The Flare, v. 83, Issue 1 08-29-19

Thursday

Vol. 83, No. 1 Serving Kilgore College since 1936

August 29, 2019 www.theflareonline.com

Bible chairs crush it with back-to-school bash

Jon Frazier / THE FLARE

Kilgore community members joined KC students in the Mike Miller Plaza for an evening of entertainment, inspiration, information and give-aways during the annual “Party in the Plaza” event designed to welcome students back to campus during the first week of school. This year’s headliner, Team Impact, broke bricks, bats and books in order to get students’ attention as they shared their testimonies. Alex Nsengimana, who was orphaned during the Rwanda Genocide, shared how a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child changed the course of his life.

Visit TheFlareOnline.com to see more photos from this week’s campus events, as well as to catch an exclusive interview with alex nsengimana, a rwandan genocide survivor.

News

PAGE 2 n AUGUST 29, 2019

Campus Calendar

Alba Garcia

September 2019

Age: 18 Hometown:Barcelona, Spain

Labor Day Holiday Campus Closed Monday, Sept. 2

Retirement Celebration for Kathy Fair Thursday, Sept. 5 2-4 p.m.

Watson Library Contact: Susan Wilson, ext. 8239

12th Class Day- Official Reporting Day Wednesday, Sept. 11 All Day Dual Credit Librarians Meeting Thursday, Sept. 12 9 a.m.

Watson Library, Classroom 200 Contact: Susan Wilson, ext. 8239 All

Campus Burger Cookout Thursday, Sept. 12 11 a.m.

Mike Miller Plaza

Tri C 60-Year Anniversary Open House Celebration Saturday, Sept. 14 Noon - 2 p.m.

Tri C Building

What did you enjoy the most about the basketball summer camp?

“I loved watching how kids were learning and improving every day. It was nice to see them enjoying playing basketball and how the sport was catching their attention more every day.”

Where are you from? How did you get to KC? “Spain. I came here because of basketball. Head Coach Addie Lees saw me playing and we started the recruiting process.

I liked her and the goals she wanted to achieve. I decided to say ‘yes’ to becoming part of her program.”

Citizen Response to an Active Attack Event Thursday, Sept. 5 8 a.m.

Devall Ballroom Contact: Kathy Stone, ext.

8168

Phi Theta Kappa Meeting Monday, Sept. 9 6 p.m.

Devall TV Room

THE FLARE

What is something you miss about your home country?

“I miss the different environment, like the mountains and beaches, the people, and the familiar places.”

Adriana Cisneros Emerson / THE FLARE

What is something that you like from the U.S.?

“Now that I’m playing basketball here, realizing how different the game is in this country. I enjoy being able to learn about it.”

ET Oil Museum traveling exhibit ‘Lonesome Dove’ ends Saturday CHRIS PENA Staff Writer

H

ave you ever wanted to experience what the old westerns were about? The East Texas Oil Museum is currently hosting a photography exhibition of the “Lonesome Dove” TV miniseries.

The miniseries, based on a novel by Larry McMurtry, shows the journey of retired Texas Rangers and their crew, who decide to drive cattle to Montana.

The series featured Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover and Rick Schroeder - among the cast. When the mini-series first aired, it surprised many with an estimated 26 million homes watching it, turning into a success.

It was also critically praised, taking home

many awards.

The exhibition brings “Lonesome Dove” back to life by presenting stunning behind-the-scenes visuals of the miniseries in the walls of the museum with 55 images on display.

The exhibit has also attracted the public and received positive reactions.

“The response to the exhibit has been overwhelming,” said Olivia Moore, ETOM director. “The community has really enjoyed coming out and looking at the photos, reminiscing and looking at the art in the images.”

The exhibit will be on display until Saturday, Aug. 31, and will then move to a western museum in Georgia. The goal to bring the exhibit to ETOM was to bring

something new for people to view, whether they had been to the museum before or not.

