The Flare
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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2014
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Maria Zapata / THE FLARE
Chidinma and Fumnanya Nwadialo are adjusting to the American culture day by day, but continue to keep their Nigerian customs close to heart.
SisterSister Nigerian sisters tell about their culture compared to America
VICTORIA WHITWELL Staff Writer
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wo sisters from Nigeria come to America for a better education and opportunity. More than 6,450 miles away from home, these women are learning to balance their Nigerian ways with American customs. Taking America by a grain of salt, Chidinma Nwadialo and Fumnanya Nwadialo experience the ultimate culture shock. Chidinma first came to America in January 2013. She studied at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown for the spring semester and then transferred to KC for the Fall 2013 semester to be closer to her aunt, an alumna of KC. Chidinma is in America to pursue a degree in chemical engineering. She hopes to use her degree to better the world of fashion and makeup. Fumnanya is pursuing a law degree. November is her fourth month of being in America. “I have my sister here so I’m learning American things faster and easier than she did when she was on her own,” Fumnanya said.
The Nwadialo sisters’ parents, Felix Nwadialo and Pastor Ngozi Nwadialo, both agreed that “the United States of America is still one of the most politically stable democracies where [Chidinma and Fumnanya] can pursue their dreams, their academic goals and other ambitions with minimum political truncation of academic studies.” “As their parents we want to give them the best education that will help them to be very enlightened citizens of both Nigeria and the United States and contribute their best towards the development of the world,” Felix said. The flight from Nigeria to Dallas, Texas is 16 hours long. The sisters come from Lagos, Nigeria, a city with a population of 11 million people. “Lagos is like the New York of Nigeria,” Chidinma said. “You have the state and then you have the city named after the state. It is also big, like New York City.” Lagos is one of 36 states in the country of Nigeria is divided. Some states are divided by tribes such as Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa. These tribes tend to reside in the country part outside the cities of the state.
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“You have the city side, and then you have the village side as well. The village side has huts, vegetation, and no roads,” Fumnanya said. Knowing some of the challenges that were ahead for Chidinma and Fumnanya, Ngozi had her daughters go to boarding school for their high school years. The pastor also made sure the Nwadialo sisters were firm in their beliefs and credits their “godly background” for keeping them from “transition instability and nostalgia.” The Nwadialo sisters are both fully aware that people have many misconceptions about Nigeria. Many Americans have thought of Nigeria as seen on the National Geographic channel - a bare, impoverished land. This conception is far from the truth. “Nigeria has the number one economy in Africa. It thrives on crude oil and agriculture. Nigerians don’t live in trees. There are malls in Nigeria! We have cell phones. We go to the movies, and English is our first language,” Chidinma said. “We also have Kentucky Fried Chicken. I think it tastes better in Nigeria,” Fumnanya added. Culture has been the biggest
barrier for the Nwadialo sisters. “Nigerian culture and America culture are diverse in some aspects; our mode of dressing is different, our mode of greeting, respect for elders, our food, family values, the use of language and family ties,” Ngozi said. “So I expect our daughters to blend the two, provided they are within the context of the already established and acceptable culture. Although we believe in positive flexibility and adaptability in all training given to them.” Respect is a big aspect in Nigerian culture. For instance, it is disrespectful to take anything from an elderly person with your left hand in Nigeria. In school, students dress to look professional. One former fear of the Nwadialo sisters parents was that they would lose respect towards their parents, but their father said that fear has left due to the Nwadialo sisters keeping their parents “informed of whatever they want to do” and seeking their parents’ consent on bigger matters. Food has played a big role in Fumnanya’s culture shock. She said in her culture it is not uncommon for families to cook enough food to
– Chidinma Nwadialo
feed five times the family’s size. It is also important that a Nigerian woman knows how to cook. Some of the Nwadialo sisters’ favorite foods include pounded yam and nsala soup. Rice is the main staple. “There is no event without rice,” Fumnanya said. Chidinma acknowledges that coming to America has had its challenges. As an international student, lectures can be hard to follow due to lack of knowledge in American culture. Outside of school, elements such as transportation and the weather are hinderances to what she is used to. Simple factors such as communication with others and ordering food have been difficult for Chidinma in the past but are becoming easier. “Coming to America has trained me to be tough and more confident. At first, I was afraid people were going to think that I was weird because I’m not from here,” Chidinma said. The Nwadialo sisters may be on their own 6,450 miles away from home; however, they are learning to overcome the culture shock and excel phenomenally in their transitions.
