Eastfield Et Cetera April 13, 2016

Etera

Eastfield College

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

CROSSROADS Immigrant children face uncertain future

as the presidental race approaches

➤ See pages 8-9

Volume 47, Issue 12

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NEWS

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

www.eastfieldnews.com

‘Girlboss’ discusses success

Student remembered for radiant personailty

By Brianna Harmon etc4640@dcccd.edu

By Devon Rice and Jasmine Oliva etc4640@dcccd.edu

Leslie Sanchez, an award-winning political commentator and former director of the White House Office on Hispanic Education, urged women to know their worth in a March 31 speech at Eastfield.

“Women don’t make as much as men, but there are reasons,” Sanchez said. “Some women choose to come out of the workforce to have families.

CEOs sacrifice having one usually to make just as much as men, but we have to remember that what we make does not define who we are. Don’t shy away from respecting yourself.”

Sanchez, a commentator on CNN and CBS News, author and entrepreneur, was the keynote speaker for Women’s History Month and discussed the college’s theme, #Girlboss, which highlighted women who empower, lead and serve their communities.

“She is someone that believes in serving others, helping people understand politics better, helping the community understand the journey to success,” said Shernay Wormley, program coordinator for the Office of Student Engagement and Retention.

“That is why she was a perfect example of what a #Girlboss is, and that is why we brought her on to the campus for Women’s History Month.”

Executive Dean Judith Dumont suggested the #Girlboss theme, which is named after the book by

The Et Cetera

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Political commentator Leslie Sanchez addresses women and education in a visit to Eastfield March 31.

Nasty Gal CEO Sophia Amoruso. “[Amoruso] went from being homeless to starting her own job on eBay,” Dumont said. “I read her book and became obsessed with being a #Girlboss. … It means being in control of your own future, expectations, destiny. Really own it and take responsibility for yourself.”

Sanchez grew up in Corpus Christi and financed her community college education by selling encyclopedias door-to-door.

She later earned a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and a master’s at Johns Hopkins University.

“I truly believe you grow the most when you suffer the most,” Sanchez said. “Those hills you climb make you stronger.”

From a young age, Sanchez was interested in politics.

“I was 14 years old telling people I wanted to be the first female speaker of the House,” she said. “I liked the idea of being involved in the government. I didn’t find out about the media until later.”

Sanchez spoke about women

who embody the #Girlboss name, including presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, businesswoman Randi Zuckerberg and designers Diane von Furstenberg and Rachel Roy. “[Roy] continues to be a great mom, build her business and her brand, and she is always a friend to the women around her, which is a motto that I live by,” Sanchez said.

She emphasized the importance of camaraderie among women.

“At this point in my career, we’re all colleagues,” she said. “It’s a lot of women helping women. So, I’m really fortunate to get pearls of wisdom from everyone.”

Student Vicky Perez was inspired

by Sanchez’s speech. “#Girlboss gives me the impression that women can act independently,” Perez said. “They don’t need to rely on anyone for help, and they get respect for how they carry themselves. … We’ve come a long way in history. It’s time to show that we can be our own boss in our own lives and in our job.”

—Brittany Parker and Taylor Roberts contributed to this report

Information technology major John Kirvin, known for his bright smile and “goofball” personality, died of a brain bleed April 7. He was 24.

Kirvin had been a member of the Communication Club since spring 2013. The club held a memorial for Kirvin April 11.

Fellow member Sonya Battle called Kirvin a giver both in life and after death. His status as an organ donor helped eight people.

“I can’t imagine how much better a legacy anyone can leave,” speech professor Mary Forrest said. “He did everything for everybody. He really gave that much of himself to the club.

He gave in life to the entire club, and he gave in death.”

Kirvin was also involved in the Student Government Association.

Kirvin’s best friend, Communication Club President Aley Salcedo, said that he was always welcoming people into her club.

“He was our entertainer, to say the least,” Salcedo said. “I kid you not, he had no idea about membership cost, he didn’t know about what events we were doing, but he knew that he wanted you to be at the next meeting.”

Salcedo said that no matter what, Kirvin always wore a radiant smile.

“I don’t think he knew how to frown,” she said. “He really just wanted to make the world smile.”

Although Kirvin had sickle cell disease, he had high hopes for his future, Salcedo said. It’s unknown if the condition contributed to his death. He wanted to go to the

University of North Texas and was considering a mission trip to Nepal.

“He was a really good computer guy,” Salcedo said. “What he was going to do in Nepal is teach kids about computers skills, how to work a computer.”

Salcedo said Kirvin her memories of Kirvin are filled with humor, such as a SGA retreat at a lake. Kirvin and a friend, Ever Rodriguez, flipped their canoe, and Kirvin’s new glasses fell into the water. Kirvin and Rodriguez shared the latter’s glasses as they tried to row back to shore.

“John was a goofball,” Salcedo said. “He was notorious for tripping, falling, throwing things accidently.”

Kirvin’s mother, Rachael Mack, called him her biggest inspiration.

“He left a legacy,” she said. “He was giving and kindhearted. He never met a stranger, and you feel so comfortable around him. There is a difference between an impact and an impression, and John did not make an impression in my life. He made an impact. An impact tends to hit harder. He was genuine.”

Kirvin was born Nov. 5, 1991 and graduated from West Mesquite High School in 2010. He is survived by his mother; stepfather, Otis Mack; sister, Gabrielle Kirvin, and grandmothers, Carolyn Graves and Jennifer Thomas.

A memorial will be held at noon April 15 at City Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Dallas. He will be cremated.

District moves opening of fall registration to April 19

By Mickey Smith etc4640@dcccd.edu

The Dallas County Community College District has combined summer and fall registration in an effort to streamline the process and give faculty and administration more time to respond to enrollment trends.

Priority registration for currently enrolled students begins April 19 for both semesters.

Regular registration begins April 25.

Summer registration ends before the summer classes begin, June 6 for summer I and July 12 for summer II. Fall registration ends Aug. 20

and classes will begin Aug. 29.

“Combining summer and fall registration into a one-stop process makes it really convenient for students to sign up for the classes they need to have their schedules set through next December,” Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational Policy and Student Success Anna Mays said.

June 30 will be the deadline to pay for the fall semester for those who registered April 19 through June 16. This excludes continuing education courses.

The district’s main goals are to increase continued enrollment among current students

from spring to fall and increase early registration.

“While it sounds more convenient, I won’t be taking summer classes,” English major Micah Garcia said. “I don’t think I’ll be enrolling until the fall semester is a bit closer.”

Students with financial aid will not be affected by the plan. Awarded students will be protected from deregistration, and those who applied for financial aid will be protected through Aug. 15.

Students not receiving aid will have more time to pay for their classes, and two separate invoices and fee receipts will be sent for each

term.

“The way I see it, it could be more efficient in helping us students plan our fall and summer semesters by saving money and creating a budget,” biology major Rocio Manriquez said. “However, I could definitely see a rise in dropped classes because things can happen between the time of registration and when classes start.”

According to the DCCCD, the change will benefit students by allowing them to plan in advance for summer and fall classes and avoid “closed” classes and long wait times for advising by registering earlier than last year.

NEWS

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

DCCCD GOVERNMENT

Trustee hopefuls vow to cut costs

By James Hartley

etc4640@dcccd.edu Three seats are up for grabs in a historic DCCCD Board of Trustees election May 7, with 10 candidates running and no incumbents seeking re-election.

“I would argue that it may be more important than the presidential election,” Matt Hinckley, president of the Eastfield College Faculty Association, said. “Obviously, the U.S. president exerts a great deal of influence over the direction of the nation as a whole. But when it comes to real issues about the availability and affordability of high quality educational programs in Dallas County, … the ability of our county to be an economic engine and our ability to provide means into the middle class for so many people in our community is at stake.”

Nine of the 10 candidates visited Eastfield on March 30 for a forum hosted by the Student Government Association and Faculty Association. Topics ranged from campus carry to budgeting and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender acceptance.