“The exhibit was intended to allow people to not just re-experience the museum, but also have something that interests them beyond the traditional exhibits that we have, so they get to enjoy our limited-time traveling exhibits as well,” Moore said.

The exhibit is available while the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 3-11 and free for children under the age of three.

KC students or employees can be admitted for $5. For more info contact Moore at omoore@kilgore.edu.

How long have you played basketball? What position do you play?

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was 5. The main positions I play are 2 and 3. I’m a shooting guard.”

What’s your favorite basketball team? Who’s your favorite player?

“I stick with my country, so I have to say Barcelona. I like Pau Gasol — also a Catalan player.

He started playing basketball young and became one of the best players.”

What is your favorite part about being a Lady Ranger?

“I love being a part of my team, and I like being able to represent women in sports at Kilgore. I enjoy being a part of this program and sharing the experience with my entire team.”

What’s your life motto?

“Life is worth living.”

-Compiled by Adriana Cisneros Emerson.

BY THE NUMBERS

17.2

KC saw a 17.2 percent increase in Summer 2019 enrollment over Summer 2017.

6

An estimated 19.9 million students will attend American institutes of higher learning in Fall 2019. Of that number, about 13.9 million will attend four-year schools and 6.0 million will attend twoyear institutions. Information from the National Center for Education Statistics

56

Years since Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963.

News

THE FLARE

AUGUST 29, 2019 n PAGE 3

Board of Trustees meet, approve new campus policies ADRIANA CISNEROS EMERSON Executive Editor

T

he KC Board of Trustees met on Aug. 12 to adopt a budget for the 2019-20 school year and to propose an unchanged tax rate. The budget, which becomes effective on Sept.

1, includes projected revenues of $37.95 million and projected expenses of $37.73 million.

The tax rate for the college’s constituents will remain set at 17.5 cents per $100 of valuation.

“We are not raising the tax rate,” explained Joe Carrington, KC board president. “However, we do not control the appraised values that come out to you, but they are up across the board, so our growth in property values is about 5.3 percent. As a result of that, our taxpayers will see an increase in their taxes, even though we did not increase the tax rate.”

A public hearing on the tax rate is set for 6 p.m. Thursday,

Aug. 29 in the board room on the second floor of the McLaurin Administration Building on the Kilgore College campus. Final adoption of the rate will be considered at the Sept. 9 regular meeting.

In other action, the board celebrated the increasing number of students who enrolled for summer classes.

“We have had for this last three summer terms a two-year change in enrollment from 2017 to 2019 of 17.2 percent,” said Dr. Staci Martin, vice president of institutional planning. “We went from 63 online courses on the summer of 2017 to 98 in 2019.”

According to Martin, the increase in online courses available through the college is beneficial not only for KC students, but also for those from different colleges and universities for it allows those who may have had to drop out a class to retake it in the second eight-week term of the semester through KC’s online education

THE ZONE Mon-Thurs 7:45am-6pm Friday 7:45am-3:45pm

program.

Karol Pruett, chairwoman of the Policy and Personnel Committee explored four policies from the board. The first one was regarding college-issued cell phones being college property, and therefore subject to open records request.

“If KC provides someone a cell phone for work, it belongs to the college and everything on that phone is subject to open record requests under the Public Information Act. That is a new policy,” Pruett said.

Similarly, an update on the Right to Express Breast Milk for Nursing Mothers procedures was discussed and approved by the Board of Trustees. This addressed when and where nursing mothers, who are also college employees, are allowed to breastfeed while on campus.

“Kilgore College supports the practice of expressing breast milk and will make reasonable accommodations for the needs of employees who express breast

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milk,” reads the update. “Kilgore College may not suspend or terminate the employment of, or otherwise discriminate against, an employee because the employee has asserted her rights under this policy.”

The policy spells out the time frames allowed to take breastpumping breaks. The college also will provide a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.

Rooms are being designated for this purpose in buildings across campus.

