Issue 17 03-24-17

The Flare

Friday, March 24, 2017 Vol. 80 No. 17 Serving Kilgore College since 1936

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ADVANCES TO CONFERENCE FINALS

Tiffany Johnson / THE FLARE

The Lady Rangers celebrate a 64 - 56 victory following an overtime win against No. 2 seed San Jacinto College on Friday, March 10, to advance to the Region XIV championship bracket.

Lady Rangers shuffled by Cards Lady Cardinals take lead in third quarter, Lady Rangers fall in third round of playoffs ALLISON TALIAFERRO Staff Writer

T

he road to the Region XIV Conference tournament left Lady Ranger basketball fans with motion sickness. The Lady Rangers entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed and made their way to the championship game.

The first stop was a mission to defeat No. 3 seed Panola. The KC Lady Rangers finished on top 7774, giving head coach Anna Nimz her 100th win. After losing to the

Fillies twice during the regular season, Kilgore (20-10), shut down Panola leaving them with a 23-8 record. This win was a landmark for KC, making it their first win in tournament play since defeating Angelina College in the 2008-09 season. Although the road was bumpy, Lyrik Williams, Crystal, Minnesota sophomore, helped the Lady Rangers by adding 20 points and 15 rebounds. Richelle Velez, Brazoswood freshman, finished with five 3-pointers and a go-ahead layup for 17 points, while Danielle Meador, Corpus Christi freshman

scored 15 and Jade Thurmon, Ferris freshman, scored 13.

The second stop was a nail biter. The fan base grew larger and louder, as they prepared for KC’s match-up against No. 2 seed San Jacinto. The Lady Rangers ended on top with a 64-56 win in overtime. Lady Ranger fans in John Alexander Gymnasium seemed to be on the edge of their seats as Williams carried the team into overtime, scoring the extra points the Lady Rangers needed.

Williams went on to score 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists

and a blocked shot. Velez led the Lady Rangers with 22 points, sinking six 3-pointers along the way, followed by Meador with nine points and 11 rebounds. Da’Jah Thompson, Tyler sophomore, with 10 rebounds.

The final destination was the longest haul. As the Lady Rangers met up with former rivals, No. 1 seeded Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals, fans got serious about cheering on their team, borrowing megaphones from the now-defunct KC cheer squad.

The goal was to cheer louder than

SPRING! The March equinox, or the first day of spring, happens every year around March 20.

This day signifies not just the beginning of spring, but also the winding down of the school year, the upstart of allergens and maybe adding more pastel colors to your wardrobe. The revolution of the Earth around the Sun has once again made our climate warm.

Benjamin Franklin first proposed Daylight Saving Time in 1784.

The first spring flowers are typically daffodils, dandelions, lilies, tulips, iris and lilacs to name a few. Azaleas are also in full bloom in East Texas.

Lisa Harris / THE FLARE

Ragweed surrounds Teague Park in Longview framing a view for the American flag.

The first day of spring is called the vernal equinox. What does that mean you ask? ‘Vernal’ is Latin for spring, while ‘equinox’ is Latin for ‘equal night.’

Facts from WDTN.com

TVCC’s band and cheerleaders.

This was a milestone for KC. However it ended in heartbreak with the Lady Rangers falling to the Cards 61-39.

Meador finished with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in that game. Williams, Thompson and Velez all added eight, with Williams adding five rebounds, and Thompson pulling down seven rebounds.

Overall, the road to the championship bracket was a challenge, but the Lady Rangers drove hard to the final destination.

Summer billing not split Semesters must be paid in full The summer semesters, Summer I and Summer II will be billed as one term in order to optimize financial aid and scholarships.

Payment for all semesters, if registered for more than one semester during the summer, has to be made by May 3 to avoid all semesters being dropped for non-payment; however, if necessary, students may register and pay for semesters individually.

For questions about financial aid, contact the financial aid office at 903983-8217.

Early registration payment deadlines: May mini-mester - May 3 Summer I - May 3 Summer II - June 28

‘Kilgogh’ Art Festival to take place in downtown Longview Staff RepoRt For the fifth year of the local ‘East Texas Arts Experience,’ KilGogh’s volunteer committee – part of the Kilgore Main Street Program – is crafting an evening art stroll and all-day arts festival downtown March 31 and April 1.

In addition to the year’s private, prefestival exhibition, organizers are bringing back family-friendly KidsGogh outdoor art activities as well as a full line-up of live performers and a Cinema Under the Stars showing of a new Disney blockbuster.

First up, the exclusive Friday evening event brings back KilGogh’s annual art and wine exhibition, distributing local artists and artisans throughout businesses and restaurants along Main Street and North Kilgore.

