See page 7
Etera Dallas College Eastfield Campus
Women’s History Month: Celebrating women and their impact on the world See page 7 Wednesday, March 31, 2021
A year apart
How COVID-19 changed Dallas College and our world See pages 4 & 5
Volume 52, Issue 6
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NEWS
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
@TheEtCetera
The Et Cetera
In-person graduation planned for class of 2021 Student Services
By HARRIET RAMOS Editor in Chief @HarrietRamosETC
Chancellor Joe May and Dallas College leadership announced at the March 23 Town Hall that there will be an in-person graduation for the class of 2021, students still need to make appointments for face-to-face services, classes will be available in three formats this summer and the inability to return to work option will be available through May 31. Plans for the fall semester were not discussed. Graduation May said an in-person graduation ceremony is being planned, but the details haven’t been finalized yet. Masks and social distancing will be required, and the ceremony will be livestreamed for people who don’t feel comfortable attending in person. He said there would be separate ceremonies for each of the seven schools. “We know the importance of graduation,” May said. “These students have worked incredibly hard to accomplish for what many of them just thought was impossible, and we really want to be there to help them celebrate this event.” Last year’s graduation was held virtually due to COVID-19.
The campuses are closed to the public and in-person services such as tutoring and advising are still by appointment only. Appointments can be made at dcccd.libcal.com. Virtual services are also still available. “To meet the needs of our students, we will continue to offer a blend of both virtual and face-to-face services,” Vice Chancellor of Student Success Beatriz Joseph said. Summer Plans Provost Shawnda Floyd said there would be in-person, online and hybrid classes offered this summer. Classes have been primarily online since last March. Only a handful of classes, specifically some career and technical education courses that have hands-on components, returned to campus last summer. “What we’ve been stressing in academic affairs is the need to increase our face-to-face and also hybrid [classes],” Floyd said. “What we are finding is that students seek the engagement not only from their professors, but from their fellow student colleagues.” Hybrid classes include both in-person and online instruction. Masks and social distancing will be required for in-person classes.
ET CETERA FILE PHOTO
President Eddie Tealer shakes hands with a graduate at the 2019 graduation at the Curtis Culwell Center. Plans have been announced to hold in-person graduations for the class of 2021.
Inability to Return to Work All Dallas College staff and administration are returning to in-person work April 5, but Chief Human Resources Officer Sherri Enright said those who have been approved for remote work can continue to do so until May 31. Working remotely will not be an option after that date. “The inability to return to work process has
been updated for the spring semester,” Enright said. Dallas College employees began working remotely in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Campus leadership returned to their offices June 8, and the majority of staff returned to campus Aug. 3 on an A/B rotation of one week on campus and one week at home. Employees who are in the high-risk category for COVID-19 continued to work remotely.
Plans for $62.4 million building move forward By HARRIET RAMOS Editor in Chief @HarrietRamosETC
Plans are underway for Eastfield’s new Student Success Center and Academic Building. According to the Dallas College bond webpage, the building is in the design stage. The building is part of the $1.1 billion bond package that was approved by Dallas County voters in May 2019. Scott Wright, the Dallas College deputy chief facilities officer, said there is not a date set yet for the construction to begin. “The start of the actual construction will depend on several variables,” Wright said in an email. “As such, we would not be able to provide a reliable start date.” Wright did not say what the variables are and did not respond to further request for comment. The building is expected to be finished in late 2023, but Eastfield President Eddie Tealer said in a January meeting with employees that date is an estimate and subject to change. He said the original plan was for two buildings, but it was decided to join them into one for economic and
COURTESY OF PERKINS & WILL
An artist rendering of the planned Student Success Center that is estimated to be finished in late 2023.
sustainability purposes. “I want you to know that we’ve gotten a lot of input, not only from senior leadership, but also from faculty, staff and our students,” Tealer said. “So we feel like this is going to be a very great project that we bring in order to ensure student success.” A total of $62.4 million has been budgeted for the Student Success
Center, according to the bond website. It will be three stories high and have an estimated space of 116,000 square feet. Tealer said the architects planned it to match with the village image look that was used for the other buildings when they were built in the 1970s. The building was designed with
sustainability in mind, and any trees removed during the construction process will be replaced, Tealer said. “We will continue to maintain our designation as a Tree Campus USA and we will continue to support our sustainability efforts,” he said. Tree Campus USA is a designation for college campuses that promotes environmental stewardship.
