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Eastfield College
Seeing
GREEN History professor Matt Hinckley saves money and helps protect the planet through environmentally conscious decisions. See pages 4 & 5 ➤
Opinion: Stop saying “all lives matter,” because reality tells a different story See page 7 ➤ Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Volume 52, issue 1
2
NEWS
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
@TheEtCetera
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Hicks remembered for dedication, lively spirit By HARRIET RAMOS Editor in Chief @HarrietRamosETC
Lisa Hicks, a longtime child-care specialist at Eastfield’s former Children’s Laboratory School, will be remembered for her vibrant personality, service to others and love for the children in her care. Hicks died on June 12 of heart failure. She was 60 years old. Hicks, known as Miss Lisa to parents and little ones alike, worked in the infant room with children ranging from 3-18 months. She retired in December after nearly 25 years. Many Eastfield employees whose children attended the Laboratory School remember Hicks as their children’s first teacher. Hicks cared for both daughters of Dusty Thomas, program coordinator for the drama department. Thomas said her girls “adored Miss Lisa,” and Thomas appreciated the input Hicks gave her about her daughters’ development and when to start them on solid food. “When you’re a new mom … you have a lot of questions and concerns,” Thomas said. “Lisa
PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA HUGHES
Lisa Hicks holds Hunter Hughes in the Children’s Laboratory School in November 2019.
would always talk to me. It was motherly advice about things, and I loved that.” Even after Thomas’ daughters graduated out of the infant room, they would stop and say good morning to Hicks on the way to their new classroom.
English professor Katawna Caldwell-Warren’s daughter Kensley started in the infant room when she was 5 months old. Hicks was watching her on the playground when she took her first steps. Hicks recorded the event and immediately sent the video to Caldwell-Warren. “It’s like a family,” Caldwell-Warren said. “For most working parents, you’re going to miss [out] on some things, but there you just felt like you were a part of it.” In a Facebook tribute, Hicks’ daughter Shannon Rodriguez said her mother was a beautiful person who could always make her laugh and who always had her back. “She was the most giving person I have ever seen in my life,” Rodriguez said. “Even if she had nothing left she would find a way to make sure others were OK.” Maribel Meza had just graduated from high school when she started working with Hicks at the Children’s Laboratory School in the early 2000s. She said she was trying to figure out what to do with her life and added that Hicks was like a second mother to her, encouraging her and helping her reach her goals.
“Anything I ever needed, she was there,” Meza said. “If I called and my car had broken down, she was there. [She] dropped everything to help.” Meza is a first-grade teacher now. She said a lot of her classroom techniques, such as using positive reinforcement for correction, came from Hicks. “She truly loved what she did,” Meza said. Thomas said she is working with Eastfield to establish a scholarship for early childhood development students in Hicks’ name. She hopes to have it in place by December. “She didn’t just take care of our kids,” Thomas said. “She trained a lot of students who went on to work at other daycares or who went on to get their education degree. They all studied under her.” Hicks is survived by her husband Doug; daughters Shannon Rodriguez and Shelby Hicks; stepson Hunter Alan Hicks; sister DeAnna Angstead and brother Kelly Pound. Her family plans to hold a celebration of life service in her memory after COVID-19 gathering restrictions are lifted.
