Eastfield EtCetera Aug. 31, 2015

Etera

Eastfield College

Monday, August 31, 2015

ing t n u o C d n a s r 45 Yea

Volume 47, Issue 1

ed n e p o o h sors w its s e e f o t r a p r b r e Fou cel s r o o d d's Eastfiel ee page 6 , S y a d h t r i b

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NEWS

Monday, August 31, 2015

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Eastfield student takes lead of statewide SGA

Q A &

Q A

In the spring, international student Rameez Sohail, a global business major, was elected president of the Texas Junior College Student Government Association.

The role is a first for Eastfield.

Sohail leads an organization that represents the interests of students at 40 schools across the state.

Et Cetera contributor Ana Gallegos talked with Sohail about his involvement in student government.

How did you become involved in SGA?

Let me tell you something about me. I was not born here. Two years ago I came here to the United States as a foreign student. I became part of SGA and different clubs and different organizations. Then (former Student Life Director) Judy Schwartz really encouraged me to go for this position because it’s a first time for Eastfield. We have never held a position at the state level. This time we ran successfully, thanks to Danny Lam (the 2015-16 Eastfield SGA president) and his team. Also local President Danny Garcia because he did a lot of campaigning for me.

Q A

How has being in SGA impacted you?

It makes me feel proud, but I also get nervous because for a person who wasn’t born here, I was born in Paki-

move forward. … So in 2013 I joined SGA, in 2014 I became the student ambassador and in 2015 I ran for president of the state and became the president.

Q A

How would you describe your experience thus far?

So far it has been an amazing experience. I always try to make sure I can invite different people to join SGA, because my experience is a great example for others, that’s how I can give back.

ANDREA CARRIZALES/THE ET CETERA

Rameez Sohail is president of the Texas Junior College Student Government Association.

stan, and isn’t familiar with the culture and the surroundings, it’s always hard to have an understanding of what’s going on in the state of Texas. Especially when you are living with a very diverse group of people and some of the people will not agree with you.

You will always have challenges. I have a lot of challenges, but I am ready to face them.

Q A

What made you join SGA?

Honestly speaking I wasn’t looking on becoming a politician or that I had a vision of becoming president of the Texas Junior College Student Government Association. No, it was nothing like that. I walked into Student Life, and I saw Judy Schwartz ... and I said “I’m a part of the math club, how can I be more involved with the college?” I joined SGA my first year without thinking about how hard it would be for someone who couldn’t speak English well or how to manage that sort of thing, but you learn from your mistakes and the main goal is just

Q A

Do you have any goals for this coming year?

My goal for this year is [to] … encourage more people to be a part of SGA. How do we find out what laws the lawmakers [are] making? SGA provides a platform to figure this out instead of going somewhere else and asking. Everyone has a different perspective. The good thing about SGA is that we’re not about Republicans or Democrats; we don’t separate one people into two groups. We advocate what’s going on, that’s the main goal and the main object for anybody that joins SGA. You are an advocate so you try to explain to others what is going on.

Q A

What are the plans for the future?

What I’m planning to do is to celebrate Constitution Day. To have a panel that can answer some questions that we have, because it’s complicated stuff when it comes to the U.S. Constitution and everyone has a lot of questions. I’m looking forward to inviting [Police Chief] Michael Horak just to make sure that people understand the Second Amendment. In addition, what I’m going to do is, as the president of Texas student government, I will be writing a resolution that we should all celebrate the Constitution and that students have a better understanding and that they can interpret the document. My main goal is to invite as many people as I can. And I’m looking forward to studying global business at UTD.

Welcome Week Activities The Office of Student Engagement and Retention is launching the semester with a series of welcome-back events.

Monday, Aug. 31 → OSER Coffee and Connections, 7:30 a.m. in Fireside Lounge and G building lobby Tuesday, Sept. 1 → OSER Coffee and Connections, 7:30 a.m. in Fireside Lounge and G building lobby → College Recruiting, 8 a.m. in the Pit → Introduction to Student Success Series, 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in L-208 JOSE GARCIA/THE ET CETERA

New students waited in long lines to register during the final week before classes started Aug. 31. Regular registration is closed, but late-start classes are still available for enrollment.

Wednesday, Sept. 2 → Introduction to Student Success

Series, 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in L-208 → Wear-it-Wednesday, 11 a.m. and 5:35 p.m. in the Pit → Campus Resources, 12:30 p.m. in L-208 Thursday, Sept. 3 → OSER Coffee and Connections, 7:30 a.m. and 5:35 p.m. in Fireside Lounge and G building lobby → Learning Through Blackboard: eCampus Navigation, 12:30 p.m. in L-208 Friday, Sept. 4 → OSER Fun Friday, 11 a.m..

Lower Courtyard or the Pit → Learning Through Blackboard: eCampus Navigation, 12:30 p.m. in L-208

NEWS

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The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Monday, August 31, 2015

OSER assumes oversight of ‘student life’

By James Hartley etc4640@dcccd.edu

Students returning to campus this week will find changes in the offices that serve Eastfield’s campus life.

