Eastfield Et Cetera Sept. 26, 2018

Motherly love Theater professor takes on motherhood, teaching, acting Eastfield College

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

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Volume 50, Issue 3

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Financing free speech

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Calendar Wed

26

September

Recital: guitarist Rodolfo Perez Berrelleza, 1 p.m., F-117 Celebration of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Lower Courtyard Careers in Nursing seminar, 1-2:30 p.m., S-100

Thu

Celebration of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Lower Courtyard

Fri

Blood Drive, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., bus outside S building

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Celebration of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Lower Courtyard Fun Friday, Learn to set goals and better organize your life and time, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., The Hive

Mon

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Tue

2

October

Coffee and the Common Book, discussion of “Maus” and coffee, 11:30 a.m., library Coffee with the Cops, meet and greet with campus police, 9-10 a.m., The Hive Ted Talk Tuesday: Global Issues, 12:30-1:15 p.m., The Hive National Night Out, music, games, vendors and food, 6:30-9 p.m., parking lot 8 and lawn

by F building, screening of “Coco” at 7 p.m., free and open to the public

Wed

3

Part-Time and Seasonal Job Fair, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., C-135 Honors Program Open House, 12:30-1:30 p.m., S-100 Recital: Mosaic Latin Band, 1 p.m., F-117

Thu

Mobile Food Pantry, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., parking lot 8 near G building, rain location G-101

Fri

Student Government Association meeting, 1011:30 a.m., C-297

4 5

ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MANUEL GUAPO

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Expert: Defunding of student newspapers a troubling trend

By JAMES HARTLEY Digital Editor @ByJamesHartley

The ways students share their voices are facing changes, and in some cases attacks, across the nation, according to Mike Hiestand, Student Press Law Center senior legal counsel.

While Arts and Communications Dean Courtney Carter Harbour said student media at Eastfield is valued and important, that’s not the case everywhere.

The University of North Texas student newspaper, the North Texas Daily, has faced backlash from administration and was told recently that they would be “weaned off ” student services funding over the next three years.

The student newspaper at Arizona State University is also facing funding cuts and each year there are new stories of students being expelled or newspapers being shut down because of unpopular or unflattering coverage.

A UNT spokeswoman said the university does not make decisions on student services funding themselves but rather uses a student council, comprised of members selected by the Student Government Association and the university president.

Muhammad Kara, president of UNT’s Student Government Association, said he supports student media but was not on the committee that decided funding.

UNT officials familiar with the committee’s decision were not available for comment by press time.

North Texas Daily Editor in Chief Alec Spicer said he didn’t notice the hostility from college administration until he became editor, but that aggression has been there.

It was especially clear to him when the UNT president made comments on NT Daily coverage during a Donald Trump Jr. speech hosted by the university.

“The UNT president called the NT Daily ‘fake news’ at the Trump Jr. event because of our coverage,” Spicer said. “They did not like our coverage. That may have contributed to this.”

Hieeistand said backlash from opinions or reporting unpopular news is one reason some student media gets defunded.

In those cases, student journalists

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Texas has the oldest collegiate press organization in the U.S., the Texas Intecollegiate Press Association.

have legal options for recourse, such as suing their college or university.

The problem for student journalists in that position is that malicious intent can sometimes be hard to prove.

NT Daily Copy Editor and Designer Parker Ward, a former Et Cetera editor, said funding cuts spell the end of NT Daily summer publication.

“If this budget continues this way we won’t even be able to pay the editor in chief for the summer edition,” Ward said. “There won’t be a summer edition.”

Spicer said the funding cuts mean no money for a print issue in the summer. The only way it would be produced is with a fully volunteer staff and online-only stories.

Chris Evans, president of the College Media Association, said defunding student media goes against a university’s duty to educate.

“One of the duties of a student press organization is to educate and bring up future journalists, and if you’re defunding and silencing students then you aren’t educating them,” Evans said.

He said that universities that defund student media also remove a tool students can use to lead important conversations on their campus.

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Former Et Cetera reporter Narely Martin talks with Jeff Cornelius during an interview for a feature about tea.

“If you cut off the student voice then students are voiceless,” Evans said. “You don’t have the ability to point out issues that need attention drawn to them. You don’t have the ability to lead in the conversation.

It allows the basically government of the college, the administration, to lead the discussion and set the narrative.”

Harbour said funding for student media goes to more than training future journalists.

As a former student journalist, Harbour said she has a unique appreciation for the work done by student media, including training the staff in skills useful outside news media.

“Engaging in activities included in journalism and student media allows students to grow their marketable

skills,” Harbour said. “It’s for more than just journalism majors, especially at Eastfield. It’s communication skills, being able to handle criticism.”

Harbour said students sometimes come under fire for unpopular viewpoints in the opinion section or their work or quotes may be called into question. Being able to work and move on under that pressure is an important skill, she said.

Harbour, Spicer and Kara all said student media also gives a unique outlet for student voices.

“We don’t just have journalism students here,” Spicer said. “We have art students and science students. We have students from all over the university. If we don’t have money they don’t have this place to come and grow and practice skills.”

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www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

College recycling searches for improvements

By JAMES EYRE Reporter @TheEtCetera

Terrance Wickman, math professor and sustainability coordinator at Eastfield, said the college has a lot of work to do with its green programs.

He describes the overall success of recycling efforts as dismal.

Wickman said he partially blames the fact there is no profit involved in recycling.

“It’s not very lucrative anymore,” he said. “But people don’t always have to do things because they have to make money. Sometimes, you do things because it’s better for the environment.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, benefits of recycling include waste reduction, protection of natural resources such as water and timber, energy conservation, reduced pollution and reduced greenhouse admissions, which re-

sults in less climate change and decreased risk of contracting an airborne illness.

In his role as sustainability coordinator, Wickman works with members of the other colleges in the Dallas County Community College District to create a healthier and cleaner environment for students and employees.

Michael Brantley, Eastfield’s facilities manager, said the campus has recycled 151,318 pounds of recyclable materials so far in 2018.

For every ton of paper, recycling saved an estimated 17 trees, 41,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water.

The number of recycle bins available on campus has also steadily increased over the years, Brantley said.

However, Wickman and Brantley, as well as many other faculty and students, continue to find there is a long way to go.

“A national study shows that the amount of recyclable material ar-

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

According to college employees, mixing recyclable items and trash is hindering sustainability efforts on campus.

riving at recovery facilities in some states has dropped and this is more than likely due to the fallen cost of rebounding material,” Brantley said.

“It leaves the industry struggling to make a profit.”

Wickman said that littering has also become an increasing issue on

campus in recent years, and that the majority of the litter is recyclable.

Glass, paper, aluminum, steel, and organic waste are all materials that can be recycled at Eastfield.

Lillian Vasquez, a member of the Student Government Association, believes many students are under-

educated about what can and cannot be recycled.

“I think recycling rates are low because students may not be educated on what they can recycle,” Vasquez said. “The campus does not specify.

The school could inform and better educate students on what can be recycled and where exactly to put it.”