The third policy discussed by Pruett addressed depository contracts. “The board shall select one or more depositories for banking services in accordance with Education Code 51.003 through a competitive bid process,” the policy reads.

“We have gone out for bids for five-year depository contracts.

The bids are going to be in; they’ll

close on Aug. 31. ... We’ll vote on that, and then we’ll transition in January if we do change things,” Pruett said.

The final policy was a clarification of an existing practice regarding the classification of college employees who are exempt or nonexempt from certain requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act. “The minimum wage and overtime provisions of the FLSA do not apply to any employee employed in a bona fide executive, administrative or professional capacity. Thus, these employees are classified as ‘exempt’ employees. All other employees are classified as ‘non-exempt’ and are subject to minimum wage and overtime provisions of the FLSA,” the policy reads.

Below: KCPD Chief Heath Cariker explained how the U.S. Hwy. 259 crosswalk would work. Here is a diagram from TXDoT about what to expect when crossing.

SPO

PAGE 4 n AUGUST 29, 2019

Gooden era begins with a bang over Apaches TYLER SUTTON Staff Writer It was a great way for the Willie Gooden era to begin at KC as the Rangers opened up their 2019 season with a dominating 35-10 win over rival TJC on Saturday night at R.E St. John Memorial Stadium.

It was the Rangers’ ninth straight win dating back to last year, and their sixth win in their last seven matchups with Tyler.

In the 147th all time meeting between the long time rivals, KC jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first half with a 34 yard TD pass from quarterback Jacob Frazier to WR Omar Manning, and a 34 yard TD run by runningback Earnest Crownover which put Kilgore up in a dominating first half.

TJC surprised everyone with a successful onside kick to open the second half, and quickly got on the board with an 11 yard TD run by Nate Overholt who had come in at quarterback for TJC. After a 3 and out by Kilgore, Tyler settled for a 39 yard field goal by Yovannie Garcia to cut the Kilgore lead to 14-10 midway through the

third quarter.

Kilgore put the game away in the third and fourth quarters, starting with a 31 yard TD pass from Frazier to wide receiver Gabriel Douglas and then two more scores in the fourth. The first of the two being a 31 yard TD pass to Manning once again, and ending with backup quarterback Cade Pearson who capped off the scoring for KC with a late 4- yard TD to end the night for KC. Omar Manning was the star of the game with six catches for 182 yards and 2 TDs. Frazier was 1521 for 279 yards with 3 TDs and no interceptions. Crownover led the Kilgore ground attack with six carries for 50 yards and one touchdown. Douglas also had two catches for 39 yards and one TD. Kilgore finished the night with 463 total yards (316 through the air and 147 on the ground). A stout KC defense held TJC to just 285 total yards (206 on the ground, 69 passing).

Kilgore will have their second straight home game to open the season on Saturday night at 7 p.m. when they host Navarro College.

Tyler will travel to Blinn.

Sara Harris / THE FLARE

A Ranger receiver makes a well-timed catch to jump past an Apache defender during Saturday’s game.

KC looks to extend streak Saturday CHRIS PENA Staff Writer The No. 6 ranked Rangers look to continue their hot start to the season as they get set to take on the No. 18 ranked Navarro College on Saturday in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference opener for both teams.

KC is coming off a game in which they defeated TJC 35-10 at home. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are coming off a 33-30 loss against Georgia Military at home on Thursday in which they led for the majority

of the game until Georgia Military scored what would be the game-winning touchdown with just over a minute left in the game.

The Bulldogs finished last season with a 6-5 record and ended the season on a twogame losing streak.

The Bulldogs previously faced KC last season during a SWJCFC semifinal that ended with a Ranger 45-14 victory at home.

KC’s defense, which was able to hold TJC to just 69 yards passing, will go up against Navarro’s Parker McNeil who threw for 429 yards and three

touchdowns. McNeil was also the starter against KC last season where he only managed to throw for 230 yards and one interception.

