October30 2013 Issue by The Et Cetera

Etera

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 Volume 45, Issue 4

THEY WALK AMONG US Zombies are taking over your living room By Justin David Tate Life & Arts Editor

One minute, you’re studying in the library for the inevitable pop quiz in chemistry. Then, all of a sudden, a blood-curling scream rings out. Panicked students and faculty members begin running down the halls of the second floor of the L building. You creep forward to investigate and see the bloody, decomposing meatbags known as zombies salivating after the taste of living flesh. As the shuffling dead break through the library’s glass windows, you have two choices: Escape the library and fight your way out, or run to the private study areas in the back and barricade the pathway behind you. Which choice would you make? This is one of many dilemmas that come up in meetings of the Zombie Club, a weekly forum for all things living dead and post-apocalyptic. “Zombies, when you see them in the movies, they’re always set in places that you normally would see, like houses, malls, toy stores,” said club member and business administration major Arlene Nelson. “I’ll go to the store and I’m thinking, ‘I wouldn’t mind if something crazy happened here,’ but the zombie apocalypse does that for you.” The Zombie Club began last spring with the purpose of discussing the zombie phenomenon as it relates to video games, movies, literature, television and even what would happen if an imagined apocalypse were to occur on campus. The zombie obsession can be traced back to director George A. Romero’s 1968 cult classic “Night of the Living Dead,” which introduced the familiar zombie formula of a cast of survivors trapped in a house trying to survive. Help never comes. Zombie Club President Terrance Starling considers the film one of the top five zombie movies of all time, but he believes the zombie genre is flexible enough to adapt and evolve beyond Romero’s initial success. “George Romero has a hundred different movies out — not literally, but he has a lot — and in each movie, his zombies are actually a little different than they were in the previous movie,” Starling said. “So everybody has their different zombies. In my opinion, ‘The Walking Dead’ zombies are as close as you can get to what I consider a real zombie.” See ZOMBIES, page 9 ➤

News

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Put it on

Calendar October Wed

The Heroes in Law Enforcement seminar presented by professor Michael Santiago will be in room G-101-102 from 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m. The Voice Department recital will be held from 12:30-1:50 p.m. in F-117.

Thur

“The Cryptozoology of Texas” presented by John Emery and Murry Gans, part of the October Science Seminar series, will be held in S-100/102 from 1-2 p.m. A Costume Contest will be held in The Pit at 12:30 p.m. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.

November Sun

A recital series featuring the faculty jazz ensemble will be held in F-117 from 12:30-1:50 p.m.

Tues

The Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folkorico performance, part of Hispanic Heritage Month, will held in the performance hall at 7 p.m.

03 05

Wed

A recital series featuring the faculty jazz ensemble will be held in F-117 from 12:30-1:50 p.m.

Thur

A seminar on “How to Write a Winning Resume” presented by Marvin Arts will be held in L-208 from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Mon

“The Amazing Heroic Stories: Veterans Panel” will be in C-135 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Tues

Eastfield will participate as a Make Art With Purpose partner in presenting the work of James Reed, Matej Vukla and Carolyn Sortor in H-100 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Tues

Campus Activities Board will offer Free Coffee and information at the Fireside Lounge from 7:30-9:30 a.m.

06 07 11

About the cover:

Illustrated and designed by Yolanda Ramirez

www.eastfieldnews.com

E-Cigs

The Et Cetera

Ban burns smokers, ignites debate among students

By Justin David Tate Life & Arts Editor

Students wait impatiently in line at the college Subway during the afternoon lunch rush. A middle-aged male calmly puts a cigarette to his lips, inhales and holds. A string of vapor escapes from his nostrils. None of the other students in line are choking, coughing or asking him to put out his cigarette. The Subway employees don’t ask him to smoke elsewhere. That’s because business major Stefan Sansone is not a traditional tobacco smoker. He smokes electronic cigarettes, more commonly known as e-cigs. While the e-cigs have been tolerated in the Pit, library, hallways and classrooms, a new policy change is banning them on campus. Smoking e-cigs, like traditional cigarettes, will only be allowed in vehicles. The administration’s decision irritated Sansone, who believes e-cigarettes don’t harm anyone. He was a tobacco smoker for years until he found out he could smoke an e-cigarette almost anywhere. He calculated that without the 10 or more five-minute smoke breaks he took, he would have an extra hour a day to study for classes. “Bars let you do it. Airports let you do it. Any state building [allows] it. So why does a state-funded college have to ban it?” Sansone asked. “State schools should follow federal laws, and if federal laws say you can smoke e-cigarettes in federal buildings, then you shouldn’t be penalized in your school.” E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular with students. They use an internal heating element powered by batteries, not lighters. The contents are a combination of water, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol and nicotine. Traditional cigarettes can contain carbon monoxide, cyanide and arsenic — in other words, things that kill rats, bugs and people. Instead of the cloud of smoke from traditional cigarettes, e-cigs produce a water vapor that disappears. Sansone believes the vapors help nonsmokers around him feel more comfortable. “I keep it pretty low key,” he said. “I hold in my inhale so that when I exhale, there’s not much water vapor

Odessa Leeper/The Et cetera

Ladonna York takes a drag from her e-cigarette before class in the hallway between the L and C buildings.

that shows, and I’ll usually exhale it down in a way and not up in front of everybody. The longer you hold the inhale you take, the less you exhale.” Science major Ladonna York takes a different approach. She exhales into the air. She said she has done research and found evidence that the vapor doesn’t release any toxins into the environment. York said e-cigs helped her quit smoking regular cigarettes on Feb. 23. She used to smoke three packs a day, a rate that she believes would eventually have caused irreversible damage to her body. Since she started smoking ecigs, she said she feels healthier. She no longer shows symptoms of the chronic bronchitis she was diagnosed with. No wheezing. No coughing. No shortness of breath. But she still wants her nicotine. She finds it distracting to sit through class without being able to smoke. Going to her car would take up too much class time if she took a break every time she thought about smoking. “It’s an addiction,” she said. “You’re taking away something from

somebody that their mind is going to be thinking about while they’re in class. I have an hour and 20 minute class, and I will think of it no less than 100 times.” Larry Wilson, the college’s interim vice president for organizational development, helped hone the language of the smoking ban to include e-cigarettes in response to concerns raised by students and faculty. Music major Luz Elena Castillo pointed out that e-cigs are not regulated by the FDA because little information about them has been confirmed. Castillo believes the information could change after decades of tests reveal more about the technology behind e-cigs. “Even though it’s not [considered] harmful, it’s still out there and we’re breathing it in,” Castillo said. Wilson believes getting into a battle over the long-term toxicity of secondhand vapors from e-cigarettes isn’t worth debating due to a lack of confirmed information. “We’re not going to engage in an argument over whether it is or whether it’s not,” Wilson said. “Nonusers, have expressed a concern about the secondhand nature

of the vapors. It’s not smoke, but other people can smell it. They feel like they’re breathing it. So in the spirit of trying to be a tobacco-free, pollution-free, irritant-free campus, we thought the simplest thing to do was say, ‘Don’t use electronic cigarettes on our campus.’” Modern e-cigs were invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003. The e-cigs went on the market in China in 2004 and entered the international market by 2007. Today, there are flavored variations of the e-cigarette, such as cherry and bubblegum. Consumers can even pick up versions that don’t contain nicotine while still maintaining the flavor. E-cigs, with or without nicotine, are identical. Some nonsmoking faculty and students find it difficult to immediately differentiate them from traditional cigarettes. Even some students who smoke, such as substance abuse major Randall Woodsman, agree and say they don’t wish to irritate others. “I am a vapor smoker, but I don’t think I should smoke around other people,” he said. “What I do with my own vices is my own vices. I shouldn’t subject anyone else to them.”

