizens” isn’t denying transgender individuals their right to exist. “Deregulation” isn’t empowering corporations to let their customers freeze. “Small government” isn’t shutting down polling places. What’s happening in Republican strongholds such as Florida and Tennessee has also been taking shape in our state. The takeover of Houston ISD is more than enough to prove our progressive
enclaves aren’t safe either.
Texas Republicans aren’t afraid to hide their intent, which is to grow the party’s power beyond the Constitution’s limits. As Republican Rept. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) said, “This isn’t a democracy anymore, so quit it.”
Unfortunately, the party that enables this rhetoric is correct: This isn’t a democracy anymore. It’s a fight for our freedoms.
Would you like to leave a tip today?” I’m asked as I hand the Bahama Bucks worker my card in the drive-through. I understand tipping your restaurant workers and even carhops, but drive-through workers seem very foreign. Can you really blame them though?
Tipping can be seen as a common courtesy. You get a haircut, tip your barber; get your nails done, tip them; go to a restaurant, tip. The question is, where do we as a society draw the line? Should we be tipping on our $7 coffee every day?
Illustration
Roughly 4.3 million people work in tip-dominated fields, according to the National Employment Law Project. This means that not only do your servers and bartenders live off tips, but your baristas, carhops and delivery service workers do too.
On average your favorite local
coffee shops pay anywhere between $7.50 to $10 an hour. Let’s say you work there part-time for 30 hours a week. Before taxes, you earn $300 but you still need to get gas, which is $3.20 a gallon. You also need to get groceries for the week because eating out plus tipping is too costly (although buying groceries is probably the same amount with recent inflation.) This doesn’t even include bills.
This is where tips will come in handy. You can see that no average person, especially with other
monthly bills, can live off that wage alone. Knowing you’ll have extra money on top of an hourly wage definitely helps ease the mind, but it should not have to be that way. As consumers, we should not have to be pressured to tip for everything we do. We should be at ease knowing the service workers get paid enough to be able to provide for themselves and then some.
Tipping was introduced as a way of showing appreciation for the service you were given. It was never meant to be a form of wage or a burden to workers and customers.
After the pandemic, we saw a massive influx in places leaving tip jars or mandatory screens to tip in the most obscure places too. While we cannot blame people for trying to earn a dollar, we must be mindful of our own dollars.
This being said, one way we could decrease the culture around tipping is by adding an option to round up your total. While this is similar to tipping, you are only spending an extra few cents to make your total even, and those few cents can go toward the workers. A prime example of this is at Sonic. The restaurant has the option on its checkout app to round up your total and at the end of the day, those tips get dispersed into the workers’ checks.
But that is a temporary fix. The result we should aim for is a higher minimum wage so workers are not worried about earning enough tips to survive the week and we as customers are not pressured into tossing cash into every tip jar we see. It is harmful to let this culture build up to the point where the 7-Eleven gas pump asks you to tip.
A problem I find myself and a lot of my peers facing today is feeling an unwarranted lack of accomplishment. I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but for me it’s a sort of innate fear that no matter what I’m working toward or have gotten done, my efforts aren’t enough and I could be doing more. While on some level I am thankful for the fire under my feet that keeps me moving, I’m often left burnt out with an unwavering feeling of restlessness. I don’t mean to sound like a crotchety old man when I say this, but I blame social media and our fetishization of celebrities. At this point, it doesn’t matter if you make ceramic plates or if you’re a modern-day blacksmith, there are 10 different people on TikTok with an audience already doing what you do, but better. That’s incredibly discouraging to anyone aiming for something other than a desk job, especially when compared to my greatgrandpa’s generation when you could reasonably claim that you were the “Best Shot this side of Sachse” with pride.
I’ve found that while there is the occasional wunderkind that seems to tumble out of the womb wielding a violin or donning a pair of tap shoes, more often than not the successful people that I look up to have all stuttered and stumbled along the path to where they are to-
Sean Stroud Contributor @TheEtCetera
day. Hearing their stories and what they’ve had to go through to get to where they are reminds me that I’m doing just fine and makes it easier to cut myself some slack. The most immediately impactful person that comes to mind for me is Stan Lee, may he rest in power.
To my surprise, Lee had put in around 20 years at Timely Comics and was in his late 30s before it became what we know today as Marvel Comics. He began as an office assistant at 16, filling inkwells and fetching lunches. When the residing editor left for DC Comics in 1941, a 19-year-old Lee was saddled with the position and fully devoted himself to building up the company, even continuing to submit stories after being drafted to the U.S. Army and on one occasion breaking into the base’s mailroom to avoid missing a due date.