Admission for the private showing is $40 per person, available to adults 21-and-older, and includes wine samples from East Texas vineyards, select hors d’oeuvres, live music and an array of artwork from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, March 31. The ticketed event falls a day after the 163rd anniversary of the birth of the festival’s namesake, Dutch post impressionist Vincent van Gogh.

Tickets are available for pre-purchase at KilGogh.com/pages/Tickets or at Facebook. com/KilGogh.

Activities on Saturday, April 1, begin at 11 a.m. downtown, free and open-to-the-public.

Participants can expect a litany of activity including various artists showcasing and selling their exhibitions as well as hands on art projects for children and adults to enjoy.

The art festival has organized a student art competition built around a theme titled,

KC student dancers participating in the event are: Gabby Azios, Hannah Burns, Madison Cashion, Kyla Drake, Keilin Jeter, ramsey Shobe, Elise Padilla and Barbs Vega.

“Goghing Places,” which was chosen by the festivals featured artists, including Mary Lou Rhodes,an Overton ISD art instructor who won Best in Show in 2016.

Other artists include KC dance group, Industry Dance Company, who will take the stage to entertain and dazzle attendees. As the event winds down an after dark showing of Disney’s

PAGE T WO THIS WEEK

BY THE NUMBERS

31

n The Phi Theta Kappa induction ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m., March 31, in the Devall Student Center Ballroom. Inductees are to be there at 6 p.m. to prepare for the ceremony.

25

“Moana” will be projected on a screen courtesy of Longview-Kilgore Cable TV. The art festival is partially sponsored

by Longview-Kilgore Cable and the Kilgore Herald and facilitated by local volunteers. Artists taking part in the event also help contribute a portion of their sales into the festival.

THE FLARE FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017

n KC will host a free financial aid assistance session for students and/ or parents who need help filling out the FAFSA. The first session will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Woodfin Center, 909 Ross Ave. in Kilgore. Call 903-983-8211.

1883

n On this day in 1883 the first telephone call between New York and Chicago was made.

Check theflareonline.com for a full calendar activities, or go to twitter.com/theflareonline for live updates

FACE

IN THE CROWD

Fire Academy’s 100th class graduates March 29 FROM STAFF REPORTS The KC Fire Academy will celebrate a milestone March 29 with its 100th graduation ceremony in Van Cliburn Auditorium on the Kilgore campus.

KC will host a reception prior to the ceremony from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Bert E. Woodruff Adult Education Center for all former fire academy students and instructors.

Following the reception, 18 students will graduate with the 100th class at 6:30 p.m. in Van Cliburn Auditorium.“We look forward to reuniting with former instructors and students in the meet and greet before the ceremony,” said Mike Fennell, KC Fire Academy’s lead instructor. “We invite them to bring stories with them and have an opportunity to meet the two graduation speakers.”Speakers at the graduation will be Rick Lasky and Dennis Gage.

Lasky is an emergency services consultant, author, motivational speaker and former chief of the Lewisville Fire Department.

Originally from the Chicago area, Lasky worked in various capacities for police and fire departments in Illinois and Idaho before moving to Lewisville, where he was the city’s fire chief for 11 years. He retired as chief in 2011 to become a full-time consultant and educator. He has written one book and coauthored another.

Gage retired from the Kilgore Fire Department in 2013. He began working at the KFD in 1979, working his way up to become fire chief. He retired from the department in 2013. That same year he was named Texas’ Firefighter of the Year by the State Firefighters’ & Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas. The KC Fire Academy began in 1989 under the direction of Mike Earley who led the academy until his retirement in 2011.

For more information on the KC Fire Academy visit www.kilgore.edu/fireacademy or call Mike Fennell at 903-746-5388.

100TH FIRE ACADEMY GRADUATES Fire Academy #100 candidates graduation, listed by hometown:

for

ATHENS Wesley Dickerson DELTA, B.C., CANADA Christian Herbst DIANA John Austin O’Dell Duncan, B.C., Canada: Dayne Ellison Max Cervantes / THE FLARE Photo by Max Cervantes / THE FLARE

Marquel Drayden

Hometown: Longview Classification: Sophomore Age: 20

HENDERSON Breydon Lyall KELwoNA, B.C. CANADA Trevor Gonzato LEESVILLE, LA Gabriel Derksen LONGVIEW Preston Risinger and Colton Torres

What makes you an interesting person?

I don’t know, I work full time, go to school full time, but not too much I live a pretty basic life.

$150. By 85 pair that I have, so about $11,000- $12,000. That’s a lot of money.

What is your career choice?

Business Management. This summer I want to manage my own store, and do that for a while and try to move up to a District Manager, and keep moving up trying to be a Regional Manager after that.

What is your favorite pair of shoes?

I honestly don’t have a favorite pair of shoes. I love them all.

I’m more of a collector so I wear basic shoes on a day-to-day and just pull out the ones I really like every once in a while to keep them nice and fresh.

