Etera
Eastfield College
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Volume 48, Issue 12
SPRING INTO THE ARTS Faculty dance concert, Arts in Action lead month-long showcase of events See page 8 ➤
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Wednesday, April 12, 2017
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Redactions to police records keep students in dark By JAMES HARTLEY Managing Editor @JamesHartleyETC
The Dallas County Community College District is not adhering to the spirit of Texas open records laws, which give citizens the right to access a broad spectrum of government documents, according to experts. Kelly Shannon, executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, said access to open records is vital to citizen involvement in government. “The danger is if the government operates in the dark, in secrecy,” Shannon said. “That is dangerous to the people and to our democracy. When you have government operating in the dark, it’s not answerable to the people or being held accountable to the people.” Rob Wendland, general counsel to the DCCCD, said he believes the district follows the law. Shannon said Texas public information laws have long been considered “some of the best in the nation.” “The people need to stand up for it and protect it and realize what a treasure they have,” Shannon said. The Texas Public Information Act allows anyone to request public documents from government bodies, such as spending reports, meeting agendas or police reports. Many government officials routinely tell the press and public that they have 10 days to release records once requested. “Really, the 10-day period is a bit of a myth,” Shannon said. “If they’ve got it ready, they need
to give it to the requestor within a day, two days, whatever.” Shannon said the 10-day period is only for incidents where the government wants to ask the attorney general for permission to withhold information from a requestor. The district’s legal department has exhausted the entire 10-day period in all but four requests for public records, mainly campus police reports, from The Et Cetera since 2015. One of the four requests was made April 7 and answered April 10, after several calls to the DCCCD legal offices and an interview with the records keeper about open records policy and practices. “I try to respond to them as quickly as possible,” said Maria Miller, DCCCD legal assistant and public information officer. Miller said she typically receives 10 to 15 public records requests a week and handles them in the order she receives them. Two open records requests filed with the DCCCD have been sent to the attorney general for permission to redact or withhold the report, effectively leaving the public without information on a sexual assault and an identity theft case in the district. Frank LoMonte, an attorney and the director of the Student Press Law Center, said waiting 10 days to release police reports is “not a reasonable time at all.” “If I go into the police department and say, ‘I know you had that armed robbery yesterday, and I would like to see the police officer’s write up of the armed robbery,’ the right answer should be to reach under a counter and hand it to me,” LoMonte said. “The answer should not
Open Records Laws • The Texas Public Information Act was created in 1973 in response to the Sharpstown stock fraud scandal. • The act was a way to prevent further scandals in the state and hold the government accountable to the people it governs. • It allows.. - Anyone to request public information from any Texas government entity. - Governments the ability to ask permission from the Texas attorney general to deny requests as long as it is within 10 days after the request is filed. Source: Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas
be to tell me to come back in 10 days.” A recent request for a police report regarding a sexual assault on campus was denied after 11 business days. The district is seeking an opinion from the attorney general on the grounds that the case involved a minor. A weekly Eastfield crime log released by the DCCCD police department determined the sexual assault case to be unfounded, or without merit, but the report was requested 29 days before police made that note. The attorney general’s ruling regarding the identity theft case allowed the district to redact almost the entire report on grounds that the investigation is still open. The district redacted all
identifying details about the victim, the entire case narrative and a part of the synopsis. “I know when it’s an open case, it’s my duty to try to protect it so it won’t hinder the prosecution of a crime,” Miller said. LoMonte said most cases are never solved, so withholding reports of open cases is unrealistic. “I think that those redactions were heavyhanded and excessive,” said LoMonte, who has reviewed the original request, the response from the Attorney General’s Office and the redacted report. “I just can’t see any justification for wholesale redacting entire passages out of See Open records, page 16 ➤
Bills aim to impact Texas colleges, student lives
Legislation pending in Austin, including tuition freezes, sanctuary city policies and sexual assault transparency, could potentially impact students on a day-to-day basis. With the 85th Legislature of Texas currently underway, here’s a quick rundown of the most noteworthy bills to keep an eye on. — Compiled by David Silva
Tuition freeze Senate Bill 19, which prevents public universities from increasing tuition costs for the next two years and limits cost increases to 1 percent plus the cost of inflation, was passed with a 29-2 vote on April 4. Tuition increases may be performance-based, with a criteria determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The bill is currently in the House, where it faces objections from lawmakers. A similar bill was proposed in 2015 but
failed. The bill faces resistance from university leaders, who are concerned about funding educational institutions following proposed 6- to 10-percent cuts to higher education in the Senate’s budget.
Sanctuary cities The Texas Senate has cleared SB4 with a 20-10 vote. The bill states that law enforcement agencies in cities, counties and college campuses must follow state immigration laws or else be denied state funding. This ultimately eliminates sanctuary cities, which decline to detain undocumented immigrants for federal authorities. The bill was drafted in response to Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez, who announced in January that her department would decrease its cooperation with federal immigration forces following President Don-
ald Trump’s anti-sanctuary executive order. The bill is currently in the state House, with proposed additional changes. These changes include an amendment that would require officers to investigate the status of an undocumented immigrant only if that person has been arrested. Sexual assault transparency SB576 is intended to prevent sexual assault cover-ups in public and private Texas universities. The bill is a response to the recent Baylor University scandal and the spotlight it drew to the lack of transparency of sexual assaults on college campuses. The bill would require all higher education employees to report any accusations of assault, harassment or dating violence. Employees that knowingly con-
Other bills to watch: Senate Bill 48 - Would make textbooks tax-free for college students during parts of August and January. House Bill 304 - Would make electronic harassment and bullying of anyone under 18 a misdemeanor. Senate Bill 2119 - Would repeal the top-10 percent rule for college admissions. House Bill 225 - Would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of things employers cannot discriminate against. House Bill 221 - Would make child and adult diapers tax exempt. House Bill 410 - Would make tampons tax exempt.
ceal such accusations could spend a year in jail. The bill passed the Senate with a 30-1 vote and is headed to the state House for consideration. Transferability bills SB 2086 focuses on ways to help
course credits transfer within the public higher education system while SB 2122 would allow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create transfer policies for lower division courses. Both bills are currently pending in the Senate.
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Center aids deaf adults By Katrina Bond Life & Arts Editor @KatBondETC
Editor’s note: All interviews for this story were conducted in American Sign Language. The story won first place at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association live feature writing competition in Dallas.
