Volume 44, Issue 2 Eastfield College Wednesday, October 3, 2012

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New art gallery opens with Leticia Bajuyo show➤ Page 8

Professor and his students help save endangered fish ➤ Page 10

Hoopster returns after five-year break ➤ Page 14

InsideBig Picture ..................7Life & Arts ............. 8-11News ...................... 2-6Opinion ............... 12-13Sports .......................14Wrap-up ...................15

Index

See Parking, page 2➤

Shannon Cox arrives on campus at 9 a.m. to circle the parking lot, hoping she won’t be late to her 10:05 class. She knows ahead of time she will spend at least 15 minutes looking for a place to park, sometimes much longer.

As she pulls in to the S building parking lot, she finds no park-ing available. Her next stop is the N building, where her class is held. Again, no luck. Finally, she finds a spot at the back of the F building parking lot, on the opposite side of campus.

Parking isn’t just a matter of convenience for Cox. She also has health problems that affect her ability to walk long distances.

In 2004, Cox was involved in a car accident that left her with three bulging discs in her back.

“I don’t mind walking, but by the time I get to class, I’m in pain,” Cox said.

Many students and employees have struggled to find park-ing this semester. It’s not unusual for parking lots to be crowded, especially during the first weeks of classes, but the increasing en-rollment numbers seem to be making the problem much worse.

Traffic JamDuring peak hours, the college’s parking lots are packed, and students are scrambling to find the few remaining spots before they’re late to class.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 www.eastfieldnews.com The Et Cetera

NEWS2

Fri5

All student club officers must attend orientation from 12:30-3:30 p.m. in C-135.

Mon

8A mini art show and lecture will be presented by local artist Marty Ruiz from 12:30-1:50 p.m. in C-135.

Tue

9Boot camp instructors Amy Pylant and Mason Murphy will deliver the Common Book keynote address from 11 a.m.-noon in the Performance Hall.

Wed

10The Wednesday Recital Series will feature the UNT Latin Jazz Lab Band, directed by Jose Aponte, from 12:30-1:50 p.m. in the Performance Hall.

Wed17

Chef Lydia Gonzalez of the Latino Culinary Insti-tute will speak from 11:15 a.m.-12:10 p.m. in N-222. A tasting will be held after the lecture.

Mon22

“Bring Your A+ Game,” an event held by the African-American Latino Male Initiative, will feature a documentary and a panel discussion about minority male issues. The event starts at 12:30 p.m. in C-135.

Tue23

A majors fair with profes-sionals will be available for questions. A draw-ing for gift cards will be held every half hour; all participants must bring their student ID to enter the drawing. The first 100 students to finish an evaluation will receive a Midterm Care Package.

Thu25

“Developing Tomor-row’s Leaders,” a panel presentation by Dallas community members, will be from 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m. in G-101.

Tue30

A Hispanic Heritage Month read-in and a per-formance by the Eastfield Dance Company will be held from 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m. in the Performance Hall.

Wed31

WFAA News co-anchor Cynthia Izaguirre will speak from 10:10-11:05 a.m. in the Performance Hall.

CalendarPUT IT ON THE

October

By Anjulie Van Sickleetc4640@dcccd.edu

The presidential election is still a month away, but many students have already cast their ballots in the stu-dent government election.

Gabriel Estrada edged Joshua Martinez in the only executive board race to become the new SGA Vice President.

The elected VP’s job is to assist the President in any way possible. This includes talking to students and un-derstanding their comments, needs and concerns.

“I want to give the students what I would want,” Estrada said. “I want to make it transparent. I want the aver-age student to know what’s going on. I want the student to become more involved.”

The candidates campaigned by visiting classes, hoping to attain votes from different clubs and students.

Estrada, a recent graduate of Po-teet High School, is in his first semes-ter at Eastfield.

He said the friendliness he felt at freshman orientation made him want to become a part of something bigger.

Director of Student Life Judy Schwartz said this desire is often what leads students to serve.

“It’s the heart of the students and their willingness to work hard,”

said Schwartz. “Put yourself in their place. You’re a busy student. You have homework; you have class; you have fun things you want to do; you have jobs; you have families. Yet, they make serving you their prior-ity.”

This is reflected in Estrada’s de-scription of the VP’s responsibilities.

“It’s all about [the students],” he said. “We can only do as much as they want us to do. It’s for them that we do this.”

The election this semester also included open positions in the Sen-ate and House of Representatives. The Eastfield constitution calls for a maximum of 10 senators and 10 rep-

resentatives. Elected senators include Mitch

Bassett, Adriana Villalva, Andrew Carlson, Ethan Chavez, Jasmine Her-nandez, Sandy Hernandez and Josh-ua Martinez. Members of the House include Alejandra Moscoso and Edu-ardo Perez. Elected to serve in the House of Representatives were Ale-jandro Moscoso and Eduardo Perez.

The executive board includes President Cristal Aldrete, Vice Presi-dent Gabriel Estrada, Secretary Ana Chavez, Treasurer Edith Rodriguez and Parliamentarian Fabiolo Resen-diz.

“The elections serve two pur-poses,” Schwartz said. “They let the

students know we have an SGA, and that we have a process in place. They help us gain support and attention for SGA so we get more students in-volved with it.”

Ballots have been cast online for the past two years. Students en-ter their student ID in the provided space on Student Life’s website. Each student is allowed to vote only once.

“Voting in general is going to af-fect you no matter what,” President Cristal Aldrete said. “We have people all around us who are going to be af-fected, whether it is you or a friend.”

Aldrete said her goals for this semester include getting more stu-dents registered for the presidential election and getting students more involved around campus. Martinez agreed that campus voting is equally as important as voting in local, state and national elections.

“What you choose really does matter and affect the way you live around campus,” he said. “It’s impor-tant. Any kind of voting is important. As long as you participate, your life on campus will be really fun.”

Schwartz said participating in the SGA prepares students for leadership opportunities at four-year universi-ties as well as in the “real world.”

Last year, SGA was recognized as the best chapter in the state.

“Not only do we have an SGA, we have a good one,” she said.

Students elect new government representatives

Parking problems cause irritationContinued from page 1

“You have to come an hour early to find a parking spot and make it to class on time,” nursing major Cache Williams said. “I drive all around the campus until I find a spot.”

This year the college has 14,088 students enrolled but only 2,411 parking spaces.

President Jean Conway noted that online and dual credit students are responsible for a significant part of the enrollment increase, and those students do not affect parking.

“I don’t want to minimize it, but until I begin to hear over and over again from people that there are just no spaces and that people are park-ing in the grass, then we will have a problem,” Conway said. “But if peo-ple are circling and I see 25 spaces out on the perimeter, that doesn’t make me think we need to build a new parking lot.”

Assistant to the president Sharon Cook added that Eastfield is “never going to have a total of 14,000 stu-dents and staff members here all at the same time.”

After the 12th day of class, a large number of students also drop classes, making parking less of a hassle.

Exercise major Chris Uza said he knows what he is going to face when entering the campus, so he plans ac-cordingly.

“I’m not typically too late because I know in advance I’m going to spend 15-20 minutes looking for a spot,” he said.

Some professors understand the situation and are lenient with their students who are late to class.

“I really feel for a lot of [the stu-dents] because they’re working, then they have to come here and spend all that time looking for a parking space,” English professor Juventino Olivares said.

When asked, the police had no comment on the situation. Conway said police and faculty have reported that there are places to park; they’re not always close to the buildings.

Some employees have even parked in the overflow lot at the baseball field.

Cox suggested adding a shuttle service to drive those students and employees who are parking far from the buildings. She said that would help ensure that students arrive to class on time, and it would help those who have health issues.

“I know some people would think it promotes laziness,” Cox said “but for people like me who aren’t dis-abled but have other issues, walking from the back of the parking lot hurts you by the time you get to class.”

Some believe the solution is sim-ply adding more parking.

“I think that we need more park-ing spots. A lot of the time I have

problems finding parking,” science major Vanessa Barragan said.

Many universities have added stacked parking garages on campus. This allows for extra parking without using up more land for lots.

However, that doesn’t appear to be in the college’s future. The con-struction would be costly and Con-way also has safety concerns.

“We haven’t really explored a parking garage,” she said. “They’re quite expensive. Anytime you go up, you’re spending a lot of money. Sometimes they are not as safe a place at night for people to go back and get into their cars.”

A parking garage would also mean cutting into facilities and fac-ulty funds as well as spending more on police patrols.

“If we really begin to say we’re out of parking, that might be something we need to explore,” she said. “But we just aren’t there yet.”

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

SGA members are (front) Alejandra Moscoso, Adriana Villalva, Jasmine Hernandez, Cristal Aldrete, Ana Chavez, Fabiolo Resendez, Joshua Martinez; (back) Eduardo Perez, Ethan Chavez, Andrew Carlson, Mitch Bassett, Gabriel Estrada, Edith Rodriguez and Sandy Hernandez

The Et Cetera www.eastfi eldnews.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

3 NEWS

By Justin David Tateetc4640@dcccd.edu

SACS is coming to campus in less than two weeks, and the future of ev-ery student, faculty and sta� member is at stake during the visit.

� e Southern Association of Col-leges and Schools is a regional ac-creditation agency that determines whether its set of 99 principles is be-ing followed by colleges in the South-ern region.

A school must be accredited to re-ceive state funding and have its stu-dents receive � nancial aid. Colleges must be rea� rmed every 10 years, and East� eld is up for rea� rmation this spring.