Mesquite gives aid to Hurricane Laura evacuees By JORDAN LACKEY Opinion Editor @JordanEtc
Rows of single-file vehicles stretched the service roads on both sides of Interstate 20 leading to the Mesquite Reception Center on the afternoon of Aug. 27, most of them adorned with Louisiana plates. Tired faces looked out rolleddown windows, but the spirits of some seemed undaunted and unbroken. For many, this wasn’t their first hurricane experience. Sanders Polk, from Orange, Texas, near the Louisiana border, remembers the hardship he faced after Harvey swept through and damaged his home in 2017. He’d only been moved back in for two weeks, fighting with the state to repair his home for three years, before Laura forced him back out. “I’m really actually stressed out, but I hold on by the grace of God,” Polk said. “And what’s mine is mine. I’m never giving up.” Polk was frustrated, but he maintained his humor and kept a smile on his face. However, through his darkened glasses the worry in his eyes was still visible. He’s worried that he’s going to have to fight all over again. Polk said he called the Federal Emergency Management Agency on the morn-
ing of Aug. 27 and was informed that Texas was not yet declared to be in a state of emergency despite the fact that Laura was the strongest storm to hit the neighboring state of Louisiana, just 12 miles from his home, in over a century. Fleeing Hurricane Laura, a category 4 Atlantic hurricane with destructive winds that killed 20 Louisianans that thrashed the Louisiana coast nearly 14 hours prior, this was an evacuee’s reception: scorched asphalt and the hopes of a hotel voucher. Many had been waiting for upwards of three hours, and that was only halfway down the line. Kesha McCoy drove six hours in a packed SUV from Lake Charles, Louisiana. She’d been sitting in line for over two hours when she saw video footage online of a chemical fire close to her home and received word from a neighbor, still in the area, that a pine tree had fallen on her house. “We’re just trying to get vouchers or whatever help we can get because we can’t go back there,” McCoy said. “They’re not letting anybody back there because of the fire back in Lake Charles. It’s horrible. The people that stayed, they’re letting them in, but us, we can’t go back because there’s no power, no water.” Lt. Clint Burgess with the Texas Army National Guard said the evacuee center was essentially set up to
CHANTILETTE FRANKLIN/THE ET CETERA
Kardayle Brown, left, and Kesha McCoy from Lake Charles, Louisiana, wait in line for hotel vouchers on Aug. 27 at the Mesquite Reception Center.
operate like a drive-thru on steroids. As people move through the line, they pull up, talk to a volunteer, exchange information, receive their hotel voucher and go on their way. Everyone was given a number, so the first person in line was the first person to get a hotel. He couldn’t disclose the location of the hotels due to safety reasons but said that most of them were located in the North Texas area. “All the hotels in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area have been very cooperative,” He said. “It’s great to see a community come together and really forge when something like this happens. … We just want to make sure we take care of our brothers and sisters in the South.” The storm hit close to home for Burgess, who remembered his involvement with disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina 15 years ago. “We’re doing it again,” he said. “[We’re] far more prepared than we
were last time. I think the emergency notifications help a little bit. People are getting information quicker, and Texas emergency management has just done a phenomenal job making sure people have the information they need.” Hurricane Laura presents a new challenge that wasn’t around 15 years ago, the added concern of a global pandemic. Burgess said they’re doing everything they can to limit the spread of COVID-19. All volunteers wore masks and were encouraged to follow social distancing guidelines. Hand sanitizer stations were also made available near the restroom facilities. He said most of the evacuees were very safety conscious. From the Reception Center the line seemed endless and unmoving. The only signs of motion came from the people moving outside of their vehicles and the mirages of heat echoing off the blistering concrete beneath their wheels. Braving temperatures over 90 degrees, many people waited with motors off, windows down, baking in the Texas sun. “We have our own staff,” Burgess said, “We have our EMT’s here. We have some doctors here. We’ve got law enforcement, all the paramedics, you name it, we have everything ready. If someone pulled up in the See Evacuees, page 8 ➤
NEWS
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eastfieldnews.com
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Limited number of staff, students return to campus By HARRIET RAMOS Editor in Chief @HarrietRamosETC
Dallas College students now have the option of going to campus for inperson tutoring and library services. Campuses have been closed since March 16 due to COVID-19. Fall classes are primarily online except for those that contain a hands-on component such as the Career and Technical Education courses, nursing and dance. According to the Dallas College website, students in need of tutoring or library services must make an appointment 72 hours ahead of time at dcccd.libcal.com. Sessions will last for one to two hours and are available Monday through Friday 8 a.m.5 p.m. Walk-ins are not allowed. The subjects available for face-toface tutoring at Eastfield are algebra, developmental math, government, history, philosophy, speech and writing. Online tutoring is still available for other subjects. Tutoring coordinator Anand Upadhyaya said that as of Saturday, no one had signed up for an in-person tutoring session. “The library will be providing
CHANTILETTE FRANKLIN/THE ET CETERA
Shelly Mencacci shows her Appian pass to enter Eastfield on Aug. 3, the day some staff returned to campus on a rotating schedule.
computer access and a few individual study spaces,” said Executive Dean Karla Greer, who oversees library operations. “We will not provide other services that involve high-touch surfaces or close physical proximity such as printing or copying, overthe-shoulder computer assistance or
resource check out at this time.” The return of in-person tutoring and library services on Aug. 31 are the latest in Dallas College’s phased approach to reopening. The college’s back to campus plan and guidelines are posted at dcccd.edu/backtocampus.