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Rising Star aims to reduce college fees By JULIO VEGA Sports Editor @JulioVegaETC
The Dallas County Community College District plans to expand its Rising Star scholarship program to help more students and provide more benefits. The expansion is DCCCD’s answer to America’s College Promise, a free college program proposed in 2015 by President Barack Obama. Though that plan died with Obama’s tenure, district officials believe the concept is a good idea. “Even though it wasn’t known as a promise program, this is really what Rising Star was about,” Chief of Advancement Initiatives Pyeper Wilkins said. “The foundation created Rising Star to basically let everyone know if you have financial need and you want you come to college, don’t worry about it. It’s covered.” The district plans to increase perstudent Rising Star funding from $4,000 to $5,500 and offer more
scholarships starting fall 2017. The DCCCD also plans to implement the LevelUp scholarship aimed toward students 21 and older. Wilkins presented the proposal March 7 to the DCCCD Board of Trustees. Wilkins said that while the freecollege program Tennessee College Promise is often cited as the first, it was actually Dallas County who created the first college promise program in 1999. The Rising Star Scholarship program offers recent Dallas County high school graduates with at least a B-average financial support for college. The program was created by the DCCCD Foundation to help graduates integrate into student life, primarily through financial assistance. Wilkins said Rising Star is comparable to the Tennessee College Promise program, which offers statewide free community college on a last-dollar model. “Tennessee uses their lottery proceeds to fund this program,” Wilkins See College, page 6 ➤
Promptly at 11:30 a.m., the lights in the lobby of the Deaf Action Center flicker on and off. The room, previously filled with unabashedly loud laughter, suddenly quiets. About 20 deaf men and women look up to see a man with steady hands sign that lunch is ready. Eddie Mae Calhoun is used to this daily routine. She has been coming to the Deaf Action Center in North Dallas for 33 years, since she moved to Dallas from Wichita Falls, Texas. The center helped her find an interpreter for a job interview and meet new friends in the local deaf community. When the center moved into a new building attached to Martha’s Vineyard Place, an apartment complex specifically designed for the deaf, Calhoun moved as well. “I moved here in December 2016,” she signed, her hands shaky. “Moving here was good.” After becoming deaf as a result of a fever when she was 2 years old, Calhoun continued to learn spoken English despite not being able to hear it. “Growing up, I didn’t use sign language,” she said. “I talked and sang in church. My parents didn’t learn sign language. They talked or wrote notes to me.” When she was 15, Calhoun moved to Austin to attend the Texas School for the Deaf, where she learned American Sign Language for the first time. Now she communicates exclusively in ASL and has become immersed in deaf culture through the friends she has made at the center. Calhoun’s story is similar to those of other members who also grew up in a hearing world. Lance Munson first came to the Deaf Action Center in November 2016, after he retired and moved to Dallas from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He also grew up deaf, using both ASL and spoken English to communicate. Munson worked in an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center for 23
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Iqbal Malik (left) signs with Chris Kerr during lunch at the Deaf Action Center in Dallas.
years. Now that he's back in Dallas, he comes to the Deaf Action Center every day for lunch and stays to chat with newfound friends. He plans to move into Martha’s Vineyard Place in May. Chris Kerr, a Martha’s Vineyard Place tenant and volunteer at the Deaf Action Center, became deaf after catching chicken pox at 4. With his military father constantly away, Kerr was mostly raised by his hearing mother, who insisted on communicating only through spoken English. It wasn’t until he began attending the Illinois School for the Deaf that Kerr felt connected with other deaf people and began using ASL as his primary language. Kerr first came to the Center in fall 2016 when he was homeless. “I was sleeping in the street, and my hearing friends told me to go to the Deaf Action Center,” he said. Previously, landlords had turned away Kerr because of his deafness, but Martha’s Vineyard Place and the Deaf Action Center accepted him immediately. With accommodations for the deaf such as flashing doorbells, emergency strobe lights and an open-concept design for easier communication, Kerr feels that it’s perfect for him. “Now I don’t suffer anymore, and there’s no pain or struggle,” Kerr said. “This feels like home.” Named after Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island that acted as a safe haven for deaf people, the apartments are specifically designed for
people with hearing impairments. Still, only about 20 percent of their tenants are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The apartments were originally intended only for the deaf, but because the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on ability, they have to allow housing to hearing people as well. However, it’s almost impossible to tell who is deaf and who is hearing in the lobby of the Deaf Action Center because everyone uses ASL to communicate. Kerr found many friends through the center, where he now spends most of his time. The sense of community helps him feel connected to others, he says, and he enjoys the social aspects. Kerr appreciates the advice and tips he receives from people at the Deaf Action Center, but his favorite thing to do is play games such as dominoes, Uno and Skip-Bo with other members. Aside from daily lunches, he also enjoys the holiday events, such as the recent St. Patrick’s Day party where everyone was dressed in green from head to toe. “The Deaf Action Center has a wonderful program because the deaf, hearing and hard-of-hearing all work together,” he said. “We’re all connected.” The center has volunteers who help with reception and clerical work, activities and fundraising. To join the volunteer team, fill out the volunteer application at dactexas. org/volunteer/, call 214-521-0407 or use the videophone at 214-377-1898.
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Above, a protester at the Mega March interacts with police. The Mega March was organized to protest President Donald Trump's immigration and refugee policy.
Mega March unites thousands downtown
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Above, a protester dons an American flag hijab during the April 9 march. The event was a demonstration against President Donald Trump's recent immigration policy, which has conflicted with the views of advocates for undocumenta immigrants and middle eastern refugees. Below, a group wear American flag-themed clothes and sombreros.
More than 3,000 people marched through downtown Dallas in support of immigrant rights April 9. The Mega March was far smaller gathering than the original Mega March 11 years ago, which drew more than 350,000. The Mega March had a more diverse gathering than the previous with advocates for international refugees and the rights of undocumented immigrants in attendance.
Community leaders speaking at the Mega March included activist Martin Luther King III, Congressmen Joaquin Castro and state representative Victoria Neave. Counter-demonstrators gathered near the end of the march with American and Trump campaign flags. No arrests were reported. —Compiled by David Silva
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Above, thousands of people march through downtown Dallas as a part of the Mega March. The original Mega March, which took place 11 years ago, drew more than 350,000 people. Right, state representative Victoria Neave speaks during the event. Neave was on of the many local community leader who spoke on behalf of immigrant rights.
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Attack on Syria renews tensions Early last week, Syria’s long-embattled President Bashar Assad appeared to be in his strongest position in years. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy had signaled a definitive break from the Obama administration’s “Assad must go” refrain. “Our priority is no longer to sit and focus on getting Assad out,” Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said last week. Last week’s suspected chemical attack in a rebel-held stretch of northwest Syria has put Assad’s government squarely back in the U.S. cross-hairs. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said Thursday it was “not reasonable” to assume Syria would resort to chemical weapons when government forces have been making substantial gains on the battlefield. “We condemn such a criminal act,” he said. But U.S. officials have said radar detected Syrian aircraft in the vicinity of the scene of Khan Sheikhoun on the morning of the attack there. By Thursday, Trump was already considering military retaliation. Critics of the Assad government said the attack, which left victims gasping for breath and foaming at the mouth, is a continuation of years
of scorched-earth tactics meant to eradicate the opposition. But even if the incident was, as Syrian and Russian officials suggest, instigated by the Syrian opposition to draw international wrath onto Assad’s head, the effect is undeniable: Assad’s position is suddenly more precarious than ever. “Cooperation with the Assad regime is over,” Paul Salem, vice president for policy and research at the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank, said in a video statement. On Thursday, Moscow reiterated its long-time position that its support for Assad is not “unconditional,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told The Associated Press. Russia demanded a full investigation before any military action is taken. Assad has weathered many storms in six years of conflict. “I think you’ll see some kind of demonstrative strike by the Trump administration and that will be that,” said Joshua Landis, who heads the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “American generals are not going to be drawn into the Syrian quagmire. They’ve lived through that for years in Iraq and Afghanistan and are sick and tired of it.”