Eastfield was originally recognized as a Tree Campus in 2015, according to previous reporting by The Et Cetera. The back entryway of the Student Success Center will face the back of the C Building, which Tealer said may have to be demolished due to the high cost of trying to renovate it. The C Building is one of the oldest buildings on campus. “In the meantime we will be transitioning from the C Building to the new building,” Tealer said. “We will be bringing you a further update later on when we’ll actually demolish the C Building or what other plans might be developed.” Construction at Eastfield and other Dallas College campuses was held up due to a lawsuit brought against the bond election by Kirk Launius, a former Eastfield criminal justice student and poll watcher for the bond election. Launius claimed there was voter discrepancy during the election and submitted an 18-page petition calling for a revote, according to previous reporting by The Et Cetera. Dallas County Judge Charles Stokes rejected the lawsuit in December 2020.
NEWS
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The Et Cetera
eastfieldnews.com
Dallas College employees return to campus By HARRIET RAMOS Editor in Chief @HarrietRamosETC
Dallas College will return to full in-person operations April 5. This will be the first time all staff and administrators have been together on campus since the college closed down for the pandemic March 13, 2020. Gov. Greg Abbott ended the state mask mandate and opened business at full capacity March 2, but Chief Critical Response Officer Sharon Davis said Dallas College would continue to require all employees to wear masks and social distance on campus. “We are going to continue to do what’s safe for Dallas College, our employees and our students,” Davis said at the March 23 employee Town Hall. The campuses will remain closed to the public, and students who require in-person services such as tutoring and advising will need to make an appointment at dcccd.libcal. com. On March 29, the COVID-19 vaccine became available to all Texas adults. Davis said even though employees may be concerned about whether their fellow employees have had the vaccine, that is considered personal information and doesn’t have to be shared. Alex Lyda, senior director of communications, said there is a link on eConnect where college employees can self-report if they’ve been vaccinated. He said the process is voluntary. Eastfield has been a vaccination site since Jan. 8. Davis said even though Dallas College does not provide the vaccine to employees, they partner with Parkland Hospital
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and other area clinics who let them know when vaccines become available for college employees. “We had a clinic contact us and say “Hey we have some vaccines for health care workers. Do you have any health care employees?” Davis said. “And so we sent the notification specifically to that population.” Before spring break, Dallas College was able to offer its 65 and older employees vaccinations through Parkland. On March 22 Dallas College dual credit faculty could be vaccinated, and on March 23 the vaccine was made available to employees 50 through 64. Both groups received their vaccines through Parkland. Now that the vaccine is available to a younger population, Davis said if one of their partners indicates there are vaccines for college students, they would let them know. Rutgers University officials announced last week that they would require all incoming students this fall to be vaccinated. Davis said that has not been discussed yet at Dallas College. “I don’t know of any other colleges and universities that have done that,” Davis said. “I think that it’s probably too early for most to make that decision, just because [vaccine] availability is just now becoming widespread, so I think we’ll see more as it relates to that type of decision in the future. But right now, no, that discussion has not happened.” As to whether COVID-19 protocols can be reduced by fall, Davis said it is just too soon to know. “Right now we don’t feel is the time to lessen our protocols,” Davis said. “Now we will continue to monitor this throughout the summer and the coming months, and we may end up lessening the protocols by fall. I don’t know for certain. We’ll just have to see how Dallas County is doing in terms of the vaccines.”
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Sign of the times
CHANTILETTE FRANKLIN/THE ET CETERA
Eastfield receives a new sign on the F Building on March 8 that says “Dallas College Eastfield.” The old sign, “Eastfield College,” was removed on March 2.
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LIFE&ARTS
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
@TheEtCetera
The Et Cetera
Pandemic Rewind
A look back at a year’s worth of events that impacted Dallas College and beyond
~Compiled by Amanda Araujo ~Design by Mattheau Faught
March 10 First COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations confirmed in Dallas County
March 13 •
•
Gov. Gregg Abbott declares a State of Disaster, sets limits for large gatherings. With students heading out for spring break, DCCCD campuses officially close in response to the virus.
March 16 DCCCD extends spring break to plan a shift to online and remote operations.
March 19
First COVID-19 death reported in Dallas County
March 20
Abbott orders schools, bars, gyms closed.
March 21
Dallas County issues a stayat-home order.
March 30
All classes at DCCCD campuses resume online.
July 13
May 8
Volleyball, soccer seasons moved to spring after decision from NJCAA.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issues first mask order.
May 7 • Dallas County surpasses 5,000 total COVID-19 cases. • May announces fall semester courses will continue to be offered primarily online.