NEWS

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Honors Program teams with UNT

Briefs

By Liritze Pedroza-Ortiz Staff Writer

Applications for business major scholarships are due Nov. 1

The college’s Honors Program is continuing to expand thanks to a new articulation agreement with the University of North Texas and the addition of new classes. The nearly one-year-old program, led by psychology professors Kimberly Chandler and Marti Weaver, worked out an agreement in the summer that lets honors program members transfer their credits into the UNT honors program as long as they have a minimum 3.35 GPA and have made an A or a B in their honors courses, Weaver said. The transfer will not require an essay or application. “The process [to transfer] is just our verification that these students did take courses from our program and that they received the credit,” Chandler said. Besides the articulation agreement, the honors program offers courses that are more challenging. “I think the major difference is that the class operates at a higher intellectual level instead of just mastering the content, which is what the normal class strives for,” history professor Dr. Jerry Henson said. “We try to go beyond that, into the why’s.” The program took about four years to develop, during which cautious steps were taken to ensure the program did not dissolve like previous honors programs have, Weaver said. Henson said three or four attempts have been made in the past, but this attempt has succeeded because there was more preparation and organization. “We wanted to have a structure first and then add courses. That’s what they didn’t do,” Chandler said. “They just started off and there was no structure and guidelines.” The program started with English 1302 and History 1301 classes in the spring. It has since

The deadline to apply for three business scholarships — the John M. Thorne Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the Roger Weeks Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the Leon Pleasant Memorial Scholarship — is Nov. 1. Each scholarship will grant up to $500 per semester. Applications are open to business majors with a minimum 2.75 GPA. Applicants for the Roger Weeks Memorial Endowed Scholarship must be disabled veterans who have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours. Applicants for the Leon Pleasant Memorial Endowed Scholarship must be single parents with custody of a minor child who have completed a minimum of 12 hours. Applicants must submit a onepage typed essay answering the prompt “How will the scholarship funds assist you in achieving your educational goals?” An application form must be submitted to the Financial Aid office by the deadline. For more information, email foundation@dcccd.edu.

Odessa Leeper/The Et cetera

History professor Dr. Jerry Henson meets with his Honors Program students.

added Biology 1406, College Algebra 1314 and Introduction to Speech Communication 1311. To ensure the quality of the program, instructors are selected for the courses, Weaver said. “[The instructors] need to submit a proposal that they design for the course that they teach and wait for the approval of the board,” Weaver said. Although the classes focus on the same subject as regular classes, they are taught differently. “I cover the same content, but I cover the content faster in the honors class, so that we can spend more time on a few very important or very interesting topics,” Henson said. One change this semester is an additional three credit hours are required to complete the program for new members. There are also arranged events that are open to all students. The Honors Program is working with history professor Michael Noble and learning frameworks professor Judith Dumont to arrange a scholarship workshop that will be held on Oct. 30. On Oct. 23, the organization is sponsoring an event featuring

the director of the University of Science training program of the University of Colorado. “He will be talking about getting an M.D. or Ph.D. in science, or maybe both,” Weaver said. “It is sponsored by the Honors Program, but it is open to the entire college — the entire district.” Although students can attend these events and take honors courses without being in the program, there are some exclusive benefits for members, including access to the honors lounge in the library and an assigned mentor. Chandler said the honors program plans to add three more classes in the spring semester: History 1302, Psychology 2301 and Spanish 1411. “We want to keep on offering classes until we have most of the core curriculum classes offered,” Weaver said. Honors Program leaders also hope to reach articulation agreements with other universities. “We are trying to establish as many relationship as soon as we can … for students who are going to transfer in the next year or so,” Chandler said.

NEWS

Eastfield student selected for Goldblatt scholarship Eastfield’s Gabriel Estrada was one of seven DCCCD students selected as a Goldblatt Scholar. The scholarships are given every three years to students who show leadership and perform community service. — From staff reports

College plans initiatives to help campus become more green By Liritze Pedroza-Ortiz Staff Writer

Every second, 1,500 plastic water bottles are consumed in the United States. This is just one of the problems the college is addressing on its way to becoming a greener campus. Terrance Wickman, math professor and adviser of the Green Team, discussed Eastfield’s current and future green projects for this semester during a Green Team meeting on Oct. 16. The Green Team plans to install 16 water bottle-filling stations. One of the stations on the second floor of C building has already logged more than 9,000 plastic bottles saved on its counter.

“An important thing for students to know is that they can reuse plastic bottles and not just throw them away,” Wickman said. “People say ‘Well I recycled it.’ Let’s try to reuse the bottles and not get to the point that they need to be recycled.” Another current project Wickman mentioned during the meeting is attaching smart heads to sprinklers, which reduces the amount of water runoff. During the meeting, Wickman also mentioned a proposed project to raise funds to buy a $2 million thermal heating and cooling system tank. The thermal heating system uses stored water for heating and cooling buildings. Wickman said the system is valuable for many reasons, including

saving water, energy and time. Eastfield also celebrates green holidays such as Arbor Day, which will be celebrated on Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. in front of the C building. During the ceremony a magnolia tree will be planted near the flag poles in the front of the C building. There will also be performances by the honor guard, the college’s choir and the jazz ensemble, Wickman said. The college plans to plant more magnolia trees in the future. The event is open to everyone. During the Green Team meeting, academic adviser Sheneika Hathaway announced that Eastfield’s green future is expanding with a new Harvesters Community Garden project. Hathaway, a Community Garden

advisory committee member, said the club will start with four land plots which will increase on an as-needed basis. Each of the four plots could be up to 8-feet-long by 8-feet-wide and will be located between T and W buildings. Each plot will be used for different purposes. “We want to have a butterfly garden, along with a herb garden, and we’ve been working with the science department on possibly incorporating an outdoor classroom, and possibly partnering with MISD,” she said. Laura Carr, a speech professor and garden advisory committee member, said the organization hopes to have the announcement and applications for adopt-a-plot out around Thanksgiving.

Although the organization has not begun yet, it is being encouraged. “Dr. Conway is very supportive of the whole thing,” Carr said. “[Facilities Director] Michael Brantley says that anything he can do to make it succeed, he is game. There is a lot of support.” Brantley said the college ranked 18 out of 168 colleges and universities in this year’s Recycle Mania competition. From the amount of containers, their size, and the number of pickups per week, he estimates the college will recycle more than 1 million pounds of material by the end of 2013. The recycled materials include paper, aluminum cans, ink cartridges, books, newspapers, plastic bottles, trashscrap metal and cardboard.

NEWS

4 Wednesday, October 30, 2013

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Student body asked to design new mascot By Justin David Tate Life & Arts Editor

Odessa Leeper/The Et cetera

Dean Rachel Wolf (far right) addresses a question about misogyny in the media during a gender equality panel discussion on Oct. 21. Looking on from left are Dr. Elizabeth Huston, Jose Rayas, Kelly Lynch and Courtney Schwing.

