Issue 18 3-27-15

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Texas hero addresses fire graduates DAVID MCCARTY Advertising Manager The KC Fire Academy held its 94th class graduation, with 13 candidates completing the course on Wednesday night. Guest speaker was fellow firefighter Joe Yeakley, of Lindale, who received of the Star of Texas Award last September from Gov. Rick Perry. In January 2014 a roof collapsed on Yeakley as he was responding to a call with the Lindale Fire Department. More than half of his body was burned and he spent more than 10 months recovering in a Dallas hospital. Yeakley told the new graduates that he had chosen to become a fireman because, “I think it’s an excellent way to give back to

THE FLARE

Guest speaker Joe Yeakley

See ACADEMY on Page 3

The Flare

Friday, March 27, 2015 Vol. 78 No. 18 Serving Kilgore College since 1936

Sideline Signing

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Last day to drop with ‘W’ April 10 NICK SHELLEY Staff Writer The final day to withdraw from classes with a W for the spring semester is Friday, April 10. Students may need to visit with their academic adviser before they make a final decision to drop a course. “We want to make sure students know their options before dropping and any subsequent ramifications of this action,” said Chris Gore, director of admissions and registrar. Students on financial aid should also check with a financial adviser to see if any additional repercussions for dropping classes exist. Students can drop more than one class if necessary. “Students should also be mindful of the class drop limit,” Gore added. Texas mandates that students are only allowed to drop six classes during their entire college career. Students needing to drop classes may do so in the Registrar’s office on the Kilgore campus or at the office at KC-Longview. Students can acquire withdrawal forms from the KC counselling center. Contact Pam Gatton, counselling center director, at 903-983-8208 to discuss withdrawal from courses. See DROP on Page 3

THE FLARE

Wesley Malcolm, Longview sophomore,

Hearing impaired translator a vital member of Rangers football team VICTORIA WHITWELL Managing Editor

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world without sound is an unfamiliar one to most people. How would someone wake up without an alarm clock buzzing? What do inner thoughts sound like when “sound” has never been experienced? Would there be dancing if a melody could not be heard? A world without sound can seem almost unreal. For Wesley Malcolm, however, a world without sound is all too familiar. Peculiarly, for Malcolm, his muted world is also complemented by the world the majority of society knows – a world with a neverending resonance. Wesley Malcolm, Longview sophomore, was born completely deaf. At the age of five, Malcolm went into surgery to enable him to hear. The surgery that Malcolm underwent prepared him for an earpiece called a cochlear implant. “There are several brands of cochlear implants,” Malcolm said. “The one I am using is called ‘Advanced Bionic’. It’s purpose is to help people with deafness or hard of hearing to be able to hear better.” Malcolm said the way the cochlear implant works is that a mic is on the earpiece to absorb sound. Once the sound is absorbed, it is

transmitted into electrodes which tunes the ear drum. “My mom and grandparents talking to me was the first thing I heard. I could not talk at that time, but I was just so happy to hear their voices,” Malcolm said. “I could not contain my excitement in that moment. My family was so happy and was crying.” After the surgery, Malcolm said he had a lot of headaches due to the impact of sound waves hitting his ear drum, and it took him time to get used to hearing and having the earpiece. Fortunately, Malcolm can remove the earpiece as he pleases. Without it though, he cannot hear at all. “If I don’t want to hear something, I take the hearing aid off. Sometimes I prefer to be deaf. When I take the hearing aid off, the world becomes mute. It’s like television without the sound,” Malcolm said. “I have two worlds – a hearing world and a deaf world. I’m in the middle. I definitely prefer hearing over being deaf though. I love music, talking to people, and the sound of the rain.” Malcolm said he stopped learning how to sign for a while around the 8 years old so he could learn how to listen and talk. In middle school, Malcolm also stopped having an interpreter. He began playing sports such as football, basketball, and baseball. Malcolm continued to learn American Sign Language his freshman year of high school. He then graduated as a member of National Honor See TRANSLATOR on Page 3

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Duck Race set to help 5-year-old KATHRYN AGEE Executive Editor The KC Physical Therapy Club will be using rubber ducks to raise money for the son of two KC alumni on Saturday, April 11, on the east side of U.S. Hwy. 259. The race is set to help 5-year-old Lleyton Johnson who has a rare, severe undiagnosed seizure disorder and requires 24 hour care. Lleyton’s father, Jon-Eric, is a lieutenant for the Longview Fire Department, and his mother, Rachel, left her job as a physical therapist assistant to better care for Lleyton. The Johnsons set up a GoFundMe donation page called Love for Lleyton. Donations will help pay for the expenses needed to cover the $10,000 cost of a wheelchair conversion van. “It’s very difficult to travel right now,” Rachel said. While $4,000 has been See DUCKS on Page 3


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