PALESTINE Cody Parker

How long have you been collecting shoes?

Since my junior year in high school, so about four to four and a half years.

What is the most expensive shoes you have bought?

The most expensive I currently have is the Nike LeBron 12 “Cowboys” and the Jordan Retro 11s “Legend Blue” which both came out at $220 and I haven’t worn either one. I’ve had a few pairs of Nike Foamposites but I’ve sold them a while back and most of them retail either at $230 or $250 just depending on which one.

TErrACE, B.C., CANADA James Taylor and Jacob Roseboom

How much money would you say you have spent on these shoes?

Oh my God, let’s see, I’ll say the average shoe is about $130-

MINEOLA Nicholas Holland

ROWLETT Bryce Lynn Cook and Jacob Colton Delle

TYLER Colton Winters WHITEHORSE, YUKON, CANADA Sydney Johnson and Andrew Pike

NEWS

THE FLARE FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE

3

Baptist Student Ministry travels to Mission Arlington, ministers to neighborhoods Lonnie Ross Staff Writer

Photo by Grant Worley / THE FLARE

(Left to right) Joe Kirchhoff and Adan Aguinaga receive tacos from Isis Martinez, Elvira Aguayo and Karen Rea as they help raise money for the KC Food Pantry.

Latinos en Acción help raise money for the KC Food Pantry

Latinos en

Acción

A group of students from KC’s Baptist Student Ministry participated in the outreach program, Rainbow Express, at Mission Arlington over Spring Break week. This program gave students an opportunity to be a part of the backyard Bible club Mission Arlington offers in their church.

Students entered apartment complexes throughout the Arlington area to round up children to participate in four days of activities.

Approximately 1,600 students, including KC’s, were in attendance. The schedule consisted of morning devotional time, where they received announcements before leaving for their morning Rainbow Express sites.

After a couple of hours on-site with the children, the group returned for lunch. Following this was afternoon devotional time and then another site in the afternoon.

KC students, Brittany

Rhoades, sophomore and Caroline McNeil, alumni, along with Blankenship were the singers who lead the groups prior to announcements and prayers given for both devotional sessions, while Victor Munoz, freshman, and Dalton Hitt, freshman, ran the light and sound board during the performances.

The purpose of the Rainbow Express is for the students to reach out to children in the community.

Children who wanted to make salvation decisions could talk with the students.

They could also talk to appointed ministers, like Blankenship.

After the college students return to school, Mission Arlington picks up the task and continues for the remainder of the year.

“As of Thursday morning, there were 141 children who gave their lives to Christ,” said Matt Hart, Volunteer Coordinator of the Rainbow Express.

Each student was in charge with a task during the gathering.

Hilena Mepinault, freshman, led the group with introductions of

new children and discussed projects prior of the day.

Greta Kayijoen, Kilgore freshman, led the memory verse lesson and testimony.

Kayijoen and Brittany Rhoades rotated within the week for story time.

Rhoades and Blankenship led the singing group.

Breana Bartholomew, Kilgore freshman, and Korinne Stroud, Longview freshman, performed with puppets. Caroline McNeil led the group in crafts, Hitt, Munoz and later, Sayaka Komoriya, Tokyo Japan, freshman, oversaw games.

Hitt and Munoz also helped children who wanted to learn more about Jesus with individual sessions.

On Thursday, the students gave Bibles to the older children with distinct passages highlighted that were favorites of the students.

The BsM serves lunch 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., every Tuesday.

F

rom all of us in Latinos en Accion, we want to say thank you to the KC Community for supporting our taco sale today. Your generosity helped us raise $227.00 for the Student Food Pantry, and we also had some food items donated to the pantry. This event also created even more awareness for what the college is doing to help our students. We had several students stop by the purchase lunch, both knowing and realizing they were being a help to fellow KC Rangers.

From an email sent by Manny Almanza

Lonnie Ross / THE FLARE

Baptist Student Ministry leader, Jaymi Blankenship, speaks to the children involved in the Rainbow Express program.

KILGORE SCREEN PRINTING CO.

WE PRINT T-SHIRTS & MORE 601 E MAIN ST, KILGORE, TX 75662 (903) 983-1480

THE FLARE ONLINE

Find us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter

@theflareonline www.theflareonline.com

PAGE

4

FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017

THE FLARE

‘TEAMWORK MAKES

Shot Percentages from KC, O Kilgore vs. Panola

Kilgore vs. San Jacinto

Kilgore: Field Goals: 33.3% 3-pointers: 29.6% Free Throws: 63.6%

Kilgore: Field Goals: 37.5% 3-Pointers: 37.5% Free Throws: 65%

Panola: Field Goals: 37.7% 3- Pointers: 29.2% Free throws: 56.3%

San Jacinto: Field Goals: 25.7% 3-Pointers: 16% Free Throws: 72.7%

PAGE

5

S THE DREAM WORK’

Opponents

TOP: The Lady Rangers celebrate in the Jacksonville locker room following a win.

