Celebrating America

Celebrating
America
Midland College Press
El Paisano
Vol. XL, No. 4
By Ernesto Macias and Janae
Skaggs
With 274 electoral votes, 12
minutes after 10 p.m., Tuesday,
Nov. 6, President Barack Obama
won reelection against Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
Obama won where he needed to
win. According to exit polls, voters were looking for a president
who would fight for issues that
were affecting society.
The balance kept moving back
and forth as the votes were counted. It came down to Obama jumping ahead by winning the battleground state of Ohio, 18 electoral
votes; this secured him enough
votes to be re-elected.
Obama secured Ohio, Iowa,
New Hampshire and Colorado,
four of the nine defining states
during the election. Both candidates spent around $1 billion on
television campaign advertising.
It seems that Obama’s campaign choices such as having
celebrity fundraisers, using Twitter and appealing to young voters proved effective last night. At
9:05 p.m., the race for president
was at a tie with each candidate
standing at 162 electoral votes.
After Obama reached the 270
electoral votes that are needed to
win, Romney did not concede until about an hour later.
Obama’s efforts to repeal the
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy,
to institute Obamacare, to save
the auto industry and to legalize
same-sex marriage helped him
garner voters.
Republicans lost, according
The student newspaper of Midland College
November 9, 2012
Photo from cnn.com
President Barack Obama claps as a crowd in Chicago celebrates his re-election. Obama was declared the winner around 10:12 p.m.
local time Tuesday night.
to election commentators, due
to their far-right policies which
seemed to affect the progress of
America.
Romney’s defeat may have
been well affected by the impact
of Latino voters. The Latino voter
turnout affected his campaign
Midland College
40th Anniversary
Celebration
negatively. Each candidate depended severely on their followers vote to secure the victory.
This election was not about
hope or change, it was mainly
about policy and “rejecting the
eight years of President George
W. Bush,” according to commen-
tators during the election.
Also, Obama’s re-election validates his first four years in office.
It seems that voters are allowing him to finish what he started,
supporters said. Obama targeted
those issues that have become
part of the new normal society in
America.
The Senate remains dominated
by the Democrats, keeping GOP
seats in Indiana and Massachusetts.
Four years ago, voter turnout
was 131 million; this year 32
See Election 2012, page 8
Volleyball
Lady Chaps almost taste victory
The college hosted a reception
on Nov. 1 inviting community members to help celebrate
its 40th anniversary. Retirees
such as H.A. Tuck, below left,
attended and visited with old
colleagues such as Omar Belazi, economics professor.
Photo courtesy of MC atheltics department
MC Lady Chaps mourn their loss at regional finals against West Texas College on Nov. 1, 2012.
Photo by Giovanni Pantoja
By Mary Margaret Peterson
EP Staff Reporter
The Midland College volleyball team couldn’t complete a
comeback in its championship
match of the NJCAA Region V
West Tournament at the Rip Griffin Center on Nov. 1.
The Lady Chaparrals fell behind by two sets to Western Texas
College before storming back, but
then the Lady Westerners made
enough plays in the fifth set to
edge MC, 28-26, 25-17, 17-25,
20-25, 15-8.
It is the second consecutive
year WTC (23-7) has beaten the
Lady Chaps to advance to the
NJCAA National Tournament,
which takes place Nov. 15-17 in
West Plains, Mo.
MC ends its season at 23-7 and
was the WJCAC champion for
the third consecutive season.
Victoria Smith led MC with 16
kills; Naomi Posada had 13 kills;
Dragana Cvoric and Gaby Nieto
each had 10 kills; Kristina Gafford had 52 assists; and Sarah Allen added 15 digs.
The opening set was tight
throughout with MC having the
biggest lead at 11-7. The set was
eventually tied at 26 when Moana
Moe had one of her match-high
24 kills and an MC error gave
WTC (23-7) the win and the momentum into the second set, in
which it won by eight points.
“We started off very well but
just failed to finish out the set by
giving them point after point,”
MC coach Tammie Jimenez said.
“It came down to us having too
many offensive errors. We did
struggle a little bit with our blocking, but we just had too many errors to overcome.”
Jimenez added that Moe, who
also had 16 digs in the match, was
hard to contain.
“She was pulling our blocks
and capitalizing on us not being
able to block effectively enough,”
Jimenez said. She just took advantage and was definitely their
top arm. She kept making plays
and putting points on the board.
We had a hard time stopping her.”
MC regrouped to win the next
two sets to tie the match at two.
But in the fifth set, WTC scored
five straight points to take an
11-6 lead and all the momentum
to eventually win the set and the
match.
Earlier in the day, MC and
WTC, which received first round
byes, advanced with respective
3-1 victories. MC defeated New
Mexico Military Institute, while
WTC downed Clarendon College.
Nieto had 12 kills, Smith had
11 kills, Raiza Kochhann added
10 kills and Cvoric added nine
kills to go with a match-high 29
digs against NMMI.
Even though MC fell short of
its goal of making its third national tournament appearance,
Jimenez said she reminded the
Lady Chaps that they had a lot to
be proud of.
“We had a great season,”
Jimenez said. “Even though this
loss will be tough to swallow and
it will hurt for a while, I told the
girls to keep their heads high and
be proud playing for Midland
and be proud of what they accomplished. We improved a lot
this season and what we accomplished this season should not
be spoiled with a loss to Western
Texas today.”
The Lady Chaparrals got exactly what they were looking for
in a straight sets victory, 25-16,
25-15, 25-21, against NMMI in a
WJCAC match Oct. 27 at Chaparral Center.
Commentary
Page 2
Editorial
Count down
to finals
Four weeks and finals ... that’s it for the fall semester. We hope
students are having a productive semester and are ready for finals
as we inch nearer to December.
During the middle and end of the semester many students fall
behind; some students are so behind, it may seem hopeless.
Students lose their focus, their sense of purpose and even big
exams seem to grow less important. But finishing strong is still
important.
Sleep becomes a precious commodity. Most students also have
jobs, and after a day or night full of school and work, they just
want to relax—not study. Not to mention that the cooler weather
and sniffles make everyone want to stay in bed.