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the music
usic is always around us. We listen to it on our phone, in our cars and computers. Music is such a big influence on our society. We make all types of gadgets to improve our experience. The thing about music is that its very influential on our society and culture. Kids CAMRON can’t wait to hear PORTLEY the next new, Lil’ Wayne single, but News Editor are never ready for class. Don’t get me wrong, I love music, but not at the expense of my individuality. Music has a way of changing teens and young adults. People don’t always realize this and generally overlook it. Music changes each generation, both its self and the people. It’s up to us to enjoy it but not let it change us. Young adults need to keep their heads straight. I’m not saying don’t listen to your favorite rapper or rock-n-roll band. Enjoy them, but you don’t have to be or
do everything you hear them say. College is not a place to play “Who’s the better rapper,” or “I’m a real gangster.” It’s where you prepare yourself for a higher education. Its time to pull up our pants and pick up a book. Atteona Ware, Hamburg sophomore, said,”Music can have a negative effect, but then you have to consider what is music.” When it comes down to it, she has a point. She is not completely disagreeing with the fact that music changed our society, but she sees what music is or how it should be. I understand that we can’t blame all of our problems on music, but with its cultural shifts and it’s easy access, it’s safe to say music has some edge to the situation. We need only to find a medium to stand on to keep us afloat in the pool as it shirts each generation. It’s time to step up to the plate, and play ball. I don’t plan to change who I am because Jaz-Z told me to. I’m going to put in the work, and finish strong. Camron Portley is a mass communication/journalism major from Overton.
Leddy AnsAnAy
E’Lexus Hodge / THE FLARE
from Papua Came to America in 2009 to study chemistry. Uses Skype to keep up with five siblings. She’s the only one of them living in America. Favorite American foods are French fries and mashed potatoes.
Indonesian Insight I
Denise Macon / THE FLARE
MonicA AgAthiArA
from Jakarta, the capital city Lives with her cousin in Longview and is studying computer networking. Uses Skype, Whatsapp and Facebook to keep up with her two younger sisters and younger brother. Favorite American foods are Pizza King, Burger King, and chocolate.
nternational KC students, Leddy Ansanay and Monica Agathiari, both come from the country of Indonesia. Even though these women are from the same country, their lives are very different. Read more about these two in a Q & A interview with Flare reporter Victoria Whitwell on www.theflareonline.com.
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THE FLARE
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Different is allowed KATHRYN AGEE Staff Writer
“W
e as humans have an obligation to lift each other up and make the best of this life we are granted through random chaos,” said Mindy Coleman. “Being a Secular Humanist to me means to be the best person I can for the progression of humanity and to help and educate others.” Mindy Coleman, who has attended KC since 2011, is a board member and Organizations Secretary of the Secular Humanist Society of East Texas. “Secular Humanism is a philosophy that endorses human ethics, morals, and the will power to do good on the foundation of humanity alone without investing in the belief of a deity or a religious following,” she said. Humanists believe people can be ethical on their own accord, not just because of guidelines laid down in religious texts. The majority of Secular Humanists also identify as atheist, agnostic, anti-theist, or free-thinkers. Coleman, who had a conservative Baptist upbringing, stresses that, “I didn’t lose my faith through negativity and failure. I didn’t lose faith, I gained perspective and knowledge.” She has read the Bible and many other religious texts, and has come to her own conclusions, embracing life through “science, reasoning, rational thought, and evidence.” People have lashed out at her for being an atheist without understanding that her beliefs do not make her a bad person, or that she feels lost. “Atheism is ultimately freeing, an awakening,” she said. “I do not believe in putting people down for their beliefs. I encourage anyone who has a strong belief in something to be a voice for whatever it is they choose to believe and embrace it. I simply want to be given the same opportunity, and have people see life from the perspective of an atheist. I want people to be exposed to perspectives other than the ones that have been force-fed since birth.” The Secular Humanist Society of East Texas’ goal as an organization is to get rid of the negative stigmas associated with being non-religious, and to add an outlet for like minded individuals to have friendship and support, while also helping the community. The Secular Humanist Society of East Texas has many varied meet-ups they hold that range from social gatherings, official business meetings, and events that offer eduction in science and secular humanism. The organization held a benefit
concert in Longview that raised $600 for the East Texas Women’s shelter. They also have adopted a 2 mile stretch on Eastman road through the Adopt-AHighway program that they keep clean throughout the year. At the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Longview, they held a successful blood drive. On Sept. 27, the Free thought 2014 convention was held at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. It was East Texas’ first secular convention, with 220 tickets being sold. Aron Ra, Texas State Director of American Atheists, was one of the speakers. Coleman believes it’s important to be open about Secular Humanism in the East Texas because, even though humanists are the minority, they “are not alone and there are many others who think and feel the same way. It’s okay to question things and reject ideals that don’t seem feasible to you. It’s okay to be a non-believer.” Coleman is also the co-runner of East Texas Atheists Helping the Homeless, and will soon be a chairman of the board for the Gregg County Democratic Party, and is a member of North East Texas NORML. Along with all of the activism she does in the community, she is also the mother of three children. Becoming a parent, an atheist, and a vegetarian have been the most defining events of her life. “Each one has changed my life for the better and made me a better person. They all give me motivation to change things and remind me that my life is not the norm. They have taught me patience, self-control, and to always think about things rationally and logically.” Donna Coleman, her former high school English teacher and mother-in-law, knows “Mindy has always been extremely sensitive to the needs of others and thinks nothing of going out of her way to help. Once in high school, a coach was having a very difficult time, and Mindy orchestrated a Saturday of cleaning the coach’s house top to bottom.” Coleman’s life goal is to be someone who made a difference. She is a huge fan of astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and astronomer Carl Sagan, are two people who have made a huge positive impact in how we view the world around us. “I want people to open their minds to reality and the universe,” Coleman said. “I want people to start thinking outside the box and go out and find themselves. Be compassionate towards living things and always put yourself in someone else’s shoes.” “For so many years, I was
Sara Holmes / THE FLARE
Mindy Coleman is pictured above with her three children. a slave, oppressed by menial thoughts and ancient ideologies. When I was finally able to break down that wall of rules and socially acceptable concepts, I truly started to find myself. I have never been more liberated
and free than what I am now. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and I can live for me. I want that for everyone.” With her passion for life, politics, and nurture of humanity, whatever Mindy
Coleman decides to pursue, she does it out of love and the goodness of her heart. “I will be proud to say when and if I am old that I spent the majority of my life making the world a better place.”
