Eastfield Et Cetera November 13, 2019

Etera

Eastfield College

Harvesters basketball starts out undefeated, looks ahead to nationals.

See page 8 ➤

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Head In The Clouds Future of vaping under scrutiny following links to lung disease See page 4

Volume 51, Issue 6

2

NEWS

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

@TheEtCetera

The Et Cetera

Campus holds Sustainability Summit GRAPHIC BY ERIK KROUSKOP

Propositions to the Texas Constitution voted on Nov. 5

Prop. 1

Municipal Judges

Yes: 35% No: 65%

Prop. 2

Water and Sewage

Yes: 66% No: 34%

Prop. 3

Disaster Relief

Yes: 85% No: 15%

Prop. 4

State Income Tax Ban

Yes: 74% No: 26%

Prop. 5

Parks and Wildlife

Yes: 88% No: 12%

Prop. 6

Cancer Research

Yes: 64% No: 36%

Prop. 7

Education

Yes: 74% No: 26%

Prop. 8

Flood Control

Yes: 78% No: 22%

Prop. 9

Precious Metals

Yes: 52% No: 48%

Prop. 10

Police Animals

Yes: 94% No: 6%

Rejected Passed Passed Passed Passed Passed Passed Passed Passed Passed

For more details, check out eastfieldnews.com

By ESON FELLERS Staff Writer @EsonFellersETC

If global carbon emissions are not reduced by at least 40 percent by 2030, the effects will lead to global catastrophe, climate experts predict.

At The Dallas County Community College District’s ninth annual sustainability summit, held at Eastfield Nov. 8, participants explored how social justice initiatives, renewable energy and quality education could turn the current climate situation around.

The event offered learning tracks focused on social equity, teaching sustainability for K-16, institutionalizing sustainability, resource and energy efficiency and facilities management.

The event kicked off with a welcome from Eastfield President Eddie Tealer, student programs development coordinator Brittany Wright and Dean of Student Success and Wellness Katy Launius.

“This crisis that we’re experiencing really gives us the great opportunity to envision what we want the world to look like,” Launius said.

Ian Garrett, associate professor of ecological design for performance at York University, gave the keynote presentation to provide further information on how certain global hardships can be perceived.

Garrett’s speech, “We Made It Up: Creativity as a Driver of Sustainability,” explored several diverse approaches towards a sustainable lifestyle, all with one common idea in place.

Pollution and carbon emissions can all be cut down since we survived without cars or plastic baggies at one point in the past. Lowering waste in these major ways is entirely possible because we invented these polluters ourselves. Garrett said some problems are so complex that their solutions can seem elusive. He said this can be seen through the 17 sustainable development goals, as those are 17 different ways to measure of ecological success.

“I’d be hard pressed to prioritize one over the other,” Garrett said. “Beyond thinking of it as how we’re going to survive, it’s a question of how we’re going to survive and balance all of these complexities that we bring in trying to respect all of these different ways that we interact with each other.”

Some specific sustainable development goals focused on at the event were affordable and clean energy, industry innovation and infrastructure, and sustainable cities and communities.

Susan Alvarez, assistant director for Dallas Environmental Quality and Sustainability, presented a session on resource and energy efficiency, specifically Dallas’ ener-

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Travis Nolan with Paper for Water makes an origami piece at the Sustainability Summit on Nov. 8 in The Hive.

gy and climate initiatives. She says Dallas’ Green Energy Policy, which took effect in April, is the first of its kind.

“We have been on 100 percent renewable energy credits since 2015, but it was basically on a handshake basis, so we were concerned that if we got a new city manager or a new city council that the handshake would go out the window as we tried to negotiate a new power contract,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the policy is exploring the feasibility of on-site and off-site solar and renewable energy projects and encourages total self-reliance through solar communities. Separately, the Comprehensive Environmental Climate Action Plan’s purpose, according to Alvarez, is to “improve the quality of life for Dallas residents by creating a healthier and more prosperous community, prepare the community for the impacts of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage residents and businesses to take action.”

According to Dallas Climate Action, there will be a 40 percent increase in thunderstorms and 30 to 60 more extreme heat days annually by 2100, as well as a 5-degree temperature increase by 2050.

Aside from the carbon dioxide released from airplanes, Alvarez said, the DallasFort Worth airport became the first United States airport to achieve carbon neutrality in 2016, meaning that it releases no carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Chayton Creswell, a 24-year-old biochemistry major enrolled at the University of Texas at Dallas, said he attended the event to get out of his own bubble and learn about the consequences of everyday actions.

“All of my actions have an impact, and it’s important that I do my due diligence to get some sense out of what that means,” Creswell said. “I learned that to generate a shared context of sustainability, you need to ask what’s going on.”

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eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Eastfield gets colorful at Express Yourself event

By HARRIET RAMOS and HUNTER GARZA Reporters @TheEtCetera

The Hive reflected a rainbow of colors recently as Eastfield students of different sexual orientations, gender identities, religions and nationalities came together to express their identities through the art of tie-dye.

The “Express Yourself ” event on Oct. 29 was part of the college’s celebration of LGBT History Month, but student program coordinator Jide Carew said the event was intended for a wider audience as well.

“With events like these, people are more able to break down barriers if there is a commonality and if they’re doing something together,” he said.

Carew stood at a table strewn with Harvester T-shirts, gloves and rubber bands as he explained the activity to the group of students who gathered around him.

“You’re expressing your selfidentity through your coloring of the T-shirt, if you identify in the [LGBTQ] community or you don’t,” he said. “This right here is a Harvester T-shirt, and this is to show that everyone can have their individual colors. That’s what makes us unique, but we’re all still Harvesters at the end of the day.”

Workstations containing plastic

bottles of brightly colored dyes were set up throughout the Hive. Pictures of flags from the LGBTQ community, Latin America and Africa were displayed on the tables to give participants ideas for decorating their T-shirts.

Adama Busari stood by the African flags and pointed to the one from her home country, The Gambia. Busari, a nursing major who came to the United States in 2017, identifies as a Muslim. She was planning to display her heritage by coloring her T-shirt red, blue and green like the Gambian flag.

“Gambia is a very small country,” she said. “A lot of people don’t [get to] meet Gambians.”

At another table, Sandra (whose last name was omitted to protect her identity) was already in the process of squeezing pink, blue and purple dye into the white fabric of her Tshirt. She said the colors she chose were for the bisexual pride flag.

