Etera Dallas College Eastfield Campus
Texas State Fair returns with fun for all ages See pages 4-5 Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Volume 53, Issue 2
Kicking off
Harvesters sting rivals North Lake, Cedar Valley See page 8
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
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Vaccine incentive numbers Students are show good participation rate left scrambling as classes drop
By HARRIET RAMOS Editor in Chief @HarrietRamosETC
Over 6,000 students and 3,000 employees have submitted for the vaccine incentive that became available Aug. 30. “Our aim is ultimately to save lives through this financial incentive,” Alex Lyda, senior director of communications, said. “Early participation numbers suggest we have taken a big step in the right direction.” The incentive will last until Nov. 15 and consists of $200 for fully vaccinated students and $500 for fully vaccinated employees. English faculty Rufel Ramos said she has been fully vaccinated since April, and she sees the incentive as a reward for “doing the right thing.” “It’s a great idea, indicating that Dallas College takes seriously the COVID-19 Delta variant surge by … putting your money where your mouth is,” Ramos said. Music faculty Oscar Passley said he hopes everyone will take advantage of the incentive. “I think the vaccine incentive shows that Dallas College is committed to the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” Passley said. “I believe the college and community will all be better off because of it.” Alyssa Garcia, 22, who is working toward an associate of applied science degree, said she was vaccinated previously and plans to take advantage of the $200 incentive. Garcia said she is happy about the money but concerned some people will think it is suspicious that Dallas College is using money to motivate students to get the vaccine. “Honestly, it’s kind of conflicting,” Garcia said. “Because you want to follow the health guidelines and get vaccinated, but at the same time, it’s like they’re pushing for everybody to do it.” Marco Lopez, 23, a biomedical engineering major, said he got vaccinated as soon as it became available for his age bracket. “If it encourages a lot more people to get it, it’s a great thing,” he said. Allante Jackson, 18, an incoming freshman and a business and science major, said the incentive is a win-win situation for people who have been vaccinated. However, he doesn’t plan on getting vaccinated any time soon and said $200 isn’t enough to motivate him to get the vaccine.
By LEAH SALINAS Contributor @TheEtCetera
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Nancy Abdo, left, helps someone register for the COVID-19 vaccine incentive in C-135 on Sept. 9.
He said he is worried about side effects from the vaccine and has decided to just wear a mask and continue keeping his distance from people. When asked what he would do if the amount of the incentive was higher, he said he might see the vaccine in a more positive light. “Definitely would make me think about it more,” he said. “$500 maybe, but then you’ve got to think about all the people that they’re trying to get to get it; financially that probably wouldn’t be possible. $200 is probably the most they can do.” Welcome assistant Payton Robertson said the incentive is good motivation for her to get vaccinated. “I was going to do it regardless,” Robertson said. “But obviously, money is nice.” Incoming freshman Emely Castillo,18, said she thinks the vaccine is the best way to protect herself and others. She said she feels safer coming on campus knowing that students are being encouraged to get the vaccine. She’s been fully vaccinated since June. “I definitely feel like it’s a great way to convince people to do it,” she said of the incentive. “Who doesn’t want free money? … It’s a great way to keep everybody safe.” In addition to the incentive Dallas College is offering vaccine clinics on all Dallas College campuses so students can get vaccinated during the course of their normal school day. The vaccine clinic will be at Eastfield
every Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30-11:45 a.m. until Nov. 15. Chancellor Joe May said in a press release that the college wants to make the vaccines as attractive and accessible as possible. “Broadening vaccine incentives to our students, who can get vaccinated on campus during the normal course of their day and quickly collect their incentives will help make our campus environments safer for the in-person learning that was made practically impossible early in the pandemic,” May said. Nancy Abdo, senior manager of Eastfield’s Health Center, said there will be staff at each clinic to help students submit proof of vaccination to receive the incentive. Students who have already been vaccinated can submit proof of vaccination at the clinic too. Abdo or one of the other staff looks at the students COVID-19 vaccination card and verifies it in the system. Once the card is verified, students can go immediately to the business office and collect their incentive in cash. Abdo said students can also create an account and upload their vaccine card at MedProctor.com. Once their vaccination is verified, students will get an email with instructions on how to obtain their incentive. Employees should submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination through the Med+Proctor portal, available via My Apps in SharePoint. They will receive their incentive in their next paycheck.