May 5 • DCCCD Board of Trustees unanimously approves the recommendation from Chancellor Joe May to continue paying employees through Aug. 31. • A plan to begin reopening campuses in a phased approach with limited access is unveiled at the board meeting.
April 7
Abbott orders Texas schools to close for the rest of the school year.
April 3
Eastfield celebrates its 50th anniversary. Events are canceled due to the pandemic.
March 31
DCCCD commencement ceremonies are postponed indefinitely.
July 9
May 12
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tells Judge Jenkins to end mask order.
June 1
Abbott allows Texas schools to hold summer classes, following social distancing and health protocols.
Dallas County surpasses 30,000 total COVID-19 cases.
July 7 State Fair of Texas canceled.
July 6
June 3
ICE announces international students must take classes in person to stay in the country legally by fall. 2,600 Dallas College students are affected by the new ruling.
June 8
July 3
Texas bars, stores move to 50% capacity
DCCCD initiates Phase 2 of its return-to-campus plan. Campus presidents and the chancellor’s executive team return to their offices along with certain faculty, staff and students who have unfinished lab work from the spring.
June 12 • •
Restaurants move to 75% capacity Mavericks owner Mark Cuban delivers the commencement address at DCCCD’s first virtual graduation ceremonies.
June 19
Second mask order issued in Dallas County
Abbott issues statewide mask order
July 1
The Dallas County Community College District officially becomes Dallas College. Colleges now operate as campuses of a unified Dallas College.
June 29 Restaurants ordered back to 50% capacity
June 28
Dallas County surpasses 20,000 total COVID-19 cases.
June 26
Texas bars are ordered to close again
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eastfieldnews.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
July 14
White House reverses ICE’s decision to send international students home.
Dec. 14
July 16
Dallas County schools ordered to close through Labor Day.
July 28 • •
Dallas County reports 100 dead from Covid-19 Department of Homeland Security issues a memo stating DACA is being reevaluated. Nearly 700,000 young people are affected nationwide, including Dallas College alumni.
August 3
Drive-thru COVID-19 testing site begins at Eastfield.
August 5
Dallas County surpasses 50,000 total COVID-19 cases.
Sept. 18
May announces Spring 2021 semester courses will continue to be delivered primarily online. Specialized programs will have limited face-to-face meetings.
Sept. 22
Dallas County reports 1,000 dead from COVID-19.
Oct. 2
The first vaccinations approved by the U.S. government to protect against the coronavirus are administered, initiating the rollout in DFW.
Dec. 11
FDA authorizes the first COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, Pfizer–BioNTech.
Nov. 19
Dallas County sets singleday record with 1,860 new coronavirus cases as deaths surpass 20,000 statewide.
Nov. 10
A report presented to the Board of Trustees shows a 10% decrease in enrollment for the fall. College leaders express concern about possible state funding cuts.
Nov. 6
Dallas County reaches 100,000 reported cases of COVID-19.
Oct. 14
Coronavirus threat level upgraded to red in Dallas County as new cases reach 500+ daily.
President Donald Trump is diagnosed with COVID-19.
Dec. 17
FDA authorizes the second COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, Moderna.
2021
Jan. 13
Dallas County surpasses 200,000 cases of COVID-19.
Jan. 21
Dallas College leadership approves a spring sports season, reversing its decision to cancel all sports due to the pandemic.
Jan. 24
2,000 COVID-19 deaths recorded in Dallas County
Feb. 27
FDA authorizes the third COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, Janssen.
Mar. 1
Campuses reopen for faculty, essential staff.
March 29 Texas opens COVID-19 vaccinations to all adults.
Mar. 23
Dallas College offers COVID-19 vaccinations to all dual credit faculty and faculty over age 50.
Mar. 13
One-year anniversary of Dallas College campuses closing in response to the virus.
Mar. 12
U.S. surpasses COVID-19 vaccine milestone of 100 million shots with 35 million Americans fully vaccinated.
Mar. 11
One-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic.
Mar. 3
Abbott fully reopens Texas and lifts mask mandates on the same day Dallas County reported 3,000 COVID-19 deaths.
Life &Arts Wednesday, March 31, 2021
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@TheEtCetera
The Et Cetera
Scholarship student sews her way to success
Q& A
Creativity inspires Dallas College student and small business owner Alaysia Richardson. She is a 2020 MyersLeCroy Scholarship winner who is studying fashion design while owning a sewing and embroidery business on the side. Richardson sat down with The Et Cetera contributor Lizet Velasquez to discuss her future career plans and her growing business.
Q A
What was your inspiration for your current major?