“Accreditation is an approval by one of the agencies recognized by the Department of Education that en-sures that we as a college have a mis-sion that’s appropriate to higher edu-cation and that we’re doing all things appropriate to e� ectively achieve that mission,” Vice President of Organiza-tional Development Tom Graca said.

Graca acts as the college’s accredi-tation liaison during the rea� rma-tion process.

� e � rst two steps of rea� rma-tion have been completed, including a lengthy compliance report, to show how the college is following SACS’ principles. � e report took � ve years to cra� before being submitted on March 9.

“It has over 450 pages of narra-tive and 10,000 pages of appendices,” Graca said. “It’s not something you cram for the night before.”

� e last step is a site visit from SACS, which will send 11 educators to visit the campus from Oct. 16-18. � ey will speak with students, sta� and faculty, review any lingering questions about whether the cam-pus is in compliance and review the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).

While the compliance report fo-cuses on how the college is aligned with SACS’ accreditation guidelines, the QEP is how East� eld plans to direct its future. A QEP is unique to each college and is geared around an area that can be improved.

� e QEP Steering Committee, consisting of art professor David Wilburn, Learning Framework pro-fessor Ana Rodriguez and math-ematics professor Erika Glaser was formed 17 months ago.

“What we were asked to do was either make learning better on our campus or to make the things that support learning better,” Wilburn said.

� e committee decided to do both. Its QEP, called “Year One: Engage,” is made up of two major components. � e � rst component is learning com-munities and the second is Academic

Cultural Enhancement (ACE).“� ese [learning communities]

are actually really wonderful small programs where a group of students, say 25, take two or three or maybe even four classes all together,” Wil-burn said.

� e communities can be team-taught by two professors on two di� erent subjects at the same time, according to the QEP Steering Com-mittee.

Rodriguez believes learning com-munities allow students to positively reinforce each other’s growth and de-velopment as peers.

“Just staying in the same group of students is going to be a great sup-port,” Rodriguez said. “� is program has already been piloted with great success.”

ACE is a three-tier system that consists of mentorship from suc-cess coaches, workshops designed for Year One: Engage students and cultural events and social events on campus, such as basketball games and theatrical productions to earn points to collect prizes.

Rodriguez said that learning com-munities will immediately be provid-ed with their own success coaches.

“� ey’re going to know who’s their mentor, who they can talk to, who they can go to for help, for doubts and everything else,” she said.

Year One: Engage will expand and adapt its o� erings over the next � ve years.

QEP Program Development Spe-cialist Jonathan Michelon, an educa-tion professor, said research supports the committee’s belief that � rst-time students are more successful when they are involved in a community.

Wilburn, Michelon and Rodri-guez are excited about the new pos-sibilities Year One: Engage will open up.

“What is so great about this plan is East� eld, for 40 years, provided a huge amount of support services and programs and activities and events for students,” Wilburn said. “And this plan, Year One: Engage, really pulls all those things together in such as way as to provide students with a plan of action.”

College preps QEP in advance of SACS visit

Giving back helps your grade and the community too

Academic and Cultural Enhancement (ACE)

ACE aims to promote engagement with peers, academic content, campus services, and select college experiences. Students will earn points for completing a specifi c number of ACE-Events identifi ed as instrumental in the attainment of the goal of Year One: ENGAGE. ACE consists of three main components:a. Social support through MENTORSHIP provided by Success Coachesb. Educational enhancements through the ACADEMIC SKILLS CENTERS (ASC) and LIBRARY workshop sessions designed for Year One: ENGAGEc. College life through CULTURAL AND SOCIAL EVENTS

Learning Communities

A co-registration and block schedule in which the same cohort of students takes two or more of the following courses together:a) EDUC 1300 Learning Framework,b) English (ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302),c) History (HIST 1301 and HIST 1302), andd) Mathematics (DMAT 0090, DMAT 0097 DMAT 0098, DMAT 0099, MATH 1314).

CHADNEY CANTRELL/THE ET CETERA

By Claudia J. Guerra etc4640@dcccd.edu

Helping others can be personally rewarding, and it can also help boost your grades. Many instructors o� er extra credit to students who sign up as volunteers through service learn-ing.

� e college hosted a service learn-ing fair on Sept. 25 in the Pit. Twenty local agencies attended, hoping to � nd volunteers and interns to help with their programs.

“� e purpose of the fair was to have many agencies under one roof providing easy access for students to be able to get information,” Dean of Student Support Services and Aca-

demic Enrichment Liz Nichols said.While the organizations were able

to gain volunteers, students received an opportunity to earn extra credit for class or service learning hours for clubs that require them.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time, so it feels good,” counseling major Josephine Ceaser said. “It’s al-ways good to give back. So much has been given to me, so this is a long-time dream to be able to do for others who can’t do for themselves.”

A variety of organizations gath-ered in the Pit, including Reading Partners, a non-pro� t that helps chil-dren who are behind a grade level in reading, and Hospice Plus, a pro-gram for people who have six months

or less to live.Having the fair in a busy, central

location such as the Pit ensured a strong turnout for the organizations.

“I think this is a really good space because we are all congregated here.

I’ve been to [other locations] where we’re all just kind of in a corner or in a hallway, and it doesn’t get much tra� c,” Reading Partners representa-tive Kelsey Prenger said.

Students at the event aren’t the only ones participating in service learning this semester.

Biology professor Jose Flores gathered his students for the Mes-quite Trash Bash on Sept. 22.

� e students received extra credit for helping clean up to the Dallas Reservoir.

“It was really amazing how many bags we gathered and how many peo-ple helped out,” business major Ru-ben Meza said. “I’m just really proud of everyone that helped out, not

just people from biology but people around the Mesquite community.”

Flores has been participating in the Trash Bash for � ve years now, and he said this year’s event was the most productive.

“We didn’t count the number of bags we � lled, but we � lled more bags than ever,” Flores said.

A� er a long day of picking up trash, the group was stopped by a neighbor who thanked them for their service.

“He told us that was a wilderness area and he has seen the wilderness disappearing and the area getting more polluted year a� er year,” Flores said “So he was very thankful for what we did.”

“It was really amazing how many bags we gathered and how many people helped out.

—Ruben MezaBusiness Major

”

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 www.eastfieldnews.com The Et Cetera

NEWS4

By Sidney Murilloetc4640@dcccd.com

While most of the national focus these days is on the presidential elections and the Dream Act, last week’s Latino Lecture Series reflected instead on the history of the country’s relation-ship with Latin America.

History professor Matt Hinckley started the series on Sept. 24 with a discussion about “The Bad Neighbor.”

Hinckley explained how President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated the Good Neighbor Poli-cy in 1933, promising not to intervene in Latin American affairs.

This changed with the Iran-Contra Affair during the Reagan administration, when the U.S. was discovered to have been selling arms to Iran and sending money and weapons to Ni-caraguan Contras.

Hinckley claims that the U.S. was being a “bad neighbor” during that time.

“Would all this violence have happened without U.S. support?” Hinckley asked. “It’s kind of hard to say. It’s hard to argue with his-tory.”

During his presentation, Hinckley detailed the violence and gore that resulted from those foreign policy decisions. He also showed pho-tographs from Susan Meiselas, who documents

human rights issues in Latin America. “Anytime you give bad dudes a bunch of

money and a bunch of weapons, this is what’s going to happen,” Hinckley said.

The images hit close to home for some stu-dents with family ties to Mexico.

Javier Barrera Puentes, an education major, said he is concerned for his hometown of Gua-najuato. He wants to learn as much as he can about how the violence began in Latin America.

By coming to the Latino lectures, he was seeking to find hope through knowledge.

“Where I’m from, there are criminals, drug sellers,” Puentes said. “They [cause] a lot of vio-lence in Mexico. It needs a really good change. Money makes all people ... corrupt. If the U.S. wants to intervene in anything, they should fix what they started.”

Fellow history professor Mike Noble had a different take on the events than Hinckley.

He explained that from the outside, it may seem like the U.S. was the bad guy, but some-times good intentions lead to bad situations. It’s all about perception, he said.

“The U.S. is acting more like a big brother,” Noble said. “That’s the beauty of historians. We look at things different than politicians. We can argue and disagree, like Hinckley and I do, but we can go out to get a beer after. Nothing per-sonal.”

Was U.S. a bad neighbor?

Texas history presented as mythBy Danyelle Roquemoreetc4640@dcccd.edu

“Remember the Alamo” is a phrase with which most Texans are familiar. However, not everyone re-members the Alamo quite the same way.

History professors Mike Noble and Mike Walker brought to light new evidence about the Alamo dur-ing a lecture entitled “The Real Ala-mo” on Sept. 26 that was part of the Latino Lecture Series.

The Alamo is taught to students in Texas schools as a symbol of courage, sacrifice and the fight for liberty. The lecture confronted what students are taught about the Alamo as opposed to the actual events that took place.

“One of the biggest reasons for the revolution in Texas [was] because Mexico had outlawed slaves,” Noble said. “Now, you weren’t taught that in seventh grade, were you?”

The American settlers who moved to Mexico brought slaves with them. When the Mexican government out-

lawed slavery, the fire for the Texas Revolution was sparked. One thing that isn’t taught in most schools, Noble said, is that it wasn’t only the American settlers who fought in the battle of the Alamo.