Presentation sparks discussion on gender equality in media By Emma Hahn Staff Writer

While munching on cookies and chips, students were able to skip a lecture period to watch a documentary and participate in a panel discussion about gender equality on Oct. 21. The documentary, “Miss Representation,” flashed images and YouTube clips of scantily clad women doing everything from dancing to washing cars in bathing suits and thongs. Decades ago, these images might have been cause for concern, but some students in the audience were either bored or chuckling at the half-naked celebrities on the screen. This panel attempted to change those apathetic attitudes during the discussion, which was a part of Freedom of Speech Week. It was designed to educate students about the representation of women in the media. The documentary explained that women in movies aren’t typically portrayed as intelligent or powerful. Instead, they are shown as useless objects of affection or emotional train wrecks. “Miss Representation” featured interviews from psychology experts,

female leaders and high school girls. Each told stories of pain, depression and discrimination. According to the documentary, more than 78 percent of teenage girls are unhappy with their body by the age of 17. The film explained that these girls, from infancy to adulthood, have been pounded with the notion that only beautiful girls are worthy of love. The film also showed how advertisers turn a normal-looking woman into a fashion model. The process began with a team of stylists and makeup artist working feverishly on the woman until they sent an image of the final product to an editor. The editor then proceeded to enlarge her eyes, delete flyaway hairs and erase blemishes in her skin. The film stressed that this is an impossible mold for women to fit in, one created more by Photoshop than nature. Experts interviewed in the film said the media also portrays women in a manner where they are not seen as capable of becoming leaders. The panel, which was made up of students, faculty and administrators, debated many of the issues discussed in the film, particularly the topic of women leaders.

Can a woman be a powerful leader in the U.S.? The entire panel, including the lone male student, Jose Rayas, agreed that women should be national leaders. Gloria Culpepper, a student who attended the event, said women leaders often have a different outlook than their male counterparts. “Men ask how we can get things done, but women ask what steps need to be taken to get things done and what’s going to happen if we do it,” Culpepper said. “They look at the whole picture.” Another student, Brenda Vuniga, said the documentary was enlightening and interesting. “It’s something that everyone should hear because women are so suppressed in the media,” she said. One of the most powerful moments in the film was when a teenage girl explained how her little sister was depressed because she didn’t think she was beautiful. She burst into tears and began describing the pain she feels knowing her sister cuts her body to punish herself. The girl asked a question that hung in the air, silencing the chuckles and disinterested private conversations of the audience: “How long is it going to take for someone to take a stand?”

The college is seeking a new mascot by encouraging students to submit their own original designs in a contest to determine the new image that will represent Eastfield. The student who creates the best design by the deadline of Nov. 13 will win a $500 scholarship for next semester. Director of Student Life Judy Schwartz, who is coordinating the contest, said she is open to completely overhauling the old mascot from a scythe-wielding farmer to anything ranging from a plant to an animal. As long as it makes sense within the context of being a Harvester, the name of Eastfield’s sports teams, she’s comfortable with change. “Do we want it to be a man, a shaft of wheat?” Schwartz said. “I think one student drew an ox.” While the image of the mascot will change, the name Harvesters will remain. Not all students are happy about that. Science major Keonte Grant would rather the old name leave the field. “I think they should change both of them, [the image and the name],” Grant said. “I want to be the Eastfield Tigers. It sounds better.” Graphic design instructor David Danforth argues that changing the name would disregard the college’s history and tradition, something he believes many still hold valuable. “Some people say, ‘Well, you have new students coming in,’ but there’s a lot of people that are a part of our community that have known Eastfield as the Harvesters for a really long time, and we’d like to keep that tradition,” Danforth said. Danforth will help turn the winning image, be it paper or digital, into a vector graphic that can be easily transferred to T-shirts, banners, uniforms and other promotional items. “I’ll probably have to redraw it a little bit, maybe simplify it, but I’ll work one-on-one with the artist,” Danforth said. Though he will be involved with making the image look professional, Danforth has removed himself from the selection process because many of his own students are entering the competition. Instead, Schwartz will form a team of students, staff and alumni to vote on the best images. “We’re going to narrow it down to maybe two or three or four, if there are four really good ones,” Schwartz said. “We’ll create a survey that anybody can go to so that the student body will get a chance to vote.” The voting period will be during the last three weeks of the semester to give students time to vote before their holiday break. By next semester, the college will have a new mascot and Schwartz will finally get to spend the $3,000 set aside for a costume after almost using the money for an unusable mascot last year. That’s when the college received a cease and desist letter from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) asking it to stop using the former Harvesters logo due to its similarities to UTEP’s Miners logo. The college has since removed all promotional items that contained the former Harvesters mascot and Schwartz is excited about the opportunity to find a replacement. “I’ve got money saved. I really want to buy a head,” Schwartz said. “If it’s an animal that needs a whole suit, we’ll buy it and have a mascot that’ll go to the ballgames, that will be out on campus during orientation and registration week, go out to the chamber of commerce events and let people know Eastfield’s doing important things out here.” Schwartz hopes instructors will announce the contest to their students. “This is a real unique opportunity to choose a mascot for your college,” she said. “Not very many people get a chance to do that.”

NEWS

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Latinos emphasize serving the community By María Yolisma García Staff Writer

During a Latino leadership panel discussion meant to encourage success, former attorney Roy Dean opened up about failure. “I failed first grade, how pathetic is that?” Dean said. A long pause filled the room. Dean’s early failure was due to a language barrier. However, that failure motivated him to press on. “Failure taught me what I know today. Every day I thought about first grade,” Dean said. “It’s OK to fail. I encourage failure, because that means you’re trying. And if you’re not trying, that means you’re not doing a damn thing.” Today, Dean is chairman of the Southeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce. He, along with Eastfield Vice President of Teaching and Learning Michael Gutierrez and Chairman of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce Jeronimo Valdez spoke about Latino leadership in the community during a panel discussion hosted by the Men’s Empowerment Coalition. The panelists discussed their personal struggles to achieve success. Aaron Fields, president of the MEC, opened the discussion by talking about the event’s theme:

Odessa Leeper/The Et cetera

Michael Gutierrez, Jeronimo Valdez and Roy Dean encourage students to strive for success.

leadership in the community. “We have the ability to make significant changes in the lives of people with whom we live with and work,” he said. Gutierrez, who grew up in south San Antonio, remembers the values

his father instilled in him as a young boy. He said his father taught him to always do three things. “Be proud of who you are, work and only take what you deserve,” Gutierrez said. He always wanted to make an im-

pact and help out as best as he could. Gutierrez found the community college environment to be the best place to do that. Valdez told students not to let a negative environment define what they are capable of doing.

Growing up in Pleasant Grove with a single mother, he never thought he would be where he is today. On his journey toward many distinctions in his legal career, Valdez faced much adversity, including a lack of preparation for college. “If I had to do it over again, I would have gone to Eastfield or a community college [first],” he said. During his freshman year at the University of Texas-Arlington, he had a 1.93 GPA. “‘What am I doing here?’ I thought,” Valdez said. Valdez worked harder in the classroom and later received a full ride to Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. Now he is advocating for education in the young Latino community. “The more money I make, the more I can help my community,” said Valdez, who donated $5,000 to students who wish to further their education. Dean was first in his family of seven siblings to graduate from college. His academic success began a trend in his family. He hopes other first-generation college students will do the same. “Education should be a part of your life,” Dean said. “It should never be a choice.”

Social media can be problematic for students By Robert Burns Contributing Writer

A recent college graduate appears to be the perfect candidate for an entry-level job. His resume is perfect, his grades are top-notch, and he aces the interview, yet the job goes to another candidate. The reason? He spoke negatively of former employers on Facebook. This is becoming a problem for more and more young adults who use social media platforms. However, a new California law could provide students with a clean slate. The law would require social media sites to ensure that posts made by someone under the age of 18 can be erased from their profile. In recent years there have been countless examples of people being fired for something they posted online. Caitlin Davis, an 18-yearold cheerleader for the New England Patriots, was fired in 2008 because she posted risqué photos to Facebook. In 2009, Dan Leone was fired from his job at Lincoln Financial Field Stadium in Philadelphia for criticizing former Eagles safety Brian

Dawkins, who had recently signed with the Denver Broncos. This was after he deleted the post. Patsy Caropresi, a senior career specialist at the college, said social media regret is quite common. “A large percentage of the employers I talk to look at social media for prospective hires,” she said. Anything from supporting a certain particular political view to showing provocative photos on your timeline can get you fired. The laws have not caught up to the technology, thus creating a gray area where an employer can use this information as a filter for new hires. The new California law is intended to provide some privacy as students enter the job market. Opponents believe the bill doesn’t go far enough. They said the real problem is that posts, once uploaded, spread like wildfire across the internet, and this bill does nothing to put those fires out. Students seem to understand why social media research is performed by employers, but they also value their privacy.