A majority of staff returned to campus Aug. 3 on a rotating schedule of one week on campus and two weeks at home. Employees who are in the highrisk category are still working remotely, as are most faculty. Nancy Abdo, Eastfield’s back-tocampus coordinator over the summer, said employees had to be on campus to assist students who needed to enroll or register for classes and didn’t have the technology to do it online. “I think that bringing more people back onto campus of course is going to increase the risk of illness,” she said. “But … we want the students to get the services they need.” Abdo said she encourages employees who are at high risk or live with someone who is to fill out the Inability to Return to Workplace form that would allow them to keep working remotely. For those who do not have the option of working remotely, Abdo reminds them to keep practicing their own safety by wearing masks, washing their hands and social distancing. Employees and students are required to use the self-reporting tool on the Dallas College website if they
test positive or are exposed to the coronavirus. A total of 12 positive cases were reported on Dallas College campuses in the last 30 days, according to the college’s website. One of those was at Eastfield. There were 398 new coronavirus cases reported for Dallas County on Sept. 5 according to the Dallas County Health and Human Services, though 151 of these were from individuals tested in August. The number of cases peaked in July with daily counts over 1,000 for a period of about two weeks. There have been a total 944 COVID-19 related deaths in Dallas County as of Sept. 5. Abdo said being on campus now is very different than it was before COVID-19. “It’s not like people are hanging out in the Hive and in groups and chatting and working on stuff,” she said. “It’s not the same atmosphere.” Inside the C Building lobby, there is plexiglass at the podiums and in the registration and admissions area. Seats have been removed from classrooms so students can spread out. Offices, classrooms and bathrooms are cleaned and sanitized frequently. See Employees, page 8 ➤
Dallas College is officially here; what does it mean? By HARRIET RAMOS Editor in Chief @HarrietRamosETC
On June 12, the seven colleges under the umbrella of the Dallas County Community College District consolidated into one entity: Dallas College. Here is a little bit about what the change to one college means for Eastfield students and what they can expect to see in the days ahead. Does Eastfield College have a new name? Yes. Eastfield College is now Dallas College Eastfield Campus. Which campuses make up Dallas College? Dallas College is using the same buildings and names as DCCCD: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland. Satellite campuses are now called centers. Eastfield’s second location is now Dallas College Pleasant Grove Center What does one college mean? Previously, each DCCCD school was accredited as a separate institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Now the colleges will be accredited together as one college. Why did DCCCD become one college? A SACSOC regulation required students to complete at least 25% of their courses at one DCCCD school in order to receive a degree. Chancellor Joe May said this created a barrier for students taking courses from multiple colleges in the DCCCD system. Under one college, students can take classes from any of the
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campuses and they will count toward their degree. Duplication of functions across campuses was also a factor. What will happen to Eastfield’s Harvester bee mascot Motley and the sports teams? Nothing. May said each campus will keep the same mascot and sports teams they had before the change to Dallas College. Dallas College’s brand colors are red and blue, but each campus will keep one of its colors for sports team branding.
What will happen to Eastfield’s student clubs and organizations? They will stay the same. May said student clubs and organizations are what make each campus unique. When did the push to become one college begin? On Aug. 20, 2019, the DCCCD Board of Trustees approved the move to one college. On Feb. 4, 2020 they approved the name Dallas College. What academic changes can I expect from Dallas College? A new academic structure, consisting of seven schools of instruction, was created to go along with Guided Pathways’ seven career paths. Classes and degree plans are organized under each of these seven schools. The structure and leadership of the schools will be built over the next several months. For now, students may continue to contact their current advisors and deans for help with Guided Pathway selection, classes and course schedules. • School of Business, Hospitality and Global Trade • School of Creative Arts, Entertainment and Design • School of Education • School of Engineering, Technology, Mathematics and Sciences • School of Health Sciences • School of Law and Public Service • School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies More information about the seven schools can be found here: dcccd.edu/cd/schools/.