“A myth about the Texican Army is that it was just white Americans that fought, and that’s not true,” Noble said. “Tejanos did fight in the Texican Army because they were also fighting against Santa Anna.”

The Tejano aspect of the revo-lution isn’t the only thing that is changed when the Alamo is taught in schools. Davy Crockett’s involvement in the Alamo is also up for debate.

Letters written by Mexican sol-diers who fought at the battle of the Alamo have come to light in recent years.

“Davy Crockett [was] the most fa-mous man in the Alamo. We all know Davy Crockett [as] the outdoorsman, the backwoods guy,” Noble said. “But in reality, he was a failed congress-man who was trying to get back into Congress.”

According to the Mexican sol-diers’ letters, Crockett and his men didn’t die heroically as it is popularly believed. They state that the men were forced to surrender and were killed at the hands of Santa Anna.

“The story goes that all 187 men died gallantly at the Alamo, guns in hand, but that’s where history comes in,” Noble said. “We’ve got two stories [about] what actually happened.”

Noble claims that opposing views on how the men died doesn’t change the fact that their deaths and the battle of the Alamo were important to the result of the Texas Revolution.

“The Alamo has not only become a symbol of great historical impor-tance, it has also become a symbol of Texas importance [and] Texas pride,” Noble said.

Since historical events are open to interpretation, Noble asked the audi-ence to think about how the history of the Alamo is taught differently in other places.

“I grew up in California, and I was taught that [Crockett and his men]

were lined up and shot,” history professor Kat Cloer said. “We were [also] taught that in Texas, [students] don’t learn that Texicans were at the Alamo.”

Noble and Walker also brought up differences in the Mexican perspec-tive of the revolution and battle of the Alamo as opposed to the roman-ticized fight for independence seen from the Texan point of view.

“Don’t forget that the Alamo was fought in the land of Mexico,” Walker said. “We call those men [who fought at the Alamo] ‘the defenders’ and the Mexican Army ‘the attackers.’ What [were] they defending?”

A related question is: What did the Mexican Army call the Texican Army?

“[The Texican Army] called them-selves ‘heroes’ and ‘defenders of lib-erty and justice,” Noble said. “But what did the Mexicans call them? How about ‘traitors,’ ‘criminals,’ ‘ter-rorists.’”

No matter what Mexican histori-ans think about the battle of the Al-

amo, the grand narrative is continu-ally taught in schools.

“The congressmen in Texas are the ones that decide what needs to be taught and what doesn’t need to be taught,” Noble said. “When you attack the grand narrative, you’re called a ‘revisionist,’ and [to them] that’s a bad word.”

Noble and Walker insist that being a revisionist isn’t a bad thing. They claim that a revisionist is someone who revises and expands on history based on new evidence that had not previously been reported.

“Revisionist history is a good thing,” Walker said. “Can it go too far? Yes, it can, but in [the case of the Alamo] I don’t think that it [does]. We’re getting more at the real truth of the Alamo as we question the facts.”

The dispute over what happened at the Alamo raises questions about other romanticized lore from our na-tion’s history of wars.

“History is made to be changed,” Noble said. “These grand narratives are just that: stories.”

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The Et Cetera www.eastfieldnews.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

5 NEWS

By Keturah Jones etc4640@dcccd.edu

Krystal Fuller had just turned 18 when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed our country forever. They also changed Fuller’s life, prompting her to join the Army.

“I was trying to be patriotic,” she said. “I felt scared. When that hap-pened, I felt like I needed to protect my country.”

Fuller served in the Army from November 2002 until December 2011. She started out as a cook and after five years was reclassified as a Petroleum Supply Specialist who is-sued out fuel for various fuel-pow-ered equipment.

Fuller is now a wife, mother and student who is working toward her goal of earning an associate’s degree at Eastfield. She would like to be-come a dental hygienist.

Serving in combat was often a frightening experience for Fuller, particularly in Iraq. Fuller recalls one incident when she was on duty in a tower guard and a mortar exploded only a few feet away.

“The tower is made of thick metal, and when the mortar exploded, I could hear the dings of the shrapnel metal hitting the top of the tower that was protecting us,” she said. “I remember seeing my life flash before my eyes.”

Fuller is thankful that her expe-

riences in Iraq didn’t lead to Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event.

She admits transitioning from the military to everyday civilian life has been a struggle at times.

“After being back for a couple of months, I was all messed up,” Fuller said. “I would be driving and swerve because I was thinking there were roadside bombs.”

Chad Krischke served in the Ma-rines as a helicopter mechanic from March 2005 to March 2010. He said being on a ship and working on a he-licopter for seven months at a time with little to no communication was difficult. He was never in combat but agreed with Fuller that adjusting to civilian status is a struggle.

“Interacting with people and find-ing a job has been very difficult,” he said.

He is majoring in computer-aid-ed drafting and hopes to pursue his bachelor’s degree at either UT Dallas or SMU.

“I thought if I got an associate’s degree, then I could think I could get an internship or job pretty quickly,” he said.

Krischke advises anyone going into the military to take some college courses while they are enlisted.

Jordan Brewer served in the Navy as an AME-2 from August 2007 to

August 2012, working on aircraft utility systems. He said his job as a jet mechanic on the flight deck was one of the most dangerous in the Navy.

“You are 90 feet above the ocean, exhaust is blowing, jets are landing, and at night they turn the lights off,” Brewer said. “All you have is a flash-light.”

Brewer described the adjustment coming from active to civilian status as starting over from scratch.

“Being on my own again, not hav-ing a steady income, not having a daily routine is a hard adjustment,” he said.

Brewer saved up enough money for temporary living expenses be-fore he got out, which eliminated the hardship of trying to find employ-ment right away. His goals are to re-ceive a general associate’s degree and transfer to a university.

Despite some hardships, all three soldiers agreed that if they had to do it all over again, they would still en-list in the military.

They said the experience gave them skills, discipline and a good work ethic. They jokingly argued which branch was the best, but their mutual pride brings about a sense of unity.

“There will always be a sense of rivalry between the branches, but when it comes to protecting our country, we come together as a team,” Brewer said.

ANDY SAUL/THE ET CETERA

Former soldiers, from left to right, Jordan Brewer, Krystal Fuller and Chad Krischke are now college students.

From soldiers to students

By Jessica Sias and Justin David Tate etc4640@dcccd.edu

The Pit was decked out in red, white and green as the campus cel-ebrated Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 13.

Students ate chips and salsa while faculty member Eddie Healy played Spanish songs on his guitar.

The gathering served as an early kickoff for Hispanic Heritage Month. The opening celebration of Latino culture also included a Latino Lec-ture Series hosted by the Social Sci-ence and Human Services division from Sept. 24-27. Another series of events will take place this month.

“The Mexican Independence Day celebration was [meant] to highlight our student government officers who are all Latinas,” Arts, Language and Literature Associate Dean Courtney Carter Harbor said. “That flows with our Hispanic Heritage Month theme, which is ‘Developing the Next Gen-eration of Leaders.’ We thought that would be a nice tie-in to the leaders of our school.”

To go along with the theme, the Hispanic Heritage Month Commit-tee introduced SGA president Cristal Aldrete, along with the rest of the of-ficers, as strong Latina women.

“[It’s] a way to show people that the Hispanic community does have leaders,” Aldrete said.

Aldrete and the rest of the SGA hope to lead by example as they try to serve the student body.

“Leadership is something that [students can learn],” English profes-sor Kassandra Buck said. “They don’t [always] feel like they have that gut, that confidence or that ability, but every student at Eastfield College can be a leader.”

An art show by Marty Ruiz will debut on Oct. 8 in S-100, and the UNT Latin Jazz Band will take to the Performance Hall to play during the Oct. 10 edition of the Wednesday Re-cital Series.

The Hispanic Heritage Month cel-ebration will include many other dis-ciplines besides music and art.

“We will have a chef, Lydia Gonza-lez, who will talk about Latino foods and healthy eating within the Latin cuisines,” Harbor said. “And we also collaborated with [speech professor] Courtney Brazile’s club for a student panel presentation on immigration. It’s called Pizza & Politics.”

A presentation by WFAA morn-ing news anchor Cynthia Izaguirre will bring Hispanic Heritage Month to a close on Oct. 31. Harbor appre-ciates that Izaguirre is a former Dal-las public school student giving back to the community from which she came.

With so many special guests coming to the college, Buck is look-ing forward to the event as much as Harbor and believes the inclusion of many different kinds of people will make the event special.

“I get excited when the commu-nity is involved,” Buck said. “I want [students] to be able to relate to com-munity members.”

Hispanic Heritage Month:Art, music, food and more

“It’s a way to show people the Hispanic community does have leaders.

—Cristale AldreteSGA President

”

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 www.eastfieldnews.com The Et Cetera

NEWS6

By Angel U. Abarca etc4640@dcccd.edu

People typically relate science to a lab, the periodic table or Bill Nye.

There is a certain preconceived notion of what it means to be a sci-entist. However, the college is trying to raise awareness of what being a scientist entails by bringing back its Science Seminar series.

Dr. Gretchen Riehl, executive dean of Science and Physical Educa-tion, said the seminars give students and staff an opportunity to learn from actual functioning scientists. She hopes they will show people how science can be fun through the Sci-ence, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program (S.T.E.M.)

“The target audience is Eastfield, not just our S.T.E.M. majors,” Riehl said. “The goal is to generate inter-est for students to become S.T.E.M. majors.”

