Vol. 81, No. 14 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
February 16, 2018
FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Board hikes tuition rate Board of trustees meets to discuss developments
I
King’s
DREAM
Photo Illustration by: Kori Stroud / THE FLARE
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
ncreasing tuition, retention and smiles were all on the agenda for Monday night’s KC Board of Trustees meeting. The main action of the evening came with the unanimous increase of tuition and fees, which will begin with the Fall 2018 semester. Trustee Joe Carrington, chair of the Investment/Finance/Audit Committee, reported that, ranked among seven other community colleges in the area, KC sat at the bottom of the pack with the lowest per hour fees and tuition. By raising tuition $4 an hour for in-district students and $6 for out-of-district students along with the increase of $2 in general education fee, the respective rates per semester hour will increase to $79 and $154 per semester credit hour. This will raise KC to the second-lowest rate in the area (after Panola) and 11th lowest in the state among the 50 community colleges. “In total, our tuition is going to raise about $422,000,” Carrington said. “Fee increases should bring in another $600,000, so we’re talking about a little over $1 million that we need, that we feel like we need to invest in the students and the faculty.” In the Spotlight section of the meeting, KC employees Jimmy Rieves, Chris Gore, Ronda Lee and Ebony Dennis were recognized by Dr. Mike Jenkins, vice president of student development, for their work with the Retention Model Task Force. Dr. Jenkins explained how the college’s Jenzabar software system is now being used to aid in student retention and success, In addition to assessing risk of nonreturning students, it also serves as an early alert system to help pinpoint struggling students and offer them assistance. “The retention module as well as retention risk module, are pieces of data that lead to us being able to support our students,” said Dr. Brenda Kays, KC president. “If you were to go out to the market, you would find similar products asking thousands of dollars. And so with that in mind, the sophistication that we’ll see from this level of work is something that you’ve never experienced at KC.” Jeff Williams, facilities director, presented his proposal for upcoming bridge maintenance, including power washing, updating electrical work and repairing the cage. Two bids are currently being considered. Cecelia Sanders, chair of the Student Success Committee, praised Dr. Kays’ administrative team for their emphasis on Radical Hospitality. The next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 9, on the second floor of the McLaurin Administration Building. — Sarah Redford and Jamie Hwang
Ash Wednesday at KC Religious holiday falls on Valentine’s Day LUCAS STROUGH Executive Editor Ash Wednesday was observed on the KC Campus on Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the Wesley Foundation as Pastor Ben Bagley from St. Luke’s in Kilgore officiated. Ash Wednesday is a traditional Christian holiday which is celebrated annually to mark the beginning of the 40-day period before Easter. This 40-day period is known as Lent and participants typically observe this period by giving up something that they normally enjoy, such as a luxury or enjoyable habit. For example, some people may give up eating red meat or sugary foods for Lent, while others may give up watching television or using social media. Giving up these things is supposed to
remind participants of Christ’s sacrifice as he spent 40 days wandering the desert. Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of the Easter season, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion on the cross. In the Ash Wednesday ceremony, a priest will use palm ashes to draw a cross on an observer’s forehead which they will wear for the rest of the day. The palm ashes are typically made by burning dried palm fronds left over from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. As the priest places the ashes on the forehead of the participant, he or she may recite Mark 1:15, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” followed by Genesis 3:19, which reads: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Keaton Shelley / THE FLARE
Che’ara Blackwell, Denver, Colorado, freshman, participates in the Ash Wednesday ceremony held at the Wesley on Wednesday.
THE FLARE
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FACE IN THE CROWD
timothy sirus Hometown: White Oak Age: 32 Major: Journalism Who is your favorite author? F. Scott Fitzgerald. His sentences start in one place and end in a totally different one. What are your plans after KC? I will go to UT Austin and major in journalism. I love stories and giving people information so they can change their life.
Maria Cabrera / THE FLARE
What are you looking forward to this semester? My first literature essay because I really want a chance to write fiction.
What advice would you give your younger self ? I would tell myself to go into the military. I would learn discipline in that environment. If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be? Alexander the Great. His life was rich with adventure and conquest. What type of stories do you want to write after you graduate UT Austin?
I want to write stories about tech innovations in the medical field. Who inspires you and why? I would have to say that Michael Crichton inspires me the most. He was so creative, and all of his stories contain deep, pertinent themes which urge humanity to be more cautious with technology. If you had an unlimited travel budget, where would you go and what would you do? I would go to Peru and hike in the Andes.