A large number of Dallas College classes were canceled last minute, leaving students scrambling to find something new. Provost Shawnda Floyd said the volume of the cancelations was caused by scheduling delays with the early college high school program whose schools had undergone major changes due to the pandemic. “We were trying to absorb their schedule needs and changes,” Floyd said. “[As] we began to get their changes and modifications in, and try to work them into the schedule, that’s what created everything at the last minute.” Erbin Ayala, a continuing education student success coach at Eastfield, said many of the cancellations took place the weekend before classes started. “Students were coming to us, and we didn’t know exactly what was going on,” Ayala said. Ayala said cancellations and changes happen every year, but this year was the only year it happened on such a large scale. Floyd said she didn’t have an exact number of classes that were canceled. Ayala said he and his colleagues did their best to help the students who reached out to them get put in another class. According to Ayala, some students received emails about their classes being canceled, and others did not. “My calculus III class was canceled before the semester began due to low enrollment, but I was able to replace it with another class quickly,” Brandon Anaya, a mechanical and energy engineering major who attends Eastfield, said. “I just received an email, and the next day I went back into eConnect to enroll in another class.” Floyd said a lack of instructors was also a factor in the cancellations and a reason why some face-to-face classes were switched to online last minute. According to Floyd, some adjunct professors came to class the first day, but then decided they didn’t want to be in a face-to-face environment, so changes were made to accommodate them. There were 260 courses that were switched from 16-week face-to-face to second-8-week online courses. Ayala said there will be a new list of classes for the next eight weeks and next semester, so if a class got canceled this semester, a student might have better luck at that time. Jacqueline Fabela, a psychology major who attends the Eastfield campus, said she feels lucky that none of her classes were canceled but she is concerned it could happen in the future. “I do fear the cancellation of classes next semester because I’m just trying to graduate on time,” she said. According to Floyd, the next eight weeks should run more smoothly. As for next semester, Floyd is not certain what is to be expected, but she said they are holding the early college high school partners to a tight timeline, and she hopes for a smooth ride.
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
New laws on abortion, voting, more start in Texas By JORDAN LACKEY Opinion Editor @JordanEtc
On Sep. 1 more than 600 new Texas laws went into effect. These laws impact everything from abortion rights, medical marijuana, homelessness, gun rights and more. Here are 13 important law changes to note. Fetal heartbeat bill The fetal heartbeat law is a major abortion restriction that bans the termination of any pregnancy once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This takes roughly 6 weeks and is usually before many women know they’re pregnant. Up to 90% of all abortion procedures in Texas occur after 6 weeks of pregnancy. There is no exemption for instances of rape or incest. The law also allows for private citizens, who do not need to live in Texas, to file a civil suit of up to $10,000 plus legal fees against anyone associated with an abortion except for the patient themselves. Doctors, clinic staff and even Uber drivers that bring a patient to an abortion clinic can all be sued under the new law. Winning defendants are not entitled to compensation of legal fees. Yvonne Garcia, who works at the Eastfield campus bookstore, believes that once a heartbeat is present, then the situation is comparable to “pulling the plug” on someone who is on life support. She doesn’t think it’s a decision to be taken lightly, but she also believes a woman should have the ultimate choice about what to do with her own body. “I would still say that it’s the mother’s decision and once they take that decision, you don’t go back from that,” she said. Some people believe this to be a moral decision, but also a decision that takes rights away from the mother. Jack Huhner, an education major, said he’s always been against abortion but that the new laws could potentially be harmful for women that seek other alternatives. “If you get somebody pregnant, that’s on you,” Huhner said. “But at the same time, who are we to take these choices away?” Abortion trigger law The trigger law, or House Bill 1280, would automatically and completely ban all abortions in Texas within 30 days if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade at any time in the future. Constitutional carry The constitutional carry law allows any Texas resident 21 years of age or older to legally carry a firearm without a permit or any formal training. The law does not apply to anyone with specific criminal records, but anyone that can legally buy a gun can now openly carry a firearm in public. Texas does not have a mandatory firearm registration system. The lack of regulation has some people concerned. Garcia said she thinks the new law is dangerous. “I own a firearm myself, but I just keep it at
