Issue 2 Vol. 77 9-13-13 by The Flare

Money matters “

We built a budget based on reduced enrollment numbers so there will not

KC enrollment drops; budget concerns trustees MAEGAN MITCHELL Senior Writer

KC and community colleges in general fared well financially during the last legislative session, President Bill Holda said. Holda has served as board chair for the Texas Association of Community Colleges and on the board for the past 18 years. In that position, he spent much of his time in Austin during the last legislative session

working to secure more funding for the 50 community colleges that are members of TACC. Holda testified at hearings, met with legislators and worked with other community college presidents and staff. “We added $178 million to the final budget from where we started in the legislative session, we negotiated a new bill pattern, went back to biennial distribution of funds and saw a number of problems resolved,” Holda said in an email interview. See HOLDA on Page 4

BY THE NUMBERS

$178 MILLION 18

How long Holda served as chair

The Flare

hours at KC

despite drop in enrolment

Friday, September 13, 2013 Vol. 77 No. 2

g n Brea ki down

KC President

Serving Kilgore College since 1936

the

house down after years of abandonment

Web Editor

Sara Holmes / THE FLARE

“The day I was hired, Dr. Officials are Stewart McLaurin (at the making plans time Dean of Arts and Sciences, later president to demolish of KC) told me, ‘Don’t get the longcomfortable. We’re tearing building down,’” said vacant Liberal this Dr. Richard Harrison, dean Arts Building. of liberal & fine arts. “I continued to teach there While a for nearly 30 years before moving to the CA Building.” timeline hasn’t been set, they hope to The debate of whether begin razing the structure this fall. or not the building would be demolished has been “We have evacuated the building and underway for nearly 30 years. salvaged all of the things we have needed Not only was the building considered unstable, the from it,” said Dan Beach, director of absence of maintenance caused multiple problems. special projects and board liaison. For instance, the windows in one of the offices would Exactly what will happen next isn’t clear. not close all the way, so duct tape was “We are trying to gather some put on the edge of the window to keep preliminary information that will assist lizards from coming in. us in our efforts to release a bid to “I remember others telling me that remove the LA Building,” said President there was a lizard on my typewriter,” Bill Holda. “We are in dialogue with said Ginger Holley, professional support architects regarding the revision on our specialist. college master plan and any decision “You couldn’t close the window, regarding the future use of that property because the walls had been painted over will come from the advice in that study.” so many times,” she said. Besides tearing down the building, KC The LA Building has an underground administration has not decided what spring running beneath it and possibly comes next. an oil field slush pit. Because of this, the “The preliminary plan for the space whole building itself shifts. after the building is gone is to clear the “I remember turning off the lights area and make plans later in the future in my classroom and being able to see for the space.” Beach said. the sunlight come through the wall,” The Ivan Liberal Arts building, built Harrison said. March 1957, was once a place where The use of the space where the LA memories were made, laughter was Building is currently located could be shared and life was being lived. used as an overflow parking lot, or even The LA Building contained the a grassy common area for students to administrative offices, a library, an gather, instead of it being an eyesore to auditorium and 41 classrooms. the campus. In 1972, the LA Building was named Although the building is currently in after Martha Ivan, Teacher of the Year. the process of bidding for demolition, LA has been unused for many years; the memories will forever remain. however in 2008, the second floor was “We did have lots of fun in LA,” opened for classes as well as a small Harrison said. “We could joke and visit portion of the first floor. and really enjoy our job here.”

the

A CLOSER LOOK

Laura Hernandez / THE FLARE

A view of the

Temporary math & science classes

41 classrooms

& Destinye Turner / THE FLARE

Interior view

WHAT’S NEXT? have your own idea? Tell us on:

Sonia Garza / THE FLARE

a small

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

FACE IN THE CROWD

The Flare

Brian Nutt

PA G E

NOTEBOOK

Sept. 14 – Dec. 2

SATURDAY, September 14 RANGER FOOTBALL VS. TRINITY VALLEY CC 7 p.m., R.E. St. John Stadium THURSDAY, September 19 KC FOUNDATION BOARD MEETING 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Devall Room

Age: 48 Hometown: Marlin Who are you married to?... Suzanne, a realtor at Coldwell Banker Do you have any children?...I have two children, Colin and Emily. Colin is 16 and is a junior at Kilgore High School. Emily is 15 and is a sophomore at Kilgore High School. What is your job at KC?...I am a Trustee representing the Kilgore area. What attracted you to KC?... It is a great school with a great history and, I believe it has a bright future. What do you do outside of KC?...I am a Pastor at Grace Fellowship of Kilgore. What led you to want to be a pastor?...When I was young, I always wanted to be a dentist until I surrendered my life to following Christ my sophomore year at Marlin High School. I believe in those first couple of years, God completely transformed me and called me. He called me to ministry as a

pastor/shepherd/leader of God’s people. It is the most joyful, fulfilling work I can imagine. Why did you choose to run for the Board of Trustees?... I teach at Grace Fellowship the value of service to our community. I thought serving on the Board of Trustees was a great opportunity to model the lessons I share with my congregation. I am thankful that I get to serve Kilgore College with a great group of fellow Trustees. What is one interesting thing about yourself that not many people know?...I would rather listen to talk radio or read journals and articles than listen to music. Where do you see yourself in five years?...I hope to be pastoring the same church and serving on the Board of KC. My term is a six year term so I will probably be gearing up for another election.