There will be three seminars this semester and three more in the

spring. The series is not a new con-cept here at Eastfield. The college previously had a six-year National Science Foundation Grant that en-abled it to bring in speakers. When the grant ran out, the college no lon-ger had money to fund those semi-nars.

This year, however, the series has returned with a diverse group of top-ics.

John Emery, associate dean of Sci-ence and Physical Education, said many factors went into choosing the speakers for these lectures, including availability, fees and areas of exper-tise.

“One of the key things that we wanted to do was make sure that each of the sciences that we teach here is represented by at least one of the lectures,” Emery said. “We have biology and geology reflected in the first one, nutrition in the second one and physics in the third one.”

John DeFillipo, the director of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center

in Seagoville, kicked off the seminar series on Sept. 24. DeFillipo spoke about the goal of the center and how it helps the environment.

The East fork Wetland Project em-ploys a natural process that diverts a percentage of water each day from the East Fork of the Trinity River into a 1,840-acre man-made wet-land where the water is cleansed by nature, not machinery. After seven to 10 days in the wetland, a pump station then transports the cleansed water underground through a 43-mile pipeline north to Lavon Lake for storage, blending, treatment, dis-infection and delivery for the munic-ipal water supply.

“The most important thing I want you to leave with is the amazing ca-pacity of humans interacting with the environment and how we can change the environment to actually help suit our needs,” DeFillipo said during his lecture.

The next seminar will feature Dr. Vivian Jones, an expert on food and

nutrition. She will speak on Oct. 4 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in S-100. Dr. Joe Izen, an instructor at the Univer-sity of Texas in Dallas and principal

investigator of UTD’s High Energy Physics Group’s work on the ATLAS experiments, will speak on Nov. 16 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in S-100.

SYDNEY MURILLO/THE ET CETERA

John DeFillipo explains the environmental impact of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center in Seagoville.

Science seminar series STEMulates students

By Braulio A. Tellez brauliotellez@dcccd.edu

Things are happening on a micro-scopic level in the Science Depart-ment, and that’s sparking a big inter-est among students.

Kevin Thurston found out about the college’s microscopy lab after lis-tening to scanning electron micro-scope coordinator Murry Gans speak at a Science Club meeting. He said visiting the lab has helped him un-derstand the power of science.

“Students should really come take advantage of these microscopes be-cause you learn so much about the world around you,” he said. “You dis-cover things you never thought could exist on such a small scale.”

The microscopes are high-tech pieces of equipment that use beams of electrons to magnify specimens up to 300,000x. The lab includes two scanning electron microscopes, the Hitachi TM-1000 and the Hitachi S-3400N.

The electron microscopes, along with a dissecting microscope, were obtained when the Science Depart-ment was given a grant by the Na-tional Science Foundation. The grant funded a research project completed

by S.T.E.M. students at the Big Thick-et preserve in East Texas.

The technology, which was pur-chased with part of the funding, has since found a home in Gans’ lab.

“We were lucky because as a result of the Big Thicket research, the elec-tron microscopes and dissecting mi-

croscope were left over,” Gans said.The equipment is available to any-

one attending or working at Eastfield, as well as area primary and second-ary schools.

Gans sometimes takes the porta-ble TM-1000, the smaller of the two microscopes, to local elementary,

middle and high schools. He presents students with images and even trains them on how to use the microscope.

“The TM-1000 takes about 10 minutes to train someone on because it’s run directly from a computer interface and is designed to be very simple to use,” Gans said.

He hopes that by introducing students to the field of science at a young age, he’ll ignite an interest that sticks with them once they graduate from high school.

“The goal of this whole thing is for students to realize that science is su-per cool and that they’ll love it and then go ahead and pursue it,” Gans said.

Thurston and Pedro Oroa, mem-bers of the Science Club who met each other in a summer math class, are two of the students who have become enthralled with the micro-scopes.

They visit the lab often to dissect and observe spiders and insects. They said it has influenced what they plan to study in the future.

“I was into art. One day Kevin brought me up to the lab, and ever since then, all I’ve been thinking about is insects and what I’ve learned about them here,” Oroa said. “It defi-

nitely makes me want to major in sci-ence when I transfer to a university.”

Dean of Science and Physical Education Dr. Gretchen Riehl under-stands firsthand the need for more students in S.T.E.M. fields. She said technology such as the microscopes open students’ minds and help them realize how the equipment is appli-cable in many fields of study.

“There are uses for this technol-ogy in any of the sciences, not just biology,” Riehl said. “I’m hoping that by allowing students to see how we actually do science, we’ll get more students interested in majoring in something science-related.”

She said the college loses many students within the first couple of years because they’re not engaged. By introducing the microscopes to local schools, she hopes students will develop a passion for science and choose to study it here.

“What we’re hoping to show stu-dents we visit is that little ol’ Eastfield College has this high-powered piece of equipment that we’re happy to share with them,” Riehl said. “As they get through high school, perhaps when they’re ready to make a deci-sion for which college to go to, they’ll think of us.”

Power of science inspires imagination

BRAULIO TELLEZ/THE ET CETERA

Murry Gans works on the scanning electron microscope alongside student Kevin Thurston.

THE HOT TOPIC

The Et Cetera www.eastfield.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

7

What is the most outrageous thing you’ve seen someone wear to class?

By Anjulie Van Sickleetc4640@dcccd.edu

Thirteen percent of all textbooks ordered throughout the district are available in digital format. However, digital textbooks account for less than 1 percent of sales this semester, according to DCCCD research.

These figures appear to show that most DCCCD students prefer print-ed textbooks to ebooks.

“The ebooks don’t seem very us-er-friendly,” applied science major Katherine Odel said. “The only thing I did like about it was it had lots of study guides, vocabulary and games. They were very helpful. However, I would pay more for a physical text-book.”

Though many four-year universi-ties are making the transition to on-line textbooks, Eastfield has not.

“The universities are going on-line faster because a lot of the stu-dents will have tablets or laptops to view the books,” computer science professor David Kirk said. “Here at the community colleges we will not have as high a percentage of students [with that kind of access], so we are

going slower as far as moving online.”However, even classes that use

print textbooks often include online interactive activities such as games, tutorials and study guides.

The access code for the special fea-tures of these online games is one of the reasons printed textbooks have become more expensive.

“The book is headed online,” Kirk said. “Even though you’re already buying a physical book, it’s coming along with online content. Maybe eventually we’ll stop buying the phys-ical textbooks.”

In DCCCD bookstores, digital textbooks are 40-60 percent less ex-pensive than traditional textbooks, making them an attractive alterna-tive for many students.

“We have a lot of students here who, for whatever reason, have fi-nancial hardships, and textbooks are expensive,” history professor Matt Hinckley said. “So anything that we can do that can bring the cost of text-books down helps our students.”

He went on to explain how some students suffer from not being able to buy their textbooks.

“I find that the single biggest chal-lenge in my own courses and what most of my colleagues have said is that students aren’t reading,” Hinck-ley said. “Many of them aren’t read-ing because they can’t afford it. If we can have the books available in as many ways possible, in the most in-expensive ways as possible, then it’s much better for the students, and

more can come to class prepared.”Government professor Dr. Cindy

Castaneda believes students need to factor the cost of books in with their classes.

“Whether students choose to pur-chase ebooks or traditional printed textbooks, the key thing is to have access to the material you need to be successful,” she said. “If you do not have what you need for your class, your chances of success are practi-cally non-existent.”

Even with the lower costs provid-ed by digital textbooks, students still say they would choose the printed version due to the inconveniences presented by online books.

“Online books are more difficult to look through and study,” sopho-more Yadira Aseon said. “With a physical book, you can mark it and then just flip back and forth, but with online books you can’t do that.”

If given the choice, she said she would spend more money on a print-ed textbook.

“Since I’m a hands-on person, I like to actually hold it,” history major Peter Garza said. “I don’t like looking at a computer screen for very long. I

like looking at actual pages.”Although some students prefer

learning through technology, there are still those who are “old school” and are more comfortable with tangi-ble methods of gaining information.

“For students who learn by writ-ing, they can highlight and annotate their hard copy to their heart’s con-tent in a way that complements, but does not obscure, the text,” Castane-da said.

Some staff members also place a high value on physical books.

“When students come in for a book, they want to leave with some-thing [tangible],” librarian Judy Wayne said. “Physical books are still very important.”

Online and brand new textbooks are not the only option, according to Maria Garza, the auxiliary business services manager for the DCCCD. Garza said printed books are still preferred by students, but used and rental books can be a less expensive option.

“Our commitment is to make sure the materials are on the shelf at the right price, at the right time for our students,” Garza said.

vs. ANDO�

Pride and

Prejudice

The Tragedy of

MacbethShakespeare

Jane AustenP

Shop Games Apps Books Music Videos Newsstand Audiobooks Web Photos DocumentsAnjulie’s Kindle9:45

The Tragedy of

Macbeth

Shakespeare

Students deny electronic phenomenon

DANYELLE ROQUEMORE/THE ET CETERA

Janna Morris Education

“I’ve seen someone wear their pajamas and two different slippers. I would not wear pajamas to class. I believe the way you dress is the way you present yourself.”

Natalie Cross Nursing

“I’ve actually seen someone wearing com-plete lace, top and bottom, with pumps. You couldn’t see the private areas, but she was basically naked.”