Eder Hernandez, an accounting major, believes that an increase in public service announcements on recycling would motivate young people to take action.

“I think more TV ads at home and poster signs at schools would help,” Hernandez said. “It would increase participation of recycling through teaching correctly.”

In November, on a date yet to be determined, Eastfield will host an Arbor Day program dedicated to planting trees. Wickman believes that the event, open to all, will attract students, faculty and staff to contribute to improving the campus.

College combats sexual assault

By SAMUEL FARLEY Reporter @SamFarleyETC

On campuses today college women are falling victim to sexual assault and harassment yet a recent study shows that across nine universities surveyed only 12.5 percent of women reported their attacks to authorities.

According to a 2016 campus climate survey done by the Bureau of Justice, one in five female college students reported being sexually assaulted. The study was conducted across nine universities and interviewed 15,000 women.

The study defined assault as rape and sexual battery such as forced kissing, touching, grabbing, and fondling.

It found that the average victimization incidence rate was 54 per 1000, or 810 total incidences, with only 12.5 percent, or 65 incidences, being reported.

A similar 2015 study done by the Association of American Universities noted that reasons why women don’t speak out immediately is that they don’t consider it serious, they’re too afraid to speak out, or they don’t think anything will be done.

Eastfield has recently been approved $300,000 by the Department of Justice under the Violence Against Women Act to help victims of sexual assault.

Professional counselor Jaime Torres and project coordinator Courtney Pickens are creating the first ever Coordinated Community Response team.

The team aims to also raise awareness about violence against women by hosting workshops that focus on prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and domestic violence.

“We want to provide students with opportunities to

learn new sexual violence prevention skills,” Torres said.

Tayla Lowe, media arts major, said she has experienced sexual harassment on the Eastfield campus.

“I have had guys catcall me in the parking lot many times,” she said. “They will honk their horn at me. It’s inappropriate but kinda the norm now.”

The CCR team hopes to encourage students to address these kinds of bad social norms.

Pickens mentioned that Eastfield’s website is another way students can report an incident if they don’t feel comfortable going to campus police in person.

Pickens said students can find a information on Eastfield’s website homepage.

Students should look for the picture of a bullhorn and the words “stay safe” for information on Title IX and how to file a report anonymously.

Title IX is an amendment which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex which includes harassment and sexual violence.

Picken and Torres said that students are welcome to join the CCR team but that dates for the workshops are still being scheduled.

Trinity, a communications major said “ I feel really good that there is this team of defenders here on campus, I would definitely be a part of that.”

For Pickens, the CCR team has a purpose to reach farther then Eastfield.

“Even if there are assault or harassment situations happening off campus that still affects our students,” Pickens said. “And if we are going to call ourselves a community college we need to address the needs of the community.”

To contact campus police for an emergency, students can call 972-860-4290 or visit them directly in room N-112.

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Texas-size Tug-of-War Cruz-O’Rourke race heats up with debates

By ARIA JONES Editor in Chief @AriaJonesETC

Democratic congressman Beto O’Rourke and Republican incumbent Senator Ted Cruz duked it out Sept. 21 in Dallas at the first of three U.S. Senate debates, touching on issues of immigration, gun control and kneeling during the national anthem.

Two more debates are scheduled, one at the University of Houston on Sunday and another in San Antonio on Oct. 16.

“It seems to be close at this point,” said Cal Jilson, an expert in political science at Southern Methodist University, the host of the event.

“My assumption is that Cruz probably narrowly wins in the end unless O’Rourke can continue to climb in the polls and get ahead by 4, 5, 6 points by the time early voting starts, in which case he could actually win it. But my guess is that Cruz wins.”

Jilson said this type of race is rare and hasn’t been seen in Texas politics since the last quarter century or so.

“The most unusual part of this race is that Beto O’Rourke has generated a lot of excitement, a lot of fundraising,” Jilson said. “He has all the money he’ll need to make his case to the Texas electorate and we’ll see how it turns out.”

Although polls show the senate seat within reach for O’Rourke, the last time Texans elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate was in 1994. Incumbents like Cruz had a 95 percent re-election rate in the 2014 midterm and Texas also has low voter turnout, ranking last in voter participation during the 2014 midterm.

“The best way to get a sense of

how well [O’Rourke] is doing and how excited Democrats are about his race is to look at Lupe Valdez, who’s been Democratic candidate f o r Governor,” Jilson said.

“She can’t raise any money, she’s 20 points down in the polls and you almost never see newspaper stories about her.”

Cruz was elected as a U.S. Senator for Texas in 2012 and ran against Donald Trump for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016.

O’Rourke has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas’ 16th congressional district in El Paso since 2013 and served on the El Paso City Council from 2005 to 2011.

During the debate, Cruz said his stance on immigration is simple: “Legal, good. Illegal, bad.”

He said that granting citizenship to people who are here illegally would be a serious mistake.

He added that the U.S. should increase border security and build a border wall while welcoming legal immigrants.

O’Rourke said it is time to bring people out of the shadows; DACA recipients should have an earned path to citizenship.

“There’s no better people than those of us here in this state, Republicans and Democrats, Independents alike… to rewrite our immigration laws in our own image,” he said.

Cruz was asked about the shooting of Botham Jean by off-duty Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger said that O’Rourke should wait for due process before condemning the officer and calling for her to be fired.

“If she violated the law, if she did that intentionally, she’ll face the consequences,” Cruz said of Guyger. “But without knowing the facts, before a trial, before a jury has heard the evidence, Congressman O’Rourke is ready to convict her.”

Cruz condemned what he called O’Rourke’s lack of support for law enforcement, saying the congressman is quick to side against police.

O’Rourke said his family ties to police gave him special insight to law enforcement and the responsibilities of law enforcement to protect and serve all of members of the community the same.

He said that the statistics showing a trend of racial prejudice in law enforcement indicate they are not fulfilling that responsibility.

“African Americans represent 13 percent of the population in this country,” said O’Rourke. “They represent one third of those who are shot by law enforcement. We have something wrong.”

He said that Republicans, Democrats, law enforcement and the community need to work together for meaningful criminal justice reform.

Cruz said he believes rights should be protected regardless of someone’s race or ethnicity but violence against police is a problem.

“I was here in Dallas when five police officers were gunned down because of hateful and irresponsible rhetoric,” he said.

The moderators also asked O’Rourke about his stance on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem and he compared the players’ actions to civil rights marchers and freedom riders.

O’Rourke said there are two sets of criminal justice systems depending on someone’s race.

The nonviolent protests, he said, are standing up for everyone’s rights in the country and there is nothing more American.

He reminded the audience of protests during the civil rights era and said the peaceful kneeling during the nation anthem is a continuation of peaceful protests during that era.

Cruz said a reason he is a Republi-

can is because civil rights legislation was passed with the “overwhelming” support of Republicans.

According to Cruz, it was the “Dixiecrats” that were imposing Jim Crow and Democrats who were beating protesters in that era.