Sandra identifies as bisexual in public but not at home because of the religious convictions of her family.

“I have to live, in a way, two different lives,” she said.

Sandra, a drama major, said clothing is an important part of self-expression because it can be used to give people a voice and a way to tell the story of who they are.

Laramie Patton, a 22-year-old

Students tie dye shirts during the Express Yourself event Oct. 29 in The Hive.

marine biology major who uses the pronouns they/them, decorated their shirt in a rainbow pattern. Before college they struggled with their own identity and self-expression, but joining clubs and making friends with people who have the same ideas helped them open up.

“I’ve never felt unable to express myself here at Eastfield,” Patton said.

Patton credited Carew and the

student club Prism, whose purpose is to support the LGBTQ community on campus, for making positive strides in the campus climate in recent years. However, they said there are still improvements that could be made.

“Teachers getting on board with trans kids and their name changes, better use of preferred pronouns and maybe even a gender-inclusive bath-

SIRGIO RUVALCABA/THE ET CETERA

room,” Patton suggested.

Currently, the bathrooms on the second floor of the F Building near A Building are being renovated to single stall bathrooms.

Alex Silva, a 16-year-old bisexual and transgender student who uses they/them pronouns, also attended the event as a way to socialize with like-minded students.

See Identity, page 11 ➤

K building salaries to stay the same, other questions still remain

By SKYE SEIPP Editor in Chief @seippetc

Employees of the Children’s Laboratory School at Eastfield have been guaranteed jobs with matching pay when an outside company takes over the child care program, according to President Eddie Tealer.

Parents currently using the service, who would not qualify for federal chid care assistance, will be allowed to stay until December 2020.

Questions still remain as to whether employees will receive the same benefits and retirement plans.

Both employees and parents have been uncertain about the future of the lab since it was announced in August that the management would be outsourced to ChildCareGroup.

Since then there has been a series of discussions between administrative officials from Eastfield and CCG with parents and employees.

A contract has yet to be signed between the two parties, but a presentation from Tealer and CCG President and CEO Victoria Mannes dur-

ing the Dallas County Community College Board of Trustees’ Finance Committee meeting on Nov. 5 offered new insights into the proposed deal.

CCG will use the federally funded Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which provides affordable or free child care to lowincome families. Tealer said the new services will be more accessible to students.

“I think it’s going to be really well received by our students,” Tealer said to the board.

“From just some of the conversations when I have my roundtables every month directly with the students, we talk about barriers. Child care comes up almost every time.”

The Children’s Laboratory is a child care service run by Eastfield staff members. Eastfield employees and members of the public use the service by paying tuition that averages $845 a month.

Tealer quoted a national review released in August from the Government Accountability Office, which showed that 22 percent of undergraduates were parents in 2015-16, and 52 percent left school without earning a degree in 2009. Students without children had a dropout

rate of 32 percent.

A survey conducted by DCCCD last spring showed that 1,176 students at Eastfield expressed interest in learning more about child care, which is 7.3 percent of the student population.

The Children’s Laboratory School is currently being utilized by 27 families, with one being a student and 11 being Eastfield employees.

Trustee Dorothy Zimmerman questioned the low enrollment numbers during the presentation and said she saw a lot of space not being used during a tour. Tealer responded by saying the partnership aims to utilize more of the empty space. He said there are currently five empty classrooms that could accomodate another 84 children.

“The way the model is built right now, we do not reach that capacity,” Tealer said to the board. “Our current students are not able to take advantage of this facility. And we know that’s one of the high needs or barriers for our students.”

CCG is not expected to take over the Children’s Laboratory School until Jan. 1, 2020, and the deal would require a one “one-time pay-

ment” of $25,000 to CCG from the district to continue serving tuition-based attendees and to keep the tuition rate consistent through May 2020.

However, there will be a “modest tuition increase” beginning on June 1, 2020, Tealer said.

Trustee Charletta Compton asked if there was a percentage in mind for the increase. Mannes said they had not discussed it.

“But we know there is a modest increase that would be somewhere between 25 and 40 (dollars) a week,” Mannes said to the board. “We haven’t modeled all the numbers yet because we have to look at how many families that are currently enrolled would remain after May.” Not everyone is happy about the changes.

Lisa Pound Hicks, who has worked for the children’s laboratory for over two decades, decided to retire rather than deal with the changes.

“It was done in a really poor manner,” Hicks said. “I’ve given half of my life to Eastfield … and it was like, ‘You don’t matter.’ That’s the hardest part of it all. That’s how you get thanked for your loyalty.”

The board will vote on spending the $25,000 at its next meeting, Dec. 6.

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Not just blowing

SMOKE

Concerns over vaping rise after questions of safety, outbreak of lung disease

By JORDAN LACKEY Staff Writer @TheEtCetera

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 1,479 vaping related cases of lung-injury and 33 deaths in the United States as of Oct. 15.

According to the CDC, the symptoms for vaping related lung disease can most closely be associated with cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. Other symptoms to be mindful of are nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Along with fatigue, fever and weight loss.

With the rise in national attention concerning the vaping epidemic, the CDC has announced it will be expanding its laboratory testing as it looks for harmful chemicals within vaping products.

In the wake of widespread media coverage, there have been several changes to the law surrounding vaping and some places are considering banning the products all together.

Officials are attempting to instill tougher sales restrictions and declaring an emergency on the grounds of public health in response to the Trump administration’s concerns over teen vaping. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar announced on Sept. 11 that the Food and Drug Administration is working to outlaw the sale of non-FDA approved flavored vaping products. He claims that tobacco flavored vape products will not be affected.

Bans on the sale of flavored vaping products have been implemented in New York, Michigan, Rhode Island and Washington. Massachusetts has imposed a statewide, four-month halt on the sale of all vaping products.

A Michigan judge halted the state’s flavor ban shortly after it was imposed, saying the potential damage to businesses outweighed the government’s interests in reducing teen vaping.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, has announced plans to appeal the judge’s decision.

In the wake of a steady rise in vaping related lung-injury, many consumers of the product are starting to question their decision. In 2012, 46 percent of respondents to the Health Information National Trends Survey, said that they believed vaping was as unhealthy as cigarettes. That number rose to 56 percent in 2017 and is expected to climb.

The sudden influx of vaping-related illness has become such a hot topic that Eastfield made it a central focal point for its Red Ribbon Week kickoff on Oct. 23. Paired alongside a myriad of sobrietythemed activities, the event featured a presentation

by Angel A. Vales called “The Vaping Epidemic.”