A week after the spring semester ended, the Office of Student Life disbanded and its popular director and her assistant lost their jobs.

The Office of Student Engagement and Retention, known as OSER, took over activities previously handled by Student Life.

The change promoted an outcry from current and former students, who formed a Facebook group that swelled to 300 members overnight.

Dozens attended a June forum, hosted by the Student Government Association, to question administrators about the changes.

“We have a broader package of services,” Executive Dean Courtney Carter-Harbour said at the forum. “Nothing is going away from the traditional Office of Student Life model.”

Carter-Harbour rebuffed attempts to discuss events from the spring and said focus should be directed on the future.

“For both the new and returning students, there are no changes with the services. The same services are being provided by current and new OSER employees,” she said in an email to The Et Cetera. “It might be more helpful

for new and returning students to learn more about OSER, focus on the future of campus life and the new employees of OSER rather than drudge up the drama from the end of the semester last year.”

OSER now covers all student engagement activities, both academic and extracurricular, Carter-Harbour said. Staff members spent the reorganizing and rebranding its services.

Texas Junior College SGA President Rameez Sohail, who had voiced his displeasure over the changes at the end of the spring semester, now supports OSER. “OSER wants the best for us,” Sohail said, adding that the important thing is moving forward.

But some students remain skeptical about OSER’s ability to act in the same capacity as the

The 'Experience' hits newsstands

The "Eastfield Experience" is an essential tool for students, faculty and staff to get acquainted with Eastfield College.

Produced and published by The Et Cetera student newspaper with support from the Office of Student Engagement and Retention, this 36-page guide to Eastfield covers everything from scholarships, to student clubs, to graduation and more.

former Student Life staff.

“The proof will be in the pudding,” Michael Heggie, a social psychology major, said. “I’ve already voiced my concerns with [President Jean] Conway and [Vice President Michael] Gutierrez … which is basically how are you going to replace the mentor atmosphere that Student Life had."

“There is no proof that [OSER] can ante up when it comes to developing students to that high a level. I know they’re trying to get a lot of students into things, but at the same time there are those special people that are very motivated and very ready to do things," Heggie added.

OSER has multiple offices on campus. For clubs, organizations, service learning and civic engagement, student leadership, campus ambassadors and programs and events, visit

AARON SUSTAITA/THE ET CETERA

Above left, OSER employees packed up items in C-141 to relocate to new offices, a move which is still pending.

Above, John Grandberry paints the newly constructed rooms in the former Office of Student Life.

C-141. For OSER academic and transfer services, mentoring and career counseling, visit C-237B.

Retired charter professor dies

By J. Gomez etc4640@dcccd.edu

Retired charter faculty member Bob Sharp, known for his personal approach to teaching, died of a heart attack July 24 in Spokane, Washington. He was 72.

Sharp’s humor and affability created bonds with students and colleagues. His classes were known to have large numbers of attendants/students giving credence to his student centered philosophy.

“His commitment and dedication to his students quickly made him much more than a professor,” Former Eastfield Student Leader of the Year Daniela Balderas told The Et Cetera when Sharp retired in 2011. “Mr. Sharp is the epitome of what constitutes a servant leader.”

In 1987, Sharp received Eastfield’s Excellence in Teaching Full Time Faculty award.

“Everything that man did was in regards to the students,” history professor Mike Noble said.

Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Sharp felt a connection with the outdoors and staying active, enjoying hobbies such as fishing and hiking. It was through another of Sharp’s interests that he shared a friendship with Dean of Social Sciences Mike Walker.

Basketball.

Prior to meeting Walker, Sharp met Walker’s son.

“He became a friend of my son’s, who is a high school basketball coach,” Walker Sharp said. “He became somewhat of a mentor to the basketball team at Heath High School and Rockwall High School.”

After his retirement in 2011, Sharp lived in Heath and visited Spokane yearly, mentoring athletes and coaches at Heath, Rockwall and schools in Spokane such as Whitworth University, Rogers and North Central High Schools.

Sharp’s philanthropy went beyond the basketball courts. Noble said Sharp would quite often pay tuition for students who could not afford it. He did so without seeking any recognition.

“He was also somebody who would park across the street from Eastfield and walk because he did not want to take a parking spot, because that’s a parking spot a student could have,” Noble said.

For 41 years Sharp taught History at Eastfield before he retired on Aug. 31, 2011.

“As a way to try and honor him and make him feel good,” History professor Matt Hinckley said, “what I suggested to some of my colleagues at his retirement party, (we had already saw his article, picture on the front page of The Et Cetera), ‘Let’s get him to autograph it, give him a celebrity send off.”

At this prompting Sharp used the opportunity to not just sign the newspaper but to personalize each one with inspiring words for his colleagues, Hinckley said.

Sharp attended Whitworth University in Spokane Washington on a full ride scholarship, earning his bachelor’s degree in history. He went on to Purdue University and the University of Denver where he earned a double masters in U.S. and Russian history.