“I think they should be able to look at some stuff,” student Manuel Cuevas said. “But they should limit what employers can look for.” Student Monica Covarrubias disagrees. “It is your privacy,” she said. “If it is not your friend, then they shouldn’t have access.” Some students see a correlation between what a student posts and their work ethic. “The way an employee represents themselves outside of work should reflect how they represent themselves inside of work as well,” student Marissa Rodriguez said. Others don’t believe that the way people act in social situations mirrors how they act in a professional setting. “Just because people are posting questionable things on Facebook doesn’t mean they are a bad employee,” student George Jalloh said. However, there are studies that say the opposite might be true. According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Social Sciences, there is some correlation between candidates who post about drugs and alcohol or have violent outbursts on Facebook and how they perform at their job. However, the study also noted a cor-

relation between people who had a lot of Facebook friends and extroversion, which most employers see as a positive employee trait. “Employees should protect themselves by being mindful of what they post,” Caropresi said. Caropresi suggested students get a LinkedIn account for business. Even if they don’t have a long resume, they can put their major, GPA and classes on their profile for employers to view. She also suggested that students should Google themselves, as employers often do. If negative information comes up on another website, they can contact the website managers and politely ask them to remove the content. Deleting a personal Facebook page is also an option, but many students said they are reluctant to lose their Facebook connections. “I wouldn’t delete my Facebook because I use it to talk to my family,” Covarrubias said. Social media is a new technology that is constantly evolving. However, laws to protect job-seekers’ information from employers has just begun to catch up. The new California law is the first step in a long walk for lawmakers.

opinion

6 The Et Cetera

Etera

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Trenton Blackshear

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

Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Fax: 972-860-7646 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu

Intentions are key to morality

Editor In Chief Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Life & Arts Editor Justin David Tate Opinion Editor Caitlin Piper Online Editor Miguel Padilla Design Editor Yolanda Ramirez Photo Editor Odessa Leeper Staff Writers Billy Dennis Kristen Dixon Karina Dunn Gereneicia Foster Emma Hahn Kametra Loud Liritze Pedroza-Ortiz Photographer Arica Hill Cartoonists Alex Hernandez Jonathan Wences Graphics Chadney Cantrell Advertising Manager Yolanda Ramirez Student Publications Manager Wendy L. Moore Faculty Adviser Lori Dann Editorial Policy The views expressed on the opinion pages and other opinion pieces and cartoons in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Et Cetera, Eastfield College or the Dallas County Community College District. The Et Cetera is published every two weeks— except December, January and summer months—by a student staff. Each member of the college community is entitled to one free copy of The Et Cetera. Additional copies are available in Room N-240. Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters will be edited for profanity and vulgarity, Associated Press style, grammar, libel and space when needed. The content will remain that of the author. Letters considered for publication must be 250 words or fewer. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or sent to etc4640@dcccd.edu First Amendment Right Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

OUR VIEW

Social media can cost you a job, so use it wisely Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr have millions of active users from all around the world, and their networks continue to grow every day. As more and more people begin to build an online presence, a truly staggering amount of personal information is leaked into the digital world. But how much information is too much? There are certainly benefits to utilizing social media. Promoting businesses has never been cheaper, and individual users can build a professional profile while maintaining long-distance friendships and relationships for free. However, if not used responsibly, the risks of social media can far outweigh the benefits. This is especially true if you are looking for work. With a single search of your name, potential employers can determine whether or not they will hire you, all based on a quick glance at your social media page. Many of us are attending college in order to earn a degree and increase our chances for a well-paying job or career. One questionable post or photo can negate years of hard work in mere seconds. It can even cause you to lose your current job, or

prevent you from obtaining one in the future. Your willingness to reveal your personal information to the public can also place you at higher risk for identity theft. Some social media sites, such as Facebook, have also been known to sell your personal information to advertisers. Responsible use of social media is possible, but far too many people are willing to make a post for just about every aspect of their daily lives. They forget they are posting on a public forum, where people from all around the planet can potentially see what they have to say. Thanks to social media, there is now no such thing as true privacy. A short look at your social media profile is all most people need to gauge your personality and character, even if it isn’t the slightest bit accurate. What matters is that you are presenting an image of yourself for the entire world to see, and in today’s computer-driven world, that is more than enough for most people. Before you make a post, consider what it says about you. You can never take back what is already said. Even if you delete it, remember that nothing in the digital world is gone forever.

What makes someone a good person? Are people born good? Is doing the right thing an innate instinct? I believe the answer lies not in what a person does, but in why they are doing it. Since life is more than shades of black and white, I don’t believe doing “bad” things makes someone a bad person. Human beings are obsessed with the concept of morality. Particularly in fiction, they seem to gravitate toward the constant struggle between good and evil. The choice the majority agrees is good is accepted as such, while anything else is cast into a disparaging light. However, in this new day and age, people are taught not to view things at face value. No matter what someone does, there must always be a reason for doing it. Thus, one begins to search for motives before deciding, and morality becomes shades of gray. Consider someone who robs a bank. Since robbing a bank is frowned upon, the initial judgment passed down by the masses would be that the bank robber is “guilty” of doing bad things. Yet, if it was revealed he had only done so because his only son was dying of leukemia and his insurance company had dropped him, the world would see him as a parent trying to do whatever he could for his son. Few would find him guilty of doing bad. Some would even praise him for his efforts. What if someone donates $1 million to a charity helping fight child abuse? That’s good, right? Now, what if we learn that the charity is a front for his company, allowing him to hide money tax-free and get tax write-offs for donations? The “charitable” benefactor has now become quite the evil mastermind and would lose anything that garnered him such favor. An old friend once told me, “Do all the bad things you want, as long as they are for a good reason. You’ll be jailed for murdering an old woman, but not the head of the Taliban.” She was right. I am inclined to believe that for the most part, there are no “good” or “bad” people. Everyone sits in a field of gray, and only their actions can be judged.

opinion

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Single-parent home fosters Senator sets high standards strong mother-son bond Growing up in a single-parent household helped define my childhood. My parents divorced five days before my fifth birthday, so I only have a few memories of living with my father. It’s always been me and my mother against the world, not because I was the man of the house at 4 years old, or because I was her only child, but because we were all we had. When I see kids who don’t want to eat at the dining table, or who complain about cleaning their rooms or taking the trash out, I think of my pre-teen self. I never really understood why my mom was teaching me how to wash my own clothes, but she was trying to prepare me for my future. My mother would cook for us every night, rarely asking for my help. My favorite entrée was spaghetti with Ekrich sausage. Every meal would have a salad, so I would help out by washing and tearing the lettuce, or cutting up tomatoes. Many times we would end up eating late because I would forget to take meat from the freezer when I got home from school. There were so many times that my mom asked me to do something and I completely forgot. Maybe I was too busy playing video games or watching ESPN to listen, but as I got older I saw how my disregard for my mother’s authority impacted her. I wasn’t intentionally disrespecting her. I just didn’t understand the importance of listening. When I was in high school, I was out and about more with my friends and girlfriends. My mom didn’t just come to every one of my football games. She picked me up any time I asked, no matter how far away I was.

Kevin Cushingberry Jr.