Kristina Lindsey snaps a selfie while teammates Ayanna Palmer, Hennessey Handy and Lyrik Williams pump up the rest of the team.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Reaching for the hoop, Richelle Velez jumps to shoot for two points.

Kilgore vs. TVCC

Coach Anna Nimz gathers the women around her during a time-out on the court to discuss strategy and plays late in the game.

Kilgore: Field Goals: 26.8% 3-Pointers: 28.6% Free Throws: 30%

Struggling for the ball, Courtney Parramore wraps her arm around the ball to attempt to rip it away from her opponent.

Trinity Valley: Field Goals: 40.3% 3-Pointers: 14.3% Free Throws: 100%

After the loss in the third round by Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals, KC fan Judy DeRouen, embraces coach Anna Nimz in support of the team.

Photographs by Tiffany Johnson

6

THE FLARE FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE

E N T E R TA I N M E N T REVIEWS

Slavery, forgiveness and claws

Prison documentary sheds light on modernized slavery LONNIE ROSS Staff Writer

T

he Netflix Original Documentary “13,” is an in-depth look of the 13th Amendment to present day. The 13th Amendment is the abolishment of slavery in the United States. Even though the act of slavery is gone in reality, through policies it has reinvented itself in different forms since the passing and ratification of the bill on Dec. 6, 1865.

Director Ava DuVernay explores a relationship between the abolishment of slavery to the mass incarceration of the prison population today. History needs to be discussed before a person fully understands how the problem exists today.

Slavery ended with the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865). The law has a huge loophole that has exploited many Americans over the years. Per the law “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duty convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Slaves were used in the South from an economic standpoint. The South needed to find a way to help them after the law was passed. No one could be a slave or be in servitude unless they were a criminal.

Over 150 years have passed since that law has been put into effect, but some can wonder, “have we gotten into a new form of it?” This new form is not just targeting AfricanAmericans, but people of all colors including white Americans. It became an issue of “Can you afford to stay out of jail?” The Netflix documentary “13“ focuses on this problem.

DuVernay worked over two years to get interviews with various people. She shows both sides of the argument without making the documentary seem like a biased one. She interviews activists, liberal and conservative law makers and scholars. DuVernay doesn’t just tackle abolishment of slavery, mass incarcerations and racial inequality, she explores the different terms that are given to colored people through the years of history.

In the documentary, the viewer sees interviews along with film footage taken over the years showing each progression of history where slavery ended to “convict leasing,” when it faded, the Jim Crowe system; when African

Americans become a permanent second class status. During the Civil Rights era and the collapse of Jim Crowe system, a new title now began to emerge: criminals.

As each U.S. President comes into power, laws are passed to handle the criminals and the reform of the prison system. There is not a problem with being tough on crime, the problem is how once the criminal is locked up, they are forgotten.

The treatment of prisoners is what needs to be investigated. Daily beatings and companies have prisoners make their products for pennies on the dollar compared to paying a minimum wage worker in the United States. In 2003, according to Prisoner Policy Website the maximum wage paid to prisons in Texas and Georgia is $0. The corporations are making millions and paying nothing for labor. This is a new form of slavery. There is an incentive to keep people in the prison system, and it’s all legal.

DuVernay explores the Alec Group which benefits off prison reform. This group consists of companies and law makers who pass laws in their best interest. In the documentary, it is explained how this group operates. This is not widely known to the American people, but it affects them daily with bills being voted into laws in our country.

DuVernay’s film also discusses the violence in America, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

People may think they have an idea about the prison system, but after watching the movie “13th” a person will be enlightened and realize they may not have a clue.

Before I watched this documentary, I had some idea about the end of slavery and the prison system, but when I finished I learned so much more than I originally thought.

It opens your eyes — the way it is laid out, to see how DuVernay can connect the end of slavery to mass incarceration, while using the laws which gave freedom has been exploited and it’s all legal.

Famed ‘X-Men’ star takes on young protégé in finale YOSEF IBITAYO Staff Writer

B

efore anything else, I have to tell you this: Logan deserves a second viewing, at least, before you can fully grasp the magnitude of the film.

Logan, directed by James Mangold and starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and newcomer Dafne Keen, doesn’t feel like a superhero movie, at least,

not in the blockbuster, “Marvel Cinematic Universe” sense that many of us have come to expect from this genre of film. There’s little levity in the story that’s told, and in the times that it is present, it is often ripped away violently.