Life &Arts Wednesday, September 9, 2020
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The Et Cetera
‘No one of us is going to save the world’
Hinckley’s electric car, solar panels, garden reduce bills and carbon footprint By SKYE SEIPP Production Manager @seippetc
“Do you ever think we’ll be the last generation of kids?” This wasn’t an existential crisis. Just a question posed by one 11-year-old to his sisters while playing a video game months before anyone had heard of COVID-19. “That’s some heavy shit,” history professor Matt Hinckley said in a drawn-out, low breath after recalling the conversation he overheard between his son, daughter and step-daughter. “For an 11-year old, ya know? I…” He stopped himself from talking. He averted his eyes, turned to face the window in his office and regained his composure. He sat silent for 10 seconds. “I can’t be complicit in this carbon-based system anymore,” Hinckley said. Overhearing this conversation didn’t cause Hinckley to power his home with 31 solar panels. That realization came from a trip he took in June 2019 as a part of his “50 by 50” goal, where he wants to travel to all 50 states by the time he turns 50. He has two more states left: Idaho and Hawaii. He had planned to visit Idaho this summer, but those plans were thwarted due to COVID-19. On his last trip, Hinckley along with his wife, kids and an exchange student drove through the power-supplying states of America: Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. 541 million years ago this was an ocean. Fossil remains of sea creatures can be found scattered across places like Green River, Wyoming. The vast empty plains, rolling hills and big skies of these states make it feel like you’re driving a submarine. For most of the United States, these fossils are how the lights turn on. Hinckley had already begun thinking about going green and had purchased his electric car, a Chevy Volt. He wanted to save money by installing his own solar panels on his suburban home in Sachse, so he began taking renewable energy classes at Eastfield. But his plans accelerated after seeing the continuous cycle of trains pulling carts of coal across the strip-mined Western plains. “That trip convinced me to just … do it right now,” he said. He no longer wanted to contribute to the endless amounts of energy produced by burning fossil fuels. In 2018, the United States produced 4,171 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Only 17 percent came from a renewable
CHANTILETTE FRANKLIN/THE ET CETERA
History professor Matt Hinckley poses with his electric car, a Chevy Volt, outside of his house in Sachse.
source such as wind or solar energy. Almost 70 percent of America’s energy needs that year came from burning fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and create a blanket over the Earth. It forces heat to get trapped, which ultimately causes the greenhouse effect, and leads to rising oceans, extreme weather conditions, drought, famine and the displacement of people around the globe. “We humans are the architects of our own extinction,” Hinckley said. ‘Do our part’ Hinckley had the solar panels installed to help do his part in cutting down his carbon footprint, but the expenditure came with additional benefits. His electric bill on Feb. 22 was -$19.17, which means the utility company owed him money at the end of the month. But during the summer months he ends up with an actual electric bill from running the air conditioning
system in his house. It’s not a cheap investment, but for Hinckley, it had to be done. Time is of the essence. In November of 2018, he was diagnosed with cancer. It’s gone now. But it was after this run-in with his own mortality that he bought his Chevy Volt and began studying renewable energy with mechatronics professor Arch Dye. He received an associate of applied science degree in renewable energy this summer and was one of the last people to earn the degree which was discontinued after August. Cancer isn’t the only health problem he’s faced. At 21 he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in his small intestine. He missed his college graduation because of it. It’s now spread to his face. And living with Crohn’s disease today means he is immunocompromised and has to be extra cautious not to catch COVID-19. Other than occasional trips to the grocery store or picking up his kids, Hinckley said he is staying inside to avoid exposure to the coro-
navirus. “I’ve always been extra careful,” he said. “I’ve always been a meticulous handwasher. I don’t typically get myself into a lot of crowds anyway. The biggest crowds I regularly interacted with was my classes.” He’s also had problems with asthma and allergies his whole life. In November 2016, he decided to have surgery on his septum to try and fix the problem. As he awakened from the surgery, he drew a deep breath through his nose and said, “I can breathe.” That’s when the anesthesiologist standing next to him cut in. “You’re breathing really well not because of the surgery, but [because] we gave you a really strong decongestant,” the anesthesiologist said. “What are you talking about? I can breathe,” Hinckley responded. “Well, we didn’t go through with the surgery.”
