FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE Monday, Dec. 5 – Thursday, Dec. 8 MONDAY, WEDNESDAY OR FRIDAY CLASSES CLASS TIME EXAM TIME DATE 7 or 7:30 a.m. 7-9 a.m. Mon., Dec. 5 8 or 8:30 a.m. 8-10 a.m. Wed., Dec. 7 9 or 9:30 a.m. 9:30-11:30 a.m. Mon., Dec. 5 10 or 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 7 11 or 11:30 a.m. Noon - 2 p.m. Mon., Dec. 5 12 or 12:30 p.m. 1-3 p.m. Wed., Dec. 7 1 or 1:30 p.m. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 7 2 or 2:30 p.m. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 7 3, 3:30 or 4 p.m. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Mon., Dec. 5 5 or 5:30 p.m. 5-7 p.m. Mon., Dec. 5 Friday only classes will test at regular class times on Fri., Dec. 2. Saturday classes will test 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. Sat., Dec. 3.
TUESDAY OR THURSDAY CLASSES CLASS TIME 6, 7, 7:30, 8, or 8:30 a.m. 9, 9:30, 10 or 10:30 a.m. 11 a.m. or Noon 12:30 p.m. 1 or 1:30 p.m. 2 or 2:30 p.m. 3, 3:30 or 4:30 p.m. 5 or 5:30 p.m.
EXAM TIME
DATE
8-10 a.m.
Thurs., Dec. 8
8 a.m.-10 a.m. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 1-3 p.m. 1-3 p.m. 3:30-5:30 p.m. 5-7 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 6 Thurs., Dec. 8 Tues., Dec. 6 Tues., Dec. 6 Thurs.,Dec. 8 Tues., Dec. 6 Thurs., Dec. 8
EVENING CLASSES EXAM TIME
DATE
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Mon., Dec. 5 Tues., Dec. 6 Wed., Dec. 7 Thurs., Dec. 8
7:30-9:30 p.m. 6:30-8:30 p.m. 6:30-8:30 p.m. 7:30-9:30 p.m.
*Classes beginning at 6 p.m. or later
The Flare
Bowl bound: for more information on the game, see Page 4
Friday, November 18, 2016 Vol. 80 No. 10 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
Overtime ends Championship
Jaime Davis, Montgomery freshman, consoles his teammate Jonathan Beaudoin, Lamar sophomore, after the Rangers fell 54-41 in the Region XIV Championship.
Richard Nguyen / THE FLARE
KC looks to bounce back after championship loss with a bid to The Mississippi Bowl ELIJAH BANKS Sports Editor ATHENS –– In a championship full of fireworks and points, the Rangers come up short in overtime against the Trinity Valley College Cardinals 54-41. The two teams combined for a total of 1049 yards and 95 points. With the championship victory this marks the third time in four years TVCC has come out on top of the South Western Junior College Football Conference. They will face the fifth ranked North West Mississippi Rangers in the Heart of Texas Bowl. The Rangers were invited to play in the Mississippi bowl against the East
Mississippi Community College Lions. The game will be played at Perkinston Mississippi on Dec. 4 at 2p.m. In the SWJCFC championship the party got started early. On the first play from scrimmage, Troy Burnett, Missouri City freshman, picked off the Cardinal’s for a 30yard touchdown. Alvin Kenworthy made the extra point to give the Rangers the early 7-0 advantage. Things got amped up even more on the Cardinals second drive. On the first play of the Cardinals’ drive, Cedric Battle took off down the field for a huge gain. Six plays later, Adam Berryman capped off the 79yard drive with a two-yard touchdown. Caden Novikoff evened the score at seven
with his point after. The Rangers offense took the field for the first time, and kept the scoring celebration afloat. They went on 10 play, 79-yard touchdown drive. From one yard out Chandler Eiland, Canton sophomore, bolted into the end zone for a Kilgore score. Kenworthy’s point after put the Rangers back up by seven. The scoring did not stop there. In the first quarter, TVCC visited the scoreboard again on their third drive. On the tenth play of the Cardinal drive, Michael Curtis punched a one-yard touchdown in the end zone. Novikoff made the extra point to make the score 14-14. With 1:01 remaining in the first quarter the Rangers moved back in front. Marquis
Broussard, Edna freshman, blew through the middle of the Cardinals defense for the 53-yard score. After Kenworthy’s extra point, the Rangers were up 21-14. The Rangers kept the punches going after the defense held the Cardinal offense at bay. The KC offense started its third drive at the 10-yard line, but that didn’t stop them from moving the ball. They drove down the field on a 14 play 90-yard drive. The drive ended with a one-yard touchdown by Byron Proctor. Kenworthy’s extra point kept the Rangers lead to only 13. See RANGERS, on Page 4
KC student reaches for brighter future after graduation Veteran, business student, to lead national anthem at commencement MEAGHAN MORTON Executive Editor
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Baylor Roberson / THE FLARE
Graduation candidate, Alan Stokley, readies for class.
ooking back to when he was in high school Alan Stokley probably would have changed a lot of things. Two of the most important things he would have changed would have been his concentration in class and dedication to his duties; but now, preparing to graduate from KC on Dec. 9, he is showing an example of perseverance and a complete turn-around. Stokley, an Army veteran, husband, father and KC student from Diana, used to not have dreams of graduating from college, but nightmares. “I was afraid to go to college because of how I had done in school,” he said. “I was afraid I wasn’t going to get scholarships and I didn’t know about
funding and all of that stuff. I guess there was a little bit of a fear factor there.” Because of this, Stokley enlisted in the Army and became a Black Hawk Helicopter Mechanic. During his service, he became more disciplined and learned more about himself. “No matter how tired I am, I still needed to push through,” Stokley said. He took this philosophy and eventually applied it to his school work when he enrolled in classes at KC two years ago; the same year his son was born. He also balanced a full-time job as he attended classes. “Those first three semesters, it got to the point to where it was normal for me to get about three hours of sleep at night. I didn’t see my wife except for pretty much on the weekends,” Stokley said. “My son
would be asleep whenever I would leave, and he would be asleep by the time I got home. It helped me to just really give it my all.” Stokley credits his family and his son to push him forward and to strive for bigger and better things in life. “My son was my main motivation,” he said. “I wanted to do something that he could be proud of. He’s a smart kid; I see that already in him and I really hope I can inspire him to do better in high school; unlike me, because I could have done better, but just didn’t.” Despite struggling through high school, Stokley is now getting ready to graduate this fall with an Associate
of Science in Accounting and Business. He also works on campus as an accounting tutor. “He is a good student,” said Richard Crutcher, department chair and business instructor. “It allows him to relate to them [other students] and straighten them out when they are having a bit of difficulty.” Crutcher also appreciates Stokley, his kindness and the work he puts into everything he does. “It makes my life a whole lot easier,” Crutcher said. “It’s rewarding. You really want to help every student See GRAD, on Page 3
Just really take (college) seriously. Don’t just blow it off and do the minimum to scrape by, but really apply yourself and do the best you can. — Alan Stokley
KC seeks public input on ‘campus carry bill’ From Staff Reports Kilgore College is seeking the public’s input regarding Senate Bill 11, known as the “campus carry bill,” legalizing the carrying of a concealed handgun by concealed carry-licensed holders on public college and university campuses. While this legislation took effect on university campuses Aug. 1, 2016, the law does not go into effect for Texas public community colleges until Aug. 1, 2017. KC has created the webpage www. kilgorecollege.edu/campuscarry
to solicit feedback from the public regarding the carrying of concealed handguns by handgun licensees on the Kilgore and Longview campuses. KC president, Dr. Brenda Kays, has formed a campus carry taskforce made up of KC faculty, staff and students. This taskforce has the responsibility of developing policy recommendations for consideration by the college president and the KC Board of Trustees. KC students and employees are also having the opportunity to
make comments about campus carry through surveys, emails and meetings. “We welcome comments from the public regarding this topic,” said Heath Cariker, KCPD police chief. “These comments will be considered as the college crafts a concealed carry policy which would create guidelines for concealed carrying on its campuses.” The public can visit the website above to take a campus carry survey and/or email comments to campuscarry@kilgore.edu. Photo Illustration by Tiffany Johnson / THE FLARE
PAGE T WO THIS WEEK BY THE NUMBERS
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n Thanksgiving break begins in four days as soon as KC closes at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Fill up on turkey and cranberry sauce and come back to class Monday, Nov. 28.