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College expands scholarship
On the other hand, the chemical incident may breathe new life into a divided, demoralized rebel force that has been losing territory and has looked to be on the verge of defeat. Many Syrians have become disillusioned with the armed opposition since it became dominated by hardline Sunni Islamists, some linked to al-Qaida. Yet all diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting have failed, as outside governments continue to pour arms and money to their favored militias. Now, for the first time since 2013, there is the prospect of U.S. military involvement. A conflict that has already seemed unfathomably complex may be headed for a new and potentially more calamitous phase. It could also raise the chilling possibility of a direct confrontation between two nuclear powers, the United States and Russia. —From Tribune News Service
Continued from page 3 said. “It’s a scholarship, coupled with counseling, mentorship and community service requirement.” Tonya Marbley-Wilson, director of Eastfield’s First Year Experience, said she believes it’s a good idea for Rising Star to expand its services to a more varied age group. “It would open the pool up,” Marbley-Wilson said. “There would be more individuals interested. We could engage more individuals. It can be a positive thing, but it just needs to be structured properly.” DCCCD Chancellor Joe May said he was glad the district has worked to improve the academic lives of its students through programs like this. “The foundation has spent three years doing amazing work,” May said. “We look to revise some foundation-led initiatives and programs that are out there to better meet the needs of students and our community.” Wilkins said the LevelUp scholarship is hoping to raise $20 million in three years from corporate involvement and private funding to seed that program. “We want to fund scholarships for students who are going to come into the program that will quickly lead them to a job in our community,” Wilkins said. “We are going to look at that data every year and adjust the programs that we scholarship through this program.” May said he hopes to help change that with the help of the foundation throughout the DCCCD. “We are going to fundamentally change everything we do in terms of how we reach people,” May said. Corrections In the March 29 issue of The Et Cetera… An eighth TRIO program dedicated to training TRIO employees was not mentioned in a budget story.
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Elaine Clark was misidentified as Linda Bois’ current supervisor. History professor Matt Hinckley’s date of employment was misidentified. He was hired in 1999. The Et Cetera regrets these errors.
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THE HOT TOPIC
Was the United States right in bombing Syria for their use of chemical weapons?
Sofia Escobedo Dual Credit Student
Victor Garcia-Knab Dance Major
Amy Ruiz Special Education Major
Daniel Gutierrez Criminal Justice Major
Genesis Martinez Dual Credit Student
Anson Smith Finance Major
“I think the U.S. should try and find peaceful solutions instead of causing more trouble.”
“I am not too much of a fan of violence, considering you could end up bombing multiple people who had nothing to do with the affair.”
“Yes, the U.S. should have bombed Syria because it’s like putting people in their place, showing them we mean business.”
“Yes because coming from the military side, their country shouldn’t have bombed their own people with chemical weapons in the first place.”
“I think if we get involved in something, it should be in a way that should not be harmful to other people.”
“I’m very non-interventionist, so I didn’t think that was a great idea, especially without congressional approval.”
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Calendar April Wed
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Last day to withdraw University recruiters, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit Recital Series: Keyboard Department, 12:30, F-117 Men’s Empowerment card night, 5-7 p.m, the Pit
Thu
Honors Symposium, 11 a.m.-3:15 p.m., C-135
Fri
Holiday: campus closed
Sat
Intramural open gym, 9-11 a.m., P-200
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18 Wed
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Meet the Professor, noon1 p.m., the Pit Priority registration starts Meet the Professor, noon1 p.m., the Pit Work Out Wednesday: 12:30 p.m., Lower Courtyard Recital Series: Early Brass Ensemble, 12:30 p.m., Performance Hall
Fri
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Men’s Leadership Luncheon, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., S-100 Student Government Association meeting, noon-2 p.m., C-295 Recital Series: Guitar Department, 12:30, F-117
Sat
Intramural open gym, 9-11 a.m., P-200
Mon
Regular registration starts
Wed
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Recital Series: Eddie Healy and Brandi Estwick, 12:30, F-117
Thu
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Accounting Career Symposium, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., G-101
Fri
Rec Fest Chill Out, semester wrap-up party for intramurals, 12:453:15 p.m., Pool
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Student Government Association meeting, noon-2 p.m., C-295
Tue
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Asian Heritage Festival, 12:30-1:30 p.m., C-135
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Five tips to stay private online With National Security Agency spying scandals and the threat of internet desperados trying to get into phones and computers, anything with a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection makes privacy a big concern. Reporters, human rights activists and government whistleblowers rely on security and encryption to remain safe and anonymous. Luckily, the common folk can use these same resources. Here are some tools to help reclaim confidentiality in a world where privacy is evaporating. —Compiled by Jon-Mark Tamez Dust With threats to your privacy like Larry from the NSA, encryption is key to maintain privacy. Dust is a straightforward app that allows you to send encrypted messages. The brainchild of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Dust utilizes the imbedded memory of the phone to send messages from device to device on a closed loop. Nothing is saved to a server, and a timer can be placed on texts for
and where someone is. CZ Dazzle is a website by privacy activist Adam Harvey, who uses his platform to showcase hairstyles and face paint intended to conceal a person from facial recognition software. It also makes a sweet cyberpunk cosplay.
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deletion. Once read, the message is turned into virtual dust, never to be seen again. CZ Dazzle Facial recognition software is becoming more and more prevalent. Ideally, law enforcement could use the technology to track down criminals, but there is no “off ” button for the surveillance. Cameras will always be watching, always keeping track of when
Tor NSA Larry loves metadata, and so does Amazon, Google, Netflix and Facebook. Metadata, in simple terms, is a collection of your web history and activity. This information can be sold to advertisers for user-specific ads. Lucky you, Tor can help with this little problem. Tor is designed to establish an encrypted set of relays across a network and mask your IP address by sending your data through several other computers and IPs, similar to the United States Navy’s network. It’s limited to what it can do, though. YouTube and other types of video slow the browser down to a crawl. Still, Tor is an excellent way to protect your privacy.
Blackphone2 For those who don’t want ol’ NSA Larry monitoring your mobile activity like America’s overbearing parent, the Blackphone2 is a mobile phone created by Silent Circle, a communications firm based in Switzerland that encrypts calls, texts and other features via a heavily tweaked Android operating system. Communications are relayed over Silent Circle’s virtual private network. The phone can be purchased for $599. Nice try, Larry, but not today. WhatsApp In case $599 is a tad too much for your budget, there is also WhatsApp. It is a free, encrypted messaging app for computers and mobile devices similar to Facebook Messenger that offers encrypted voice chat, video chat and texts. As privacy from both governments and bad guys becomes more of an issue, encrypted apps like WhatsApp are becoming more and more mainstream. Just keep it classy.
NEWS
Briefs District adds more holidays The Board of Trustees voted to add five more annual holidays for the district at a board meeting April 4. The new holidays will include the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and extend the winter break to 10 days in an effort to more closely match the Dallas Independent School District holiday schedule.
Upcoming registration dates Priority registration for Maymester, summer classes and fall semester begins April 18. Regular registration opens for all other students April 25. Maymester registration varies by college. Summer registration continues until June 5 for Summer I and July 11 for Summer II.