LIFE&ARTS
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The Et Cetera “Why not?” “Well, after we administered anesthesia and we intubated you, your heart stopped beating,” the anesthesiologist said. “ And we had to administer epinephrine through the IV to restart your heart.” He died for a few seconds. There was no white light or tunnel. He didn’t even know it had happened. His death was caused by the intubation process, which is when a tube is run down your throat. It triggered a nerve in the throat muscle which can sometimes cause the heart rate to slowly decrease. “Sometimes I like to joke that Trump had just got elected and my heart couldn’t go on,” Hinckley said, laughing. Since his election, Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement and his administration has completed 68 cuts to environmental regulations. The administration is in the process of rolling back another 32 as of August 2020, according to a New York Times analysis. The most recent act of deregulation on Aug. 17 will allow oil and gas companies to drill on over 1.5 million acres of coastal plains in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A study by the New York University School of Law in March 2019 said these cutbacks could have dire consequences on climate change and the health of individuals. Hinckley knows his actions won’t solve climate change, but that doesn’t stop him from continuing his efforts. “No one of us is going to save the world, but we could at least do our part to slow down the decline,” Hinckley said. Humble roots Hinckley is not only a leader in embracing the green lifestyle. He is also the newest Faculty Association President, a position he has held two previous times in his tenure at Eastfield. He is also an outspoken advocate for the one college initiative. Hinckley didn’t always want to be a teacher. He grew up in Mokena, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and he aspired to be a pilot at age 15. His favorite plane is the SR-71 Blackbird, a spy plane built during the Cold War that to this day holds the record for being the fastest manned airbreathing jet engine at 2,193.2 mph. A plastic model sits on top of the bookshelf in Hinckley’s office. He knew the military wasn’t an option for him. He didn’t have the discipline, and with asthma, he wouldn’t have made it past basic training. His dad was a dean of the industry and technology programs at Moraine
eastfieldnews.com
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
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Valley Community College. When he was 16, he took a Western Civilization history class at the college and decided he wanted to teach history at a community college. Around this time, he learned about human-induced climate change from a documentary on PBS. He graduated from high school in 1994 and began taking classes at Moraine Valley, where he worked for the student newspaper, the Green Valley Glacier. After two years, he transferred to the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois, a city most famous for being home to the prison that Jake Blues was released from in the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers.” During his first semester at St. Francis, he worked for the Desplaines Valley News, where he was hired as a reporter and also did some photography and page layout for the weekly suburban newspaper. He graduated with a degree in history in May of 1998 from the hospital. It was during this trip due to sharp stomach pains that Hinckley discovered he had Crohn’s disease. After six months without having the job he wanted, he called up his Aunt Sue, who lived in Allen. She told him to come down to Texas, so he did, on New Year’s Eve. By the fall of 1999, he used the
skills he gained as a journalist and began working at Richland as a student media adviser. In 2004, he earned his masters from the University of Texas at Dallas, and in 2008, he started working at Eastfield as a history professor, his dream job. Continuing his efforts With his ideal job now secured and a supportive wife, Hinckley has been able to invest in his green initiatives. A single solar panel can produce over 300 watts of power. With the 31 panels Hinckley owns, he can produce up to 930 kilowatts of power a month. For the month of February, he bought $80.75 worth of wind power from the grid but sold $98.43 worth of power to the grid. He estimates his system — which he paid roughly $26,000 for — will pay for itself within five years. The panels also come with a 25-year warranty and a federal tax incentive that took nearly $7,800 off of the total cost. “I’ve got free power for the next 25 years,” Hinckley said. The photovoltaic panels convert energy from the sun into DC electricity. This is then sent to an inverter, which turns the electricity into AC current. That power is used to power homes and sent to the grid.
Hinckley said everyone, including himself, can do more to reduce their carbon footprint. “Not everybody can afford an electric car, not everybody can afford a set of solar panels … but you could grow tomatoes in a pot,” he said. “Those of us with a little more privilege, with stable careers, maybe that means you don’t take a vacation.” In his backyard, Hinckley has a small compost pile of ripped-up Amazon boxes, leaves, fruit and vegetables. He laughed at the irony of his use of Amazon packaging but said at least he’s doing something with the boxes. Last year, he and his wife started a small garden with plants like tomatoes. When the coronavirus pandemic forced him to work from home, he bought a hydroponic garden and is expanding his growing capabilities with basil, kale and swiss chard. He’s almost cut out all beef from his diet, unless it’s grass-fed, and orders bison from Wyoming. Hinckley said this type of meat isn’t produced in a factory farm and the bison are able to graze freely on grass, unlike a lot of beef that’s pumped with hormones and fed a diet of corn and soybeans. Another future plan of his is to insulate his attic better so his heating and air conditioning system can op-
erate more efficiently. In Texas, a lot of these systems are put in the attic. The unit pulls in air, which in the summer can be extremely hot, and converts it to cool air. Being in the attic requires the system to work harder in the summer months, ultimately causing more power to be used and decreasing its lifespan. His hope is that some of these energy-saving practices can be carried over to Eastfield. Rather than having roughly 240 acres of unused grass, the school could start planting vegetable gardens, which he said would help students who are using services like the mobile food pantry. He added that the pantry could also stock and distribute LED light bulbs. Looking back on the question he overheard from his son, Hinckley said his childhood was easier than that of his own children. He grew up in a time where the biggest fear was the possibility of mutually assured destruction but said overall it was a simpler time. One that was spent riding around town on his bike to pick up groceries for his mother. “Did I have a privileged childhood? Sure,” Hinckley said. “[But] I didn’t have to worry about, ‘Are we going to be the last generation of kids?’”
