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Friday, April 24, 2015 Vol. 78 No. 21 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE Monday, May 4 – Thursday, May 7 MONDAY, WEDNESDAY OR FRIDAY CLASSES CLASS TIME
EXAM TIME
DATE
7 or 7:30 a.m. 8 or 8:30 a.m. 9 or 9:30 a.m. 10 or 10:30 a.m.
7-9 a.m. 8-10 a.m. 9:30-11:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Mon., May 4 Wed., May 6 Mon., May 4 Wed., May 6
12 or 12:30 p.m. 1 or 1:30 p.m. 2 or 2:30 p.m. 3, 3:30 or 4 p.m. 5 or 5:30 p.m.
1-3 p.m. 3:30-5:30 p.m. 3:30-5:30 p.m. 2:30-4:30 p.m. 5-7 p.m.
Wed., May 6 Wed., May 6 Wed., May 6 Mon., May 4 Mon., May 4
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.
EXAM TIME
DATE
8-10 a.m.
Thurs., May 7
8-10 a.m.
Tues., May 5 May 7 12:30 p.m. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tues., May 7 1 or 1:30 p.m. 1-3 p.m. Tues., May 7 2 or 2:30 p.m. 1-3 p.m. Thurs.,May 7 3, 3:30 or 4:30 p.m. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tues., May 7 5 or 5:30 p.m. 5-7 p.m. Thurs., May 7
EVENING CLASSES EXAM TIME
DATE
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Mon., May 4 Tues., May 5 Wed., May 6 Thurs., May 7
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
Driven nurse to join 500+ hopefuls at graduation Personal struggles add to challenge of pursuing dream
THE FLARE
Anna Nimz, KC women’s new basketball coach, answers questions during a press conference earlier this week.
Nimz joins KC
KATHRYN AGEE Executive Editor Quirky. Goofy. Nerdy. Friends use these words constantly to describe Karah Humphries. “She can always brighten someone’s day,” said friend Amanda Lee. “I met Karah in choir in about 7th grade,” said friend Chelsea Boudreaux. “She was, and still is, one of the funniest and most determined people I know.” Her mother, Crystal Johnson, said, “She’s the most giving, caring person and she would give you the shirt off her back. Nursing is a perfect fit for her.” It has been a trying journey for Humphries, but as spring graduation draws closer, her longtime dream of being a nurse is becoming closer to reality. Her mother was a single parent, and “worked her hardest to give me everything I wanted and Jessica Easley / THE FLARE needed. She always made sure that I was taken care of KARAH HUMPHRIES and that I knew I was loved.” She raised Humphries GRADUATION “to be self-aware, but not CEREMONY self-absorbed, to be a free thinker and to challenge WHO: Becky authority when necessary. Johnson, dean I try to be open- minded, and non-judgmental due to arts, will be the how she raised me and the commencement situations and people I was speaker exposed to as I grew up.” As a child, one of WHAT: 572 students Humphries’ biggest have applied for influences was her grandfather. “My mother and I WHEN: 2 p.m. (AAS lived with him and my grandmother. He was a 6 p.m. ( AS, AA and WWII vet and was never willing to talk about his May 8, in Dodson time served or even his Auditorium successes. He was a man of few words, but he helped mold me into the person I am today. Since my father was not around, he gladly became a father figure and silently took responsibility for his grandchild when he didn’t have to.” While attending Pine Tree Junior High School, Humphries decided she wanted to become a nurse. “I watched my grandfather who helped raise me die of lung cancer,” she said. “He was diagnosed with lung See GRADUATE on Page 3A
Program hopes to bounce back with new coach DEVIN BROOKS Sports Editor The KC Women’s basketball team will have a new coach patrolling the sidelines after nine years of former KC head coach Roy Thomas being at the helm. Anna Nimz was introduced as the new head coach of the KC Women’s basketball team this past Tuesday. Nimz was surrounded by KC President Dr. Bill Holda, members of the KC board of trustees, members of the athletic board and a host of KC employees and coaches. Nimz earned her bachelor’s degree
in coaching in 2008 and her master’s degree in 2009 from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. While she was earning her degree at Pitt State, she served as the assistant women’s basketball coach for the team from 2008-2010. After Pittsburg State, she became the head coach at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas. In addition to being the head coach, she also served as the assistant athletic director for LCC at the beginning of the 2012 season. In her five seasons as head coach and assistant athletic director Nimz had a record of 65-
Roberson exits, Board examines enrollment KATHRYN AGEE Executive Editor Will Roberson exited as Secretary of the KC Board of Trustees during the last regular meeting of the school year held earlier this month. Roberson was first appointed to the board in October 2001 and served as Secretary since 2013. “I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Will for his service, and I’m going to miss him,” said Dr. Bill Holda, KC president. Board President James Walker said he “enjoyed being on this board with Will. I am proud I consider him a personal friend.” Vice President of Student Development Mike Jenkins presented a plan for enrollment management and marketing. The presentation consisted of data collected on enrollment in KC since
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the year 2000. “One of the biggest cohorts is our ‘First Time In College’ students,” he said. Enrollment of the “traditional, graduating out of high school kind of student” peaked in 2009, but has “declined gradually.” “We need to seek strategies to decrease the students leaving,” Jenkins said. “Unemployment rates affect returning students. When unemployment goes up, enrollment rates go up. When there are fewer jobs in the labor market, those students are looking for other opportunities. We want to continue to push our enrollments back up to where they need to be.” Jenkins said there had been “dramatic growth” in dual credit enrollment. The numbers of those on financial aid suspension was See BOARD on Page 3A