“Regardless of what race or ethnicity, every human being is a creation of God that our constitution protects,” he said.

Cruz said civil rights protesters like Martin Luther King Jr. would be astonished by how protesters disrespect the flag by burning it.

During the debate, both candidates accused the other of being untruthful.

At one point, the candidates began arguing out of turn after Cruz claimed that O’Rourke wants to see the Supreme Court writing the Second Amendment out of the Bill of Rights.

O’Rourke was adamant about his support for the Second Amendment but was then asked about his support for universal background checks and an assault weapons ban.

“Weapons of war belong on the battlefield, not in our schools, our churches, our concerts or our public life,” he said.

Cruz said there are factors that contribute to mass shootings that have nothing to do with government.

“They have things to do with removing God from the public square,” Cruz said. “Like losing the moral foundation of much of our society.

Like losing the binds of community and family.”

Cruz said that he supports funding for increasing school safety, with armed police officers and metal detectors.

When O’Rourke was asked about his drunk driving arrest in 1988, he denied claims that he tried to flee the scene, but Cruz brought up

O’Rourke’s history of introducing legislation that makes it easier for people with drug convictions to get driver’s licenses.

“It is part of a pattern,” Cruz said.

“There is a consistent pattern when it comes to drug use that in every single instance, Congressman O’Rourke supports more of it.”

Cruz said that O’Rourke also advocated for a national debate on legalizing all narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.

O’Rourke said he doesn’t want to legalize heroin, cocaine or fentanyl but he wants to end the prohibition on marijuana.

To close the debate, the candidates were asked to say something nice about their opponent.

O’Rourke said he related to the sacrifices Cruz has made to his family serving as senator, and praised his dedication to public service.

Cruz shared that same sentiment about O’Rourke, but then compared him to Bernie Sanders.

“He is not doing anything differently than what he has normally done and that Republicans normally do,” said Jilson. “He’s running a conservative campaign that focuses on immigration and border control, so he is running against liberalism and socialism as a conservative Republican. Whether people are moved by those kinds of labels or not, we will see in the election.”

Jilson said the debate did not present a clear result for either side, but it provided other benefits to voters hoping to understand the candidates.

“I think it was revealing,” he said.

“I don’t think there was a clear winner or a clear loser. Both campaigns did well in the debate.”

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www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday,September 26, 2018

THE HOT TOPIC

Why do you believe is voting important?

Cassidy Elam Sign Language Major

Luis Garcia Mechatronics Major

Alana Roberts Dual Credit Student

Carl Knight Anatomy Professor

Tiffany Unatyng Dual Credit Student

Joel Martinez Biology Major

Vilai Thonginh Campus Police Officer

“It’s important to vote.

If you choose not to vote you might still have a voice, but you aren’t giving a specific voice.

It’s important to vote because it’s standing up for what you believe in.”

“A lot of people have different opinions on different things. If you choose the right person to speak for you, it will get your opinions out there.”

“Every vote is important. Every vote counts.

People get discouraged because they think one vote isn’t enough.”

“I was brought up so that voting was very important. In the national elections, if it wasn’t for voting we would be in serious trouble, more serious than we are.”

“If you don’t vote you won’t have a say in anything. Everybody deserves to be heard. If you do have an opinion or if you care about something in this world, you should vote.”

“Being able to practice our rights is important.

It helps us to choose who we want to be represented by.”

“It’s a privilege for people of all ages to voice their opinion … if you don’t use that you can’t really complain.

It’s a chance for you to make a difference. One voice and many voices can make a difference.”

Want to see more? Visit eastfieldnews.com for more responses. eastfieldnews.com

Go transfer to a brighter future.

Begin a journey that will lead you to greater things at Texas Woman’s University. We support students from beginning to end, helping transfer in credits more easily than at other universities. And check out our new Institute for Women’s Leadership.

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Sports

Sept. 26 Sept. 28 Oct. 1 Oct. 8

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Soccer vs. Southwestern University Soccer vs. Mountain View Volleyball vs. North Lake Volleyball vs. Cedar Valley

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7 p.m.

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Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Twins bring special chemistry to team

By COLIN TAYLOR Contributor @ColinTaylerETC

Eastfield volleyball coach Brandon Crisp tries to instill a culture of family within his squad, but sophomores Jade and Mica Turner have taken the phrase “your team is your family” to a more literal place. The fraternal, or non-identical, twins joined the program two years ago after impressing Crisp at a high school tournament in San Antonio.

They played on the same side of the court through most of their childhood. While they weren’t always together during club volleyball, the twins wore the same colors playing for their middle school and Smithville High School after that.

“You can definitely tell just by watching them play together that they’ve been together for years now,” sophomore setter Kalli Caddell said.

Their on-court chemistry made them stand out, Crisp said, and their friendly and outgoing nature was a good fit at Eastfield.

“It’s probably the best bonding we’ve ever had with a team before,” Mica said.

Despite the potential Crisp saw in the twins, he was the only coach to offer them a shot at playing college volleyball.

“He gave us a brief description of the college, what he’s done already with everyone so far, and it sounded pretty interesting,” Jade said.

The Turner Twins Stats for this season

Mica Turner Setter

12 services asces 113 assists 44 Digs 1 error

JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA

Jade Turner, left, and her twin sister Mica are sophomores on Eastfield’s volleyball team. The athletes were members of last year’s national championship volleyball squad.

Crisp said he never viewed the sisters as a package deal. The offer to join the squad was extended to both as individuals.

“If one says yes, that’s fantastic,” Crisp said. “And if the other says yes, even better.”

Jade said that appreciation of the twins’ individuality is a breath of fresh air.

“As twins we’re always categorized

together, so sometimes we like our little space,” Jade said.

Their play helped Eastfield win its first ever national volleyball championship last year. As freshmen, Jade played in 33 sets at right side hitter and had 13 kills and 10 digs, while Mica played in 38 sets with 135 assists, 14 service aces and 29 digs as a setter.

The women said their experience

at Eastfield, both academic and athletic, has exceeded their expectations.

“I love it. It’s fun. The people are great,” Jade said. “The classes are small so you don’t have to worry about being shy.”

“And we got a national championship under our belt,” Mica added.

Freshman captain and outside hitter Catherine Mudd sees some distinct differences in the sisters’ personalities.

“Mica, I feel, is a little more outgoing,” Mudd said. “She’s definitely one to start up a conversation right away.

Jade is more soft spoken and sweet.”

Mudd said the two may bicker, as most siblings do, but there’s never a

Jade Turner Right side hitter 3 kills 1 error .250 hitting percentage 3 points

worry about it affecting them on the court. They’re both reliable, she said.

“They’ve always been good to each other and that always helps us on the court because we know that they’re always OK,” Mudd said.

The two have spent their whole lives together, but at the end of the day they are each individuals, each with different goals. Mica wants to transfer closer to home and play sand volleyball at Texas A&M’s Corpus Christi campus, while Jade hopes to end up at an NCAA Division I school where she can pursue her volleyball dreams.