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016 n KC Bookstore is buying back used textbooks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Monday, Dec. 5, through Wedensday Dec. 7; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 8. A KC student ID is required.
1978
n On this day in 1978, cult leader of Peoples Temple, Jim Jones, leads the largest mass suicide in history. 918 people were either murdered or commited suicide.
Check theflareonline.com for a full calendar activities, or go to twitter.com/theflareonline for live updates
FACE
IN THE CROWD
Christmas mini mester presents itself to KC DA’JAH THOMPSON Staff Writer
Registration for the Christmas mini-mester is in full swing and is set to close Friday, Dec. 2. A number of classes are being offered both here on campus and also online. Classes held on campus from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Monday- Friday include: PHIL 2306.F01, HIST 1301.F01, ENGL 1302.F01. The Christmas mini classes begin Monday, Dec. 12, and run until Wednesday, Jan. 4. Online classes are: HIST 1302. FW1, ENGL 2322.FW1, GOVT 2305. FW1, SOCI 1301.FW1, and PSYC 2314.FW1. Students taking online classes must take the midterm and final in KC’s Testing Center for free, or with Proctor U for $30 each test. One hybrid class, which consists of being online and in class from 9 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. Monday-Friday is PTAC 2314.FH1. It ends on Friday, Dec. 30. For more information or to enroll in a mini-mester, call the Financial Aid Office or go online.
PTK induction ceremony, Friday, Nov. 18 YOSEF IBITAYO Staff Writer
Alexia McGee
Hometown: Tyler Classification: freshman
What do you like to do in your free time? I love to travel and spend time with my family. I am always moving and life gets so busy so I love to just relax and drink a glass of wine. What is your personal philosophy? My personal philosophy is the sky is the limit, if you believe it and work for it, you can achieve it. I believe that we all have the power to shape our own futures but it takes hard work, dedication, drive. What is your proudest moment? My proudest moment was becoming a mother, because it changed my identity forever. I was no longer just Alexia I am someone’s mother, someone’s life sources and that’s kind of a big deal. I knew then that I had to be great because I am a mom. Where does your inner drive come from? The truth is God is my source. When I feel like I cannot I know that I can because He created me to succeed not to roll over and let life beat me. I am driven because I have to be and why not? What’s worth understanding deeply? I believe that love is something that should be understood deeply and studied deeply because it is the fuel the drives us. Love can be
Kyleen Hunter / THE FLARE
Age: 29
healing, it can be comforting, it can be felt from millions of mile away. Love when it is pure is unchanging. It is because of God’s love that we have grace and mercy. When you love someone, you will always love them. What do you want your obituary to say? I want to be remembered for the way I made people feel and how I made them laugh or smile. I want them to say I was beautiful from the inside out and you couldn’t help but to love me. What is your favorite place in the house? Its a tie, I love my bed and to relax and watch TV and cuddle with my husband or cuddle with my kids. I love the kitchen when I am preparing food and trying new things. What would you risk your life for? My family, my kids, Christ, The Word, Love What super power do you wish you had? Most of the time I wish I could fly because I hate waiting in traffic and I may have road rage just a little bit. Either flying or teleportation so that I can teleport to my destination.
Phi Theta Kappa’s annual induction ceremony will be held Friday, November 18, at 6:30 PM in the Devall Student Center ballroom. “Invitees are encouraged to come,” said Michele Daniels, PTK sponsor. “They have to be there by 6 o’clock; attire is business casual.” Congressman Louie Gohmert will be speaking at the ceremony, for the inductees. In order to be a member of the academic fraternity and honor society PTK requires that students maintain a grade point average of 3.5, have at least 12 college hours and adhere to the moral standards of the PTK community. Part-time students are usually eligible for membership if they have accumulated the total number of hours used by the college to designate full-time status. Membership in PTK brings access to benefits that recognize outstanding academic accomplishments and provide students with the competitive edge that helps ensure future success. International students attending college outside their home countries are eligible for membership if they have completed the requirements. According to the PTK website, its their mission is to recognize academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. Any invitees have until November 30 to accept membership. If students have any questions, contact Ms. Daniels or Dr. Paul Buchanan at mdaniels@kilgore. edu or pbuchanan@kilgore.edu.
NEWS
THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
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Staff member attends Veterans Day Appreciation Celebration, points out lack of attendance from KC students Review KAITLIN MITCHELL Staff Writer “A veteran is someone who at one point in their life wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount of up to and including their life.” [Unknown author] Rick Moser, KC history instructor and war veteran, chose to use this famous quote in his speech at the Veterans Day Appreciation Celebration held on Friday, Nov. 11 in the Devall Student Center Ballroom. As someone who has spent a lot of time around veterans and grown up in a heavily militaryinfluenced household, I was incredibly disheartened to see the lack of students in attendance. It almost felt hypocritical, seeing that not even a month ago a large portion of the student body was campaigning for our campus veterans and their service animals. That being said, before the program began I had the privilege of speaking
to one of the veterans in attendance, Bronte Elder, and when asked what he thought about the artwork and the program itself, Elder responded with “I appreciate all veterans, past and future. This is what America is all about.” I sincerely hope that the rest of my classmates and community feel the same. Despite the lack of student support, the program went off without a hitch. It started with the national anthem and a heartfelt prayer. Following the prayer was a colors ceremony and a moment of silence. Next came musical performances by the KC choir and April Pettigrew. The choir performed two songs, however the one that stood out to me the most was their rendition of ‘The Gettysburg Address,’ which is a famous speech given by former president Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. I thought it was an excellent choice to include a piece of history in their
performance. Given the recent divide in our nation regarding politics, I felt that sent out a very powerful message. Pettigrew’s performance was also very inspiring. It consisted of an original song that she composed about her grandfather, who served time in the military. “He was the bravest man I ever knew,” Pettigrew said. “He was full of integrity and would stand up and do whatever they said couldn’t be done and I see that in all of the veterans here tonight. I know all of you are like that.” The program ended with an announcement of the Veterans Day Appreciation Celebration Art Contest and an invitation to view the artwork on display. I would like to once again encourage my fellow students and KC faculty to extend their support for our nation’s veterans and visit the Letters From Home station in the Randolph C. Watson Library. The Kilgore College Chorale performs at the Veterans Day Appreciation Celebration. Jamie Maldonado / SPECIAL TO THE FLARE
Jamie Maldonado / SPECIAL TO THE FLARE
KC student and United States Marine, Manuel Cazarez, presents the colors at the Veterans Day Appreciation Celebration held Nov. 11, in the Devall Student Center Ballroom.
GRAD: Stokley looks toward future, makes plans for long-term goals From Page 1 but it’s always nice to see somebody who puts a little extra effort into it.” Stokley excitedly looks toward graduation and thinks about his goals and how he is going to apply his degrees. “I’d like to eventually open my own business one day,” he said. “Me and my wife, and actually my friend of 20
years have wanted to open a business together. So, that is kind of a long-term goal, is to eventually open my own business.” Because of his dedication to America, Stokley has been asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at graduation. He also encourages others to do their best in school. “Just really take it seriously,” he said. “Don’t
KILGORE SCREEN PRINTING CO. WE PRINT T-SHIRTS & MORE
just blow it off and do the minimum to scrape by, but really apply yourself and do the best you can.”
GRADUATION: The ceremony will begin 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9, in Dodson Auditorium. Attendence is free and open to the public.
SO LONG FOR NOW! This is The Flare’s last issue of the semester. For updated information during the holidays, check out our social media pages:
Facebook, Instagram & Twitter
@theflareonline www.theflareonline.com THE FLARE WILL RETURN FRIDAY, JAN. 17
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV.18, 2016
SPORTS
Richard Nguyen / THE FLARE
Tailback Marquis Broussard, Edna freshman, leaps through the air against the Trinity Valley defense in last week’s championship game.