Chinese ring in New Year CLAIRE FENG Staff Writer Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is the most important holiday for the Chinese. The festival is a time to honor deities as well as ancestors. It is also a time to bring family together. This year, Chinese New Year begins on Feb 16 and marks the beginning of the Year of the Dog, one of the Chinese zodiac animals. With centuriesold traditions, myths and customs, Lunar New Year is also celebrated in many other Asian countries, including Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, Vietnam,
Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Cambodia. However, the customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Lunar New Year vary widely in every region. Normally, celebrations run from the first day of the first month in the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar and will last around 15 days until the middle of the first month. During this time, businesses come nearly to a stop; family and celebrations are the principle focus. In preparation for the holiday, houses are thoroughly cleaned to get rid of “huiqi”, ominous spirits or illfortune, and to make way for
incoming good luck. Other activities include lighting firecrackers to drive away evil spirits and adorning the house with red decorations as red symbolizes happiness, wealth and prosperity. These traditions came from the ancient myth- Tale of Nian. Legend has it that a mythical monster named “Nian” will come out every year on New Year’s Eve to harm children and damage people’s properties. Later, people found out that “Nian” is scared of the color red and cracker sounds. As a result, people launch fireworks and use red decorations to repel “Nian”. On New Year’s Eve, families gather around for
the annual reunion dinner. Fish, dumplings and meat as well as all kinds of vegetables are served for this sumptuous feast. Fish, pronounced as “Yu” in Chinese, is a homophone for “surpluses”; dumplings, whose shape resembles the Chinese tael, are believed to bring in wealth and treasures. In fact, rituals
carried out during this period are meant to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the householdgiving out red envelopes in particular. Hóngbo, red envelopes stuffed with money, is handed out to younger generations by elders to protect the children from evil, keep them healthy, and bring
Chinese New Year Greetings Happy New Year! -新年快樂 (xīn nián kuài lè ) Wish you prosperity! -恭喜發財 (gong xǐ fā cái) May all your wishes be fulfilled! -萬事如意 (wàn shì rú yì) May you be peaceful all year round! -歲歲平安(suì suì píng ān) Good luck! -大吉大利！(dà jí dà lì)
luck for the new year ahead. The amount given in red envelopes is important- the number often includes six or eight, which means smooth and prosperity respectively. However, any amount including the number “4” is considered a taboo- that means no $4, $40, or $400since the pronunciation of “four” in Chinese sounds like the word for death. Celebrations among most Asian countries and Chinatown around the world starts today. Claire is an international journalism student originally from Vietnam.
KC presents ‘All in the Timing’ The Kilgore College Theatre Department will present, “All in the Timing,” a collection of one-act plays by the American playwright David Ives. The short plays are all comedies, focusing mainly on language and wordplay, existentialist perspectives on life and meaning, and the complications of romantic relationships. The play is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 1-3, with a matinee performance 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 4. General admission tickets
are $10 for adults, $7 for students and $5 for KC students with a student ID. This play is rated PG-13. Children under the age of 8 will not be admitted. Late arrivals will also not be admitted. The box office will open one hour prior to each performance. Tickets can be purchased online at www.kilgore.edu/ drama or by phone at 903983-8126. For more information e-mail the KC Theatre Box Office at box office@kilgore. edu.
Act Right: UIL play clinic critiqued by KC experts CASSIDY DANIEL Staff Writer Over the upcoming weeks, Micah Goodding and his theatre classes, will host 24 schools for their annual UIL One Act Play Clinic. One Act Play is a competition hosted by the University Interscholastic League and is the largest high school play production competition in the world. From as far south as College Station and west as El Paso, the KC One Act Play Clinic is in its fifth year of mentoring high school One Act Play competitors. As a part of the scholastic competition, high schools present a play no longer than 40 minutes, with seven minutes to set and strike the stage. Following their production practice at KC, participating high schools will receive one hour of critiques from a panel of four clinicians with over 100 years of combined experience. In addition to receiving critiques from the clinicians, participating high school students receive a tour of the KC Main Campus through the Ranger Ambassadors. Students also receive an inside look
at the Texas Shakespeare Festival facilities and gain the opportunity to learn about the TSF’s high school workshop. With four clinic days in all, the Van Cliburn Auditorium is overflowing with visiting high schools, clinicians and KC students. KC theatre students are hosting visiting schools in a variety of ways. To keep the clinic running, theatre students are using their class hours and personal time to welcome Texas high schools. The clinic also serves as an opportunity for students who are interested in Delta Psi Omega to earn points towards induction. Delta Psi Omega serves a service to the community and college and serves as leadership to the theatre department. In its first year, KC theatre welcomed five schools and last year, more than 30 schools visited KC campus for the clinic. Of the current theatre majors at KC, Goodding estimates that at least half were once students at the clinic over the last years.