“I just wanna go wherever volleyball takes me,” Jade said.

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Life &Arts The Et Cetera

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www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

The grand stage of life

Professor puts family first, keeps theater in her schedule

By YESENIA ALVARADO Managing Editor @YeseniaA_ETC

With eyes locked on the stage of the eclectically laid out Pocket Sandwich Theatre, Dusty Reasons-Thomas watches a cast of local actors as they run through a performance of “The Foreigner.”

Chuckles can be heard throughout the theater from crew members as Charlie, the focus of the play, talks in a made-up language over the phone, winding the phone cord around himself and getting tangled up in the process.

Some cast members study their coffee-stained playbooks in booths around the stage.

During the rehearsal, costume designer Sarah Hern shows Thomas some of her ensembles.

Hern compliments Thomas for incorporating her humor into the play and casting the production so well. As director, Thomas has to make sure the cast and crew are meeting her vision for the work.

“Theatre is the most collaborative art,” she said. “We have visual art. We have movement.

We have sound and music. And so many people working together to create a product that is enjoyable but also a piece of art.”

Thomas, the Drama Program Coordinator at Eastfield, doesn’t get frustrated when one of the actors forgets a line, they keep going and she meets with them in between scenes.

Thomas has done professional theatre for more than 15 years.

Growing up, she was always surrounded by films. Her father, a movie buff, could be found in front of a screen at two in the morning.

“I was watching scary movies with my dad when I was four,” Thomas said. “I probably shouldn’t have because I would get nightmares and my mom would get so mad.”

Her parents divorced when she was five and although she lived with her mom, she spent as much time as she could with her dad.

“My dad was probably my biggest supporter when it came to theater,” she said. “I was in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ my senior year of high school at the community theater and my dad and my brother drove by to see me. My dad said that as soon as I came on stage he just started crying.”

As a 19-year-old college freshman in Branson, Missouri, Thomas starred in the “Shepherd of the Hills” play, her first professional gig.

She remembers seeing her father in the same show when she was a kid, but as the bad guy.

She went back to perform each year for five seasons.

Through her undergraduate studies, Thomas continued to perform at local theaters. She took a year off before graduate school and worked for her aunt, who was an event planner. Even when she wasn’t in school, she was constantly working in the industry.

While working towards her master’s degree in theater at Oklahoma City University, she also worked at the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. In her time there, she realized how much she liked teaching and working with children.

After graduating, she got an internship at NBC Universal in LA and sold everything she owned to move there. Due to a writer strike the internship fell through, but she stayed in LA and worked for Theatre East, along with other theaters in the area.

Thomas did some acting as an extra for films and waited tables but didn’t earn enough to make a living.

She decided to leave LA and move closer to Missouri, where her family still lived. She accepted a job at the Dallas Children’s Theatre.

With a minor in journalism, she was also an adviser for the student newspaper at Richland See Drama, page 13 ➤

PHOTOS BY YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Top, Thomas and her 3-year-old daughter Charlie watch a Poteet football game with their family at Mesquite Memorial Stadium. Bottom, Sarah Hern disusses costume ensembles with Dusty for “The Foreigner” play at the Pocket Sandwich Theatre.

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LIFE&ARTS

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

@TheEtCetera

The Et Cetera

Stepping into Battle Royale Fortnite, a free-to-play online shooter game, has kept kids, teenagers, broke college students, hardcore gamers and filthy casuals boarding the battle bus for a year with more than 125 million players.

Its success in spite of not charging anyone to play has rocked the gaming world. Epic Games first announced Fortnite back in the dinosaur age of 2011.

Originally conceptualized as a tower defense game

like “Bloons Tower Defense” or “Plants vs. Zombies,” Epic Games drew inspiration from Pixar, Tim Burton and Looney Tunes for Fortnite’s cartoony aesthetic, as they wanted to avoid the darker tone most modern shooter games have.

The battle royale mode is the most popular way to play Fortnite, with the basic premise being a last-manstanding survival fight between 100 players.

Players begin the game by skydiving over a huge map with varied locations to collect loot, weapons and building materials to defeat and outlive opponents.

If a player is eliminated, they can continue to watch the opponent who defeated them.

The game’s success has experts and onlookers alike questioning the business model and format of traditional video games.

Why those kids keep talking about “Tilted Towers” In a survey of 1,000 Fortnite players made by lendEDU, 35 percent of participants admitted they have skipped class to play Fortnite, and 20.5 percent admitted to missing work to play the game.

The average participant spent between six to 10 hours per week playing Fortnite, with the average play session lasting 21.6 minutes. In May and June alone, players spent 2.7 billion hours playing the game, according to Apptopia.

Oslynn Williams, a digital media professor who plays Fortnite, said the game’s simplistic nature allows it to appeal to a wide audience.

He said the game is different than other first-person shooter games, like Call of Duty, where a character can die and come back to life.

“With Fortnite, you die,” said Williams. “That’s it. You’re out.”

The adrenaline of knowing that you only have one life in Fortnite is what he said makes the game more interesting.

Fortnite Battle Royale does not sell anything that gives an advantage in gameplay to its players, so for anyone looking for pay-to-win games, go back to Candy Crush Saga.

The game receives widespread attention on websites like YouTube and Twitch.

Many people who don’t play the game still enjoy watching others play as a form of entertainment.

Warner Bell, an employee who works in the Information Technology department, said that while he is an avid PC gamer, he hasn’t had time to

try playing Fortnite.

“I do a lot of YouTube watching, so there’s all kinds of guys on YouTube watching it, throwing Fortnite parties, and so I’ve just been watching videos when I have time,” he said. “But I haven’t actually got around to playing the game itself.”

The game’s exposure has been boosted by the support of celebrities. On March 14, popular Twitch streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins held a Fortnite stream with Canadian rapper Drake, American rapper Travis Scott and wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers Juju SmithSchuster.

More than 628,000 people watched live as the squad played, setting an all-time, non-tournament Twitch viewership record.

Fortnite cross-platform compatibility Platforms

Mac and Windows PC

Mobile

Xbox One PS4 Nintendo Switch

Mac and Windows PC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Mobile

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Xbox One

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

PS4

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Nintendo Switch

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

By Andrew Walter

LIFE&ARTS

9

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Who plays Fortnite According to PC Games Network, Fortnite’s record active monthly player count has reached 40 million. At one point, 3.4 million players were playing the game at the same time.

David Chien, adviser to video game club, said the spectator aspect of Fortnite makes the game fun even if you lose.

“The video game, for the longest time, has always been played by a group of people, to personally enjoy within your own teammates,” he said.

“Fortnite changes the game. When you lose, you’re still entertained. You’re not waiting like ‘Oh my gosh. Okay, I have to wait [for] two people trying to fight it out and it’s kinda boring.’ In Fortnite, you never know what’s going to happen next.”

For anyone, who doubts they’d play the game because they think they would be bad at it, know that user “Elemental_Ray” set the single-game kills record when he destroyed a platform that caused 48 players to be eliminated by fall damage. “Elemental_Ray” had an abysmal 0.47 kill-to-death ratio and 0.6 percent win rate at the time.