While attending the University of Denver, Sharp met his wife Carol, a native Texan. The two relocated to Texas where Sharp began his Eastfield career.

Sharp was born in July 1943 in Spokane.

He is survived by his wife, Carol Voigt Sharp.

Services were held July 30 at Dodd Funeral home in Spokane and Aug. 22 at First Methodist Church in Heath.

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Monday, August 31, 2015

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The Et Cetera

Brazilian police train with Eastfield

By James Hartley etc4640@dcccd.edu

For the second year, Eastfield College’s Police Chief Michael Horak invited cadets from the Barro Branco police academy in Brazil to train with Texas police.

After years of building relationships with “the right people,” Horak said, a unique interchange program was created between Sao Paulo and the Eastfield Police Department.

The cadets came during July and stayed for two weeks.

The cadets visited Texas, stayed at the police chief ’s house, ate at local legendary food joints such as Keller’s burgers in Dallas and enjoyed the culture of the Dallas area, which Horak says is one of the important parts of the program.

“This is about education,” Horak said. “They love the idea of getting this kind of education.”

The cadets worked with the Mesquite, Garland and Eastfield police departments as well as with the Texas Rangers Special Response Teams in Waco.

Brazil is a tough place to live and work, especially for a cop, according to the cadets. Overcrowded prisons and negative stigma from past generations of police have made the jobs of the modern Brazilian Military Police significantly harder.

The cadets talked about their struggle to gain the support of their parents in their decision to join the Military Police and the challenges faced by all military police in Sao Paulo.

“Before getting in the Military Police, I was a school teacher,” said cadet Andre Roschel, who lives with his mother, father and brother. “I am the only police officer in my family. It’s weird, because my family didn’t support me in getting into the police, but now they are happy. It’s the best job in the world.”

Roschel taught history before becoming a cadet, a profession which he now looks down on because of the way many Brazilian teachers twist history, he said. Many of the problems faced by the “Policia Militar,” or their “police force,” stem from misconceptions of modern police based on previous corrupt forces. Roschel says that teachers of history and government are partially to blame because they teach on the platform that the police are still loyal to the military regime that ruled Brazil before many of the current officer cadets were born.

Like her fellow cadets, Ana De Abreu talked much about the way police are treated in Brazil.

“When I was 18, I moved to the countryside. I went to vet school. I stayed there for five years,” said De Abreu, who grew up in Sao Paulo. “My mother didn’t like it very much, but she got used to it. When I told her I wanted to be a police officer, she really found something she didn’t want me to do. But now she’s OK with it.

She’s very afraid, because it is very dangerous in Brazil, being a police officer. I enjoy being a police officer. … No one day is like another.”

Cadet Pedro De Mattos had set his mind

JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA

Above, Chief of Police Michael Horak talks with cadets Ana De Abreu and Paloma Catelan at a welcome reception. Right, Pedro De Mattos, tries out American weapons, which he cannot own in Brazil, at the Gun Zone. Below, Ana De Abreu shoots a qualifying test at the Gun Zone.

on being a chemical technician during high school, but after graduation he decided to become a helicopter pilot. When that didn’t work out due to health issues, he had to figure out something new.

“I was trying to figure out what to do and I had always wanted to be a firefighter.” De Mattos said. “Barro Branco came to [mind], that is where you graduate as a firefighter. But I saw what police was like.”

That was the changing point for De Mattos, who is now 22.

“I fell in love with the police. I mean, it’s awesome.” De Mattos said. “I wouldn’t do it different now. I couldn’t see myself becoming a chemical engineer. ... It feels so weird. We go out into the street and it takes out so much from us. You’ve got to be in charge of a large number of troops and there’s a lot of responsibility, but a lot of privilege comes with that.”

It isn’t easy for the cadets.

“You’ve got to go through three years. You’ve got to go through hell,” De Mattos said.

The restrictions Brazil places on citizens and police alike can be taxing, especially for the cadets.

“There are a lot of restrictions, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, it’s kind of our motto.” De Mattos confirmed.

The way the cadets see it, though, the struggles in the academy are worth it.

“You feel like a family. The guy next to you, he will always be there,” De Abreu said.

Having a family to watch their back is very important to the Brazilian police, De Abreu said. With the way their society looks at them, hostility is a common attitude the police face when doing their job on the streets.

“We just catch the guy and take him to the police station,” De Abreu said. “Society … they criticize us, but they don’t know us.”

The cadets love their job as police, but all professed the danger of it.

“In Garland’s police department they have

three fallen officers in their whole history. We lost three officers just last month,” Roschel said.

The cadets hope that what they learned during their stay in Texas will help them to improve conditions in Sao Paulo. From learning how American police and civilians interact to better tactics and weapons handling, the cadets feel like they are ready to head back and do their part to improve police relations in Brazil.

“First off ... you give your policemen good stuff to work with,” De Mattos said. “And second, the respect the American have for the police … makes them treat you a lot better than we can treat people back in Brazil. The less danger [a police officer faces], the less aggressive he has to be.”