This isn’t like last year’s Deadpool, where the action and comedy intermingle constantly and drive the story forward. This is a finale for a character most of us grew up with, and the nature of said character necessitates a somber look at the universe he came into and grew up in.

Logan, to put it simply, is dying.

The adamantium that made him the Wolverine is poisoning him from the inside, and the healing factor he’s been sporting around for years is virtually non-existent.

In one scene early in the film, the audience watches as he has to forcefully pull out one of his claws, by hand, before bandaging the now-gouged hand. For a man who has lived for nearly a century and a half, Logan’s age is catching up to him.

In the same way, Stewart’s Xavier, in his nineties, is a shell of his former self, stricken by a neurodegenerative brain disease and forced to be constantly medicated to suppress his nowdangerous mind. Even while he brings some humor to the film, like spouting off random advertisements while refusing to take his medicine, you can’t help but feel some sort of sadness for the character. Neither Logan nor Xavier are what they once were, and the bitterness of that loss forms an interesting dynamic between the two, almost akin to a father and son’s relationship to each other.

This concept of age, and the following inevitability of death, is one of the main themes of Logan: nearly every character that Logan and company come across ends up dying, oftentimes directly because of them. Heads roll, literally.

The violence shouldn’t come as a surprise to avid readers of the character’s comic book history; in fact, it, along with the foul language and overall cynicism underlying Jackman’s character, is a necessity in order to do the Wolverine justice.

But, even as the gore flies, there is still a small bit of hope present throughout the film, personified

by Keen’s Laura, who, without saying much, communicates just as well as Logan through simple eye contact and grunts. She’s not innocent; after all, that first head that rolled? She cut it off. But all the same, you can get a sense of the character through simply watching her interactions with the world, be it staring wide-eyed at a casino in Oklahoma, or silently

Flare staffers review bevy of current flicks including ‘Logan,’ ‘The Shack’ and ‘13th’ asking for a kid’s iPod. She’s the one with the most innocence throughout the film, and the relationships she forges with Logan and, to a smaller extent, Xavier, are what drive the film forward.

It’s hard for me to explain all that happens in Logan without delving into spoilers, so I’ll make it brief: Logan, at its core, is about family, and the effects of loss and gain within the family. Logan, Laura, and Xavier have all lost something, but in the end, what they obtain through each other make up at least a small part of the regrowth they each go through by the end of the film.

‘A great sadness’ ends with God and holy interventions LISA HARRIS Staff Writer

M

oments in life that paralyze us with pain to a point of getting stuck; all of us in some way or another know this reality. The Shack is a movie where we can all place our selves in Mackenzie Phillips’ (Sam Worthington) position and change the story to meet our own set of circumstances. Directed by Stuart Hazeldine, this movie gives a new perspective on how to view God and the simple truth of his love and forgiveness.

A brief look back at Mack’s life as a child sets the stage for the deeper meaning on forgiveness.

A church-goer with a loving wife, three children and good neighbors, Mack has a seemingly perfect life.

He also has a secret that haunts him—a secret that has a way of coming to the surface after tragedy unfolds.

“A great sadness” falls upon the family when his youngest goes missing on a family camping trip.

Dad is powerless against the evil, and the eldest daughter feels the guilt for horse playing at the wrong time. There seems to be no getting past the events that camping weekend left behind until God, or Papa, as Mack’s wife Nan (Radha Mitchell) has nicknamed him, steps in. Mack finds a short but sweet note left in his mailbox at the most inopportune time—during a snow storm with no visible tracks.

The note requests a visit from Mack the next weekend to “The Shack” the very place Mack would never want to go, its signed “Papa.”

Even though he is certain it is a request from the evil that took his baby girl, he has no choice but to oblige. He sets forth on the journey that would forever change his life.

Armed with a gun and his painful memories, he returns to The Shack to find the same cold and

empty place he left it. Shame, guilt, and anger nearly over power him when an intervention stops him.

Heading back to the truck for home an intervention you hope for steps into his path, Jesus (Avraham aviv Alush).

In disbelief, Mack follows Jesus back to The Shack only to discover it isn’t at all how he had just left it.

It has transformed into the most beautiful, amazing site. Mack can’t believe his eyes, he then meets Papa (Octavia Spencer) and Sarayu (Sumire Matsubara). He must be dead; he doesn’t feel dead.

A painstaking journey of highs and lows —the movie-goer can tell this journey is not going to be easy.

No one is immune to evil in this world, according to the movie.

It’s God who turns the evil into healing and good, even if it’s just in the individual who is stuck in their pain. Angry as anyone would be in this pain the many questions surfaced. Sin has its own way of punishing.

The sin carries the broken, the stuck, the angry through generation after generation only adding to the new generation’s sins starting from the beginning with Adam. Then if God knew all of this would happen then it must be God’s fault.... right? No, he never intended it to be a world of sin and judgment. If we sit in judgment of every person’s flaws and sin when we judge as God does what happens when it’s time to judge someone you love, will you be able to judge to heaven or hell?