Marcel Alberni Architecture

“A girl wore a pair of super tight Daisy Dukes. I couldn’t believe the teacher allowed her to be in class. She had on white wedge heels and a super tight shirt with very bright colors.”

April Graham Communications

“A girl came to class with a blue wig on and a puffy skirt. She had a corset on with a hat that looked like it came from “Willy Wonka.” It was re-ally bad. Even our profes-sor made fun of her.”

Isaac Wright Criminal Justice

“I saw someone come to class in their sleeping clothes: jogging pants, flip flops and a tank top with stains all over their clothes. I believe we are here to learn. We should at least try to dress the part.”

Iran doesn’t get the joke A fake story in The Onion news-

paper was published as fact by an Iranian news agency. The story showed results from a fake survey saying rural white Americans would vote for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over President Barack Obama. Fars news agency printed the story on its website and added false quotes from sources that didn’t exist. The story was later removed.

What’s that smell?In Waco, there is a stench of death

in the air caused by decaying crick-ets. The pests made it into the walls of buildings in the Central part of town,got trapped and died. Many products have been used to try to eliminate the smell,but nothing has worked. Local entomologists said mild winter conditions are to blame.

— The Associated Press

8

The Et Cetera www.eastfieldnews.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

By Braulio A. Tellezbrauliotellez@dcccd.edu

The Art Department has added a second gallery, which is opening the door for new pos-sibilities.

Before, most art shows took place inside Gallery F-219, a small room in the F building.

Now, the H-100 gallery serves as a second show space and has given the Art Department more room to showcase local artists.

“One of the reasons we wanted two exhibi-tion spaces is because we really wanted the abil-ity to have different types of exhibitions,” Gal-lery Director Iris Bechtol said. “So this new one is kind of like a shotgun gallery. It gives us the power to have more diverse shows and more of them in a semester.”

The new gallery also allows Bechtol to incor-porate things such as sound and lighting.

The gallery opened Sept. 22 with Leticia Bajuyo’s show “Event Horizon.” The reception included a speech by the artist and a musical performance by the Austin based band The Austonauts.

Bajuyo’s installation consisted of a large wall made from compact discs, which extended out into the middle of the room.

At the end of the funnel was a theremin, an electronic instrument that uses a looped fre-quency which is then manipulated with the hands to create different pitches and notes.

Bajuyo, an art professor at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind., was invited to open the gal-lery after Bechtol attended one of her shows in Austin.

“I think it’s awesome that I was the first artist to touch the gallery, and of course it’s an honor that Iris chose me,” Bajuyo said. “The space is amazing, and it worked really well with my in-stallation.”

Bajuyo said adding a second gallery says a lot about how much the campus cares about the arts.

“I’m jealous,” Bajuyo said. “We only have one gallery on our campus.”

Arts, Language and Literature Dean Rachel Wolf said the new gallery is part of an effort to improve the college’s fine arts program.

“We want students to know that fine arts are also key to a comprehensive education, just as math and science are,” Wolf said. “So the gal-lery is one facet of our efforts to begin a more in-depth arts department.”

Bajuyo’s show will continue through Oct. 26. The gallery is located in the lower courtyard

next to the F building and is open to visitors during school hours.

New gallery means new opportunities

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Leticia Bajuyo breaks in the new art gallery in H-100 with her installation “Event Horizon,” which opened Sept. 22 and runs through Oct. 26.

9 The Et Cetera www.eastfi eldnews.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

LIFE & ARTS

When I did cutting-edge research on viruses as a freshman, my path became clear. At UNT, my professors are helping me turn my dream of a future in medical research into reality.

— AMY SCHADE, selected for Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunities Program

is...PREVENTING ILLNESS WITH MY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH.GREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSWhen I did cutting-edge research on viruses as a freshman, my path became clear. At UNT, my professors are helping me turn my dream of a future in medical research into reality.

— AMYselected for Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunities Program

PREVENTINGGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESSGREATNESS

AA/EOE/ADA © 2012 UNT

YOU’RE INVITED TO TAKE A TOUR

unt.edu/begreat | 940-565-4104

--Complied by Braulio Tellez,Sidney Murillo and Justin David Tate

Vegetarian-friendly lunch spots

Spiral Diner1101 N. BeckleyDallas 75203

� is 100-percent vegan-friendly eatery has some of the tastiest natural dishes in Dallas. All of the ingredients are purchased from local farmers and contain no arti� cial ad-ditives. � e menu includes every-thing from soy burgers to Jamaican jerk.

Check out: � e pasta primavera, which consists of spaghetti smoth-ered in homemade marinara sauce, tossed with broccoli, carrots, black olives, zucchini and peas. It comes with a side of some of the best garlic bread ever.

Also try: A Martha and Librarian smoothie. It is made with soymilk, bananas, strawberries, chocolate, peanut butter and their homemade “I-scream.”

Cosmic Cafe2912 Oak Lawn Ave.Dallas 75219

Cosmic Cafe’s Indian aesthetic invites the eyes of onlookers with its kaleidoscope of colors. � e names of di� erent sections of the menu such as “celestial light o� erings” can be intimidating at � rst, but a� er realizing these are just fancy names for main course and appetizers, the yummy veggie options open up.

Check out: “Buddha’s Delight,” presented on top of a banana leaf, has just enough spice to satisfy a Southerner’s craving for something hot.

Café Lago9219 Garland RoadDallas 75218

Café Lago is a jewel box-sized diner that welcomes everyone and their four-legged friends. � ey give diners the option of eating inside a hardwood-� oored dining room or outside on dog-friendly patio. � e roasted veggie sandwich features sautéed zucchini, mushrooms and

Good 2 Go Taco1146 Peavy RoadDallas 75218

Upon entering the co� ee shop/taco spot, a vegetarian may be confused by the assortment of items covered and � lled with bacon, sausage and beef. But deeper inspec-

Kalachandji’s5430 Gurley Ave.Dallas 75223

� is Hindu palace and restaurant � lls both the body and soul. � e din-ing area is located inside a garden in a temple. � e bu� et changes daily and o� ers food cooked in the an-cient Ayurvedic art of cooking. En-trees like deep-fried squash in spicy chickpea batter and steamed brown rice can be found on the menu.

Check out: Halva. It’s a grain des-sert made from toasted farina and served with nuts and fruits.

Also try: � e tamarind tea. It’s tart, it’s sweet, and best of all, it’s free.

carrots on top of mozzarella cheese in between two pieces of hippie bread. � e bread is made of whole wheat and poppy, pumpkin and sun� ower seeds.

Check out: � e veggie burger, made of quinoa, rice and veggies, and served with house chips and a pickle.

Also try: � e warm apricot cake topped with apricot preserves is the perfect ending to your meal.

Also try: � e “No Bull Burger,” made of black beans and mush-rooms.

JUSTIN DAVID TATE/THE ET CETERA

The Nightshade taco from Good 2 Go Taco is loaded with fl avor.

tion of the menu will yield yummy vegetarian rewards.

Check out: � e Nightshade taco is for both vegetarians and vegans with grilled zucchini, squash, eggplant, tomato, tabbouleh and feta cheese and a choice of either eggs or tofu to go along with it.

Also try: � e delicious home-grown co� ee and a wide range of unique sodas.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 www.eastfi eldnews.com The Et Cetera

LIFE & ARTS10

Lifelong love of � sh leads to Post’s conservation e� ortsBy Ginny Morrisetc4640@dcccd.edu

Rik Post has been fascinated with � sh since

he got his � rst � sh tank at the age of 10. � ree years a� er his father bought him his � rst tank, Post had a dozen in his bedroom.

As a teenager, he bred and sold his own � sh, including the popular betta � sh, and worked in pet shops to make money.

While working at the pet shops, his love of � sh increased as he discovered that he could buy exotic � sh.

As an adult, the biology professor’s interests turned to conservation, and he realized he had an opportunity to help save endangered species of � sh.

“I wanted to make some contribution along the lines of working to conserve species,” Post said. “I knew that one way I could make a con-tribution was by breeding.”

Post breeds � sh from the family goodeidae. goodeids, as the many species are collectively called, live in small pools of water in arid re-gions of Mexico, Central America and the southwestern United States. Although they are not as � ashy as their domestic relatives, goode-ids are related to common aquarium � sh such as guppies and swordtails.

Goodeids are nicknamed “pup� sh” because of their friendly personalities and obvious in-terest in the world outside their tank.

“Because they’re a� ectionate, I can feed them,” Post said. “I can put my hand in the wa-ter and they’ll come up and swim against my hand. � ey have personality.”

Most species of goodeids are endangered, and a few species become extinct every year. Because they live in tiny pools le� behind by shi� ing rivers, the goodeid populations never grow to be very big.

� e high demand for buildings to accom-modate growing population means the areas where goodeids used to live are being de-stroyed.

“In Mexico, because of the population ex-pansion, they’ve had an issue where some of the species are going extinct in the wild because they’re paving over the swampy areas for park-ing lots for grocery stores and so on,” Post said. “So how about that for a reason for a species to go extinct—parking lots.”

Some populations of goodeids are incred-

ibly tiny. Post said he once had one third of the entire world population of a goodeid subspe-cies in his tanks. � e restricted environment in which goodeids live has proved to be their greatest handicap in recent times.

� e incredibly miniscule range of some goodeid species is illustrated in the case of the Devil’s Hole pup� sh.