It’s fairly easy to not take school seriously. In fact, some students
never take school seriously. If they come to class at all, they come
in late, talk instead of listen, spend time looking at their smart
phones ... do anything but actually pay attention to the instructor.
Students don’t seem to have the same drive that they once did.
The hardest part is persevering even through difficult classes,
especially if there are other complications in their lives.
But usually complications only multiply as time passes. Having
a spouse, kids and increased responsibilities make it even more difficult to go to school.
Attending Midland College or any college, for that matter, is a
privilege. A big part of “growing up” is learning to take responsibility for one’s self.
Whether the student is on scholarship, paying for school themselves, getting help from parents or getting help from the government, they really should take college seriously … it is a job, not a
playground for the immature.
Students should take advantage of Midland College’s low
tuition, experienced faculty and staff and well-maintained facilities
while they can.
If students have a class they are failing, and they have lost hope
of a decent grade, it might be time to re-evaluate the choices that
have been made.
Midland College instructors care and will do what they can to
help, especially if they see students making a real effort to attend
class and learn.
So, this is a time to persevere and to use what’s been learned this
semester to help plan for next semester. As students choose their
classes, they should be realistic about how many hours they can
handle, as well as how early they can actually make themselves get
to classes.
In the end, students should ask themselves if they have their
priorities straight. As they struggle to make time for family, friends,
work and other activities, especially with the approach of the holidays, they must also leave room for their college work.
So, buckle down and get ready to finish strong as we look at four
weeks and finals.
Opinion
Old friend returns
By Anna Spencer
EP Staff Reporter
MySpace
brings
thoughts
about a lot of things.
It once was the perfect way to connect
with friends and to
stream free music.
But what is MySpace
now?
MySpace is in the
process of launching
a completely renovated look and some
people are actually anticipating it.
Remember back before Facebook, when we would spend all
those hours fixing our profile?
Well, the new MySpace is said to
be completely different from the
classic MySpace.
In the past, MySpace has been
confronted with criticism on issues such as online privacy, child
safety and censorship, but then
made a comeback with a focus on
music and targeting artists.
The attention MySpace seems
to be getting lately may be evidence that people are already
sick and tired of Facebook and
are ready for a change in social
networking. Even though Twitter is still out there, let’s face it, it
doesn’t compare to MySpace and
Facebook.
However, when I first heard of
this so-called breaking news, my
first thought was that of doubt.
There is no way MySpace will
make its way back to the top.
When I first read that Justin
Timberlake had unveiled the new
MySpace with a tweet containing a link to a video preview of
the new site, I went right ahead
and checked it out. Timberlake
had also related MySpace to his
song titled SexyBack to Bringing
MySpaceBack.
Surprisingly, the site looked
entirely different from the original social network. It turns out
that the website will mainly be
used for connecting artists to their
fans.
Will people really give
www.new.myspace.com
MySpace a chance and buy into
this new deal? The changes and
the things that are being planned
for the new site do not sound like
a bad idea.
There has definitely been an
improvement on the site. The
website had a clean and modern
look compared to what it used to
be like. There is also a large music component which includes a
way to browse albums, find popular songs and artists. The status
updates do look very similar to
the mobile app Path with photos
displayed and user comments
showing up underneath.
I am a lot more interested in
hearing about MySpace making
its come back, especially after
seeing what it is prepared to offer.
Getting people to try new things
is not easy, but getting people to
go back to something that had already been put aside can be even
be more difficult.
It’s going to take a lot of effort
from MySpace to convince people to give the website another
chance especially after waiting so
long to revive it.
There is no word when the
new MySpace will launch, but
if you are interested in being the
first to welcome it back and join
MySpace, you can add yourself
on an e-mail waiting list at new.
myspace.com.
To check out the video, visit
http://www.digitaltrends.com/
social-media/myspace-tryingto-bring-sexyback-with-newdesign-and-functionality/ and see
for yourself.
Midland College Press
El Paisano
3600 N. Garfield, AFA 185
Midland, Texas 79705
www.midland.edu/students/
studentactivities/studentpublications
nOVEMBER 9, 2012
Mirror, Mirror
By Ernesto Macias, EP Editor
By Ernesto Macias
EP Editor
One more time here we are,
sharing a moment in time that we
never knew we would share. As I
wrote this column, like every other time, I wasn’t aware of you and
you were not aware of me. The
thought of such a complex idea
might startle some, so allow me
to explain.
One day, as I listened to a certain song, my mind suddenly
started running. It ran so fast I
wasn’t aware of my surroundings.
I entered ‘my zone’ and found the
meaning of life during that song.
Many can relate to such feeling. The lyrics, the beats, the
voice and the imagery in my head
all made me feel out of this world.
The universe made sense and suddenly the enigmatic world we live
in wasn’t so questionable after all.
I found out that anything can happen.
When moments like this occur,
it is pure bliss to be alive and experience life. All of a sudden life
isn’t so complicated. One realizes
the gift of being human and being
free. Although it may seem like
this is a column about fantasizing,
dreaming and such, I am glad to
inform you that it is not.
Such empowering feelings
opened my eyes to a new angle of
the world. I realized that maybe
the hippies weren’t so crazy after
all. That care-free, unruly attitude might be just what this crazy
world needs.
Lately, the world is so concerned with being on top. Every
second of our lives is spent on the
edge of insanity, trying to keep up
with the fast-paced world -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, my email, your e-mail and the list goes
on. At the very end of that list is
the one thing that should be at the
top: life.
It would be ridiculous for me
to sit here and criticize the world
when I am a clear offender of life
itself. Maybe this column is about
dreaming and fantasizing; I just
didn’t know it would be that. I reconsidered some points in society
when the song abruptly opened
my mind to a new reality.
As “responsible” humans and
citizens, we feel the need to follow rules and keep up with the
status-quo. This isn’t necessarily
a bad idea, but it isn’t what society needs. I came to the conclusion that this world is constantly
revolving. It never stops rotating,
so why should we?