91. Nimz coached in the National Junior College Athletic Association Jayhawk Conference. The Jayhawk Conference is known nationally as one of the most competitive JUCO conferences in the nation. Nimz is now going to be coaching in the National Junior Athletic Association Region 14 Conference which is also one of the top competitive basketball conferences in the nation. She will have the opportunity to coach against teams such as Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals, Tyler Junior See NIMZ on Page 3A
Journalists sweep, take 40 awards KATHRYN AGEE Executive Editor The KC Student Publication department received various honors at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association in San Antonio held April 8 – 12. Between the weekly newspaper, The Flare, The Flare Magazine and Ranger Yearbook, the department received 40 awards total, including a 1st and 3rd place in state-wide on-site competition. For the 25th time in 29 years, The Flare won Sweepstakes for having the most points in its division. The Flare newspaper received first place awards for: special edition/ section, sports feature story, in-depth reporting, illustration (non-photo), feature page design, news feature See FLARE on Page 3A
Organization recognizes campus volunteers JULIANNA KENDALL Staff Writer
Leadership Excellence Award. She is vice president of the student ambassadors, a multiyear student orientation leader and a member of PTK. KC Ag Club was nominated for Outstanding Organization. They have volunteered at Longview’s Harvest Festival, assisting in weighing pigs and working with the heifer, steer, lamb, goat, rabbit and chicken shows. The club has been recognized as “promoting premier leadership in their field by leading by example and promoting academic
Celebrating National Volunteer Week, Service Learning hosted their annual Service Recognition Assembly on April 14. Staff, faculty and students were recognized and awarded for their community service efforts throughout the year. KC was given a survey to select the winning nominees. Faculty and staff chose students, and students chose faculty and staff. Chloe Nisbett received the
Excellency.” Eloise Ashley won most Outstanding Faculty/Staff in Community Service. She helped put together the Cardboard Box City event, and students made comments about how she “works hard and wants to help students be all that they can be.” Leila Thompson won Outstanding Student in Community Service. “She is a natural born leader and is a truly caring person who wants to share her life,” a faculty member said. “She has
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brought herself up from some very difficult times to being a college student who wants to earn her degree to become a social worker.” Michael McKerley won Outstanding Service Learning Student. He has volunteered for numerous projects for the Student Nurses Association. Faculty and staff described him as “always eager and enthusiastic in volunteering his time and efforts.” Gus LaFosse won Outstanding Service Learning Instructor. He
participated in the Cardboard Box City event. “He shared great information about being homeless and helped us be more compassionate towards others,” students commented. “His information about homelessness was extremely beneficial. He is a sincere, compassionate person who truly cares for others.” Speakers at the assembly included Dr. Bill Holda, Patty Bell, Manny Almanza, Dr. Mike Turpin and Dr. Mike Jenkins.
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Summer I drops can begin June 26 NICK SHELLEY Staff Writer The last day for students to withdraw from Summer I classes with a W is June 26. The last day for students to withdraw from Summer II classes with a W is July 31. According to the semester credit hour enrollment headcount history, about 2,000 students attended KC during the 2014 Summer I minimester, and approximately a thousand students attended the 2014 Summer II minimester. The official count for Summer I will be available June 5. The official count for Summer II will be available July 10. Texas State law mandates that students may only gain 6 W’s throughout their entire college career. Class hours are earned from the course that the student dropped. Students can drop classes without a W if extreme circumstances (death of a family member, hospital stay, car wreck, etc.) make it impossible to successfully complete their classes. An official record of the event must be turned in to KC. Students wishing to drop classes over the summer may do so in the Office of the Registrar on the Kilgore and Longview campuses. Students wishing to completely withdraw from KC over the summer must fill out an official withdrawal form, which can be found at the counselling center in Kilgore and at the main office in Longview. The form must be turned in to the office of the registrar. Students who signed up for classes through Campus Connect may drop classes online until the end of late registration. Late registration for Summer I is June 1. Late registration for Summer II will occur on July 6. Students who fail to officially withdraw will receive an F in the course. Withdrawing from classes during the summer minimesters without fear of gaining a W may be made on the first class day.