De Mattos hopes that his generation can change the view people have toward police in Brazil, lessening the danger and allowing them to become more integrated into society. All three of the cadets agreed that is necessary to restore order to Brazil.

“Your police have a lot of great ideas,” Roschel said, “like using drug dealers’ money to buy things for the department. … And this program of police for the college, we don’t have these in Brazil. It’s a pretty good idea. We [will face] many problems to begin this, but it’s a good idea. And the video conference, in the beginning of a shift, police officers from different locations talk to each other through video chat, that’s a good idea, too. We can take all this to Brazil.”

De Abreu agreed.

“I think the most important thing is how close the police officers are here, especially

with all the students. It’s the community policing,” De Abreu said. “All the material you have, all the technology, we could buy, but the most important thing is the community policing, because if you have the population by your side, it’s less dangerous. You’ll have more information, you have the support ... you can make a difference.”

The cadets also said they hope that with their generation of military police things in Brazil can change. They hope to take what they learned back and use it to make the military police more popular and improve their ability to effectively enforce laws and protect civilians.

“I think that the most important thing that we’ve learned here is that the police must be close to the society,” Roschel said. “It is difficult because ... we are just surviving, you know?”

NEWS

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The Et Cetera

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Faculty, staff celebrate new semester

By Andrea Carrizales etc4640@dcccd.edu

Faculty and staff gathered in the Performance Hall on Aug. 28 to reflect over the progress of the past few years and set the goals for Eastfield College in 2015-2016.

The celebration started with the naming of the annual employee-award winners.

The Excellence in Teaching Award for full-time faculty went to Selena Stuart-Alexander, professor of learning frameworks.

“It was very exciting.” Stuart-Alexander said. “I love teaching. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I was 8 years old. And then to be recognized for something you enjoy is just wonderful.

Actually one of my former students nominated me, so that was extra special.”

Adjunct faculty winner was English professor Kelly Savage.

The award for innovation of the year went to Jason Busbin.

“I’m a celebrity now,” Busbin joked. “I totally didn’t expect it.”

Busbin, whose innovation was the instructional design in the Faculty Center, trains faculty members on how to use eCampus for online and hybrid classes.

He has several videos available online and hopes to continue producing instructional videos and

engaging faculty and students through eCampus.

Professor David Danforth was named Administrator of the Year. His walk up the stage, accompanied with John Williams’ “The Imperial March” drew chuckles from audience members, who know of Danforth’s fascination with “Star Wars.”

Leslie Johnson was recognized as the full-time professional support staff awardee.

The award for part-time professional support staff went to former Eastfield student Travis Graves, who is now assistant baseball coach.

Professor Courtney Brazile received the Jean Sharon Griffith Student Development Leadership Award. He said that he is ready to go to the next level with his teaching and as an adviser to M.A.L.E.S., formerly the Men’s Empowerment Coalition, and the Communication Club.

“I want to meet the needs of my students through clubs that I advise, through the curriculum that I teach,” he said.

Brazile’s commitment to his work goes along the theme for convocation. President Jean Conway encouraged participants to “Take the Lead” this upcoming year.

“If we are going to be champions, if we are going to be leaders again, it starts with us, as a college and as a district,” she said.

A flash mob dance to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” led by speech professor Nick Vera, concluded the celebrations.

NEWS

Briefs Crime novel chosen as this year’s common book Dashielle Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon” will be this year’s common book, which is meant to be shared across campus in classes and in special events. The book, published in 1929, is a crime novel that was later turned into a movie in 1941 starring Humphrey Bogart. The novel is about private detective Sam Spade, who is determined to find a precious artifact and solve the mystery.

Guns allowed on campus starting in fall 2017 The Texas Legislature passed a bill to allow guns to be carried by concealed license holders on campus. The bill won’t take effect at community colleges like Eastfield until September 2017. Four-year universities are required to allow guns on campuses starting next September.

Faculty members show art in Eastfield galleries The art show “In Good Company” will be in H Gallery and Gallery F-219 from Aug. 31 through Sept. 25. An opening reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 3 outside F-219. The works in the show are by Eastfield arts faculty members.

Second beer brewing course to start Eastfield now offers a Journeyman Brewer Certificate. Students spend 177 hours learning brewing technology and gaining practical experience with industry equipment. Participants must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Call 972-860-7102 for information.

— Compiled by Brianna Harmon and James Hartley

ABOUT THE COVER: PHOTO AND DESIGN BY JONATHAN WENCES Professors Bob Felder, Bob Whisnant, Mary Forrest and Carl Knight.

Monday, August 31, 2015

PUT IT ON YOUR

Calendar September Tue

College recruiting, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit.

Mon

Campus closed for Labor Day.

Wed

Join a student organization at the Club Fair, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Lower Courtyard.

1 7 9

The Mike Drake Jazz Quartet performs at the first Recital Series of the semester, 12:30-1:30 p.m., F-117.

Tue

15 JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA

Harvester athletes, including pitcher Casey Maack, lead nominees onto the stage.