Tax and tuition Of main concern were district graduation rates and possible budget cuts to lower tuition and taxes.

District 3 Candidate Dorothy Zimmermann, an Eastfield alumna who has been attending Dallas County Community College board meetings since April 2012, said that spending at the district level raises tuition and does not provide a better education for students.

“I’m not sure that your tuition money is being spent, is being handled in the best way possible,” Zimmermann said. “I know that my tuition money came very dearly because ... we could afford daycare or we could afford for me to go to school.”

Zimmermann suggested eliminating amenities such as “party food” served at campus events from the budget.

District 2 candidate Gene Robinson, a former Brookhaven student services employee, said that removing vice chancellor and vice president positions would save money.

“We need to get rid of all the administrative bloat. … The presidents and chancellor can do all that work,” Robinson said. “I no longer want to see the budget balanced on your backs while administration continues to increase their salaries.”

Robinson said there is excess spending on projects like parking lot construction.

He referenced losing his job at Brookhaven due to budget cuts while the college spent “$5 million on two concrete parking lots” in the same year.

Campus carry The campus carry law, which allows con-

Brief glance at the candidates

Ten candidates are running for three seats in the May 7 DCCCD Board of Trustees election.

District 2 Richard Morgan Age: 28 Occupation: Software engineer Twitter: @morgan4dcccd J.C. Osborne Age: 34 Occupation: Private security No social media or email Phil Ritter Age: 57 Occupation: Non-profit executive Twitter: @RitterForDCCCD JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA

Nine of the 10 candidates for the DCCCD Board of Trustees participate in a March 30 forum at Eastfield in advance of the May 7 election.

cealed weapons license holders to carry handguns on college campuses, will go into effect in August 2017 at two-year schools like Eastfield.

The law allows the DCCCD to designate gun-free zones on campus.

Most of the candidates said they support the law and students’ right to have concealed handguns on campus. District 2 candidate Phil Ritter said that while the law should be followed, he believes in hearing community input about where on campus it would be best to have weapons.

“I’m going to be relying heavily on the advice of law enforcement professionals, attorneys who can clearly articulate the parameters of this law for us and also other stakeholders who are going to have to live under this policy,” Ritter said. “Some of our campuses have high schools, some of them have daycares, and all of those types of issues will affect policy as well.”

District 4 candidate Brad Underwood connected the law to the Second Amendment and related guns on campus to fire extinguishers.

“Why do we have fire extinguishers?” Underwood asked the audience. “To immediately address the issue. … The Constitution of the United States of America is not subject to the dispositions or the whims of the few. It is the law of the land, and we can’t pick and choose.

Because if we can pick and choose, then that means maybe the First Amendment doesn’t count.”

District 4 candidates Martha Jo Talbot and Monica Lira Bravo said they want to hear community input.

“Personally, I want students to be comfortable and to feel safe on their campus with the security measures that are in place here,” Talbot said.

Bravo added: “This is a decision that the board cannot make on their own. I think we need to hear from everybody that will be im-

pacted by it.”

LGBT equality When the topic of LGBT equality came up, the candidates agreed that no matter their personal beliefs, all people are equal.

District 2 candidate J.C. Osborne said that as a member of the LGBT community, he believes private organizations have the right to discriminate, but any government organization should offer full equality.

“The government is subject to the equal protection laws,” Osborne said. “I believe LGBT discrimination is basically gender discrimination. Because essentially the premise is that because you’re a man you are not allowed to marry who you want or because you’re a woman you have to behave a certain way.”

District 2 candidate Richard Morgan said that anyone in the community should feel welcome.

“I think this one is real simple,” Morgan said. “A community college environment should be a place where any student of any background, of any religious affiliation, of any sexual orientation, of any belief system can attend and get a quality education.”

District 3 candidate Frank Millsap, an auto body instructor at Eastfield, said he would not support any discrimination or special treatment.

“A person’s lifestyle is their business,” Millsap said. “It is not my business as long as it does not interfere with me.”

Zimmermann added that the problem will easily take care of itself.

“If we do not discriminate period, we do not have to enumerate what we will not discriminate against,” Zimmerman said. “It’s pretty easy.”

Eastfield is in District 4 of the DCCCD. Many Eastfield students live in Trustee Districts 3 and 4.

Gene Robinson Age: 56 Occupation: Investor Email: heissen_sie@yahoo.com

District 3 Frank Millsap Age: 75 Occupation: Retired; President of Sachse Rod Shop Facebook: Frank Millsap Campaign Tommy Reed Age: 26 Occupation: Dentist Email: thomasreedoffice@yahoo.com Dorothy Zimmermann Age: 60 Occupation: Retired No social media or email

District 4 Monica Lira Bravo Age: 34 Occupation: Immigration attorney Twitter: @MonicaLiraBravo Martha Jo Talbot Age: 70 Occupation: Retired school administrator Twitter: @Vote4MarthaJo Brad T. Underwood Age: 47 Occupation: IT analyst Facebook: Brad T. Underwood Corrections In the March 30 issue, a quote by President Jean Conway was mistakenly attributed to Terrance Wickman in display type. It was correct in the story. Also, Associate Vice President Rachel Wolf’s name was misspelled. The Et Cetera regrets these errors.

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NEWS

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

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Calendar Mission manager explains Jupiter exploration PUT IT ON YOUR April

Wed

13

Faculty-Student Exchange, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Pit Recital: Voice concert, 12:30-1:30 p.m., F-117

Thu

Last day to withdraw with a grade of W

Fri

Flash Back Friday: music, food and outfit contest, 11a.m.-1 p.m., the Pit

Tue

Priority summer/ fall 2016 registration begins

14 15 19

STEMinar: DFW Airport Wildlife Management, 12:30-1:30 p.m., S-100

Wed

Recital: Brass Ensemble, 12:30-1:30 p.m, Performance Hall

Thu

Foreign film series: "The Way Home," 12:30 p.m., C-237A

20 21

Men’s Leadership & Awards Luncheon, 12:30 p.m., S-100

Fri

22 Mon

25

Financial Friday: Scholarships, 11 a.m.1 p.m., C-135 Regular summer/ fall 2016 registration begins Asian heritage event, 12:30-1:30 p.m., G-101

Wed

27

Recital: Choir concert, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Performance Hall

Thu

Recital: Choir concert, 7-8 p.m., Performance Hall

Thu

Recital: Jazz Ensemble, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Performance Hall

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ABOUT THE COVER ILLUSTRATION BY JONATHAN WENCES

By Brittany Parker and Jamiah Sandles etc4640@dcccd.edu

During 14 years in space, the Galileo orbiter collected photos of Venus’ clouds, evidence of oceans beneath the icy surface of the Jupiter moon Europa and data about volcanic activity on one of its other moons, Io. The unmanned spacecraft launched from the shuttle Atlantis on Oct. 18, 1989. It took six years to reach Jupiter, the largest mass in our solar system after the sun.

“You could fit three of our planets into the great red spot on Jupiter,” Galileo mission manager Eilene Theilig said.

Theilig, who earned her doctorate in geology, spoke about the NASA project at a March 31 STEMinar sponsored by the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Division.

Space exploration fascinated Theilig from a young age.

“I watched the early manned explorations when I was a child,” she said. “Then in the ‘70s while in college, we started to see new and different worlds, and that’s what really hooked me.”

Theilig joined the Galileo project seven months before its launch and was promoted to mission manager in 2001.

Prior to the Galileo mission, the Voyager mission, which started in 1977, recorded data from Jupiter before continuing toward interstellar space.

“NASA tends to have a pattern where they do

one mission that flies past a planet, and that was Voyager,” Theilig said. “The next follow-up mission is usually an orbiter, so you can stay and take observations over time. You can actually see more of the system. So the Galileo mission was that orbiter.”

Galileo provided more precise data than Voyager, Theilig said. She described the difference as reading a book from the top of the Empire State Building versus standing on the sidewalk looking down on the book.