Dedication and perseverance make success stories just as pressure and carbon make diamonds. One of the men I model myself after,
Bill Burr, often responds to viewer emails on his podcast to give advice, and a recurring concern is whether it’s too late for them to chase a dream. Burr, despite being perceived by most as an angry, ranting bald man, is always resoundingly supportive and is completely candid when he reminisces back to his days spent working in warehouses and nights spent sleeping on couches.
“There’s no way you lose when you go after a dream. You don’t. It always leads to something better,” Burr said on an episode of the
“Monday Morning Podcast.”
As a warehouse worker myself, I can say that I’ve had horrible periods of self-doubt when I felt like I wasn’t doing enough to pursue my passion and that regardless of how hard I tried, it would never pan out for me. Hearing that one of the people I look up to most has gone through the same if not worse conditions and came out on the other side of it successfully doing what he loves is reassuring, to say the least. It makes it easier for me to take a breath and relax.
When I filled out a job application at Dallas College last year, I was asked if I had any disabilities. Autism was one of the disabilities listed since some consider it such. Some even consider it a mental illness.
It was a little insulting since I am on the spectrum and have never thought myself to be disabled cognitively or challenged intellectually. While autism is a neurological diagnosis, it is not the same as a mental illness or disability.
I’m called neuroatypical, the basic definition for people with a brain that functions differently than usual. Common signs of autism include difficulty communicating or understanding the emotions of others, having a compulsive interest in a particular topic or topics, being upset over unexpected or sudden changes if it involves a routine and preferring to be alone over being around other people.
These signs can be seen in children and adults, and I displayed many of them at a young age.
What makes autism different from severe mental illness is that people who are autistic are not
Rory Moore
Editor @TheEtCetera
detached from reality and don’t have hallucinations that impact how they act toward others. However, autism can affect behavior or how you respond to a problem.
Autistic people can have mood swings without being hallucinatory and violent, usually in response to a particular situation. Still, it isn’t a violent and sudden mood swing like someone with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia might have.
While I’ve had mood swings before, I’ve never reacted by being violent toward people, and I’m certainly never detached from reality.
As a child, I didn’t talk until I was 3 years old, and I refused to interact with other kids in preschool. I wanted to be alone all of the time.
With the help of therapy, I overcame these obstacles and learned to interact with others. I wouldn’t
be the person I am now without the support I got from my parents and therapists. Thanks to them, I can work with others regularly and try new things I wouldn’t be comfortable with initially — like being the photo editor of The Et Cetera. I still want time alone when needed, but who doesn’t?
Other people on the autism spectrum have learned to overcome their obstacles and have gone on to do great things. For example, Temple Grandin also didn’t talk until she was 3 years old and had to be taught how to wait her turn playing board
games as a child, but that didn’t stop her from becoming a successful author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior.
Academy Award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins revealed that he was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a type of autism spectrum disorder.
He discussed some of the learning differences he had in his childhood along with his obsessive thinking and challenges in keeping friendships with others. Nevertheless, he said his diagnosis allows him to analyze the characters he plays
while also calling it a “fancy label.”
Like Grandin and Hopkins, autism has influenced the career fields people choose. Many autistic people have exceptional knowledge of facts and figures, pay close attention to detail and complete tasks accurately. A lot of people with autism spectrum disorder are employed in the art industry because of these skills, given that it involves a strong sense of creative thinking.
I believe my autism has been a strength as a photojournalist. I recently won nine state awards at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention for my work in The Et Cetera. The awards came in almost every photo category, and all were first or second place.
If autism enables me to be the best I can be in my work, then it certainly should be considered a strength, not a weakness. I consider it a part of who I am, and I never let it keep me from living everyday life like anyone else.
So the next time you meet anyone with autism, don’t be so quick to judge. They could be talented in ways that no one else is.
Culinary students will join 30 locally renowned chefs to serve 18,000 plates in the upcoming “Bits & Bites” fundraiser, scheduled for 6-8 p.m. April 16 at the Dallas Arboretum’s A Tasteful Place.
“Bits and Bites gets better every year, and this year is no different. Our chef lineup is amazing, our students are inspirational, and the celebration is in the most beautiful venue in the city,” Steve DeShazo, senior director of Office of Workforce Initiatives, said in a news release.