� e entire world population of Devil’s Hole pup� sh lives in an area smaller than an aver-age-sized swimming pool.

It is nestled in a volcanic crack near Death Valley National Park. � e Devil’s Hole pup� sh have never been raised outside of that one pool.

“It is the most severely geographically re-stricted range of any species of vertebrate on earth,” Post said. “Because it’s actually a crack in the earth due to volcanic activity. . . It’s a bizarre kind of situation.”

One of Post’s goals is to involve students in his passion for saving endangered species.

His main concern is maintaining all of the goodeid species in captivity until such a time as they can be released into the wild safely.

“We can’t [release them into the wild] yet. � at problem is for further down the road in the future,” Post said. “Our job now is to main-tain these species in captivity. Because if we don’t, and they go extinct in the wild, we’ve lost the opportunity; they’re just gone forever. “

One reason Post is eager to involve students in raising endangered � sh is because it is criti-cal to keep endangered species spread among many � sh keepers.

With a wide distribution of endangered � sh, it ensures that if one group dies, the species doesn’t end there.

A few years ago, Post experienced a power outage in the middle of winter leaving him without heat for � ve days.

He kept his endangered species alive by placing them in buckets and keeping them next to the � replace.

All of his other � sh died.“It was a miserable � ve days. I was desper-

ately trying to keep at least my endangered spe-cies alive, because it was critical,” he said. “But in doing that, I lost all my other � sh.”

A� er a trial period with non-endangered goodeids, Post allows students to keep and breed the endangered � sh, thus ensuring that the species is around for many generations to come.

“� is is a way to get back to my ichthyology roots, so to speak, and do something worth-while—to leave some mark on the world,” Post said. “It’s not a massive change, or anything, but ... [for students] who have any interest at all in direct conservation, this is an easy way to do it.”

For more information on how to help en-dangered � sh, contact Post at rpost@dcccd.edu.

Professor protects extinct species of � sh

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Goodeids thrive in hard water and have even adapted to alkaline pH levels. This makes it easy to maintain in home-friendly tanks like the one in Post’s offi ce.

GoANG.com/TX 1-800-TO-GO-ANGTalk to a recruiter today to learn more.

CAREER TRAINING. MONEY FOR COLLEGE.

AND AN ENTIRE TEAM TO HELP YOU SUCCEED.

11 The Et Cetera www.eastfieldnews.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

LIFE & ARTS

By Sergio Léon etc4640@dcccd.edu

To be or not to be? That is not the question the Dra-

ma Department is asking itself this semester. It’s asking how to be even bigger.

With enrollment steadily increas-ing each semester, the Drama De-partment is constantly recruiting stu-dents and turning them into actors.

“My goal is to be able to offer a full schedule of acting and theater classes full [of students],” said Dusty Reasons, head of the Drama Depart-ment. “[We] want to offer three or four classes a day and adult acting classes at night.”

Recruiting students for theater classes and productions is a year-round endeavor.

The department reaches out into middle schools and high schools with acting workshops.

“I want all of the high school [stu-dents] in the area to know that they may not be able to go to a four-year university right away, but they can come with us to grow and learn,” Reasons said.

Technical Theater Coordinator Lori Honeycutt said the goal is for students to be able to tap into all of their creative talents.

“This year students will also be writing and directing their own

plays,” she said.For those with only the desire to

act, there are at least three shows produced each year, giving students plenty of opportunities to perform.

The show chosen to kick off this semester is Shakespeare’s “A Mid-summer Night’s Dream,” directed by Honeycutt, which opens Oct. 18.

It is not a traditional adaptation

of Shakespeare’s bruised love story, however.

This adaptation strays from the usual lighthearted comedic feel so many have given the production. Honeycutt promises instead to deliv-er a much more visceral and risqué show, one that makes the audience “cringe.”

There will also be a change in set-

ting, which Honeycutt has described as a “post-post apocalyptic, 50 years after the world ended and we are re-building things after some terrible, terrible thing happened.”

Honeycutt said a Shakespearean play was selected because she wanted “to give the best education [to her students] before they enter a four-year university, which means doing

all types of shows, including, classi-cal.”

“I don’t want students grounded in post-modern plays,” she said.

Shakespeare’s unique style of writ-ing and language has not been the only challenge for the actors.

The physicality in this show is strenuous, with many of the actors “going home with bruises,” Honeyc-utt said.

While rehearsing for outside courtyard performances, actress Stephanie Carroll said her charac-ter Puck “runs around a lot, literally climbing over walls and into trees,” requiring her to wear yoga pants.

The upside to having a large stu-dent body that’s actively involved in the program is the ability to put on productions with a multicultural cast.

“[Doing] ‘Hairspray’ in the spring for a musical needs a large, multicul-tural cast,” Reasons said. “I just have to have the students audition for it.”

Reasons believes even taking a single theater course can help stu-dents develop skills that will be useful far beyond the stage and classroom.

“The best thing about theater people is that they are generally good at communicating, they can speak really well, they can improvise, and they can think on their feet,” she said. “These are skills that you can use on any job.”

Big stage, big drama, bigger department

By Sergio Léonetc4640@dcccd.edu

Packing a comedic punch, Frank Coraci’s new film “Here Comes the Boom,” which opens Oct. 12, is the best feel-good movie so far this year.

Scott Voss, played by the charis-matic Kevin James, is a high school science teacher past his prime who barely meets his duties as an educa-tor.

Mr. Voss, a former trophy-win-ning college wrestler and teacher of the year, was a promising individual who simply lost his edge. Finally, when the extracurricular activities at his struggling inner city school are threatened to be cut, he decides to step back up. He teams up with Mar-ty (Henry Winkler), a passionate, yet quirky music teacher whose job is

also on the line. They both decide to play the hand they are dealt and be-come the school’s unlikely heroes.

Scott and Marty decide their only hope to raise enough money to save the school’s music program is for Scott to step into the cage as an MMA fighter. In exchange for tu-toring help on his citizenship exam, Scott is coached by Niko (Bas Rut-ten), a retired eastern European cage fighter and personal trainer.

Together the three men venture off into a series of comedic fights and they make a surprisingly good team. Scott the underdog hero, Marty, the naive untainted optimist, and Niko, the over-the-top knucklehead pow-erhouse come together for a single purpose and produce a lot of laughs.

While Scott takes a beating inside the ring, his ego is equally pounded

as he is continually rejected by his fellow co-worker and school nurse Bella Flores, played by the beautiful Salma Hayek. Bella hesitantly en-courages him to continue fighting while treating his many injuries.

Seeing James as a cage fighter is a stretch, which is the main punchline of the film. But surprisingly, he is in the best shape of his career. He sheds the stereotypical overweight routine used in so many of his former films and looks more average than ever be-fore. His physique is not the only im-provement; his humor and personal-ity really shine as the underachieving yet lovable screw-up with a heart of gold.

“Here Comes the Boom” is a great film for the whole family and will have you rooting for Mr. Voss with as much excitement as his students.

James draws big laughs when he lowers the boom

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Conner Gunnels (top) and Lucas Haupert (bottom) rehearse ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ in the performance hall. The production opens Oct. 18.

COURTESY OF SONY MOTION PICTURES

Scott Voss, played by Kevin James, gets in the cage to fight for his struggling school in ‘Here Comes the Boom.’

MOVIE REVIEW

The Et Cetera Wednesday, October 3, 2012

12

Award-winning member of: • Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • Associated Collegiate Press • Texas Community College Journalism Association

Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Fax: 972-860-7646 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu

Editor In Chief Justin David Tate

Managing Editor Claudia J. Guerra

Design Editor Chris Guerra-Yanger

News Editor Keturah Jones

Opinion Editor Anjulie Van Sickle

Life & Arts Editor Sidney Murillo

Sports Editor Kevin Cushingberry

Online/Social Media Editor Danyelle Roquemore

Copy EditorsCaitlin Piper Enrique Morales

Staff Writers Angel AbarcaJimmy AmbassaMarimar LazaroSergio LéonGinny MorrisMiguel PadillaBraulio TellezDavid Valderas

Photographers/VideographersOdessa Leeper Griselda Torres

CartoonistJonathon Wences

Graphics & Layout Chadney Cantrell

Student Publications ManagerLori Dann

Faculty Adviser Caitlin Stanford

Editorial Policy

The views expressed on the opinion pages and other opinion pieces and cartoons in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Et Cetera, Eastfield College or the Dallas County Community College District.

Letters to the Editor

Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters will be edited for pro-fanity and vulgarity, Associated Press style, grammar, libel and space when needed.

The content will remain that of the author. Letters must be 250 words or fewer. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or e-mailed to etc4640@dcccd.edu

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OUR VIEW

Most people don’t know what type of person they would like to live with for the rest of their life until they’ve actually lived with someone.

You might think you know how you will react in a sticky situation with someone you love, but what do you do when you find that person has some of your biggest pet peeves?

As a recently married man, I feel lucky that my wife and I have few pet peeves. I have learned some valuable lessons during the first few months of my marriage.

Marriage brings an additional sense of responsibility and account-ability. As a married person, I tend to think more and make decisions not based on what benefits me, but what benefits us as a couple.

Marriage has changed my way of viewing things and dealing with others. I’m more tolerant and un-derstanding of the opposite sex and their way of thinking.

When rooming with someone, worrying about the other’s safety is rare. But when married, the word safety takes on a whole new mean-ing. I find myself worrying if my wife is OK as much as she worries about what I eat. I try to make sure every preventable danger is avoided.