SATURDAY, September 21 RANGER FOOTBALL VS. NAVARRO COLLEGE 7 p.m., Corsicana MONDAY, September 23 EXCELLERATE COURSES Sept. 23 - Dec. 13 TUESDAY, October 1 FALL GRADUATION APPLICATION DEADLINE THURSDAY, October 3 THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE FLARE SATURDAY, October 5 RANGER FOOTBALL VS. BLINN COLLEGE HOMECOMING 3 p.m., R.E. St. John Stadium SATURDAY, October 12 RANGER FOOTBALL VS. NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE 3 p.m., R.E. St. John Stadium THURSDAY, October 17 LASER TAG 6 p.m. - Midnight., Carpeted Gym

Sonia Garza / THE FLARE

Got research paper anxiety? ASHLEY MORALES Executive Editor For students who have no clue how to write a research paper, or just want to sharpen their researching skills, starting Sept. 17 Rick Moser, government instructor, will host a research help session. "Many students may or may not know how to gather information to write a research paper," Moser said. Depending on individual schedules, some students may not be enrolled in English 1301 their first semester at KC. They may wait until their second semester, or even their second year.

"Last year I realized if I assigned a term paper, or if other instructors assigned a term paper, there were students that had no clue as to how to write a research paper," Moser said. "It's not just here, I noticed it up at Texas A&M – Commerce." Moser proposed a free class to teach students how to come up with research questions, find sources, identify those sources and put everything together to write a good research paper. The Dean of Liberal Arts, Richard Harrison, and the English department all agreed this was a great idea. "In no way does this replace anything in English 1301," Moser

said, "because I'm not going to go in depth as far as sentence structure, grammar and all that stuff." The first class will be held 6-8 p.m. Sept. 17, in the Watson library classroom. The class will meet every Tuesday and Thursday until Oct. 17. There is only room for 30 students and positions are filled on a first come, first serve basis. To sign up for the class, email Moser at rmoser@kilgore.edu or call 903-983-8234. "By far, I don't think we're going to make expert researchers out of everybody, but it'll give them a chance to learn how to actually do a

Rowdy Rangers want you

FILM FESTIVAL

FRIDAY, October 18 HALL OF FAME GOLF TOURNAMENT Southern Hills Golf Course, Gladewater SATURDAY, October 19 HALL OF FAME LUNCHEON 11:30 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., DSC Ballroom RANGER FOOTBALL VS. SE PREP (HALL OF FAME) 3 p.m., R.E. St. John Stadium

TORY VAN BLARCUM Features Editor The Rowdy Rangers want you to join them in supporting KC athletic teams. The group hopes to help raise school spirit around campus. The student life group wants to increase student presence at all home football, basketball and softball games. They are looking for students who are willing to paint their faces, make signs, use noise makers and cheer on the Rangers and Lady Rangers. The main goal of this group is to get the crowd more involved for the whole game and to pump up the players. For $10, each member will receive a Rowdy Ranger T-shirt and a “Keep It In Kilgore” bracelet. Students who wear these T-shirts will receive discounts from the Back Porch (10 percent off a meal) and from Zippy J’s (10 percent off bulk candy and yogurt). When students wear their bracelet around Kilgore, they can receive many different discounts around town. Members will also get reserved seating at the games. For a list of places that will give discounts and to purchase the shirt, go by the Student Life office in the Devall Student Center and contact Ross Costanzo by email, rcostanzo@ kilgore.edu or call him at 903-998-7504.

MONDAY, October 21 QUEST II COURSES Oct.21 - Dec.13 SATURDAY, October 26 RANGERS VS. TYLER JR. COLLEGE 3 p.m., Tyler SUNDAY, October 27 KC CHEER COMPETITION 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Masters Gym/Carpeted Gym, Aerobic Floor THURSDAY, October 31 BLOOD DRIVE 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., DSC Ballroom FRIDAY, November 1 SPRING FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE SATURDAY, November 2 VICKI BOWDEN MOBBS MAJORETTE CLASSIC 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., Dodson Auditorium/ Rangerette Gym MONDAY, November 4 SPRING ADVISEMENT/ REGISTRATION FOR CURRENT STUDENTS Nov. 4 - Dec. 4 MONDAY, November 11 SPRING ADVISEMENT/ REGISTRATION FOR ALL STUDENTS Nov. 4 - Dec. 4 VETERANS DAY APPRECIATION CELEBRATION Noon - 4 p.m., DSC Ballroom TUESDAY, November 12 KILGORE COMMUNITY CONCERT “ANTHONY KEARNS” 7 p.m., Dodson Auditorium WEDNESDAY, November 13 KCEOPA MEETING 2 p.m. - 3 p.m., DSC Ballroom FRIDAY, November 15 LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A “W” TUESDAY, November 26 CAMPUS CLOSES AT 4 P.M. MONDAY, December 2 CLASSES RESUME