We are one
KC Fire Academy trains diverse students with American students teaching true teamwork TIFFANY GRIGG Staff Writer
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uilding partnership capacities leads to a friendly cohesion between participating countries. One way KC executes this concept is through the KC Fire Academy, which trains Canadian and American students, side-by-side. “We have an excellent reputation throughout the fire service and throughout North America,” said Mike Fennell, KC Fire Academy lead instructor. “The Canadians come down here because they know they will get the best training available at a reasonable price.” Though the Canadians and Americans have some differences such as the Canadians eating healthier according to American student, Ben Martin, and the Americans having more respect for elders, according to Canadian student, Quinn Segi they are few. “I’ve more so noticed the similarities between us,” Segi said. “We’re really not much different at all.” Every student, regardless of background, is required to follow the state regulations put forth by the Texas Commission of Fire Protection.
Tory Van Blarcum / THE FLARE
“We have a curriculum that we follow to the letter of the law,” Fennell said. “No one is exempt because of where they come from and all students must complete the skills as we set for them and of course as [mandated] by the TCFP.” Aside from classroom lectures, the fire academy students spend approximately 45% of their time training through various exercises. “Our training here is very fun,” Martin said. “We have to get up early so it’s nice knowing I am getting up to do something I enjoy. We have field days where we will go to the drill field to [train] with the fire hoses, fire extinguishers, fires, search and rescue and [other tasks
typical of] a firefighter’s job description.” For Martin, the KC Fire Academy was an ideal choice to get his training done close to home. “I’d recommend [the KC Fire Academy] to anyone,” Martin said. “It is probably the best in the state. I researched a lot of different places and this was the one I chose. Being able to get fire academy training done and be close to home, since I’m from Longview, made it all worthwhile.” Unlike Martin in being far from home, the Canadian students are able to rely on the brotherhood they share within the fire academy. “The one thing I really stress
to my guys here is ‘we’re a family’,” Fennell said. “The fire service is a big brotherhood of males and females. Since these guys from Canada are so many miles away from home, I give them my cell number so if they run into any trouble or need any help, they can call me anytime, day or night. My wife and I are actually going to cook a meal at the training field the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for the guys.” The mentorship and the care put forth to make the Canadians feel welcome here at KC does not go unnoticed. “It’s definitely a blessing having a chief instructor like Mr. Fennell,” Segi said. “We’re really like one, big family.”
Tina Walls / THE FLARE
Fire students use teamwork to solve a
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THE FLARE
David Stroud, history teacher
Life of serving others
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DAVID McCARTY Staff Writer
t five in the morning David Stroud will be having his coffee listening to one of his countless books on CD. Stroud continues to gain more knowledge on history every day. One could even say that teaching was his destiny. His passion for history propels him into the consuming teacher he is. A student in his class Dustin Taylor said, “He has a passion for teaching instead of teaching just to teach. You can tell he has a reason to be teaching.” David Stroud is a Vietnam veteran who has been teaching here at KC since 1977. Hugh Wink, friend and fellow KC teacher (Business Administrative) said “his knowledge in his area”, and the fact that he is an “excellent speaker” is what sets him apart. Stroud is a history teacher by heart and says that he will teach, “Until he can’t do it any more.”