Success series provides training workshops

By Nicole Ceron etc4640@dcccd.edu

The Student Success Series is a collection of free classes covering valuable topics for college students.

“Attending the Student Success Series will take the students minds away from the everyday hustle and bustle of just doing school work,” Student Success Series coordinator Kwashawn Barnett said.

When the Student Success Series began in 2012-2013, there were about 25 workshops and 50 sessions available. Since 2012 the number of both workshops and sessions has quadrupled.

The workshops, hosted by the library, are a tool provided to students to further their growth in both academic and personal education.

The sessions help students gain knowledge about topics including healthy relationships, Photoshop, interview skills and resume writing.

Topics also cover academics, such as math, writing, economics, choosing a major and overcoming test anxiety.

The library has collaborated with

division offices, staff and faculty to host the sessions.

Barnett also recruited community members and companies, such as Wells Fargo, which will host a workshop on managing money and building credit.

“There are so many different workshops students are able to attend just for the entertainment factor or just to learn more about a particular subject,” Barnett said.

Depending on each workshop, some run more than once and are scheduled at different times for convenience.

Participating in the workshops can earn students extra credit with some professors.

The Office of Student Engagement and Retention provides snacks and students who complete five sessions in a year are invited to a pizza party.

The first workshop on Sept. 1 will preview the sessions scheduled for the fall semester.

The full schedule is available in the library and at http://libguides. eastfieldcollege.edu/studentsuccessworkshops.

College recruiting, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit. “Meet the Nurses” open house, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Health Center, C-139.

Wed

Recital series with EFC music professor Brandon Cameron and his wife, Laura, with a bassoon trio, 12:30-1:30 p.m., F-117.

Thu

Mobile mammograms.

Appointments required.

Call 214-645-2560.

16 17

Service Learning Fair, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., the Pit. Constitution Day panel, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., C-295.

Student Government Association forum, 4 p.m., G-101.

Mon

21

Find “The Maltese Falcon” during the common book scavenger hunt.

Intramural sports recruiting, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. today, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Pit. Voter registration drive, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Pit.

Tue

22

College recruiting, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., the Pit. Free HIV tests, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., C-139.

Voter registration drive, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the Pit.

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Monday, August 31, 2015

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The Et Cetera

Charter faculty celebrate

Forrest’s passion for service has led her to house two students for the past four years. One of them, a previous student at Eastfield, is about to graduate from Dallas Baptist University and has been in Forrest’s life for nine years.

Forrest said she plans to work for four more years. Once she reaches 50 years with the district, she plans to retire.

45 years

Dr. Carl Knight’s early philosophy on community colleges has guided him through his 45 years at Eastfield. His conversations with the college’s first president and now DCCCD legend, Dr. Jan LeCroy, encouraged him to leave a promising research career and come to Eastfield as a science professor.

“I come from the Kennedy background, from the ‘Don’t ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’

And [LeCroy] said, ‘If you want to make a difference, then you come to Eastfield, because we’re going to make a difference in the kids,’ ” Knight said.

Knight graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in poultry science and later got his master’s degree in science and his doctorate in philosophy from the same university.

As a professor, he has found that a positive attitude, encouraging words and persistence are the three elements to achieve greatness in teaching.

“Eastfield really cares about the kids.

Our priority has always been the students,” he said. “We’re here to be a facilitator, [to] get them where they want to go.”

Knight said that time has been his greatest challenge at Eastfield.

“If you’re going to be successful, you can’t put in a 40-hour week,” he said.

“There’s so many other things outside of [teaching]. … It takes a lot of time to be a good teacher.”

As for his greatest achievement, the biology professor said it has been seeing his students grow and defy peoples’ expectations.

“My dentist is my student, my PA [physician’s assistant] is my student, my pharmacist is my student,” he said. “That’s why I go to them, because they’re good. … They’ve been taking care of me as soon as they graduate.”

Now that he has had more than 50 years of teaching, in and outside of Eastfield, Knight reflected over his decision to dedicate his life to academia.

“As you look back over your life, you’re not going to remember how much money you made, but what a difference you made in our society,” he said.

Story by Andrea Carrizales - Photos by Jonathan Wences

In 1970 the Beatles broke up, the Vietnam War was at its peak, the world’s population was less than 5 billion and in a small town in Texas, Eastfield College opened its doors for the first time.

2015 marks the 45th birthday of Eastfield and the 50th anniversary of the Dallas County Community College District.

Professors Bob Whisnant, Mary Forrest, Bob Felder and Carl Knight have taught at Eastfield since the beginning. Through eight presidents and before computers were popular, these professors have made Eastfield their home.

With 48 years of service, professor Bob Felder has been part of the DCCCD longer than Eastfield has been around.

After three years teaching business at El Centro College, he transferred to Eastfield when the campus opened.

Felder graduated with a master’s in business administration from Sam Houston State University, then known as Sam Houston State Teachers College.

“I never wanted to be anything but a teacher,” Felder said.