SPORTS
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eastfieldnews.com
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Eastfield’s weight room received a makeover this summer with a new graphic plastered on the wall with the name Dallas College.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JESS KELLY
COVID forces sports to pause seasons, again By SAZOUN GRAYER Staff Writer @SGrayETC
Eastfield basketball redshirt sophomore Myles Brown sat out all of last year recovering from knee surgery. Now he will have to wait even longer to make his debut. The NJCAA announced in July they would be delaying fall and winter close-contact sports until spring due to COVID-19. “I’m not too happy about the push-back, but I understand it, and I respect it,” Brown said. “I was more relaxed about the fact they pushed it back rather than cancelling it because I didn’t want to miss another year.” Fortunately for Brown and other collegiate athletes, the NJCAA will not take away any of their years of eligibility for this season. When the country went on lockdown nearly six months ago after the breakout of the coronavirus, sports were canceled. No one knew for sure when or if they would return. Now sports are slowly coming back, however many uncertainties remain, especially at the collegiate level. While the NBA and the NHL have had successful returns so far, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and other collegiate leagues have not been able to fully determine what sports will be played and when. Some athletic conferences, like the Big Ten and the Pac-12, canceled their fall football seasons while others plan to play. While the decisions being made may be in the best interest of everyone’s health and safety, it can still be discouraging for
RORY MOORE/THE ET CETERA
Sophomore Calvin Williams says he’s worried about how the team will play after being separated for so long.
players and coaches who are ready to get back to what they love to do most. Sophomore Calvin Williams is worried about how the team is going to shape up this season. There are a lot of new players, and
everyone is still stuck at home while the campus remains closed. “I don’t think we’re going to fully know each other,” Williams said. “I don’t think our chemistry is going to be that good. It’s really a whole new team. It’s only like me and two other people that came back.” Head basketball coach and athletic director Anthony Fletcher said details are still being worked out as to when coaches and players will be able to return to campus. Williams, Brown and other Eastfield players have been working out from home and going to the gym to stay in shape for when the season finally starts. The Harvesters are scheduled to begin in January. Fletcher agrees with the decision to delay the season and just wants everyone to stay safe and healthy. “I think it’s smart to kind of let some other people go out and do something and sit and see what they did well and what they didn’t do well,” Fletcher said. “There shouldn’t be a rush on it.” The Eastfield volleyball season should have started August 21, but like basketball, it also had its season pushed back. Though disappointed, head coach Brandon Crisp knows the decision was made in the best interest of the players and coaches’ health. He is just excited for when he and the girls are able to get back on the court. “We don’t want anybody getting sick from this, Crisp said. “I think it’s best that we do what [the NJCAA] wants us to do and be safe. We love volleyball, but after all, it is just a sport, and I think the health and safety of all of our athletes is much more important.”
OPINION Wednesday, September 09, 2020
Etera Award-winning member of: • Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • Texas Community College Journalism Association • Associated Collegiate Press • College Media Association
Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu Editor in Chief Harriet Ramos Graphics Editor Mattheau Faught Opinion Editor Jordan Lackey Production Manager Skye Seipp Senior Photographer Rory Moore Cartoonist Jesus Madrid Photographers Chantilette Franklin Tania Barrios Staff Writer Sazoun Grayer Reporter Jasmine Rodgers Additional Staff Alfredo Diaz Eddie Williams Mario Medrano Deirdre Holmes Kathya Godinez 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 Photo by Chantilette Franklin and illustrations by Matteau Faught
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All lives matter discredits Black Americans’ struggle “Black Lives Matter” will continue to be chanted until the world recognizes they do. But as protests for the lost lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks continue, “Black Lives Matter” has been countered with the phrase “all lives matter.” The conflict between the two perspectives has sparked worldwide conversations through various social media platforms, the most notable being Twitter. Not every promoter of “all lives matter” uses that slogan to dismiss and delegitimize the Black Lives Matter movement. Some believe it calls for the unity and racial inclusion of all and promotes the human race. But being a Black woman myself, hearing the phrase “all lives matter” used in response to my cries for freedom and racial tolerance has always confused me. If I am grieving for the unjust murder of people who resemble me and my family, why scream a different phrase if you consider yourself
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aligned with my fight? I can recall several instances of microaggressions and explicit racism at the hands of those who claimed “all lives matter.” I have been called racial slurs and been passed up for opportunities due to the color of my skin by those who “don’t see color.” The “all lives matter” phrase is often used by those who preach equality but choose to ignore and participate in the systemic and social racism toward Black individuals. It is Black lives that are reduced to thugs and felons. It is Black lives that die almost three times more than their white counterparts during childbirth. It is Black lives that live in underfunded and overpoliced neighborhoods.