The event will finance Dallas College’s culinary program.
Many of the participating local chefs are Dallas College alumni with their own brands and restaurants.
“When you support this event, you are supporting the backbone of our valued hospitality industry workforce,” DeShazo said.
Regular tickets are priced at $85, and patrons can also buy sponsorships.
tote bags and diaper bags to a Dallas College food pantry. The donations will be picked by the Texas Advocacy Project, which will distribute them to domestic violence shelters.
“You can help us out by making a donation and/or spreading the word among students, employees and community members,” counselor Jaime Torres said in a Microsoft Teams message to employees. “We would greatly appreciate your support with this wonderful program.”
The campaign will run until April 21.
Continued from Page 8
The College Alliance Against Sexual Assault has launched its 16th Annual Handbags for Hope campaign. Individuals can donate handbags,
The Et Cetera won 43 awards at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention on March 26 in Fort Worth, including two Best of Show awards. The Et Cetera finished first in Best of Show Website and second in Best of Show Newspaper among two-year schools.
Overall, Dallas College sudent media won 115 awards: Brookhaven won 40, North Lake earned 20 and Richland won 12.
Et Cetera presentation editor Mattheau Faught received 13 awards, while photo editor Rory Moore won nine awards. Editor in chief Moira McIntee won five awards, including Reporter of the Year.
—Compiled by Carmen Guzman
I don’t think there’s a big difference to me at the moment because [Georgiou] has always set such a great example in collaborating with all of her students. It has always been something that has been very open.
Q Q
How has your perception of dance changed over time?
When I first started here at Eastfield, I knew dance was for the long run but it was never serious for me at the beginning. One, I think it’s because I was very young and I was straight out of high school. Second, I was still learning how to balance things so dance was like an [afterthought] for me. It wasn’t as important, and I didn’t take it as seriously. I think as the semesters went by, the importance of dance in my life really started to establish itself. ... I started focusing more on my technique and learning about the history of dance. By the last two years [at Eastfield,] it really made itself constant and it became very clear that this was something that was important enough for me that I wanted to pursue and that I wanted a career in. When I went to Texas Woman’s University, I had like six professors. So going from one person to six and then learning so much about what each one of them had to offer really expanded my view of dancing. It just re-established that this was important and that this is what I wanted to do.
A A A
Have you ever had to overcome any obstacles to get to this point in your life?
I think the main one was be-
ing the first generation that has gone to college and having to learn how to be myself in places that are predominantly Eurocentric. But there have been many challenges, like learning how to apply to school and figuring out where could I go for those resources, especially when no one in your family has ever gone through the process nor do they speak the English language. Learning how to sign up for classes and understanding how to budget for education since that’s not something that’s really broken down to you in school, especially if you’re coming from high school to a community college or university. ... I definitely think the biggest one for me personally has been believing that I can succeed in academia. Everywhere that I have seen, whether that’s on TV or that’s
in public, the faces of these institutions are very Eurocentric, which is something very hard for people of color to learn – that there is a place for them here in academia and that you can be successful here. There are people that look just like you and that are successful, and you can do it.
Q
Is there anyone in or outside of your community who you haven’t had the chance to work with but you really want to?
A
I think someone that I would really love to learn from is Kareli. She is a first-generation Mexican American woman. She resides in Los Angeles and she successfully created her own ballet folklorico company that is now one of the biggest companies nationally.
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discern reality,” Healy said. “It’s why we have large swathes of our culture that have become conspiratorial. And I think it’s easy to feed the conspiratorial mind by creating so much that is farce.”
In the past we’ve seen technology improve to the point that studios are able to resurrect deceased actors. Famously, the Star Wars franchise utilized CGI to generate characters like Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin
with uncanny realism.
Like Jay-Z’s case, this also has leaked into the music scene with projects like “lost tapes of the 27 club” utilizing AI technology to create songs from artists who have died like Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse and many more. While created to highlight the mental health struggles facing many young musicians, there’s been a question across social media about how using the voices of artists who aren’t alive to give consent is deeply problematic.
Healy said if their estate consents it should be fine but worries how we’ll communicate what’s real and isn’t.
“I hope that we have become sufficiently adept at communicating with one another that future generations are going to look back at this time and say that wasn’t actually Jim Morrison, or the actual guy from ‘Star Wars’,” said Healy, “I think the most destructive aspects of our culture are the ones that are born out of ignorance.”