Literally in this world anything
could happen -- one day you’re
in, the next day you’re out. It is
utterly necessary for everyone,
especially the upcoming generations, to understand this idea.
We have set a pattern for future
generations to follow; a pattern
where thinking has become an
option. It is not to say that we are
“dumbing down” the world, but
as time goes by we use our brains
less and less.
The presidential election was
a clear example of how quickly
times can change. Four years ago,
there was a set stereotype from
the leader of our country. Four
years later, that enigma is gone.
The election challenged society
in other areas.
America is being tested; the
white-picket fence American image is buried under civil rights
act movements, rebellions, civil
wars and political parties. Everyone wants to be an American; the
dream is still in full effect.
All of “that America” has
evolved. One cannot pin point
what the stereotypical American is in 2012. Our society has
changed. It is time to let that one
song enter our society and open
our minds. Let the beat infect
your soul and look at this country
from a different angle.
The election allowed citizens
to make changes in America, to
leave a legacy for future generations.
Open minded to new ideas,
open to equality, open to change
and, most of all, open to the revolving world we all live in. If the
generations behind us learn one
thing from us, it should be to be
tolerant and receptive to the curiosity that is the universe.
If even one person reads this
and becomes more tolerant, then
this column has served its purpose.
Tough Love in 5 Minutes
By Blake Rackley, EP Staff Reporter
As I sit here in Ft. Worth on a
Friday, I am inspired to tell you
the secret to NOT going insane.
Okay, maybe this information is
not the true antidote, but it really
helps. This piece is about learning
when to take a break.
I am currently taking three
days off of school to take a mini
vacation. Let’s be honest, I’m all
about doing the best you can do,
being the best you can be and all
that jazz. But sometimes, you just
get overwhelmed and want to go
hide under the covers.
Instead of doing that, here’s
what I suggest. Take a day or
two to yourself. Many of you
have jobs that coincide with your
class schedule. When you’re not
in class, you’re at a job. When
you’re not at the job, you’re in the
library. When you’re not there,
you’re cleaning or doing some
kind of busy work. We’ve become
a society that just goes and goes
until our tank is on empty and
there’s not a gas station in sight.
I am not a fan of that at all. I
believe everyone needs to just
rest for a bit. God created the
world in six days. But on the
seventh day, he rested. There are
jobs that promise promotion up
the ladder of success and benefits
that will make your tongue wag.
Nevertheless, they also come
with days of vacation, because the
people who created the positions
know at some point, you’ll need a
break.
Students, teachers, professors,
remember to take a break every
once in a while. It keeps your
sanity intact and makes you
pleasant to be around when you
aren’t frazzled and stressed out to
the max. It’s so good to just take
a day off and do something that
will just refresh you. I went to
see Carrie Underwood in concert
several days ago. The days in
front of me will be spent with my
best friend who I hadn’t seen in
almost three months.
I’m not saying you need to
take a week off and go on an allexpenses-paid cruise to Hawaii
where you party like a fool and
lose your shoes. I know students
who will sometimes just take
a break from a tough class and
go see a movie. I know some
students who use their time to
take a nap and fold their clean
clothes for crying out loud. If you
don’t even have time to fold clean
laundry, you’re too busy. Here is
your wake up call.
Some people aren’t bothered
by school at all. But their parttime job is turning into a 40-hourplus week on top of everything
else. With the oil boom, other
employers are short and using
up their workers as much as they
can. It can get exhausting. Take
a day off. Drive to Stanton and
watch the sunset, go paintballing
with your buddies, catch up on all
of your shows currently waiting
to be watched on your DVR.
Simple things like that can bring
you back to life.
It makes me sick to see kids
going and doing and they are
stressed out, overworked and just
plain tired. If we do that now as
young adults, imagine what we
will be like when we are grown
adults with children, mortgages
and careers. I was becoming that
person I hated. I am currently
working three jobs and taking 18
hours of school. To say I’m a little
overwhelmed is barely scratching
the surface. But I’m taking some
time off and loving it. When I
come back, I know I’ll be able to
get back into the daily grind and
press on to the end.
Have some time to yourself.
Don’t abuse the privilege to the
point of failing or having to drop
a class. If that’s how you read
this, you’re reading wrong. Just
get to know yourself well enough
that you know when your mind
and body need a break. Go for a
run. Bake some cookies. Mow the
yard. No really, people do that for
fun sometimes.
Finals are coming up, we’ve
survived mid-terms (most of us)
and the fiscal year has ended at
work. Take one day and recoup.
It will do wonders for you. While
I was at that concert I mentioned
before, I heard a song that
reflected exactly what I’m writing
to you now. Read the excerpt of
the lyrics, take a break, and get
ready to come back to work and
school refreshed and ready to go.
ONE WAY TICKET
by CARRIE UNDERWOOD
If you’re tired of your life and the
way that you feel
Like a fish on a hook,
Like a bug on a dirty windshield,
it’s ok
It’s time to take your chips and
cash them all in
Cause it matters where you’re
going
Not where you been, say hey
Goodbye yesterday
Well if life don’t go your way
Maybe it’s time to take a break
Raise your hands in the air tonight
Push that clock and call it a day
Say adios to the minimum wage
Tell your boss man where he can
stick it
We got a one way ticket
Life is so good, it’s sticky sweet
It’s a carnival cotton candy treat
All wrapped in a lollipop, lick it
We got a one way ticket
Look for the next
edition of El Paisano
on Nov. 9.