I’ve sewn since I was 7, and I got my first sewing machine at 8. I took fashion design throughout high school. I have a sewing and embroidery business, and it’s my career goal to grow it. I know how much the high school courses helped me grow in fashion design, so I can only imagine what college will do. I plan to transfer this fall to Texas Tech and do fashion design there.
Q
What are some of the biggest challenges of your choice in career?
A
Honestly, it’s just kind of the uncertainty about it. When you tell people that you want to grow up and be a fashion designer, they’re all like, “Mmm, OK sure.” But since I’ve grown my business, especially within the past year, it’s given me more hope that I don’t have to be an assistant to somebody and start at the lowest level. I can be my own independent thing. So that’s helped me through.
Q
You mentioned your business. Could you elaborate more on that and how it has kept you going with your future career?
A
I have a sewing and embroidery business called Danae Designs. I have everything set up (in my bedroom) and I can sew and embroider all day long. I started fall of 2018, which was my junior year of high school, selling things like knitted headbands. I learned how to do it in fashion design, and I thought it was pretty cool. And then the more I saw
PHOTOS BY RORY MOORE/THE ET CETERA
Above, Alaysia Richardson works on a face mask with her sewing machine on March 25. Richardson works on a piece of cloth from her room, which is also the headquarters of her business, Danae Designs, that she started in fall 2018.
people supporting me, the more I wanted to do it, and I grew as I went. It wasn’t until senior year that I got serious and gave myself a name and laid out a foundation. Then, once the coronavirus hit, I couldn’t use the school supplies (and equipment) anymore. ... But last summer of 2020 is where it took off. I learned how to do a bunch of new things, and now I offer accessories, apparel, a bunch of things.
Q
You mentioned COVID. How has that impacted you with school as well as your business?
A
For me, the only thing that’s really affected is school being online. It’s harder for me to find motivation to want to do it. It’s almost like a part-time job now instead of a full-time job. But for my business, (COVID is) what helped it take off because I was doing masks, and everybody wanted a mask back then. Now, that’s not even my main item.
Q
In terms of fashion, how would you describe your personal style?
A
I don’t really have a big fashion style. I know that probably sounds so strange, but I wear T-shirts and pajamas all day long. I’m a homebody, and I don’t really go anywhere. But I’m trying to build my aesthetic as I go. Right now, a lot of things I make are just embroidered on.
Q A
Do you stay up to date with latest trends?
Q A
Do you create things just from scratch?
In the embroidery world? I would say so. But fashion wise, no. A lot of the stuff that I see that’s considered high fashion, like on runways and stuff, I don’t really agree with it. I’m like, “No, that just looks like you slapped something together.”
It’s more so just embroidering on things. I have these sweatshirts. One is a moon with a girl sitting on it. And this one says Black Lives Matter with the fist. I’ve made reading pillows from scratch. I make my masks from scratch. Usually, the things that are made from
scratch take a lot more time than I’m willing to put in for every single customer. They could take hours, and usually people don’t want to pay the price that would be required for that much time. So I don’t do a lot (of items I sell) from scratch, but I do them as gifts, like the stuffed animal I made from scratch for my pregnant best friend.
Q
Do you have inspirations for your designs, or has anyone impacted you?
A
No, a lot of the inspiration I get is from Facebook groups. There’s thousands of members in these Facebook groups that help each other out. There are big embroiderers or people that sell their own outfits from scratch. I really like them and their content. But then sometimes their personality gets in the way and pulls me from that. So, there’s not just one specific person that I really romanticize or look up to in that area. Editor’s note: This interview was edited for style and brevity. Read the full Q&A online at eastfieldnews.com
LIFE&ARTS
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Wednesday, March 31, 2021
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE THEIR MARK In honor of Women’s History Month, The Et Cetera reached out to Dallas College employees to ask which women have had the most influence in their lives.
1 Which women have been most influential in your life? Linda Braddy, President of Brookhaven When I was 5 years old, my dad moved us to Oklahoma. He bought a house on 200 acres near my Uncle Everett and Aunt Ruby. I stayed with my Aunt Ruby when my dad was working and I wasn’t in school, so I got a lot of up-close looks at the rituals of country living. Like how to catch a chicken that was running around in the yard, and all the steps required to fry her up for dinner. The most important thing I learned from Aunt Ruby was the value of hard work and a good sense of humor. I don’t remember Aunt Ruby ever sitting down to read or watch television — it seems she was working all the time — nor do I remember ever hearing her complain about anything. What I do remember is laughing a lot. I have discovered in my own life how gratifying it feels to put in a hard day’s work and how a good sense of humor can help you get through hard times. Danielle Georgiou, Dance Faculty I have had the opportunity to work with two women at Eastfield who have influenced my life greatly — Lori Honeycutt and Iris Bechtol. Their strong sense of self, dedication to their artistic crafts and work ethic are admirable. They inspire me to be a great educator and artist. I will always identify myself as a student of their processes. Beatriz Joseph, Vice Chancellor of Student Success, President of Mountain View The most influential woman in my life has been my mom. Her relentless battle to give her children a better life, her unwavering support for us even when she didn’t fully agree with our choices, her ability to be a safe harbor when we needed to be vulnerable and her never-ending confidence in us even when we weren’t sure of ourselves are all things I admire about my mom.