Cast members: Sure Thing: Bill-Ian Kirkpatrick Betty-Madison Brown Philadelphia: Al-Griffin O’Neal Waitress-Stephanie Barajas Mark-Ian Kirkpatrick Words, Words, Words: Swift-Bucky Vandoren Kafka-Ian Kirkpatrick Milton-Raymond Robinson
The Universal Language: Dawn-Stephanie Barajas Don-Raymond Robinson Young man-Bucky Vandoren Mere Mortal: Joe-Jacob Write Charlie-Raymond Robinson Frank-Griffin O’Neal Variations on the Death of Trotsky: Trotsky-Griffin O’Neal Mrs. Trotsky-Stephanie Barajas Ramon-Bucky Vandoren
‘A Day in the Life’ seminar will feature Eastman employee From Staff Reports KC’s Randolph C. Watson Library staff will host its fourth “A Day in the Life” seminar featuring Ray Player, a 41-year employee of Eastman Chemical Company and part-time instructor for KC’s Process Technology program. Player has worked at Eastman since 1976 where
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he currently serves as a training instructor. He will give students and prospective students a clear understanding of what it is like to work in the field of process technology. This field is an environment of teams of people responsible for planning, analyzing, and controlling the production of products from the acquisition of raw materials
through the production and distribution of products to customers in a variety of process industries. There will be two seminars featuring Player set for 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the conference room on the second floor of the library. Seminars are open to KC students, prospective students and the public.
Space is limited, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Employees from the KC Counseling Center will also attend the seminars to answer questions about career exploration options. For more information contact Tony Addie, library support specialist, at 903988-7441 or taddie@kilgore. edu.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018 n PAGE 3
THE FLARE
Kori Stroud / THE FLARE
Students enjoy a 4-D experience in the Devall Student Center Game Room on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Residential Life hosts virtual reality experience in appreciation of KC students on Tuesday RAHSAAN SHEPPARD Staff Writer What if I told you that you can have a full fourdimensional virtual reality experience just by putting on a pair of goggles? KC Residential Life brought the Virtual Reality E-motion Matrix to campus from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. this past Tuesday in the Devall Student Center Game Room, “to show love and appreciation to the students for Valentine’s Day,” said Ashley Mason, residential
life coordinator. James Conteh, Brooklyn, New York, freshman said “we should have a permanent Virtual Reality E-motion Matrix at KC.” He said it was a great experience and a lot of fun. Matrix is the exclusive touring virtual reality 360-experience created by KRAMER Entertainment, Inc., that includes a motion platform and sensory viewers. The E-motion Matrix is engineered with the highest technology to deliver a full
4D virtual reality and comes with different levels ranging from basic; exciting; and extreme. “Basic, is fun and I would recommend it to amateurs.”sadi Eontae Waters; Jonesboro, Louisiana, freshman. One E-motion Matrix set cost ranges from $400,000$700,000 to own, but the E-motion Matrix can also be rented for events, sports attractions, game shows and live acts. To contact KRAMER Entertainment, Inc. call 1-888- 655-7263.
TJC double-header splits KC, Rangers to come home Saturday Thurmon’s 34 points lead KC to victory over TJC
Grant Worley / THE FLARE
Davon Newton slam dunks the basketball while towering over a Panola defender during their game on Jan. 31. The Rangers and Lady Rangers will play a double-header at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. this Saturday against Bossier Parish at Masters Gymnasium on the KC campus.