Fortnite entices players by offering weekly challenges. Completing these challenges allows players to unlock free rewards. If they purchase the season’s battle pass, they automatically receive some exclusive rewards and are given bonus challenges to unlock even more rewards.

Veteran players will purchase skins, emotes and dances to flaunt their skills. Buying the paid content is a common way that players try to gain status within the community.

They don’t want to be associated with any noskins, or players who don’t spend any money.

Chien hinted at the possibility of hosting Fortnite tournaments with other community colleges.

“I’ve been trying to get into contact with other gaming clubs within the DCCCD,” he said. “They’re in contact with our president, Diego Seguinot, to possibly [hold] an inter-college friendly match of different types of games. We do have the equipment, we do have the bandwidth, so all I’d just have to do is set up a time to [have] these schools play together. I think it would be a lot of fun.”

“The video game, for the longest time, has always been played by a group of people...

Fortnite changes the game.

When you lose, you’re still entertained. ” -DAVID CHIEN

Money talks Fortnite reached its peak monthly revenue in May with $318 million made from in-game purchases.

This made it the biggest free-toplay game by monthly active users and revenue.

The game’s business model of micro-transactions has helped video game developer Epic Games earn more than $1 billion from in-game purchases from October 2017 to May 2018, according to a report from market research firm Superdata. This means that every dollar Epic Games rakes in isn’t because somebody downloaded the game, it’s because they played the game and decided to spend money on add-ons.

Fortnite features two game modes: “Fortnite Battle Royale” and “Fortnite: Save the World.”

Save the World costs $20. Battle Royale is free, but offers in-game purchases for battle passes, unique skins, emotes and dances.

Kevin Quintana, a nursing major, has spent about $10 on in-game purchases.

“I learned [about Fortnite] from high school,” he said. “Some kids were talking about it in my class and I got into it because supposedly it was free. That was like the main hook of it.”

Leslie Velasco, an electrical engineering major, said that her 7-yearold brother begs their mom for her credit card to buy Fortnite skins.

Velasco said her boyfriend has spent more than $700 on the game.

“My boyfriend, when he didn’t have a job, he was a full-time Fortnite player,” she said. “I would always get mad at him because he would play Fortnite and not text me. Am I more boring than the game? What I did to ignore that was I started playing Fortnite. I’m like, ‘you know what? I’m gonna play video games too. I’m gonna ignore you and play

video games.’ ” You’re probably wondering why someone would spend anywhere from $10 to $700 for a funny dance that references pop culture. Why wouldn’t someone drop some dough for the ability to perform the “Ride The Pony,” “Groove Jam” or “Fresh” in game?

Each dance is a reference to South Korean music artist Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” the iconic dance from “Napoleon Dynamite” and Carlton’s signature dance from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” respectively.

Oslynn Williams said that while he hasn’t bought anything for the game, his son will usually spend his allowance money on new character skins.

“That’s one thing my son and I talk about, because he’s bought $20 skins and stuff ,” he said. “I tell him all the time ‘you get a skin, but two or three weeks later, it’s like old news’.”

“With Fortnite, you die. That’s it. You’re out.”

-OSLYNN WILLIAMS

Illustrations by Aldahir Segovia/The Et Cetera

10 Wednesday, September 26, 2018

LIFE&ARTS @TheEtCetera

COMMON BOOK “Maus” is Eastfield’s common book for the 2018-2019 academic year. The author, Art Spiegelman, will give a keynote lecture on campus Oct. 17.

The Et Cetera

LIFE&ARTS

11

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

HIDDEN GEM

Unrefined provides sweets with no restrictions

By JOCYLN VENTURA Reporter @TheEtCetera

Almost a decade ago, the food-sensitive people of Dallas were gifted with a little shop of heaven, Unrefined Bakery.

This gluten-free bakery is a safe haven for all those unable to eat foods with certain allergy restrictions.

Walking into the bakery you’re greeted with polite hellos and an aromatic smell of baked goods. Although there are six different locations in the DFW area, each has an intimate and welcoming environment, and each has plenty of samples to tempt you.

It’s easy to get lost in this little shop of deliciousness, with bounty of treats. Co-owner Taylor Nicholson said family needs led to the creation of the bakery.

“After my sister Erin was diagnosed with celiac disease, we began changing family recipes into gluten-free versions,” she said. “With time, my mother, Anne Hoyt and I, realized how much need there was for the food we could make, and how much better and more nutri-

JOCLYN VENTURA/THE ET CETERA

Unrefined Bakery employee Heidi Macias attends customers with dietary restrictions.

tious ours was compared to what limited food you could find at the store. We went out on a limb deciding to start the bakery, we even both quit our jobs and began baking and selling, just the two of us.”

Loyal customers like Ashley Merritt has been visiting the bakery for year and a half or

longer.

She shops at the bakery not just for the options with consideration to her dietary needs or sensitivities, but for the quality of the food.

“My absolute favorite treat would be the Loaded Monkey,” she said. “ Banana cupcake with peanut butter and chocolate filling and a

peanut icing, yum.”

Specialty cupcakes like the Loaded Monkey aren’t the only wild sweets on the menu.

Each week they highlight a cupcake that’s for a limited time, Cupcake Of the Week, or COW. Their most recent ones include; Reverse Overload (a vanilla cake with a fudge brownie in the middle drizzled with ganache), The Chocolate Churro (a chocolate cake with a cinnamon chocolate swirl center), and the Tres Leches (a vanilla cake soaked in sweetened coconut milk).

Employees like Ashley Gregory and Heidi Macias said they find joy in serving the customers at Unrefined Bakery.

Gregory, who is an Eastfield student, said she is happy to help others who, like herself, have to be careful about what they eat.

“As someone with dietary restrictions myself, I understand how difficult it can be to find good food options,” she said. “Because of that, I love seeing customers eyes light up when they realize that they’re able to eat our treats.”

Unrefined plans to expand their business to new locations and to channel their products through grocery stores.

Hispanic history in art

JONATHAN DIAZ/THE ET CETERA

JONATHAN DIAZ/THE ET CETERA

ARIA JONES/THE ET CETERA

Frida Kahlo is a Mexican artist who was known for her self-portraits.

Her fashion style and her unibrow made her an icon. Eastfield College kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with a Frida Kahlo themed Fun Friday event in the Lower Courtyard.

Clockwise from left, Maria Caritini Prado, senior manager of organization program development dressed as Kahlo. The event included a ballet folklorico performance, and there was horchata, elotes, and popcorn. Gallery director Iris Bechtol teaches student how to make ink prints with their designs.

Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept.

15 – Oct. 15.

12

LIFE&ARTS

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

@TheEtCetera

The Et Cetera

Five delectable dishes of heritage

As much as Latinos contribute to this country, their tastiest contributions are some you shouldn’t miss out on this Hispanic Heritage.