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Caroline McNiel How long have you danced for? It’s a good question. 7 or 8 years. What is your favorite dance? Why? The Tango because it’s so romantic!! Also the dance style is very fun to do, because it’s so sharp and there are a lot of fun different moves you can do. Do you ballroom dance a lot? I used to a bit more than I do now, but I do about once a month. Where do you dance? First Baptist Church in Longview How long are dances? The free dance lesson is 1 hour. The dance afterwards is 2 hours. What first got you interested in ballroom dancing? Watching dancing with the stars What is your favorite song? Write Your Story by Francesca Battistelli What are your plans after KC? How did you get interested in your degree? Either Texas State or SFA for a degree in social work
Hometown: Gladewater Age: 21 Sophomore How did you first get interested in your degree of social work? My mom was a social work major and people kept suggesting that major for me. What is your favorite ride at Six Flags? Batman How long have you been at KC? 2 years Who is your favorite female Bible character? Tie between Abigail and Esther What city are you from? Originally Longview, but currently live in Dallas when I’m not in school at KC. Do you have any siblings? Yes I have a brother who is 39 and a sister who is 30 Where did you go for high school? New Diana.
Performing arts end semester on a good note JULIANNA KENDALL Staff Writer The semester is coming to an end, and the music and dance department are rounding up their concerts and recitals. Below is a list of upcoming concerts and recitals. All events are free, unless otherwise noted. April 24: Spring recital, 2 p.m. in FA 103 April 26: KC Strings, 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Kilgore April 28: Masterworks Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Longview April 30: Wind Symphony Concert, 7:30 p.m. at the Dodson Auditorium May 1: Honors Convocation, 2 p.m. in FA 103 May 1: Dance Concert, 7 p.m. in the Van Cliburn Auditorium $5 for KC students with I.D. $10 without I.D. May 3: Piano Concerto Program, 3 p.m. in the Van Cliburn Auditorium Note: This is a formal concert. Young children will not be permitted.
NEWS Departments name ‘Most Outstanding’ THE FLARE FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
VICTORIA WHITWELL Managing Editor The following sophomores were chosen by their respective departments as Most Outstanding Student for the 2014-15 academic year. One female student and one male student will be chosen from this group by the KC faculty and be named Most Representative students of KC.
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PTK dazzles at state meet FROM STAFF REPORTS KC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society traveled to San Antonio last week and brought back a trunkload of awards. PTK will host an awards ceremony at 5:15 p.m. Monday, April 27, in CA 104. Sable Bass, Overton sophomore, won the Most Distinguished Officer Award. This is given to members who are nominated by their classmates. The winner exemplifies
leadership and engages in community work. Bass’ peers described her as “ our go-to information resource”. Barbara Prater, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Development, won the Tejas Award for her assistance and support with KC’s Gamma Omicron chapter. Former KC student Justin Johnson won the Most Distinguished Member Honoree Award for his influence on other
chapters, his distinguished contributions and for helping with the G.L.O.B.E. program. PTK was also awarded as a 3-star chapter and won the Pop-Tab Raffle for a free membership which will be awarded in the fall. Kendra Roberson was given a 3-star recognition for her current completion of Competitive Edge. Cherry He was given a 1-star recognition for Competitive Edge.
NIMZ: Coach brings enthusiasm FROM PAGE 1A Technology
Health Technologies
Refrigeration Technology Services Professions
BOARD: Student enrollment, asbestos, turnover discussed FROM PAGE 1A “very consistent.” Jenkins said enrollment would “not be very robust” over the summer due to the new software system being installed on campus. “The software will cause some hiccups in enrollment,” he said, as students may have trouble enrolling as the system is being installed. KC maintenance worker David Roberts spoke about the affidavit he recently submitted to the TCEQ. The affidavits he and three other employees filed would cause a new investigation to take place on the issue of
asbestos on campus. “KC is one of the best places I’ve even worked for,” Roberts said. “Bill Holda and the staff are good people, but we need to put a stop to illegal abatements before someone gets hurt. I hope that we can get this solved. I love KC and want to continue working here. I hope y’all consider looking into the mishandling of asbestos before someone gets hurt or killed.” Holda said Roberts had never come to him with any concerns. “Individuals who claim to have known stuff for many years, know me personally. They know
I keep my door open, and they can wander in and say whatever they want. So it’s very difficult to deal with things administratively that have never been brought to me.” The meeting ended with a few words from Roberson as he reflected on his time served on the Board. “I have done my best to encourage and aid the College,” Roberson said. “I have not always been right and I’ve never expected anyone to take my advice. When you only live in black and white, you will miss the color. I will miss Kilgore College.”