NASA focused Galileo’s observations on Jupiter’s moons. One of these moons, Ganymede, is bigger than the planet Mercury.

Jupiter’s system – a massive planet in the middle of orbiting satellites moons and a strong magnetosphere – could be compared to a “mini solar system,” Theilig said.

Sociology major Karla Rangel didn’t expect much from the session.

“I initially just came for the extra credit,” she said. “I’m not really into science, but it was interesting to learn about Jupiter and its surface.”

Amy Vance, associate dean of STEM, said she hopes students interested in planetary studies noticed that Theilig is a geologist.

“They can have any background,” she said.

“They don’t just have to have a career in space.”

Theilig advised students not to box themselves in.

“Get the best education, basic knowledge with focus in science and math and stay flexible with

NEWS

Briefs Et Cetera wins journalism awards

The Et Cetera brought home 27 awards from the 2016 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association conference in Dallas on April 2.

Nineteen student journalists received individual awards for previously published works, including five first-place finishes. Three students placed in on-site competitions, including first place for Keturah Jones and Caitlin Piper in news broadcasting and copy editing, respectively.

The Et Cetera also place second in the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Awards collegiate division.

Gutierrez earns fellowship

Executive Vice President Michael Gutierrez has been awarded an inaugural Aspen Presidential Fellowship. The 40 fellows will participate in a yearlong education and mentoring program designed to train aspiring community college presidents.

SGA honored at state convention

The Student Government Association won three awards last weekend at the Texas Junior College Student Government Association State Convention in Austin.

The group took first place for event of the year for its campus carry and safety forums, second place for an essay on campus and community involvement and third place in community event for a voter registration drive.

JASMIN JIMENEZ/THE ET CETERA

Eilene Thielig, mission manager for Galileo, addresses students at a STEMinar.

your options,” she said. “It’s OK if you don’t stay in the field you initially intended.”

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Burkett shares personal story of overcoming odds

By Parker Ward etc4640@dcccd.edu

While the other mothers talked among themselves between plays at their children’s baseball games, future state Rep. Cindy Burkett had her head buried in a book.

She was taking night classes at Eastfield while working full-time because she was ineligible to get a promotion or another job without graduating college.

“I got married young” Burkett said. Because of that, I didn’t go to college right out of high school. Many times in my working career, I had been told I couldn’t be considered for a promotion or another job because I didn’t have a degree.”

Burkwtt at the college April 4 as part of the Student Government Association’s Distinguished Speaker series.

After eight years of enrollment between Eastfield College and the University of Texas at Arlington, she earned an associate degree be-

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

State Rep. Cindy Burkett encourages students to work for their education.

fore graduating with her bachelor’s in political science in 2004.

Six years later, she was attempting her next challenge with some encouragement from friends: running for the House of Representatives in Texas.

While campaigning, she approached a house where an elderly man opened the door and told her that a woman’s place was at home taking care of her children.

“You know what, my kids are grown,” Burkett said to the man. “As a mom, I’m going to turn my efforts to assure that there is a future for them in the state of Texas.”

Growing up, her father was an abusive alcoholic and her two brothers suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively, she said.

She found comfort and stability in the youth group at her local church.

“As an adult now, I look back and realize that my life could have gone a different way if not for those friends and the time invested by those adults into the youth program,” Burkett said.

Her story resonated with some students at-

tending the event.

“I’m married and have kids and have been putting off school for a long time,” business major Esmeralda Meraz said. “The way she expressed herself to me really motivates me.”

Burkett emphasized the need for students to complete their degree plans and open up more jobs for themselves.

“It used to be that having a college degree in this country set you apart,” she said. “Now there are more educated individuals entering the workforce than ever before.”

After hearing Burkett speak, business major Sandra Umanzor-Moreno believes there is nothing in her way of getting a degree.

“If she did it, there’s nothing to stop any of us from doing it,” Umanzor-Moreno said.

To Burkett, it does not matter how long it took to get her degree. What mattered was that she had earned it.

“If it had taken me 10 years, I would have been 40 anyway,” she said. “Don’t ever let yourself stop.”

Trustee encourages student involvement in local government

By Jennifer Sanmiguel etc4640@dcccd.edu

People interested in government careers should start by volunteering in the community and making connections with elected officials, Dallas County Community College District Trustee Bill Metzger said in a March 30 speech at Eastfield.

“It’s a lot different when you are the candidate,” Metzger said. “People are going to want to talk to you more, ask questions. They’re going to be more engaged. Quite frankly, not many elected officials knock on your door saying, ‘Hey, what is it that you want to see your government doing for you?’

“That is one of the things I do frequently. I’ll go out and knock on doors and just ask people, ‘What do you want from your government?

What do you think your judge should do?’ ” The Student Government Association invit-

ed Metzger to launch its Distinguished Speaker series.

The series also featured state Rep. Cindy Burkett, an Eastfield alumna, on April 4 and will feature attorney Victoria Neave on April 13.

SGA Vice President Andrea Carrizales, who is also managing editor of The Et Cetera and a member of various clubs, said she keeps in touch with government officials she has met through student organizations.

“The point of this event is so that people can network really, so students can learn how being at the top, being a trustee, being a state representative is actually something that they can accomplish,” Carrizales said.

Metzger, who attended Eastfield, was elected as a Dallas County justice of the peace in 2014 and is not running for re-election to the DCCCD board of trustees.

His mother, Martha Sanchez Metzger, previ-

ously held the same board post.

Government major Zachary Wright said he found the event helpful and looked forward to others in the series.

“I didn’t know much about the justice of the peace,” Wright said. “It was really informative about that. I don’t know if the judiciary department is something I’m interested in, but he gave an informative look at what they do.”

Metzger advised students to find their own paths in their personal lives and careers.

“Don’t let someone define success for you,” he said. “It is what you want it to be.”

Carrizales suggested that students reach out to Metzger for help.

“I hope that those students realize that they can actually just contact him if they have any concerns about the school or contact him if they want to have an internship or even a job,” she said. “He is really friendly, and he really cares about the students.”

To be eligible for membership:

Join us!

Every other Friday @ 2 p.m.

April 1, 15 and 29 Room C-335

JASMIN JIMENEZ/THE ET CETERA

DCCCD Trustee Bill Metzger gives tips to students about getting into a government career. Metzger, now a justice of the peace, is not running for re-election.

* You must be enrolled in a regionally accredited institution offering an associate degree program * You must have completed at least 12 hours of coursework that may be applied to an associate degree (part-time students may be eligible) * You must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher * You must receive an invitation to membership from the chapter at the college where presently enrolled * You must adhere to the moral standards of the society To find out if you are eligible for Phi Theta Kappa membership, contact JoAnn Coates, VP Membership at psietamembership@gmail.com Member meetings are held in C-297 on 1st and 3rd Friday of every month at 12:30 p.m.

Life &Arts

The Et Cetera

Festival to celebrate fine arts, literature

The annual Literary & Fine Arts Festival recognizing the art, theater, music and writing of Eastfield will be held the week of April 18.

Events, sponsored by the Arts & Communications Division, include musical performances, a poetry slam, an art show, literary readings, a presentation on tea, a short-film contest, guest speakers and Jazz Under the Stars.

The student literary magazine The Alternative will also be released.