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home,” she said. “I don’t think it’s really necessary to bring it into any buildings. That’s why you have security.” Samuel Ochero, a student in the robotics program, said the new law doesn’t make him feel any safer as an immigrant in the United States. “Somebody may be drunk and they find you walking on the street, they may just shoot you,” he said. “I have a friend who likes walking from [Eastfield] to the hotel where we stay. When he was walking … someone confronted him saying, ‘where are you from? Show me your ID.’ He had a gun. … I was scared [it could happen to me].” Voting Senate Bill 1 is the bill that led to a weekslong standstill in the Texas Senate after state Democrats delayed its passage due to concerns of voter restriction. The bill eliminates drivethru and 24-hour voting, a lifeline for some people during the 2020 pandemic. And the bill also sets new rules for voting by mail and rolls back local initiatives meant to make voting easier. The bill also sets new hours for early voting and will go into effect before the 2022 primary elections. Vaccine passports Senate Bill 968 prohibits Texas businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination. Businesses that do not comply could lose their licensing, permits or state contracts as a result.
Teachers and critical race theory House Bill 3979 limits how teachers can discuss historical and current events. Discussions of critical race theory in the classroom are banned by the new law. The law also bans students from getting credit or extra credit for participating in civic activities like political activism. Power grid reforms Power companies will be required to pay for weatherizing their own facilities in response to the winter storm in February that resulted in rolling blackouts throughout the state. Companies will also be responsible for creating an emergency alert system to notify Texans of potential power outages. The new law also changed the way the Electric Reliability Council of Texas board will be structured. Politicians will now appoint the majority of ERCOT members. Medical marijuana Texas has expanded its low-TCH medical marijuana program to include cancer patients of all stages, people with PTSD and research participants. Texas state law has allowed for low dose marijuana since 2019. Low dose was previously defined as 0.5% TCH and has been raised to 1% but can only be taken orally. Inhaled cannabis is still illegal in all cases according to Texas law. Alcohol House Bill 1518 updates the Texas Alco-
holic Beverage Code commonly referred to as Texas blue law. State residents are now able to buy beer and wine on Sundays from midnight to 10 a.m. but liquor sales are still prohibited on Sundays. Also, the alcohol-to-go bill, enacted during the pandemic, is now a permanent fixture allowing beer, wine and cocktails to be included in delivery and pick-up food orders. Homelessness House Bill 1925 completely bans homeless encampments throughout the state. This law makes camping in unapproved public places a misdemeanor with a $500 fine. Police House Bill 929, or the Botham Jean Act, requires Texas police officers to keep their body cams on during all active investigations. Previously they were not required to turn them on during non-confrontational encounters. Sex crimes House Bill 1540 changes prostitution between two adults from a misdemeanor to a felony. Texas is the first state in the country to do this. The new law also broadens the definition of human trafficking to include those who recruit victims. Protesters House Bill 9 raised the offense of protesters blocking roads, freeways, emergency vehicles or hospital entrances from a misdemeanor to a state jail felony. Offenders could face up to two years in prison.
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Some fair things to do at the State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is returning full-swing and welcoming everyone back with the theme, “Howdy, Folks!” which is designed to bring unity and warm greetings after such unprecedented times. Don’t miss out on the fair’s comeback which is open from Sept. 24 – Oct. 17. Before I go to the fair, I always create a list of the top things I have to do while I’m there. I always make sure to check out a few classics I’ve been going to since I was a child and some new attractions to create the best possible experience. However, the fair does have some CDC guidelines to follow to ensure a safe and responsible experience. For more information, visit bigtex.com/covid19-update/. Be sure to stay safe, say howdy and a take picture with Big Tex.