Editor: Ernesto Macias
Page Editors: Sarah Cotton, Kourtney
Kelley, GioVanni Pantoja,
Anna Spencer
Reporters: Erin barnes, Grayson
Bewley, Stephani Garcia, Hailey
Hopkins, Kourtney Kelley,
Ernesto Macias, Esther
Nambi, Giovanni Pantoja,
Mary Margaret Peterson, Blake
Rackley, Janae Skaggs, Anna Spencer,
Megan Williams
Photographers: Erin Barnes,
Kourtney Kelley, Giovanni
Pantoja, Ernesto Macias, Esther
Nambi, Mary Margaret
Peterson, Janae Skaggs
Lab Instructor: Karen Lanier
Adviser: Bob Templeton
Dean of Fine Arts
& Communications:
Billy Feeler
Comments and views expressed in
Midland College Press/El Paisano reflect the
thoughts of individual student reporters
and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or
opinions of other students, faculty members,
administrative officers or the board of
trustees. Midland College Press/El Paisano is a
member of the Texas Community College Press
Association and the Texas Intercollegiate
Press Association. The publication and its
student staff members have won
numerous statewide awards.
e-mail: studentpublications@midland.edu
News
November 9, 2012
Page 3
Work-study program helps students earn education
By Grayson Bewley
EP Staff Reporter
Ismael Castro, Midland College student and work-study employee, suggest for students to
get a job here at MC, “If someone has a busy schedule I would
suggest this job for them because
it helps them with school,” said
Castro
Work study is a federallyfunded program at Midland College that helps students work for
an income of up to $1,800 a semester, “it gives a student good
work experience and looks good
on a resume,” Lupe Daniels, job
placement coordinator, said. “It’s
just good overall in my opinion.”
Castro works alongside Lupe
Daniels in the Dorothy and Clarence Scharbauer, Jr. Student
Center, “It [the job] helps me a
lot with school it gives me a lot
of time to catch up on my homework,” Castro said. “I feel like I
am doing better grade wise because of this job.”
“This semester we had about
55 positions open,” Daniels said.
+
Photo by Greyson Bewley
Jennifer Humphries works at the job placement office.
“Almost 200 applications and 53
of the positions are filled.”
“I give my students two options they can wait to be called
or they can take the initiative,”
Daniels said. Students can look
at work study positions that are
open and choose one that they
think best suits them and call for
an interview.
“I like for them to take the initiative as opposed to waiting for
departments to call them, because
that will give them more confidence and prepare them for the
real world,” Daniels said.
If students are enrolled in six
hours, they can apply for work
study, Daniels said. As long as
the students can keep their grades
up, they can keep their jobs, she
said, “They have to be meeting
satisfactory academic progress.”
Daniels said, “If they lose their
financial aid, then they lose their
work study.”
If students are accepted, they
can work a maximum of 15 hours
a week depending on what benefits they have earned.
In order for students to qualify
for work study, they must apply
for a Pell grant and FASFA and
have to show a financial need,
Daniels said.
Students get paid $7.50 an hour
and get paid monthly.
“The federal work study program pays for 75 percent of the
work study salary and each department pays for the remaining
25 percent,” Daniels said, “A lot
of the jobs are clerical.” Students
can work at the Job placement office or the Oral communications
office just to name a few.
“I post jobs all across campus,
help people with their picture IDs
and help students with the process of applying for work study,”
Castro said.
Students can work up to 15
hours a week and can work between the hours 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
“Each department is really pretty good about working around the
students schedule,” Daniels said.
“I also deal with all outside employers.” Daniels said. Students
can also go to www.collegecentral.com/midland for more info
about job openings.
“Our job boards are in pretty
much every building; students
can see what jobs are posted,”
Daniels said.
Daniels said she also helps by
making sure that everything is
going smoothly. If students need
help with anything or have any
questions Daniels is available.
Time management benefits students
‘Mr. Rob’ Allen
goes the distance
By Mary Margaret Peterson
EP Staff Reporter
At 86 years old, Robert Allen is the oldest member of the
Midland College staff. Raised
on a farm in Parish, located in
northeast Texas, Robert Allen
said he moved to Midland in
1954 looking for work.
The farm he lived on grew
corn, hay, cotton and grain, but
the farm had several bad years
before he moved to Midland,
Robert Allen said.
He went to school in
Brookston, Texas, a town nearby and completed up to seventh
grade.
Robert Allen is also a Pentecostal preacher at a small
church in Midland. He has
been a preacher since 1965. He
lives his faith daily and is a role
model to those around him, according to those who work with
him.
“Mr. Rob, as we affectionately call him in maintenance, has
been in the grounds department
about 20 years,” said Ken Riley, director of MC’s physical
plant.
“He is an inspiration to all of
us and others across campus.
He is an outstanding example
of the type of person we would
like to be like. His faith never
waivers from day to day and
we look to him for time-tested
guidance. He is a rare individual indeed,” Riley said.
Robert Allen is known for his
work ethic around campus as
well.
“Another of Mr. Rob’s greatest assets is his work ethic,”
Riley said. “He is almost never
sick, sometimes even years between sick days, and he does
his job expertly. He is punctual
in all his attendance and many
times I have reminded him
while he was engrossed in his
work that it is lunch time and he
needs to go eat. He usually says
he will as soon as he finishes
what he is doing at that time.
“Although Mr. Rob’s age
isn’t classified, let’s just say
that several times in the past we
have had individuals come to
campus to perform community
service,” Riley said. “Most are
quite happy to go work with Mr.
Rob thinking that it will be an
easy day. At the end of the day,
they are tired and some will not
come back to finish their community service. He wears them
out. Yet he is here on time the
next morning for another day of
hard work. He was raised that
way.”
Robert Allen and his wife
Georgia have three children.
One lives in Midland, one lives
in Fort Worth and one lives in
South Carolina. His nephew,
Forrest Allen is MC’s athletic
director.
Even at Robert Allen’s age,
he still enjoys his job, Forrest
Allen said. He has a routine and
something to do every day.
Robert Allen said he enjoys
working in his yard and has a
vegetable garden, even though
it’s hard work. He also enjoys
watching baseball.
If other maintenance staff
needs help, he will assist them,
Forrest Allen said.
The younger staff also look
out for him, such as not letting
him climb trees to cut branches
high off the ground.
He is respected figure in the
maintenance department.
“Mr. Rob is a gentle-spirited
man who never says anything
unkind about another person,
yet he is very opinionated and
is not afraid to speak his mind,”
Riley said. “After hearing one
of his ‘sermons’ directed at
some of us in maintenance (and
we needed it too), I somehow
think that even God might pay
attention to Mr. Rob as well.”
He is well-liked by the rest
of the MC staff as well, Forrest
Allen said.