Every time I needed someone, my mom answered the call. She was ever-present. As I have found success in my studies, I have had opportunities to transfer to universities far from home. My family worried about me leaving. My biggest concern has always been my mom. She said she would support me no matter where I went, and I saw her get prepared. She started going out more and making more friends. I was the one who started to rethink my decision. I didn’t end up leaving home. I decided to stay at Eastfield for another year. However I realized I didn’t have to worry about my mom anymore. She was strong and could make it on her own. She had shown her strength since the beginning while she raised me on her own, but this was the first time I actually recognized it. I knew my mom made money and was the reason I enjoyed nice meals and had Nikes on my feet, but I never realized the work she put into training me to take care of myself. I’m now confident that regardless of what happens with college, friends, girlfriends or anything else, nothing will be able to break the bond I have with my mother. She will always be in my corner to face the world.

Sporting her iconic pink sneakers, single mom Wendy Davis made national headlines in an 11-hour filibuster aiming to prevent the dismantling of woman’s healthcare in Texas. Now, the state senator from Fort Worth is running for governor of Texas. Davis’ story is one of hard work and perseverance, something all Eastfield students should admire and strive to emulate. She has described her high school self as one of those students who was allowed to fall though the cracks. However, at 19, Davis, decided to return to school for a two-year paralegal program at Tarrant County College. This time, school was very different for Davis. She did not fall though the cracks, but rose to the top. Excelling at her studies, she was soon offered a full scholarship and transferred to Texas Christian University. Davis put herself through school by working two jobs. She was a receptionist by day and a waitress by night. If this hectic schedule was difficult, it did not show in her grades. She graduated first in her class at TCU and received a bachelors degree in English. Eastfield is full of amazing hard-working students who can testify to just how challenging it can be to juggle school, work and family. Furthermore, it takes intellect and backbone to achieve the successes Davis has. After graduating from TCU, Davis was accepted into the Harvard Law School where she was introduced to the concept of public service. Upon graduating with honors, she began practicing specialized litigation at the office of Haynes & Boone in Fort Worth. But Davis wasn’t satisfied with just making money; she wanted to make a difference. Over the next 15 years, Davis did just that. Davis’ strategy has been to take on positions that affect the lives of Texans. She served for nine years on the Fort Worth City Council before being elected to

Billy Dennis

the Texas Senate in 2008. Davis has tried to preserve the infrastructure of women’s health services in Texas. Our state has the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation, and many women are forced to go to women’s health clinics for basic medical needs. Most of these clinics will now be shut down. This is what Davis was fighting against during her filibuster. These clinics provide many needed services for women, not just abortion. They were places where women could go to receive pap smears, mammograms and birth control. Now, because of the political right’s draconian law restricting women’s access to proper healthcare, many women will be at a greater risk. I have a deep mistrust of Republicans on this issue and don’t believe they are interested in stopping abortions at all. They are, however, interested in getting their paws on the money that comes from shutting down those cost-effective clinics. I’m not supporting Davis because she is a Democrat, or for any one particular policy or idea she supports. Instead, I’m supporting Davis because she is an honest, straight shooter. I believe in her vision for Texas. If I have learned anything from her personal story, it’s that when Wendy Davis has a vision, she has the courage and wherewithal to see it through.

Light skin or dark skin: We are all equally beautiful women

“She’s pretty to be a dark-skinned girl,” a friend said to me one day as we watched a woman enter a store. I looked at the woman and agreed with my friend wholeheartedly. As I reflect back on it now, I don’t understand why I agreed. The young lady’s skin color was just a little darker than our own. What did we think was so different? It wasn’t the first time I had heard that statement. I’ve heard light skinned African-American women say this about darker African-American women often. I’m still struggling to understand it. If I were lighter, would I automatically be beautiful? People fail to realize that racism doesn’t just exist between different

Gereneicia Foster

races. It’s also prevalent within races. It’s called intra-racial racism, and it’s a huge problem in the black community. I recently watched a modern version of the doll experiment first performed by Kenneth and Mamie Clark in the 1940s. During this test, young black boys and girls were asked to choose between a white

and black doll, then asked questions about which doll was pretty or nice. Fifteen of the 21 children interviewed preferred the white doll. It saddened me to see so many young black girls who felt they weren’t attractive or intelligent and who wanted to be lighter. It also wounded me to see young black boys who believed black girls weren’t as beautiful as white girls. Popular artists are constantly rapping about how they want a “red bone” or “yellow bone” girl. Lil Wayne is one artist who has been under fire because of his lyrics regarding dark-skinned women. In his song “Ride with the Mack,” he raps, “I tell a dark-skinned chick I’m allergic to chocolate.”

Rarely do Wayne or other rappers say they want a dark-skinned girl. You rarely see the faces of darkskinned women on beauty products, and few are seen on the runway. Hollywood has a multitude of dark-skinned black actresses but their roles are less than favorable. They usually assume stereotypical angry black woman or ghetto roles. We are constantly bombarded by all of these negative images in the media. As a result, dark-skinned women are left feeling unwanted and ugly. As a child, I yearned to have lighter skin. I remember being picked on because my hair was too nappy and my lips were too big. Because of this, I had extremely low self-esteem. I hated that I was

dark and not considered cute. As I grew up, I recognized that I was beautiful in my own way and that my dark skin didn’t make me hideous. Today I am secure in my own skin, but I have to encourage one of my younger sisters to embrace hers. She’s in high school now, and she said that black classmates tell her she is ugly simply because she is dark. I don’t understand it. It’s time we learn to love ourselves, no matter what we see or hear in the media and no matter what is said to us. We need to instill this in our children as well. The self-hatred needs to stop. Every shade of black is beautiful. Every skin color is beautiful. Beauty should know no prejudice.

opinion

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Kevin Cushingberry Jr.

Billy Dennis

Light skin or dark skin: We are all equally beautiful women

Gereneicia Foster

Life&Arts

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

PLAY REVIEW

Gamer Z ne Courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment

‘Rain’ makes a splash in puzzle adventure game By Caitlin Piper Opinion Editor

Stephanie Booth (left), Sam Galindo and Luke Saroni perform a scene from “You Can’t Take it With You.”

courtesy of Special Contributor

Theatre gives a hilarious performance to an empty house on opening night By Kristen Dixon Staff Writer

When looking for happiness many people concentrate on money and power. In “You Can’t Take it With You,” a play performed by the Eastfield College Harvester Theatre Department last week, the Sycamore family finds happiness through simplicity. This production’s humor was so contagious, the audience couldn’t help but laugh. Unfortunately, because of low attendance on opening night, few people were able to enjoy the energetic performance. The small crowd did not deter the actors from putting on a hilarious show. The play is about the struggle of Alice Sycamore, played by Ashley Vessells, to prove to her future in-laws that her family is normal and not the mess they actually are. The Sycamores find joy through a simple

life while the Kirby family, Alice’s soon-tobe in-laws, are the exact opposite. They are prosperous and well known in the business world. Mr. Kirby runs a corporation, and his son Tony, played by Tanner Keeling, is the vice president. Tony and Alice met at work and fell madly in love. Alice was afraid her family would make the Kirbys rethink letting their son marry her. She set up a day to have them over where she could orchestrate a perfect appearance. Tony had other ideas. He brought them over a day early so they could see the real Sycamore family. I loved the chaos it caused. The visit blew up just as Alice had feared. Just as the night was ending, Paul, played by Colby Calhoun, and Mr. De Pinna, played by Morgan Solórzano, blew up the basement with fireworks. This landed everyone, including the Kirbys, in jail.