It is Black lives that receive less than favorable education and resources. The “all lives matter” hashtag appeared on Nov. 25, 2014, the day after it was announced the white police officer who shot Michael Brown would not be indicted. On that day alone, the hashtag was used over 14,000 times. This has resulted in the belief that the hashtag is used exclusively by those who want to discredit or undermine the Black Lives Matter movement. Even when the response is intended to unify the races, it remains a silencer for the Black Lives Matter movement. It should go without saying that all lives matter. However, it has been made clear through legal practices and societal discrimination and intolerance that Black lives do not matter. According to statistics gathered by the African American Policy Forum, Black women are one of the most marginalized groups in
America. Similar to Black men, Black women are incarcerated at significantly higher rates than any other race. In fact, Black women are incarcerated at three times the rate of white women. Black teenagers are also twice as likely to get pregnant than white teenagers. As a Black woman, I must battle statistics and circumstances every day. Hearing people discredit my struggles and experience in Trump’s America only makes my struggle that more real. While the Black community continues to face discrimination and racism, the Black Lives Matter movement ensures that the voices of the oppressed are heard. The Black Lives Matter movement has transformed from a Twitter hashtag to a global movement, with no intention of stopping until Black lives are among those defended and respected systematically and socially. — Jasmine Rodgers is a contributor and a journalism major
Businesses are endangering workers for profit Businesses are putting customer satisfaction and profit ahead of employee safety, and personally, I’ve had enough. While many countries around the world have been able to flatten the curve of their coronavirus infection rates, the United States is being held back by conspiracy theorists who view a mask as a matter of political expression instead of a simple act of common decency. No matter how many times health organizations or trained medical professionals repeat themselves, the message isn’t getting through the solid concrete wall these people call a skull. So, let me act as the pickaxe that half of this country so desperately needs and hammer out this message for the umpteenth time. Masks do not prevent contamination. They prevent spread. One more time for the people in the back: Masks prevent the spread of the virus. The idea is simple. Much like the Greek phalanx, a military formation used in ancient times consisting of spears and interlocking shields held to each soldier’s left-hand side, the idea isn’t to protect one’s self. The idea is to protect the person standing next to you. A phalanx required a collective mentality, and with it Alexander the Great was able to con-
Jordan Lackey @JordanEtc
quer the entire known world of his time. But a single weak point in the chain could cause the entire formation to fail. As a country, our metaphorical phalanx couldn’t even stand in a straight line. Some fell into formation while others ran around in circles screaming about how we should “make the phalanx great again.” These “Don’t Tread on Me” keyboard warriors and delusional self-proclaimed activists aren’t making a statement by removing their masks in the grocery store. They’re endangering the health and well-being of essential workers who don’t have the option to just leave the building. Large stores have put up plexiglass at counters and made masks mandatory for all employees. Businesses do this while presenting the front that they care about their workers. This is a blatant and obvious lie given the scientific data concerning how the virus actually
spreads though respiratory droplets. If businesses cared about their employees, then they’d enforce the state mandate and require their patrons to wear masks. Instead, stores will simply hand out masks at the front door then do nothing to enforce the state mandate once a patron removes it after entering. Some corporations, such as the one I work for, have even gone so far as to actually make nonenforcement a matter of policy. All businesses are doing is protecting their profit and masquerading behind a façade of concern for employee safety. This is simply to boost their public image and it’s working on the feebleminded masses like a charm. Walmart stock was valued at just over $118 at the start of January. Now they’re worth $130, and that number is expected to keep climbing. Kroger’s stock price rose from $28 to $36 during the same time span. Yet with profits at an all-time high, employees are still being told by higher-ups to ignore customers without masks and serve them anyway. For the sake of “running a business.” God forbid corporate America misses out on a buck for the sake of their employees’ lives. — Jordan Lackey is opinion editor and a journalism major