Latinos celebrate their culture through food, music, history, traditions and art Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua also celebrate their independence. With food being such an integral part of Latin American culture, here are five authentic dishes that’ll have you celebrating, whether you’re Hispanic or not.

–Compiled by Yesenia Alvarado

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

At Pupuseria Lilian in Garland, one of their plates comes with a pupusa of your choice, fried plantains, fried yucca, a chicken or corn tamale and a chunk of fried pork. If you feel you can’t hold this amount of food, they have a variety of more authentic platters.

Mofongo – Puerto Rico Like other tropical countries, plantains are found in many Puerto Rican dishes.

The plantains are fried until there’s a dark brown crisp exterior with a dense and yellow inside.

In mofongo, plantains and sometimes yucca are fried and mashed with salt, garlic and chicharron, or fried pork rinds.

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Ropa vieja is accompanied with white rice and black beans with a side of fried plantains at Havana Cafe in East Dallas.

Ropa Vieja – Cuba Cubans are known for cigars and coffee, but they also boast a diverse cuisine.

Literally translating to “old clothes” in Spanish, the national dish, ropa vieja, is over 500 years old.

It’s basically shreds of seasoned meat and sautéed garbanzos served in a flavorful tomato sauce base.

The meat rips apart easily like old clothes, which explains the name. The savory taste comes from the sofrito.

The shredded flank steak stew is typically accompanied with black beans, rice, plantains or tostones (plantain chips) and a piece of Cuban bread to soak up the flavor.

Ropa vieja got its name from the popular legend about an extremely poor man who couldn’t afford food for his family. Out of desperation he shred up his clothes and put them in a pot. Once he opened it he found that the rags magically became the tasty beef stew we know today.

This serves as the domeshaped firm covering stuffed or topped with vegetables, chicken, shrimp, beef or octopus.

Although the dish includes plantains, which produce a sweet caramelized taste, this dish is more savory because of the toppings and broth.

It sits on a serving of chicken broth soup, Creole sauce or braised meat.

Ceviche – Peru Although many Latin countries have their own take on this popular seafood dish, Peruvians are so obsessed with their national dish they created a national holiday for it too.

Ceviche was devised when Spaniards introduced limes to Peru.

The Peruvian lime is one of the most important ingredients in this dish because it is used to cure the fresh raw fish.

Most ceviche is made with a variety of large fish as the protein, accompanied by onions, salt, cilantro, spiced with aji and chili peppers.

The sweet onion balances the acidity of the dish. The toasted corn nuts, knows as canchas, are a break from the soft and chewy texture from the rest of the dish.

According to Esperanza Gamarra, a cook at Inca Café who grew up making

Pupusas – El Salvador Not to be confused with a gordita or an arepa, you can travel with one of these in your hand without making a mess in your car.

This cheesy goodness comes from El Salvador, but it can be found all over the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

It’s a thick pouch made of masa, a corn based flour dough, stuffed with one or two fillings and lots of cheese.

But the pupusa revuelta, stuffed with pork and cheese is the traditional one.

As the pupusa grows in popularity, so does its list of fillings. For those who aren’t fans of pork, there are bean, chicken, spinach and loroco (an edible flower imported from El Salvador) varieties.

Pupusas are typically served with curtido, a spicy fermented relish, and a tomato-based hot sauce.

The cooking time for one of these is about eight minutes on the griddle.

You end up with a filled tortilla that’s crunchy on the outside but gooey on the inside.

Mole – Mexico We all know about tacos and, although no one can negate their deliciousness, there are so many more tasty dishes from Mexico.

The spice-enriched sauce comes in yellow, red, black and sometimes green colors based on the nut, spice and chile mix. One of the many varieties, mole poblano, originated from Puebla. What gives this mole its rich flavor is the emulsion between chocolates and chilies.

It is typically served with rice and chicken or even enchiladas and burritos.

If you want a rich, thick sauce get the spice mix straight from Mexico and expect it to come with a punch.

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

A plate of ceviche at Inca Café in Carrollton includes crunchy corn nuts, boiled corn, yucca, sweet potato, and even plantains.

ceviche, corvina (cod) or seabass make the best ceviche due to their firm white flesh.

She said the “cooking” method works because the lime coagulates proteins in the fish, which is what happens when

you actually cook it with heat.

Although the gummy texture of the raw fish can turn some down, the lime gets rid of any smell and it becomes a fresh and light appetizer with a bit of spice.

LIFE&ARTS

13

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www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Drama professor provides more than theater experience Continued from page 7 Community College, the Richland Chronicle.

Thomas was hired as the program coordinator for Eastfield’s Drama department in fall 2010.

During her years focusing on her career as an actor, director, costume designer and educator, she would spend 60 to 80 hours a week at work.

Theater was her whole life until two little human beings were introduced into the mix. That shifted her focus.

Three-year-old Charlotte ‘Charlie’ and one-year-old Violet Thomas are her two energetic daughters who have become her priority.

“My first job is a mom,” Thomas said. “That’s my most important job I’ll ever have… It’s hard to be a parent, be involved and do as much as you want when you’re also doing theater. You have to make choices. You have to make sacrifices. And for me, I would much rather sacrifice the-

YESENIA ALVARADO/THE ET CETERA

Thomas holds her youngest daughter, Violet, during a football game at Memorial Stadium. ater. Raising good little humans and watching them grow are really important to me.”

Awkward Avocado By Abednego Leal

Being a parent has made her better at time management.

Her days are not only filled with

class, meetings and emails, but also caring for her daughters.

Thomas’ day starts at 6 a.m. She and her husband wake their daughters, play for a little bit, and get them ready for their day.

“I’m usually braiding hair, putting on socks, brushing teeth, getting them water or milk or something to drink and I get my coffee ready to go,” Thomas said.

Charlie and Violet attend daycare at Eastfield College’s Children’s Laboratory School, where they are dropped off everyday at eight in the morning.

As a full-time faculty member, Thomas teaches acting, intro to theatre, film, costuming, honors film, and makeup classes.

Thomas stays involved in campus activities with other clubs and departments as the Faculty Sponsor for the Harvester Performing Arts Society.

“I’m very rarely in my office for long periods of time, except for my office hours,” she said. “I’m always up and about, I don’t like to stay in one place for too long.”

After picking the girls up from daycare, they watch movies or spend time at a park.

Charlie enjoys singing and playing, similar to her mom, which are activities they frequently do together.

Before bed, Charlie asks her mom to tell her a story based on a character she makes up.

With a planner full of events, Thomas’ days are filled with reminders, and she sometimes has to sacrifice time with friends and family.

Still, she finds time for herself by working out and having a monthly spa day.

Long-time friend and education professor Lauren Young said Thomas shows that it’s possible to have both a career and a family.

“For instance if she’s costuming a play, she puts her kids to bed and then she’s got her sewing machine out at her house and she just makes time wherever she is,” Young said.

Besides directing and costuming plays on and off campus, Thomas also acts in commercials and TV shows. Over the summer she acted in a Cici’s pizza commercial. She also appeared in the second season of the TV series, “Dallas.”