research paper," Moser said. If there is a positive response, another class will be available on a different day and time to comply with other students’ schedules. "Once [students] finish their time at Kilgore and go to a four-year university, they are going to be classified as juniors and expected to know how to write a research paper," Moser said. The class will focus more on historical research, because of Moser’s expertise in that area. "When students learn the basics of how to write a research paper (they) can translate it into a lot of different fields," Moser said.

Shelby Ragland / THE FLARE

4 Star Cinema is hosting its 16th annual Fall Film Festival, beginning Sept. 18.

Six flicks in fall festival TORY VAN BLARCUM Features Editor

he time of year has come for the 4 Star Cinema to host the 16th annual Fall Film Festival. The festival started in 1998 to showcase independent films and documentaries. The films showcased are ones that are not normally shown in theaters. This year the festival has six independent films to feature. They will run from Sept. 18 - Oct. 10. The weekday showings are 4:15 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9:15 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday the showings will be at 2 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9:15 p.m. The price of admission for adults is $8, for seniors $6, and for KC students that show their current ID tickets will be $6. The 4 Star Cinema is located at 1607 Highway 259 N. across from Jalapeno Tree.

WHAT’S SHOWING? Rated PG-13 – Showing Sept. 18-21 Rated R – Showing Sept. 22-24 Rated R – Showing Sept. 25-28 Still Mine Rated PG-13 – Showing from Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. Rated PG-13 – Showing Oct. 2-5

showing from Oct. 6-10

Flag football signup nears MILES MARABLE Staff Writer KC intramurals will host a 7 - on 7 flag football tournament for men only at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium. Sign-up sheets are located in the game room of the Devall Student Center. Only KC students are eligible and must have a student ID. Each team must have at least seven participants and can have up to 10 players on their respective team. Each team will have a team name of its choice. Same color shorts and shirts, preferred. No metal cleats are allowed. Last day to sign up is Friday Sept. 20. “This is a chance to simply have fun, compete, meet new people and be apart of a team,” Ross Constanzo, assistant director of residential life, said. For more information contact Costanzo in the game room or call 903-988-7504.

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

GO Week initiative aims to raise student success DEZIRAE BURNETT Assistant Editor

Shelbi Crews / THE FLARE

in the candlelight ceremony

Brain food

PTK selling baked snacks; plans induction CHRISTINE RITTER Staff Writer Phi Theta Kappa is planning a bake sale on the second Tuesday and Wednesday of each month. “Start times will vary. Members will offer homemade baked goods in front of the library until 4 p.m.,” said Michele Davis, PTK coadviser. “In addition, PTK plans to send out invitations to newly eligible students.” The induction ceremony is going to be held Sept. 27 in the Devall Student Center ballroom.

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Speaker for the event is PTK District 3 representative Ashley Hall. PTK is using the money from the bake sale to increase its yearly budget. The funds cover general expenses such as any trips throughout the semester and all the activities in which the group participates in. Those include, attending conventions to meet other PTK members from different colleges and projects to help the local community. For more information contact either adviser Michele Daniels at 903-983-8621 or Dr. Paul Buchanan at 903-983-8253.

While most KC students were enjoying their last days of summer vacation the week of Aug. 20, nearly 800 students were already hard at work, taking GO Week classes in preparation for their first semester of college. GO week is an initiative that was started this year to improve student success. All first-time students who are not TSI complete were required to attend, meaning any student who is taking a developmental course, with the exception of MATH 0308. The program was three days long, broken into three sessions a day, with classes on the Kilgore and Longview campuses. Each student had a personalized schedule based on which developmental classes he or she is taking. The first day of GO Week began with an introduction to the concept of the program and tips on how to be successful in developmental courses. After the introduction, students met their “GOto” person, who will serve as their mentor for the duration of the Fall semester, offering advice and helpful tips about how to make the most out of their first semester of college. The students then spent the last two sessions of the day in developmental math, English and reading, according to their specific needs in those areas. The rest of the week featured classes in learning strategies, time management, money management, life management, succeeding

in a reading intensive course, library resources and eKilgore. GO Week concluded with a showcase introducing different clubs, organizations and student services available on campus. “The response from students, faculty and staff was overwhelmingly positive,” said Vice President of Instruction, Dr. Gerald Stanglin. The success of GO Week will be determined through a comparison between Go Week students and their progress at the end of the Fall semester, and the progress at that point by students from the previous Fall semester, who did not take part in the program. Success in their

developmental classes, pass-rate, success in subsequent college-level courses and re-enrollment in the Spring semester will be taken into consideration when determining a student’s success. “Anecdotal evidence is coming in from all over the college that students in developmental courses seem to be better prepared for class on the first day and appear to have a more positive attitude toward succeeding in their classes,” Stanglin said. “Ultimately, if more students who went to GO Week complete with a degree, certificate or successfully transfer to a university than previous similar groups, we may be able to say that GO Week was one of the reasons.”