Vales, the head of the Alcohol and Drug Prevention program with Dallas independent school district, said there is an over-abundance of misinformation concerning the safety of vaping products and their chemical make-up.

“The first thing people should know is that it’s not vapor, it’s an aerosol” he said.

Vales said the presence of water particles and other chemicals in the mixture can lead to negative health issues such as lung-injury and scarring when inhaled. He attributes the base ingredients as the major cause of the problem, more so than the nicotine itself.

However, Vales says that “nicotine is a drug” and it should be treated as such. He said vape users have become more susceptible to the dangers of nicotine addiction due to the accessibility and convenience of vaping compared to traditional smoking.

“Addiction skyrocketed with nicotine” after the debut of vape products hit the American stage, he said. Vales said the number of minors with access to nicotine products has drastically increased and that nicotine affects [the] frontal cortex development of the adolescent brain. He agrees with raising the legal age of purchase to 21.

Vales said that we’re just now starting to see the long-term consequences of vaping.

“The health issues all started booming in the last three months,” he said. “I think it’s a safer alternative [to smoking,] but I don’t think it’s healthy. … There’s not enough science yet.”

Noel Lorusso, a substance abuse counseling major, said he vaped for about three years as a means to quit smoking cigarettes. He started smoking cigarettes at the age of 12, and vaping helped him to rid himself of his dependency. He decided to quit vaping after three years due to the rising expense.

Lorusso occasionally still smokes cigarettes, but no longer on a habitual basis.

“It wasn’t cost affective for me anymore,” he said. “I kept buying mods and juices, and it was just more expensive than buying cigarettes after a while.”

Others believe that the problem isn’t necessarily the product, but the regularity with which it’s used. Much like alcohol, for some people the focus of the argument is on moderation as opposed to over-indulgence.

“I think everything is in moderation, but some people don’t know moderation” El Brent, journalism major and non-smoker, said, “So the more you do it, the worse it’s going to get.”

The convenience and accessibility of e-cigarettes is one of the major contributing factors in the rise of nicotine addiction, Vales said. He claims the temptation to partake in the use of vaping products is too great when weighed against the fact that’s it’s too easy to sneak a few puffs at any given time.

Eastfield student and former smoker Shauna Alvarez made the switch from cigarettes to vaping

GRAPHIC BY ERIK KROUSKOP

while in the armed services due to the prevalent consensus of her piers that it was a safer alternative.

“Nothing that you put in your body really is safe nowadays,” she said, “but I do think it’s a safer alternative instead of smoking cigarettes.”

However, the U.S. Army is experiencing the consequences of this issue firsthand. In a statement from the U.S. Army Public Health Center, they confirmed that two active-duty soldiers have been afflicted with vaping related illnesses and are still being tracked. One solder has been treated and released while the other is still undergoing treatment.

One of the biggest concerns to health officials is the presence of black market TCH and CBD cartridges. These illegal sources don’t report to any sort of standardized or regulated safety guidelines like one would expect to find in states like Washington or Colorado. Independent investigations by news media outlets have found traces of hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde within the confines of black-market tanks.

These cartridges have largely replaced the traditional methods of marijuana consumption.

Whereas pipes and papers where once the standard, now the electronic alternative has risen to the foreground of popularity and demand according to reporting by Rolling Stone.

Campus police say they haven’t had any issues with these tanks on campus as of yet. However, concerns about black-market cartridges are of such a high priority to Dallas ISD, that it’s still a major topic of conversation for Vale’s presentation.

Despite the recent health concerns, the CDC still agrees that e-cigarettes can be an effective substitute for many traditional smokers in their attempts to quit. According to the World Health Organization, traditional smoking kills 8 million people annually worldwide and according to the CDC 480 thousand per year in the United States compared to the current vaping death toll of 33.

Vaping has still yet to be fully evaluated or approved by the FDA for long term use.

Life &Arts The Et Cetera

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eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Play sheds light on cultural issues Student takes center

stage in performing

By JORDAN LACKEY Staff Writer @TheEtCetera

In an effort to tackle the current political upheaval concerning immigration the Harvester Theatre Company is presenting “Augusta and Noble” by Carlos Murillo.

Premiering Nov. 14, the play focuses on heritage, struggle and triumph in the face of adversity, from the viewpoint of a child. It celebrates the abundant history and resilience of countless immigrants and their families.

Dusty Thomas, theater director, hopes this eclectic story will shed light on the struggles affecting many students and individuals. She said acceptance is a central theme and that she’s optimistic this message can act as a catalyst for understanding and acceptance both within and outside of the Eastfield community. She believes this production can work as a tool to help people not only embrace their own culture, but the cultures of others as well.

“I’m kind of hoping to open some people’s eyes … There’s a lot of tension and debate, and my hope is that we can make the story personal instead of just about a generalized group of people,” she said. “These are real people. They have real families.

They’re here for a reason, to keep their families safe and to protect them. So [I hope] to put a humanized face on the story that a lot of people are living right now.”

In this story we meet young Gabi Castillo, a gifted 12-year-old girl, played by Sandra Cano, as she is beginning school at the illustrious Northside College Preparatory High School, a prestigious selective enrollment institution in Chicago.

Castillo has lived her whole life in the vibrant Latino community of West Town in Chicago. Once admitted to Northside, she begins a journey of self-reflection about her parents’ dangerous trek across the United States border from Mexico.

During her long daily commute across town to get to school, Castillo is plagued with realistic dream sequences concerning the tribulations of her parents’ exodus. She sees first-hand the struggle her pregnant mother endured and the worry of her father as they’re manipulated by the

Q A &

ANTHONY LAZON/THE ET CETERA

Actors for the upcoming play “Augusta and Noble” rehearse lines on Nov. 7 in the Performance Hall.

villainous Coyote as she walks the desert alongside them.

Throughout the story we’re introduced to a myriad of colorful characters that Castillo meets along the way. From the antagonist played by Joshua Campbell, Coyote, whose namesake is both literal and figurative, to the goddess-like protector, La Mujer Azul, played by Sarah Mendez, which translates to “the blue woman.”

“Coyote, he’s basically supposed to help them cross the desert,” Said Campbell, an education major. “But he’s got malicious intentions.”

According to Campbell, the two characters of Coyote and La Mujer Azul act as the angel and demon on Castillo’s shoulders throughout the play. They’re constantly pitted against each other for control of Castillo’s influence as she tries to make the right decisions in leading her and her family across the desert to safety.