Stroud was born in Joinerville in 1944 and graduate from Henderson High School. He joined the Marine Corps in 1964 not long after high school graduation. He served four years and was part of the Vietnam War in 1965 at the age of 21, before becoming a drill instructor for his final two years of service. He joined the USMC because, “They were the best by far, nobody came close to being a Marine.” Once Stroud left the Marine Corps he chose to attend Stephen F. Austin State University to become a history major. He graduated in 1976 and has been at KC for 37 years. The two years that he served as a drill instructor really helped him in his decision to become a teacher. In a way, he was a teacher to these young men while he was a drill instructor. His passion for history and teaching went hand-in-hand with each other and he continues to gain as much knowledge as he can. He said he decided to teach for more than 35 years because, “I still love it today as I did when I first started.”
He has written multiple books. His first won third place in a Top 10 reference book contest. He started out writing small articles over swords and collectibles from the Civil War. His book “Grazing Fire” is a collection of poems he wrote. The fascinating thing about the book of poems is that it was all written in one night. After reuniting with members of his Unit who he had not seen in 20 years, Stroud literally went home that night and came up with a book of poems. Being with his close friends, whom he shared such vivid memories opened him up and his poems came pouring out onto the paper. This book actually changed one person’s life who was a Vietnam veteran attending SFA. The man felt lost in a way and his teacher gave him that book to read. After reading the book, the man became a straight A student, because the book gave him a new outlook knowing he wasn’t alone. Stroud had the ability to change someone’s life through his poetry. Stroud has many hobbies and interests
from writing to collecting Civil War memorabilia and even photography. He has taken one of KC’s most memorable Rangerette pictures and still rides around with his camera to this day. He has an avid collection of swords and other antique weapons, including a 1770 hand-made British flintlock. Stroud also collects many books that deal with war and history and now days he prefers to listen to books on CDs. He has listened to more than 576 books since 2002, some books that even take over 35 hours to listen to. He loves his books and even joked with me saying, “I just ordered more history books.” From his stories about the Marine Corps to his passion for history, Stroud is very humble and still energetic about his subject. He teaches summer school just because he doesn’t want to, “Be bored all summer.” From Vietnam to KC, Stroud has lived a remarkable life. In the military and in his teaching, one could view Stroud as “Forever Faithful,” Semper Fi.
Madrigcally delicious O
Commentary by LOGAN HOLLOWAY • The Flare
h, the holiday season. Yet again, it’s that time of year. The time to embrace those you hold most dear and to reflect upon what bounties the year has beset upon you. The time for good will, musical classics, tears of joy and laughter, and Best Buy commercials. So many Best Buy commercials. Of course, it is also the time of year for indulgences. The kind of indulgences that put a smile on your face, and remind you how lucky you are to be alive. The kind that make you wake up on January 2nd and wonder what in the name of all things holy happened to all your clothes. And when that day comes, and that shirt you bought over Thanksgiving now looks like a water balloon filled with chocolate pudding and cauliflower on you, you will remember the indulgences we’re talking about. You couldn’t help yourself going back for third and fourth helpings of the garlic mashed potatoes on the Day of Thanks, and nor should you have. No one blinked an eye when you devoured not one but three pecan pies while watching Charlie Brown’s futile attempts to earn the respect of his friends with a Christmas tree. They knew, as you knew, that this is what the holidays are all about. I guess there’s really no other word for it than full fledged gluttony. And it’s just the absolute best, isn’t it? Well, yes and no. We all love food, and we are all more than happy to embrace a season that invites us to become whole new people, literally. But wouldn’t it be great if there was something extra to it all? One more gummy bear stationed on the roof of that ginger bread house? Of course, it’s Christmas, more is our favorite word! And this year, more is coming your way straight from Kilgore College. This December, for the first time in almost a decade, KC will host its legendary Christmas Madrigal Feast. Dr. Jim Taylor, the Director of Chorale Activities here at Kilgore, will be directing over fifty students from his Chorale and the college’s Culinary Arts Department, as well as a select assortment of volunteers and professional actors in the return of this once loved and sorely missed holiday experience. After becoming quite popular in the early 1980s, the Feast was performed biannually all the way up to the mid 2000s, when faltering attendances caused its temporary dissolution. It is now being restored by Dr. Taylor’s Chorale as a fundraiser, and all funds will go towards their spring trip to Florida. Now, what is a Madrigal Feast you ask? It is a celebration and recreation of a traditional yuletide dinner, performed in an imitation of old Elizabethan England. Complete with a castle themed setting and pageantry, it is sure to offer a night like no other. The feast itself, a four course extravaganza of meats, breads and fruits, will be catered by the Culinary Department, and will of course be prepared to fit the era. The Chorale will be serving the feast in costume, waiting on their audience while performing assortments of songs and musical melodies. The actors will perform skits throughout
the evening, and the court jester will narrate the night along. The Lord and Lady presiding over the feast will be the Earl and Countess of Tewksberry, who will be enacted by Randy and Renee Goldman. They will lead their guests in the Wassail Toast, an English tradition of welcoming the yuletide with a holiday mead, and they’ll oversee the arrival of the boar’s head on its truncheon. The Chorale will end the festivities with a small concert, and the jester will call a conclusion to the evening. All performances will be scripted, and the music will be composed by Dr. Taylor and his department. The feast will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and Wednesday, Dec. 3, in the Outreach Center of Trinity Episcopal Church in Longview. Tickets are now on sale and, as each dinner can only seat 150 guests, they are going fast. So put down that fork, good neighbor, and put suicide by carrot cake on hold. Before you start crying at the thought of seeing your in-laws gathered around your dining room table again, or cringing at the idea of another one of your uncle’s incredibly racist war stories, just know that there is a table waiting for you this Christmas that promises nothing but freedom and enjoyment for your jollyparched soul. And food, of course. Lots and lots of food.