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SAVINGS today! RANGER BUCKS: Buy $100 in Ranger Bucks today, and we will credit an extra $10 to your account! Ranger Bucks can be spent at the Ranger Cafe and the KC Sports Grill. (We will add an extra 10% for each $100 increment. BLOCK PLANS: Our block plans are perfect for commuters. Buy five meals in the Ranger Cafe for $25 or 10 meals for $50 today! The block plan will be added to your student ID card and can be renewed throughout the semester. On average, this plan saves each student $2 per meal. MEAL PLANS: For only $1,320 per semester, you can participate in our most popular meal plans which provide you with the most savings. Applications for meal plans can be found at www.kilgore.edu/housing_dining.asp. * Square Mealer: 19 meals/ week Social Light: 17 meals/week and $50 Ranger Bucks Master Mix: 14 meals/week and $100 Ranger Bucks * Financial Aid such as scholarship money and grants can be used to pay for Ranger Bucks and Meal Plans!

Ranger Cafe In the Devall Student Center

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

Instructor receives technology award; one of 10 honored TORY VAN BLARCUM Features Editor English instructor Michelle Wilder has been recognized with a 2013 Outstanding Distance Learning Faculty Award. Ten educators across Northeast Texas are honored with this recognition each year. The Northeast Texas Consortium of Colleges and Universities recognize these educators at an annual conference. The conference took place Aug. 7 at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. The educators chosen for the award show a way of contributing in the most highly creative ways to teach and learn using technology. “Technology has reshaped my approach to teaching and learning. I enjoy the challenge of staying current with the tools available,” Wilder said. “I have a lot of fun trying to figure out how things work and finding ways to use technology with my students. I couldn’t

MICHELLE WILDER do my job without the help of our great eLearning instructor support, Charleen Worsham and Doris Johnson. They’re awesome!” Other educators awarded this year are : Julie Mays, Angelina College; Heidi Wooten, Northeast Texas Community College; Natalie Oswalt, Panola College; Heather OlsonBeal, Stephen F. Austin State University; Catherine Howard, Texarkana College; Donna Bennett, Trinity Valley Community College; Lynn Sitton and Claudia “Beth” Long, Tyler Junior College; Shannon Cox-Kelley, UT Health Northeast.

Kristopher Dobbins / THE FLARE

PADDLE UP Drelan Tripplet competes for a chance to win cash during the comedy show. Comedian Bobby Wayne Stauts, left, hosted “The Money Tree Game Show” held during Welcome Week in the Devall Student Center Ballroom.

TSF considers expanding into fall, spring KASSIDY TAYLOR Web Editor The Texas Shakespeare Festival could expand to include a fall and spring season in addition to the traditional summer offerings. “The thing that keeps

us from exploding is our location; we could run year round someday,” said Raymond Caldwell, artistic director and founder. “Where we are has the potential to become a tourist attraction for the arts.” Caldwell founded TSF

Holda: Budget based on reduced enrollment FROM PAGE 1 KC increased its state health care funding for employees to 50 percent of actual costs from 42 percent, saving $700,000 but lost about $76,000 in state appropriations during the session. He considers that a victory, “inasmuch as [KC’s] contact hours were down about 7 percent and [KC’s] appropriations only declined 1 percent.” State appropriations to community colleges are based in part on enrollment increases or declines. Enrollment has dropped approximately 5 percent during each of the past two fall semesters. Questions arose from two trustees during the Aug. 5 budget workshop even before the latest enrollment figures were released. Ultimately two of the nine trustees — C.B. “Scooter” Griffin, Jr. and Brian Nutt — voted against the 2013-14 budget. Holda said the administration has a plan to meet the enrollment and budget challenges. “Historically, enrollment ebbs and flows. It is OK to find the enrollment we should have and be a ‘right-sized’ college,” Holda said. “As the economy has improved, some students go directly into the workforce and forego their enrollment.” Because of some changes in state policy, there were some students who could not take dual credit classes because of their test scores, he added. Nutt, who joined the board June 1, reluctantly voted against the budget because it contained salary increases during a time of declining enrollment. This year’s budget included a half-million dollars in new salary money, which provided salary hikes of 2.7 percent for faculty, 2 percent for administration and 3 percent for other employees. “It is always difficult to vote against giving individuals a salary increase because I am sure most deserve one, but that is a decision for the administration to make,” Nutt said by email. “I am a fiscal conservative and my job is to look at the big picture, focus on the future, interpret trends and plan accordingly.” Nutt added that overall