Vessells and Keeling give strong performances in their leading roles. Their love for each other is seen with every look and simple gesture. Instead of just blurting out memorized information, the emotions appear real. I especially liked the scene where Tony and Alice share a sweet kiss just before Alice’s grandpa walks in to say goodnight. Other notable performances were given by Kayla Anderson, who played Gay Wellington, and Lindsey Stewart as the grand Duchess Olga. Both portrayed their characters excellently. Overall, “You Can’t Take It With You” was comical and the cast put on a great performance. Even though the audience was small, the cast performed as if the house was full. The play showed that happiness can be found without power and even people who come from completely different worlds can find love.

Released on Oct. 1 on the PlayStation Network, “Rain” is a low-budget adventure game with stealth, platforming and puzzle elements. Despite its somewhat unpolished gameplay, “Rain” is an incredibly emotional and atmospheric journey. Set in an unknown city in the midst of a heavy downpour, “Rain” tells the story of a nameless little boy who finds himself invisible and lost in the storm. Unable to interact with the world around him, he finds an ally in a little girl who shares his affliction. Together, they struggle to escape the monsters pursuing them. This proves to be a challenge, as they quickly learn that the ever-present rain makes them visible to their attackers. Over the course of their bleak and sometimes frightening journey, they form a close bond as they work in unison to navigate the city. Players can guide the children through the rainslickened streets by completing puzzles and sneaking past monsters who cannot see them when they take shelter from the rain. Simultaneously, the player must learn to locate the boy by following his wet footprints when he disappears completely. Additional obstacles are introduced over the course of the game, such as large puddles and mud splatters, which can also make the characters visible even when they are out of the rain. Though its atmosphere and sound design are impeccable, “Rain” suffers from sometimes unresponsive, sometimes hypersensitive controls and unimaginative, if serviceable, puzzles. This can lead to a lot of trial-and-error, and while it should never take more than two or three tries on a puzzle or stealth sequence, these problems could have been easily remedied with a little more developmental polish. There is also a recurring enemy called the Unknown who appears just a little too often in the latter half of the game, making an otherwise genuinely menacing enemy a distracting annoyance. While it’s not for everyone, “Rain” is one of those games whose flaws are far outweighed by its personality and charm. Managing to tell an emotional story with only its music, visuals and atmosphere, “Rain” is a diamond in the rough that deserves at least one try.

Life&arts

The Et Cetera

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Continued from page 1

Millions of dollars in ticket sales worldwide for ‘Night of the Living Dead’ in 1968. The budget was a modest $114,000. Illustration by Yolanda Ramir

Millions of dollars in box office receipts for ‘World War Z’ in 2013, making it the highest-grossing zombie film of all time. participants each year in “Run For Your Life” 5K zombie marathons across 17 states.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Million copies sold of Max Brooks’ 2003 book ‘The Zombie Survival Guide’ and HIS 2006 book ‘World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War’

million copies of ‘The Last of Us’ sold in the first three weeks of the video game’s 2013 release.

Starling found that “The Walking Dead” brand of zombies present a relentlessness that makes the main characters have to resort to desperate means to survive. Some jump out of windows. Others saw off body parts to prevent infection from a bite. “The Walking Dead” is a best-selling comic book series that began in 2003. It has spawned a television adaptation of the same name that has grown into one of the most watched cable series in history. In the show, a group of survivors try to build a community while fending off a world overrun by hungry zombies and opportunistic bandits. The club discusses the realistic setting of the show, which in its fourth season, introduced a new enemy in addition to the flesheaters. A virus with flu-like symptoms has begun to infect and kill survivors on the show, and they have to figure out how to contain the infection before it spreads to the next person. But the zombie genre didn’t always inject survivors into a post-apocalyptic setting. Zombies used to be nothing more than voodoo-controlled B-movie projects that surfaced every so often, starting with 1932’s “White Zombie.” The film was considered a critical failure despite the presence of “Dracula” star Bela Lugosi, who played a sugar mill owner who uses voodoo to control his army of workers. Romero’s films steered the zombie conversation into one about resurrected flesheaters. Then, in the late 1980s, the genre began flooding video stores with such stomach-turning classics as “Zombi,” “Dead Alive,” “Cemetery Man” and “Return of the Living Dead,” which gave pop culture the single most famous phrase in zombie history: “BRAINS!” Zombie Club Vice President Daniel Beckett said he believes talking about hypothetical zombie situations opens the door to other sub-interests.

For instance, Nelson’s interest in zombies led him to make crossbows in his spare time and even examine blueprints of Walmart Supercenters to strategize how he would maneuver past a herd of zombies to reach the pharmacy for medicine. Or aisle five for canned beans and corn. Or even hardware for—well, you know— brain-bashing material. Beckett doesn’t see himself being a zombiefighting badass like Nelson or Starling, who half-joking declared at a recent meeting that he could kill a couple of zombies with the stapler on the computer desk beside him. Beckett ponders other scenarios. “Weight vs. speed,” he said. “The heavier your backpack is, the more stuff you can carry in it, but the slower you’re going to move. You have the fight-or-flight complex. [Zombie scenarios] challenge your mind in a lot of different ways.” Starling believes the zombie apocalypse activates the imagination of its audience, but in an entirely different way: bloodlust. Starling said people love zombies for the same reason they loved “Star Wars” and “Star Trek,” as well as any other blockbuster franchise or trend. “They love that uncertainty,” Starling said. “Fictional destruction is almost a turn-on. To some extent, we are animals. That’s just a fact. We are vicious creatures whether we know it or not. Every time we take a step, something’s being destroyed. Something’s being put off in the form of kinetic energy. Zombies, right now, is just that craze.” So the debate continues. Will you hide out in Subway, munching on sandwiches and drinking Dr Pepper until a rescue team saves you? Maybe you’ll fight your way into the automotive department to gear up with wrenches and tire irons to use as effective zombie-killing tools. That’s the fun of the zombie apocalypse. When the dead are dug up in conversation, one never knows where the brain will go.

million VIEWERS oF ‘The Walking Dead’ season four premier ON OCT. 13, making it the most watched episode in the show’s history.

LIFE&ArTS

10 Wednesday, October 30, 2013

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Madriguera pays tribute to classical guitarist By Robert Burns Contributing Writer

The rich melody of classical guitar strings filled F-117 for the weekly Wednesday Recital Series on Oct. 16. The player? Former Eastfield instructor Enric Madriguera, who is now a professor of aesthetic studies at the University of North Texas. Madriguera selected arrangements related to classical guitar virtuoso Andres Segovia. Each piece was written by someone who admired Segovia. One of Madriguera’s choices was “Tonadilla on The Name of Andres Segovia,” which was written by Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco, a good friend of Segovia’s. Another piece, “Humorada,” was composed by Madriguera’s aunt, Paquita Madriguera, who was Segovia’s second wife. Madriguera said he never knew Paquita, but she was a noted pianist. The highlight of the program, though, was a duet written by Segovia himself entitled “Orraccion Estudios Diarios,” which was performed by Madriguera and Eddie Healey, a current guitar instructor at Eastfield. The concert was a homecoming of sorts for Madriguera. “I came here in 1976 and left in 2006,” he said. “I like coming back here, and I’m proud of

Odessa Leeper/The Et cetera

Enric Madriguera plays the strings of his guitar during a performance on Oct. 16.

the work I did here,” he said. Eastfield is in good company. Madriguera has played in festivals throughout the world, in

N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y

places such as Valencia, Spain; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Cuenca, Ecuador. He will embark on another tour of South America, Mexico and Spain in November. It was only the second time Madriguera had performed the selected program. The first was in Seattle a week earlier. “A program like this is hard work,” he said. “Some of the pieces are quite challenging. Bach is difficult, but so was the last piece [‘Tonadilla sobre el nombre de Andres Segovia’].” Although Madriguera makes it looks effortless, hours of work go into a program like this. “I can’t count,” he said. “I’m on sabbatical and part of that is learning two new programs — this one, then one in the spring.” Despite the difficulty of the program, Healey and Madriguera didn’t practice together much for their duet. “I really had it learned before we met,” Healey said. “I think we met about three times.” Madriguera 90589 has a couple of favorites in the program. The Et Cetera “[I like] the one Aunt wrote [‘Humorada’] pg 5.1 x 5.25with my because of the1/4 special connection aunt, and the last one because of the ingenuity Next 3 issues of how it was put together based on the name pmc [‘Tonadilla sobre el nombre de Andres Segovia’],” he said. “But I liked it all.” Students and faculty also enjoyed the performance.