LIT & ARTS FEST

Calendar Mon

18

April

Kickoff, 10:10 a.m., G-101 Student art exhibit, 11:15 a.m., F-219 Voice recital, 12:30 p.m., F-117

Tue

19

Dramatic mask making, 10 a.m., the Pit Makeup class showcase, 11 a.m., G-101 Faculty, staff and student readings, 12:30 p.m., G-101 Spring Dance Concert preview, 1 p.m., Fireside Lounge Et Cetera presents: Poetry Slam, 5:35 p.m., G-101

Wed

20

League for Innovation, 10:10 a.m., G-101 Back to the Stacks: author readings, 11:15 a.m., library Brass Ensemble, 12:30 p.m., F-117 Common book reception, 2 p.m., G-101

Thu

21

Sour Grapes: graffiti artists, 9:30 a.m., G-101 Tea Time presentation, 11:15 a.m., G-101 Author Weina Randel, 12:30 p.m., G-101 Jazz Under the Stars: Arts Collective, 5:35 p.m., Lower Courtyard Spring Dance Concert, 7:30 p.m., Performance Hall

Fri

22 All Week

Short Film Festival display, 10:10 a.m., G-101 Spring Dance Concert, 7:30 p.m., Performance Hall Ongoing events: Interactive arts, Fireside Lounge Digital media photo booth, the Pit

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Guitar players express identity in music

By Karina Dunn etc4640@dcccd.edu

As a cancer survivor, Candy Wilson understands the importance of maintaining a connection to the world’s beauty despite the grief and pain inherent at certain stages of life.

Now married and in remission, she appreciates the highs and lows of life and the persistence involved in becoming a better person.

Studying with Eastfield’s Guitar Ensemble, in which she plays piano and guitar, helped Wilson find an additional anchor in music.

“No matter what happens with cancer, it has not won,” Wilson said. “The guitar gives me a form of expression I cannot find in anything else.”

Wilson began her guitar studies at Eastfield in 2012 and has played in the Guitar Ensemble each semester since. She appreciates the power of music to help her “express beauty … and escape the mundane.”

During a performance March 30 with another student, Wilson played, eyes on the strings, for brief seconds closed, nodding and rocking to the music. “It’s a very personal instrument,” Wilson said. “You cannot hide from it. You’re exposed. It helps you overcome the fears you have.”

Eddie Healy, the guitar instructor, assigns his students music pieces that build on their skill level.

Inspired to teach by former Eastfield instructors, Enric Madriguera on classical guitar and Chuck Pangburn on jazz guitar, Healy discussed the challenges and payoffs of helping students find their own paths as artists.

“Getting people to know they can formally study guitar is sometimes a struggle,” Healy said. “I want to make sure students

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Science major Lori Collins plays during the guitar ensemble’s set on March 30.

understand the wealth of opportunities available to them and the breath of their potential as musicians, and professional musicians.”

Healy composed a trio of pieces tailored for the ensemble. On March 30 they premiered “Before My Eyes,” sequel to last semester’s “Precipice.” The ensemble will premiere the final companion piece next semester.

Alexander Brown, president of the student-led Mariachi Club, played the trumpet with the Jazz ensemble and Dr. Oscar Passley prior to the guitarists’ performance.

A fan of all types of musical traditions, he signed up for Healy’s guitar class to expand his knowledge of the instrument.

“When I first picked up [the guitar] I did strumming, normal things guitarists do,” Brown said. “But, this was classical guitar.

You sit down. Hold it a different way. Play in a different way I never knew. … It was mind-blowing because some of the things I tried before were wrong. I had to re-teach myself.”

Brown wants to attend the University of North Texas to earn his Doctorate in Music Education.

“If you want to play, choose an instrument you can play for the rest of your life,” Brown said. “It requires practice and commitment, but pick it up and run with it.”

Wilson reiterated the importance of diving into the music and allowing instinct to lead.

“Some of my biggest inspirations are Eddie [Healy] and my God,” she said. “He gave this talent for a reason and it’s my job to [practice] and get everything I can out of it.”

Musical revue takes stage The Harvester Theatre Co. will perform songs from popular musicals in a Cabaret-style show. Performances will be 7 p.m. April 14 and 15 in the Performance Hall with a free matinee at 11:20 a.m. April 15.

Company members also won 12 awards for their competition performance of “Alice in Wonderland” at the Texas Community College Speech & Theatre Association.

The company won five excellence awards, five superior awards, one Director’s Choice Excellence and one Director’s Choice Superior awards. Individual award recipients were: Jessica Phillips, Catherine Christensen, Morgan Solorzano, Hunter Cave, Adam Wright, Jarvin Lockett, Monica Lira, Iris Hernandez and Emylee Lucas.

LIFE&ARTS

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

A BOOK TO CONSIDER

‘The Nest’ explores rivalry, dysfunctional relationships Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s debut novel explores the impact money can have on families and individuals.

“The Nest,” released March 22, currently sits at No. 3 on The New York Time’s Best-Sellers List.

Sweeney was a marketing copywriter for two decades before deciding to go back to school to learn how to write fiction at the age of 50. Sweeney earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Bennington Writing Seminars and published her first novel at 54.

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

The Mariachi Club practices Tuesdays and Thursdays in F-117 for their performance for Cinco de Mayo.

From left, Jonathan Ferre, Sarahi Perez, Maria Torres, Bitia Espinosa and Alexander Brown.

Club celebrates Mexican music

By Devon Rice etc4640@dcccd.edu

Mariachi has strolled its way into Eastfield this semester.

Alexander Scott Brown, a music education major, started the club to share his love of mariachi with other students.

“I wanted to spread the culture of it to the schools,” Brown said. “Mariachi is a huge part of the culture of Texas, but it’s not in the education system.”

His goal was to entertain students while educating them about the history of mariachi.

“I think mariachi is underrated,” Brown said. “I want to show people that it’s more than a Mexican who’s drunk or sleeping playing mariachi, but it’s actually professional.”

Some people poke fun at mariachi, said Jonathan Ferre, a guitarist in the club.

“I really like the culture of it, and it’s interesting to learn,” Ferre said. “It’s definitely something new.”

Mariachis are known for their intriguing outfits and unique musical style, and like any other genre of music, they have a history.

“In the 1930s or 1940s, in Mexico City, mariachi started to be well known,” Brown said. “The two groups that played were Mariachi Vargas and Mariachi Tapatio.

When they moved into the cities, they couldn’t just dress like they would in the rural areas, so they had to wear ‘trajes,’ which just means suits.”

Brown owns a hand-sewn suit from Guadalajara.

Members of a mariachi group must learn multiple instruments so they can be of use wherever needed, Brown said.

Brown plays the trumpet, the guitar, the viola and the guitarron.

“Each instrument is playing something so beautiful but difficult,” Ferre said. “And, it all comes together to make one song. It has so many different pieces to it, but it

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Alexander Brown plays the trumpet in the Pit.

makes one amazing thing.”

Brown hopes club members can benefit from spreading the culture of mariachi to students.

“They are there because they grew up loving mariachi,” he said. “Or they just want to be there to better their music horizon.”

Club member Sarahi Perez is a singer, violinist and guitarist.

“It’s my favorite pastime,” she said. “I’m not very good with words, so the songs express how I feel.”

Perez grew up in Mexico where mariachi was part of her family’s culture.

“At any event or party we had, there was a mariachi,” she said. “It’s always been in my life, so I fell in love with it.”

The club is not limited to those of Mexican descent.

“Anyone can be in it,” Brown said. “There’s actually a mariachi in China. They play the instruments and adopted the trajes and everything.”

The group plans to perform at Eastfield’s Cinco de Mayo festival next month.

Plot When the outcome of their shared inheritance comes into play, the dysfunctional Plumb family from New York must confront their problems both as a group and as individuals.

Siblings Melody, Beatrice and Jack lose their expected inheritance when their mother drains the account to assist reckless older brother after a drunk driving accident.

Each child has their own reasons for wanting their inheritance. Melody is consumed by debt from her mortgage and her children’s college tuition. Jack has borrowed against a shared estate between him and his husband to keep his store open. Beatrice can’t finish her past-due novel.

Each sibling finds themselves rethinking their life financially and fighting over whatever money is left over, and it forces them to figure out how Leo will pay each of them back.

The family is brought together in a way that they have never been before.

Together they face the unknown fate of their inheritance, forcing them to deal with their problems in turn.

This story explores the possibilities of what money can do to people and relationships, how people’s lives

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n Fast, real-time updates n Links to local and national articles

change over a course of time and the ties people share with the ones they love.

“The Nest” shows the many facets of family relationships and the ups and downs that come with them.