Bowl bid gives chance for Ranger redemption From page 1 The Cardinals got touchdowns from Tony Mullins and Cedric Battle to take their first lead of the game. Shelton Eppler connected with Mullins for the 11-yard score, and Curtis found Battle for a 15yard touchdown. Novikoff ’s extra point made the score 28-27. Thanks to an Anthony Thomas big punt return, the Rangers were able to put together their only touchdown drive of the third quarter. KC started the drive at the Cardinal 38-yard line, and on the seventh play of the drive, Eiland ran the ball six yards into the end zone. The Rangers had to settle for a Kenworthy extra point after the two-point conversion was called back for illegal formation. The Cardinals got back on the scoreboard with 14:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. Novikoff made a 24-yard field goal making the score 34-31. The Rangers stretched their lead back to double digits on their next drive. From 12 yards out Eiland found the end zone again for his third touchdown of the game. The Rangers were in the driver’s seat with 7:35 remaining in the game, but the electrifying TVCC
offense inched back up in less than two minutes. The Cardinals kept the game alive after converting a third and twenty-one. On the ninth play of the drive Eppler found a wide open Jalen Guyton for a nineyard touchdown. Novikoff point after was good to make the score 41-38. The Rangers offense could not get anything going and had to give the ball back to the red hot Cardinal offense. The Cardinals were able to march 97-yards down the field, but had to settle for a Novikoff three-yard field goal. With 57 seconds remaining the game was knotted up at 41. The game would go into overtime and the Cardinals would not look back. The Cardinals got the ball first and drove down the field in four plays. Curtis connected with Domontes Dowell for the touchdown. Novikoff made the extra point. The Rangers lined up to take the game to a second overtime, but did not have enough gas in the tank. Two penalties put the Rangers in a hole, and things got worse when Eiland’s pass was intercepted by a Cardinal defender. Devante Thomas returned the interception for a 71-yard touchdown to give the Cardinals the win.
Richard Nguyen / THE FLARE
Quarterback Chandler Eiland lunges forward for extra yards against Tyler Junior College.
End of season stats The Ranger football team this season averaged 43.6 points per game. They ranked 10th in National Junior College Athletic Association. KC ranked 3rd in the nation in rushing touchdowns (34). Quarterback Chandler Eiland finished 5th in the country in rushing touchdowns (14) along with tailback Marquis Broussard finishing 8th (11). Freshman linebacker, Troy Burnett, tallied 143 tackles on the season (2nd in NJCAA). Burnett had a NJCAA leading average of 15.9 tackles per game. Tailback, Tyreik Gray, averaged 129.4 all purpose yards per game, this ranked him 9th in the NJCAA.
Wide Receiver Kyle McBride hauls in a pass in front of an Apache defender. Richard Nguyen / THE FLARE
5 SPORTS Rangers basketball start season on hot streak THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
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Lady Rangers enter conference play undefeated ELIJAH BANKS Sports Editor The Lady Rangers remain unbeaten after demolishing the Arkansas Baptist College Buffaloes 97-68 on Saturday, Nov. 12. The first time the two teams met this year, KC ran away with an 83-58. With the victory the Rangers remain first in the conference. The Ladies had two starters in double figures, Lyrik Williams, Crystal, Minnesota freshman and Richelle Velez, Lake Jackson freshman. Williams collected 21 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Velez finished the game with 16 points, and four made three’s. Jade Thurmon, Ferris freshman, had an
Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
KC fans react as Jade Thurmon, 33, Ferris freshman, livens up the crowd as the guard sets up under the goal during the Lady Rangers first home game of the season. KC is undefeated going into next week’s games.
Softball team signs next crop of talent
Timothy Stuckey / THE FLARE
Sluggers Signing: From left: Kelsey Ahart, Angleton; Makenna Bell, Nacogdoches; Chasity DeLeon, Corpus Christi; Camille Freudensprung, Lake Jackson; Marissa Molina, Crowley; and Hailey Nash, Corrigan; sign for their first year with the KC Rangers softball team.
The KC softball team signed eight high school seniors to the Fall 2017 squad earlier this month. Signees include: Kelsey Ahart: Angleton High School, first base; Makenna Bell: Central High School, infielder; Chastity DeLeon Morales: King High School, pitcher; Camille Freudensprung: Brazoswood High School, outfielder; Marisa Molina: Crowley High School, third base; Brenna Ortiz: Seagoville High School, outfielder; Hailey Nash: Corrigan-Camden High School, catcher/middle infielder; and Brianna Yinfante: Crosby High School, pitcher, infielder.
impressive game off the bench. She had a game high 33 points, seven rebounds, and five steals. She currently is first in scoring averaging 21 points a game. Alexus Moore also contributed off the bench scoring 10 points, and snatching down five rebounds. The ladies dominated the boards tallying up 40 total rebounds, and they also had active hands registering 11 steals. The ladies completed the game with a 50.8 field goal percentage. The next time the Ladies take the court they will enter conference play at San Jacinto College-North to take on the Lady Gators on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Tipoff will be at 5:30 and pregame will begin at 5:20.
Rangers host KC Classic this weekend, four matchups for men’s basketball fans ELIJAH BANKS Sports Editor The Men’s basketball team improved to 3-1 after a 91-59 thrashing against the North Western State JV Demons on Sunday Nov.12. The blowout victory marks the second time that the Rangers have scored over 90 points in the young season. KC had a 59.1 field goal percentage to the Demons 35.2. The bulk of the Rangers points came from three of their starters who were in double figures. Davon Newton, Garner, North Carolina, freshman, led the way with 18 points and nine rebounds. Cheikh Diallo, Senegal, Africa, sophomore, and Ndene Gueye, Senegal, Africa, sophomore, weren’t too far behind in the scoring category each putting up 17 points apiece. Diallo remained hot from downtown against NWS, knocking down four of the Rangers seven made three
pointers. He is averaging 46.7 from deep so far in the season. Gueye led the team in rebounds with 10 and also in blocks collecting two. KC also had some help from their bench; Chad Bowie, Missouri City, Freshman racked up 11 points, and seven rebounds. Xavier Lewis, of Corpus Christi, additionally aided the Rangers as well from the bench scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds six of which came off of the defensive of board. Overall the Rangers had 42 defensive boards that helped them dominant the game. The Rangers will host a home classic this weekend, playing the 6 p.m. game on Friday, Nov. 18, against Lone Star College — Tomball. At 4 p.m. Saturday, they will take on Cedar Valley College. Conference rival Tyler Junior College will play CVC at 4 p.m. Friday and LSC at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
NEWS Transfer Travels: Where to Next?
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
Part three of a three-part series
Editor makes final decision of Midwestern State University
LEAH BRYCE Managing Editor AUSTIN COLLEGE SHERMAN –– Despite the impression the name of the university gives, this college is in Sherman, not Austin. However it is named after the famous Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 13:1 Austin is among the smallest universities in Texas. Don’t let their size fool you though. Austin College offers many of the programs that are usually thought to only be with large universities. Things like study abroad, internships, work study, language submersion and career services are major programs at Austin. Unlike many universities Austin College puts a large emphasis on community and global outreach. Many of their study abroad programs focus on how students of Austin College can give back to the world by using their education. Now while many universities have extremely boring and common mascots like tiger, lions and bears OH MY, Austin College’s mascot is the kangaroos. If that doesn’t make everyone want to go there then something is wrong in the world. Their facilities on the university are some of the nicest in the state. In the cafeteria nearly every flag is represented. Throughout the campus the giant pillars circling each building guide you to the doors. The university offers 15 athletic programs to their students,
including football, baseball, basketball and swimming. They also have over 70 student organizations and are open to creating new ones. Proud of their success Austin College estimates that 96.8 percent of students who graduate do so in four years. While private universities are more expensive they also offer more financial aid to students than public universities. At Austin 99 percent of student receive some form of financial aid. Austin College is one of the most prestigious universities in Texas. They offer a “Life Changing Experience,” that goes beyond academic learning. Unlike many universities Austin College offers students the chance to apply what they learn before ever graduating. Plus they are a great proponent of humanitarianism and lead students to be also. Austin College is a fantastic university with a large success rate in nearly everything they do. MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY WICHITA FALLS –– Shockingly Midwestern State University is the only public liberal arts university in the state of Texas. Other schools are “research universities” that have strong liberal arts programs, but are not classified as liberal arts schools. At this university 59 percent of the student population is female, and
88 percent of the faculty teach full time. In hopes of better preparing students with upcoming classes each instructor is required to upload their academic achievements, scholarly achievements and class syllabi to the faculty directory which allows students to check before signing up for their course. They are also the only university in Texas to be members of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). The president of this organization most recently accepted the occupation of being MSU’s president. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1 the university is considerably small. However they maintain over 100 student organizations, 14 nationally affiliated fraternities and sororities, 13 NCAA Division II athletic teams and 23 recreational sports. They also have student housing facilities that offer more privacy than most other university dorms. The underclassmen dorms are set up with a Z pattern, where each student gets the luxury of having a wall between their bed and their roommate’s bed. Each of these dorms comes equipped with beds, a mini fridge and a sink. The upperclassmen on-campus housing consists of apartment style with each student getting their own room. Each apartment comes complete with a full kitchen, living area and two bathrooms. The city of Wichita Falls where the university is
located offers great support and school pride by erecting painted statues of mustangs (their mascot) all over town and all over campus. As a liberal arts university their goal is provide each student with a well rounded education beyond their major. Many students end up double majoring or minoring in a subject that is estranged to their original major. For example one student entered their freshman year with a major in accounting and is now graduating with two degrees — one in accounting and one in sociology. They have a large fine arts program and offer an entire building to house student art projects. In this building they also showcase alumni and local artists which allows students to enrich themselves in many art mediums. In an adjoining building the theatre department surrounds itself with art and is a heavily involved organization and major. With the new president came a few updates and two new buildings. One of the new buildings is complete and is a freshman dorm that holds 500 students. The other building is a new Mass Communications building, which is now currently housed in the fine arts building. The new location is estimated to be completed by next fall. On the campus grounds a large pond holds many student activities, but the most enjoyed student wide competition is the annual Cardboard Boat Race.