GRADUATE: Hard work rewarded FROM PAGE 1A cancer in January 2003 and then died in March, a week before my 15th birthday. It was a very painful way to die, but the nurses and doctors took such amazing care of him and ensured his comfort. I realized that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and bring them comfort, healing and support.” Although she had found a career path to follow, Humphries faced a great obstacle in the form of depression stemming from her grandfather’s death. “I became clinically depressed and began receiving treatment for it by the time I was 16,” she said. Humphries graduated from Pine Tree High School in 2006 and began taking classes at KC in Fall 2007. “I immediately started taking nursing prerequisites,” she said. In addition to taking 15 hours at KC, she worked 20 to 30 hours a week at Papacita’s Mexican Restaurant. During her second semester, Humphries found out she was pregnant. She decided to take the next semester off, and gave birth to her son, Charlie, in September 2008. “The day he was born I instantly wanted to give him the world, and be the best me possible,” she said. Humphries calls being a mother “one of the most rewarding events of my life.” However, giving birth caused her depression to return. “After having my son, I suffered postpartum depression and began receiving treatment again.” Humphries started attending KC again in Spring 2009. “I took one class a semester, due to only having my sciences left. I finally started nursing school in the fall of 2010.” Her friend remembers her come-back. “When she started the nursing program, I was so excited for her,” Boudreaux said. “People who decide to take on the nursing program are a special kind of people. Karah is definitely one of those special people,”
Challenges would face her and make her question whether she should follow her heart in nursing or choose another career. “The first time I was in nursing school, I failed a re-check on a nursing skill, which results in immediate failure of the program. I was absolutely devastated,” she said. “I am a Christian and believe everything happens for a reason, but I could not understand why this would happen. I decided to choose another career path and began taking random courses that interested me, hoping this would help me decide which way to go.” Realizing that nursing was her calling, she stuck with the program. By August 2011, she was on the path to finally graduating at the end of the fall semester. However, life had something else in store that would prevent her from graduating just yet. “In August, my exhusband walked out on me,” Humphries said. “I realized this is why I was not meant to finish school, and that I would have been even more devastated to end the program in my final level instead of my first. I was unable to take any more classes at Kilgore for the next two years, and worked in retail with no chance of moving up in the company.” A positive did come out of his leaving, though. “Had he not left, I probably never would have gone back to school and made a way for myself.” On her path to becoming a nurse, her son Charlie has remained a huge inspiration. “He is the true reason I do everything that I do. He is so proud that I am in school and will tell anyone that I am going to be a nurse soon. I am inspired by him and his love for me every single day,” Humphries said. In the future, she wants to teach, or be a clinical instructor. “That requires a higher degree, but I’ve also considered other avenues,” she said. “Forensic nursing is an up-and-coming field, and is needed but not
highly explored in this area. Charge nursing on a floor is also something that I would like to experience. My goals for my personal life include moving out on my own, getting married again, and having more children. I’d also like to volunteer my time in natural disaster settings.” Humphries will be sure to bring her quirky, fun style and energetic smile into the workforce as an RN. Her advice to students who are struggling with graduating is “to never give up. Even if you have to take off a semester just to get yourself straightened out and pull yourself together, you have to make sure you go back. I feel like so many people think it seems like classes and semesters are never ending, but when you fully immerse yourself, and bust your butt, it moves so much faster,” she said. “You have to remind yourself what your goals are, where you’re going, and what you want to do when you get there. If I can do it, anyone can!”
College Apaches and Blinn College Buccaneers. These teams have been atop of the conference during past seasons and now Nimz has the chance to revive KC and put them in a spot to compete for a National Championship. Athletic Director Jimmy Rieves thinks he struck gold with hiring Nimz as the new head coach. “I believe we chose a great person to represent our college and our community,” Rieves said. “Our number one priority is character and leadership.
I believe Nimz will bring passion, dedication, a sense of academic presence and winning to this college and community. She will be a good leader on and off the court.” Nimz said she was overwhelmed to be a part of the KC tradition as well as getting to know men’s head basketball coach Brian Hoberecht. “I’m very humbled and honored to be the new head coach of this team,” Nimz said. “I’m a family person and I’m happy to get the chance to join another great family. This program has a
rich tradition. Along with numerous banners on the wall, during my time here I hope to add another banner up on the wall.” “I have gotten to know Coach Hoberecht, and I’m looking forward to learning from him, because of how successful he has been with the men’s basketball team,” she said. Nimz said she already has eight players on the roster and will begin the rest of the recruiting process soon. “This is a new school and it’s new to me, but it will be a great experience and I love a challenge.”
FLARE: State competition successful FROM PAGE 1A story, sports feature story and photo illustration. It won second place for information graphic, headline, op/ed page design, Page 1 design, general column and feature photo; and third for sports page design. It received honorable mentions for: sports page design, feature story, sports feature story, sports page design, editorial, sports action photo and overall excellence. The Ranger yearbook also won a number of awards, taking first place for photo story and feature photo. It won second place for feature/student life and third in overall excellence. Yearbook also received honorable mentions for academic photo and sports action photo.