The story is personal for several cast members, including Cano, who said she wanted the lead role because her mother was deported when she was 11 years old.

Cano herself was not deported, she was born in the States, but despite her citizenship, she had no choice but to go live with her mother in Mexico for about 6 years before returning to the United States 2 years ago. Her mother is still in Mexico. “[The story] talks about her parents being immigrants,” Cano said.

“I was born here. Like Gabi. But then [my mom] left and I had to go.”

Jerremy Alvarado, stage manager and biology major, said some of his family members, including his own parents, have gone through similar immigration experiences.

His parents used a coyote 20 years ago to get here, just like Castillo’s parents in “Augusta and Noble.”

“It hits home, truly,” Alvarado said. “It’s pretty involved in my life due to the fact that some of my family members have gone through that same experience … the struggle of getting here.”

Another cast member has had a more recent and physical series of misfortune. DeMarcus Davis, set to fill the role of Ricardo Wojciekowski, Castillo’s best friend at Northside Prep, was involved in a major automobile accident with an 18-wheeler on the night of Oct. 27.

Cast members said he was released from the hospital a day later but is still suffering from injuries sustained during the wreck. He was even making attempts to attend rehearsals just two days after the accident. Since then, Davis has returned to rehearsal.

“He has trouble seeing out of one eye.” Thomas said. “He limps a little but otherwise he is able to perform his role just fine.”

The Eastfield production of “Augusta and Noble” will feature 11 a.m. showings on Oct. 14 and 21, along with 7:30 p.m. showings on Nov. 14, 15, 21 and 22.

Thomas said the play will run from 90 to 95 minutes long. She encourages students to come to the evening shows and to bring the whole family. Admission is free.

“College students will enjoy it.”

Thomas said. “but there’s nothing in there that you couldn’t bring a child to. … There’s some comedy. There’s some drama. It’s just a really engaging story. It’s a very well-written play, and it’s a lot of fun.”

ANTHONY LAZON/THE ET CETERA

Joe Martinez is a theater major and is currently the president of the Performing Arts Society, a club in which theater take the main stage. He sat down with reporter Manuel Cruz to discuss more about his life and the arts.

Q A

What is inspiring you at the moment?

I’m Hispanic. My dad is from Mexico and my mom was born in America but lived in Mexico with her parents. There’s a lot of discussions going on about people from Hispanic heritage, good and bad, and I really felt the need to be part of that discussion. I don’t know everything in the world. ... But I know with the arts there is a way to sort of display how you feel about a subject without necessarily hammering it into someone. It’s more of a nuance, and it can get people on a more of an emotional level. And I’ve thought about that and how exactly I can portray my background, ethnicity and culture with what I know how to do, which is the arts.

Q A

Do you feel like there’s a lack of attention when it comes to Latino culture in arts?

Q

Do you think, in the political climate that we’re in, it’s a prime time for the Latino community to really come together and stand up for what they believe in wthin the arts?

In arts specifically, no. In mainstream arts, especially in the United States, yes. There are quite a bit of well-written playwrights and actors, but a lot of the time they don’t focus on Latino culture specifically ... We just have more Latino artists, which is great, but since there are discussions currently happening, I think it’s important Latino artists use their platform to sort of have a more open discussion about what is going on. A lot of times people will hate things that they don’t know. Humans just naturally fear the unknown. We can use the arts as a way to educate people, so it’s entertaining but focuses on educating that we Latinos are just normal people with our own culture.

A

Yeah absolutely. I think the arts has always been the way for underdog communities or not-recognized communities to say, “Hey, I’m here.” Like with slavery in America, slaves had music to keep the culture alive. It’s similar with victims of the Holocaust. I don’t remember exactly where I saw it, but I read that kids would come together and perform plays while in the camps and they would write poems so they could have a sense of who they were. And I feel like right now the Latino community is going through a hardship, so I think it’s especially important that we use the things that we do have. The arts are a powerful tool if used correctly.

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LIFE&ARTS

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

@TheEtCetera

The Et Cetera

Who are you thankful for?

Compiled by Ritchie Manalastas

Oscar Ortiz, Mechanical Engineering Major “I’m very thankful for Kimberly Smith (Early College Programs counselor) because she watches out for all the students making sure they’re on track keeping up with classes. She keeps in mind that there’s a lot of pressure going through the early college program so she makes sure to talk to us making sure that we’re on the correct mindset.”

Geovanna Luna, Radiation Therapy Major “I’m thankful for Dr. (Michael) Raines because he’s a very helpful person in general. He makes sure that we understand everything. He takes his time to teach us.

If he believes that we’re not getting anything, he makes sure that we get it even if it means getting the whole class to focus on what a student is struggling with. He doesn’t give up on you.”

Emily Jones, Disability Services Staff Member “I’m thankful for Danae Bass (program coordinator for the Center for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity) because she always comes to work with a positive attitude and a giving spirit and she’s always here to serve our community and our students. She will put aside her own projects, she will put aside other work, just anything that she can do to really focus on the person in front of her and make them feel like the most important person in the world.”

PAGE DESIGN AND ART BY ERIK KROUSKOP

Betsy Reyes, Criminal Justice Major “I’m thankful for my best friend Obed who inspires me to be myself and he’s the nicest and kindest person I’ve ever met. He motivates me to stay positive. Every time I think negative, he’s always trying to make me be positive even though I keep downing myself. He’s always there to keep pushing me to love myself and to stay positive and energized, be true to myself.”

Ebony Burks, Degree Auditor Staff Member “Dr. (Patty) Young (dean of Access & Enrollment) is very inspirational to me because she allows me to have a voice. She cares about all the staff ’s visions and goals.

Her support comes from meetings and again letting us speak our concerns and then whatever you recommend or whatever you suggest, sometimes you kinda see it happen, So she actually listens to our input.”

Jacob Burleson, Mechanic Engineering Major “I’m thankful for my friend Erwin Luevano because he’s there for me when I need him and he helps me get through some of the more difficult classes.”

LIFE&ARTS

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Damon Pescador, Liberal Arts Major “My friend a, because of her passion for art, anime, and with how creative she can be and the fact we can just both collaborate pretty much.”

Zcera Galvez, Accounting Major “I’m thankful for Professor (Katherine) Brizendine because she made learning reading and English in general super easy. That was my weak spot, and she kinda made it easy for me to understand and actually learn something throughout this class.”