Anyone can enter and the rules are simple: the boat can only be made of cardboard and duct tape. The race starts at one end of the pond and the winner is the one that can make it to the other end and back and be the last one to sink. This small public liberal arts university holds many traditions and offers more than meets the eye. With a small student population, but a large accreditation MSU brings many students to their gates and provides them with a private university education at a public university tuition. TEXAS WESLEYAN FORT WORTH –– Hidden behind the brightly colored purple fandoms of Texas Christian University, a small, private university resides in Fort Worth. This school is Texas Wesleyan University. Virtually unknown to the rest of the world the small campus of Wesleyan has a 16 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio. With a private liberal arts university this small they only offer 31 majors for undergraduates. However, compared to larger universities, the smallness allows for a more personal approach to teaching. The university has an award winning table tennis team, and since the World War II draft emptied their football team in the 1940s the school has centered its athletic focus around basketball. However, next fall the university will the dry spell and once again have a football team.
Founded in 1890 the university has a long history of tradition. While the Wesleyan campus has a chapel with services regularly, they do not require students to attend. However, they do require each student to take one religious course as part of their core requirement. They offer a wide variety to choose from like Old and New Testament and even World Religions and do not require students to be affiliated with a specific religion. Like most universities Wesleyan has a superstitious belief tied to a statue. In 1890 when the school first opened they had two live rams (male and female) that were the schools mascots. It was said that before a game or a major test the students would rub the ram horns of the male ram and they would do well on their endeavors. However, the circle of life applies to all living things and the rams tragically died from old age. In order to maintain the tradition and magic they cremated the remains of the ram and mixed in the statue in his honor. Students still rub the horns for luck on game days. Although a small student body the university still has many traditions and activities for the students to participate in. They offer many scholarships to make their “Smaller. Smarter.” program possible to all students regardless of their financial background. This university is a hidden gem obscured by large name players.
Write your story Flare alumni enjoy success at ESPN, Dallas Morning News, dozens of newspapers, blogs and in multitude of other fields
KC
student journalists have won hundreds of individual awards, dozens of Sweepstakes and Best of Show awards and several national honors. With alumni at scores of newspapers, TV news outlets and on the cutting edges of cyberspace, success doesn’t stop when a new plaque goes
up on the lab wall. Students working on The Flare, The Ranger Yearbook or The Flare Magazine have a chance to make an immediate impact with writing, photography, design and illustration. KC journalism students are also eligible for a number of scholarships.
For more information, contact Rachel Stallard, Flare adviser, at 903-983-8194 or by email at rstallard@kilgore.edu and O. Rufus Lovett, Flare photo adviser, at 903-983-8192 or by email at rlovett@kilgore.edu
OPINION
THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
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O Canada! O Canada!
YOUR VIEW
What could we do to bring the country together after the divisive election? Timothy Stuckey / THE FLARE
Minh Nguyen Vietnam freshman “This divisiveness is all about the election, not about all Americans. What we could do is just think about the future ahead and focus on what we need to do right now.”
Samory Gueye France freshman “Have a better mentality; starting with better education for kids.”
Elizabeth Lumpkin / THE FLARE
OUR VIEW American citizens claim to colonize Canada after election
Connor Barrett Diana freshman “The best process for us going forward is to remember to come together and to continue to move forward as a unified America. We elected, it was America’s vote.”
Madison Darwish Round Rock freshman “Remember this is the land of the free and the only solution to fighting against hate is to show love.”
I
f the blood-rain and hell fire that occurred the day after the election didn’t make you want to pack your bags and move to Canada, we don’t know what will. So, if you are currently willing to change your national colors from the good ol’ red, white and blue, to a simple red and white with a maple leaf design, here are some tips that you will actually never use. Because honestly, no matter how much you told your family and friends on Facebook, you’re not actually going to move to Canada. Just like the 15,000 people who gained entry into the voting booth and wrote in Harambe for President of the United States, you must gain entry into the cold country of Canada. You cannot gain entry to Canada for financial reasons, health or if you have a criminal record. To view the full list of reasons you cannot move to Canada, go to the Canadian immigration website www.cic. gc.ca. The same one that crashed before and after Donald Trump was announced as the president elect.
If weeding out the reasons you cannot move to Canada didn’t make you tired and upset, you can go ahead and consider the different types of residency. There are many different ways to legally move to Canada: Express Entry for Skilled Workers, Business Startup Investor, Provincial, Family Sponsored and many more. Following this step, you need to complete the appropriate application, pay the application fee (for the Express Entry application it is $550 American) and wait around six months for your visa to arrive. If your application is denied, you will have to reapply; but, if Canada doesn’t want you, there might be a problem. After you do all of the previous steps and are accepted into Canada, you must gather your personal documents. Not because Big Brother is watching and will send lizard people to your house in the middle of the night since you might move to Canada and leave Uncle Sam in the dust, but because the country you are trying to move to needs to know more about you. Again, for
more information, check out the Canadian immigration website; the one that crashed. That one. The next step should be trying to find somewhere to live, and while we are not encouraging crime in Canada, if you were really desperate, you could get put in Canadian prison, have a cot to sleep on, three hot meals a day and fantastic healthcare. But again, we are not encouraging crime. If you think this is a lot to do, imagine if Hillary Clinton would have won. Yes, we get it, we don’t mean any of this. The point is the only way America can actually be “great again,” is if we come together as Americans and unite. We were warned in the beginning of the Republic by our first president, George Washington, to not have political parties. In the end, it must be us to come together and take our country back. If we continue to split apart, we will eventually get to the point where we cannot come back together. Disclaimer: There were no actual bloodrain storms or hell fire.
‘All men are created equal,’ practicing tolerance In the U.S. Constitution there is a statement that Americans throw around quite a lot, but rarely do they put it to action in their own life. That statement that Americans use so flippantly is “all Men are created equal.” See, it’s that word “all” where people get tripped up. The more accurate phrase would be “all men are created equal, IF they believe what I believe.” Normally I don’t give a lot of thought to the judgments of other people. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but over the last few weeks situations have been occurring around me which brought this thought to mind. Growing up in the Bible Belt I know all too well how judgmental people of faith can be. I am a
Christian, I’ve gone to church my whole life and I believe in God and the Bible, but that does not mean that I have the right to threaten or harass people that do not follow my belief Leah Bryce system. I believe Managing Editor that no Christian has the right to pass judgment on another human. A few nights ago, I went on a double date with my boyfriend, one of our high school best friends and her girlfriend. I had heard her talk previously about how they had to be careful showing affection in public. Now this is a difficult concept for a straight white girl to
The Flare
understand, especially knowing what an affectionate person my friend is. However, I did not realize the extent of this problem until that night. In the middle of our dinner, my boyfriend casually put his arm around me, and my friend’s girlfriend did as well. Quietly and trying to be subtle, my friend leans over and asks her girlfriend to remove her arm because a man a few tables over was staring and it was unnerving her. At this moment I was shocked, but I didn’t want to focus on it too much so we continued our dinner conversation. Once the bill was paid, we walked to the parking lot and continued our conversation. Suddenly the same man that was giving an unnerving stare walks out of the restaurant and stands
VOL. 80, NO.10 n Friday, November 18, 2016 Copyright 2015, The Flare. All rights reserved.