Robert Allen had some advice for the students at the college.
“If you find something you
enjoy doing, keep after it,” he
said.
Photo by Mary Margaret Peterson
Robert Allen, 86, takes a photo break while working
outside the technical center in a breezeway.
Esther Nambi
EP Staff Reporter
With school, work and
family, one must try to figure out how to juggle all
this and yet maintain good
grades and do their best at
their jobs so as not to get
fired. This can take a toll
on a college student’s life.
Byron Russell, a freshman, who has a job at the
school library, said that it
doesn’t affect his school
work because he can work
on his homework during
his work shift.
“I find time to relax by
playing basketball with
Photo by Esther Nambi
my friends,” Russell said. “I
have a class about time man- MC students Bryon Russell and Matthew Wilson manage their schoolagement this semester where work time differently.
our teacher makes us write
essays about how to handle
tivities. Wilson participates in the tween classes.
time management.”
school’s intramural sports like
“Go to class and do your homeHe also said that it has helped flag football. His advice to other work,” White said. “That’s the
him learn how to balance his students is to take each day step advice I would give to my fellow
time between school, work and by step.
students on how to handle school
his friends. Russell said he is not
Jo’maka Mclaughlin, a fresh- life.”
involved in student activities be- man, has a job at a retirement
Tana Baker, Midland College
cause he doesn’t have the time home. According to Mclaughlin, student life director, said that MC
and it would be “too much on his having a job doesn’t affect her offers several different things like
plate.”
school work because she only study skill sessions that are online
Matthew Wilson, a sophomore, works two days a week.
for time management, note taking
said that he handles school life
“I find time to relax on the and stress management.
by taking each day one step at a weekends when I get to sleep in
Students can learn about these
time and listening to the advice and by participating in student ac- offers online and through the stuhis mother gives to him. He has a tivities,” Mclaughlin said.
dent’s email account.
job at the Midland Park Mall but
She said she has no tips for stuAccording to Baker, MC helps
he said that it affects his school dents since she is new to the col- students to manage their time.
work because he gets home late lege experience but would like to There are a lot of ideas that some
and doesn’t get time to do his receive tips to help her with her people might use to help them fighomework.
new life at MC.
ure out what to do in their school
“After class is when I find time
Paszley White, a freshman, has work and social life.
to relax,” Wilson said.
a job, but said it doesn’t affect her
Baker also said that the school
According to Wilson, he hasn’t school work.
is still analyzing the services they
gotten help from the school with
White works in the afternoon have before they can add more.
time management skills.
and her classes are in the morn“If we do anything it might be
He is involved in student ac- ing. She finds time to relax be- more advertising,” Baker said.
Lady Chaps
Page 4
November 09, 2012
Meghan Braeuer
Darnetta Jackson
Curtiesha Woods
Achiri Ade
Gabriela Martins
5’7” Sophomore
Belton, Texas
5’9” Sophomore
Humble, Texas
5’8” Sophomore
Pflugerville, Texas
6’1” Sophomore
Baltimore, Md.
5’6” Freshman
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Daneichka Canales
Chanelle Dicroce
Tia Dixon
Catherine Kruschke
Sabrina Ochoa
5’8” Freshman
San Juan, Puerto Rico
5’10” Sophomore
Sao Paulo, Brazil
5’6” Freshman
San Diego, Calif.
6’0” Freshman
Dublin, Calif.
5’8” Freshman
Oakland, Calif.
Lady Chaps ready to compete
Femke Vaandrager
Diamalises Rivera
6’3” Freshman
Groningen, Holland
6’0” Freshman
Carolina, Puerto Rico
By Mary Margaret Peterson
EP Staff Reporter
Last season the Lady Chaps basketball team went
23-8 and made it to the regional championships.
They are aiming for the national championships
this year, said Ron Jones, head coach. The team
was eliminated in the first round of the play-offs last
year.
There are four sophomores and eight freshmen on
the team starting this season. One player, Meghan
Braeuer, is a transfer student from Lon Morris College.
The returners are strong players, Jones said.
Achiri Ade, Darnetta Jackson, Curtiesha Woods and
Braeuer are sophomores. The whole team seems to
be doing a good job in the preseason, Jones said.
There are two international students, Gabriela
Martins from Brazil and Femke Vaandrager from
the Netherlands, Jones said. Daneichka Canales and
Diamalises Rivera are from Puerto Rico and are
U.S. citizens
“We have a team cookout and the girls hang out
quite a bit, but the best teambuilding happens during practice and the girls just getting to know each
other,” Jones said.
This preseason the MC Lady Chaps are in the
number one spot in the preseason poll. The preseason poll is a ranking done by the WJCAC colleges.
“I think it’s a good honor to be picked first ... but
it’s a long season and we’re just trying to prepare,
but if you are going to be placed somewhere being
placed first is as good as any other place,” Jones said
“I’m really excited about the year and the girls have
been working really hard and we’re anxious to get
started.”
Support
YOUR
Chaparral
teams
Ron Jones
Head Coach
Ginger Gatliff
Assistant Coach
Beginning his 19th year as
the only head coach of the
MC Lady Chaps, Jones’ MC
collegiate coaching record
is 480-119 (.801), with nine
conference tles, 18 NJCAA
Region V Tournament
appearances, nine Region
V Finals appearances, five
Region V Championships,
and five NJCAA Na onal
Tournament appearances
(3rd place in 1999, 2nd place
in 2001, 3rd place in 2003,
5th place in 2008, and Elite 8
in 2010). His 480 victories at
MC place him as the school’s
record holder for basketball.
Over the course of his en re
coaching career (high school
and college) Jones’ record
in 591-171 (.775). Jones
is also responsible for the
development of more than
31 NCAA Division I studentathletes and five NJCAA
All-Americans. More than
65 former Lady Chaps have
con nued their student
athle c careers at colleges
and universi es across the
U.S. Jones, a former MC
Chap player from the 1970s,
is truly a Midland College
Chaparral. Jones hails from
S llwater, Okla. He earned
his bachelors and masters
from the Univesity of Central
Oklahoma, in Edmond, Okla.