The food gets me most excited and requires me to wear my good stretchy pants. Every year the fair introduces a plethora of new dishes from local Texans and every year the food is better than the last. These amazing cooks come up with perfectly crafted Texas-themed food that makes your mouth water. The food I am most craving and will be first in line to get to this year is the pork shots. The shot consists of one of Texas’ best smoked sausages with hickory bacon stuffed in a tiny bowl that’s filled with creamy mac and cheese and sprinkled with a sweet and spicy BBQ rub, which makes it
one of the tastiest and most convenient foods to eat while walking around the fair grounds. I’ll also be sure to check out the deep-fried seafood gumbo balls, which was the top winner of the savory section. And if you’re someone like me who can’t just eat something without having a dessert afterward, go out and get my most anticipated dessert yet, the Texas pumpkin poke cake. This cake is an Texas-shaped pumpkin cake covered with a sweet vanilla, silky caramel glaze and topped with a whipped cream and a secret spice. You’ll be sure to completely satisfy your tastebuds with these dishes.
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The Texas State Fair is nothing without its competitions. Every year there are competitions on specific days in the Competition Kitchen to see which master chef can take home the winning ribbon and the cash prize of $1,000. Anyone can enter the contest, even on the day of competitions, so if you’re looking for a fun event to see this year or are interested in participating, check out the fair’s website to see the scheduled contests. Here are the following competitions I’m viewing this year in hopes of maybe sneaking in a bite of some mouth-watering food. - Monday, Sept. 27: Chocolate Contest, Speedy Dishes - Friday, Oct. 8: Bread Contest - Tuesday, Oct. 12: Cookie Contest - Thursday, Oct. 14: Tex-Mex Contest Don’t forget to check out the cooking contest handbook for all the rules that apply at Bigtex.com/getinvolved.
The shows are a staple of what makes this fair different than others. Every year there’s always some form of amusement that isn’t just rides and foods that keep people interested and enjoying the fair. Enjoy getting a glimpse of being on a farm by attending a milking parlor demonstration, which is located near the Fair Park Band Shell and the lagoon. If milking cows isn’t your thing maybe try stopping by the Coliseum to check out the fastest race in Texas: the pig races. These little piggies will run a track four times a day to show off their Sonic type speed in some of the cutest little outfits you’ve ever seen. Be sure to watch this show and make bets with your friends on the race.
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
The rides are officially back in session after being closed due to COVID-19. So you can check out some of the classic rides like the 212-foot Texas Wheel or the good old-fashioned Tilt-A-Whirl. A fun ride that’s making its return is the Sparklett’s Log Flume. Both kids and adults can recreate their Texas-themed Splash Mountain experience by taking a swim through this moving river. And while you’re out looking at all the amazing rides the fair will be including, don’t forget about some of the classic rides that you rode as a kid. I always ride this crazy-fast ride called Magnum, which spins you in a circle while also spinning you up and down to create the most adrenaline-filled experience I’ve ever felt since I was 10-years-old.
The Texas State Fair always includes local Texas music acts for free. The shows include a variety of genres to cater to different musical tastes. You don’t need a formal plan, just swing by any stage with your lawn chair or sit on the grass and enjoy a sweet variety of music that will be provided every day.