THE FLARE
Kellsie Ruiz, Kilgore sophomore,
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Photo G T
hese selected photographs represent interpretive expressive images from the Portraiture, Photo Digital Imaging and Photography II classes. These images explore major photographic themes that include the human condition, editorial and interpretive portraiture and form and figure.
Rain Cohn- Portraiture II
Michael Brown- Photography II
E’Lexus Hodge- Photogra
URES
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Gallery Sara Holmes- Photo Digital Imaging II
aphy II
- Photography II
Valerie O’Conner- Photography II
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014
F E AT U R E S
“It made me realize that there is much more to life and that it anymore.”
E’Lexus Hodge / THE FLARE
Britt Davis, Tri-C director,
Director sees growth Longest serving KC Bible Chair shares story about coming to KC
KEVON PRICE Staff Writer
“I
have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,” Galatians 2:20. This verse speaks a lot to most people, but for Britt Davis, it speaks the truth of how he lives his life. “It made me realize who I was as far as being a Christian. It made me realize that there is much more to life and that it wasn’t about me anymore,” Davis said. Davis was born in Mobile, Ala., but grew up in Sacramento, Calif., with his brothers. Britt is the only brother in TX. Davis has been on the campus for 11 years, the longest of any of the Bible Chair directors.
Before Davis was at KC, he received a phone call from a friend about a job opening at the Christian Campus Center. “I came out on a Wednesday night and then on Thursday morning I flew out to Honduras. When I got back they called me and offered me the job,” Davis said. “Britt was a huge help when I started here at the Wesley five years ago,” Rev. Amy Hodge, Wesley Director, said “He welcomed me into this community as a colleague and a peer and has grown to be a good friend.” said Hodge. The director has really made a big impact here at KC. For Newsham, Gladewater sophomore, Britt has impacted his life. “If you need help for anything, he will bend over backward for you. He will make sure that you are okay. You don’t really have to worry about anything because he is
always there for you,” Newsham said. Davis said the best thing about being director for 11 years is seeing the growth of the Tri-C and its students. “We started with 15 students and now we have over 250. Another thing that we have established is better relationships with the churches from the East Texas and California area,” Davis said. Davis teaches the life and teachings of Christ on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at the Tri-C. Davis has accomplished and would like to add another accomplishment to the list. “I really would like to see some spiritual dynamics change. When I first started, we only offered four classes in religion. I wish we could go back to more religious education in the state school,” said Davis. Since religion is not taught in high school and is rarely taught at colleges, Davis
believes that everyone should be learning about God, no matter where you are. Not only does Davis teach about Christ, he also loves to spread his joy for the Word around the world. Davis has been involved in mission trips on every continent except Antarctica. “Every continent had something to offer. It gave me an opportunity to learn more about myself, the church and more about God,” Davis said. Davis is very passionate about his love for Christ, the Bible and loves his walk with God. “My walk with God has been up and down, like a roller coaster. I know who I belong to. When you try to walk, people will try to knock you down, but he is always there to pick me up,” Davis said. “In general, it has been the greatest thing that has happened to me in my life.”
Renaissance instructor HUNTER LOHR Staff Writer
Lucas Kitchen: Is a Visual arts instructor a Filmmaker a Published author Created the KC Campaign for Excellence video ... and more.