New Eastfield associate dean Effective April 5, 2017, Chandris Hinkson was hired as the new Associate Dean of Career Technologies. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from the University of Houston, her Master of Arts from Walden University in Minnesota and her doctorate of education from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Prior to her arrival at Eastfield, she worked
at Houston Community College as an adjunct faculty and as an executive director at the Lone star College System in Houston, TX.
SKD writing awards For the first time, students from the Eastfield chapter of the Sigma Kappa Delta English honor society placed in the National SKD Writing Contest and received awards at the 2017 Sigma Tau Delta International Convention in Louisville, Kentucky March 31. Caitlin Piper placed first and second in short fiction, and Alicia Oberlachner placed third in poetry.
TIPA awards Eastfield’s student newspaper The Et Cetera and literary magazine The Alternative won 32 awards at the 2017 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention held from March 30 to April 1 in Dallas. Of the 11 who attended, three students placed in live contests where they competed against student journalists from two-year and four-year institutions across the state. Managing Editor James Hartley was awarded a $400 scholarship. The remaining awards were for work published in 2016.
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Festival provides an arr The annual Literary & Fine Arts Festival is in full swing after being extended from one week to a month. The March 31 Faculty Dance Concert, although not an official festival event, contributed to the variety of showcases. The official kickoff to the festival occurred on April 1 with Arts in Action, a multi-faceted, interactive event in the Lower Courtyard. The Et Cetera’s 2nd annual social media photo contest also began on April 1. Following that, the Bits and Bytes event, an arts reading with a focus on poetry, Jazz Under the Stars, the Making Art Work panel and the Dance and a Snack performance have all added to the festival. The festival continues until the April 28 Spring Dance concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Performance Hall. — Compiled by Katrina Bond ABOUT THE COVER JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA
The Eastfield dance studio performs ballet during Arts in Action on April 1. The event included an interactive mural and pop-up shop and was the kickoff to the Literary & Fine Arts festival.
PHOTO BY JESUS AYALA. PERFORMERS DANCE THE “GOING MAD” NUMBER DURING THE FACULTY DANCE CONCERT ON MARCH 31.
Right, Darius Fras Lindzey Duplessis
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Eric Eley holds his son Theodore while he plays with a pottery wheel during Arts in Action. DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA
Karl Lampman plays tenor sax at “Jazz Under the Stars.”
Leilani, center, snacks during the April 1 Arts in Action event. She is acc
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ray of art
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sure performs his poetry during the Bits and Bytes event on April 3. Left, s performs during the Faculty Dance Concert on March 31.
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‘Cabaret’ takes you through decades in new musical revue Following the popularity of their raunchy “Harvester Cabaret” last year, the Harvester Theatre Company is returning with a jukebox-themed spin. Directed by Mara Bim, the second annual “Harvester Cabaret Musical Revue” takes the audience through decades of popular music from the 1950s to the 2000s on April 20. Despite the lack of lingerie in this year’s theme, the cast is confident it will be as successful. Here’s a spotlight on the cast and songs. —Compiled by David Silva
X’Zavia Parsons “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper
Anderson Irby III “My Girl” by The Temptations
Morgan Solorzano “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day
Armando Ocampo “Earth Angel” by The Penguins Other solos: Vinnie Perez (left)- “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley Catherine Christensen- “We Belong” by Pat Benatar Jarvin Lockett- “War” by The Temptations
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companied by Irene, who’s helping the young girl create different crafts.
Jamiah Sandles - “My Guy” by Mary Wells PHOTOS BY DAVID SILVA/THE ET CETERA
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Panel encourages aspiring student artists By JULIO VEGA Sports Editor @JulioVegaETC
Working artists must be flexible and embrace modern marketing to find commercial success, said participants in the April 4 Making Art Work: Dispelling the Myth of the Starving Artist panel discussion. Shamsy Roomiani, a muralist, printmaker and installation artist said it is always a good idea to network on social media. “Instagram has been a game changer,” she said. “It’s a way to connect with people that would otherwise be really hard to get in contact with.” Roomiani also recommended that artists work with mediums they may not be comfortable in if they want to grow and be successful. “It’s important to keep pushing yourself,” she said. “Investigate and try teaching yourself different techniques that maybe you’re not familiar with.” Artists Brennen Bechtol, Andrea Tosten and Will Heron also served on the panel, part of the monthlong Literary & Fine Arts Festival. Heron, a muralist and printmaker, is an art teacher at a West Dallas charter school and owner of local gallery The Platform. His ongoing exhibition “Entendre” will remain in the H Gallery until May 1. Heron said being an artist is nothing like a regular 9-to-5, sit-down job. “There is always something going on,” Heron said. “There’s always different circumstances you need to be flexible for. My studio practices in being flexible and thinking creatively and quickly.” Heron recommended a book by Twyla Tharp called “The Creative Habit,” which advises upcoming art-
PHOTOS BY DAVID SANCHEZ /THE ET CETERA
Above, students attend the Making Art Work panel. Right, Will Heron shows his prints to Jasmine Hernandez. Below, Andrea Tosten’s artwork displayed on newsprint.
ists on creating their own space in the world to help them distinguish a unique taste in art. Bechtol, a freelance sign painter from Oak Cliff and husband of art professor and gallery director Iris Bechtol, said the skills he learned out in the field helped him gain the recognition he has today. “When I get my work out there and people notice it, that for me is an accomplishment,” Bechtol said. “I’ve had situations where multiple people recommended me at the same time. I feel like when I get that type of exposure, for me it feels like I’ve done good work and have accomplished what I need to do.” Tosten, a calligrapher and bookbinder, said she sets high standards for herself and that others should do the same. “You can have your natural motivation drive your work instead of money,” Tosten said. “In some instances, [money] can actually hurt your work.”
Heron said it’s best to surround yourself with those who will support you and appreciate the work you do. “Friends, family and buyers are great in the art world,” Heron said. “But the biggest motivator to make me feel like I’m not losing my mind is having other artists around constantly to see what they are working on and be able to get critique and feedback.” Every panelist stressed the importance of enjoying what you are doing. “Don’t take yourself so seriously,” Bechtol said. “Oftentimes, you can be your own worst critic. Sometimes I look at myself and laugh at my own absurdities.”
LITERARY & FINE ARTS FESTIVAL CALENDAR Wednesday, April 12 League for Innovation literary contest awards, readings, 10:1011:05 a.m., G-101 Thursday, April 13 Artist lecture: sculptor Linda Lopez, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., F-217 Documentary filming, L-111 Monday, April 17 Digital Humanities: Coffee and Conversation with Spencer D.C. Keralis of UNT, 2-3 p.m., G-101 Tuesday, April 18 The Et Cetera Poetry Slam, 5:35 p.m., G-101 Wednesday, April 19 Artist lecture and video screening: Martha Colburn, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., F-217 Thursday, April 20 Harvester Cabaret, 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., Peformance Hall
Friday, April 21 Harvester Cabaret, 6 p.m., Performance Hall Documentary filming, L-111 Saturday, April 22 Harvester Cabaret, 8 p.m., Performance Hall Tuesday, April 25 Communications Career Day, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., G-101 Thursday, April 27 Visual Art Student Exhibit, reception 5-7 p.m., Gallery 219, open through May 12 Spring Dance Concert, 7:30 p.m., Performance Hall Friday, April 28 Documentary screening, 10 a.m., Performance Hall Spring Dance Concert, 7:30 p.m., Performance Hall
LIFE&ARTS
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Wednesday, April 12, 2017
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DAVID SILVA/THE ET CETERA
Tacos La Banqueta Puro DF has delicious pastor, suadero and lengua tacos.