He and his wife, Melanie, a
junior high MISD teacher,
are the parents of three
daughters, Jenny, Shelby and
Ka e.
Gatliff is in her 7th year as
assistant coach of the Lady
Chaps. She came to Midland
from York College in York,
Neb. While in York, she
worked for a company called
Mosaic, where she worked
extensively with the mentally
and physically disabled.
Gatliff was also a coach with
the Special Olympics for
three years. She finished her
collegiate playing career at
York as the school’s record
holder in steals in a game, a
season and a career. She also
holds the school record for
most career assists. Gatliff
is a na ve of Lawton, Okla.
Gatliff graduated from York
with honors (Cum Laude) in
2005 with a BA in biology.
She received a dual masters
of sports science degree in
sports management and
sports fitness in 2010.
Remember,
MC students
are admitted
free to all
college
athletic games
when they
show
a current
student ID.
Go Lady Chaps!
Lady Chaparrals 2012-2013 Schedule
Chaps
November 9, 2012
Page 5
Tiegbe Bamba
Justin Coleman
Corey Hilliard
Brandon Lucas
Brandon Maclin
6’6” Sophomore
Sarcelles, France
6’6” Sophomore
Richmond, Va.
6”3” Sophomore
Kansas City, Mo.
6’4” Sophomore
Moore, Okla.
6’3” Sophomore
Memphis, Tenn.
Willis Nicholson
Anthony Norris
Colan Weasby
Aly Ahmed
Gary Akbar
5’11” Sophomore
Philadelphia, Pa.
6’7” Sophomore
Houston, Texas
6’2” Sophomore
Houston, Texas
6’9” Freshman
Alexandria, Egypt
6’5” Freshman
Dayton, Ohio
DJ Billingsley
Ede Egharevba
Kiwi Gardner
Antonio Paulo
Shevon Thompson
6’8” Freshman-RS
Yucaipa, Calif.
6’6” Freshman-RS
Queens, NY
5’10” Freshman-RS
Oakland, Calif.
6’8” Freshman-RS
Angola
7’0” Freshman
May Pen, Jamaica
Chaps need balance
in offense, defense
Chris Craig
Head Coach
Craig is the 13th men’s basketball coach in the program’s
36-year history. He led the
Chaps to an 18-10 season last
year. Craig, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., came to MC after one
season as an assistant at the
University of Northern Colorado
(NCAA I). Craig helped guide
the Bears to a 21-11 overall record including winning the Big
Sky Conference title in 2011.
Craig played collegiately at Arizona Western College (Yuma,
Ariz.) in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (NJCAA I). Following
his sophomore season, Craig
moved on to the University of
Texas – El Paso (UTEP / NCAA
I) where he played his junior
year for interim coaches Doc
Saddler and former MC coach
Junsie Cotten. In his senior
season at UTEP, Craig played
for current Texas Tech coach
Billy Gillespie and advanced to
the 2004 NCAA Tournament,
losing to Maryland in the first
round of the NCAAs. As a starting point guard for the Miners,
Craig shared the backcourt with
former MC Chaparral Omar
Duran. Craig earned a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree from
UTEP in 2005. Craig began
his coaching career in Europe
where he led the Tralee Tigers
(Ireland) to a national cup
championship. Craig was then
hired at the College of Eastern
Utah (NJCAA I) in Price, Utah,
where he guided the Eagles to
a record of 69-32 over his three
year tenure. The highlight of his
coaching career came in 2010
when the Eagles lost to eventual national champions, Howard
College, in the semifinals of the
NJCAA National Tournament.
CEU finished in third place at
the tournament in 2010.
Jeff Mailhot
Assistant Coach
Forrest Allen
Athletic Director
Go
Chaps!
By Mary Margaret Peterson
EP Staff Reporter
“I thought the season had some ups and downs,” said Chris Craig,
head coach, when describing last season. “I was hired late in the season and there were some bright spots and some spots that weren’t so
bright. Overall, I thought we did a good job laying the foundation.”
Midland College was 18-10 last year and did not make it to the championships.
There are seven returning players this season, Craig said. Joining
them are seven freshmen.
“With the experience of the returners, combined with some of our
new guys, they’ll really come together and create a strong group,” he
said.
The team has some things to work on, according to Craig.
“We have a lot of guys who have some ability offensively, we just
have to make sure that they all understand they have to defend and
rebound too.”
There are four international players on the team this year, Aly
Ahmed from Egypt, Tiegbe Bamba from France, Shevon Thompson
from Jamaica and Antonio Paulo from Angola.
“We have been trying to do more service projects with them,” Craig
said. “Boys and Girls Club, we had a basketball camp there and recycling on campus, things like that. We’re trying to get them to understand that life is whole lot bigger than you think it is.”
2012-2013 Midland Men’s Basketball Schedule
DATE
11/9/12
11/10/12
11/20/12
11/27/12
12/4/12
12/8/12
1/3/13
1/7/13
1/10/13
1/14/13
1/17/13
1/21/13
1/24/13
1/28/13
1/31/13
2/4/13
2/7/13
2/11/13
2/14/13
2/18/13
2/21/13
2/25/13
2/28/13
March 6-9
OPPONENT
Navarro JC
Valley JC
Ranger College
Ranger College
Weatherford College
Baton Rouge CC
Weatherford College
Howard College*
South Plains College*
Odessa College*
Frank Phillips College*
Western Texas College*
NMMI*
Clarendon College*
New Mexico JC*
Howard College*
South Plains College*
Odessa College*
Frank Phillips College*
Western Texas College*
NMMI*
Clarendon College*
New Mexico JC*
REGION 5 TOURNAMENT
PLACE
Corsicana, TX
Corsicana, TX
Midland, TX
Ranger, TX
Weatherford, TX
Baton Rouge, LA
Midland, TX
Big Spring, TX
Levelland, TX
Midland, TX
Midland, TX
Snyder, TX
Midland, TX
Clarendon, TX
Midland, TX
Midland, TX
Midland, TX
Odessa, TX
Borger, TX
Midland, TX
Roswell, NM
Midland, TX
Hobbs, NM
TBA
TIME
8 p.m.