8
WRAP-UP
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
eastfieldnews.com
NEWS
Madpuffy Comics By Jesus Madrid
Briefs
Evacuees seek shelter in Mesquite Continued from page 2 parking lot with a medical emergency, we can handle it.” Shawn Gibson, an employee for the city of Mesquite, was one of several people who volunteered to help out at the reception center. He was passing out ice water to anyone who would take it. “It’s a slow-going process,” he said. “People are waiting in line. We’re having a lot of cars overheat because
The Et Cetera
it’s hot today. But everybody’s been really grateful and patient and that’s been nice. It makes it go a little easier.” Many evacuees seemed sanguine despite their horrid circumstances. Polk made jokes as he laughed with his niece and McCoy smiled sarcastically as she tried to remember the species of tree that fell through the roof of her home. Kareem Mitchell was smiling too. He drove from Lake Charles with his
Eastfield employees honored
Adviser of 24 years dies
Nancy Singer, associate dean of student retention, received the FullTime Staff Employee of the Year Award at Dallas College’s first-ever virtual awards ceremony on Aug. 21. Sharon Cook, assistant to the president, received the Jean Sharon Griffith Student Development Leadership Award.
LaConna Looney-Evans, senior academic adviser, died on Aug. 31. She had worked at Eastfield since January 1996. Her funeral service was held Sept. 5 at Eternal Rest Funeral Home. Look for a full obituary online and in the next print edition.
Eastfield is a COVID-19 testing site
two kids and fiancée in a car running low on coolant and the A/C starting to fail. He was pouring bottled water in his radiator tank in an effort to keep his family cool. Bent over the hood of his car, dripping sweat, he maintained his sense of optimism. “It’s all material stuff,” Mitchell said. “I mean, us, we can’t bring back. Clothes we can get back. Car, it’s whatever. As long as we’re out, we’re cool. It’s all about family.”
Employees start returning to campus Continued from page 3 are cleaned and sanitized frequently. The rotating schedule helps keep employees working in the same area to a minimum. Drucilla Warren from Admissions said there are only two in her work area and there is a wall between them. “I feel pretty safe,” she said. “As long as I’m wearing my mask and everybody else is wearing theirs.” Shelly Mencacci, coordinator for the Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, has had to be on campus once a week since the shutdown to check mail. Though there are more staff on campus now, she is not concerned because of the deep cleaning and other precautions she sees being taken. “I feel confident and very comfortable,” she said. Automotive professor Jeremy Bramall said his students are spaced 6 feet apart. The 14 students from his engine rebuilding class this summer along with their individual workbenches and engines took up the entire lab area. Automotive classes were some of the few courses offered on campus this summer due to the hands-on lab component. “Online learning is not suited well to a hands-on environment,” Bramall said. “That’s the biggest struggle: trying to do the minimum amount of face-to-face as possible but still covering all the mandatory tasks.” Even with all the safety measures in place on campus, most classes this fall are online. Chancellor Joe May announced that decision on May 7 when many colleges
TANIA BARRIOS/THE ET CETERA
Top, people are tested for the coronavirus at Eastfield on Aug. 3, the first day the drive-thru testing site opened. Bottom, people wait in line in Parking Lot 8 to be tested for COVID-19. The testing site is open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. for Dallas County residents. People looking to be tested should enter the Parking Lot 8 off of La Prada Drive. Dallas College employees and students who are not Dallas County residents can get tested by showing a Dallas College ID.
CHANTILETTE FRANKLIN/THE ET CETERA
Baseball coach Michael Martin, right, and librarian Jason Brown check Appian before entering Eastfield on Aug. 3.
were still planning in-person classes for the fall. “I never doubted that decision,” May said in his Conference Day address to employees on Aug. 21. “I felt like it was important to go mostly online for the fall semester. But I have to tell you, I was constantly being secondguessed by other college presidents and policy makers at both the state and the federal level.” Rising coronavirus infections across the country in July and August led to some colleges like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to abandon their plans for a fall reopening in favor of online learning. — Skye Seipp and Chantilette Franklin contributed to this report