‘Banqueta’ humble but authentic By DAVID SILVA Editor in Chief @DavidSilvaETC
Tacos La Banqueta Puro DF (which roughly translates to “Pure Mexico City Street Tacos”) isn’t the prettiest hidden gem. Be glad the taqueria is only located a mile off Highway 30 and Carroll Ave. because it isn’t in the type of neighborhood you’re OK getting lost in. The outside of Banqueta looks humble, maybe even sketchy. Visitors that are more used to the Uptown look might even ask themselves if good tacos are worth risking their safety. Luckily, the answer is always yes. At first glance, the inside of Banqueta isn’t anything special, but you’ll soon see the little things that give this place life. A sign that reads “No Diet Here” greets you at the door, and the line’s diversity is a testament to the place’s growing popularity. A Mexican day laborer, his jeans still soiled with chalk and concrete, stands in line next to a man with a suit and tie and bright red hair. Behind them is a black mom with her adolescent son still in school uniform, and behind her is a pair of college-aged guys with baseball caps. On one end of the taqueria, there’s a large mirror covered in bills from different countries. Argentina, Peru, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, Vietnam, Zambia, Belize, Honk Kong and Singapore are all included on the mirror, along with a million dollar bill with Barack Obama’s face Near the taqueria’s television, which sits idle on the Netflix home screen, are three framed items. One reads a Bible verse of Matthew 19:26 which says “And Jesus having looked on them, said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The other two
are accolades from the Dallas Observer and D Magazine giving the place the “Best Taqueria” and “Best Tacos in Dallas” awards, respectively. I would recommend you try each taco at least once, but the favorites are definitely “suadero” (thin beef), “lengua” (cow tongue) and “pastor” (marinated pork). The corn tortillas are the right balance of crispy and soft, and the meats are seasoned perfectly. Banqueta tops off the tacos with diced onions and cilantro and gives you the option of hot sauce or, if that’s not your thing, even hotter sauce. The tacos are nothing short of a triple Ollie kick-flip to the taste buds, a true mouth orgasm prepared with the namesake close at heart. The taqueria also provides staple Mexican beverages, though not as many as I would like. I would suggest trying the horchata, a sweet blended drink of rice, cinnamon and vanilla that provides the best salvation to Banqueta’s hot sauce. Banqueta’s atmosphere screams Mexican hole-in-the-wall. The kitchen, which is in plain sight, is often ringing with Spanish conversations and classic Nortena music. When the TV isn’t on the Netflix home screen, Univision telenovelas play softly in the background to lure you into the drama. There are many places that authentically have this atmosphere and many more that try to artificially create it, but very few have the thing that matters the most: the skill to create tacos that take your heart and stomach to the center of Mexico City.
The Et Cetera
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LIFE&ARTS
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
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The Et Cetera
TV REVIEW
‘Samurai Jack’ returns guns ablazin’ By EMYLEE LUCAS Design Editor @TheEtCetera
Editor’s note: Spoiler alert. Jack is back, and he finally has a gun. It’s a rare treat for people like me, who grew up in the ‘90s and early 2000s, to get a conclusion this good to a beloved childhood cartoon. Many shows of that era simply ended on a cliffhanger or even halted production altogether to make way for another newer, shinier show. For 13 years, “Samurai Jack’s” fate was the same. “Samurai Jack” is a story about a samurai warrior wielding a magic sword in order to defeat Aku, an unspeakably evil master of darkness. Before Jack was able to strike the final blow, Aku tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future where Aku’s evil is law. Fast-forward to season five. Fifty years later, Jack still hasn’t found a way back to the past in order to prevent Aku’s evil. The problem is Jack now has to do it without his magic sword, the only thing that could hurt Aku. In an era of cartoon reboots like the 2016 “Powerpuff Girls” and “Teen Titans Go!” which may have us distancing ourselves from ever having liked cartoons in the first place, one might dread the return of our beloved samurai warrior. The
series was cancelled before seeing a conclusion, so instead of finding out what happens to Jack, we only got to see bits and pieces from his life after he was thrown into the future. After such a long absence, “Samurai Jack” fans desperately craved more. We yearned for an element of maturity and a well thought-out conclusion. That’s exactly what we’re getting. After a healthy binge of the first four seasons, which originally aired from 2001 to 2004, I had high hopes for what the new season would bring. “Samurai Jack” was known for its unique art style, which relied heavily on blocks of color to build the shapes of the characters and the world surrounding them. One may fear that its art style wouldn’t hold up well to today’s standards. A lot of cartoons these days rely on smooth linework and bright colors regardless of the mood of the scene to convey their stories. I argue that it’s a refreshing crash course in color theory that other producers should pay close attention to. The new season of “Samurai Jack” exceeded my expectations by sticking to an improved version of the show’s previous style. The show also consistently uses excellent sound design. One of the songs in the second episode actually had me thinking they were going to kill off Jack even though I knew there
would be 10 episodes in the new season. Not only are the music and sound effects carefully planned, but the show knows when to use silence to induce certain emotions. The pacing is also planned out really well. Rather than insulting us with stupid fillers, the show makes a point to significantly advance Jack’s story with each episode. The new season explores themes of struggling with identity, the introduction of gray morality and questionable ethics, maintaining your original purpose and even the will to survive. Jack starts having hallucinations about his past, and since Aku hasn’t shown himself in years, Jack now struggles with maintaining his mental fortitude. He also comes to terms with killing a human being for the first time. There are a few really cool scenes where Jack hallucinates conversations with his former self, whom we used to look up to as a moral compass. His past self is now a tired and bitter spirit, ready to tell Jack that the only honorable thing left to do after all this time is end his own life. If you’re familiar with the series, you would expect Jack’s past self to be the one thing to keep him going and remind him of his original morals
COURTESY OF TIME WARNER
“Samurai Jack” returns with a new, mature spin on Jack’s struggles, both internally and externally.
and values, but the opposite is almost always true when we see him. It shows us that this new “Samurai Jack” is different from the one we grew up with, but it’s the perfect kind of story to tackle some of these new themes. For me, watching “Samurai Jack” has become an integral element to my weekly routine, and I feel lost if I’m even a little delayed with my viewing. Since April Fools’ Day happened to fall on Saturday this year, Adult Swim decided it would be funny to fling “Samurai Jack” another week into the future. I would have reviewed that episode, but instead we got hours of the season three premiere of “Rick and Morty.” Needless
to say, I was pretty distraught. The show’s beautifully rendered style has done nothing but improve over time as creator Genndy Tartakovsky directs an amazing staff of artists and writers to complete Jack’s journey. The music and sound effects (or artistic absence thereof) always get my heart pounding. Exploring Jack’s character by juxtaposing a demonized version of his past self with a tattered, tired version of his current self is a new, mature element. Since there won’t be any more seasons after this, you can tell the creators put a lot of care into making sure the last we’ll see of “Samurai Jack” will be meaningful. To give it anything less than five stars would be disrespectful.