“That’s what Eastfield was able to do for me, and that’s why I’ve enjoyed it.”

One of the biggest issues he saw in the first years was the formation of an exclusive environment. Students from different high schools would remain with their same friends, prejudice dividing each of these sub-communities.

Later, technology came into play. While Felder remembers changing from the chalkboard to the white board as a great improvement, he said that the introduction of cell phones to the classroom has many times created unnecessary distractions.

“The first issue with phones was pagers. Students would have pagers and their pagers would go off in the room,” he said.

With over 50 years of experience teaching, Felder’s advice to students is simple.

“It’s a privilege and not a right for them to be able to go to school,” he said. “And they need to treat it as a privilege.”

Having built a life in the district, the economics professor recognized the important role the college has had in his life.

“When you’re lucky enough to make a good choice early on, like I did at Eastfield, then you just stay there,” he said. “And as a confirmation to that, I was lucky to find the right woman and I’ve been married to her for 56 years. It’s a good thing if you can get a good choice the first time out.”

Dr. Mary Forrest remembers Eastfield as a 1,000-student institution back in 1970. Forty-five years later, she counts more than 10,000 students she has taught in her career.

An alumnae of Southern Methodist University, Forrest arrived at Eastfield after teaching theater classes in high school for six years. Right before Eastfield opened, she decided to change paths.

“I decided at that time I wanted to leave that and go into another job, but also have a family and perhaps get married,” she said. “Not just teach but have a more well-rounded life and get more involved in the community, family and teaching.”

Forrest fulfilled her desire to be a mother in 1971 when she gave birth to her daughter, Laci. In 1978 she had her second child, Jason.

While Forrest’s children didn’t attend Eastfield, she attributes this to the fact that they practically grew up at the college, she said.

“When I would come on Saturdays or at night, they would come with me,” she said. “Since they were little, they had always been at Eastfield College.”

Forrest complements her speech classes by relating her travel experiences to her students. She said she takes her students out of the classroom to local museums in order to get inspiration and background for their speeches.

In addition to teaching, Forrest is also adviser to the Communications Club, founded in the 1980s. They require their members to participate in community service, Eastfield service, fundraising and socials.

NEWS

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Monday, August 31, 2015 When professor Bob Whisnant joined the Eastfield family, the F building was still under construction.

Many students were Vietnam War veterans and middle-age housewives, and Whisnant remembers that in those first years of teaching, it wasn’t uncommon for him to be the youngest person in the classroom.

Whisnant graduated from the University of South Florida in 1970 with his master’s degree.

After reading about the DCCCD, Whisnant was impressed with the district’s plans. He was interviewed and hired by LeCroy.

When he began teaching art history, art appreciation and humanities at Eastfield, it was his first job in higher education and he was 25 years old.

He said that class discussions were much more interesting back then.

“I could ask my class if they thought women should get equal pay to men and I’d get an argument,” Whisnant said.

“There was still a lot of controversy whether Vietnam was a good or bad war.”

During his 45 years, Whisnant has seen the classroom culture change.

“Students in the ‘90s and 2000s don’t seem to be as interested in protests or politics,” he said.

“Most students seem to be focused on making money rather than civic issues.”

Although Whisnant has experienced many challenges, he has also enjoyed achievements. He and his then dean, Dr. John Stuart, wrote the stage musical “Heroes,” which was performed at Eastfield in 1986. He also designed an online humanities course with other DCCCD faculty.

“The DCCCD is one of the best districts in the country,” he said.

“And there’s no better school than Eastfield.”

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

DCCCD captures 50 years of history As Eastfield turns 45, the Dallas County Community College District is celebrating its golden anniversary.

Dallas County created the Dallas County Junior College District in 1965. El Centro Community College, the first college, opened in 1966. Four years later, both Eastfield and Mountain View enrolled their first students.

The district’s name was changed to DCCCD in 1972. The district now has seven colleges.

Thousands of employees attended a district wide 50th anniversary celebration on Aug. 28 at the Mesquite Convention Center.

Colleges submitted time capsules with five items to represent each campus.

Eastfield’s items included “The Person-Centered College: Reminisces of the First 30 Years at Eastfield College,” a book by retired professor Jerry Henson.

— Nicole Ceron

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DCCCD HISTORICAL ARCHIVES

Clockwise from top left: history faculty member Tim Hughes assists a student during registration. The library circa 1970. Students in line during spring semester registration. Students in the Pit Circa 1978. Eastfield College Vice President Byron McClenney looks over the construction of Eastfield.

opinion

8 The Et Cetera

Monday, August 31, 2015

We want you in Et Cetera

Etera 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 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu

Parker Ward

Editor in Chief Parker Ward Managing Editor Andrea Carrizales News Editor James Hartley Photo Editor Jonathan Wences Sports Editor Brianna Harmon Copy Editor Caitlin Piper Online Editor Nicole Ceron Designer Jasmine Oliva Photographers Jose Garcia Aaron Sustaita Contributors Ana Gallegos J. Gomez Cartoonist Matthew Rohan Advertising Manager Vanessa Trevino 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.