2013 Sweepstakes Winner, Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • 2014 Sweepstakes Winner, Texas Community College Journalism Association Spring 2012 Gold Crown, Columbia Scholastic Press Association • 2012 First Place, Texas Associated Press Managing Editors
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Meaghan Morton MANAGING EDITOR Leah Bryce SPORTS EDITOR Elijah Banks ADVERTISING MANAGER Kayla Terrazas
PHOTO ADVISER O. Rufus Lovett ADVISER Rachel Stallard
STAFF WRITERS Kendall Hurtt, Yosef Ibitayo, Angela McFarland, Kaitlin Mitchell, Richard Nguyen, Allison Taliaferro, Kayla Terrazas, Da’Jah Thompson, Gabriel Wade, Cam Williams and Yasmine Wilson PHOTOGRAPHERS Tiffany Johnson, Tina Marie Reed, Cheyanne Huntsman, Kyleen Hunter, Elizabeth Lumpkin, Sam Rodriguez, Diana Castillo, Baylor Roberson, Richard Nguyen, Kiana Rose and Timothy Stuckey
by his truck staring at my friends. While he did not make a verbal comment his body language was clear. He did not care for lesbians. I understand that some people believe it is a sin to be homosexual. I understand that for many generations white people didn’t like black people. I understand that some Christians don’t like the Islamic. I understand that some of the Islamic don’t like the Judaism faith. I understand that many varieties of people have issues with many other varieties of people. What I don’t understand is why it has to be intolerable for people different than you to exist in the same place. There will always be someone different from you and you might not care for them, but making a
violent or threatening act toward them for simply existing and not harming anyone is not an acceptable act. Chances are, there is someone who does not care for what you believe in, but wouldn’t you rather them ignore their problem with you so that both of you can carry on with your life? No one deserves to be beaten or attacked or hit by a car or strung up a tree for simply being different. As long as it does not physically, emotionally or mentally harm someone then all men/women should be treated as they are created. Equal. Leah Bryce is an English major from White Oak.
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 The Flare, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore TX 75662 or emailed to: kc_flare@yahoo.com
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. All people holding editorial staff positions are Kilgore College journalism students. Comments and views expressed in THE FLARE reflect the thoughts of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or opinions of other students, staff members, faculty members, administrative officers or the Board of Trustees.
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
EVENTS
Around the
WORLD in one hallway
The International Student Club organized the second annual Cultural Awareness Day on Wednesday, Nov. 16. Students gathered to try a taste of foods from around the world, watch traditional dancing, listen to music and watch a fashion show featuring their countries’ clothing. Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
Isis Martinez, Henderson freshman, models traditional clothing from El Salvador.
Dr. Khosrowshahi from Greece, (by way of Tyler Junior College) demonstrates a tradional drum giving everyone a taste of Azerbaijani music.
Students show off traditional clothing during the Cultural Awareness Day Fashion Show.
Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
Sierra Wiseman / THE FLARE
Students were able to travel around the world in the Devall Student Center during Cultural Awareness Day.
Timothy Stuckey / THE FLARE
Stepping along to music, Hilena Mepinoult, Gabon Africa freshman, demonstrates a traditional dance. Cheyanne Huntsman / THE FLARE
Monica Agathiartri, Indonesia sophomore, becomes emotional while singing a song about her home country.
The Flare
Features
Special Edition
SECTION
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FRIDAY November 18, 2016
President of Young Conservatives shares beliefs YOSEF IBITAYO Staff Writer
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nthusiasm rings clear in her voice; a desire to make known the foundations of her party’s beliefs flows underneath the words she speaks. Rachael Sikes, Kilgore freshman, is the founder and president of the Young Conservatives of Kilgore College, or YCKC, a new organization started in the fall of 2016 that is intended to teach conservative-minded students the fundamentals of the Republican Party’s beliefs and policies. The YCKC have had three meetings since the beginning of the fall semester, and have participated in both the recent election watch party and Congressman Louie Gohmert’s visit to KC in late October. “The main reason why I started this organization is because a lot of the groups that are around,” Sikes said, “a lot of them are really good, but there are some that don’t necessarily address all of our foundations. ” Sikes wants to use YCKC to help KC students better understand their political convictions in a conservative light, and to eventually enable students to influence politics on the various levels of government. “I think the basic goal is to allow more freedom of discussion of conservative ideals and principles,” said Rick Moser, government instructor and club sponsor. “Students, especially conservative students, can come in and discuss ideas, but [it’s] not just limited to conservatives, because they accept just anybody; even liberals and libertarians are welcome.” The organization is currently focused on the local level of the conservative movement, but Sikes is confident of the group affecting higher levels of politics in the future. “There is impact that you can have,” Sikes said. “You don’t realize how much impact the local
has on the federal; it’s huge. If people actually cared, there would be a bigger impact, and there are some people that actually care, and some people that just don’t. There’s just so many things that are overlooked, or just not advertised well enough.” Sikes is currently doublemajoring in art and finance at KC. “Rachael Sikes is one of those rare individuals with extraordinary gifts in so many diverse disciplines,” U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert. “She is also a great example of how much additional brain usage a person gains by developing expertise in art or music.” When asked about the multidisciplinary fields of study, Sikes said that it has been a longtime goal of hers to finance other interests. “My goal with studying finance is that I would be able to fund missions, because that’s my goal,” Sikes said. “My career, my life, I want it to be something that can glorify God. Mainly, with finance, all I want to do is to pour out into ministry. I actually want to be able to be engaged in it, not just funding it, so it’s ministry, full-out ministry in every way.” Britt Davis, the director of the Christian Campus Center on the main campus, highlighted Sikes’ dedication to the faith as an evident characteristic of her personality. “She’s very spiritually mature in her faith,” Davis said, “and I believe she has a great future planned ahead of her. She’s very active in our Bible studies here at the campus center; she’s here every week.” Davis said Sikes is financially savvy, which is a real plus in the mission field, because being able to raise money and use that money for the good of others is a difficult thing these days. Davis added, “I think she would be one of those great leaders in that, and she has the personality to do that.” Sikes has been involved with helping out at Tri-C since the beginning of the semester, and
Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
Rachael Sikes, Kilgore freshman, brandishes her button in support of president elect, Donald Trump. has volunteered at various organizations throughout her life. “I’ve done a lot of different stuff volunteering,” Sikes said. “I guess it’s a habit of mine: if someone is struggling with something, I try
to help them, because I hope that somebody will do the same for me when I’m struggling.” YCKC currently meets the second and fourth Monday of every month at 5 p.m. in Room 140 in the
Old Main building. It is open to all students.
Students gather to witness ground breaking election
Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
Students gather in the Devall Student Center Ballroom to participate in the election night viewing party, organized by Rick Moser, Assistant Department Chair of History and instructor, and John Raulston, instructor. The party began at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 8 and ended at midnight and over 900 students went home without any results. Students woke up the next day with Donald Trump winning the electoral college vote, and Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote among the states. Trump is now the president elect and will be inaugurated Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.
Clarification: It has come to our attention that the numbers on our graphs in the last issue showing the results of a straw ballot taken around campus were not correct. This is a correction of the past graphs that were published on Friday, Nov. 4.