The Flare magazine won first place for magazine picture story. It also won third place for magazine illustration. Magazine received honorable mentions for cover design and overall excellence. In live competition, Richard Nguyen brought home a first in Radio Sports Writing. Tiffany Johnson received a third in Sports Action Photography. NEWSPAPER AWARDS: Kathryn Agee - feature story Jordan Baird - op/ed page design, sports feature story Jordan Baker - gen. column Devin Brooks - sports page design Michael Brown - sports action photo Leah Bryce - in-depth reporting Dezirae Burnett - news feature story
Cody Davis - illustration (nonphoto) Sara Holmes - feature photo Ashley Morales - feature page design, headline Jon Nieto - photo illustration Kevon Price - sports feature Dustin Taylor - editorial Tory Van Blarcum - info graphic, Page 1 design YEARBOOK AWARDS: Kristopher Dobbins - photo story, feature photo, sports action photo Sonia Garza - photo story Sara Holmes - photo story - acad. photo Shelby Ragland - photo story Karyn Sage- photo story Randi Vinson-Davis - photo story MAGAZINE AWARDS: Sara Holmes - illustration Ashley Morales - cover design, overall excellence Shelby Ragland - picture story Randi Vinson-Davis - cover design, overall excellence
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Philosophy of music nostalgia EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is an excerpt from the upcoming issue of The Flare Magazine. LEAH BRYCE Features Editor
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AN ANTONIO – Waves of sound float through the air, paused only by the small crackle of the needle against the vinyl. Piles upon piles of albums fill up the grand space, appearing to be a hoarders dream world. Anything from The Beach Boys to Etta James finds itself in the stacks of the old vinyls separated only by dust. Near where the soft sounds of Ella Fitzgerald plays from the spinning black disc, a man in a fiery scarlet Hawaiian shirt, topped with a sunhat, sits gently swaying to the beat of the harmony. Throughout his life, Will Day followed his love for music throughout the state of Texas, until finally he ended up in San Antonio as the owner of Alamo Records. After years as a guitar teacher and seller, he discovered the vinyl sounds that represented the musical past and created a sense of nostalgia in him. “When I was a sophomore in high school, I was in a band called Barbara and the Generations. We would work a couple hours most nights and would make $10-$15 a night, which doesn’t sound like much, but back in the 1970s it was,” Day said. “Then, after almost making a record deal I went back to school and eventually college at the University of Texas at Austin, where I stopped doing music for awhile.” After leaving UT with a major in philosophy, Day found his way back into music, but this time teaching guitar lessons to local Victoria, Texas residents. One day, he realized that he was sending his students to guitar shops when he could make more money by both selling guitars and continuing to teach his lessons. “I finally said, ‘Look, these guys that are selling these musical instruments aren’t any better than me,’ and so I found a way to get guitars to sell,” Day said. “After a while doing that, I dropped
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Will Day everything and left to go to the Valley where I lived in my car while I sold guitars at the flea market called Bargain Bizarre, which is where I started selling vinyls.” Living his life as a nomad, Day traveled all over Texas, but only staying for a few years in each location. In the Valley, he discovered the beauty of vinyls and traded his guitar business for a record selling business. Eventually, he travelled from the Valley to downtown San Antonio where he has remained for the past 25 years, with his record store. In that time, according to Day, he expanded his musical taste from country to a variety of genres through the ages. “I like a variety, some pop, like
The Beatles and stuff like that, but I don’t really collect groups, just certain songs. If they are well done,” Day said. “I like music from the twenties, which was called flapper music, and comedy songs. I made a forty CD set from some old records so I don’t actually have to handle them and put wear on them. I also like jump, shout and honk songs, which is post WWII music. Honk would be the saxophone, but not the big band sound.” Although music is his life, he still hesitates to listen to modern music, because of its dissonance and lack of meaning. Times like 1970s which were filled with artists like The Beatles and James Taylor are his preference, which he calls the “singer-songwriter era.”
“If it doesn’t really have a melody or chord progression, then I don’t really consider it music.” Day said. “Take rap for example. Most of that is just spoken words to a beat and people griping and complaining about how bad America is, with gold jewelry and their hoes hanging all over them. This modern stuff like Usher and people like that, they don’t have melodies anymore. Everything is sort of a protest and most of it is theatrical or promotional.” Often, he finds himself using his degree in philosophy and applying it to the music he listens to. According to Day, music represents the internal harmony everyone posses versus the external dissonance
that surrounds everyone. All beauty is reflected in our true inner being and the reason why people choose their musical preference is because they are hearing themselves through the harmonies of what they’re listening to. “There are certain things that we are born with of standards and of measurement, I call it pre-established harmony,” Day said. “We were born with it. I do believe that when we hear beautiful music or see beautiful art it reflects the harmony that we internally posses. Visual art transcends into internal harmony. Only the people in rebellion from their internal harmony find themselves drawn to chaos and ugliness.”