“I loved it,” said Rachel Loss-Cutler-Hull, who teaches guitar at Eastfield. “Segovia is such an inspiration to classical guitarists, and to hear someone present a concert with that in mind is really fantastic.” Music major Robert Maddox was also inspired. “I thought it was excellent,” he said. “The way he phrases the music is definitely something to take away.” Student Richard Myers also enjoyed the performance. “Actually, I could hear some discrepancies from the guitar playing, but other than it was pretty good,” he said. Healey said he thinks students should develop an appreciation for their music to develop greater understanding of it. Then students can develop a greater appreciation for the context in which the music was produced. “What I think is so great about Dr. Madriguera’s performance was the fact that he spent so much time playing and talking about the music he played,” Healey said. “I think that can generate more interest in it. It is like going to an art gallery and seeing a piece of art that does not readily speak to the observer, but that you can learn something about the context that produced that art. Music works the same way.” The next concert on Oct. 30, will feature Eastfield vocal instructor Melinda Imthurn.

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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Life&Arts

12 Wednesday, October 30, 2013

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Let’s Dance

The Et Cetera

Student club prepares to showcase its moves

By Gereneicia Foster Staff Writer

Music is blaring from the speakers and shoes are squeaking as dancers glide across the floor in the M building dance studio. Trey Irby III is pop locking, his body flowing into each new move fluidly. Jamal Hargrove is break dancing on the floor, spinning and supporting his body with his hands as his legs twirl around then under him and over his head. Anthony Nguyen flips onto his head and spins, his legs resembling the blades of a helicopter. The moves look difficult, but the dancers practice them effortlessly. They don’t even break a sweat. They watch themselves in the mirror to ensure that every move is in sync. At this moment it’s just them, the mirror and their music. This is a typical practice for The Dance Tank, a new club whose main goal is to share their love of dance with other students and to learn different types of dance and dance techniques. The club was a dream for co-founder Noel Mathew. He discovered he had a passion for dancing in high school but there wasn’t a formal dance crew. When he arrived at Eastfield he met Hargrove and discovered he had a knack for dancing as well. They decided to start a club and eventually merged with the Eastfield Dance Club to form The Dance Tank, which is more hip-hop oriented than the original Eastfield Dance Club. The name Dance Tank was derived from the concept of a think tank, a collaboration of thinkers. Similarly, the club is a collaboration of dancers. Each member has knowledge of different dance styles and techniques. Break dancing, popping and contemporary dance are a few. “I think [the name] is appropriate,” dance instructor Danielle Georgiou said. “It’s people coming together from different places and with different ideas and trying to find a common spread. It’s learning how to work and cooperate with each other.” Members are looking forward to producing a hip-hop oriented video performance at the beginning of November to showcase their skills. They would like to show the video on campus so they can gain exposure and recruit more dancers. Hargrove said this first video performance is extremely important for the club. “The video represents our dedication,” he said. “Without dedication, we won’t be ready to compete as a team. It’s an opportunity to form something bigger than what we can do individually.” Club members are planning other events on and off campus to help promote and fund the club.

One possibility is a dance performance in the Pit which they hope will inspire others to dance. They also want to host a car wash on campus and a haunted house off campus to raise money. The club is promoting these activities through its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. New members are accepted at any time. However, there are auditions for the club’s elite dance group. The elite team members will perform in the video and in future competitions like the World of Dance. World of Dance is the largest international urban dance competition and also the largest touring dance competition. Participants from across the country will compete to win the most prestigious awards in dance. It will be held in Dallas next spring. “It is essential to have a unified goal as a team,” Mathew said. “It motivates us and makes us progress. That is why [World of Dance] is an essential part of our club.” Georgiou said the competition will give the club some exposure and will also let the members experience dance at a different level. “World of Dance is a specialty niche type of dance, so when they go for the first time it will be an eye-opening experience for them,” she said. “It will expose their name and their ideas to a larger group of people.” The club holds practice sessions Monday through Friday at different locations on campus. Each day is designed to learn something different. Think tank Mondays are used to come together and work on new moves. “We meet to discuss what we are going to be doing, and we do team-building exercises to create that flow in interpreting words or sentences into movement,” Hargrove said. Tuesday through Thursday meetings are normal practice days for choreography. Fridays have been coined “Freestyle Friday.” This is when new members are taught new moves. Club members also use this time to practice as individuals and see what skills and dance moves they can incorporate into a routine. “We all have different styles of dancing, and it’s not like something we can actually see on a regular basis or during regular practices,” Mathew said. “So we set a date aside so we can experience what styles we bring to the table.” Hargrove said he wants the club to be fun and hopes other students will feel free to ask questions and learn new things. “It’s about enjoying yourself and not being afraid to try something new,” he said. “If you come in and see us free-styling, don’t hesitate to ask us, ‘Hey how do you do that move? What kind of style do you do?’ We would be happy to teach you.”

Yolanda Ramirez/The Et cetera

Dance partners Marioli Diaz and Herbert Rodriguez demonstrate a Latin dance move.

Salsa dancers move to the beat By Maria Garcia Staff Writer

President Eric Nestares welcomes newcomers and returning club members. Everyone nervously spits their names out and why they are interested in the Salsa Club. After the introductions, Vice President Miguel Gaitan directs the group outside. That’s when it becomes clear this is no ordinary club. The group is greeted with loud bachata music and the rays of the warm sun. Nestares stands on a platform and begins to lead the group in a line dance called “Danza Kuduro.” With quick feet and beads of sweat rolling down several faces, the meeting is in full swing. Math instructor and current adviser Oraldo Saucedo founded the Salsa Club in 2008. When Saucedo stopped dancing salsa for a while, he missed it. The absence of salsa in his life is what prompted him to create the Salsa Club. Saucedo, now in his fifth year of advising the group, is pleased with how the club has been going. “They started organizing themselves and they were wanting to perform,” Saucedo said. The club continually changes, but the focus on dance remains the same. It typically meets three times a week: Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. for practice, and Fridays for performances only. Nestares leads the group with help from Gaitan and the rest of the executive board. Both Nestares and Gaitan have been involved

with the Salsa Club for the past two years. Each sees their years in Salsa Club as a fun learning experience. Although the club’s primary focus is salsa dancing, members like to include other genres such as bachata, merengue and cumbia. Gaitan, like officers before, said he is hoping to add some new dance styles to the list. “I would like to include more than just one genre of music,” Gaitan said. In hopes of diversifying the music styles, the Salsa Club is also looking to collaborate with the Dance Tank. The Dance Tank is a new dance club featuring hip-hop and several modern genres of dance. Their collaboration will include future choreography and possibly some performances together. The Salsa Club showcases moves during performances at local schools around Mesquite. Aside from entertaining the local community, Salsa Club also performs service to those in need of help. This year the Salsa Club is looking into doing more community outreach by teaching residents of Mesquite’s Sunrise Nursing Home how to dance. Since the creation of the club, several students have not only learned how to dance, but have also acquired leadership skills that could help them in the future. “The most fulfilling part of having a college club is to learn skill sets like how to organize a group of people that have a common interest,” Saucedo said.