Trump
KC Voters by age:
Age Groups 18-25
Clinton 10 % 5%
17% 6% 4% 4%
69%
85%
26-30 31-36
Undecided 4%
36-40 41+
3rd Parties 9% 14%
96%
77%
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
F E AT U R E S
Team slides into field of dreams Softball to play on KC Commons field for Spring season ALLISON TALIAFERRO Staff Writer
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fter four seasons of playing on Stream-Flo Field, the Rangers will be swinging for their own fences this spring. Leslie Messina, KC Rangers head coach, will follow up on a winning fall season with a new field at KC Commons, located on Houston Street, at the site of the recently demolished Kilgore Heights Elementary School. As they come up to the plate on their fifth season, the KC softball team will finally receive a field of their own. “It’ll be amazing to have our own field and facilities,” Messina said. “The new field will greatly enhance our recruiting efforts and will be a landmark facility that will instill a sense of immense pride in the college and the Kilgore community.” The new facility consists of many improvements over Stream-Flo, including: sprinklers on the infield, indoor practicing facilities, a higher outfield fence and a locker room next to the field. It will also provide the players with safer playing conditions and lower the risk of injuries, Messina added. “We will be able to maintain the field better instead of sharing the maintenance responsibilities,” she said. “We have equipped people taking care of the field and maintaining the infield dirt.” The infield sprinklers will ultimately provide a smoother surface after each time the field is put to use. “I know it sounds strange, but you have to water dirt,” she said. If it rains, the surface of the dirt gets uneven and almost as hard as concrete, causing an unsafe playing environment. The sprinklers in the infield will be a huge contributing factor in maintaining the new field. “The ultimate deciding factor to build the new complex was having the availability to have a field that had a close location to campus,” Messina added. Last June, the KC Board of Trustees unanimously approved a contract for construction of the field to be completed by local company K-K Mobbs Construction, Inc. The field is located at the corner of Houston and Martin streets. Spearheaded with a $25,000 donation by Energy Weldfab president Mike Clements, more than $100,000 was raised by the KC Athletic department through donations to begin construction. Work on the new softball field began July 1 with the goal of playing home games on the new field by the spring 2017 season.
Sierra Wiseman / THE FLARE
Diana Castillo / THE FLARE
O. Rufus Lovett / SPECIAL TO THE FLARE
The field features an improved field house built from scratch, while still being able maintain a structure of classrooms, locker rooms and offices. “We would not be able to build a structure like this without having the availability to build a field closer to campus,” she said.
Having an indoor hitting facility will provide the team a place to practice no matter what the weather condition. Not many in the Rangers conference have that opportunity, Messina added. For more on the KC softball program, visit www.kilgore.edu/softball.
Diana Castillo / THE FLARE
The new softball field rises from the ground and provides a new space for the women to play.
Athletic trainer offers helping hand DA’JAH THOMPSON Staff Writer
H
aving the willpower and patience to help others when they are in need no matter what the problem or injury is says a lot. The determination to stand by her word and help out every athlete that she can is what Jenny Spearman does. An athletic trainer from Elk City, Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and a minor in psychology from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Spearman has all the determination she needs. She is your all-around girl: outgoing, friendly, and fun to be around. Although she has all those
kickoff, any athlete of any sport can receive treatment or rehab up until 1:30. Once women’s basketball practice starts around 1, Spearman heads to the gym to check on the players. She then moves out to the football field to tape and prep the football players for their practice. After football practice wraps up around 6, Spearman finally has the opportunity to head home. She is one tough cookie and handles the many obstacles thrown her way with ease. Although the day in the life of an assistant trainer sounds hectic, game day is a whole different story. Treatments for game days start around 12:30 and last an hour. After all the student trainers, as well as
game rolls on. After the final score and the game has come to an end, every trainer supplies bags of ice for the athletes who may have tight muscles. The trainers then return to the field to clean. All coolers and portable tables are returned to the field house, sometimes pushing their end time back another hour after the game before they finally get to head home. “You definitely have to have dedication because athletic training includes long hours and you have little or no off days,” Spearman said. Spearman has helped many athletes on their journey during her two years as an assistant head trainer at KC. She has taken over
“The athletes I help who are coming off an injury may hate me at times, but they know I am only doing it out of love because I want to see them back in action just as much as they do.” - Jenny Spearman great characteristics, she takes her job and career seriously when it comes to treating athletes with recovery or rehab. “It takes a lot of patience and you deal with a variety of personalities and a variety of different backgrounds and not everyone handles the injury the same way,” Spearman said. She originally attended KC from 2009-11 and received her Associate of Arts. While attending KC, she was a student athletic trainer and was also involved on campus. She was on the Homecoming Court in 2010, was a member of TRIO, a Ranger Ambassador, a member of the Student Government Association, and on the student committee. While being a student trainer, she dealt with the football and the basketball teams. “I love every sport equally but I have a special place in my heart for basketball because I played basketball myself,” she said. The day in the life as an assistant head trainer can be quite busy at times and it all starts at 9 every morning. After an early morning
the head and assistant trainers, finish dispersing the treatments, everyone heads to Whataburger for a traditional lunch before going to the field. All trainers come together after grabbing a bite to eat at 2:30 to walk the entire field to check for any bobby pins that might have fallen out of a drill team member’s hair or for other sharp objects. After the field has been checked, it is set up for the game which consists of four to five coolers on the home and visitor’s sidelines. One portable table is added to each of the home and visitor’s sidelines and a few coolers are dropped off in the visiting team’s locker-room. After the field is prepared, all the trainers head over to tape and prep the football players for the game. Once all athletes are taped and suited, the trainers head out for kick off. During a typical football game, Spearman follows the ball, regardless of whether KC is on defense or offense, and makes sure no one gets hurt on a play. She also has the job to keep all players hydrated and ready to play as the
and helped bring injured athletes back who have come off of ACL surgery to excel in every aspect of their chosen sport. “Jenny is the best trainer. She has pushed me to keep going and not stop, she has helped me build my confidence and to always stay positive,” said Hennessey Handy, Joliet Illinois freshman a KC women’s basketball player who is now recovering from a torn ACL. “Jenny was by far the most supportive trainer through my recovering process. She was always checking in on my progress on a daily basis, and motivated me positively to move forward,” said Bayleigh Garcia, New Boston freshman. “The athletes I help who are coming off an injury may hate me at times, but they know I am only doing it out of love because I want to see them back in action just as much as they do,” Spearman said. Spearman said she always knew she wanted to work in the medical field because she has a soft heart but she knew she couldn’t work with older people, and she enjoyed
Richard Nguyen / THE FLARE
Assistant Head Athletic Trainer Jenny Spearman tends to an injured football player during a recent game. Spearman is a 2011 KC graduate. sports. Finding an in-between, between sports and the medical field, helped her decide to be an athletic trainer. “My true love has always been to help people better themselves, so that is what I intend to do,” she said. Her dream job is to be a head athletic trainer at a high school.
However, although athletic training is her first and true love, everyone has to have a backup plan in life. Spearman is currently pursuing a master’s degree in athletic administration from Texas A&M—Commerce and intends to graduate in May.
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Kiana Rose / THE FLARE
Lady Rangers player Mariana Witt shows off her passions in the Masters Gymnasium.
KC basketball gains Brazilian native International Student Mariana Witt studies physical therapy in America while on basketball scholarship KAITLIN MITCHELL Staff writer A ball soars through the air as it flies toward the backboard, swirling along the rim. The crowd goes into a silent hush waiting for it to embrace gravity and fall through the net. The scoreboard goes up by two points. Little did anyone know, a star player for Texas was being made. Mariana Witt, a 20-year-old freshman from the southern part of Brazil, was recruited for the KC’s women’s basketball 2016/2017 season after her athletic abilities were shown across the web. “It has been my dream to play here [United States]” Witt said, “Here you can play basketball and get a scholarship for it. In Brazil, you don’t get a scholarship for playing sports, but for being a good student and having good grades.” Witt has been in the United States for almost a year and a half, but she spent her first year at Highland
College in Kansas. “Last year I was playing in Kansas in a very small town,” she said. “There were only two gas stations and a few houses outside of the college. I came to Kilgore this year, and to me it is a big place.” Witt is not the only one grateful for her relocation. “Signing a player of Mariana’s caliber is super exciting for us here at Kilgore,” said Anna Nimz, Lady Rangers basketball coach. “She is incredibly coachable and works hard to do what is asked of her. She brings a lot of size and skill to the game.” Although she is new to Kilgore, Witt says the transition from Brazil to Texas was not very difficult for her. “It was easy because I knew English. They [Brazil and the United States] are not that different,” Witt said. “The food is similar, but I have noticed that there are a lot of cars. In Brazil, it is a lot of buses like you would see
in New York.” Witt said the biggest difference she has noticed between America and Brazil, is the way that people carry themselves. “People are shy here,“Witt said. “In Brazil, they are much warmer. They are more open. In Brazil, you talk to everyone. You go to the supermarket and become friends with the people in there just because you’re there every few days.” Practicing for her games is just one thing on her busy schedule. Witt said concentrating in her classes plays an important role in her ability to speak as well as she does. You wouldn’t know it from just having a conversation with her, but Witt is self-taught in English and speaks Spanish as well as her native language, Portuguese. “If you can speak English in Brazil, it is a good thing,” Witt said. “I had a few classes but I didn’t learn anything. I only spoke
it every few days. I taught myself through watching movies and interacting with people here. My class work has really helped me to understand better.” Witt’s peers and instructors are also very impressed with how well she deals with the language barrier. “She taught herself how to speak English,” Nimz said. “I think that speaks volumes to the type of person and player that she is.” When she is not at practice or in class, she enjoys watching movies, skypeing with her friends and family, and drinking a special tea indigenous to her home called Chimarrão. “I like to watch cartoon movies and action movies. I like scary movies too but I don’t like to watch them by myself,” she said. “I like to watch them in Portuguese because after a long day of being in class or hearing English all day, I don’t have to think about what is being said.”