Rangers to host Shoot-out Weather permitting, four teams to kick up dirt at KC Commons on NW corner of campus Friday, Feb. 16 9 a.m. Texas College vs Kilgore 11 a.m. Texas College vs Paris 1 p.m. Murray State vs Kilgore 3 p.m. Murray State vs Paris
Saturday, Feb. 17 9 a.m. Murray State vs Paris 11 a.m. Texas College vs Paris 1 p.m. Murray State vs Kilgore 3 p.m, Texas College vs Kilgore
KC is the home team in each of their games. The team listed last will be in the 3rd base dugout.
TYLER, TX -- Kilgore College's Jade Thurmon lit up Wagstaff Gymnasium Feb. 14 scoring 34 points for the Lady Rangers in a 78-72 come-from-behind victory over Tyler Junior College at Wagstaff Gymnasium. The Lady Rangers (15-9, 9-6 Region XIV) rallied from a 12-point deficit to defeat the Lady Apaches (12-13, 6-9 Region XIV). Thurmon was 12-of-15 from the free throw
line and added seven rebounds. KC's Tyra Cormier was also in double figures with 11 points. TJC was led in scoring by Kierra Brimzy with 16 points. The Lady Rangers will host Bossier Parish Community College 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, in Masters Gymnasium. — KC Press
Rangers falter to No. 16 TJC, 72-62 TYLER, TX -- The No. 16 Tyler Junior College Apaches went on an offensive spree with four minutes left in the game Feb. 14 to rally to defeat the Kilgore College men, 7262. KC (13-10, 5-9 Region XIV) led most of the game until Micah Thomas made two free throws to give Tyler (22-3, 12-3 Region XIV) a 62-61 lead with 4:01 left in the game.
TJC's Brian Warren scored 25 points and Desmond Balentine scored 22 for the Apaches. Chad Bowie led all Rangers with 15 points. The KC men will host Bossier Parish Community College 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Masters Gymnasium. — KC Press
FOLLOW THE GAMES ON KDOK WITH THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCIES IN THE EAST TEXAS AREA: 1240 AM/105.3 FM IN KILGORE, 101.9 FM IN LONGVIEW AND 107.9 FM IN HENDERSON. KILGORE COLLEGE SPORTS BROADCASTS ALSO WILL BE STREAMED LIVE ON THE INTERNET AT WWW.KDOKRADIO.COM, WWW.TSRNSPORTS.COM AND THE TUNEIN RADIO APP.
PAGE 4 n FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018
THE FLARE
THE FLARE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018 n PAGE 5
YOUR VIEW
The Student Newspaper of Kilgore College Since 1936
How do you honor your heritage?
Vol. 81 • No. 14 Friday, February 16, 2018 Photos by Maria Cabrera / THE FLARE
Executive Editor Lucas Strough Managing Editor Allison Taliaferro Assistant Editor Lonnie Ross Copy Editor Sarah Redford Features Editor Lisa Harris
“Having a Quinceañera and making tamales for Christmas.”
Staff Writers Adriana Cisneros, Cassidy Daniel, Claire Feng, Tony Gore, Quan Le, Nelda Milligan-Turner, Javier Orta, Alec Reyes, Keaton Shelley, Rahsaan Sheppard, Chris Williams, Yasmine Wilson
Diana Montemayor Houston freshman
Photographers Maria Cabrera, Whitney Ervin, Grace Garcia, Brooke Harris, Lonnie Ross, Keaton Shelley, Kori Stroud, Lucas Strough, Gabriel Wade, Mary Williams-Smith, Grant Worley
“Me and my family celebrate Christmas every year.”