There is no perfect marriage because there is no perfect human, but learning to compromise makes it easier. Many people have given advice on what a successful marriage should be.

However, every relationship is different.

Maturity and love triumph in the end, and since I want this to last forever, I know the ride will be more than bumpy at times. I have to fasten my seat belt, enjoy the good for now and tackle the bad when it comes, knowing that I’m not alone in this happy/sad reality called life.

We’ve all had those days when the campus parking lots’ mass capacity is made painfully clear.

A half dozen cars search for one space while circling like sharks sensing blood in the water. A symphony of car horns and grumbled obscenities provide the soundtrack as we inch along in a packed line, fighting oncoming migraines.

Every one of us has experienced this torture in some way.

Even if you are one of the lucky few to grab a spot during the morning rush, you can pretty much guaran-tee there will be multiple cars clamoring for your spot when you get back, preventing an easy escape. This is especially troublesome if you are only leaving campus momentarily.

It is not unusual to spend 15-30 minutes searching for a single spot, and many people are forcing themselves to arrive more than an hour earlier than normal to beat the crowd.

Those who don’t take such precautions — students and professors alike — risk being late to class. Walking from their cars to their destinations can also prove prob-lematic for those with physical limitations.

The recent rise surge in enrollment only compounds this problem.

Before, people were complaining about having to walk long distances to get to and from their cars. Now,

it’s a minor miracle to find a space at all during peak class times.

We believe it is time for this problem to be addressed. A few dozen new parking spaces could make all of the difference in the world.

However, we realize that changes such as these cannot be made overnight.

In the meantime, we recommend that more people take advantage of carpooling and the DART service. Alternative forms of travel, such as walking or biking, could also work for students living close to campus.

Another suggestion for the administration would be to introduce a shuttle to transport students and employ-ees from lots in outlying locations, such as the baseball field.

These would all be great ways to save on gas and slash parking time and frustration.

We realize these are only temporary solutions and thus only postpone the issue rather than address it, but they are solutions nonetheless.

Lack of adequate parking on campus has been a prob-lem that has gone ignored for too long, and with each passing semester, it is only getting worse.

As the dependency on community colleges rises, parking availability will continue to shrink.

With the classrooms growing more and more crowd-ed, could we possibly be outgrowing our own campus?

As enrollment increases, so should parking spaces

JimmyAmbassa

With marriage comes work, responsibility

The Et Cetera www.eastfi eldnews.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

13 OPINION

I see Paris, I see France, I see someone’s underpants. Yes, I have seen more than my fair share of butts and underwear this semester.

I was sitting in the Pit a few days ago and was shocked to see a male student walk by with his pants pulled below his crotch. Making matters worse, he was wearing tighty-whities and waddling like a duck.

Who would have thought that wearing your pants around your knees would become a fashion state-ment?

Unlike bell-bottoms and disco fashion, this trend seems to linger and even intensify. First, it was sag-ging the pants to where the band of the underwear was exposed. Now it’s sagging until the butt hangs out.

Who would want to show his underwear on purpose?

I was compelled the other day to tap another young man on his shoulder and ask if he knew his underwear was showing. I just don’t understand. Why wear a belt and still sag? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of a belt?

On my quest for an answer as to why this has become such a fashion statement, I found some background information.

� e general consensus is that this trend started in prison, but the debate is why. Some argue sagging was a sign that male prisoners were willing to have a sex with another

inmate. Others argue that sagging became a trend because the prison clothing was oversized, and since belts were not allowed due to safety concerns, inmates had no choice but to sag.

Either way, sagging just looks ri-diculous. It reminds me of penguins waddling.

We live in a society where � rst impressions are heavily based o� of physical appearances. Imagine if our president walked around with his pants hanging down, exposing his presidential boxers, while he con-ducted peace talks. Would you really want someone like that running our country?

President Obama has said that trying to ban sagging is a waste of time. He believes a law shouldn’t have to be passed for us to have common sense and respect for oth-ers. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see guys walking around in tight pants like Steve Urkel. Howev-er, it is possible to wear loose-� tted jeans that stay on the waist.

So here is what grinds my gears most about this trend. It’s disrespect-

ful to those who have to look at your butt and your underwear, which sometimes aren’t even clean.

You walk past children and the elderly with no respect for them. You may think you look cool, but in the words of Fred Sanford, “You look like a big dummy.”

No one wants to see your back-side hanging out. I like choices, and I shouldn’t be forced to look at that.

I have two young sons, and I teach them not to sag. When I asked them how they felt about this par-ticular fashion, they said that it looks dumb and nasty, and I agreed.

If you choose to sag, that’s your right. But remember that employers also have the right not to hire you.

Whether or not you agree, society judges you on � rst appearances.

Unless you are auditioning for a hip-hop video, your chances of get-ting hired are signi� cantly decreased if you walk into an interview sag-ging. McDonald’s won’t even allow it.

And if you think sagging will get you the girl of your dreams, keep dreaming. On the website Girlsask-guys.com, 15 women were asked whether they prefer sagging. Eleven said they did not. I personally feel if a man can’t respect himself enough to pull up his pants while around you, that re� ects on his character.

So if you must sag, do so. But you might � nd yourself a lonely, jobless, disrespectful dummy

London britches falling down

A long road of memories, dreams and hopesI did not choose to come to the

United States; I was brought here from Mexico when I was 2 years old by my parents, who wanted a better life.

� roughout my life I’ve always had to remind myself that I was not like everyone else in my class.

In grade school, I remember my friends talking about how they en-joyed visiting family in Mexico.

I have always wanted to go back and re-visit the memories of my childhood that have faded over time.

I longed to be able to see, feel and smell the aromas of my roots and to visit family that I haven’t seen in years.

But without documentation, none of this is possible. In fact, many things others take for granted are

not possible for me. If I were a legal citizen, I would be

able to apply to work at a local store, bank, restaurant or retail store.

Instead, I am relegated to a job that requires hard labor and bosses who don’t care about my right as a person. I am even thought of less just because I’m a woman.

Applying for scholarships would also be easier, and I would be able to qualify for � nancial aid.

Because I don’t have a Social Se-

curity number, it’s as though I don’t exist, even though I have lived most of my life here in Texas.

A� er graduating from high school, I wanted to apply to a beauty school close to where I live. I tried to apply to � ve di� erent schools, but they couldn’t even start the applica-tion process because of my non-citizenship. � at was hard to accept. Even beauty school wasn’t an easy option, so surely a four-year univer-sity would be out of my reach.

If only I had the option to become a citizen. But, like when I came here as a little girl, I don’t have an option.

� at’s what the Dream Act is, a better option for people like me. Because of politics, however, it still remains just a dream.

What we do have now is Deferred

Action for Childhood Arrivals. Everyone confuses this with the Dream Act, but Deferred Action is just a promise from the president for students to live in the U.S. with no fear of being deported. It lasts only two years with a chance for renewal. Under Deferred Action, I can also apply for legal permission to work here in the U.S.

Having a job would help me a lot. I could pay for college and be more independent instead of relying on my parents to help me with every-thing.

� en I would be able to give back to my parents by helping them as they have helped me.

My father is the only one in our family of seven who has a job. Being the oldest child is tough. My siblings were all born here, so they do not

have to worry about anything and will have a much easier life than I will.

For me, Deferred Action is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. � at’s why my father paid for me to see two di� erent lawyers to talk about what I need to do.

It was expensive, but we would rather be safe than sorry when deal-ing with legal issues.

Unfortunately, I still won’t be able to get a driver’s license.

Owning a car and being able to travel is a privilege I desperately want to obtain, because transporta-tion can be a hassle for an active college student.

For me, Deferred Action is a start, but it is not a solution. � e actual Dream Act is what would make a real di� erence in my life.

KeturahJones

Props to the Rangers for beat-ing the Angels 8-7 on Sunday and making it to the playo� s for the third straight season. If the clutch play of Adrian Beltre and others continues, they can win the World Series.

Rangers are playoff boundDrops to the lack of customer service in the campus book-store. Employees are o� en rude and snarky to students who need help � nding books for spe-ci� c classes. Everyone has a bad day, but it wouldn’t hurt to smile at customers more o� en.

Bookstore bummers

Props to Sandy Hampton from Upward Bound for not only handing out candy to students, but also for her kind heart in raising money for a former em-ployee who is ill with cancer.

Staff member does good deedDrops to no changing stations in the men’s restrooms. Women aren’t the only ones who should deal with a stinky diaper. Single dads shouldn’t be limited to us-ing the Pit as a changing station.

Papa’s problem with poop

Props to SGA and Student Life for organizing the student voter registration drive. Hopefully this will encourage students to vote because of how easy it was to register.

Voting registration made easy

Drops to the Cowboys for losing every other game this season. A� er falling 34-18 to the Chi-cago Bears, the team looks just as bad as they have in previous seasons.

Cowboys fall againDrops to not having hands-free bathrooms throughout the cam-pus. With the � u season fast ap-proaching, it would be nice if all of our restroom facilities were more germ-free.

Germ-free bathrooms

Drops to the professors who leave their lights on a� er class. Even if there is a class coming up in 10 minutes, it would still be courteous to turn o� the lights and save energy.

Lights out, please

GriseldaTorres

The Et Cetera Wednesday, October 3, 2012

14

By David Valderasetc4640@dcccd.edu

Semar Farris is getting another shot at his dreams.