Words by VALERY TINAJERO Illustrations & Design by Mattheau Faught
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
‘We will learn nothing from this’
Dallas College veterans react to the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan By JORDAN LACKEY Opinion Editor @JordanEtc
In the wake of the departure from Afghanistan, some veterans feel the United States could have done more with our time and resources. “With the money we spent in Afghanistan we could have paid off every student loan in America,” Michael Noble, Eastfield history faculty and Army veteran, said. “With the money we spent in Afghanistan we could’ve given free healthcare.” The war in Afghanistan cost the lives of almost 2,500 U.S. service members and came with a price tag of over $2.3 trillion. On Aug. 30 the U.S. military flew the last American troops out of Afghanistan, effectively marking the end of the nation’s longest running war of nearly 20 years. Sources say up to 200 Americans were left behind along with thousands of Afghan allies. The final departure came four days after a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26 that killed 13 American service members and close to 200 Afghans. The war in Afghanistan officially started on Oct. 7, 2001, under former President George W. Bush. The conflict was triggered in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, the former leader of Al Qaeda, before his death in 2011. He was given sanctuary by the Taliban in Afghanistan before he fled to Pakistan in Dec. 2001. The Taliban, who were for all intents and purposes defeated
during the 2001 invasion, are back in power after overthrowing the U.S. backed Afghan government. Many throughout the U.S. and around the world have come to wonder what has been achieved by America’s involvement in Afghanistan, and some veterans, such as Noble, have mixed feelings. “It’s bittersweet in that I’m glad it’s over, not only as a former service member, but as an American citizen,” he said. “We don’t like to admit loss, and this is a loss. There’s no way to sugarcoat it.” Noble, who was briefly stationed in Afghanistan in 2001, said the war was a bad situation from the very beginning. He believes every president after Bush has been trying to avoid ending the war during their own administration, but President Joe Biden “finally took the L.” He imagined what it felt like at the Kabul airport on Aug. 30 as the last plane left. “It’s going to take off and the last semblance of hope and protection that those people have on the ground, it goes up with the plane,” Noble said. Noel Larusso, an Army veteran who was stationed in Korea from 1993 to 2000 and recently graduated from the Dallas College substance abuse counseling program, has similar feelings concerning the men and women left behind. “We left a lot of innocent lives out there. We left them hanging,” Larusso said. “We don’t follow through with our promises.” Larusso said he sees a consistent pattern in U.S. military intervention throughout history and feels like the war in Afghanistan reflects similar circumstances that happened in Vietnam.
“As a veteran, I get tired of hearing that we’re going to go to war with somebody,” he said. “To be completely honest, I think that war is just meant to be profitable.” Granvel Golden, a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant and parent to an Eastfield student, said his time in Desert Storm was a “vacation” compared to what service members faced in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s glad the U.S. pulled out and said that 20 years was long enough. He feels a deep sympathy for the 13 service members who lost their lives on Aug. 26. “It’s sad,” Golden said. “I’m sure those guys were just trying to help as many people as they can and try to get out.” Golden compared Al Qaeda and the Taliban’s methods to those used in Vietnam and said that fighting an enemy that’s willing to commit suicide for a cause is a very dangerous kind of beast. He’s concerned the problem will just repeat itself somewhere else. “You have so many people that have never been in the military trying to say what we should have done or how we should have done it,” Golden said. “You’re dealing with a country and a culture of people who don’t give a damn. Their life is war. That’s all they knew before we got there and that’s all they’ll know after we’ve gone.” Golden’s concerns about repeating history were also mirrored by Noble and Larusso. “The problem with Afghanistan, and Iraq, and Vietnam, and Korea is that we will learn nothing from this.” Noble said, “Mark my words, in 20 years, we will be in another pointless war that has no end.”
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OPINION Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Etera Award-winning member of: • Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • Texas Community College Journalism Association • Associated Collegiate Press • College Media Association
Dallas College Eastfield Campus 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu Editor in Chief Harriet Ramos Graphics Editor Mattheau Faught Opinion Editor Jordan Lackey Photo Editor Chantilette Franklin Production Manager Skye Seipp Senior Photographer Rory Moore Photographers Eddie Williams Vera DeJohnette Contributors Alejandro Contreras Eduardo Chavez Valery Tinajero
Leah Salinas Sergio Valenzuela Carlos Guzman
Graphic Designers Adamaris Sanchez Ricardo Riva Stephanie Kircher Publication Adviser Elizabeth Langton Student Media Manager Sarah Sheldon Faculty Adviser Lori Dann The views expressed on the opinion pages and other opinion pieces and cartoons in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Et Cetera, Eastfield College or the Dallas County Community College District. The Et Cetera is published by a student staff. Each member of the college community is entitled to one free copy of The Et Cetera. First Amendment Right Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters will be edited for profanity and vulgarity, Associated Press style, grammar, libel and space when needed. The content will remain that of the author. Letters should be no longer than 250 words.