Mack finds out the hard way just what this means.

Mack begins to understand that every breathing soul is loved by Papa and is worthy of forgiveness if sincerely asking for forgiveness.

In my opinion, this is a miraculous story of love shown through the eyes of the Trinity. In the beautiful garden of life that looks like a chaotic mess, Sarayu shows Mack the bigger picture, a breathtaking view of good that only God can create out of bad.

Believing God is working for your good and never letting go or losing sight of that is what keeps us joyful and happy in a world full of evil and sin, allowing love in and love to win.

Many people have expressed anger over the portrayal of God as a black woman, but they are missing the deeper meaning. It’s not about the color of skin, male or female; it’s about God knowing his child. By keeping things gentle, it was easier for Mack to accept what was about to take place.

The twist in the end lets you decide for yourself how to perceive Mack’s story. Whether to believe or not is up to you. I loved this movie and its underlying message was remarkable. God’s love, forgiveness, redemption and purification brings hope.

OPINION

THE FLARE FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE

7

YOUR VIEW

OUR VIEW

What freedom is the most important to you?

“Freedom of Speech.”

Crystal Gutierrez Dallas sophomore

“To be able to freely speak.”

Roderikk Stephens Longview sophomore

“Being able to choose my own religion.”

Leslie Victorino Henderson sophomore

“The right to practice religion.”

Zachary Wallace Gilmer freshman Photos by Max Cervantes / THE FLARE

Freedom

& Accountability Photo illustration by Grant Worley / THE FLARE

F

reedom and liberty. The words invoke several meanings and emotions to different people. They are some of the first values we come to learn and respect at a young age in the United States — their concepts taught as intrinsic to our way of life, though they’re not exclusive to this country.

However, there is an unspoken condition that comes with the concepts of freedom and liberty: accountability. For every action that we take there is a consequence, be it good or bad.

Freedom of speech is the most used and misunderstood of the liberties we enjoy. With it we are free to share our thoughts, opinions and beliefs among each other, although many mistake this as a pass to say anything they want without consequence. A classic argument for this concept is that one cannot, or rather should not, yell, “Fire!” and cause

a panic when there is none. A person who does so would face trouble and cause negative consequences to himself and others.

One notorious example would be Westboro Baptist Church, which has grown infamous over the years with their protests of the funerals of soldiers and gay people.

They act within the law but are also rather despised by the general population. Their actions and beliefs may be considered reprehensible by some people but their freedom to protest to do so is intrinsic to everyone else.

The right to protest is an important cornerstone in the foundation of a free society, although recent events in our nation have left its future in a dubious position.

Just months after several major protests on various issues swept across the nations, several Republican leaders have proposed bills that would criminalize certain protests.

For example, in Colorado, Republican state senator, Jerry Sonnenberg, has introduced a bill that would greatly increase penalties for environmental protesters. Under the proposed law, obstructing or tampering with oil and gas equipment would be reclassified from a misdemeanor to a “class 6” felony, a category of crime that reportedly can be punished by up to 18 months behind bars and a fine of up to $100,000.

While the creation of these bills is touted as safety concerns, the language of the bills are vague and troublesome, raising questions as to whether our government leaders are more focused on protecting the sanctity of our liberties or corporate interests.

Despite the unclear nature of these bills, most of the responsibility lies on the citizens of this country. This also includes the issues that exist directly as a result of our collective apathy toward our local governments. If we truly hold these freedoms dear, then we must do more than dismiss any attempt to unravel them. We must constantly hold ourselves and our leaders accountable in order to show our true appreciation for our liberties.

Trump’s travel ban ‘doesn’t work in this modern era’

O

ne of U.S. President Donald Trump’s first official actions following his inauguration ceremony was to sign an executive order to bar citizens of seven Muslimdominated countries from entering the United States for the next 90 days. He also suspended the admission of all refugees into the country for 120 days. The barred countries are Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya and Somalia.

Take a look at Syria: perhaps there is no wartorn country on Earth more than Syria. The war has been going on for more than six years and about 400,000 people have died since the war started. This number includes innocent children and citizens who have nothing to do with the political issues tearing

the country apart.

Yemen has also been war-tor n.

Hospitals and schools were bombed and the FUNGAI future of the PETA country is Staff Writer dark because of the radical Muslims who took over most of the country. Iran has a high rate of unemployment. Iraq has been struggling to get back on its feet ever since the U.S. invasion in 2003.

Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. People scavenge for food and clothes from the municipal garbage dump and most of the kids don’t attend school because there are no educational resources. Libya was once

The Flare

a great country and used to be one of the richest countries in Africa. Its citizens enjoyed the benefits of the country’s vast oil wealth, but ever since the leader was executed in 2011, it has not been the same.