Review The book has received praise from authors and critics. Publishers Weekly called it “assured, energetic and adroitly plotted” while Kirkus Reviews dubbed it a “fetching debut.”

“Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney delivers an acerbic satire of the leisure class while crafting an affecting human story that embroils us utterly in the fates of the Plumbs,” wrote Matthew Thomas, author of “We Are Not Ourselves.” “This book keeps its blade sharp and its heart open.”

Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote “Eat, Pray, Love,” said Sweeney was both clever and emotionally astute, calling her debut novel “a masterfully constructed, darkly comic and immensely captivating tale.” ­— Compiled by Tarryn Lingle

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The Et Cetera

EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION CARD

Immigrants’ futures riding on presidential election

By Jasmine Oliva and James Hartley etc4640@dcccd.edu

Perla Soto has the ability to live her life out in the open, not looking over her shoulder and worrying about deportation or being unable to get a job because of her legal status.

It’s because of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that Soto now has the opportunity to have a job and get a driver’s license without worry of deportation. But the 2016 presidential election could change that.

With immigration reform being at forefront of the race to the White House, DACA has become a battleground between those who want to end the program and those who want to expand it. DACA allows undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to avoid deportation, work and go to school.

The program has endured criticism from Republicans since it was made an executive order in 2012 after the DREAM Act failed to pass Congress. Critics of the program say that it is a violation of the law and that such a program should have gone through Congress.

Since the program was created by an executive order, the next president could repeal it as easily as it was enacted.

“I am terrified of that happening,” history professor Kat Reguero said. “Especially for me because I recommended so many of my students to apply for DACA because I wanted them to have that umbrella. What that gives the government now is their information to go

The faces of DACA

In order to get a better understanding of how Eastfield students are affected by DACA, the Et Cetera interviewed three students.

These are their stories.

and get them if need be, and that’s scary to me.”

Reguero said the program has allowed childhood arrivals to have a life.

“They have jobs, they drive, they go out, they experience life whereas before they were terrified,” She said. “They would stay home, some were even afraid of school. They would not want to participate in certain things that we did because they were out in the public.”

Soto said it wouldn’t be right for the program to be removed by the new president.

“You can’t just give something and then take it away,” Soto said. “[DACA offers] a better opportunity in getting a career rather than being limited.”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said the nation should focus on the dreams of American-born children. He used the term “Dreamers,” usually used to refer to undocumented childhood arrivals who would be eligible for the DREAM Act, to talk about Americans fulfilling their dreams.

“I want the people in the United States that have children, I want them to have dreams also,” Trump said. “We’re always talking about ‘Dreamers’ for other people. I want the children that are growing up in the United States to be dreamers also. They’re not dreaming right now.”

Sen. Ted Cruz has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he will, “rescind every single illegal and unconstitutional executive action Barack Obama has done” which would include DACA, if he is elected president.

“We need to stop Obama’s amnesty and en-

force the rule of law,” Cruz said.

The chance that DACA could be rescinded by the next president is scaring a lot of students, many of whom have only called the United States home, Reguero said.

“Almost daily they ask me, ‘Professor Kat, what’s going to happen to me if it passes?’”

Reguero said. “I don’t really have an answer.

I just try to assure them that it’s not just one person’s decision if they stay. I tell them, pretty much all you can do is what we do, which is get voters out and try to get them to vote for someone … that is not going to retract DACA.” Reguero said the program has made it easier for students to enjoy their lives.

Before the program was created, Reguero said, undocumented childhood arrivals always had to worry about being deported. “[It provides] a sense of security, a sense of purpose,” Reguero said. “Because hopefully they’re going to stay and they know that they can make a life here whereas in Mexico or Colombia or wherever they happen to come from they may not have that opportunity. I think that their personalities come out because they can get out.”

President Obama said in 2012 that the law protects individuals who are here by no fault of their own.

“It makes no sense to expel talented young people who, for all intents and purposes, are Americans,” Obama said.

Democratic presidential candidates have promised they would keep DACA in place if elected. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clin-

Jose Lopez

Jose Lopez came to America at age 4 with his mother, driven across the border from Mexico by an immigrant smuggler who was paid $3,000.

In 2014, he was accepted into the DACA program, giving him the opportunity to work and continue his college education.

Lopez, 21, was born in Mexico City. His father entered the United States before his wife and son.

He and his mother, Maria Gonzales, later traveled with the smuggler, called a coyote, who took them to Scottsdale, Arizona, where his father lived.

“I was naïve,” Lopez said about crossing illegally. “I was just going to see my dad.”

A friend of the family offered Lopez’s father a job and they moved to Texas. During Lopez’s se-

ALEJANDRA ROSAS/THE ET CETERA

nior year in high school, his mother heard about DACA. The family sought help from a Catholic community in Dallas that assists immigrants with legal services. Their offices opened at 8 a.m., but immi-

ton has promised to take DACA a step further.

“I will go further if it’s at all legally possible,” Clinton said. “I will make this a big political issue because we need to keep those young people working, going to school, being productive members of our society.”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has favored immigration reform to make citizenship easier to obtain.

“I will work to take extensive executive action to accomplish what Congress has failed to do and to build upon President Obama’s executive orders,” Sanders said.

Pew Research Centers has found that 553,197 undocumented childhood arrivals were DACA recipients in 2014. The removal of the program would allow these immigrants to be deported and make it difficult for them to get jobs and receive an education.

Soto said that if Americans vote in favor of a president who repeals DACA, the reaction would be “chaotic.”

“Sometimes I wish someone [against DACA] would become president so they can see how much the U.S. needs Hispanics and how much value we have,” Soto said.

Reguero said DACA participants haven’t done anything wrong. While she says they are here illegally, it is by no fault of their own and they should not be punished for it.

“It changes their life,” Reguero said. “Just going to sleep at night knowing that they’re going to have a chance for their education, a chance to hopefully stay here, the only country they know.”

grants and their families started lining up outside the building at 4 a.m., Lopez said.

Applying was a long process because of the documents that DACA required, he said.

The most challenging for Lopez was proving that he was in the United States in June 2013.

“It was hard because I didn’t do anything that summer, … and it didn’t count that you went to school that next year,” he said.

He received his SAT scores that summer, which proved his presence in the country. After being fingerprinted and paying $1,500 fee, he received a Social Security card and work permit.

Lopez plans to pursue a career in graphic design or digital media. He worries about a Republican president overturning DACA.“Without it, it will shorten my world,” he said.

— Tiffany Aragon

LIFE&ARTS

9

The Et Cetera

Lesly Rodriguez

Computer science major Lesly Rodriguez had to move constantly as a child, once changing schools three times in one year because her family was deported. Regular change made it hard for her to make friends. Because of this, she was able to spend more time focusing on her schoolwork. She developed a love for something a lot of people hate: math.

“In a way, math is like a language,” she said. “You have to be keeping up with it to really understand and solve a problem. I’ve always thought that was just beautiful.”

Rodriguez, who was illegally brought into the country from Mexico City in 2003 at the age of 7, is now president of the Math Club. The only reason she is able to go to school is because of the DACA program, which granted her a work permit and allows her to attend college without risk of deportation.

Despite this, she cannot receive financial aid or most scholarships, making it difficult to pay tuition at a fouryear university.

She enrolled at Eastfield in fall 2014 after her mother moved back to the

United States from Mexico, after being deported in 2010. While her mother was in Mexico, Rodriguez had to move to California to live with her father.

Although he is a legal resident, he did not help her get her legal status, which should have been possible according to Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is glad to be living with her mother again.

“I’ve been very happy being with her,” she said. “She’s been with me my whole life. She’s the most important person in the world to me.”

While not at school, Rodriguez works at Chinese restaurant Skillman Wok and data collection firm Opinions Ltd. She enjoys supporting her family.

“My mom and my stepdad still struggle a lot for money, so being able to work legally because of DACA makes me feel good,” Rodriguez said.

For now, Rodriguez enjoys the benefits she has under DACA. However, in order to become a legal resident, she is in the process of filing for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which she might qualify for based on her relationship with her father.