SPORTS
THE FLARE FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
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Austin sophomore, shortstop Bianca Van Vlerah, tags out a TJC base runner as she was sliding into second base. The KC Rangers fell short to TJC losing 2-0, and 8-0 in the double-header.
Rangers round out 11-28 season Softball season near its end DEVIN BROOKS Sports Editor The KC Ranger Softball Team is entering the last stretch of their season, and if they want to play in the National Junior College Athletic Association Regional Tournament, the time is now to make that push. KC (11-28 overall), (8-14 conference) has two games remaining on their schedule before the Regional Tournament is scheduled to start. KC will complete their regular season this week, so the only thing that is left to decide is if they make it to the postseason. KC has had a rocky season up to the month of April. They went 5-20 including conference games before this month began. However
during this month they have came together and reeled off some much needed victories that could help them sneak into the postseason tournament. They’re 6-8 during this month and they’re coming off a tough defeat to the Tyler Junior College Apaches losing 2-0 and 8-0 in the double-header. This season KC’s offense is 10th overall in at bats as a team with 937. They’re 11th in runs with 144, 10th in hits with 253, and 11th in home runs with 12 as a team. They have 117 RBI’s, 46 doubles, and have circled 341 total bases on the season up to this point. The pitching unit is 11th overall in strikeouts with 169, 8th in walks with 93, 13th in ERA average with 4.81, and 9th in pitching shutouts with
three. Sophomore shortstop Bianca Van Vlerah has played in 32 of the 35 games this season. In 102 at bats she has 26 runs on 31 hits. She recorded eight doubles, one triple, and seven RBIs on the year. She was walked 11 times and have struck out 13 times out of 102 at bats. Her batting average so far is .304 while her slugging percentage is .402. Catcher Mariah Goguen played in 26 games of the 35 so far in the season. Out of 74 at bats she recorded nine runs off of 20 hits. She had 19 RBIs along with four doubles and three home runs. Her batting average is .210 and her slugging percentage is .446. Pitchers Jordyn Rogers, Lashonda Jones, Hayley Vavra, and Ali Harvey combined for 35
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Groveton freshman, Jordyn Rogers, prepares to deliver a pitch during a conference match-up versus the Tyler Junior College Apaches.
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Port Neches freshman, Ryanne Lunceford, tags an opposing player.
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Crandall sophomore, catcher Morgan Woodruff attempts to tag out a TJC base runner at home plate. games pitched. They have a combined record of 8-23. They pitched 199 innings allowing 348 hits, 192 runs, and 137 earned runs. They walked 96 batters while
retiring 86 batters. They allowed 19 home runs for the season and have a combined ERA of 4.81. KC will host conference foe Angelina College in
their final match up of the season. The first of two games will start at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 25 at Stream Flo-Field.
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
NEWS
Dean hopes for Longview expansion Possible development MAX CERVANTES Staff Writer Expansion and renovation to the KCLongview campus is a possibility in the near future. The board of trustees recently approved the hiring of an architectural firm to do renderings and drawings of a renovated and expanded campus. According to Dr. Julie Fowler, Executive Dean, one major area of the campus being expanded is the Hendrix Building. A second and third floor is planned on being added to the east side of the building. Another planned addition is a new facility for a construction technology program with the heart of it being a pipe fitting and plumbing program. “My vision for it would be past our industrial
maintenance. We would go on from there and add industrial and construction trades,” Fowler said. The next addition is to expand the cosmetology program. Because the esthetician program is currently being held in the Hendrix building, a new facility will be built closer to the Cosmetology building. Fowler also plans to expand the cosmetology program by adding massage therapy and barber classes. “I know we have a barber college in Longview but it is a for-profit college. A public institution provides tuition much cheaper than a for-profit college,” Fowler said. One last expansion is a facility for the culinary arts program which is presently being held in the evenings at Longview High School. “We’re so limited by having the facility in Longview for only 16 hours a week,” Fowler said. In addition to a new facility, Fowler would also like to add a restaurant/bistro in downtown Longview for students to gain
more real world experience. Of course trying to expand the Longview campus does come with its own obstacles. “We are in a zoned district,” Fowler said. “The city has to give us permission to do anything. The good part is the city of Longview has done a big comprehensive plan for the next 20 or 30 years for this city and Kilgore College’s growth in Longview fits in with that plan.” The second obstacle is that Longview is not in KC’s taxing district. “All of our board members represent constituents in the taxing district. Many of those constituents and I think many of our board members don’t feel like we should expand in Longview,” Fowler said. “That is a big obstacle for me because Kilgore CollegeLongview has no representation on the board of trustees, which is the governing body of the college.” There are also benefits in expanding the Longview Campus. “We are providing programs and would continue if the expansion was allowed,”
Fowler said. “We have more evening classes over here not because we’re doing anything better, it’s just our location.” Students also pay the same amount of money to attend the KC-Longview as they would at KC. “We are pulling in revenue just like the Kilgore campus is, so why not continue to grow and build on a campus that is in the largest metropolitan area in our service delivery area? It just makes good business sense to me,” Fowler said. When asked about the staff ’s response about the expansion, Fowler said they were “ecstatic. They can’t wait. They will be involved in the design of the buildings. [The staff] are the specialists, and [the staff] are the ones who need to tell me how the buildings need to be designed.” Fowler hopes to bring a breath of fresh air to the Longview campus. “Hopefully, we don’t duplicate anything that’s going on at the Kilgore campus,” Fowler said. “We hope to have something brand new and unique that would attract new students.”