Merelin Rodriguez, Architecture Major “I’m thankful for all the staff because they really do help us.

Brandon Smith, Computer Science Major “I’m thankful for Timothy McDuffie (director of transfer and completion) because he’s actually helping me become the type of person that I’m trying to become through mentoring and the leadership qualities he has. He runs the MALES mentoring program. In that program, he teaches us a lot of things that will help us become successful later on in life like leadership, branding ourselves through social media, business, resumes, stuff like that.”

Saucedo Saucedo, Computer Science Major I’m thankful for my adviser at TRIO, Ms. (Shatremeyia) Porter. She’s guided me throughout my college career so far. She’s always been there whenever I needed her for questions regarding my classes or life in general.

So far, because of her I’ve been able to navigate the classes here at Eastfield and get a good class schedule every semester.”

Chris Schlarb, Service Learning Civic Engagement Coordinator “I’m thankful for Katy Launius.

She’s the Dean of Student Success & Wellness, and I’m thankful for her because she’s an advocate for under-represented populations and for employees on campus.”

Markia Runnels, Psychology Major “I’m thankful for Ms. (Morgana) Wilburn (adjunct professor) because she has helped me along the way. She boosts my confidence in her class and meeting other people.”

Jeffrey Tatum, Digital Media Major “It would have to be Duke Morse, my photography teacher. He’s taught me a lot about photography. I’ve always wanted to get involved with it. He’s shown me how to take pictures and what they’re supposed to look like and edit them. The amount of time I’ve been in class I learned so much.”

Diego Pinon, Accounting Major “I’m thankful for Ms. (Antanette) Malone, my accounting teacher, for giving us extra help on homework to help us succeed. She’s really nice helping us out.”

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Gianelli Lopez, Veterinary Science Major “I am thankful for my friend Chris.

Not only is he my table buddy, but I get along with him so well. We have so much in common, and we pretty much work together. We’re pretty good together on a lot of arts and a few months back we did a comic. He did the audio. I did the art and everything else. It took us almost the entire semester to do it, but we did it in our spare time and did well. So that I do enjoy, and it’s just so easy to get along and so it feels weird when he is not here.

Estefany Kulas, Nursing Major “I’m thankful for my biology teacher Mr. (Jeff) Hughes because he was able to take time with me especially when it came to a tough subject such as biology for science majors. He was able to really sit down one on one talking with me about things. Certain teachers are not like that so he takes really good time and dedication. I’m very thankful for him because I really thought I was going to fail the class for a hot minute, but luckily he took time out of his day to check up on me. He’s the type of person that not only recognizes the loud popular kind of kids but also he cares for each one of his students.”

Yareli Lopez, Psychology Major “I’m thankful for Ms. Geneva (Lawson) because she’s not just being supportive with school stuff, she’s also supportive emotionally and she’s been around for me ever since I got here.”

Tahjna Calhou, Business Administration Major “I’m thankful for Kimberly Flanders (dual credit program manager) because she’s a dope person and any time I need help, she helps me.”

Akyli Taylor, Psychology Major “I’m thankful for Ms. Lanita Sledge (academic advisor) because she made the process of actually registering for classes so much easier than it would have been if I had just done it by myself.”

Sports The Et Cetera

Nov. 14 Nov. 18 Nov. 19 Nov. 20

Basketball vs. DFW Prep Basketball vs. DFW Prep Basketball vs. Cedar Valley Basketball vs. Texas Wesleyan

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Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Harvesters eye return to national tournament

By SAZOUN GRAYER and CHRIS COZBY Reporters @TheEtCetera

The Harvesters are ready to put last season’s heartbreaking 82-80 loss to Richland in the Region V championship game behind them and return to the national basketball tournament for the first time since 2016.

Entering his 15th season, coach Anthony Fletcher will once again rely on a fast-paced, high-scoring offense that averaged 100 points a game last season, the best in the nation. Last season, the team ended with a respectable 25-8 record, 6-4 in conference. They will try to improve even further this coming year.

The Harvesters will have to replace AllAmerican Rashaun Coleman, who averaged 22 points per game, setting school record for total career assists and assist average in a season and ranking second in career points.

However, Fletcher said his team has a nextman-up mentality, and he believes his players are ready and capable to pick up where Coleman and the other graduating sophomores left off.

“This team kind of reminds me of the 2016 team that went to the national tournament because we’re smaller inside, so we have to work on different things with (this) group” he said.

“At the end of the day, we’re always trying to win championships. Every year we have to replace guys. It hurts us a little bit, but we want to help our student athletes get to the next level.

That’s the most important thing.”

Fletcher pointed to sophomores DaJuan Ridgeway and D’Angelo Smith as key pieces for the team this season. Ridgeway, a guard out of Little Rock, Arkansas, was all-region in 2017-18 while averaging 12 points a game, but he sat out last season. Smith, who is from Houston, was also an all-conference selection last year, averaging 10 points and five rebounds per game.

Ta’Marcus Butler is another returning sophomore who could make an impact, being versatile enough to play point guard, shooting guard and small forward. Now, as one of the experienced leaders for the Harvesters, he has some goals for the group on moving forward in the season “That first game sets the tone. It lets everybody know where we are at. Depending on how (we play), it sets the tone for the team and builds our confidence,” Butler said. “As a team, we want to get better every day in practice. We want to win. We’re going to do everything we can and beat everybody in our conference. As a team we’ve got to communicate on the court and off the court and have fun. We have been practicing hard, going at each other, figuring

RORY MOORE/THE ET CETERA

Left, DaJuan Ridgeway fights for the ball after the tip-off in the game against Mondello on Nov. 11 at the Eastfield gym. Right, Calvin Williams leaps for the basket in the game against Mondello that the Harvesters won 126-82.

out who can do what.”

He said the end to last year’s season was bittersweet but he sees that as motivation for the squad to get better moving forward. He knows that defense will be the key for the team this year.

“The offense is going to come to us, we’re going to score. We’re more worried about improving on defense. We’ve been doing drills, communicating all day, and (trying to understand) everybody’s role,” he said. “We know what we’ve got to do. We don’t want to lose [again] like last year.”

Since Fletcher came to Eastfield in 2004, winning and making postseason appearances

have become expected for the team. The Harvesters have advanced to the national championship game twice during his tenure.