“H
e’s developed into a friend and a colleague… He’s one of the best men I know,” said Larry Kitchen about his son Lucas. So who is Lucas Kitchen? Kitchen is an adjunct KC visual arts instructor, but has more going on than most people know. Kitchen is an independent filmmaker, published author and the creator of the Kilgore College Campaign for Excellence video. Kitchen got into filmmaking because he had visions. The first was a character dressed in 1800s who inspects an ant bed, draws in a leather-bound book, stands and teleports away. “It was a process of asking myself things like ‘Who is he, what happens next?’” Kitchen said. He had lots of ideas but it was a balance between affordability to shoot against his excitement about the film. “We shot all kinds of crazy stuff. One of my favorites was a Star Wars spoof that took place in the halls of KHS called Janitor Wars,” Kitchen said. He was unsure what his job would be when they started shooting, but clarity came soon. “I realized after the first day of shooting ‘Oh, I’m the director,” Kitchen said. The film won a first place award in a student film festival. His first feature film he shot was called “Cookie,” which he claims was not a good movie. “It was shot really well, it had a great look,” Kitchen said. Despite skipping the script writing process, they learned a lot from the movie. Kitchen soon found more success with his next big project, “InDifferent Worlds,” a documentary shot in India. The movie focused on a group of six Americans that took a humanitarian trip to India to feed orphans and clothe the homeless. “It was a blast, and we found a much bigger accepting audience with this film than we did with ‘Cookie,’” Kitchen said. The film was accepted into the AOF film festival in Los Angeles, Calif. and was nominated for Best Documentary Political. Kitchen has been writing for years, even as part of his video business he is always writing something – for scripts, marketing copy, voice overs or a variety of other projects. He knew he liked to write, but shied away from it for some specific reasons,
E’Lexus Hodge / THE FLARE
the first of which being that he is a slow reader. “I have high comprehension, but I read at about audible speed,” said Kitchen. The second obstacle faced as a writer was grammar. “…I am very strong verbally but when it comes to writing it down, I’ was, not-quite. “always;sure’where.. the punctuation-goes,” joked Kitchen. According to Kitchen, he had movie ideas that were begging to be born, but it occurred to him that he would never be able to make his movies the way he wanted
due to lack of funds, but it was free to write them as books, thus began his career as a fiction author. He was finally ready to take the leap and start his first book, “World Builder.” His biggest hurdle was convincing himself that what he wrote was worth reading. “It was all kind of a mystery to me. I wasn’t sure how you go about writing a book,” he said. After the first chapter, he followed his wife around the house trying to determine if
what he wrote was worth reading. Kitchen kept working on it, carving out a few hours every Saturday to finish “World Builder,” completing the book after a few months. He printed copies and set them around his house. His wife was the first person to ever read one of his books. “I was hoping to have my wife read it and tell me what she thought, but I didn’t want to tell her that, because I wanted her to want to read it,” he said. Over the next year, Kitchen began work on another book called “Divine Children,” and carved away many of the things that he felt weakened his first book, emerging with a better end result. After “Divine Children” came “Cloud Haven,” and he now has three other books in the works: “Exemplar Rising,” and a nonfiction book about storytelling that is currently untitled, and “Infinite Tomorrow.” “There will be a point in our far future where technology integrates so seamlessly into life that it will not seem to exist other than in the form of what looks like magic,” Kitchen’s filmmaking has also led him to do work for KC. “John Vashey contacted me about working with the college to produce a short film for their foundation. In my video business, this is the type of work I’ve done for the last seven years,” Kitchen said, “Things don’t always go smoothly, but it was such a fun experience working with them.” Kitchen said that everyone involved in the project exuded trust in him, which made the project a lot more fun. Currently, Kitchen wants to work on a documentary and said, “The main thing is that I’m really interested in getting people to think about Jesus.” Kitchen said the book is loosely based on Arthur Clarke’s three laws of science fiction. Kitchen recommends watching the films Gravity and Interstellar, and states that his personal favorites are City of Ember, Cloud Atlas and The Twilight Saga. “I’m a huge fan of space movies that inspire young people or old people to become involved in space exploration,” Kitchen said. “I consider Lucas to be one of the most creative people I have ever encountered,” Coy Lothrop, Graphic Design Instructor said, “his mind operates on a completely different level. He’s both intelligent and insightful, and a truly compassionate soul…I couldn’t be more honored to have him on the team here at KC.”