ALBUM REVIEW
Bob Dylan’s new album features glorified elevator music By JONATHAN AGUIRRE Staff Writer @TheEtCetera
I would say that Bob Dylan needs no introduction, but considering there was virtually no hype for his new album, he might. When I heard that one of my alltime favorite artists was releasing a new album, I wondered how I only found out a few days before its March 31 release. Dylan changed the course of music. He is one of the most important artists of the 20th century, not to mention he has a Nobel Prize in Literature for his lyrics. So why was no one talking about him?
It could be because this album, “Triplicate,” is composed of 30 tracks of nothing but covers. There is no original material from the folk master himself. And at an intimidating 95 minutes, it makes sitting down to listen a challenge. Dylan’s past few albums have not been anything worthwhile. This is not to say that absolutely nothing good could come from this project. Last year, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen both had surprisingly incredible final albums, and both died a few days after their releases. So when I heard Dylan had a new album, I was scared, and a tiny bit excited, that he would follow the trend
of giving us one last great album and then leave us forever. But that didn’t happen. “Triplicate” is mediocre lounge music. If you are in need of background music for a cocktail party, this is your album. It does not belong in a metaphorical junkyard, but it certainly isn’t great. The instrumentals are mostly laidback and pleasant. You won’t be repulsed by the music, but you won’t be impressed either. Listening to this album is the equivalent of a parent saying, “I’m
not mad. I’m just disappointed.” One good aspect is his voice. He actually sounds like himself and not Louie Armstrong like he did in “Tempest.” For the man who wrote “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” this album sounds incredibly old. Granted, all the songs covered were released between 1920 and 1960, but I would like to see him go in a more modern direction. Perhaps he can’t. Maybe at this point, Dylan is creatively exhausted. There are a lot of great artists making better music than Dylan right now, such as Phil Elverum and Bon Iver. Dylan has contributed more than
COURTESY OF COLUMBIA RECORDS
Bob Dylan’s ‘Triplicate’ pretty much sucks. We all know you can do better, Bob.
his fair share of beautiful music, and I guess he deserves a break.
LIFE&ARTS Wednesday, April 12, 2017
13 www.eastfieldnews.com
The Et Cetera
Foster parents adopt kids, create families “When you’re the person that you know they’re the most connected with, … when the professionals that come in and visit and say, ‘This is a good match,’ but the system is saying, Melinda Imthurn and her wife walk through ‘We have a different goal,’ that’s really hard,” SuperTarget with two shopping carts full of dia- Imthurn said. “You can be in a position where pers, children’s clothes, sippy cups, tiny spoons, you’re having to prepare a child for a situation car seats and everything else they didn’t need that you know isn’t optimal for them.” until a toddler was suddenly placed in their Delores Shelton is an Eastfield administrahome. tive assistant who adopted three boys through A week-and-a-half-prior, the two had com- fostering. She said many people are discourpleted their certification to become foster par- aged from fostering because of the potentially ents after deciding to apply in 2012. They had temporary nature of the child’s stay. been anticipating a call for an emergency place“A lot of people say they couldn’t do it bement every day since. Now that a 1-year-old is cause they would get too attached and then that suddenly in their care, they are finding out ex- baby leaves and [they] couldn’t handle that,” actly how much their life will change. she said. “What I tell those people is, fostering After two years of caring for Elizabeth is not about you. It should not be about you. (whose name has been changed in this story) as You do it because of those kids.” their own, Imthurn and her wife formally adShelton said that foster parents should get opted her April 5. attached in order to give children as much love When Elizabeth was placed with the couple, and care as possible while their biological parthey had no idea how long she would be stay- ents get through whatever rough times they’re ing. Imthurn said this was one of the more dif- experiencing. She said that reunification is alficult parts of fostering her. ways the goal because it means the biological “If you’re doing it right, you’ll take care of parents did everything they needed to do to be the child like it’s your own, and you’ll give all able to have their children again. the love and all the care that you can give, all “It hurts,” she said, referring to children rethe while knowing that somebody could call uniting with their families after being under you and say, ‘Hey, I’m picking her up in five foster care. “I’m not going to lie, it hurts a lot. minutes,’ ” she said. But there’s many more kids out there that need Imthurn, a music professor, is one of several foster parents.” faculty and staff members who have fostered Shelton knows firsthand what it feels like children. Many couples to say goodbye to foster who are unable or do not children. They took care wish to bear children are of three children for only becoming interested in three months before they fostering to adopt; that were relocated. A second is, taking care of children group of children, three whose biological parboys, came into their ents are unable to in the care soon after. Within hopes that they will be six months, they had adable to adopt children at opted them. some point. Shelton’s boys came to When children are reher when they were bemoved from their homes, tween 4 and 6, and they Child Protective Services still have some challengsays the main goal is to es to overcome because reunite them with their of their past. One of the biological families. They boys has certain issues set up a plan for the biobecause of past traumas, logical parents to regain such as his intense fear of rights to their children. If the dark. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DELORES SHELTON the parents do not follow Imthurn doesn’t bethe plan or choose to ter- Delores Shelton and her husband lieve Elizabeth has any minate their rights, they adopted their three foster children in memories of her previous can request that their November 2014. home, but the situation children be placed with could still affect her. a blood relative or close friend. When all else “She was so young when she came to us that fails, the child will be recommended for adop- she doesn’t remember much about before,” she tion. said. “It still has an effect on them whether they CPS keeps the foster parents up-to-date on can really remember it or not.” where they are in the process, which can often Imthurn said the process to become a foster be long and convoluted and sometimes frus- parent can be difficult. It took Imthurn and her trating for the foster family. wife three years to complete the process. For By KATRINA BOND Life & Arts Editor @KatBondETC
others, it takes a few months. “It’s a really daunting process,” she said. It took two years for Shelton and her husband to become foster parents, but she said they started out with an agency that didn’t prioritize children’s needs. Once they switched agencies, they were certified within three months. Brian Roffino, a developmental reading and writing professor, volunteers at local foster agency Jonathan’s Place. He said all potential foster parents must attend a number of training sessions and ensure their homes are safe for children, complete with an evacuation plan. “It’s a balance,” Roffino said. “You want them to have training, you want these homes to be safe, but you also want people to be able to become foster parents without being overwhelmed.” There is a great need for foster parents in the area, according to Roffino and Shelton. Roffino and Imthurn both said that many weekends you can find children staying in the offices at CPS. Shelton and Imthurn said more people should consider fostering. “Very few things that are worthwhile are easy, but it’s the greatest difference you can make in the life of a child,” Imthurn said. Roffino said it can be difficult to find foster parents who are willing to take in older children because of the “baggage” they can have. “Above 8 or 10, it’s hard to find families who are willing to take kids who have had years of abuse,” he said. “Not many people want a grumpy teenager, but they need love just like anyone does.” Imthurn said she and her wife will be taking a break from fostering for now, but that could change later in order to help the kids who are older or may be close to aging out of the system. “I have this idea that when we’re a little bit older, when work is a little slower, we’ll take in those [older] kids,” she said. One of the reasons Imthurn and her wife originally decided to foster was the fact that one of Imthurn’s parents was a foster child. “I don’t know where my family would be if somebody hadn’t stepped up and said, ‘Yes. OK. I’ll do it,” for my parent.” Shelton said she and her husband decided to foster because he was sterile and she wanted to help children. While there are many reasons people decide to become foster parents, Imthurn said the idea that people can make a lot of money by fostering is a misconception. “That’s just the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” she said. “The only way I can see that you would make money fostering is if you’re not providing for the child’s needs. Talk to any parent and see if they can raise a child on $23 a day. Money had nothing to do with our decision.” It took two years for Elizabeth’s case to come to the point where adoption by the foster family was recommended. In the hours leading up to the adoption, Imthurn and her wife were still
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MELINDA IMTHURN
Music professor Melinda Imthurn and her wife adopted Elizabeth, who they have been fostering for the last two years.