If the Harvesters are to make a deep postseason run, they’ll need to win a highly competitive Dallas Athletic Conference, including Richland. Eastfield went 0-3 against the Thunderducks last season. However, Fletcher said his team is ready for the challenge.

“They were better than us,” he said. “You play somebody three times and they beat you three times, they’re better than you. We fought and gave everything we had (that final game against Richland) and we had an opportunity to tie it at the buzzer, but the layup just rimmed

out. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose a game.

It never stops. It never ends. If you want to be successful, you don’t have the time to necessarily enjoy or get upset and shut down. It’s a grind and you have to keep grinding.”

Newcomer Mike Aranda, a sophomore transfer from a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school in Kansas, said the team is prepared to take the opposition head on.

“All of us are confident about this year,” he said. “It’s going to be a good year. We’re going to play hard every game, and we expect to win.”

The Harvesters have gone 5-0 since the season began on Nov. 4.

Sports

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The Et Cetera

eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Volleyball misses nationals, first time in four years

By BRIANNA HARMON Staff Writer @ItsBHarmonETC

After being up 2-0 in the Dallas Athletic Conference tournament championship game, the Eastfield volleyball team lost the final three sets to Brookhaven, preventing the Harvesters from advancing to the national tournament for the first time in four years.

Passing, service and blocking errors at critical times gave Brookhaven the upper hand in the Nov. 2 match.

Eastfield had two ball-handling errors at pivotal times, including the last point of the match when a bad pass went into the net, ending their season.

The set scores were 27-25, 25-23, 23-25, 2125, 14-16.

“It felt like we had already won,” Courtney Edge said of the early 2-0 lead. “But Brookhaven is the team if they are down two sets to none they will come back. They aren’t going to give up.”

Edge had three service aces, seven assists and 37 digs for the Harvesters. All-American Courtanae Calhoun led the team with 16 kills, and Williams and outside hitter Catherine Mudd followed with 15 kills each.

“I didn’t expect to not win,” Edge said. “I fell to the ground when we lost. It’s really hard.

Right after this me and my dad were supposed to go get a dress for the national banquet. I was

BRIANNA HARMON/THE ET CETERA

The Harvesters ended their season after losing to Brookhaven on Nov. 2 at home.

just like, ‘Wow, we really just lost in five sets.’”

Eastfield finished the season 19-11, including 10-0 in conference play, making them conference champions.

The Harvesters were ranked ninth in the nation in the final poll.

They were also third in the nation in kills per set (12.03) and assists per set (11.10) and sixth in digs per set (19.15).

“I’m super hurt,” middle blocker Sydney Williams said. “But I’m also super proud. There

were points where there was a huge gap, and we could see on each other’s faces that we didn’t have it. But we came back as a team to keep it close until the very end.”

Mudd sat on the bench after the match in shock, unable to grasp that the Harvesters had just lost.

“I was sad and I was mad, but at the same time I was feeling so many other things, so it blurred into nothing,” she said. “I feel like I could have done more all five sets, but I also

know we did the best we could.”

Coach Brandon Crisp said he is proud of what his team accomplished this season and how they played against Brookhaven, despite their mistakes.

“I feel good about the game. We played well,” Crisp said. “We just had a few too many errors, and they capitalized on that. I loved that they kept fighting. We have had some tough matches that we pulled out. This team has had to overcome some adversity.”

Earlier in the season Eastfield lost outside hitter Mollie Booth and right front Skylar Fowler to injuries. Both were unable to play in the tournament.

Over the season Eastfield players won several conference and national player of the week awards.

Edge was named National Junior Athletic College Athletic Association Defensive National Player of the Week twice. Williams was named conference player of the week and NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week. Calhoun and setter Abby Hairell were also named conference player of the week.

Crisp said now that the season is over the Harvesters will begin off-season workouts to prepare for spring season.

“There is never an off time,” Crisp said. “We have to recruit, sign and develop the freshman for next year to be leaders. We want to find the sophomores new homes to play for. We are just going to keep going and working hard.”

Soccer puts up a fight, but falls short against Richland

By BRIANNA HARMON Staff Writer @ItsBHarmonETC

Trailing the entire game, Eastfield lost to Richland in the Dallas Athletic Conference semifinals 4-1 on Oct. 26, ending their season.

Richland had the momentum from the start scoring its first goal only minutes into the game. At half they held a 2-0 lead.

In the 31st minute a fight broke out between the two teams, and campus police, referees and coaches had to come onto the field to break it up. Eastfield middle Emely Narvarez and Richland middle Jazmin Baltazar were both given a red card for the fight and ejected.

Coach Paul Tate condemned the fighting but declined to comment on the matter.

After the fight, Cruz was determined to score and switch the momentum of the game back in the Harvesters’ favor.

“We just had to work harder and not give up,” she said.

“I felt that my team was giving it their all, and that made me push harder.”

Cruz scored Eastfield’s lone goal in the 73rd minute off an assist from fellow freshman for-

BRIANNA HARMON/THE ET CETERA

Crystal Evanyk kicks the ball in the game against Richland on Oct. 26.

ward Marissa Vasquez.

“I still kept fighting and no matter if we lose

or win,” Cruz said. “We will learn from our mistakes and it will only make us stronger.”

Tate knew after the red cards that he had to regroup the team and set up a new plan of attack. He was proud of the effort of his team despite the early deficit.

“That was the best part of the evening was fighting to the bitter end,” he said. “I wanted the girls to know we still had a shot in the game even though they had a lead.”

Middle Crystal Evanyk’s heart sank as she walked off the field for the last time in a Harvesters uniform.

“The loss really hurt,” she said. “Once that final buzzer went off, I knew my time at Eastfield was done. I got pretty emotional because that means I’m done playing with all these awesome girls I got to know so well. But it was a bittersweet type of thing because I know I have so much potential to move on and do so much more.”

This was Tate’s first recruiting class at Eastfield. Coming into the season he didn’t know what to expect from his athletes.

With only 7 returners, he did know he was going to need a spark from one of the incoming freshman.

Cruz was the freshman who was up to the task, leading the team in goals this season with 16. Sophomores Evanyk, Narvarez and Vasquez followed with four goals each.

At the beginning of the season Cruz struggled with finding the resources to make the 10hour move, but pulled it out last minute.

“I didn’t expect she would end up scoring 16 goals,” Tate said. “At the beginning of the season we didn’t know if she would even be here.

She puts her best foot forward every day on the field, and she’s a blessing to this team. Her being dangerous opened up opportunities for others to score because she was getting doubleteamed.”