MATHEAU FAUGHT/THE ET CETERA
Nina Lambert, English Faculty My maternal grandmother taught me to read, so she is pretty much the reason I am who I am. She was the definition of love, and she taught me that family is everything. She was an amazing cook and the most caring and loving person I have ever known in my life. My paternal grandmother was a force to be reckoned with. She was a legendary pharmacist in my hometown in Russia — the kind who compounded medicines by hand — who could take a look at me when I was a kid, hear me cough or sneeze a couple of times and know what I needed to get better. During World War II, when my grandfather was fighting in the war and my father was a toddler, she supported her family by making soap and matches. She was self-made, self-sufficient and nothing could stop her.
2 Which women do you look up to in your chosen career field? Eddie Healy, Music Faculty Dr. Brandi Estwick, voice faculty member at Texas Woman’s University and Collin College, has been my duet partner and best friend for many years. She has inspired me to become a better, more sensitive and more thoughtful musician. Her passion about music and her strong work ethic have pushed me to become a more effective music educator as well.
Matt Hinckley, History Faculty and President of Eastfield Campus Faculty Association One of my graduate school professors, Dr. Monica Rankin of the University of Texas at Dallas, was both an excellent mentor to me and is a highly esteemed scholar of the history of women and gender in Latin America. She always had time to guide my studies with questions that caused me to think and helped me improve both my writing and my teaching. David Willburn, Art Faculty First would be Kathy Windrow, my first college art professor. Not only did she teach me many of the fundamentals of drawing and painting, but she introduced me to the rest of art history that I didn’t learn about in public school. She showed (and still does) my classes the inclusive version of art history, where women, people of color and non-western cultures played prominent roles in the story of art.
3 Which women have inspired you in your role as a leader? Linda Braddy, President of Brookhaven When I was a dean, my boss was Dr. Jo Bagley, the vice president for academic affairs. She was actually the first female supervisor I had ever had in my career in higher education.
The things I admired most about her were the depth of her empathy, her ability to connect with people on a human level and the breadth of her knowledge and expertise. Dr. Bagley influenced my own leadership style and philosophy more than anyone else ever did. I admired how knowledgeable she was, and she inspired me to strive for the highest level of expertise possible. I also admired her ability to consistently extend empathy to those around her, and she inspired me to set that as one of my personal goals. Christa Slejko, President of North Lake I worked many years for North Lake president Dr. Herlinda Glasscock, and I learned a lot about leadership from her. She was confident but never arrogant. She was inclusive and sought input, but always owned her decisions. I always sensed that she wanted to be the best, but not as a means of competing or comparing herself with her peers. There is also something very powerful about someone seeing potential in you, perhaps before you see it in yourself. She saw potential in me that I hadn’t fully realized. As a leader, you can really impact someone by letting them know you recognize their strengths, or you call out their strengths before they fully know them. —Compiled by Chantilette Franklin, Jordan Lackey and Harriet Ramos Editor’s note: The responses have been edited for brevity and clarity. The full story is available online at eastfieldnews.com.
Sports The Et Cetera
April 1-2 April 5, 7 April 6 April 12
Baseball vs. Cedar Valley Baseball vs. Brookhaven Basketball vs. T.B.D. Baseball vs. North Lake
Noon Noon T.B.D. Noon
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Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Harvesters begin looking to tournaments as seasons end
PHOTOS BY RYAN MICHALSKI/THE ET CETERA
Clockwise from top left, Eylan Goodwyn goes for a layup against Brookhaven on March 8 where the Harvesters won 98-85. Lauren Beard yells after getting a point against North Lake on Feb. 26 when Eastfield won 3-0. A ball is thrown against a Cedar Valley batter on Feb. 24. Jared Tipton lines up to throw a pitch on Feb. 24 when the Harvesters won 6-1. Eastfield’s soccer team was not photographed because they did not have enough players for a season.