Adviser Rachel Stallard
Lance Boland Union Grove sophomore
Photography Adviser O Rufus Lovett
come TOGETHER Photo Illustration by Keaton Shelley / THE FLARE
“All my family comes to my house. We eat, watch TV and enjoy each other’s company.” Mejha Coleman Kilgore sophomore
“For New Year’s Day every year, my family cooks collard greens and black-eyed peas for good luck and income.” Jordan Scott Kilgore sophomore
U
nity is defined by the M e r r i a m - We b s t e r Dictionary as the quality or state of not being multiple; oneness. But what does that mean to us? Complete equality is something that is hard to come by nowadays. People are always trying to be significantly better than one another but the reality is that we are all equal, by the letter of the law and by the laws of nature. When we strive to succeed at the expense of others or when we claim superiority over our neighbors, we are pursuing a goal that is based on false ideals. We, as a complete entity, need to stick together. Life is not a competition. It’s not about getting our way, it’s about securing the brightest future for ourselves and our fellow citizens. When we start to think about our lives in a competitive way, we start to focus only on
“winning”. Instead of placing our focus on things which truly matter, such as taking responsibility for our own actions and using our individual skills to improve our lives, we see only the profit we could gain by outdoing everyone around us. We sell out of our core values, we start getting dirty and slanderous. When we think we can make life about getting our own way, we bend the rules and then the rules can fade away when we need them most. The rule of law must be maintained, even if we don’t like the results. Our country’s constitution guarantees equal treatment under the law and when we upset the whole system, we place our freedom and our way of life in danger. We cannot ruin the system because we want to protect our winnings. Although reaching complete equality and unity is difficult
we must work together to accomplish our goals and stop placing our focus on becoming more successful than the next person. The path to a better way of life is not through discord, but through unity. There is a Bible verse, 1 Corinthians 12:20-21, that perfectly demonstrates the importance of unity: “As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” Once we are united we can function better as a country, and as people. Unity is something that we need to strive towards, because only when we are truly united can we hope to achieve our highest aspirations. As the great musician Kurt Cobain once sang: “All in all is all we are.”
The truth behind the tradition February is AfricanAmerican month. It is an annual celebration to recognize the achievements of African-Americans who have contributed to our society. Through the years, I have heard some people say, “Why do we get the shortest month to celebrate our heritage?” In the search for an answer to this question, I made a discovery. In my findings, I found out that this is the best month. We don’t need to look at how short the month is, but the importance of the month itself. Let me give some background first; it started as a week-long celebration. It was founded initially by historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African-Americans in 1926. Back then it was called “Negro History Week” and it was scheduled between the birthdays of Fredrick Douglas and Abraham
Lincoln. The week-long celebration is intended to inspire fellow Americans to research the achievements of African-Americans
LONNIE ROSS ASSISTANT EDITOR
who have made significant contributions to society. Eventually, the week changed into a month by President Gerald R. Ford’s official proclamation in 1976. When I was young, my parents encouraged me to learn about my heritage. It was essential to determine where I came from and to understand the pioneers that paved the way for future
generations. “They treated our people like animals, not human beings. We will never know how bad it was, because those days are gone,” said my father, Lonnie B. Ross. “We must listen to the stories told, read the books, and recognize the pathways our ancestors set out for us. Be inspired and appreciate the achievements made by others who come before you.” As a kid growing up, my father repeated those words several times. It did eventually sink in as an adult. I started on my journey to finding out about my heritage. To me, it comes down to this: learn and find knowledge, grow as a person and be inspired to change for the better. Our ancestors did that for us, they made it better. African-Americans have come a long way. African-American History Month is officially February,
but why don’t we celebrate it all year? It doesn’t have to be just one month. I encourage everyone to do it all year long. January is a great month to start., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. America honors his birthday on the third Monday of every year. It became a national holiday in 1983. I found out it took 32 years of campaigning to make his birthday a national holiday. Dr. King’s approach to civil rights was promoting nonviolent protests to evoke change and he called for people to get involved in public service. In researching Dr. King, a person realizes he didn’t do it by himself. Others helped in the Civil Rights Movement between 1950 – 1960s. Dr. King was the first on my journey to finding out my heritage, but then I found Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali,
Rosa Parks, Bayard Rustin, and John Lewis just to name a few during the Civil Rights time. I found that checking Biography.com and History. com provides a wealth of information to get started on learning about influential people in history. Other resources are the library or an exhibit at a museum. Study about the men and women who contributed with their skills and knowledge to advance African-Americans. There are many people in different fields ranging from politics, law, entertainment, science, arts, and many other areas. When we learn about ourselves and other people in our society, we increase our awareness and education. As the saying goes, knowledge is power! Lonnie Ross is a sophomore Journalism major from Longview.
LETTERS THE FLARE welcomes any letter to the editor and encourages all readers to use this as a sounding board to express thoughts and opinions on current campus-related topics. We also welcome news or feature ideas. Due to space limitations, letters should be as concise as possible and may still be edited for space. Letters must be signed and include an address and telephone number so that we can verify their authenticity. Letters should be delivered to the newsroom in Communications-Automotive Building, Room 125, mailed to The Flare, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore TX 75662 or emailed to: kc_flare@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER THE FLARE is the student newspaper of Kilgore College and is published every Friday by the journalism department, except during examination periods and vacations. First copy is free, subsequent copies are available for 50 cents. THE FLARE is a member of the Texas Community College Journalism Association and the Texas Intercollegiate press Association. All people holding editorial staff positions are Kilgore College journalism students. Comments and views expressed in THE FLARE reflect the thoughts of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or opinions of other students, staff members, faculty members, administrative officers or the Board of Trustees.
