Coffee covers campuses ANGELA MCFARLAND Staff Writer
Diana Castillo / THE FLARE
Helen Harper waits for her next customer at the P.O.D Express on the KC Longview campus.
Seattle’s Best, a coffee center, and subsidiary of Starbucks, has replaced the former deli at the KCLongview campus which opened Monday, Sept. 19. “We went this route after a recent student survey indicated ‘speed’ and ‘quantity’ being students most important concerns during lunch breaks,” said Gary Crouch, ARAMARK food director. Provisions On Demand, as it’s labeled, adds a variety of selections of food to the smaller campus and brings more business to the college. “With five minutes to eat
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“Abby caught my attention because of her grace, poise and attention to details while performing” - Paige Keitt, director of twirling
lunch, the snack bar is super convenient,” said Brittany Willis, Mineola sophomore. Now students don’t have to drive off campus to get a larger selection of food with the assortment of prepackaged sandwiches, salads, soups, protein packs, protein shakes and ice cream that Seattle’s Best offers. “Student satisfaction is my main goal,” Crouch said. This summer, the deli was transformed into Biedermeier décor with stone background accents, new flooring and tall barstools with tables for quick snacks in between classes. “It is amazing compared
Seattle’s Best is open Monday- Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the KC Longview campus to what it used to be,” said Elizabeth Jemison, Carthage freshman. Although some complaints have been made about the disappearance of the fresh panini sandwiches the deli offered, overall the cafe has seen positive feedback, according to Crouch. “It’s pretty good,” said Mario Ashton, Longview freshman.
Friday, September 23, 2016 Vol. 80 No. 4 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
FreshStart
Former TJC twirler picks up baton as new feature twirler LEAH BRYCE Managing Editor
A
Richard Nguyen / THE FLARE
KC’s new feature twirler, Abby Rhodes, performs with three batons during her halftime solo.
beam of sunlight glints off the silver baton as it flies in the air, flipping end-over-end. As it passes through the midst of the falling leaves, gravity quickly sends the elegant stick back into the small, quick hand of the tosser. Catching her breath in awe of the graceful performance of the baton, a pre-teen spectator makes a simple, but definite, decision: I don’t want to be a cheerleader; I don’t want to be dancer; I want to be a twirler. At the age of 11, Abby Rhodes made a decision that set her life on a course to become KC’s 2016/2017 Ranger Band Feature Twirler. From that day of discovery, she twirled through middle school, high school and now college. “Abby caught my attention because of her grace, poise and attention to details while performing,” said Paige Keitt, Director of Twirling. “She is unique because she has an awesome work ethic. I like the way that she pushes herself to learn and master new tricks.” Rhodes actually spent her first year at Tyler Junior College, but decided to transfer to KC and try out for the feature twirler position previously held by Alex Bridges. “I made the twirling line at TJC and I quit right before the first game because the twirling director had just quit and it was going downhill really fast,” Rhodes said. “It’s a lot more fun here. I really enjoy the girls on the line and we are always together.” Although she has been twirling since she was in the sixth grade, this is first year that Rhodes has been a feature twirler. “I actually prefer twirling solo over twirling in a line. I’ve twirled on a line too, but I really love twirling as a soloist because I get to make up my own stuff,” she said.
“I don’t have to worry about what other people do; I can just focus on what I can do.” Concentrating on her twirling skills is just one thing on her schedule. Rhodes said time management plays an important part in her ability to juggle twirling, school and work. “Feature twirlers must practice several hours every day to maintain their skill level,” Keitt said. “I admire Abby for stepping out of her comfort zone and trying something different, like being a feature twirler. She came from more of a dance/twirl background (in school).” Over the past year, Rhodes has not only changed schools and twirling styles, she has also taken on a high school twirl line of her own. “I’m very happy that she has time in her busy schedule to be the twirling sponsor for the Lindale High School twirling line,” Keitt said. “She gets to see the twirling experience from the other side. I think this experience will only help to make her a more valuable asset to the twirling program at KC.” Rhodes is majoring in business and plans on transferring to a university to earn her bachelor’s degree. However, she is uncertain if she will continue twirling at the university level, depending on the strength of its line. “I do see twirling staying in my future. Before this year I didn’t see myself as a twirling sponsor, but it just kept coming my way,” Rhodes said. “Now I think that in the future I will have a studio and I will always be a twirling sponsor. I really do love it.” “My goal for twirling at KC is just having fun and push myself to be better,” she added. “There is always something more you can do to better yourself and your twirling. I’ve always pushed for the next level and there is always something next.”
KC Longview night administrator dies Long time KC employee, Barker Hale, known for dedication, humor, friendship LEAH BRYCE Managing Editor A Gathering of Remembrance will be held for Barker Hale from 4 to 6 p.m. today at New Beginnings Baptist Church, 2137 E. George Richey Road, in Longview. Welch Funeral Home in Longview will handle the cremation. The family requests that memorials may be made to the KC Foundation for a scholarship in honor of Hale’s 22 years of service to the college. Hale, 73, was the director of administrative services and continuing education at KC– Longview. He came to work at KC in 1994, starting the same day as friend and KC Print Shop
supervisor Mike Ford. “Even though Barker always worked at KC— Longview and I’ve always worked here, we kept a working r e l a t i o n s h i p, ” Ford said. “We’ve Barker Hale been friends over all these years, even if we weren’t close friends. I never knew Barker to have an enemy.” Ford recalled that those who knew Hale always spoke of him positively. Hale’s good attitude and willingness to work shone as an example to others.
“I think he showed people what work ethic really is,” Ford added. “I know that the other people he worked with, especially in Longview, knew he had a really strong work ethic and I think they really appreciated that. Hale’s immediate supervisor, Dr. Julie Fowler, executive dean of KC—Longview, said she will miss him both personally and professionally. “Barker lived life on his own terms. He was completely unique,” Fowler said. “He loved surprising people with his unparalleled sense of humor.” Hale was known campus-wide as an avid practical joker. One of his most prized possession was a
framed picture of a chimpanzee riding a bicycle. As the night administrator on campus, he made sure the evening instructors had everything they needed to succeed. By default, he became known for his aptitude with electronics. “I always told him that all he had to do was lay hands on a computer, project or other electronic device and he would heal it,” Fowler said. “He helped many evening instructors get their presentations up and running.” He was also known as “the college’s real estate expert.” In addition to recruiting quality instructors into the continuing education programs, he offered
real estate classes for more that 20 years. “These classes led to students securing their real estate licenses,” Fowler said. “Another one of his ‘wins’ is the Nurse Aide classes that have produced countless certified nurse aides.” “The evening administration of KC—Longview will suffer,” Fowled added. “I hope I can find someone who will care about this job as much as Barker did. He was a great advocate for the Longview location. His military service was spent in the U.S. Navy and he referred to KC—Longview as the Flagship.”