Witt is majoring in physical therapy but she is unsure of what the future holds for her after graduation. “I want to see what happens in the next two or three years. I would like to go to a university here [United States] but we will see. Physical therapy is not as big in Brazil as it is here. You can’t go there and make good money with it and I like Texas.” Witt says she would also like to travel more before returning to Brazil. Whereas before she could only see foreign places online or in videos and pictures, basketball has presented with her the opportunity to experience new cultures. “I don’t visit home a lot because it is expensive. It’s like $1,000 a ticket. I would like to see Florida though,” Witt said. “I don’t like cold places, so maybe somewhere like California or New Mexico. I also want to see the big cities like San Francisco or Las Vegas. “
Anti-tobacco advocate thinks butts are gross Karla Rodriguez inspires Upward Bound students to clean up around KC campus YASMINE WILSON Staff Writer Karla Rodriguez travels around Texas telling students about the dangers of tobacco. She has traveled to El Paso, Odessa, McAllen, Austin, and even other states as one of the top leaders in tobacco prevention in Texas. Rodriguez is a teen ambassador for a project called Say What! Say What! stands for Students, Adults, and Youth Working Hard Against Tobacco! and was created by Texas youth to help connect everyone working toward reducing tobacco use throughout the state of Texas. Say What! teen ambassadors are high school students who are passionate about the movement and focus on tobacco prevention and awareness. They actively lead tobacco prevention efforts in their own communities. Say What! is a student led organization where Rodriguez’ responsibilities are to help put on their action summits and to facilitate workshops. “I got involved my freshman year of high school and became a teen ambassador my sophomore year,” Rodriguez said. One project Rodriguez facilitates in the Kilgore community is called the Cigarette Butt Cleanup. “We go around with gloves and plastic bags and collect cigarette butts found on the ground. We replace each cigarette butt
with red a flag just to show how prevalent smoking is and how harmful the second hand smoke is,” she said, “When we finish and look back at all the red flags it’s really shocking.” The cleanup of this toxic trash shows how relevant the issue of tobacco really is. In addition to the Say What! project, Rodriguez is a Kilgore High School senior and also a member of the KC TRIO program on campus. Rodriguez got involved with TRIO through the Upward Bound program. Upward Bound serves high school students and helps to guide them in their preparation for college entrance. “They provide a lot of support for anything we need to get done. They help us with projects and also have computers and other helpful resources that give us access to things,” she said. “They’ve just been a really big help with everything, it is an amazing opportunity for high school students who could benefit from academic support to prepare for college and what is in their future.” She is an involved high school student who is focused on her future. Rodriguez is a member of the Science Club, Robotics Club, Rocketry, Key Club, Art Club, National Honors Society, SayWhat,! Model UN, Citizens Bank Board, Smart Start, and she even takes dual credit English and Government classes at
Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
Karla Rodriguez takes a stand against tobacco by picking up used cigarette butts. Her and other students walked around campus and placed red flags to represent where the butts were. After the flags were placed and an example was made, students and volunteers went back through campus to pick up the flags.
KC. Upward Bound Project Advisor LaKendra Weir said, “Karla is very hardworking, very diligent and she approaches her goals with a clear mind. You don’t find many seniors who are already working on college applications and scholarships as early as she was. She understands that going to college after high school is very
important to her success.” Her outstanding determination for success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Rodriguez was recently awarded a scholarship from the National Hispanic Heritage Foundation, which she received with a personal visit to SMU in Dallas. She plans on majoring in Computer Science and to hopefully attend UC Berkeley or UT Austin.
“My education means a lot to me and my mom sacrificed so much so I want to make a difference and make her proud,” Rodriguez said.
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FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
F E AT U R E P O
THE FLARE
he selected images by the KC Portrait Photography class celebrate the 2016
Outstanding KC Employees and the Piper Professor
nominee.
The
photographs
are presently exhibiting in the Matthew Dean Johnson Photograph Gallery in the Communication/Automotive building.
Cheyanne Huntsman / THE FLARE
Kenya Ray, Corrosion Tech/ Outstanding Employee
Employe
Lacey Bunn / THE FLARE
Kristi Powers, Payroll/ Outstanding Employee
Chris
ORTRAITURE
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Diana Castillo / THE FLARE
Dr. Paul Buchanan, Geology/ Piper Professor Nominee
ee Honors
is Gore, Registrar/ Outstanding Employee
Kiana Rose / THE FLARE
Mary Martin, Business, Technology & Public Service/ Outstanding Employee
Jon Nieto / THE FLARE
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
F E AT U R E S
‘Speak low if you speak love’
Cheyanne Huntsman / THE FLARE
The Simpsons pose for the camera while cast members rehearse a pivotal scene from the play.
Theatre directors speak on relationship between marriage, stage CAM WILLIAMS Staff Writer
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atthew and Meaghan Simpson, Associate Artistic Directors of the Texas Shakespeare Festival at KC, directed this year’s performance of “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie. Meaghan is from Lake Zurich, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and Matthew is from St. Cloud, Minnesota. They met in graduate school at the University of Delaware’s Professional Theatre Training Program. They were both in relationships when they started, but “it’s a very intensive three years,” Matthew says, “and the program is notorious for breaking up couples, just because you go through a lot of changes and you learn a lot of things, and it’s very hard for one person in a partnership to be going through that kind of growth.” Both couples broke up in the first year, and Meaghan and Matthew started dating during their second year in the program. The Simpsons have been in Kilgore since 2013, after auditioning for TSF founder and Artistic Director Raymond Caldwell many times and performing in the festival since 2009. They were hired as professional actors for TSF, and new positions were created for them. For the 28 years prior to this, the TSF staff had only been Caldwell and John Dodd. Meaghan and Matthew took on new, unprecedented roles for TSF. They help cast plays for the summer, manage public relations, do grant writing and fundraising work and manage the website, things for which there previously wasn’t enough time. Throughout the fall, the Simpsons teach classes at KC, cast actors for the following summer’s festival, run educational programs, produce a Christmas show, promote the festival and raise money for it. Running TSF is a year-round duty, but they also do short-term productions, such as The Mousetrap, as well as work with Artsview Children’s Theatre in Longview, which is working on a production of “The Music Man”. Matthew is choreographing the production, and Meaghan is working on props. “We love what we do, and if we wanted to do something else then we would, but there’s nothing we’d rather be doing,” Matthew says. Directing plays together is normal for Matthew and Meaghan, but they take on different roles in that partnership. “Matthew has more of the vision,” Meaghan explains, “and I like to help him execute the vision, so it’s almost more like I’m his assistant director or his stage manager or a coach to the students.” “We try and just delegate certain things. Meaghan has a much better fashion sense than I do.” Matthew continues, “we do take certain aspects of the play and just split them.”