First Amendment Right Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

OUR VIEW

College life offers more than classes

Your experience in college has the power to change you. When you enter college you have the power to alter your life for the better or for the worse. Enjoying yourself will help the change be positive, but depriving yourself of the fun college can provide will leave you lacking valuable social skills and coping abilities.

Having fun in college, taking advantage of the services offered and the events held by the college or university you are attending and learning how to make your own fun will help you enjoy your life after college.

Enjoying college is important. Everyone will tell you learning the skills that help a student’s future career is the intended purpose of higher education. But it is also true that college is where people make some of their best memories and establish lifelong relationships.

In the words of Et Cetera Sports Editor Brianna Harmon, “High school is where you make some real friends and meet some fake friends, but college is where you will meet your bridesmaids.”

Even the relationships you form with professors can affect your future. These are the people who help you find internships and write recommendation letters.

So don’t be that student who arrives just as class starts, never speaks to classmates and sprints to the parking lot when class ends.

Stick around a while. Visit the Pit, hang out in the library or chat with fellow students camped out in public study spots. Use the tutoring centers, meet with an adviser, read the student newspaper.

Take advantage of the “campus life” aspect of college. Join a club.

Participate in service learning. Attend events and seminars.

Eastfield has more to offer than classes. Don’t miss out.

LET YOUR VOICE

BE HEARD Send a letter to the editor to etc4640@dcccd.edu or bring it by room N-240

Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number.

Letters will be edited for length, profanity and vulgarity, Associated Press style, grammar and libel when needed. Letters must be 250 words or fewer.

LIKE US ON

FACEBOOK Like The Et Cetera and Eastfield College Student Publications

FOLLOW US ON

TWITTER @TheEtCetera

Welcome back to Eastfield College, students, staff and faculty. I am excited to begin in my new role as editor-in-chief of The Et Cetera, Eastfield’s student newspaper. This publication began shortly after the school opened and has since aimed to provide unbiased, in depthreports on the campus. I vow to uphold all the standards set forth by past editors.

Before you visit your first class, be sure to pick up a copy of The Eastfield Experience. The Experience is a guide to anything and everything at Eastfield College. We hope that this 36-page guide will help students, current and incoming, better prepare to face the treacherous journey that is higher education. Pick up a copy on Et Cetera newsstands or in N-240.

Big news stories broke last year at Eastfield. Two police officers were stabbed, a student was assaulted and the state Legislature passed a law allowing concealed handguns on college campuses. The Et Cetera staff covered them all.

We hope to continue covering all sides of important issues facing our campus.

Want to join The Et Cetera in covering news on campus? Visit the newsroom in N-240. You don’t have to be a journalism major. We need people who can write, take photos, design pages, create graphics, draw and more.

If joining the staff isn’t for you, we still want to hear your opinion.

Submit a guest column or send a letter to the editor at etc4640@dcccd. edu. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit eastfieldnews.com.

I have no doubt that this will be a great school year from the first day jitters all the way down to receiving diplomas at graduation.

Read about everything in between in The Et Cetera.

Sports

The Et Cetera

Sept. 3 Sept. 7 Sept. 7 Sept. 9

Volleyball vs. Southwestern Adventist Soccer vs. Paris Junior College Volleyball vs. Paris Junior College Soccer vs. Southwestern Adventist

www.eastfieldnews.com

7 p.m.

3 p.m.

4 p.m.

7 p.m.

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Monday, August 31, 2015

Harvesters split nonconference

By Brianna Harmon etc4640@dcccd.edu

JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA

Megan Murphy rises for a kill at a recent practice.

The Eastfield Harvesters are 1-1 in their first nonconference matches of the season.

The Lady Harvesters put up a fight, pushing the match to five sets before falling to Arlington Baptist College. Eastfield won the first and the third sets by identical 25-22 scores, and dropped the second and the fourth sets by a 25-15 score, and the 15-12 in the deciding set.

Karina Lay had 10 kills to go along with her 25 digs. Megan Murphy led the team with 16 kills.

Grizelda Ortiz contributed a team-high five service aces.

“I’m very proud of how we played, even though we lost, because we went five games with a fouryear college,” said McKayla Petters, who had 37 digs.

Eastfield picked up its first win of the season Aug. 24 sweeping Dallas Christian College 25-21, 25-18, 30-28.

Murphy had a team-high 13 kills and 3.5 blocks.

Lay had nine kills and 15 digs and Cailey Clogston added seven kills and four digs.

“I’m pleased with my performance,” said Murphy. “My passers were on point and my setter was just on point.”

Eastfield will host Southwestern Adventist University on Sept. 3 in its home opener.

“We know we can compete with anyone out there,” coach Brandon Crisp said

JONATHAN WENCES/THE ET CETERA

The soccer team, which opened play Aug. 22, practices last week. They next play at home against Wiley College on Sept. 3. Conference play starts Sept. 22.