Secular Student Alliance plans events, seeks new members KATHRYN AGEE Executive Editor
Jessica Carrington / THE FLARE
SPRING JAZZ CONCERT KC Jazz Band played Tuesday, April 21, at Van Cliburn Auditorium.
The first meeting of the Secular Student Alliance was held at noon on Friday, April 17. Secularists believe in the strict separation of the state from religious institutions and that people of different religions and beliefs are equal before the law. The SSA tends to attract people who identify as atheist, agnostic, humanist or skeptic. According to their website, the Secular Student Alliance’s mission is to “empower secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming communities, promote secular values, and set a course for lifelong activism.” They state that their vision is “a future in which secular students lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, thrive as valued members of society, and provide visionary leadership committed to humanistic ideals and critical inquiry.” The SSA offers scholarships and grants to student activists and groups every year. They have a “Secular Safe Zone” program that trains and educates secular allies to create spaces on campus where students can gather to openly
‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ ‘Twelfth Night’ headline TSF’s 30th season LEAH BRYCE Features Editor The Texas Shakespeare Festival will begin its 30th season with tickets going on sale Wednesday, May 20. Tickets are $90 for a season pass, $30 for individuals, $24 for a padded bench seat, $25 for Saturday matinees and Sunday evenings, $7 for children’s show, $5 for backstage tour, $10 for
festival center tour and $20 for the Talent Showcase. This year’s productions include Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” opening the season on Thursday, June 25. “Twelfth Night,” “The Nerd,” “Man of La Mancha,” and “The Belle of Amherst” will round out the rotation. “The Princess and the Players” is the children’s performance.
The Texas Shakespeare Festival is held in Van Cliburn Auditorium of the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Building on the KC campus. For showtimes, tickets, play summaries, cast list and more, go online to texasshakespeare.com. Look on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for any updates or new information on the Texas Shakespeare Festival.
discuss their beliefs and create a support group for each other. The KC SSA is run by Mary Farrell, who is in the legal assisting program at KC. “I am very excited to have this opportunity to reach out and give support to like-minded individuals, do community service and change the way people think of nonbelievers,” she said. “There’s a lot more of us here than people realize.” Flyers were put up announcing the group’s formation the Monday prior to the meeting. Only four students attended, but the number is expected to grow by the fall semester. “One of the most important things is letting people know we’re here,” Farell said. “One of the biggest challenges was finding a sponsor.” KC English instructor Blake Harris agreed to sponsor the group. Farrell was warned before putting SSA flyers up on campus that they may get vandalized. “So far, none have been vandalized on campus,” she said. “Try not to get into debates if you see something like that. Keep it at a friendly level.” Farrell “was brought up in church. The more I learned about
religion, the more it encouraged me to become atheist. I chose it as a personal decision.” She used to describe herself as a militant atheist. “I was angry, mad and tired of everything. Now, I’m trying to rethink the way I handle things. Not many people understand that an atheist is just the opposite of a theist. It’s not a bad word, and the SSA strives to make it a more positive thing.” The KC SSA will meet biweekly during the fall semester. They will have a booth set up during new student orientation with pamphlets, flyers, stickers and other information about the SSA available. They will also have a canned food drive for the homeless in the fall. The next National Ask an Atheist Day will be held on Sat., April 16, 2016. Group members will actively engage in conversations with people “about what exactly atheism entails,” said Farrell. For more information on the Secular Student Alliance, go to www.secularstudents.org. For information on the Kilgore College SSA, go to the Secular Student Alliance at Kilgore College Facebook page.
OPINION
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
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KC is what you make it KC
Richard Nguyen is a freshman Journalism major from Longview.