ABOUT THE COVER Laisha Garcia dribbles the ball beside the goalie during a game against Jarvis Christian College on Aug. 26 that Eastfield lost 3-2. Photo by Rory Moore
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OUR VIEW
Vaccine incentive is good for everyone We all agree that a lifesaving vaccine should not need to be incentivized in the first place, but we understand that nothing motivates people better than cold, hard cash. However, after interviewing students on campus, we’ve come to learn that these incentives still aren’t good enough for some. And the fact of the matter is, we just don’t get it. Maybe, as members of a small and underpaid publication, we don’t feel privileged enough to turn our noses up at a $200 incentive. Perhaps, as struggling student journalists, we just don’t suffer from that particular brand of affluence. We find it ridiculous that a metaphorical carrot has to be dangled in people’s faces when 20 years of vaccine research should act as all the encouragement one needs. We find it even more ridiculous when we hear the carrot still isn’t big enough. Unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at least 93% of hospitalizations in Texas consist of unvaccinated patients, depending on the region. Sources also say that the Delta variant has led to an extreme rise in youth hospitalizations. Yet, even with all this in mind, the college has to offer cash in hand, a selfish incentive for those who don’t want to protect the others around them. And it still isn’t good enough? Not only is Dallas College encouraging students and staff to get vaccinated at any location, but they’re also offering rotating vaccination events at each campus to make getting the vaccine more convenient for those who make the decision to do so. The college has offered students and staff a choice and they’re making efforts so people who want to pursue that option can easily do so. This is a good thing. We feel these incentives paired alongside the controversial mask mandate issued shortly before
the semester started, are extremely important when it comes to returning to a state of pre-COVID normality. We admire Dallas College in the leadership role they’ve taken concerning COVID-19 safety and offering COVID testing sites throughout the pandemic. We all want things to go back to the way they were. We miss seeing your faces, but we’re also thankful to be back on campus and we’d like to keep it that way. Hospitals around the country are overloaded. Doctors and nurses are overworked, and these recent surges could have been prevented. When will the data alone finally be enough? How many more people have to die? How much money will it take before some of you actually care? This pandemic isn’t behind us yet. But with some commonsense practices and a simple shot, maybe we can see normality again, sooner rather than later.
Need employees? Try paying them a living wage The pandemic has made my job at a grocery store chain much more difficult. Not only am I vulnerable to the coronavirus, but it’s difficult to deal with customers who don’t know their boundaries, and there are not enough workers.Customers have come into my workplace without a mask and proceeded to cough and sneeze without attempting to cover up. This is disgusting and has longlasting effects. At the same time, coworkers left for better-paying jobs where they would not have to deal with these customers. As a result of these circumstances, my company decided to raise the starting wage. I was fortunate enough to be there to receive the raise. Others, however, are not so lucky. Imagine you are working hard for 8 hours a day at your full-time job, and you only earn $7.25 for every hour. In just over half of the states in the United States, including Texas, this is the minimum wage. Many companies have begun to falter because their employees are quitting. There are many reasons why em-
Eduardo Chavez @TheEtCetera
ployees quit working for these places but the main one is the wage they are receiving. To increase the employment rate, the minimum wage must be raised to match the cost of living. There is no reason for the minimum wage to be the same in 2021 as it was in 2009, while the cost of living has gone up 29% in the same time span, according to CBS News. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is not beneficial to anyone, except companies, as prices continue to increase across the country. For college students, it is a challenge to pay for school and other necessities while only making minimum wage. Many have to work multiple jobs to support themselves but that is difficult with the coronavirus still around.