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Trinidad New York Texas Yearwood finds his home on the hardwood Illustration by Yolanda Ramirez

New York Texas By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Editor in Chief

When it came time to decide who was the toughest guy on the basketball court during the preseason, it was an easy choice for Sheldon Yearwood’s new teammates. The transfer from Paris Junior College was a unanimous pick as Eastfield’s junkyard dog: gritty, determined and willing to do whatever it takes to win. Yearwood acquired this passion at a young age. His desire comes from his early years in Trinidad, when his only entertainment was running along the beachside with other children who, like him, didn’t have much. His grit was crafted on the concrete courts of Queens, N.Y. “I guess that’s why I play so hard on the court,” the sophomore forward said. “It’s because of what I’ve been through.” Yearwood said he has memories of his birthplace, but not all of them are pleasant. “I remember things like the prices in Trinidad being [high],” he said. “It was hard for us to live there. My grandma paid for us to come to New York to have a better life for ourselves.” When Yearwood moved to Queens at the age of 7, it was a culture shock. He had no knowledge of basketball, and neither of his parents had a college education. “I’m the first one [in the family],” he said. “My mom just wanted me to go to school and do good and make sure I get a better life for myself.” Basketball played a big role in Yearwood’s new world, but he didn’t pick up the sport until the seventh grade. “I was kind of chubby,” he said. “I only found the love for it because I never got girls before. But I did when I started playing.” As time passed, he wasn’t just trying to get girls. He was trying to get better. He began

Trinidad watching the NBA on television and developing a passion for the game. “The more I played, I found the love for it,” he said. “I modeled my game after [Miami Heat guard] Dwyane Wade. I try to attack the basket how he does.” Although his life on the playground was livening up, his neighborhood wasn’t a game at all. Drugs and violence were all around him. “Growing up in New York wasn’t easy,” he said. “I stayed across the street from the projects. My best friend stayed in the projects, so I used to be in there a lot.” Yearwood said some people in the projects gave him a pass because he played basketball. “They would tell me ‘Stay out of trouble. You don’t want no part of this,’” he said. “We used to get shot at just playing ball at the park. There were times where a bullet ricocheted and barely missed us.” Yearwood was also struggling in the classroom and at home. “It was a hard time for me and my mom,” he said. “She had a two bedroom, and we didn’t have a kitchen or anything like that. It was me, my little brother, my younger sister and sometimes my older sister. It was hard. That distracted me.” He used basketball to take his mind off those struggles. “I started playing in park tournaments in New York,” he said. “The better I got, coaches started putting me down for AAU summer tournaments. When I got to high school, I started to love the game even more because of my coaches.”

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Sheldon Yearwood hopes to lead the Harvesters back to the national championship game.

However, by his sophomore year, Yearwood knew he needed a change. His best friend was moving to Texas and asked Yearwood to join him. It was difficult to leave his mom, but he knew Queens was nothing but trouble. “I’ve never been apart from her,” Yearwood said. “She was the only one there for me throughout everything I was going through. When I left I told her ‘This is going to be the best for me.’” Yearwood enrolled at Dallas Kimball and began playing AAU ball in the Metroplex. That’s where he met Eastfield assistant coach Antonio Richardson. “He was the same guy he is now,” Richardson said. “He always had toughness and tenacity. He always had a good nose for the ball.” At Kimball, Yearwood experienced the ultimate success in the sport he picked up five years earlier, winning back-to-back state championships. He’s hoping that championship momentum will carry over to Eastfield. The Har-

vesters fell in the title game last season. “I know I can help them get back there,” he said. Coach Anthony Fletcher said Yearwood has a chance to be a special player. “I’ve already told him this, I think he can be a legitimate all-American candidate if he scores around the basket,” Fletcher said. “That’s where he gets his money.” If Yearwood does lead the Harvesters to the national tournament again, he will be back in his second home. “Every time I get a break I try to go back to New York,” Yearwood said. “Sometimes I want to stay, but then I think about how important me playing basketball is and what it’s going to get me.” Yearwood said his goal is to play at a fouryear school in New York. “It’s always been an interest to me, playing close to home so my family can see me play,” he said. “I’m going to try my best and work toward making that happen.”

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Soccer finishes strong By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Editor in Chief

They almost fell apart. After suffering their worst loss of the season on Sept. 24, the Eastfield soccer players knew they had to make something happen. Coach Dustin Stein said every coach can look back on one game that changed its season. For the Lady Harvesters, it was the first time they played Richland. They lost 18-1. “We had to have an emergency team meeting to pull everything back together and work it out,” Stein said. “I think at that point, the ladies understood that the coaching staff was serious, and getting beat 18-1 wasn’t acceptable.” Stein said his players will admit they quit during that game. However, he believes it was the best thing that happened to them, motivating them to make a late-season push that resulted in the first trip to the playoffs in eight years. “We were able to really come together,” Stein said. “They started listening a lot more, and the intensity in practice went up. That’s what saved our season.”

Every time the Lady Harvesters played an opponent twice, they showed improvement. After losing to Mountain View 2-1 on Sept. 17, they shut out the Lions 3-0 in the rematch two weeks later. Athletic Director Anthony Fletcher said Stein did a great job leading his players, many of whom were recruited during registration or the first few weeks of school. “To think where they’ve come from the beginning of the season to now is remarkable,” Fletcher said. Although the Lady Harvesters’ season ended with a 6-0 first-round playoff loss to Richland on Oct. 17, team captain Chasity Turner said the season was rewarding. “I’m very excited. I didn’t think we were going to be here,” the freshman forward said. “We’ve had some bad moments and some good moments, but I love how all of the girls came together and worked as a team toward one common goal.” After the first win of the season — 6-2 over Southwest Adventist on Sept. 18 — Turner said the team grew closer and more confident. “It’s remarkable how girls can come together when we didn’t start

the season off together,” she said, adding that the players plan to play on an indoor team together during the offseason. Stein and assistant coach Eleazar Jepsen are already preparing for next season. The team took only nine days off between its last game and the first offseason workout. “As soon as that referee blew that final whistle, our focus turned toward 2014,” Stein said. “My wife said, ‘Now that the season’s over you’ll have some time off.’ That’s the furthest thing from the truth.” Once Feb. 1 hits, Stein said the Lady Harvesters will train eight hours per week through April. “We’ll be in the weight room, getting faster and stronger,” Stein said. Stein plans to attend 12 showcases to find new talent before the Dec. 1 signing date. “I already have a list of ladies coming in to visit the school,” Stein said. “We’re hoping to sign three or four, and then by next season we’re looking to bring in 15 to 20 new players. The only way we’re going to get them is by going out there and being involved. The season is over, but we’re just now getting started.”

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The Lady Harvesters huddle before a recent home game.

Eastfield shocks Brookhaven to make national tournament

The Eastfield volleyball team defeated the Brookhaven Bears in straight sets Saturday to win the Region V championship trophy and advance to the national tournament for the first time in school history. The Lady Harvesters will be the first team from the Metro Athletic Conference other than Brookhaven to play in the national tournament since 2004. Brookhaven was ranked No. 2 overall in the national preseason poll. The tournament will be held on Nov. 15 and 16 at Rochester Community & Technical College in Rochester, Minn. — Kevin Cushingberry Jr.

SUCCEED Here, I feel at home and am surrounded by other passionate students who want to succeed.

— Raychel Taylor

Transfer student, music performance

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Short Thoughts BY ALEX HERNANDEZ

Trivia Bits Sean Combs keeps changing his stage name. Which of these has not been one of his names, at least so far? A) Diddy B) P Diddy C) Puff Daddy D) Puffball Papa

Sean Combs should become Puffball Papa. That would be awesome.

Trivia Answer

SUDOKU

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