6 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m. MST
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
7:45 p.m. MST
TBA
Page 6
Entertainment
Book Review
Unusual scenario explored
By Hailey Hopkins
EP Reporter
“Someone should. Someone
should love you. I will bite him if
he will not.”
-Orma from Seraphina
It’s a common fantasy among
children in the world, to be a
member of royalty or a knight
fighting dragons, but how many
dream of being the dragon? How
about being a dragon-human halfbreed?
Rachel Hartman explores that
unusual scenario in her novel,
Seraphina. Hartman’s novel is
a beautifully-written story, with a
stimulating cast of characters and
a completely different world from
any on Earth.
In the world Hartman has created, there are humans and dragons. After years of war in Hartman’s fantasy world, the humans
and dragons manage to make a
truce between their kind. In order
for the truce to work, the dragons
developed a surprising ability.
They learned how to turn into humans.
The main character, Seraphina,
leads a reserved life full of deception in order to hide her most
closely guarded secret: she is half
dragon. The reason she must hide
this is because one of the parts of
the treaty is that dragons and humans may not be together romantically.
The tale is told in first-person
point of view and follows Seraphina’s thoughts and feelings in the
story. That can be seen in this excerpt:
“I shouldered my way through
the crowd and reached the alley
just as the Guard reached the
front line of Sons. Shouts rang
out behind me, but I didn’t turn
to look. I couldn’t. I fled the fighting as fast as my cold feet would
carry me.”
Hartman’s narrative is full
of intrigue, forbidden romance,
adventure and song. Seraphina
promises to be an enthralling tale
that will capture the reader’s attention and refuse to let go until
the very last word.
Any readers who enjoy reading
Seraphina will be happy to know
that Hartman is already working
on the sequel to her story, but it
is not known when it will be out.
However, those who are interested may keep up with any progress
on it by going to Hartman’s website: RachelHartmanBooks.com.
Spoiler Alert
By Grayson Bewley, EP Staff Reporter
By Grayson Bewley
Another reason that this film
The Perks of Being a WallflowEP Staff Reporter
er ends up being a story about works is the acting. Lerman,
The Perks of Being a Wallflow- friendship and family but with a who portrays Charlie, really does
er, based on a Stephen Chbosky very deep and emotional twist. an unforgettable job at playing a
novel of the same title, is a story Even though some of the top- troubled high school freshman.
about a boy named Charlie who ics that the story covers may be As an audience member, one will
becomes friends with two se- uncomfortable for some viewers, connect with his character very
niors who help him
well.
through his freshCharlie’s friends
man year of high
Sam and Patrick are
school.
played by Watson and
This film, starMiller. Both of them
ring Logan Lerdo a phenomenal job at
man, Ezra Miller
portraying their charand Harry Potter’s
acters. Watson does a
Emma Watson,
wonderful job of playis a surprisingly
ing Charlie’s love interheart-felt
film.
est. Miller is marvelSome even say that
ous at providing some
it is the Breakfast
comic relief with the
Photo from imdb.com things he says.
Club of this genEzra Miller, Emma Watson and Logan Lerman play the
eration.
The Perks of
One of the rea- main characters of this book adaptation.
Being a Wallflower is
sons that the film
a tale that is wonderworks well is that Chbosky, who the story is still well-written.
ful to watch with a friend and
wrote the novel, also wrote the
This film has a soundtrack that handfuls of popcorn. It is a deep
screenplay and directed the film. stands out because of the variety story about love, friendship and
Chbosky does an outstanding job of artists, such as The Smiths, the hard times people have gone
of translating the book to film and The Samples and David Bowie. It through. I give this film three
conveying the emotion to the au- is these artists that really help the stars or should I say wallflowers
dience.
out of four.
film come alive.
Anime Club hosts festival
By Sarah Cotton
EP Page Editor
This month marked the beginning of what may be a tradition
on the Midland College campus.
The MC Anime Club hosted its
first cultural festival where they
invited other college groups from
around campus to attend.
“I held the culture festival as
a way to help with the issue of
students isolating themselves
on campus. The idea of doing
something to help promote unity
among students was actually Denny Mills’ idea; I just incorporated
that idea into the culture festival,”
said Jarred Boone, president of
the MC Anime Club.
This year, there was a bakesale by the anime club, a weap-
ons demonstration by the amtgard
club, a gaming demonstration by
the gamers club, a catapult by the
engineering club and an interactive, mirrored sand-art by the art
guild.
MC’s student government was
also represented at the cultural
event.
“I pretty much invited all
groups that had their information displayed on MC’s website.
I hoped to achieve a better sense
of ‘unity’ among the students at
MC,” Boone said.
“I certainly hope to have the
cultural festival become an annual event. I expect to use the cultural festival as a way of promoting unity among students along
with promoting the current active
November 9, 2012
clubs on campus,” Boone said.
“By doing this, I believe students, and faculty for that matter,
will achieve greater success in
knowing that there are other people who pursue interests relevant
to their own, along with knowing
that there are people who actually
care about them,” Boone said.
The anime club is planning for
the rest of the semester and even
for the next cultural festival.
“We’ve thrown around some
ideas for the remainder of the
year. Unfortunately, none of the
ideas are solid plans at the moment. However, the anime club
will be hosting fundraisers once a
month until next May in an effort
to gain enough funds to go on a
summer trip,” Boone said.
Photo by Sarah Cotton
The Anime Club flash-mobbed to the popular song Gangam Style along with MC’s mascot Pepé
Paisano during their Cultural Festival.
MCT 2013 season
Shrek the Musical debuts
By Giovanni Pantoja
EP Page Editior
A new and family-friendly
play is coming to the Midland
Community Theater. Shrek the
Musical kick off the theater’s
2013 season.