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Pitch perfect piccolos Langston, Lewis play the ‘biggest’ instrument RICHARD NGUYEN Staff Writer
“I
like being heard over everybody else,” Morgan Langston, Longview sophomore and first chair piccolo for the KC marching band, said. Langston, a veteran with the piccolo, has been playing for more than eight years. The piccolo is the loudest instrument in the band. “You can hear one piccolo over a 100-piece band, all by itself,” Sarah Lewis, Longview sophomore and second chair piccolo for the KC marching band, said. It’s also one of the smallest instruments in a marching band. “Mr. Wells just put a piccolo in my lap and I just started playing and did the best I could,” Lewis said, a long time flute player has been playing piccolo for the last four months. Langston and Lewis have been ‘seat buddies’ the past two years behind Glenn Wells, director of bands, marching band. Lewis had first picked up a piccolo in band camp prior to this Fall. “People always say it’s harder to tune two piccolos than three,” Lewis said. The two piccolo players took this as a challenge and were playing in tune right off the bat. Their success is no surprise to Wells, who has known both Langston and Lewis since before they joined at the Ranger Band. Wells said they
have been playing in tune since they started to play together in August. Langston has been first chair at Union Grove High School since sixth grade. Langston impressed judges just two years later earning All-Region first chair piccolo in eighth grade. Langston brings a lot of experience and knowledge to help Lewis grow into her role. Lewis doesn’t usually ask for much help. She says that she typically watches, listens and tries to mimic Langston. The two have really benefited from each other. Langston praised Lewis for her ability to not only learn the piccolo, but to play it at a high level. “She just picked it up and was already good at it!” Langston said. Lewis’ work ethic and experience with the flute helped her adjust to playing the piccolo, which is not only louder, but is much smaller than the flute. Lewis has been playing the flute since she was in the sixth grade for Pine Tree until moving to Hallsville, but had never played a piccolo prior to this season. The way Langston and Lewis have been able to play in tune together has impressed everyone around them. “Now piccolos, I don’t want y’all to mess up, because everybody can hear it.” Wells told his two players on the first day of school. Piccolo players don’t have the luxury of having a music sheet in
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Morgan Langston and Sarah Lewis are always smiling and ready to showcase their piccolos. front of them. This forces them to memorize all the music that the band plays while marching. “The toughest thing is maintaining a good air flow,” Lewis said Playing the piccolo on a windy day is no walk in the park. A piccolo player’s airflow can easily
be affected by the wind. Making sure they are letting enough air into their instrument while controlling their breathing is just one challenge that Langston and Lewis have learned to overcome. “They are very motivated and industrious,” Wells said As Langston and Lewis prepare
for concert season, they look to improve on their chemistry together. Langston plans on pursing her degree in film at the University of North Texas, while Lewis is finishing her Associates of Arts and looks to work in the Physical Therapy field after KC.
Drawing a bright future LEAH BRYCE Staff Writer
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ines of concentration are etched into a young woman’s forehead as she sits on her bed and creates an image of a horse with a pencil. Sauntering by the room the young woman’s little sister spots her drawing and mimics her movements. Longview sophomore, LeAnna Latham’s mimicking developed after seven years, making her one of KC’s most promising artist. Starting at a young age, Latham began honing her artistic ability and doing so with a passion that inspires others. “Occasionally students are so good that you look at their work and you want to race home and paint or draw,” art instructor, Larry Kitchen said. “It just reminds you that you have to go do some of that, and her work is on that level where it makes me want to go get to the easel. Her work is inspiring.” Known for her kindness and graciousness, Latham, intends to continue her education at Stephen F. Austin State University and eventually teach at a small college like KC. According to Latham she chose KC because of its location and she received an art scholarship from placing third at Kilgore College Secondary Art Symposium and two scholarships from art instructor, Larry Kitchen. “I want to see her teach. She is kind and I think that is why we both see her in teaching, because she is just so patient with people,” art instructor Carolyn Fox-Hearne said. “To be in the art world and in the gallery world, to really succeed as an artist, only about five percent make a full living doing gallery work. Artists usually have a second job. I think she would really enjoy that.” Art is known for being an outlet for expressionism and, according to Latham, that is her favorite thing about being an artist, as well. Throughout history it has been noted that art brought people together for different reasons, from decor in the Baths of Constantine to a Michael Jackson concert. “As a community the art people are the same. We are all kind of weird and we all click well and it’s like a big family both here and in high school,” Latham said. “In high school we had all girls in our art class and we all clicked. Some of them were really girly, It went from really girly to gothic. We all blended and it was nice.” Although, Latham contributes the feeling of community to artist instructors Fox-Hearne and Kitchen, believe that she is behind this. According to Kitchen
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LeAnna Latham has her drawing pad in hand and ready to draw. she posses a presence of demure, patience, strong character and a unusually high work ethic. “We’ve had talented kids in the past that were a little full of themselves,” Fox-Hearne added. “They knew they were good and they were hard to coach and work with. I just wanted to just shake them and say ‘look you don’t know it all yet’ and she’s not like that. That’s one of the reasons why I like to teach. She affects us. We may come across a student who is difficult and then we turn around to look at Leanna and know that’s why we’re still here, students like her.” College is a time to grow for all and Latham is no exception. When