salary expense has increased between 16-17 percent even though housekeeping and landscaping have been contracted to outside sources. “I couldn’t justify a salary increase at a time of student decrease and projected future decrease,” Nutt said. “It is as simple as that.” Nutt also noted there’s a lot of competition for today’s students. He believes KC has to compete in areas such as online and dual credit courses, because surrounding colleges and universities are working to raise their own enrollment. In a lengthy email interview, Board member C.B. “Scooter” Griffin, Jr. outlined his concerns about the college’s operating budget. He too also voted against the 2013-14 budget. Among those concerns: to compete effectively with other community colleges; the state; opportunities from dual credit programs because students are going to

universities instead; and campus that may require considerable capital expenditures. Griffin called for “an immediate all-out effort to compete for available students… It is time for Bill Holda to stop serving the TACC,” he said, “Instead [of] diverting the priority to KC’s sustained growth in student population and contact hours!” Board President Charles Hale joined the majority in voting for the budget. “It was carefully planned to meet the needs of the college and fulfill the mission,” Hale said, also via email. “Instruction encompasses the largest portion of the budget, which is appropriate. We gave modest cost-of-living increases to employees, which were well deserved.” Hale said KC’s enrollment trends can be turned around in a number of ways: working with local high schools to better prepare students for dual credit, continuing the expansion of the workforce education program and

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freeing up space to expand new programs. Holda believes one solution is an effort “to retain more students fall to spring and fall to fall.” Until then, the college has planned for living within its means. “At this point, we built a budget based on reduced enrollment numbers so there will not be financial problems,” Holda said. “We did not raise tuition and fees this year; however, some increases in the future, coupled with stable enrolment, should increase revenue.”

in 1986. The professional regional repertory theatre offered a series of six plays and 45 performances last summer. Although there is only one day of auditions held in Kilgore, actors and actresses come from all over the nation. The

performers must exhibit high levels of skill. While the future vision for the TSF is still being worked out, the summer seasons will remain. Information for the 2014 season will be available soon at www. texasshakespeare.com.

SPORT S

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

After loss, KC faces tough foe TVCC next challenge for Rangers

Turnovers contribute to defeat DEVIN BROOKS Sports Writer KC failed to bounce back from its opening loss and was defeated by archrival Tyler Junior College Apaches, 56-24, in its first home game last Saturday night. Special team errors and penalties plagued KC all game long. KC recorded three special teams turnovers and five turnovers in all. They also left plenty of dirty laundry across the field, with 10 penalties for 77 yards. KC started off behind and never recovered. TJC returned the opening kickoff for 39 yards, putting the offensive unit in good scoring position. The Apaches didn’t waste any time putting points on the board as quarterback Randy Price rushed for a 6-yard touchdown on the quarterback keeper with 12:57 left in the opening quarter. KC fumbled on the punt return, TJC took advantage of the great field position and scored another touchdown with 4:09 left in the first quarter. After a KC three-andout, Price hooked up with receiver Lamar Carraway for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 1:27 left in the first quarter. TJC led KC 21-0 after one quarter. Running back Ladaedrix Payton scored KC’s first touchdown as he trucked in for a 13-yard run with 12:29 left in the first half, capping an 11-play, 83-yard drive. KC’s defense fed off the momentum from Payton’s touchdown and made some highlight plays. Defensive captain Michael Mathis intercepted Price’s pass attempt downfield. KC’s offense couldn’t capitalize on the turnover as they went three and out. On the next possession, freshman defensive end De’Andre Glover recovered a TJC fumble that three members from the KC defensive line forced on TJC’s 33-yard line. Kicker Luis Sanchez boomed a 30-yard field goal straight through the middle of the uprights, trimming the lead to 2110 at the end of the half. KC came out of the locker room re-energized and ready to make a comeback. However, they would have to play the second half without the majority of the crowd present. After halftime performances, KC fans were exiting the stands and heading to their vehicles. This didn’t seem to bother KC’s running back Payton as he broke off three straight long runs of 11, 11 and 15-yards to start the second half. Following those three runs, running back Eddie Smith added a 12-yard run that put KC on the 23yard line and in scoring position. It looked like KC was going to score and trim the lead even more. KC got penalized for a personal foul and backtracked 15-yards. Then the offensive line got happy feet and was penalized for a false