Libya has not seen a stable government since the death of Moammar Gadhafi. Isis has blended into the country and consequently they are now controlling some parts of the country.

Somalia has been a warstricken country ever since I can remember. When I was growing up in Africa, all we knew about Somalia was that it was a very dangerous country to go visit and people were killed or kidnapped if they tried.

All of these countries have two major things in common: they are all Muslim dominated and they

are all poverty stricken.

As an immigrant living in the United States, I have had an opportunity to experience both sides of the world. Just because one is from a Muslim-dominated country, it doesn’t make them a terrorist or a danger to society. Most of these people coming to seek refuge in America have good intentions, which is a better life and better future for their kids. President Trump overlooks the fact that we are all human beings and if he were to be put in the same shoes, he would be doing the same: trying to seek greener pastures.

His executive order also affects the immigrants who come here legally. The illegal immigrants who jump through the water and land from Mexico are not affected, yet those are the

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

PHOTO ADVISER O. Rufus Lovett ADVISER Rachel Stallard

SPORTS EDITOR Allison Taliaferro

MANAGING EDITOR Timothy Stuckey

FEATURES EDITOR Kaitlin Mitchell

with other countries. What makes it worse is some of these nations might retaliate against us and this will affect innocent citizens who have no political affiliations.

Some world leaders have already reacted harshly to Trump’s executive order by suspending immigration and visas for U.S. citizens trying to visit or do business in other countries, mainly those with a majority of Muslim populations.

Trump’s ideology is an egocentric, narcissistic idea that doesn’t work in this modern era.

Fungai Peta is a Communications Major from Zimbabwe, Africa

LETTERS

VOL. 80, NO.17 n Friday, March 24, 2017

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Meaghan Morton

ones he should be focusing on. As an immigrant I work and pay taxes just like everyone and I’m legally registered in the system. I had to apply for a visa before I came here and I had to provide evidence to prove I wasn’t affiliated with a gang or terrorist group. These people being banned from entering the US include green card holders who have no criminal record and some of them have lived here for more than 20 years. President Trump is separating families. Some of these immigrants stuck on the other side of the world have children here who are U.S. citizens by birth and now they can’t visit their families. No man is an island and we as a nation need other countries for trade; and what he is doing is tearing apart relations

CIRCULATION MANAGER Da’Jah Thompson

STAFF WRITERS Fungai Peta, Lisa Harris, Yosef Ibitayo, Sarah Redford, Lonnie Ross, Gabriel Wade, Alexia McGee,Whitney Ervin, Da’Jah Thompson, Warren Thomas and Yasmine Wilson PHOTOGRAPHERS Max Cervantes, Lisa Harris, Cheyanne Huntsman, Yosef Ibitayo, Tiffany Johnson, Hailey Pennington, Sarah Redford, Tina Marie Reed and Grant Worley

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.

F E AT U R E March recognizes women throughout history PAGE

THE FLARE FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017

8

LONNIE ROSS Staff Writer March is Women’s History Month, a month to celebrate women in our society who have contributed to the advancement of the world.

Established in 1978 by the Education Task Force of Sonoma County Commission in California, the “Women’s History Week” celebration takes place around the week of March 8, International Women’s Day. When other communities learned of the success of the Sonoma celebration, similar celebrations quickly spread around the nation.

In a presidential message in 1980, President Jimmy Carter designated March 2 to 8 National Women’s History Week.

“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation.” Carter said. “Too often the women were

unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed.

But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

In 1986, there was a stateby-state action to change the week to a month; in March of 1987, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month.

Here is a list of first ladies, inventors, and leaders of the Women’s Rights Movement.

This list is small in comparison to all of the women who have made contributions.

These women can inspire future generations to keep reaching for their dreams and to keep improving rights for all women.

These women who came before us made great sacrifices to get us where we are today.

For more women in history, go to Theflareonline.com

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...”

Susan B. Anthony

First ladies •Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962) Women’s and Civil Rights, Diplomat, Author, Columnist, and U.S. First Lady. Active in politics, she changed the role of the first lady. She was one of the first public officials to publicize issues through mass media, and also married to 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt.“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face ...You must do the thing you think you cannot do,” Roosevelt said.

•Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929 – 1994) Journalist, publisher, and U.S. First Lady. Known as “Jackie” she is noted for bringing style and elegance to the White House. In her earlier years, she was a columnist for the Washington Times – Herald. Married to 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy, she transformed the White House into a museum of American history to inspire public service and patriotism.

After the assassination

Eleanor Roosevelt

of her husband President Kennedy, grief-stricken, she showed incredible strength by standing beside Johnson as he was sworn in to office while still wearing her pink blood-stained dress. She became senior editor at Doubleday Publishing after the death of her second husband Aristotle Onassis.