she first began at KC she had only attempted one color painting and, according to her, it did not turn out well. But as she has taken classes, she has expanded her ability to new mediums. “I remember one painting class she was struggling with color and she felt like she had fouled up her portrait that she had done in class,” Kitchen said. “She stayed up all night and walked back in with probably the most beautiful black and white painting of Keira Knightley that I had ever seen. I mean, it was really a gorgeous piece. She actually trained herself overnight to do what she had been doing with pencil portraits for a
couple of years.” For Latham, talent isn’t the only aspect of her that makes her stand out among other. Not abashed about physical labor. Latham has picked fruit, cleaned apartments and other odd jobs without complaint. “She has been a reminder that talent combined with kindness is a beautiful thing,” Kitchen said. “I saw her portrait book this month and 50 small sketches of people in various poses on two pages in a sketch book. That’s unique because it’s something young artists usually avoid sketching -the entire human figure until we force it on them and she has got it already. She
has an understanding there from her work ethic.” Inspiration comes in many different forms. For some it’s a historical figure, or a pop star, or a family member. For Latham it’s all three. Starting with her mother, she also finds inspiration in Caravaggio and Michael Jackson. “I really like Caravaggio and his realism art,” Latham said. “He paints really dark backgrounds and there is this one picture where a woman is cutting a guys throat and there is blood splatter all over the place. I like the dark shadows and the intense dramatic lighting.” Although, a different type of artist, Michael Jackson brings inspiration to Latham and decoration. According to Latham, every Halloween her family dresses their mailbox up as Michael Jackson, complete with a white glove on the flag. “I would have loved to meet Michael Jackson. He’s very inspiring. He’s an idol of mine because he was picked on,” Latham said. “He was so creative and so unique and he is the King of Pop. I don’t really listen to pop, but if it’s Michael Jackson I’m all about it. I can’t dance like him, though. I kind of have the moonwalk down, but it’s only two slides and then I freak out.” Much like her inspirations, Latham commits herself to her own artistic style. Rendering up realistic portraits, she prefers a graphite medium (pencil drawings), but has become more experienced with other mediums since being at KC. “I just think she has so much of her own style, which we try to promote, that I wouldn’t liken her to anyone. We look at her work and we just say, that’s Leanna’s,” Fox-Hearne said. “We can literally go into each other’s classrooms and pick out which is hers. I don’t think I’d want to compare her to anyone else. It’s very unusual to develop a style at this young of an age, but I think she has her own style.” In her free time Leanna does more than draw. She is also an avid reader and enjoys the television series “Supernatural,” along with her favorite movies, “Legends of the Guardians,” and “Forrest Gump.” “Reading has been one of my top favorite things to do,” Latham said. “I have this Kindle that’s about four years old, but I still use it. It’s been sad though, because these last three weeks I’ve been so busy with school I haven’t gotten to read much. Fantasy and adventure books are my favorite and the book Sora’s Quest by T. L. Sheffer is my favorite book.” Anyone can find inspiration, but few can be that inspiration and Latham, is one of the few.
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THE FLARE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014
F E AT U R E S
Offering hope Turning away from substance abuse, student turns life toward God’s work THAO NGUYEN • Staff Writer
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t what point where you first exposed to alcohol and drugs? For Ashley Benningfield, Overton freshman, the answer is rather young. From the age of 12 years until she was 30. Benningfield says that she has been on and off of drugs and alcohol for 15 years. Her mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol. That was the first time she was exposed and started getting involved with it. There were multiple times where she tried to stop, but she could not do it alone. Benningfield decided to finally get help. She wanted and desired more out of life. She started praying to Jesus frequently and went to “Sunshine Lighthouse,” she said. It is a place where they teach women how to be a lady. She also attended Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery is a 12-step program that helps people with anger management, codependency, and they also have sponsors there. The program offers support groups that people can get involved with. It also offers long-lasting freedom through introducing people to Jesus. Benningfield says she was saved by Jesus two years ago. She still attends Celebrate Recovery at least once a week. “I pray A LOT.” Benningfield said. She said Jesus guides her in life and ever since, it has changed her life in numerous ways. She has been recovered for 1 and a half years now. She wants to dedicate her life to practicing abstinence, purity, and sobriety. It is ‘back to basics’ for her because she wants to be pure before she gets married. “I have hope” Benningfield said. Benningfield has two children; an 8-year-old daughter named Amethyst and a 15-year-old son named Ashten. Benningfield’s experiences inspired and motivated her to help others who are going through the same things, she said. She devoted her life to Jesus and likes helping people in general. It is her passion to help people and solve problems. “I’m a peace-maker. It’s not me, Jesus helped me,” she said. Benningfield likes
to volunteer at various places during her free time. She volunteers at the New London Baptist Church where they feed children and read them stories from the Bible. This is when she realized she had a passion to do this. Every Saturday, she volunteers at “Jesus Burgers” with her daughter, where they share messages of Jesus with people. Candace Heezen, Career and Services Learning staff member said, “She always has a positive attitude and she always gets excited when we talk about volunteer work.” She also volunteers at “Refuge of Life” where she helps children ages 12 to 17 who have been in human trafficking. She has a heart and passion to help girls who have been through this. She wants to give those girls hope. Benningfield’s job working on campus at Career and Services Center. She is working towards getting an Associates in Behavioral Science and then work toward a Bachelors degree in Human Resources. Benningfield is quick to avoid temptation, Men ask her out to lunch and she will say that she has things to do on campus. If people ask her to go to football games, she will suggest, ‘let’s go with a group.’ Benningfield said. “There’s always a way out. I just look for the way out.” She wants to give people hope again. If Benningfield can have ‘hope,’ then others can too.
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stands in front of the Baptist Student Center.