In the first game of the tournament Eastfield defeated Cedar Valley 2-0 in the first round of the DAC tournament Tuesday.

Now that the Harvesters’ season is over, Tate said he plans to continue to build off what the team accomplished this season.

“We plan on having a solid spring and moving forward into the next year,” he said. “Now that the season is over, we will look at who is going to return and build from there. We will try to bring in true soccer players to contribute.”

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

Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu Editor in Chief Skye Seipp Creative Director Anthony Lazon Graphics Editor Erik Krouskop

Senior Photographer Rory Moore Staff Writers Eson Fellers Harriet Ramos Brianna Harmon Jordan Lackey Reporters Hunter Garza Sazoun Grayer Manuel Cruz Chris Cozby Graphic Artists Margaret Tamez

eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

OUR VIEW

Take part in the college experience A few weeks ago we called out the college for holding lackluster events, specifically those during Hispanic Heritage Month.

But Eastfield is doing some things right, and both students and employees should take notice.

Recently a professional improv troupe visited campus.

Students could attend a workshop with the pros and perform in the show the following night.

Only a handful of people showed up.

Every Wednesday at 1 p.m., the music department hosts a recital. Sometimes the performers are students and faculty, but most are professional musicians with serious resumes – an opera legend, jazz combos, a Grammy-winning alumnus who’s performed with Prince and Ray Charles.

But the audience rarely wells beyond the regulars who show every week.

People, you are seriously missing out. But it’s not too late to soak up some culture this semester.

This week the first play of the academic year opens. “Augusta and Noble” explores a hotly debated topic – immigration. Our award-winning theater department is sure to put on a great show.

The recital series for the remainder of the year features concerts by different groups throughout the music department, including the guitar department, whose students recently won awards.

The dance department’s always interesting Dance Concert is Dec. 5 and 6. And the art gallery opens with a show Dec. 2 featuring student work.

All of these avenues offer chances for you to be more engaged on campus. And not only can you watch great dance recitals, look at cool art or read award-winning news coverage, but you can actually be a part of all this.

Get involved. Research shows that students who participate in activities outside the classroom are more successful.

Take an art or dance or music class. Audition for a play. Join your student newspaper.

And faculty, you can help motivate us.

Whether it’s urging students to read The Et Cetera or giving five points of extra credit for attending events, you have the power to promote a culture of engagement.

Ideally students would participate on their own accord, but 18- and 19-year-olds need incentive sometimes. So give them the push they need to jump start a more fulfilling life.

Maybe no one has time anymore. Perhaps we’re all too busy cramming in 16 weeks worth of work into eight weeks, we forgot how to stop and smell the roses.

Don’t lose your identity for a relationship

Cartoonists Laura Sanchez Romero Eric Santos Jesus Madrid Photographers Baylie Tucker Sirgio Ruvalcaba Sonya Nunez Christian Vargas Contributors Manuel Cruz Ritchie Manalastas Raneisha Hurth-Brown

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Jessica Ramirez Lindsey Craft

Editorial Assistants Marie Garcia Publication Adviser Elizabeth Langton Student Media Manager Sarah Sheldon Digital Media Adviser Sandra Evans Faculty Adviser Lori Dann

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 by a student staff.

Each member of the college community is entitled to one free copy of The Et Cetera.

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.

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 should be no longer than 250 words.

ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO BY ANTHONY LAZON

I once thought being a single woman was a curse and that I needed a man to validate me and give me a sense of worth.

I didn’t like who I was. I thought I was too dark, and that my lips weren’t full enough. I didn’t have long hair or a perfect shape. The list of why I hated myself was pretty long.

Society and TV shows multiplied my insecurities. I didn’t have any positive women role models, and I was searching for acceptance.

At 15, I began dressing and acting in a provocative way to get attention.

I was baiting myself for men who saw me as easy prey.

I got attention from men but remained empty inside. The attention didn’t feel good.

At 19, I thought I finally found someone who was interested in me.

He took me to fancy restaurants and bought me jewelry, designer clothes and shoes. I thought he was the one I would marry.

One abortion and two children later, I found out he wasn’t.

He controlled me. I didn’t have a voice. He made every decision for me. But I stayed with him.

We were together for seven years. I was faithful to him though he was unfaithful to me. Whatever he wanted, if it was in my ability, I gave it to him: a clean house, cooked food, washed and ironed clothes,

Raneish Hurth-Brown @TheEtCetera

packed lunches, notes in his pockets to encourage him throughout his work day. To make him happy I went on diets to lose weight and altered the way I dressed and wore my hair.

The more I tried pleasing him, the more I lost my authentic self.

I said yes to all of his requests and commands. I thought if I gave him what he wanted, he wouldn’t cheat on me and would finally make me his wife.

I was miserable and felt my life had no purpose. I became numb because I was no longer living for myself.

I went through his phone several times and saw messages from another woman, the same woman he had been seeing since I was pregnant with our first son. He promised he would stop talking to her and changed his phone number.

After discovering messages again, I was angry and confronted him. He said someone else gave the woman his number, but I did not believe him.

I went back into the bathroom, sat on the floor and cried. I remember thinking to myself, “There has

got to be something better than this.”

I began reading about God’s love and how Jesus died so that I may live. I realized that was true love, the one I had always longed for.

I began building a personal relationship with God through Jesus.

The more I spent time with God, the more I began to love myself and learned who I was. I discovered my voice and began using it by letting him know what I expected.

For an entire year we ignored each other. He slept on the couch, and I slept in the bedroom.

I thought that by making this stand, he would do right and marry me. He hated my change and threatened to leave.

For months his things were packed by the front door, and I never knew when he would leave.

One night in February 2016 I took our youngest son Joseph to the emergency room he had gotten sick over the weekend. He was discharged we went home and all his things were gone. It was so wrong the way he left, but for once I finally felt peace.

The entire time we lived together I was not able to freely listen to worship music, to pray without him getting upset with me about it. I finally felt free to be me. I began writing poetry again and went to different cities and churches sharing my story,

telling others about how I got my voice back after years of being silent.

I began to enjoy this new freedom. I was not looking for a man, but men came my way. One gained my attention because we shared some of the same interests.

We had both been through a lot and were rebuilding ourselves. We bonded through prayer and attended church together. He seemed to be a sweet guy, he was very respectful and appeared to be a family man.

He proposed to me suddenly and we set a date to get married.

Then I became pregnant and saw another side of him that I had never seen.