A� er his record-breaking MVP season with the Harvesters in 2006-07, Farris le� the team following a series of family tragedies. Now,   ve years later, he is back and looking to return to his old form.

“It feels like I got a second chance,” Farris said. “Not too many people get second chances.”

Basketball and school took a backseat for Farris in 2007 when his cousin died abruptly from an aneu-rism. His focus slipped, not only on the court, but in the classroom as well. Eventually, he decided to quit basketball.

“He had to grow a little and   nd his way,” East  eld coach Anthony Fletcher said.

Losing a player who was all-con-ference, all-region and led the team in points and steals is never easy. Fletcher said the team experienced an o� ensive drop-o� the season a� er Farris le� . His defensive skills were also missed.

“He’s a tough little guy,” Fletcher said. “Most people look at him and think he can’t play, but you get him out on the court, he’ll change your

mind.”During his only season with the

Harvesters, Farris set a school record for career steals with 123. � e record stood for four years, and the player who broke it played two seasons and only gained 23 more steals.

Farris still holds the school record for steals per game at 4.3.

Fletcher is hoping Farris’ return will provide a spark for this year’s team, which will hold its   rst scrim-mage on Oct. 5.

“I’ve had a lot of professional guys come through here,” Fletcher said. “He is probably the best defender out of all those guys.”

A� er being away from college basketball for   ve years, Farris wasn’t in prime physical condition when he returned to campus in April. He quickly changed that by running three miles a day during the summer.

He has also been playing in rec-reation leagues to keep in basketball shape. � ough it doesn’t compare to a college game, he said the competi-tion helps him keep a mental edge.

Farris has no illusions about where his skills are now. He said he’s not as good as he was during the 2006-07 season, but mentally he is a much better player.

As the season progresses he is sure

skills will return.His motivation, as always, is his

family.“My momma can be proud of me

again,” Farris said. “� at’s de  nitely a good feeling.”

Farris said his mother only wants the best for him, so returning to col-lege makes her very proud.

“I want to be able to take care of my family and do some good,” he said.

Farris’ teammates are also happy to have him back because of his com-petitiveness.

“I feel like he’s helped me step my game up a lot, because his defense is crazy,” team captain Brock Hunter said.

“Feisty” and “warrior” are just two of the words Fletcher used to describe Farris from a competi-tive standpoint. But is that enough to win the position battle at point guard, where two other Harvesters own state championship rings?

Farris is optimistic about his chances. “I’ve got heart,” he said. “You know I’m a   ghter.”

� at’s something his teammates have already learned.

“He shows that basketball dreams never die, that he can come back, and you never know,” Hunter said.

Second shot: Farris looks to make comeback

� e Mavs’ replacements don’t su� ce.

While hunting for superstars, the Mavericks organization lost the val-ues that made it a champion in 2011. � e fruits of that championship have been depleted over the past year, and there is little hope for a title this season.

For Mark Cuban, it didn’t have to be this way.

More than half of his champion-ship team is now gone. Former Mav-ericks are spread from New York to Denver, and they all took a ring with them on their � ights out of Dallas.

As a result of their front-o� ce penny pinching, the Mavericks didn’t earn the opportunity to de-fend their championship last season.

Tyson Chandler, a defensive cata-lyst during the championship year,

who was o� ered a one-year contract, instead signed a four-year deal with the New York Knicks and won the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year award.

By letting go of Chandler and several other championship play-ers, Cuban took a risk. He cleared enough cap space to o� er superstar Deron Williams a max-contract reportedly worth $75 million over four years.

Williams, a Dallas area native, voiced his interest in playing along-

side a talent like Dirk Nowitzki and was believed by many to be on his way to home.

Instead, he ended up re-signing with the Brooklyn Nets for a con-tract reportedly worth $100 million over   ve years.

Williams showed a loyalty to his team that Cuban wasn’t able to show to his.

A� er missing out on Williams, the Mavericks began to lose their identity.

Co-captain Jason Kidd signed with the New York Knicks, and sixth man Jason Terry signed with the Boston Celtics.

A third option at point guard was   nally found when the Mavericks traded Ian Mahimi to the Pacers for Darren Collision. Dallas also signed O.J. Mayo, a combo-guard who

played with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2008 until 2012.

Although the Mavericks’ new backcourt is potential packed, that duo only averaged 7.4 assists per game combined in 2011. Williams averaged 8.7 assists alone while scor-ing 21 points per game on his way to a third straight All-Star Game appearance.

Another potential bene  t of not re-signing Chandler was signing Dwight Howard this past summer. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, Howard signed a waiver with the Orlando Magic, giving up his right to become a free agent in the sum-mer. � at meant a team would have to trade to get Howard.

� e Magic accepted a three-way deal that landed Howard with the Lakers and Andrew Bynum with the

Philadelphia 76ers, and it also gave the Magic cap space for the future.

A� er losing out on Howard, the Mavericks signed Chris Kaman and Elton Brand, who are both over the age of 30 and can in no way compare to the talents of Howard, who would have complimented Nowitzki so well.

� e Mavericks are a team that could have boasted a star-studded trio of Williams, Howard and Nowitzki. Instead, they are a team that won’t be able to compete in the playo� s against powerhouse teams such as the Oklahoma City � under, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Miami Heat.

� e Mavericks missed badly while shooting for the stars this summer, and their fans were le� with a mere consolation prize.

Mavericks missed on a shot at the stars in o� seasonODESSA LEEPER /THE ET CETERA

Semar Farris is back at Eastfi eld after a fi ve-year break.

ON DECK AT EASTFIELDOct. 3 Baseball vs. Grayson JC 2 p.m. Oct. 5 Soccer vs. North Lake 4 p.m. Oct. 8 Volleyball vs. Brookhaven 4 p.m. Oct. 10 Soccer vs. Paris 10 a.m.

The Et Cetera Wednesday, October 3, 2012

ON DECK AT EASTFIELDOct. 3Oct. 5Oct. 8Oct. 10

KevinCushingberry Jr.

The Et Cetera www.eastfield.com Wednesday, October 3, 2012

15

SUDOKU

Jonathan’s World By Jonathan Wences

Kanye West’s “Cruel Summer” is meant to showcase West’s hip hop music label, G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music.

While the label is filled to the brim with talented rappers, many of the better artists are underutilized.

‘Cruel Summer’ works best when West allows his artists to use their personalities to carry a song such as the hit singles “Mercy” and “Clique.”

While West is out-rapped by his protégés, mostly Pusha T and Big Sean, on nearly every song, he makes up for it with a classic verse on “Clique.” R. Kelly’s appearance on the album opener “To The World” is wel-come, but he dominates the song. By the time West shows up, the listener is left to conclude that it’s R. Kelly’s song featuring G.O.O.D. Music and

not the other way around.“Sin City” and “The Morning” fall

flat while trying to mimic the dark production heard in West’s album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”

Pusha T is clearly valedictorian of the G.O.O.D. Music class of 2012. With his wicked flow and sinister rhymes at work on “New God Flow” and “Higher,” Pusha is the most in-teresting member of West’s label.

The-Dream’s minute-long auto-tuned singing session to kick off “Higher” sounds as if he’s gargling underwater. An unnecessarily res-urrected Ma$e shows up to end the song. It’s cool West is talented enough to bring a relic from the 1990s back from the dead, but his flow proves more out of date than refreshing.

Kid Cudi is the only G.O.O.D. mu-sic artist given his own song on the standout track. “Creepers” features handclaps and signature strange notes only Cudi could pull off.

Hidden gem Teyana Taylor is paired with veteran vocalist John Legend on the 1980s R&B throwback track “Bliss.”

Although he has proven he can make a masterpiece on his own, West only manages to make a merely “good” album with his G.O.O.D. Mu-sic family.

I rate this album a 3 out of 5.

Kanye’s West’s ‘Cruel Summer’ By Justin David Tate

ALBUM REVIEW

A Furry Situation By Stephanie Owen

COURTESY OF ISLAND DEF JAM

The Et Cetera Wednesday, October 3, 201216

SCAN thiS QR CODE to learn more about Chris, watch his video profile and learn how texas A&M University-Commerce can change your future.

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3 Chris, a music major and graduate of Celina High School, chose to attend A&M-Commerce after being admitted to the Honors College and hearing

the wind ensemble play at the Evening at the Eisemann.

“I was blown away by the quality of music I heard, and by the scholarship I was offered,” Chris said.

Two of Chris’ favorite classes, The 1960s: A Nation Divided and Cinema, Philosophy and the Political, complemented his music studies by delving into the human experience, something that Chris feels is at the root of music appreciation.

“Most everything that is a part of American culture today finds its roots (or at least influences) in the turbulence of the 1960s, and many of the issues aroused during that time are still issues today, issues which demand not only solutions, but a better knowledge of their origins to find those solutions.”

It’s Steinway Artist, Dr. Luis Sanchez, an internationally acclaimed pianist and Chris’ piano professor, however, that inspires him to excel in music.

“I have had (and hopefully will continue to have) the privilege of studying piano with Dr. Luis Sanchez over the past few years,” Chris said. “Dr. Sanchez is genuinely concerned for the educational, physical, and emotional welfare of his students. He is ever-patient in teaching us what it means to be a musician.

WWW.TAMUC.EDU • 903.886.5000 or 888.868.2682A Member of the texas A&M University System