Although KC allowed over 200 yards rushing against Tyler, they will face a team that was only able to get 36 yards rushing in Navarro, granted the number was affected after a deep snap that resulted in Navarro losing 35 yards on the play.

KC’s Omar Manning, who finished the game against TJC with 182 yards receiving and two touchdowns, was a part of last season’s huge victory

against Navarro in which he caught the ball for 106 yard receiving, and also brought two touchdowns as well.

The Bulldogs come to the game trying to improve their discipline after getting eleven penalties last week and during their previous game against KC, Navarro got hit with three ejections during the semifinal.

The Rangers hope to make it ten straight victories dating back to last season, and a 2-0 to start Coach Gooden’s era.

Come support the Lady Ranger Softball round Robins Sara Harris / THE FLARE

KC Rangers stand during the National Anthem at the first home football game of the season.

Sept. 7 - KC Travel Ball Round Robin 11 a.m. KC vs Athletics, 1 p.m. TSF Elite vs TX Elite 3 p.m. KC vs TX Elite, 5 p.m. KC vs TSF Elite

Sept. 14 - KC College Round Robin 11 a.m. HSU JV vs Grayson, 12:45 p.m. HSU JV vs EOSC 2:30 p.m. Grayson vs EOSC, 4:15 p.m. HSy JV vs KC 6 p.m. EOSC vs KC

ORTS

AUGUST 29, 2019 n PAGE 5

The Walk

Down

Memory

Lane

Image Courtesty of KC Athletics

Philadelphia Eagles player Lane Johnson donates $500,000 to KC Athletics ASHLEY WILKINSON Staff Reporter

T

he Lane Athletic Performance Center will begin construction inside the Parks Fitness Center once at least three bids are made. The center is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2020.

Former KC student athlete and Philadelphia Eagles player Lane Johnson donated $500,000 to fund the project on May 22.

The Lane will provide a place for student athletes to train in a state-of-the-art facility with an NFL- caliber weight room, including power racks, dumbbells and cardiovascular equipment. Also, the community and regular students will no longer have to work around the athletes’ workout schedule.

“Staying fit is very important in avoiding injury,” said athletic director Jimmy Rieves.

To make this possible, KC

coaches flew to Philadelphia over Spring Break to propose the vision of the center to Johnson. The former Ranger, who attributes his success to the lessons he learned at KC, gave the largest one-time donation to the athletic facility.

“I’m finally in a place where I can make these things a reality and inspire the next generation to chase their dreams,” Johnson said. “My whole purpose is to show them that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. I am excited for the future of Kilgore College athletics.”

After graduating from high school in Groveton, (population 1,034), Johnson was a quarterback and tight end in 2008 for the KC Rangers, where he learned “mental toughness, extra effort” or “MTXE.” When he left KC a year later, the University of Oklahoma offered him a full ride, where he played tight end, defensive end, left and

right tackle and offensive tackle.

“Students come here 17 or 18 [years old], and everyone dreams of being NFL, but only one percent makes it,” Rieves said. “I knew Lane was going to be successful because of his athletic ability and work ethic.

MTXE, he lives that daily.”

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Johnson in the 2013 NFL Draft. As an Eagle, he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors as an offensive tackle in 2017 and helped lead his team to win their first Super Bowl Championship.

Through this project, Johnson said he hopes to inspire future students. He requests that photos and quotes that show a different side of well-known athletes are included within the building.

“The donation is not about me, it’s about these future kids,” Johnson said in an article on the Philadelphia Eagles’ website.

“Change their mind. Once you change your mind, you change your world.”

Image Courtesty of KC Athletics

“The donation is not about me, it’s about these future kids. Change their mind.

Once you change your mind, you change your world.”

- Lane Johnson Image Courtesty of KC Athletics

DC Corner || This is part of an on-going series regarding the education of dual credit students through KC. This article was written by Henderson High School senior Ashley Wilkinson during a Summer Journalism Workshop hosted by The Flare. High schoolers from across East Texas spent a week learning to cover news and produce a newspaper which was distributed throughout Kilgore.

