Reinvest your refund for max benefits NICK SHELLEY Staff Writer The time of year has come for students to be refunded for classes that they decided not to take. Students must spend their refund money wisely. It is best for students to spend the money on causes that would benefit them in the long run, rather than just spend all the money in a week on short-term pleasures. KC hopes that its students will use the funds for educational purposes in the future.
FLARE FINANCIAL AID SURVEY
Borrowed funds put more pressure on students to spend their funds wisely, as the money will need to be paid back. Students could also save the money. Through a survey conducted among 182 students, a majority of the students plan to spend the money on bills or to buy groceries. A number of other students plan to save their money for summer classes. The remaining students in the survey plan to spend their money on other needs, educational or not, such as to buy books or to go to the state basketball tournament.
182 students who qualified for Financial Aid were asked how they planned to spend their refund money. Here are the results. n Save it for summer classes. 24.2% (44) n Save it for future long semester classes. 14.4% (28) n Spend it on books and other educational needs. 22% (40) n Buy groceries or pay bills. 25.3% (46) n Pay down credit cards or other loans. 7.1% (13) n Buy yourself something nice/go on a vacation. 6% (11) • 12 gave answers that were not applicable.
The Flare
Friday, February 13, 2015 Vol. 78 No. 14 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
PROTEST OVER POLICE ACTION
Tiffany Johnson / THE FLARE
Protesters demonstrate outside of the Longview Police Department in downtown Longview last Saturday in support of the family of Kristiana Coignard, a 17-year-old girl shot by police officers at LPD in late January. The demonstration drew about 50 attendees ranging from local citizens to members of the hacktivist group, Anonymous.
Rally calls for ‘Justice’ Awareness, police training recommended as incident thrusts Longview into national spotlight
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KATHRYN AGEE Executive Editor
rotesters were making their voices heard at the Longview Police Department on Saturday, Feb. 7. The majority of the protesters were there to spread awareness of the events surrounding the shooting of 17-year-old Kristiana Coignard. Three people were there to support the Longview Police Department. On Thursday, Jan. 22, Coignard walked into LPD brandishing a knife. She was confronted by three police officers in an ensuing scuffle and shot. The officers involved were placed on paid leave and the
Texas Rangers are currently investigating. Coignard’s father has since hired a lawyer. On Thursday, LPD spokeswoman Kristie Brian said “We definitely appreciate all the support, but ask [police supporters] to stay at home and say a prayer for us. For the safety of our citizens, we just ask them not to come out.” The protest in support of Coignard started at noon. There were about 50 attendees, including protestors, police and members of the media. Men, women and children of all ages and backgrounds were represented. A gray fence blocked off people from the front of the police station where officers monitored the events. On the police station steps were blue balloons, police tape,
American flags and signs that read: “Back the Blue.” A man who asked to remain anonymous was standing by the fence with a wooden rifle. He said he was there to support the movement. “Cops need to know it’s not OK to kill kids, no matter the case. They did not follow protocol. They need more training on handling the mentally ill.” He has three daughters, one in attendance at the protest. She said, “Someone should have seen a cry for help. They need to train officers better.” By 12:30 p.m., there were about 65 people there. Many members of the hacktivist group Anonymous were in attendance, wearing their signature Guy Fawkes masks to show solidarity.
Board acts on asbestos abatement KATHRYN AGEE Executive Editor The proposal for a long-term asbestos abatement plan was unanimously approved by the KC Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Monday night. The proposal was submitted by Larry Snodgrass of ERI Consulting as an answer to allegations of unsafe asbestos removal brought forth at the end of the fall semester. The plan will include inspections and maintenance of all buildings on the KC campus, five buildings on the Longview campus, the Fire Academy Range buildings, and the Farm buildings. The project looks to be completed before the Fall 2015 semester, citing a 150-day target date. ERI will work on a plan for each building in order to: prevent release of asbestos
due to accidental disturbance; inform maintenance staff of the presence of asbestos that may be encountered; provide guidance to KC trustees for budgeting future renovations; and allowing the public ready access on asbestos-containing building material in KC facilities. The management plan will take about 150 hours of field work and 80 hours of report preparation and peer review. The fees on the project will be $24,000. In other action, the board unanimously approved a new Trustees’ Procedure Manual. This version, revised by trustee J. Karol Pruett, changed some of the wording in the manual and added information on how the Board should conduct themselves when being interviewed or interacting with the media. The board also unanimously approved
the resignation of former board member Carlos “Scooter” Griffin, Jr. Griffin resigned in December, and board president James Walker called the official action, “a courtesy to a former board member,” lauding Griffin as, “always financially supportive of the college.” The board met in executive session for an hour and a half to discuss Dr. Bill Holda’s annual evaluation, as well as legal and real estate issues, pursuant with Texas’ Open Meetings Act. When they emerged, the board voted 7-1 to approve Holda’s deferred compensation amount of $24,000, per his contract. Brian Nutt, representing Place 9, was the dissenting vote. In discussion items, the board heard proposals by Holda and Duane McNaney,
The Anonymous members carried signs with messages written on them, such as “At what age did you lose compassion?” “Stop lethal force on children,” ”Justice for Kristiana Coignard,””Arrest don’t shoot,” ”Stop police brutality,” ”Respect existence or expect resistance”, “Pro-cop, anti-murder,” “Mentally ill lives matter,” and “We come in peace.” They also started chanting, “Don’t kill kids,” and “Kristiana didn’t have to die.” One Anonymous member shouted, “Why didn’t God stop Kristiana from being killed?” as a man stood nearby preaching scripture. Matthew Sherman of Longview said, See PROTEST on Page 10
Renovation OK’d VICTORIA WHITWELL Managing Editor The board authorized the administration to proceed with a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the renovation of the Randolph C. Watson Library and Lee Mall area. The “library for today’s learners” will have extensive electrical renovations in order to allow more computers inside the building. At nearly 50 years old, the library is planned to have “little exterior work and more interior work,” according to Dr. Mike Turpin, vice president of instruction. Some of the proposed renovations include first-floor restrooms and a coffee bar in what is being consided, “the interactive floor.”
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