Although Thomas isn’t a Hollywood celebrity, she shines a light to local theatre and is an example to students.

She shows it’s possible to make a creative field, like theatre into a sustainable career Thomas brings her motherly devotion on set, where she is known to make an effort in theater productions and class in order to make people feel included and comfortable. During rehearsals, she will order food for the crew, aid someone with a headache or provide a listening ear.

Journalism major Josh Taylor, a member of the drama club and assistant stage manager for ‘The Foreigner,’ describes Thomas as someone who is very personable and available to listen to her students, whether it’s a personal or an academic struggle.

“She is like the mother of all of us,” he said. “She is one of my favorite teachers I’ve ever had throughout school because I really value a teacher who is willing to get personal with a student and invest with them, as opposed to handing them book work.”

Thomas said she likes connecting her theater students to professional work atmospheres and letting them sit-in at shows and rehearsals, or having them help with the stage setup.

She has plans to start her own theater company someday.

“When I started here [at Eastfield], I thought ‘this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,’ ” Thomas said. “I enjoy the students a lot. I enjoy our program and what we do for the community. And that we provide theater and performance and a chance for the audience to escape to another world and the chance for students to enrich their culture. So I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

opinion

14 www.eastfieldnews.com

Etera

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Memes here to stay, people decide meaning

OUR VIEW

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

Alexis Rodriguez

Editor in Chief Aria Jones

@TheEtCetera

Managing Editor Yesenia Alvarado Photo Editor Jesus Ayala Opinion Editor Andrew Walter Digital Editor James Hartley Graphic Design Editor Mateo Corey

ANTHONY LAZON/THE ET CETERA

Every voter should be well informed

Multimedia Editor Esther Moreno Senior Videographer David Silva Senior Graphic Designer Manuel Guapo Staff Writer Macks Prewitt Photographers Jonathan Diaz Rory Moore Niels Winter

Ayme Smith Jesua Sandoval Yeny Gomez

Graphic Artists Anthony Lazon Sean Watkins Daisy Araujo

Abednego Leal Aldahir Segovia Brice Washington

Reporters James Eyre Samuel Farley Rebbecka Villagomez

Aji Mariam Alexis Rodriguez Joclyn Ventura

Editorial Assistant Marie Garcia Student Publications Adviser Elizabeth Langton Digital Media Adviser Sarah Sheldon 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 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.

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 considered for publication must be 250 words or fewer. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or sent to etc4640@dcccd. edu.

American college students are constantly pestered by their schools and the media to exercise their right to vote, but many students still view their vote as worthless and ineffective.

This sentiment, now more than ever, couldn’t be more wrong. When you have multiple polls showing the Texas Senate race between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke have differences in the single digits. That’s an indication that every vote will matter in the Nov. 6 election.

Many of these surveys are taken by registered and likely voters. It’s looking like the red state of Texas could be feeling the blues.

What Americans need to know about voting is that it simply isn’t enough to go to the polling station and cast a ballot. You need to be an informed voter to survive.

Relying on social media and non-credible sources for candidate info is the best way to stay misinformed.

Voting straight-ticket Republican or Democrat without knowing the candidates and issues does your country a disservice.

Being an informed voter can be difficult. Time must be dedicated to doing research on stances and reputations.

In today’s one-click-away world, there’s always some distraction keeping the average American from voting or making an educated vote.

While there isn’t a definitive way to know everything about every candidate, we recommend some simple methods you can use to stay educated without losing too much of your precious time.

Scour the internet to find a candidate’s website. These websites will almost always provide you with a candidate’s stances on important topics. They’ll also provide other means of contacting the candidate.

If you can’t find any information about the candidate online, that should be the first of many red flags.

Consider attending a campaign event scheduled for your community.

If you can’t be physically present at one, you can always participate by phone or internet. Besides the internet, an easy way to find out about campaign events is to visit your local library.

Voters in the upcoming election can visit Congress.gov to dig through an incumbent’s voting records. This also shows what issues they focus on, making it easy to develop an idea of the incumbent’s motives.

If you’ve acquired the contact information of a candidate that interests you, don’t just hand them your vote on Election Day. Contact them to speak with the candidate or a representative to get any questions answered.

Growing up as an awkward teenager in the 2010s, one of my favorite methods of communicating with new people was by sending and receiving memes.

Even now as a substantially less awkward adult, my number one pickup line on Tinder is “send me memes pls,” with varying levels of success.

Despite me using memes as a crutch for my social awkwardness, they are one of the most influential tools available in the internet age.

Memes in their current form are a whole different beast to what I saw when I first entered the meme metagame.

Originally, almost exclusively, “Advice Animal” style memes featuring internet icons like Bad Luck Brian or Scumbag Steve, are now available in an absurd variety. They range from wholesome memes which spread positivity, all the way to “deep fried” memes which are probably closer to a piece of postmodern art than the Mona Lisa.

Despite memes and meme culture becoming a part of popular culture, memes and internet content in general is often under attack.

Currently, the European Union is trying to change how media is consumed and regulated online. In an attempt to regulate copyrighted images, the EU recently passed Article 13. Based on the language used, Article 13 threatens the usage of memes with any sort of copyrighted material that is not licensed. While Article 13 doesn’t directly impact those outside the European Union, the precedent set by the Article is important.

This, along with numerous examples of individuals whose images appeared on memes attempting to have said memes taken down raises questions of where exactly the medium lies within fair use laws and copyright usage in general.

One of my favorite memes used to be Pepe the Frog, a green anthropo-

morphic frog.

While Pepe is still a mainstream meme, his biggest moment in the limelight was thanks to his image being appropriated by the controversial Alt-Right movement.

As a hardcore Pepe fan who enjoyed collecting as many “Rare Pepe’s” as I could get my sweaty 16-year-old hands on, seeing Pepe’s image on pins worn by people like prominent white supremacist Richard Spencer was worrying to say the least.

While admittedly the first video in which I saw Pepe being used by the Alt-Right was the highly enjoyable video of Richard Spencer getting punched in the face mere seconds after being asked about his Pepe the Frog pin, I was still concerned with the fact that for a large chunk of the general populace, that was all Pepe was: a hate symbol.

Pepe the Frog was added to the Anti-Defamation League’s Hate Symbol Database in 2016, showing how even a dumb drawing of a frog saying “feels bad man” can be changed into a symbol of hate. If used now, you can be called a Nazi for liking a silly drawing of a frog.

Memes went from niche internet in-jokes on Reddit or 4Chan to being ingrained in almost every facet of modern culture.

Ranging from music artists whose careers were thanks in large part to the meme-ability of their songs like Lil Pump with “Gucci Gang” and Ugly God with “Water,” all the way to even Christians getting into the meme game with their own brand of patented “Dank Christian Memes.”

Memes are everywhere and are now a powerful tool used by companies like Totinos and Denny’s to promote their products by bringing out some frankly pretty dank memes, to even politicians using them to try to gain the younger vote.