By qualifying for SIJS, Rodriguez would become a legal permanent resident and recieve a green card. After five years of being a legal resident, she would be able to apply for U.S. citizen-

Aaron Sustaita For computer science and sociology major Aaron Sustaita, DACA status means building a future.

“DACA, to me, means being able to access opportunities that I could have not originally had,” Sustaita said. “It’s means that not only do I have the opportunity to do something great, but to do a change in my life.”

Sustaita was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. His father and older brother went to Texas first.

When Sustaita was 9, he, his mother, two sisters and younger brother followed.

Sustaita does not like talking about his family’s border crossing experience. “It’s not because I am ashamed, but simply because I do not like disclosing that information,” he said. “All I say is that my family and I got here safe and we are happy to be where we are.”

His family reunited with his father

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

in Balch Springs, where Sustaita enrolled in middle school and started ESOL classes. He later graduated from Seagoville High School.

At Eastfield, Sustaita participates in the Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa, Rotaract Club, Eco-

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

OPINION

Repealing DACA would ruin all my hard work

AHMAD ASHOR/THE ET CETERA

ship.

However, DACA could be easily abolished by a future president because it is an executive order enacted

by President Barack Obama, meaning that qualifiers could face deportation.

“I think DACA is really helpful to those who need it, but it’s sad that at any second it could be taken away,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a scary thought for all the people that have it.”

— Parker Ward nomics Club, Math Club, Communication Club and Science Club and is a campus ambassador. He is interning with Justice of the Peace Bill Metzger.

Sustaita plans to study at Richland College and the University of Texas at Dallas to pursue a career in government and politics.

He is closely following the presidential election, including the rise of Republican Donald Trump.

“I am not afraid of what he is going to do, but I’m afraid of what people are going to do,” Sustaita said.

He tried not to worry about the DACA program’s possible elimination.

“If it happens, it happens,” he said.

Both Sustaita and one of his sisters are DACA recipients.

“It has provided for me the benefits of being able to work, getting my state ID and getting my license,” he said. “It has helped me navigate through the power of building my credit, and it has helped me travel. Also, it has helped me financially, by getting [state] financial aid to pay for my classes at Eastfield College.”

— Taylor Roberts

In my attempt to pinpoint the importance that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival has in my life, I first had to fully come to grips with my illegal status. I’ve never felt like an “illegal” person, so accepting it was daunting.

I had difficulty understanding the fragile situation that I’m in and the uncertainty that I face in the future.

Above all, I struggled to find my identity and make a clear case for my presence in the United States.

President Barack Obama’s 2012 executive order changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of undocumented men and women who were brought to the United States at a young age.

The order has given many young immigrants economic independence and the opportunity to pursue higher education.

I have personally been able to purchase a car, pay my own bills and pay for my education. I have never stopped and thought about it before, but the fact that I can wake up every morning without fear of deportation is because DACA exists. All of those things have been jointly earned, as I put in the hard work once I received an even playing field.

But all of the advances that young immigrants have made socially, economically and educationally may be erased this November.

Republican hopefuls have expressed their goals on immigration reform. In this case, the word “reform” does not mean fixing a broken system but strictly enforcing and imposing laws to deport all undocumented immigrants.

Frontrunner Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have taken extreme positions on immigration and vowed to undo Obama’s executive order.

These extreme positions stem from various beliefs on immigration.

These beliefs can range from the accurate, such as the lack of border security, to the downright ignorant, like the belief that the majority of illegal immigrants bring drugs and other crimes.

I can’t ignore the fact that there are immigrants who enter the United States with the intent to expand their drug network and will do so by whatever means they deem necessary.

David Silva

That’s a big part of why immigrants like me have uprooted our lives in a foreign country and made the uncertain journey to the United States, and that’s why DACA only selects those with educational goals and clean criminal records.

They enter illegally because of the corrupted, stringent and expensive visa process, and they stay here in hopes that future generations can prosper.

In 2012 they saw a glimmer of hope, a sign to parents that there is a reward for the sacrifice they’ve made, that even if they couldn’t reap the benefits of protective status and legal employment, their children could develop a greater future.

On many sides of the political spectrum, DACA is considered a success. Most applicants have attained higher paying jobs, and an overwhelming majority has pursued higher education that they deemed unreachable before.

When DACA recipients are the immigrants who will most benefit the country, how can the eventual president of the United States uproot their hard work?

Here’s my worst-case scenario: DACA is eliminated, I lose my two jobs, I lose my car, I can’t afford to go to school and I am targeted for deportation. My work will be erased in one swoop, and my goal of earning my bachelor’s degree will be crippled. I will no longer have financial independence and could be forced to return to a country that I haven’t seen in more than 13 years.

Imagine that happening to the thousands of young immigrants under DACA. Before now, I never thought about the large scope of people who will be affected, because out of 700,00 eligible young people, I am only one.

Out of all those men and women, you have a treasure of personalities, life stories and future plans. We differ in so many ways, but we all share the same fear.

Sports

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April 15 April 16 April 18 April 22

2 p.m.

Noon 2 p.m.

2 p.m.

Baseball vs. Cedar Valley Baseball vs. Cedar Valley Baseball vs. Weatherford Baseball at Richland

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Bigger than baseball

10

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Martin values players, relationships more than wins

By Gabriel Flores etc4640@dcccd.edu

The warm spring sun beats down on the damp infield dirt and stretches into the outfield, creating a reflection across a sea of tapered blades of grass.

There is a rhythmic crackling of metal spikes on the cement floor of the dugout as, one by one, the Eastfield Harvesters trot onto the field and into position for pregame warmups.

Coach Michael Martin stands just outside the dugout, tossing a handful of David’s sunflower seeds into his mouth, cracking down on them and spitting out the shells. He is positioned so that any player walking out the left side of the dugout has to pass him.

“Hey, nice hair,” Martin cracks at one of his players. “Did you get that permed?”

Whooping laughter pours out of the dugout just minutes before the Harvesters’ game against North Central Texas College. Although things will soon turn serious, Martin’s demeanor has the team loose and relaxed.

“Coach Martin is a tough teddy bear,” said Eastfield assistant coach Travis Graves, who pitched for the Harvesters under Martin in 2007 and 2008. “He gives off the persona that he is tough and in your face and hard-nosed, but deep down he’s got a heart of gold.”

Martin has been the face of Eastfield College baseball for the last 15 years, leading the Harvesters to seven Metro Athletic Conference championships, seven Region V championships and two NJCAA national championships.

But for all the wins and championships Martin has enjoyed in his nearly 30 years as a player and coach, what matters the most to him are the meaningful relationships he has formed with his players.

“You hope that you make some kind of impact on these guys,” he said. “I tell them all the time that the ones I’m proudest of are the kids that have gone on and made something of themselves in life. Or when they say things like, ‘Hey, coach, I met a

JONATHAN WENCES/THE ET CETERA

Coach Michael Martin talks to sophomore infielder Trey Stone during an April 8 game against Mountain View College.

young lady and we’re getting married and expecting our first child.’ ” Family first Martin’s emphasis on success in life and family was instilled in him early on by his parents.

He grew up in Duncanville, the youngest of five children. His mother Marie was a physical education teacher who had played college softball, and his father George taught history and coached baseball at Crozier Tech High School in Dallas.

All of the Martin children played multiple sports, and Michael and his older brother Maury went on to play college baseball. During his junior season at Louisiana Tech, Michael

played nearly every position before settling into the closer role. Maury was a catcher at Texas A&M. The two teams played each other a few times, but the brothers never faced each other at the plate.

Martin spent much of his early years with his father’s teams, playing in the dugout and running around the field. He even remembers meeting country singer Charlie Pride in the stands once.

When Martin was 8 years old, his father gave up coaching to make more time for his family and to help his sons on the baseball field. Even then, he still had to make some difficult choices.

At the age of 12, Martin’s team

qualified for the American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series in Hapeville, Georgia. His mother joined him on the trip, but his father had to stay home to take Maury to another tournament.