When he didn’t get a job he wanted, he became angry and shut me out. We never got married and had many conflicts throughout my pregnancy.

He wanted me to abort the baby, but I chose to keep her and leave him.

So, ladies, do not compromise yourself just to have a man, You are valuable, and there is an authentic guy just for you, so do not settle for a counterfeit.

For years I thought my value came from being with men. Thanks to Jesus, I discovered my treasure within.

—Raneisha Hurth-Brown is a contributor and an early childhood education major

Wrapup The Et Cetera

11 eastfieldnews.com

Identity put on display by students Continued from page 3 ➤ “I knew who I was by the time I was 4 years old,” Silva said, “but I didn’t come out to anybody until I was a freshman in high school. I gained confidence in myself, and I didn’t want to hide who I was anymore.”

Silva said the coming-out process was frustrating and confusing at first because friends and family “didn’t get it,” but it wasn’t long before they felt accepted. While the LGBTQ movement has been around for decades, major advancements in LGBTQ rights have been fairly recent. Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015, and popular politicians like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have only recently publicly supported same-sex marriage –Obama in 2012 and Clinton in 2015. A Gallup poll published in May showed that support in the U.S. for gay marriage was at 63 percent.

This year the United States Supreme Court is hearing multiple cases related

to LGBTQ rights.

Including three cases about work place discrimination and whether employers can fire employees based on their sexual orientation or identity.

Not all cultures show this same level of support for the LGBTQ community.

Kayle Rodriguez, an Eastfield student, sat toward the back of the Hive with her completely dyed T-shirt in a small bundle on the table in front of her. Rodriguez does not identify as LGBTQ, but she chose to dye her shirt in the rainbow colors of the pride flag out of love and respect for them.

Rodriguez, whose parents are from Mexico, said she is disturbed by the rejection that LGBTQ individuals experience in the Hispanic culture. Hispanics tend to hold to the traditional view of marriage, and it is difficult for some of them to accept the LGBTQ perspective. Rodriguez said she has had friends whose families kicked them out of the house for identifying as LGBTQ.

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“As Latinos, we need to support our own people who are LGBTQ,” she said.

“No more violence, no more egoism.

We need to show humility.”

The Express Yourself event was originally supposed to last for two hours, but within 45 minutes all the Tshirts were gone due to the large number of students who participated.

In addition to being fun, Carew said the event was designed to be a learning experience for those who were not familiar with the LGBTQ community.

As someone who considers himself as an “ally in training,” he said he hoped the students who attended took some lessons away.

“Eastfield is a place that is making strides for students to feel comfortable no matter what creed, race, ethnicity or affiliation or identity they bring to the table,” he said. “At the end of the day, you are still a Harvester and we are harvesting together.”

—Elijah Delgado contributed to this report.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Dia de los Muertos

RORY MOORE/THE ET CETERA

Celeste Canales gets her face painted at the Dia de los Muertos Celebration in the Hive on Nov.1.

12

WRAP-UP

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Madpuffy Comics By Jesus Madrid

Tee off with Tealer

SIRGIO RUVALCABA/THE ET CETERA

Lesley Duncan, social work major, and President Eddie Tealer square off at the Tee Off with Tealer meet the president event.

NEWS

Briefs Eastfield Alumni honored Alejandra Salcedo, a recent graduate of Texas A&M commerce and part-time employee in the Arts & Communication division was given the Emerging Alumni Award at the District ceremony on Oct. 11.

Blake Flickner, a former point guard for the Harvesters in the 1990s when his dad, Robert Flickner was the coach, was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Blake is now the head coach for Dallas Baptist University.

Guitarists win competition Four music majors with the Eastfield guitar department were prize recipients at the 12th bi-annual Collin College Guitar Competition. Pedro Giron won second place in the freshman division, while Ernesto Medrano won first place in the sophomore division.

Georgina Ramos Avalos got third place in the sophomore category and Calvin Neason was given an honorable mention in the same category.

A day at the art museum

On Nov. 23 people of Eastfield will have the opportunity to go on a tour of the Dallas Art Museum and listen to a discussion by professor Erica Stephens about the painting Scene of Three Murders by Julie Bozzi.

People wanting to attend can meet at 11:15 a.m. in the lobby outside of the DMA cafe and the tour will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Field trip to Oklahoma Up to 20 students can take a field trip to the Chickasaw reservation in Oklahoma on Nov. 25 as a part of Native American Heritage Month.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the Chickasaw Stomp Dance and culture.

Attendees will leave Eastfield at 7 a.m. and return to campus at 6 p.m.

To sign up, visit eastfield college. edu/oklahoma

Registration open Registration for spring 2020 opens Nov. 19 for returning students and Nov. 25 for all students. Visit eastfieldcollege.edu to set up an advising appointment.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI DANN

Last year’s Et Cetera crew after the year-end dinner in May at El Fenix in Mesquite.

Et Cetera keeps up winning Pace For the first time in its history, The Et Cetera received a Pacemaker award for general excellence in online content at the National Media Convention in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 2.

This marks the fourth Pacemaker, given by the Associated Collegiate Press, The Et Cetera has won in the past eight years. The previous three were for its print edition.

Previous Editor in Chief Aria Jones said it was a collective effort by everyone who contributed last year and that this award reflects the quality of education offered at Eastfield.

“It’s the collaboration we have at The Et Cetera,” Jones said. “Something that set The Et Cetera apart was people’s ability to really work together and think about … how we wanted to best serve our community.”

On top of having an accessible layout, judges also look at the overall content of the website to determine the winners.

Roughly 10 percent of entries end up winning a Pacemaker, according to the ACP website.

Sarah Sheldon, student media manager for The Et Cetera, said the award is a testament of long hours and hard work put in by the staff.

“I’m just one small part of what y’all do, but it’s exciting for me,” she said. “It’s exciting for the other advisers, and I know it’s exciting for you all because while we just offer suggestions on what to do [for improvement], you all [the students] are the ones that actually have to do it.”

On top of winning an online Pacemaker, The Et Cetera was a Pacemaker finalist for its print edition, which is judged on graphics, design, coverage of campus news and strong editorials.

Six staff members were also honored with individual awards from the ACP and College Media Association.

The six finalists were David Silva, Anthony Lazon, James Hartley, Jesus Madrid, Esther Moreno and Skye Seipp.

The ACP also judged current publications for its Best of Show category, where The Et Cetera website won first place.