worried someone would come in at the last minute and say the plan had changed. “We’re on pins and needles,” Imthurn said a day before the adoption was finalized. “I can’t imagine the sigh of relief we’re going to breathe after it’s finished.” There will no longer be case workers, lawyers, therapists and CPS workers constantly coming through their home, and they no longer have to worry about Elizabeth being relocated at a moment’s notice. “She’s never leaving,” Imthurn said. “We don’t ever have to worry about that again. She’s not going to go anywhere. She’s going to stay with us, which is a good place for her.” Now the family is planning a beach vacation, and Elizabeth is interested in taking dance lessons. Imthurn is excited about her future with her daughter. “I’m excited about everything,” she said. “Every single thing. High school, graduation, I mean, just having her with us for the rest of our lives.” Throughout the process, Imthurn had been so focused on the near future that she didn’t realize a future with her child could be possible. “One of my friends mentioned that she might have a kid and I might be a grandparent one day,” she said. “That had never occurred to me. I am not a stupid person, but that floored me.” When Imthurn and her wife explained the adoption and subsequent party to their 3-yearold, they tried to put it in terms she could understand despite not remembering a time when Imthurn and her wife weren’t her parents. “We told her it was when the judge tells her that we’re going to be a family forever,” she said. “But she probably thought that we already were a family forever.”
Sports
The Et Cetera
April 12 April 13 April 14 April 17
Baseball vs Cedar Valley Baseball @ Cedar Valley Baseball @ Cedar Valley Baseball @ Weatherford
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3 p.m. 3 p.m. 12 p.m. 3 p.m.
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Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Baseball closes gap on Bears, sweeps Lions
3-for-5 with a double while Perry went 2-for-5. Montoya went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Ben Simpson (2-0) earned the win pitching a shutout inning in relief of Bowman while Tyler Foy got his first save of the season.
By BEN ENSIGN Staff Writer @BenEnsignETC
Led by the Metro Athletic Conference Players of the Week for March 26-April 1 Gabe Guzman and Paul Bowman, the Harvesters handed Brookhaven their first series loss of the year while sweeping Mountain View. After struggling early in the year, the Harvesters (12-6) climbed back to second in the conference behind Brookhaven (16-2) and are ranked ninth nationally with 12 games left in conference play. Eastfield 15, Brookhaven 3 The Harvesters bounced back after a three-game losing streak, scoring runs in bunches to beat Brookhaven in eight innings on March 29. Skyler Black went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, four RBIs and three runs to lead the attack. Blake Seagraves went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. Guzman added three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Paul Bowman (5-1) pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out three. Eastfield 9, Brookhaven 8 Eastfield came out victorious in a close matchup on March 31 be-
VALENTINO JORGE/THE ET CETERA
Logan Montoya (left) goes for the putout in the Harvesters’ loss to the Brookhaven Bears on April 1.
hind Guzman’s two home runs and five RBIs. Tanner Foy and Black also homered for the Harvesters with Black collecting two other hits. Tyler Foy earned his first win of the season in relief of Mich Tamez, pitching three shutout innings. Brookhaven 15, Eastfield 8 The Harvesters’ pitching staff was dominated by Brookhaven’s offense,
giving up 15 runs including nine in the eighth inning alone in a game that was tied 6-6 after seven innings. Eastfield’s pitchers had a tough time finding the strike zone, giving up 13 walks among the eight pitchers used, four of whom didn’t record a single out in the home loss on April 1. Joseph Sanchez, Guzman and Montoya carried the Harvester offense, driving in two runs each. San-
chez was 3-for-5 with two doubles. Guzman was 2-for-4 with a triple, and Will Crooker was 2-for-4. Eastfield 10, Mountain View 9 The Harvesters’ bats stayed hot as they clawed out a narrow home win on April 5. A four-run eighth inning propelled Eastfield to a victory. Black and Jacob Perry led the charge, driving in three runs each. Black went
Eastfield 8, Mountain View 6 In a long game that was tied 6-6 going into the 11th the Harvesters came out victorious in their trip to Mountain View on April 7. Jordan Parker led the offensive assault going 2-for-4 with a home run and a double scoring four RBIs. Black hit a two-run home run while scoring two runs. Simpson earned his third win of the season in relief of Tamez, pitching three and two-thirds shutout innings. Eastfield 10, Mountain View 1 Eastfield’s hitting backed up Seagraves to beat Mountain View in blowout fashion on April 8. Seagraves pitched a complete game, allowing only one run on just two hits, while striking out four. Black led the Harvesters’ offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs scored. Montoya went 2-for-2, drawing three walks and scoring four of the Harvesters’ runs.
Eastfield athletes sign to four-year universities
JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA
Karina Lay, sophomore, signed for East Texas Baptist University.
ET CETERA FILE PHOTO
Torri Sayman, sophomore, signed to play for Texas Women’s University.
ET CETERA FILE PHOTO
Haley Burke, freshman, signed to play for Louisiana State University at Shreveport.
ET CETERA FILE PHOTO
Elizabeth Cobar, sophomore, signed to play for Louisiana State University at Shreveport.
ANDREW GONZALES/THE ET CETERA
Paul Ard, sophomore, signed to play for Central Christian College of Kansas.
—Mason Richardson signed to play soccer for Louisiana State University at Shreveport. She played in Spring 2017 exhibition games for the Harvesters.