So George Martin called each night, asking for details of every pitch Michael threw, every at bat and any other detail that Marie, the selfproclaimed encyclopedia of the family, could remember. Then father and son would talk strategy, discuss what he did well and, of course, where he could improve.

Martin’s team went on to win the championship. When they landed back home at DFW Airport in the early morning hours, Martin sleep-

ily walked through the gates. Much to his surprise, the first person he saw was his father. The memory still makes Martin tear up today.

“I knew how much he wanted to be there at those games and couldn’t,” he said.

Living on two teacher’s salaries taught Martin the importance of hard work, family and an education.

“As a parent, you see life like a ladder,” George Martin said. “My parents never went to college, and even though I went, I wanted my kids to have a better life than me.

Out of all the baseball games and championships, my biggest thrill was watching him walk across that stage [with a college degree].”

SPORTS

11

The Et Cetera A history of success Family would also play an important part in Martin’s decision to attend Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The school’s small-town feel reminded him of home.

In his three years (1987-1990) as an infielder and later a relief pitcher for the Bulldogs, Martin became the school’s all-time leader in saves with 14, a number that still ranks third alltime 26 years later. During the 1989 season, he finished with a 5-0 record, a dominant 2.00 ERA and eight saves, a school record that stood until 2000.

Martin was awarded the team Most Valuable Pitcher award at the end of that season.

“I don’t think he ever lost a game,” George Martin said. “They just ran out of innings.”

After graduation Martin was offered an opportunity to stay with the team as a graduate assistant. A year later he was hired as a full-time assistant coach and spent the next four years as a pitching and infield coach before a head coaching change left him without a job.

At that point, Martin began second-guessing his coaching career and the direction of his life. He was 27 years old and didn’t know if he could be successful in coaching.

He found himself back at his parents’ house searching for answers and a possible career change. A friend offered him a job at Nation’s Bank in Dallas, and Martin was seriously considering it. The drive home from the bank gave him plenty of time to think.

Rush hour had brought traffic on Interstate 35 South to a standstill.

Rows of cars were lined up for miles, bumper to bumper, and the smell of gasoline and hot asphalt coated the air. The 20-minute drive back to Duncanville turned into an hour.

And then Martin’s decision was made.

“I can’t do this,” he told himself.

“I can’t be a banker. I can’t be in this traffic. I can’t be stuck commuting day in and day out. I need to be on the baseball field. I need to be outside. I need to be working with kids.”

Martin eventually accepted a head coaching position at the University of Arkansas-Monticello in 1997. He left UAM as the second-winningest coach in the school’s history before coming to Eastfield in 2001.

Since taking over the Harvesters’ program, he has helped produce six NJCAA first-team All-Americans, and 35 of his players have gone on to play at four-year colleges. He was also named the NJCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 2005.

www.eastfieldnews.com

AHMAD ASHOR/THE ET CETERA

Coaches Michael Martin, right, and Travis Graves discuss a play in the dugout during an April 11 game against Texas Wesleyan.

“I’ve won over 400 games here,” Martin said. “I’m probably coming up on 500, I don’t even know. Those are some pretty big milestones as coaches, but for me it’s more about how many can I win in one year with one group of guys so they can experience as much success as they can and go as far in baseball as they can go.

That’s what it’s about.”

An open door Martin does more than just win games. He acts as confidant and mentor to his players.

“There’s so many of those guys who just sit in his office just to vent,” Graves said. “His door is always open.”

Sophomore pitcher Evan Rodgers remembers a difficult conversation he had with Martin about his grades.

“Rodgers, I know you’re a smart guy,” the coach told him. “You talk politics all the time on the field.”

It was exactly what Rodgers needed to hear.

“He challenged me and made me want to be the person I wanted to become,” he said.

Pitcher Brandon Saddler said Eastfield’s players appreciate their coach’s open-door policy.

“It’s something that you don’t get everywhere,” he said. “Coach Martin is completely different, in a good way.

I’m so thankful to be able to play for him.”

Sometimes the mentoring sessions happen after their playing ca-

reers are over. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Delta State, Graves returned to Eastfield and was an assistant coach on the 2011 national championship team. Following that season, he was faced with the decision of accepting a graduate assistant position at Southern Mississippi or continuing to coach with the Harvesters.

Graves dreaded the thought of returning to school, but Martin assured him that a master’s degree would open the door to future coaching positions and possibly other opportunities. He also assured him he would still have a job after graduate school.

“You’ve got your whole life to work,” Martin told him. “Go back to school. Your baseball career is going to end, and when it does, you will have to have something to fall back on.”

Graves called that the best decision he’s ever made. He returned to Eastfield in 2012 after earning his master’s degree and is grateful for Martin’s advice.

“I think as baseball coaches we get so caught up in wins, losses, recruiting and the daily grind that we forget that we have a mom and a dad, a girlfriend or a wife and kids, stuff outside of baseball,” Graves said.

“One of the things he taught me is to not take those things for granted.

Coach Martin is there to say,, ‘Hey, take a step back and see that there is a bigger scope to this thing than just baseball.’ ”

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Rangers will make it back to World Series The Texas Rangers unexpectedly made the playoffs last year and won the American League West after being the worst team in the division for part of the season. The team rallied around their new manager Jeff Bannister, who ended the season as AL Manager of the Year.

The team continues to rally around Bannister and his “Never Ever Quit” motto.

Winning the AL West again will be difficult due to a surging Houston Astros team, but the Rangers have all the pieces it takes to win the World Series. If they can keep their starting rotation healthy, their bullpen will allow them to win a fair share of games.

Staying healthy has always seemed to be a problem for the Rangers, especially during the 2014 season. They started this season with Yu Darvish, Chris Gimenez, Josh Hamilton, Luke Jackson and Tanner Scheppers on the disabled list.

It will be interesting to see how Darvish plays when he returns in mid-May. He still has two years left in his contract, but after missing the entire 2015 season part of the 2016 season due to Tommy John elbow surgery, all the time out could affect his play.

Hamilton is a different story. The Rangers are paying him only about $7 million after acquiring him from the Angels in April last season, so they don’t really have much to lose.

Now that he has his support system back in place, it might help keep him sober. Maybe we can see a glimpse of the Hamilton who hit 28 home runs in the first round of the Home Run Derby in 2008 or the Hamilton who was named AL MVP in 2010.

With their current roster, the Rangers can easily be a 95-plus-win team with help from veterans such as Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder.

You can expect to see big seasons from guys like Rougned Odor and Ian Desmond.

Odor has really stepped up at second base after the Ian Kinsler trade and Jurickson Profar’s ongoing injuries. Odor finished the 2015 season with a .261 batting average and 16 home runs. He is like a new and improved Kinsler. He got his feet wet last season, and now his confidence will skyrocket with his performance.

Desmond is a versatile player.

The fact that he was willing to move to the outfield after being a middle

Brianna Harmon

infielder his entire career says a lot about his character and the sacrifices he is willing to make for the team.

Desmond batted .233 last season with 19 home runs.

Cole Hamels will be the Rangers’ No. 1 guy in the rotation this season.

His performance on opening day was impressive. He pitched seven innings, only giving up four hits and two runs, though both were home runs, and striking out eight. Hamels’ control and performance gets better in 15-pitch increments, so he is more dominant as the game progresses.

He has a deep bullpen waiting to relieve him later in the game.

Having multiple players who can throw over 100 mph is a big weapon for the Rangers, and getting guys like Jake Diekman and Sam Dyson last season boosted the bullpen’s performance. Despite this, they have struggled to get the job done so far this season.

Fielder will need to become a power hitter again to help the offense instead of being a base-to-base guy like he was last season.

The Rangersalso need players like Elvis Andrus and Mitch Moreland to be more consistent at the plate. They both have times when they are hot at the plate and others when they can’t seem to hit with runners in scoring position.