Regardless of the opposition faced, memes are likely to stay as one of the premier ways to influence people .

Depending on how they are used, they could be a force for good or evil — even if they are just badly drawn animals.

— Alexis Rodriguez is a journalism major and a reporter for the Et Cetera

OPINION

15

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Fortnite is ridiculous and wacky, but also fun Fortnite is the hottest game to play on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and most recently, your own cell phone and my personal favorite, the Nintendo Switch.

Let’s have a quick rundown of the game just in case you’re about to chuck the newspaper away: there are two playable modes such as Save the World that you must pay to play, and Battle Royale, a free-to-play mode where 100 players fight against each other to be the last survivor.

Let’s be honest, nearly the entire community of Fortnite players play only the Battle Royale mode because free is always good.

Also, Battle Royale is infinitely better, too.

The game surged in popularity with new players joining the community when a streamer from Twitch named Ninja played with rapper Drake. I didn’t even know celebrities played games.

I usually thought they were too busy for that sort of thing. This just proves that video games can bring people together.

It also proves that people can make money from playing games,

Sonia Hernandez @TheEtCetera

as most people learned when Ninja’s earnings were made public.

There are many ways to earn money from streaming or making let’s plays (a person playing the game for viewers to watch) on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.

It’s called monetization and here’s how it works: you need to be entertaining and charismatic and make lots of views if you want advertisers with money to pay attention to you.

If you or any of those dreamers with at least 10,000 subscribers fit the criteria, advertisers will contact you, form a deal, then ads will be played on your videos and you get money from that.

Electronic sports, or esports, also makes it possible to play professionally, so games will be accepted in society without the image of a basement dweller playing League

of Legends popping into people’s heads.

I even heard they’re trying to bring esports into the Olympics.

With this new support, perhaps they won’t use video games as an immediate excuse as to why children turn to violence.

It’s sad to say that we are used to people with power use games as an immediate cause for school shootings, such as Governor Bevin when it came to the Florida shooting in February of this year.

Parents are even paying $100 to sign their children up for hourly tutoring sessions by Fortnite coaches to teach them how to play the game better.

It wasn’t too long ago that parents would immediately pin the blame for the violent tendencies of shooters in schools on video games. Parents pushing children into playing Fortnite is a welcoming change, despite them previously citing video games as the main cause of violence among children.

If there’s potential to make money out of it, anything is good, right?

If you thought parents paying for

game tutoring sessions is ridiculous, then I’m not sure what you’ll think of when you hear that they’re also signing their children up for dance classes.

In Fortnite, there are dance moves you can have your character perform after you take down an opponent, or in front of an opponent one-on-one with them to see them dance back—and then take them out because being a troll in the game is fun (at least in my opinion, and now I know why no one likes to play with me).

So back to the dance classes; apparently it started out to get children to be active for a whole hour.

It was likely inspired by diehard fans who went to learn the dance moves from the game and perfect it to a T. Impressionable kids must have thought that it was cool, and people saw the opportunity and snatched it, hence the Fortnite dance classes.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that’s a fun idea, just like how the game’s a fun idea too.

One cool item in the game is the Boogie Bomb, which causes players

Don’t let pets suffer, spay and neuter Flea-infested, underweight and deathly ill. These are the things I saw when I came across 13-year-old Isobel, a scrappy little Chihuahua at the Garland Animal Shelter.

She had been used as a breeder her whole life, and then abandoned when she could no longer produce puppies.

Within the next year of her new life with me, Isobel developed a tumor on her ovaries that puts her at risk of internal infections and discomfort as it continues to grow. Due to her fragility and old age, it can never be removed with surgery.

Having to watch her live with it daily has been hard, especially since it could have been so easily avoided with proper care earlier in her life.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 4.6 million animals like Isobel are euthanized every year in the United States, including 200,000 cats and dogs from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

So, how can we work to fix this massive issue in our community?

Change must begin with our cultural acceptance of not spaying and neutering our cats and dogs.

Uncontrolled breeding only adds to our problem: unwanted cats and dogs.

Lindsay Merrell @TheEtCetera

More and more often there are posts and ads online titled “free puppies/kittens!”

Whether it is through social media such as Facebook, or websites like Craigslist, the posts are on the rise. Because of this, animal shelters have to deal with overpopulation and lack of room to accommodate. This means more and more animals are losing their lives every day.

As pet owners, we need to take responsibility and stop making excuses for not properly caring for our animals.

“I can’t afford to spay/neuter my pet,” is no longer a valid excuse.

An increasing number of veterinarians have set up low- or no-cost clinics to combat this problem.

The price of spaying or neutering a pet is less than what you would spend raising any offspring they may have from even a single litter.

One of the well-known clinics for this is the Spay Neuter Network of Dallas, Texas.

Its mission is to eliminate pet overpopulation through free spay/neuter services, while encouraging communities to care responsibly for their dogs and cats.

They also offer rabies and parvo + distemper vaccinations, and microchipping to all residents of Dallas County.

Another major benefit that comes with spaying and neutering, other than unwanted pregnancies, is preventing certain health risks that non-altered animals may experience.

In female pets, problems such as uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats, could be avoided. In male pets, neutering prevents testicular cancer and potential prostate problems.

After considering these options, if you still feel that you have a reason to keep your cat or dog unaltered, I ask you to remember this: The minute you decided to become a pet owner was the minute that you put their life in your hands.

Be responsible. Be the caregiver they need you to be. Only we can help them live longer, healthier lives.

— Lindsay Merrell is a digital media major and a contributor for the Et Cetera

in the vicinity to just boogie for a few seconds. No using weapons, no running away like life depends on it, you just do the boogie-dancing, which they also learn in the dance classes.

There is also the stress on the players being taught by those Fortnite coaches that they are expected to be dominant in the game.

There’s no room to enjoy the game when so much money is being invested into improving their gaming abilities. Which is sad, since the main purpose of games is to entertain.

The gaming community has several different opinions on this situation. Some are worried that games won’t be fun anymore, while others are excited about diving into the chance of becoming professional, and some think that the game is just a fad.

Now, it just seems ridiculous, especially when there are classes that will teach you how to dance the moves available in Fortnite. Disco Fever, anyone?

— Sonia Hernandez is a contributor for the Et Cetera

Voting Information

The deadline to register if you plan to vote in the Nov. 6 election is Oct. 9.

To vote you need ID: Texas Driver’s License Texas Election Identification Certificate Texas Personal Identification Card Texas Handgun License United States Military Identification Card containing your photograph United States Citizenship Certificate containing your photograph United States Passport (book or card)

Visit https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/ MVP/mvp.do to see if you’re registered.

To register: Print an informal voter registration application at https://webservices.sos.state. tx.us/vrapp/index. and mail it to the voter registrar in your county of residence at least 30 days before the election date.

Postage is paid on official applications. The official application is available at County Voter Registrars’ offices, at the Secretary of State’s office and at libraries, high schools, and many post offices.

Source: Texas Secretary of State