PAGE 6 n AUGUST 29, 2019

OPINION

THE FLARE

American journalist kidnapped by Syrian regime deserves not to be abandoned

ADRIANA CISNEROS EMERSON Executive Editor

“A

ustin has been held captive in Syria for 2564 days, 16 hours, 17 minutes, 59 seconds.” The webpage Austin Tice’s family built as a plea and call-toaction to bring their son back seven years after his kidnapping makes me aware of this. In recognition of the event that took place Aug. 14, 2012, media outlets such as The New York Times and Newseum are keeping the news active.

Austin Tice is a 38-yearold American journalist and veteran Captain of the U.S. Marine Corps. In May 2012, he went to Syria

as a freelance journalist to report on the ongoing conflict in the country and how it was affecting the ordinary citizen.

Three months later, Austin was ready to go back home when he was stopped at a check point in Damascus—the capital of Syria. It was not until five weeks later when his family heard from him again; however, this would be their last time.

A video titled “Austin Tice is Alive” emerged on the internet in September 2012. In this video, Austin could be seen held captive by a group of unidentified armed men. No other message was conveyed in it. Tice’s family has not heard from him ever since.

They don’t know who took him. They don’t know what they want. They believe he is still alive.

To this day, Tice’s family has not given up on keeping the news of their kidnapped, beloved son alive, on finding him and bringing him back home safe.

Au s t i n t i c e f a m i l y. c o m shows a video published in 2014 where his parents recall Austin’s childhood and later on his determination and passion for becoming an international correspondent.

“He wanted to know what was going on in the world and how to deal with it,” his father, Marc Tice, reminisces. “This conflict comes up and [with it] the frustration of not being able to know what’s really happening, and Austin thought ‘… I think I’ve got the right skill set to be able to go to Syria and report back what’s happening.’”

As a future journalist, this, too, is my call-toaction. It is clear to me that Austin Tice is a victim of a system which has no respect whatsoever for freedom of the press or human rights.

The Syrian regime, led by dictator Bashar al-Assad, is known for kidnapping, incarcerating, torturing and killing anyone who dares expose the

unfortunate lives civilians live as a consequence of his filthy politics.

Marie Colvin, Rémi Ochlik, and James Foley are names I can never get out of my head. These are a few of the so-far 153 journalists killed by this tyrant.

However, what is more concerning is the fact that a country rooted in freedom and justice has, for the most part, adopted a tolerant and docile posture toward the kidnapping of an American journalist.

For example, former President Barack Obama ended his period with Tice’s supporters gathering in the White House demanding for the administration “Not to leave missing journalists behind,” (McClatchy DC Bureau).

Tice’s family, however, shows gratitude toward Trump’s administration.

Here & Now WBUR interviewed the Tice family in August 2019.

Debra Tice, mother, said “We don’t have frustration

with the United States government.

We do have support across the administration from the White House to the State Department and we have a special presidential envoy.

We still have frustration on the Syrian side because they have not engaged with us in these seven years.”

Nevertheless, the family claims they “Just can’t seem to find the right size hammer,” Fox News reported in July. “We keep reaching out to all the media outlets and saying, ‘This is your colleague and you should ask about him every chance you get.’”

For this family to be struggling to keep the news alive is extremely unsettling and alarming.

I strongly believe we, as journalists, have a purpose to serve. This purpose goes beyond simply finding and stating facts.

We have to take those facts and share them in a way they reverberate.

The ugly truth is that we have to make people care.

Otherwise these inhumane

acts will continue to be ignored and consented.

It almost feels as if being willing to sacrifice your life to expose the reality of war in hopes of having an impact and making a change is a romantic, foolish idea. I would like to believe we as a society have not been dehumanized to the point where values like Austin’s are no longer acknowledged and admired.

I would like to believe there is still honor in witnessing dreadful scenarios so that others don’t have to, in finding the truth, and in contributing to a society which thinks of each and every life as sacred. I would like for others to realize we all owe it to Austin Tice to bring him back home.