The 22 errors Andrus had last season were atrocious, and he also ended with the worst batting average of his career (.258). His performance was sub-par for the talented athlete he is. Many people have said that they wouldn’t have him on their team if they were manager, and I agree completely.

Despite wanting to get rid of him after a horrific error in Game 5 of the playoffs against Toronto, the Rangers have Andrus signed until 2023. Consistency would return him to threat status.

The Rangers will start the season slow but dominate as the it progresses. The Rangers will win the West, and you will see them playing for the World Series.

opinion

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Poorly trained nurses sour trust of home-care

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

OUR VIEW

DACA needs improvement In 2014, we praised President Barack Obama’s series of executive actions amending his 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which allows undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country by their guardians to avoid deportation and find legal employment under strict criteria.

The policy laid the groundwork for overdue immigration reform. Existing policies discouraged desperate people from taking the proper steps to becoming American citizens for fear of being deported and forced countless children from the only homes they’d ever known.

But the flaws in this temporary fix to a permanent problem are only becoming more apparent with time, and the upcoming presidential election carries the risk of a new executive order that can do away with DACA entirely. While amnesty for all undocumented immigrants is not the solution, painting them all with the same jail-striped brush carries ethical problems, too.

The reality is that DACA is a blueprint riddled with holes. While those who qualify for the program have more freedom to improve their lives, they are still bound by regulations.

DACA qualifiers are required to renew their

status every two years for a fee. They are also required to file taxes each year and are unable to apply for passports, certain scholarships or federal aid programs such as federal student aid even when many are more than qualified.

While we can at least understand the reasoning behind these rules and the legal gray areas they encompass, the lack of a clear path to a green card is inexcusable. The process is already tedious enough, and we don’t think it unreasonable to propose a plan where it can be streamlined just a little by allowing applicants to transfer their time in DACA into earning a card or residency.

The current state of DACA has kept applicants in a delicate limbo, and all it takes is a new president’s signature to bring them all down. If we hope to see comprehensive immigration reform in the near future, Congress needs to set the executive actions in stone.

Whether it be in the home or in the lecture hall, there is no way to plan for a future when so many forward paths are blocked. DACA qualifiers already have to undergo a barrage of questions and paperwork to prove they want to become contributing citizens, so is it so much to ask that we actually give them a fair chance?

In-home care allows patients to receive treatment from the Karina comfort of a familiar setting. Dunn Professionally trained nurses and therapists can ease recovery or help patients cope with long-term health issues at their convenience.

Home health care, a similar but unique service, includes cleaning, meal provision, assistance with personal hygiene, offering emotional support, and other services. Family members often step into this role when they cannot afford or do not trust home health care aides.

When family members provide home health care, they are also responsible for communicating with inhome care nurses. Family caretakers are an important source of information to nursing aides.

Unfortunately, there are nursing aides and practitioners who undervalue family caregivers.

Nurses and their supervisors need to consider how their practices affect caretakers and their patients.

Including families in decisions on which companies are providing the services would reduce confusion on which providers manage different areas of care.

Practitioners who take advantage of their customers weaken caregivers’ faith in a nurse’s ability.

Family caregivers of immobile patients face the added challenge of coping with resistance from their loved ones. I have watched my grandmother wrestle with family who refused to exercise or eat, or demanded they be taken to homes they no longer owned.

While unintended, these tantrums are an example of the emotional stress placed on family members who take on the role of primary caregiver. Caretakers’ patience can grow thin as they deal with issues such as wander-prone family members or hallucinations..

Each of my grandmother’s family members suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s. At first, she used home care nursing aides, but she lost trust in them through neglect, abuse, deception and theft.

In-home aides who arrive late for appointments or have unpredictable schedules contribute to the stress.

While the majority of nurses are trustworthy, enough lack decorum and respect to cause concern.

Efforts to consult nurse-managers yield varying results. In my family’s experience, unprofessional managers claim they cannot locate nurses while they are working and cannot provide answers.

While the majority of nurses are professional, experiences with unprofessional agencies can sour the trust families place in the home care system.

Managers who facilitate communication between their nursing assistants and customers would bring order to a system with inherent scheduling conflicts and problems.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

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Wrapup The Et Cetera

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Inked

Zek and Slik By Matthew Rohan

JASMIN JIMENEZ/THE ET CETERA

Students participating in the Internation Fest hosted by OSER get henna tattoos.

Crunch time

Sudoku

Trivia Bits

A) Blue B) Red C) Orange D) Yellow 2. Johnny Cash’s hit “A Boy Named Sue” tells the story of a man who hated the name “Sue.” The song was written by which childrens author?

A) E.B. White B) Shel Silverstein C) Dr. Seuss D) Lewis Carroll 3. Hall of Fame baseball player Babe Ruth used to put something under his cap to keep him cool during games. He switched it every two innings. What was it?

A) Cabbage leaf B) Carrot C) Tortilla D) Ice pack

Trivia Answers 1. C; 2. B; 3. A

1. After spending the night in the swamp, Oscar the Grouch turned green.

Before turning green, what color was he?

JASMIN JIMENEZ/THE ET CETERA

Radio and TV broadcasting professor Ron Chambers (right) consults his finalists, Robert Coyle (left) and Juanita Hernandez (middle), in The Et Cetera’s Media Days competition, The Voice.

WRAP UP

15

The Et Cetera

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MOVIE REVIEW

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY

be a

[

]

Set your own path. Follow your dreams.

TWU will prepare you for a successful journey.

“Working full time with two kids under the age of 2, I still felt connected to fellow students and my faculty while taking classes online.”

COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Tom Hiddleston stars as country music legend Hank Williams in the “I Saw The Light”

Biopic puts Williams in bad light

By David Silva etc4640@dcccd.edu

The legendary country singer with a largerthan-life personality Hank Williams gets a film rendition in Marc Abraham’s “I Saw The Light.”

Hank is known as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and is one of the most beloved characters in country music.

During his short career, he had 11 No 1 hits.

After his death, he was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Country Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The film stars Tom Hiddleston as Williams and Elizabeth Olsen as Audrey, his first wife.

The movie follows Williams from the onset of his career to his shocking death at the age of 29.

The film’s structure is truly a mess. The plot’s focus switches among aimless dilemmas almost as many times as Williams switches lovers.

The actors themselves are dynamic in their search for meaningful story arc, but the filmmakers can’t seem to keep their feet planted.

One of the film’s worse sins is how it completely misrepresents Williams.

Burdened with formulated biopic clichés, the movie creates a character that isn’t anything close to one of the most beloved men in country music. They instead portray a womanizing alcoholic and an artist that is unbearable to work with.

The actors do the most with what they are given, and Hiddleston does a fantastic job replicating the style and mannerisms of the singer.

However, he can’t seem to escape the crippled direction.

I understand if one or two film clichés occur. Clichés are often inevitable (although it

Andrea Page Bachelor of General Studies, 2015 Transferred from Dallas County Community College COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Hank (Hiddleston) and Audrey (Olsen) perform for WSFA radio station.

won’t stop me from furiously rolling my eyes).

But this entire film was predictable.

From the first scene of him drinking too much alcohol or flirting with a female fan, you know the path this early rock star was going to take.

The film’s cliché moments do not compliment the singer and do not allow the audience to see why Williams was so loved by so many.

I told myself that I would go into this film as if I had never seen the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” and try not to compare and contrast both movies. However, “I Saw The Light” runs itself to the ground by trying to do everything that “Walk The Line” has already done better.

Unfortunately, talent is wasted on all sides in this film. Whether you’re a Williams’s fan or not, the experience won’t feel new or fulfilling.

The film had the opportunity to branch out of the normal biopic formula and step outside of “Walk The Line’s” shadow, but instead the filmmakers kept themselves inside the rules and regulations of what is expected.

WHY TWU? D Quality academic programs D Classroom technology mirrors the workplace D Our graduates get jobs that pay well D Affordable tuition and fees D Special scholarships for transfer students

LEARN MORE at www.twu.edu/transfer or call 940-898-3188

16

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

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