JEFFERY JAMERSON Sports Writer

Kristopher Dobbins / THE FLARE

Tailback Eddie Smith start. KC was moved out of scoring position and field goal range. The Rangers were forced to punt. TJC scored on its next drive with a 14-yard rushing touchdown by running back Terrance Taylor, pushing the lead to 28-10. On the kickoff, KC punt returner Morris Williams fumbled the catch and TJC’s Treavor Pugh recovered on KC’s 14-yard line. TJC scored three plays later as Price threw a little 2-yard pass to a tight end Cole Staudt, who was wide open in the back of the end zone, pushing the score to 35-10. On KC’s next offensive possession Tausch tried to hook up with receiver Derrick Ledet, but TJC’s Caleb Williams intercepted on the 25-yard line. The KC defense forced TJC to punt, bringing Tausch and the KC offense back on the field. After a couple of 12-yard runs from running backs Payton and Jeremiah Baines, Tausch electrified the crowd as he threw a 53-yard bomb to tight end Chris Chumley for the touchdown. With 8:17 left in the third quarter KC trimmed the lead to 35-17. This touchdown gave KC new

SCORING SUMMARY 1st quarter 1st quarter 1st quarter 2nd quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 3rd quarter 3rd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter 4th quarter 4th quarter

TIME 12:57 4:09 1:27 12: 29 1:53 10:30 9:50 8:17 4:52 14:54 9:37 5:49

hope as they looked to make a second-half comeback. TJC wasn’t going to let that happen. Randy Price kept the ball on a QB keeper and ran it all the way to pay dirt for a 30-yard touchdown with 4:52 left in the third. TJC increased the lead to 42-17. TJC scored on its next two possessions, with its last touchdown coming on a 12-yard run by running back Taylor. KC scored its last touchdown of the game on a 41-yard breakaway run by Smith with 5:49 left in the fourth quarter, capping a 83-yard scoring drive. KC quarterback Tausch went

Softball wins 2 in tourney Ranger Invitational on tap for this weekend DEVIN BROOKS Sports Writer KC won played three games and won two of them in its annual Kilgore College Invitational softball tournament last Saturday at Stream-Flo Field. The team is entering its second year of existence. At the tournament, the team played three select teams. KC defeated Sneaky Cleats 4-3. The game went back and forth. Second baseman Marisa Ledkins had a breakout game. She was a double short of a cycle and homered, tripled, singled and batted in three runs for the Rangers. Outfielder Mallory Ford added on to Ledkins’ performance with two hits of her own. Pitcher Katie Abshire retired seven hitters in six innings of work to earn her first win of the fall season. The next game they lost to Texas Glory 8-4. Third baseman Lakin Kerby doubled, singled two times and drove in a run to keep the KC offense on edge. First baseman Lexi Lopez finished the game with two hits, while pitcher Kayla Calvert doubled and batted in two runs of her own. Calvert also pitched six innings with 20 first pitch strikes. KC won its last game of the day against Orange Crush 8-1.

Kristopher Dobbins / THE FLARE

After stepping on

Shortstop Bianca Van Vierah put on a hitting show. She had two doubles, two singles, and drove in a run to highlight the KC offense. Kerby added two hits while outfielder Alex Aguilar drove in two runs. Catcher Mariah Gougen

and outfielder Jaila Johnson recorded one RBI apiece. Pitcher Kari Courtney added onto the KC offense with two hits. Courtney also retired seven hitters in five innings of play. KC will host the Ranger Invitational 9 a.m. this Saturday at Stream-Flo Field.

DRIVE 6 plays 39 yards 3 plays 23 yards 5 plays 62 yards 11 plays 83 yards 10 plays 36 yards 5 plays 91 yards 4 plays 14 yards 4 plays 81 yards 3 plays 34 yards 6 plays 29 yards 7 plays 51 yards 6 plays 83 yards

SCORE 7-0 14-0 21-0 21-7 21-10 28-10 35-10 35-17 42-17 49-17 56-17 56-24

10-21 for 141 yards, with one interception, one lost fumble and one touchdown pass. Running backs Payton and Smith combined for over 200 yards rushing with one touchdown each. KC’s defense forced two turnovers, an interception and a fumble. TJC quarterback Price had 250 yards of total offense with three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. The Rangers look to rebound and get their first win of the season when they host Trinity Valley Community College at 7 p.m. next Saturday at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.

After a lopsided 56-24 loss to Tyler Junior College, KC looks to rebound as the Rangers now prepare for conference play against Trinity Valley Junior College. Coach J.J. Eckert is preparing his team far this week’s second home game. “I’m not so worried about Trinity Valley more than us,” Eckert said. TJC special team’s work, and a lack of KC special team performance, allowed the Apaches to start drives numerous times with in the KC 35 yard line. On average, it took TJC 27.8 yards to score a touchdown. Eckert said that the special teams needed improvement as well as closing their turnover margin. KC allowed four turnovers and only caused two. “Eighty-five percent of the time, the team with less turnovers wins the game,” Eckert said. Excluding linebacker Derek David’s shoulder sprain, Eckert said the team is healthy. KC will take the field against Trinity Valley, 1-1, which is coming off a 72-7 win against No.12 Coffeyville Community College in their Texas-Kansas Junior College Challenge. The game starts at 7 p.m. at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium. Kilgore College Sports Network is offering live video streams of KC home football games. The direct link to watch the games live is www.ncjaa.com/kilgorecollege. The webcast will be a simulcast with the KDOK Radio broadcast. Local radio stations are 1240 AM and 105.3 FM in Kilgore; and 101.9 FM in Longview.