opinion Etera
15 www.eastfieldnews.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Et Cetera response to complaint not satisfactory
Award-winning member of: • Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • Associated Collegiate Press • Texas Community College Journalism Association
Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Fax: 972-860-7646 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu Editor in Chief David Silva Managing Editor James Hartley Life & Arts Editor Katrina Bond
Sports Editor Julio Vega
Copy Editor Caitlin Piper
Design Editor Emylee Lucas
Photo Editor David Sanchez
Asst. Photo Editor Andrew Gonzales
Staff Writers Jon Aguirre Macks Prewitt Anthony Resendez
Emily Martinez Landon Williams Ben Ensign
Senior Staff Photographers Ahmad Ashor Alejandra Rosas Isabel Espinoza Jesus Ayala Photographers Yesenia Alvarado Heidi McCaslin Daniel Rodriguez
Valentino Jorge Lesley Reyes
Designers & Artists Alec Ogle Editorial Assistants Martha Especulta Reporters Josh Taylor Matthew Weseman Alyssa R. Fullilove Larsen Ullrich Contributors Esmeralda Olguin Jasmine Oliva Vanessa Ochoa Shekinah Berry Chelsi Harris Cristhian Herrera Esther Moreno
Marie Garica Josue Hernandez Jon-Mark Tamez Jessica Luther
Braulio Tellez John Lemus Joel Sierra Alber Molina Jose Delgado Hermila Martinez Manuel Guapo
Advertising & Marketing Keturah Hill Student Publications Manager Elizabeth Langton Faculty Adviser Lori Dann
Editorial Policy The views expressed on the opinion pages and other opinion pieces and cartoons in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Et Cetera, Eastfield College or the Dallas County Community College District. The Et Cetera is published every two weeks—except December, January and summer months—by a student staff. Each member of the college community is entitled to one free copy of The Et Cetera. Additional copies are available in Room N-240. Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters will be edited for profanity and vulgarity, Associated Press style, grammar, libel and space when needed. The content will remain that of the author. Letters considered for publication must be 250 words or fewer. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or sent to etc4640@dcccd.edu.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
OUR VIEW
MARTHA ESPECULTA/THE ET CETERA
Accessible information makes the public safer Transparency in crime reports is integral in keeping the public informed and safe. The media regularly uses such records to confirm information for news stories and presentations, and ordinary citizens have the option to consult these reports directly. Unfortunately, the Dallas County Community College District has been regularly withholding and redacting such records. We understand that some information protected by the Texas Public Information Act, such as the names of rape victims or minors. But state law has clear definitions for many categories of public information, which should be easily and quickly accessible as demanded by the spirit of the law. Frank LoMonte, director of the Student Press Law Center, said police reports should only take minutes to turn over. Many government officials routinely tell the press and public, “We have 10 days to release that information.” But that’s only in cases when they believe the requested information is exempt from disclosure under the law. Then they have 10 days to ask the state attorney general to review it. A request for two reports for assaults on campus were released April 10, after the records keeper for the DCCCD was interviewed by an Et Cetera reporter. The quickest release of public information from the DCCCD before April 10 was five days, but only after the reporter contacted the DCCCD
records keeper multiple times. With the exception of that request and two others, the district has exhausted the 10-day deadline in every request from The Et Cetera between 2015 and April 10. Some records were even withheld past the 10-day period, and not all cases sought the review of the attorney general. This should already be public information. In one case regarding an identity theft at Eastfield’s financial aid office, the district redacted almost the entire report. The district said releasing the information would hurt the investigation. Keeping students in the dark is not the correct approach. Students deserve to know what is going on around their campuses. Transparency in the district’s records is vital in keeping them knowledgeable. We as journalists cannot do our duty without reliable sources of information. While we are aware of the district’s concerns regarding its public image, this pattern of holding and redacting potentially troublesome information leaves people in potential danger. Many police departments have public records readily accessible to the media and the public, whether they're digital or physical copies. We suggest the DCCCD make the public portion of police reports accessible both online and in print and keep them in a public space. At Eastfield, the lobby of the police department would be a good place.
The article “District prepares for campus carry” (Feb. 8, 2017) not only misquotes me, but does so in a way that radically distorts the meaning and intent of my words. Further, my remarks were obtained through a recording made by the Student Publications Manager, a recording which should not have been made or distributed. I tried to address the issue but found myself rebuffed at every turn. I trusted that making the errors known would have resulted in a correction and apology. But none came. I had hoped either the Managing Editor or the Student Publications Manager would reach out to me. It didn’t happen. Simple journalistic ethics would demand that the Managing Editor check his source, but no such safeguard was applied, and no consideration appears to have been given
as to how his “mistake” would affect the person whose words he used. One would think that the “editor”-in-chief would make sure that sources were checked, or at least that quotation marks were used correctly. But that writer routinely records interviews without getting permission from the interviewee. I had hoped that the Student Publications Manager would attempt to demonstrate a willingness to take corrective action. Instead, I got silence. This incident and its aftermath have demonstrated a blatant disregard for my ideas and for me as a professional. Allowing deliberate manipulation to go unchecked is an insult to every person who puts trust in “journalists” who disseminate “information.” Michael Morris English professor
EDITOR'S NOTE The Et Cetera respects the concerns addressed by Professor Michael Morris and investigated them when they first came to light. However, the staff is firm in its stance that Morris’ quote was not printed incorrectly or taken out of context. The use of ellipses is a common practice in journalism to exclude extraneous information. Our faculty adviser met twice with Morris to discuss the issue. In a subsequent email, Morris again expressed his displeasure but declined to write a letter or speak with anyone personally. The quote was taken from a recording of a Jan. 10 campus carry forum for the Arts & Communications Division. Here is the full quote: “Second, I’m interested in knowing what money the district, which presently does not pay its instructors a true living wage and has a history of failing to negotiate in good faith, what money they will spend to offset costs to instructors who have been forced to work with firearms in their classrooms against their better judgment. For example, will they pay for training, weapons and ammunition they may need to defend themselves
and their students? “Will they change the health benefits to include more therapy in dealing with the requirement in working in a more stressful situation, stressful environment, or increasing, for those who are injured by firearms in the classroom, for greater death and dismemberment benefits for families of inevitable victims?” Here is what ran in the Feb. 8 edition of The Et Cetera: English professor Michael Morris asked if the district would provide professors with weapons, training and ammunition as well as extend health benefits to cover counseling or support to the families of “inevitable victims.” “I’m interested in knowing what money the district … will spend to offset costs to instructors who have been forced to work with firearms in their classrooms against their better judgment,” Morris said. We take our obligation to accuracy seriously and strive to provide precise information. We welcome hearing from our readers. David Silva Editor in chief
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Wrap Up
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
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Open records vital to public safety, knowledge Continued from page 2 police reports.” LoMonte said there are some documents that can interfere with an investigation, but the incident report is often not one of them. “I understand that the investigative file that has the officer’s interview notes may need to be held until the case is closed,” LoMonte said. “There are certainly some confidential, investigatory materials that can be held. But that police incident report that just says what the officer observed on the scene in no way
compromises the ability to solve the crime.” Miller said that releasing details outlined in the narrative of a police report, where officers describe what they saw at a crime scene or incident, might be withheld. LoMonte doesn’t see any reason that would be true. “If the officer’s write up says, ‘I showed up at the fraternity house at 3 p.m. on Saturday, saw the back window broken and I was told that three laptop computers were taken,’ none of that impedes their ability to solve
the crime,” LoMonte said. “The thief knows he broke the window. The thief knows he stole the laptop. None of that in any way interferes with the ability to close the case.” LoMonte believes governments hurt themselves by not releasing police reports while a case is still open. “The whole point of creating those public reports is ideally to help people take precautions against crime or help solve crime,” LoMonte said. “The time to do that is right away, not two weeks belatedly.” In some cases, the DCCCD has
withheld public records past the 10day period. The district has sought an attorney general opinion in three cases, seeking to withhold either parts of or entire reports. In an indecent exposure case, the attorney general sided with The Et Cetera. In an identity theft case, the attorney general sided with the DCCCD. An opinion on the sexual assault case is still pending. LoMonte said news organizations should bring open records malpractice to light by writing
stories about it. “I often advise journalists to write about the inefficiency and mismanagement of the agency if it takes them that long to find a document,” he said. “How could you operate a police department effectively if you can’t even find your own crime reports for a week-and-a-half? That really speaks to a badly mismanaged agency. Surely the answer is they can find their own crime reports within seconds. They’re purposely making you wait if they’re making you come back in 10 days.”
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