•Pat Nixon (1912-1993) Children’s Activist, U.S. First Lady. Took up the cause of volunteerism.

Married to 37th U.S. President Richard Nixon.

As First Lady, she opened the White House to be more accessible.

•Hillary Clinton (1947 -) Women’s Rights Activist, Government Official, Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, and U.S. First Lady. She worked several decades for children and women’s rights in America, and also ran as a presidential candidate in 2016. She is married to 42nd President Bill Clinton.“Yes, there are still ceilings to break for women and men - for all of us. But don’t let anyone tell you that great things can’t happen in America. Barriers can come down. Justice and

equality can win. Our history has moved in that direction. Thanks to generations of Americans who refuse to give up or back down,” she said.

Women’s Rights •Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) Women’s Rights Activist, Civil Rights Activist, Teacher, Journalist, Editor and Publisher.

Anthony worked for the abolitionist movement to end slavery. After the Civil War, Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton focused on women’s rights and created the National American Woman Suffrage Association. “It was we, the people, not we, the white male citizens, nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed this Union,” Anthony said.

•Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) was a women’s rights activist who worked toward the legalization of birth control and educated women about sex. “No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother,” Sanger said.

Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis

Inventors •Margaret Knight (1838-1914) Came up with a safety device for textile looms after seeing a faulty piece of equipment injured a fellow worker.

She gaind her first patent in 1871, a machine that cut and glued the bottom paper in shopping bags.

Before the invention, workers would have to do it by hand. In her lifetime, she received 27 patents.

•Melitta Bentz (18731950) Created the coffee filter system, Bentz, which received a patent in 1908. The business is still running today.

•Katharine Burr Blodgett (1898-1979) was a scientist, inventor and the first woman to receive a Ph. D in physics at Cambridge University.

She was the first woman to be hired by General Electric. She contributed to military needs for gas masks, smoke screens and a new technique to de-ice airplane wings.

She also came up with the glass that is used for lenses in cameras and movie projectors. It is also essential for eyeglasses, car windshields and computer screens.

Margaret Knight

Women succeed in journalism over time despite lack of diversity SARAH REDFORD Staff Writer The first newspaper was printed in 1690 in Boston, Massachusetts. Printer Benjamin Harris published “Publick Occurrences” without the special leave and license needed and the paper was confiscated and destroyed.

•Less than 100 years later, on January 4, 1739, Elizabeth Timothy became the first female in the American colonies to become the sole publisher of a newspaper. Upon the death of her husband, Timothy took over her husband’s duties at the “South Carolina Gazette.” She would remain in this position for the next seven years before handing the reigns over to her son.

•Anne Newport Royall is usually considered to be the first American newspaper woman.

She began her newspaper career in 1831 when she wrote and printed “Paul Pry” from her home. She was 62.

In her pit bull, confrontational style, she wrote against government corruption in Washington. She is credited with being the first woman to interview a president and in fact, interviewed all of them from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln at some point during or after their careers.

In 1837, Sarah Joseph Hale became the literary editor of “Godey’s Lady Book” at the age of 40. Hale lobbied to make Thanksgiving a national holiday and also spoke out against universities for not offering advanced degrees to women.

•The “New York Herald Tribune” offered Margaret Fuller a position in 1846. When she accepted, she became not only the first female staff member for a major daily newspaper, but also the first American female book reviewer. She said “The especial genius of women I believe to be electrical in movement, intuitive in function, spiritual in tendency.”

•Jennie June was the pseudonym used

by Jane Cunningham Croly. In 1854 she began writing a column for the “New York Sunday Times” titled “Parlor and SideWalk Gossip.” This column earned her the distinction of becoming the first syndicated woman columnist.

•Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in 1864. Her journalism career began when she wrote a letter to the editor of the “Pittsburgh Dispatch” in response to an article. He liked her style and offered her a job. Bly is best known for her trip around the world and for a 10 day, voluntary stay in an insane asylum. Her world trip was in competition with Jules Verne’s book, “Around the World in 80 Days.” She only took 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

Arthur Brisbane, just days after her death in 1922, said she was “the best reporter in America.”

•Foreign affairs became the fodder for writer Dorothy Thompson. She was the first journalist to be expelled from Nazi Germany in 1934. She began writing for the “New York Herald Tribune” in 1936. In 1939, she was covered by “Time” magazine and was called “one of the two most influential women in America, second only to First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.” She was given the title “First Lady of Journalism” for her tireless reporting of the realities of Nazism.

•The first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism was Anne O’Hare McCormick in 1937.

These brave women fought for and won their place in the male-dominated world of journalism. Their hard work, dedication and sacrifice is still honored today. With only about 37 percent of journalists being women, the fight continues.