OUR VIEW
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OUR VIEW
College
Connections Friendships made at college can last lifetime
S
chool can be boring. Spending countless hours in classes that do not interest you in the slightest, checking the time on your phone again only to find that you have another 30 minutes left of lecture. Yet you have to take it because somehow, certain completely unrelated classes are considered vital to your education. School can also be lonely, especially for students from outof- town, out-of-state or worse, out-of-country. Sure, being on your own can be fun for a little bit, but eventually you are going to miss your family and friends back home. Luckily, students can find friends and fellowship while flourishing in their academics thanks to the various oncampus activities and clubs designed for them. Whether you need help on the homework that’s due in two days or need full tutoring for a class you don’t feel confident in, TRIO is a great organization to join. Tutors are there to help students every class day. You just have to apply to join. If you are an art buff, you can join Art Club. It meets every month for movies, food, trips and great art discussion. If you like to focus on your faith, there are three Bible chairs on campus: Baptist Student Ministries, The Wesley
YOUR VIEW
Volleyball. a team for myself and fellow
SPORTS EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR Victoria Whitwell
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Richard Nguyen
OPINION EDITOR
Roland Williams New Orleans, La.
Nahshea Lively Longview Freshman
Anything that would build more bonds and bring students together. Anything that I can do, say, or promote I would do. Kenneth Rhodes
LETTERS
Friday, April 24, 2015 Copyright 2015, The Flare. All rights reserved.
ADVERTISING MANAGER David McCarty CARTOONIST Cherry He STAFF WRITERS
LAB MANAGER Jamie Maldonado
PHOTOGRAPHERS
ADVISER
PHOTO ADVISER O. Rufus Lovett
DESIGN EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Hunter Lohr
We should start a rugby team. I would promote it with the team.
Dera Cerdozo Kilgore Freshman
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kathryn Agee
COPY EDITOR Dustin Taylor
Volleyball. I would participate.
to participate.
The Flare FEATURES EDITOR
Foundation and the Christian Campus Center Of course, there are various plays, concerts and art exhibits to visit on campus. There is also the rec room in the Devall Student Center where you can build friendships and grow connections. The people we meets and the friends we make in college can forge an unbreakable bond. School trips bring people closer together, making them a tight-knit group that may be even closer to them than their own family. Someone may find their new best friend on one of these trips or even a new worst enemy. Students will learn new things and open their minds to new ideas or their perceptions of other people. But most importantly, the friends and memories made will last a lifetime. They will always have these stories to look back on and laugh about in years to come. Building connections at the college and university level is very important. Not only will these connections build new life-long friendships, they could also help you find work opportunities in your post-college career. Be sure to keep these bonds through summer, and more importantly, life.
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is not the 13th grade. It is not an extension of high school. KC is what you make of it. And I am calling out the students at KC. I’ve been to three different colleges and have run into my fair share of RICHARD professors. NGUYEN When Assistant I came to KC, I did not have very high expectations. Honestly, I did not think very much of KC’s academics because of the echoes of my friends complaining about certain instructors. How naïve of me. After these past two semesters I have spent at KC I can honestly say that this school has some of the best instructors I have run across. Sure, you can complain about how your teacher doesn’t give you enough time, attention, or anything of that sort. Really take a look at your effort though; are you putting forth the effort that your teacher asks of you? The instructors that I have run across here at KC have taught me much more than how to be a student. I have learned how to have a discussion without having an argument (that’s something I really needed to work on). It’s important to realize that college is a time to not only learn, but a time to open yourself up to new ideas. “Oh, I grew up here so nothing is different about going to KC,” said every East Texas high school graduate I’ve met. This line runs through the halls every time someone is asked about KC. If you aren’t meeting new people, how can anything change? Don’t just complain about how there’s nothing different about KC when it’s not true. Go out and do something different. Be open to new things. Get creative; KC theatre typically runs two plays a semester, go see one. Not for the extra credit your teachers are going to give you. Go see it to actually experience a play. Have you been to the Shakespeare Garden? It’s beautiful; spend some time there. KC offers more than we realize, but most people are too busy complaining about things that we don’t have. That’s the price you pay for going to a two-year college. But you also get small class sizes, more say in what goes on, and it sure makes it a lot easier to get involved on campus. I understand that we all have lives outside of school. I get that, but don’t go around complaining about our professors, staff, and facilities when you yourself could be better. So, I am calling out the KC students to make a difference at this school. College is truly the best four years of your life. Don’t waste the first two years wishing for the last two.
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
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.
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F E AT U R E
Crawfish Jack Hooter, Narynda Fagin and Chance Fagin, Tyler sophomores,
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Chaos
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Yovi Gonzales, Longview sophomore
DAVID MCCARTY Advertising Manager
W
ith the spring semester coming to a close, what better way to celebrate the semester than with mudbugs, snowcones, and live action Pac-Man on a beautiful East Texas day? With hundreds of people dancing and peeling crawfish, the smiles were more contagious than the common cold. More than 1,000 people gathered
at KC for the annual crawfish celebration along with live action Pac-Man provided by the Ranger Ambassadors. The eventful day “brings students together before the year ends,” according to Ross Costanzo, Residential Life Assistant Director. Aramark and the Office of Student Life came together to make this event possible. The food was cooked by Circle M Crawfish of Big Sandy, and sno-cones were provided courtesy of Charlie’s Sno-Balls.
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Carlos Smith,
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Above: Sherry Huerta THE FLARE