Based on a map from Economic Policy Institute, in Dallas County alone, if adjusted to the cost of living, the minimum wage would need to be $16.85. This is on the lower end of the spectrum. On the higher end, the wage would need to be as much as $30. If companies want to keep their employees, they need to have a higher starting wage, adjust wages to support their employees and insist customers conform to coronavirus safety measures. Some people may argue that increasing the minimum wage would lead to prices going up. Others believe the reason people are not returning to work is because they are lazy and are living off unemployment. First, to counter the claim that prices would go up, there is the fact that prices have been going up and will continue to go up. To have a livable wage, the minimum wage needs to be adjusted and increased according to the cost of living. Next is the idea that people are living off their unemployment
checks. Many people lost their jobs due to the pandemic, so the government gave disaster relief benefits. This can cause people to believe that those drawing unemployment are lazy and do not want to work, but the truth is, they are just not able to work. As adults, we realize just how much money is needed to support ourselves, and the minimum wage does not reflect it. We are due a higher minimum wage so we are not forced to overexert ourselves. —Eduardo Chavez is a contributor and journalism major.
Sports The Et Cetera
Sept. 23 Sept. 24 Sept. 27 Sept. 29 Oct. 1 Oct. 4
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Volleyball vs. Brookhaven Soccer vs. Mountain View Volleyball vs. North Lake Soccer vs. Richland Soccer vs. Cedar Valley Volleyball vs. Mountain View
6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m.
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Harvesters look to bounce back this season By ALEJANDRO CONTRERAS Contributor @TheEtCetera
One year after having their season canceled, the Harvesters soccer team has shown promise this year with some early wins against regional opponents Cedar Valley and North Lake to land a 2-5 record. Last season was canceled because Eastfield didn’t have enough players to compete due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Head coach Paul Tate said he recruited players from Dallas, Houston and East Texas during the offseason to finalize a roster of 24 players with 18 newcomers and six returning players. Although the Harvesters have been able to get some wins, Eastfield lost some games early in the season against higher division teams. “It was kind of confusing in the first games,” said freshman midfielder Andrea Marentes. “We didn’t know how to play together. Now that we know each other, we can play off each other a lot better.” The Harvesters got their first win of the season in a 1-0 match against North Lake on Aug. 31. Marentes scored the winning goal in the first half, while goalkeeper Stephanie Torres saved five shots on goal to secure Eastfield’s victory. Tate said he decided to make a strategic change during the game by moving Marentes from midfield to forward. “That kind of gave us more opportunities to turn the ball and get some shots off,” Tate said. “That really helped. We had her moving around the field, and she played great.” Tate has also integrated some newcomers like forward Sierrah Richter into the starting lineup. “We’re growing each practice and each game,” Richter said. “We are getting better and closer, but it’s going to take time to get there.” Eastfield got their second win of the season against Cedar Valley in a 7-0 blowout on Sept. 7. Marentes and Richter both scored two goals, while Angelina Muñoz, Julitha Mwamvua and Jacqueline Solis each scored the other goals and Torres saved three shots on goal to secure a win for Eastfield. “We were all super pumped, Marentes said. “It kind of brought us closer. We’re all pushing ourselves to be better.” But the victories against Cedar Valley and North Lake only counted toward the Harvesters overall record, not their region record, which determines seeding for the district tournament. The winner of the tournament then goes on to play at nationals. Eastfield’s regional opener is Sept.21 against Brookhaven, who is ranked among the top 10 in the nation along with Richland and Mountain View for the week of Sept. 7. “Getting those wins is really just building our confidence to go up against those stronger teams,” Tate said. “We know we can do it. We can play against anybody.” The game against Brookhaven will be a huge test for Eastfield’s new team. “I’m confident now that we can give them a tough battle and we can come out with the win,” Marentes said.
PHOTOS BY RORY MOORE/THE ET CETERA
Clockwise from top left, Andrea Marentes dribbles the ball away from a Jarvis Christian College player on Aug. 26. Paulina Herrea runs toward the ball during the JCC game that the Harvesters lost 3-2. Sierra Richter kicks the ball while defending against two Jarvis players.