Not only for Austin, but also for Colvin, Ochlik, Foley, and the 150 journalists who, to this day, have lost their lives in Syria while being the light and hope of those silenced by the shadows of a deaf, indifferent world.

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS:

TASNEEM RAJA THE TYLER LOOP CHRIS GROSKOPF FIVETHIRTYEIGHT SONYA ROBERTS-WOODS THE TRI-COUNTY PRESS PAR T O F THE

SPEAKER SERIES

SEPT. 16, 2019

11:30 A.M.LONGVIEW NORTH • 6:30 P.M. DSC BALLROOM FREE ADMISSION FOR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY

THE FLARE

A new path of discovery

OPINION

AUGUST 29, 2019 n PAGE 7

Vol. 83 • No. 1 Thursday, August 29, 2019 Executive Editor Adriana Cisneros Emerson

KC students take changes in stride on way to success

W

ith a new dawn on the horizon for KC, students may be left asking how to adjust to the new 8-week schedule that goes into place this semester. KC has launched 8-week classes in order to implement their “Focus to Finish” concept to help students work “smarter, not harder.”

In reality, with such a drastic change, it can be a hard concept to grasp.

When taking a step back to comprehend everything that is about to happen this school year, it is clear that being organized will be the key to success.

Upfront, organization may seem unnecessary when it comes to incorporating it into your daily routine, but having a solid plan not only makes

your day better, but it also teaches you a sense of discipline to get through the journey of college.

Overall, it gives you the ability to have control over your day and be prepared.

Change is inevitable, but a vast shift such as this one can leave students with a sense of being overwhelmed and room for a loss of convenience. Once a student is acclimated to their routine, it is hard to say “yes” to the idea of compromise, and choosing to ignore what is up the road feeds the drive of those who choose to live off of an adrenaline rush.

Although students may fear change, it is a major part of growth that is inescapable and must be accepted to have a successful life.

Staff Writers Nadia Hill Bailey Kerns Chris Pena Tyler Sutton Photographers Jon Frazier Sara Harris Copy Editors Carrie Harris Jennifer Ibarra Cartoonist Alexandria Woolridge Adviser Rachel Stallard Alexandria Wooldridge / THE FLARE

This year, students will take their courses in a matter of condensed time which leaves little to no room to slack off during the series of 8-week courses. Through this, KC aims to have fewer dropouts which can help the campus overall, and a decrease in academic burnout will lead to a larger student success rate which is always the goal.

In order for the new 8-week schedule to be effective this school

year, it is important that students plan ahead to keep their individual and daily schedules on track. With all of the tools and resources available, organization is a life-skill that is easily attainable and is something that can constantly be improved upon throughout the year.

You don’t have to rely on old ways. Welcome the idea of new habits such as purchasing a planner.

Because the time in courses has been

condensed, things are going to actively move at a quicker pace and it is crucial to have a system in order. While more organization is required with this set-up, students are expected to keep their motivation high and possibly accomplish more in a shorter time frame than before. Save yourself the stress, set aside the last-minute habits, and find a way of organization that works for you.

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 campusrelated 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

YOUR VIEW What are you doing to prepare for the new semester’s schedule?

Photo credits: Jon Frazier / THE FLARE

Stormy Hammond Natchitoches, La. freshman

“Getting all the supplies needed. Organizing and managing my time. Learning new

technology.”

Johana Mendez Farmers Branch sophomore

“I’m working on staying on top of my assignments.

This new schedule is a little challenging but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”

Jordan Guthrie

Taylor Cline

Dallas freshman

Houston freshman

“I am trying to get everything done and not procrastinate. Also, study hard and get help from tutors.”

“Changing my job schedule and preparing myself for faster courses.”

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 2019, The Flare.

All rights reserved

THE FLARE

FEATURE

AUGUST 29, 2019 n PAGE 8