JOSE GARCIA/THE ET CETERA

The Eastfield pool sits unused, awaiting more than $200,000 for new boiler and repairs to pipes. It should reopen in spring.

Classes canceled until pool fixed

By Brianna Harmon etc4640@dcccd.edu

The campus pool is expected to remain closed until March 2016 and all water classes, including scuba diving and swimming, have been canceled for the 2015-2016 academic year.

The pool has been closed since October, when officials determined that multiple maintenance issues needed attention.

“We had a lot of parents call us and ask if we still had [swim classes] and unfortunately we had to tell them it was closed,” said Megan Harris, administrative assistant in the division over athletics. “I felt horrible because there was a parent that came in with a little boy and you could just tell in his face how upset he was.”

Students and employees can usually use the pool for free. A lifeguard is on duty during classes and recreational swimming hours.

“We have what I think is most different from most other campuses,” said Michael Brantley, director of facilities services. “We have a whole athletic system and our pool is a good part of it. I can’t wait till summer to see everybody use it.”

The Dallas County Community College Board of Trustees has approved repairs to the pool’s piping, water pumps and the original inlet jets and nozzles.

The jets and nozzles are either clogged or damaged, which makes it difficult for the pool to circulate water, Brantley said. The piping has cracks, making it hard to heat the pool. To help fix the heating issues, Infinity Contractors International will be placing boilers in the pool house instead of running the heated water from farther away on campus.

The repairs will cost $247,321.

“It’s long overdue,” Brantley said. “For 40 years, it has been phenomenal.

So this is a renovation well worth $200,000 to get us the next 40 years out of the pool.”

The pool is home to classes such as scuba diving, which offers certification through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, advanced scuba diving, swimming classes and water aerobics.

Life &Arts

The Et Cetera

10

www.eastfieldnews.com

Monday, August 31, 2015

‘No Escape’ thrills, energizes with action

By James Hartley etc4640@dcccd.edu

If you’re looking for possibly the most heart-pounding, action-packed flick of the year, “No Escape” is for you.

Starring Owen Wilson and Lake Bell, the film excels at its purpose of edge-of-yourseat suspense and draws the moviegoer in to experience the struggle of the protagonists.

With only a few minor flaws, “No Escape” provides a breath of fresh air for the film aficionado that has become tired of the dull and watered down action-thriller flicks of late.

The story follows Jack (Wilson) and Annie (Bell) Dwyer and their children, who moved to an unnamed foreign nation somewhere near Vietnam after Jack’s Texas-based business failed.

They are trying to escape the anonymous country as the native population is slaughtering any foreigners and anyone who tries to help them.

Despite the slow motion, which is a problem at the start of the film and later fades out, the cinematography of the movie is extremely well done. Though CGI effects are a requirement for a film of this scale, they aren’t poorly done and it’s easy to get lost in the environment of the movie.

The funny introduction of the primary characters clashes with the atmosphere of the rest of the film, but it quickly recovers from this offset by initiating the action in an intense, horrific way when police collide with an angry mob of rebels and shots are fired.

This film is definitely one of the best of the year thus far. The action, which will draw most of the audience in, will not disappoint.

The character development could have been better, but compared to movies as of late, it is stellar.

The children in the film are probably the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

Hammond (Pierce Bronson) and Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson) attempt to escape from natives who are attacking foreigners in “No Escape.”

only hindrance to the plot, as their presence can be a double-edged sword. They have the ability to increase suspense and drama at times, and at other times they slow down the plot to a near stand-still.

“No Escape” sets itself apart from other recent action flicks by removing the overload on cliches and adding extensive char-

acter development.

Though there is no surprise ending or major twist in the plot, it is near-constant, heart-pounding action. Even the slower scenes, such as when the family is on a motorcycle trying to sneak through a parade of rioters while going against the flow of people, are outstandingly suspenseful.

Explore the opportunities and discover the difference at A&M-Commerce. > Presentations for freshmen and transfer students covering admissions, residential living & learning, financial aid and scholarships > Meet faculty, staff and students > Bilingual sessions by Hispanic Outreach

PREVIEW DAY

> Academic and student organization showcase > Tour campus and residence halls > Lunch included

October 17, 2015

8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW! tamuc.edu/ManeEvent

Wrapup The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Zek and Slik By Matthew Rohan

Sudoku

Trivia Bits

2. What is the national bird of Germany, maybe because of all the babies it had delivered there over the years?

A) Barn swallow B) Brown pelican C) Golden eagle D) White stork

3. Nobody is exactly sure how I died, back in 1323 B.C.E., but the best guess is that a malaria infection that set in after I broke my leg.

Who was I? A) Buddha B) Julius Caesar C) Osti D) Tutankhamen

Trivia Answers 1. B; 2. D; 3. D

1. Until it closed in 2010, the Liberace Museum was found at 1775 East Tropicana Ave. in what city?

A) Hollywood B) Las Vegas C) Manhattan D) Niagara Falls

11 Monday, August 31, 2015

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The Et Cetera

Monday, August 31, 2015