Rangers take road loss in Dodge City MILES MARABLE and DEVIN BROOKS Staff Writers KC lost its season opener Sept. 3 to Dodge City, 27-16. KC scored first with a 98yard drive capped off with a touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner Tausch to tight end Andrew Peterson to give KC a 7-0 lead. After a Dodge City touchdown, cornerback Daniel Lopez returned a blocked point-after try for two points to give KC a 9-6 lead. Going into the half, KC was down 19-9. KC’s only other score came from a blocked field goal by defensive lineman Cliff Butler, which was returned 85 yards by linebacker Joe Lynch for a touchdown. Offensively KC had 321 yards of total offense but committed four costly turnovers.

Despite loss, KC still can finish with strong season

was on the sidelines as the Rangers warmed up and got ready to play against their archrival, Tyler Junior College Apaches. As I watched, you could see the focus and determination on all of the players’ faces. Even though MILES the game didn’t MARABLE count toward Copy Editor their conference record, this game was still a big deal. It was the 114th time the teams have battled. When the Rangers found themselves down 21-0 at the end of the first quarter the players seemed in shock. Everything that could go wrong for KC did go wrong. Turnovers, miscommunication and lack of discipline dug KC in a hole that they couldn’t get out of. To make matters worse, I noticed that most of the crowd was leaving the stands at the start of the third quarter. Did that stick in the minds of the players? From my prospective as a former player, I don’t think you would feel good seeing most of the crowd leave in the middle of the game. I realize that the Rangerettes are the first-ever dance and drill team, and that during the third quarter might be the only time they get to see their families and friends, but this is Texas, a football state, and you would think the fans would

stay and support their team at least until the fourth quarter. Being that the team is mostly freshmen, I think they aren’t used to seeing most of their home crowd leave right after halftime. Unfortunately, things got worse for the Rangers. The Ranger defense was put in a bad spot during the game due to multiple turnovers and penalties. Was conditioning a factor? Were they just not mentally or physically prepared? There are many uncertainties about this year’s football team going into conference play. There were a lot of voices heard, but there wasn’t one leader who stood out and took charge. Even though KC lost badly, there were signs that this team can do something special. There were good plays here and there, but as Coach J.J. Eckert said, “We can’t be good sometimes; we have to strive to be good all the time.” There wasn’t much finger pointing and blaming others. The players as well as the coaches know that there is a lot of work to be done if they want to have a successful season. Last year KC won the first six games before its first loss. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers will respond to a thusfar winless start. There is a lot of room for improvement before the next time. Miles Marable is a sophomore journalism major from Richardson.

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

Away with

Sonia Garza / THE FLARE

“

Rick Murphy with the physical plant removes a piece of the suspended ceiling in the LA building. Murphy is salvaging material from the building for use elsewhere on campus.

I remember turning off the lights in my classroom and being able to see the sunlight come through the wall.” — Dr. Richard Harrison Dean of Liberal & Fine Arts THE FLARE

Sara Holmes / THE FLARE

Charity Mezzell / THE FLARE

Sara Holmes / THE FLARE

OPINION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

ILLUSTRATION BY Cody Davis / THE FLARE

FIRST QUARTER

FOURTH QUARTER

Do you attend Ranger football games? Why not?

YOUR VIEW RESULTS

Photographs by Kristopher Dobbins / THE FLARE

Yes. “Yes. The last minute is when you see who wants it the most.”

Yes. “No, I’m there to watch halftime.”

Valentina Valentine

Henderson Sophomore

No. “Because I don’t know when they are.”

Daniel Martinez

Kilgore Freshman

No. “I’m planning on going to the games. I didn’t go because I thought they were like high school games, which was wrong. College games are more exciting!”

Maureena Carbajal Kilgore Freshman

CORRECTION

Photographs by Shelbi Crews and Sara Holmes / THE FLARE

Gladewater Sophomore

Halftime, half gone

A’erial Butler

He is a student athlete. In the Aug. 26 issue the story about new KC employees was incorrect. There are 23.

sually, the home side of any sporting game is the largest and the loudest. KC qualifies for the large crowd size – until after halftime. A nearly sure bet is that after every halftime of a KC football game the majority of the crowd exits the premises. After the famous Kilgore College Rangerettes, band and twirlers perform, the stands go nearly bare. How could we fix this problem? For starters, if the “Rowdy Rangers” ever get together, the home side would be a little louder than a screaming parent for her son every once in a while, there would actually be an existing student section and people wouldn’t be afraid to get loud for their team. As silly as it seems, if one person or group of people are constantly cheering, other people will start to, as well. A student section filled with loud, excited and blue-clad fans could lead to more loud, excited and blue-clad fans.