Copyright 2018, The Flare. All rights reserved
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PAGE 6 n FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018
Reprise
Grant Worley / THE FLARE
Jonathan Kaan, music instructor, plays the piano as Christian Mata sings with the accompanist during Saturday’s pre-concert rehearsal.
Grant Worley / THE FLARE Grant Worley / THE FLARE
Marilyn Marshall, wife of the founding director of the KC Chorale, Melvin Marshall is recognized during the luncheon.
Dr. Paul Neal, a former KC Chorale director, leads one of the selections for the alumni concert.
Grant Worley / THE FLARE
Pictured front to back, Shauntrell Johnson, Moises Ela Nchama, Nicholas Sullivan, Zack Hinson, Jacob Cartwright, Kailey Turnage and Georgia Shelton join their voices with former generations as the choirs come together.
Grant Worley / THE FLARE
Dr. Ryan Kelly, former conductor of the KC Chorale (2004 - 2009), returns to the podium from his regular job at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Kori Stroud / THE FLARE
The Chorale unites members from 1968 to 2018 during Saturday’s concert.
KC Chorale celebrates 50th anniversary with reunion concert Adriana Cisneros Staff Writer
T
he KC Chorale celebrated its 50th anniversary on Feb. 10. This event was of remarkable significance, not only for KC’s current music students, but for other generations as well as the groups united to perform a repertoire of ten songs. This event, which took place in the First Baptist Church from Kilgore, was an opportunity to relive the experiences that being a member of this campus organization was for each person. The day was highly anticipated, not only by the performers (which included 24 current students of the KC Chorale, and more than 60 alumni), but by others who helped make this celebration possible. Dr. Zachary Marshall, KC Chorale director, declared this experience, “interesting for him, since it’s my first year working with the group.” He was excited about the opportunity to meet former members and witness their interaction with the students. Georgia Shelton, Kilgore freshman and music education major, was excited to work alongside the alumni. “To have the opportunity to see all the people who have been a part of the group before, and to perform with them is a neat experience,” she said. Jacob Cartwright, Gladewater sophomore, is a music major in his sixth semester. His dream is to someday be a choir director. “What I’ve “What I’ve learned from learned from working with working with this group is that, it’s OK this group to mess up is ... not to sometimes as long as you’re be scared to trying your best get out of and having fun,” my comfort he said. “And zone.” not to be scared – Jacob to get out of my Cartwright comfort zone.” Gladewater Cartwright sophomore also expressed that without their teachers and the “one-onone support and attention they have provided them with, nothing would be the same.” Similar thoughts and feelings were expressed by former members of the KC Chorale. Rebecca Cofield, a former Chorale member from 1991 to 1993, and now a local teacher and coach, said she felt, “as if I have found my first love once again.” “I have missed this tremendously,” she added. Cofield said she “fell in love with traveling, touring and performing” through the KC Chorale. Her most remarkable performance was when the group went to Mexico City and performed a song in Spanish. “I remember how people in the audience were weeping, clapping, and hugging us,” she said. Ryan Kelly, former conductor of the KC Chorale from 2004 to 2009, is now the associate director of Chorale Activities at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He said he expected “a lot of smiles, a lot of tears of joy, lots of hugs, and really good music-making.” He also said if there was something that makes all these generations of the KC Chorale stand out, it would be that “even though most of these people do not know each other, they have driven six hours or they’ve flown across the country for a couple of reasons — one certainly is because music has been so important to them and who they are and why they love life, but also because several of the directors and staff here at KC over the years have impacted their lives in such a positive way that they would make that trip.” The performance was out of the ordinary, and the audience, including friends and families of the KC Chorale members both past and present, seemed moved by the event. As Kelly had predicted, there were a lot of smiles, tears of joy, and lots of hugs — proving how profoundly important being a part of this experience was to those whose lives were shaped by their days in the KC Chorale.