On what they most admire about each other, Matthew says, “as her coworker, the thing that I enjoy the most and that’s so nice for somebody that you work with, when something needs to get done, she’s the best person to give the job to, because she will get it done without anything else getting in her way.” From the personal aspect of their relationship, he continues, “we want the same things out of life, and we find joy in the same things. We have the same goals, and if we just have an open day and we get to spend it however we want, we’ll choose to do the same things, independently. It’s wonderful to be able to share your life with somebody that loves the same things you love, and so you guys get to experience life together, and everything that you do is more enriched because you get to share it with somebody that loves it just as much as you love it.” Meaghan says, “he is always trying to make himself better; he’s always doing something to make himself smarter, more interesting, more skilled; he’s trying to improve his handwriting right now; he’s trying to improve so many different aspects of himself.” But her favorite thing about him personally is that he wants to “go on this journey with me,” she explains, “I dragged him here to East Texas, and we were living in New York City, and not a lot of people would be up for that.” “We’re so lucky that we get to be coworkers, to be husband and wife and be able to spend most of our day together; we don’t feel like we have to catch up at night over dinner; we’re together all day, every day,” Meaghan says. Meaghan and Matthew are expecting a baby soon. “It would be great to continue to raise our family here, to continue to nurture the next generation here in East Texas,” Meaghan says. “The ultimate goal with any arts organization is to improve the lives of the people in the community you serve,” Matthew says, “and we do that by giving them artistic experiences that they couldn’t get anywhere else in this region, and at a price that’s far more affordable than Dallas or Houston, and we do that by offering education to them that they couldn’t get anywhere else.” Matthew explains that their hope for KC and TSF is “that each entity views each other as indispensable, that Kilgore College could not imagine Kilgore College without the Texas Shakespeare Festival, and the Texas Shakespeare Festival could not imagine being anywhere else than working with Kilgore College.” “The Mousetrap” directed by Matthew and Meaghan Simpson plays through Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Van Cliburn Auditorium in the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Center. “The Music Man” also plays through Sunday, at Artsview Children’s Theatre.
Kiana Rose / THE FLARE
Matthew Simpson directs the cast while Meaghan observes.
‘MOUSETRAP’ performance times, prices n The play is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 17-19, with a matinee performance 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20.
n General admission tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for students and $5 for KC students with a student ID.
Tina Marie Reed / THE FLARE
Matthew and Meaghan Simpson direct the cast in a scene from “The Mousetrap”.
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
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Kite rises to new heights Rangerette reaches toward being flight attendant after time at KC GABRIEL WADE Staff Writer
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he smell of newly shampooed carpet wafts toward you, as people shuffle single file past you. Once the scuffle sounds of baggages comes to a stop, an upbeat friendly voice makes it’s way around the cabin instructing each passenger about the safety regulations and exit signs. Little do they know the person instructing them was a KC Rangerette. She has faced the challenges of being under scrutiny on the field, now she faces the same
challenge in flight. After years of dancing, League City sophomore Lauren Kite plans to someday hang up her Rangerette uniform to pursue a life as a flight attendant before teaching elementary school. She started her dancing career on the Clear Springs High School drill team and wanted to continue a higher education in dance. “This is a way to see the world,” Kite said. The social and traveling experiences that the Rangerettes go through are preparing her for this
future career choice. Also her family background has helped inspire Kite desire to travel, she is a second generation American. “I know some German because of my family,” she said. “My mom’s side is German and we can only communicate with them on Facebook.” Although her family from Germany has visited a few times, Kite hopes that becoming a flight attendant will bring her into more contact with them. “I would go to Germany,” she said. “My family is there and they are very different
from what we have here, like the style that they have.” She has three trips coming up with the Rangerettes: the annual Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving in the streets of New York, the 75th anniversary in honoring the men that served during the Pearl Harbor Attack in Hawaii and to Washington, D.C. for the Black Tie and Boots Ball hosted by Texas State Society. Although the experiences the Rangerettes have are rewarding, Kite said her greatest weakness is not listening to her body. She currently is healing
Lauren Kite plans on becoming a flight attendant after graduating from KC as a way to continue traveling the world.
Culinary student strives to create edible art ANGELA MCFARLAND Staff Writer
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midst the hustle and bustle hidden away behind the closed doors that seem to swallow the wait staff, an artist is at work sculpting the perfect dish for your taste buds. Behind every plate of food served at a restaurant there is an artist. Culinary artist, Justin Klink, a Longview sophomore, expresses himself through his style and with food creations. Not stopping at culinary arts, he also has fundamental knowledge of food science. “Justin was an excellent student,” said Kat Jackson, KC culinary arts director. “He is hard-working, dependable, and very talented.” Klink, the middle of three boys, credits his mother with sparking an interest in cooking which lead him to take culinary arts in high school. During his time at Hallsville High School Klink’s cooking teacher inspired him to learn more than the basics. Taking every opportunity to learn, he toured several restaurants and a country clubs to get a feel of what working and running a restaurant takes. “Whatever I do, I like to take it
to the next level,” Klink said. While studying culinary arts at KC, he expanded his interest into international cuisine where he created fish soup during a mock restaurant demonstration. At the end of each semester the culinary arts students host a dinner and showcase what they have learned “You don’t have to cook or own your own restaurant to be in this business,” Klink said. Currently he is working on his Associates of Applied Science Degree, and has the of goal travelling while working for a high ranking chef. “His calm and quiet demeanor is refreshing in the chaotic environment of a kitchen,” Jackson said. While hosting the mock restaurant Klink had to set up the course, manage classmates, test recipes and serve 30 guests which included his instructors and KC Dean Julie Fowler. During this dinner Klink prepared a three course meal consisting of creamy chicken cutlets on a bed of rice and mushrooms. “His fish soup was delicious,” Jackson said. “But, if I had to choose one dish for Justin to make for myself it would be his chocolate mousse and pistachio biscotti. I still dream about that dessert.”
Justin Klink, Longview sophomore, prepares to slice, dice and carve up a meal. Elizabeth Lumpkin / THE FLARE
through a grade one tear that is affecting the famous Rangerette high kicks. As one of the 19 sophomores representing the Rangerettes in Washington D.C., Kite is fighting her desire to put things off. “I have no free time right now,” Kite said. “We are having to take our finals early since we won’t be here for finals week.” Spending six years of her life as a dancer has prepared Kite for her future in the real world. She is already acquiring the qualifications to be a flight attendant.
Being a Rangerette has instilled in her a respect for a strict schedule, a highly disciplined mind, heightened social skills and the ability to communicate with others. “Dance definitely has many challenges,” Kite said. “I’m always striving to be better because you never reach your full potential.”
Timothy Stuckey / THE FLARE
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2016
EVENTS
‘The most wonderful time of the year’ Holiday activities abound around Kilgore, Longview
d Kilgore Christmas Parade The Kilgore Christmas Parade will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, in downtown Kilgore. The theme for this year is “Candy Land Christmas” and will span from Lawrence Street through Main Street ending on Kilgore Street.
d Gregg County Christmas Parade The Gregg County Courthouse will be holding a Christmas Parade 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, as well as Christmas at the Courthouse from 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Both events will be held in Longview.
d Carmela’s Mini Santa Land The Mini Santa Land has a new location north of Bar K Ranch Store and about half a mile south of the U.S. 259/ Judson Road intersection. It is free to attend and is open 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday through the holidays.
d Rangerette
‘Glitz, Glamour and a Touch of Christmas’ The Rangerettes will be performing at 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, in the Dodson Auditorium. The showcase will feature guest performances by: • Elite Dance Center • In-step Dance Company • Industry Dance Company • KC Dance Department • Kilgore High School Hi-Steppers • Kilgore High School Co-ed Dance • Tina Grider School of Dance Tickets are $15 for reserved seating and will be available for purchase from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 16-18, Nov. 21-22, and Nov. 28 - Dec. 2 from at the Rangerette box office or by calling 903-983-8179.
d Santaland
Diana Castillo / THE FLARE
Santaland opens Nov. 1 - Jan. 4 and spans over a drivethrough 24 acre park with over 2.5 million lights. Admission is $25 per car, $35 per commercial van and $5 per person for over 15 passengers. The park also includes: Tractor Trailer Rides: $12 per person (under 2 years free) (Groups 25 or more $8 per person) 6:30-9 p.m. Nov. 21- Dec 26. Groups contact 903-882-1518 or santalandtexas @aol.com to make reservations. Santa’s Igloo: Open nightly 6 – 10 p.m. Cameras are not allowed. CDs $ 35, Photo w/Santa $10 or $15
CHRISTMAS
GIFTS Prices range from $170-$395
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$10-$15
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T-Shirt – $23
Hat – $23
$34.95
Hours of Operation Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Bookends – $37.95
Closed Sunday and Monday CLOSED: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Christmas Holiday Schedule is Subject to Change
Lazy Susan – $189
Please call today for a guided tour or for more information
(903) 983-8295
Dark, milk & white chocolate – $15