Next, how discouraging is it when the cheerleaders are cheering to the crowd and no one claps along with them or says anything? We believe that if students participated in the “Rowdy Rangers” the stands would never be silent and the cheerleaders would always get feedback, which could lead to more people staying in their seat after halftime. Then the football team would feel their support and be even more motivated. It must be pretty discouraging for a player to see more than half the crowd get up and leave. We need to do something because we have a tough crowd to break, and something has to be done about it. Student sections are what keeps the crowd alive at many colleges, and we think this is what the Rangers need to help have a winning season. If the players have people in the stands cheering for them, they feel like they are playing and need to win for them. If the stands are empty, who are they really playing for?

People will try to tear you down; don’t let them W hen I see someone putting another person down it totally blows my mind. Someone used to repeatedly tell me that I should change my major because I wouldn’t make a living in journalism. She told me that the debt I would rack up throughout college would bury me alive and I would never live comfortably. She also told me that all of the jobs I dreamed of were out of my reach and I needed to be realistic. How encouraging is that? After a few of these conversations I realized that I didn’t care at all what anyone thought of my decision to major in journalism. I am the one who would be dealing with any repercussions. I have realized that I will do something with my life that I enjoy and look forward

to every day. I do not want to regret going to work every day because I hate my job. Having a doctor’s paycheck would be nice, but it just doesn’t interest me. Of course I respect the time and hard work those people put into their careers, but it just isn’t for me. ASHLEY If you want to be a MORALES firefighter, songwriter, Executive chef, director, make-up artist, or anything else, do Editor it. If you have a passion for something you love, you should never put it on hold because others are throwing darts at your dream.

The Flare

VOL. 77, NO. 2

In another attempt to get me to change my career plan, she always used herself as an example. She would say she was thousands of dollars in debt, and she wasn’t even using her degree. She simply thought that because an event ruined her plans it will happen to me. I finally realized that I am not her. I will not make some of the decisions she made. I wouldn’t put myself in that situation because I’m not going to give up. It is crazy how some people will try and tear down everything you have worked and wished for just because they made a bad decision or came face to face with an obstacle they couldn’t conquer. You are your own person and anyone who tries to take that away from you is just an obstacle you have to overcome. It is your life and you have to do what

Friday, September 13, 2013

2012 Sweepstakes Winner in Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and Texas Community College Journalism Association

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Ashley Morales

COPY EDITOR Miles Marable

ASSISTANT EDITOR Dezirae Burnett

ILLUSTRATOR Cody Davis

WEB EDITOR Kassidy Taylor FEATURES EDITOR Tory Van Blarcum SPORTS WRITERS Devin Brooks

LAB MANAGER Jamie Maldonado ADVISER Gary Borders PHOTO ADVISER O. Rufus Lovett

ADVERTISING MANAGER Sonia Garza SENIOR WRITER Maegan Mitchell STAFF WRITERS Christine Ritter, Jordan Baird PHOTOGRAPHERS Shelbi Crews, Kristopher Dobbins, Sonia Garza, Laura Hernandez, Destinye Turner and Randi Vinson-Davis WEB DESIGNER

makes you happy. If I want to work at MTV or a major record label, I should be able to – with a lot of hard work, of course. Everyone else should be OK with your decision. If they’re not OK then maybe someone told them they couldn’t make their dream happen. Jay-Z wrote in Blueprint 2 “I will not lose, for even in defeat, there’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me.” If something unexpected happens, you have to make the best of the situation. If it’s a setback, take the situation and make it motivation. Don’t let anyone or anything discourage you. Ashley Morales is a sophomore journalism major from Longview.

LETTERS THE FLARE welcomes any letter to the editor and encourages all readers to use this as a sounding board to express thoughts and opinions on current campus-related topics. We also welcome news or feature ideas. Due to space limitations, letters should be as concise as possible and may still be edited for space. Letters must be signed and include an address and telephone number so that we can verify their authenticity. Letters should be delivered to the newsroom in Communications-Automotive Building, Room 125, mailed to

DISCLAIMER THE FLARE is the student newspaper of Kilgore College and is published every Friday by the journalism department, except during examination periods and vacations. First copy is free, subsequent copies are available for 50 cents. THE FLARE is a member of the Texas Community College Journalism Association and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

SPOTLIGHT

8 Students introduced to campus activities

THE FLARE

Drum Line performers

THE FLARE

Rowdy

Hot time at KC Kickoff

THE FLARE

Freshman Rangerettes show their spirit

THE FLARE

KC students wait

THE FLARE

Drum-line performs

THE FLARE