Shrek the Musical was performed on Broadway in 20082009. The musical is based
on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film Shrek. According to
the official Shrek The Musical
website, the plot of the story is
about a faraway kingdom turned
upside down. Things get ugly
when an unseemly ogre – not
a handsome prince – shows up
to rescue a feisty princess. Then
“throw in a donkey who won’t
shut up, a villain with a SHORT
temper, a cookie with an attitude
and more than a dozen other
fairy tale misfits” and Shrek The
Musical emerges. (www.shrekthemusicalontour.com/)
The Midland Community
Theater is the first community
theater to perform the musical,
according to Tim Jebsen, Midland College drama director and
MCT executive director.
Jebsen said that Midland has
been the first community theater
for many other musicals such as
RENT. Jebsen said because the
theater has a good relationship
with the publishers of the musical, the theater was able to obtain the play.
Jebsen said getting the musi-
cal has been a difficult processes and that there still are some
challenges that need to be faced.
Jebsen said that the Broadway
musical ran for about $8-10,000
and he said the theater is working on putting on the best quality
performance that is in its budget.
Jebsen will direct the play and
Bert Bostic, adjunct MC music
instructor, will be the musical
director.
Jebsen said the musical will
be performed from Feb. 8 March 16, 2013. The tickets go
on sale to the public starting
Feb. 1.
Ticket prices are still being
set, but Jebsen said the most
expensive ticket will be $24.
He said that all Midland College students can go see the play
for free as long as they have a
college ID. They will, however, need to make reservations
through the box office.
Jebsen said that he expects a
high demand for tickets since
the play is both something new
and family-friendly.
He said that those two things
are what the theater looks at
when bringing in a new play or
musical and they were able to
bring in a musical that had both
characteristics.
Auditions for the play will be
open to the public. The auditions
will be held at the Cole Theater
at 2000 W. Wadley at 6:30 p.m.
on Nov. 26 and Dec. 2.
Sports
November 9, 2012
Page 7
Staying fit helps students handle stress
By Giovanni Pantoja
Page Editor
Staying in shape is always hard
for college students. Most times
students are stressed and always
studying. The best way to handle
that is to eat snacks; snacks that
are unhealthy. Yet it’s not impossible to stay fit, according to Kimberly Graham MC student.
College student Gabee Losoya
said she works out almost every
day. Losoya said she usually goes
to the MC fitness center to run two
miles on the treadmill and do cardio. Losoya said that she avoided
getting the “freshmen 15” by continuously going to work out.
Losoya’s motivation to continue is for her to overcome the
accident she had that caused her
to lose her eligibility to play for
MC softball team. Losoya said
that she constantly presses on
and likes to go to work out with
friends so she can finish strong
in her workouts and keep the unwanted weight off.
Mike Ortega said he works out
daily. He said the best way to stay
in shape for a college student is to
be disciplined, eat right and stay
motivated to keep working out
routinely.
Ortega said he prefers to work
out with friends, that way whenever he is doing weights or he is
on his last rep, he has someone to
push him to finish and someone to
spot him.
Chris Hernandez goes to the
gym daily with Ortega. Hernandez said that it’s not about having
a special diet, but it’s about eating
right daily and working out daily.
Hernandez said, “Once you make
eating right a daily routine, it becomes a habit; once it becomes a
habit, you’re set.”
Kimberly Graham is the new
MC full-time fitness center attendant. Graham was also a personal
trainer for 20 years. Graham said
one of the best ways for students
to stay fit is to take a P.E. class.
“The problem about students
is trying to get them to the gym,
because once they’re in, they’re
What are your thoughts
on astrology?
By Hailey Hopkins, EP Staff Reporter
Alberto Hernandez
“I don’t know what that is.”
Monica Perea
“Aries, My sign is Aries. Sometimes I
want to believe it’s real.”
Rebecca Kyei
“I don’t believe in that.”
Delores Olson
“I think astrology is neat. All the stars, and
signs, and myths and science.”
Dusty McCullom
“It does not line up with the word of
God.”
in. They most likely get in touch
with other students working out
and continue to keep going,” Graham said.
Graham said that since most
students are stressed because
they have multiple things going
on, they usually eat junk food to
relieve their stress. Graham said
a good idea for students is to go
to the fitness center and work out
for a while because the body will
start producing a hormone called
endorphins; they are the hormones that make people happy.
Graham said a few good tips
for students who want to start
working out are to have a simple
work out, a buddy system and/or
a good weight circuit.
Graham said that the holidays
are coming up and Thanksgiving
is the day people gorge the most.
Graham said the best way to
avoid gaining weight is to eat in
moderation and get back to working out regularly.
“Make fitness a good habit you
keep,” Graham said.
Photo by Erin Barnes
Holly Herrington and Gabee Losoya, MC students, take a break
after a workout at the MC fitness center. The center is open 5:30
a.m. - 10 p.m., Monday - Thursday, and 5:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Friday. Students and employees must show a MC ID.
First Friday Seminar
Grigsby ‘eyes’ diabetes
By Blake Rackley
EP Staff Reporter
The most intelligent people
I know have a great deal of difficulty managing diabetes, said
Robert Sherwin, former American Diabetes Association president.
“They make their health maintenance harder than it needs to
be.”
The quote was offered by Jeff
Grigby, Midland optometrist,
during his presentation, “Value of
Observation, Diabetes, & other
Bits and Pieces.”
Grigsby was the guest of Midland College’s First Friday Science Seminar Series, on Nov. 2.
Grigsby talked about the problems and solutions of both diabetes and retinology.
Grigsby opened the seminar by
talking about retinology and the
progression of research and development over time.
He addressed the issue of glaucoma and its effects.
Grigsby also talked about the
history of the disease and the
ways of preventing the disease as
well.
“So many people could catch
their glaucoma in time if they
would get their regular eye
check-ups,” Grigsby said.
Grigsby spent the majority of
the lecture talking about diabetes.
He said that 16,000,000 Ameri-
cans are currently living with
diabetes, five to 10 percent with
Type 1 diabetes and 90-95 percent with Type 2 diabetes.
Grigsby talked about many of
the symptoms, causes and preventions of diabetes.
He said that many people who
have Type 2 diabetes aren’t aware
of it until they are diagnosed. He
talked about possible signs and
symptoms.
“Many people will frequently
have to use the restroom. At
the same time, they are always
thirsty. The way we like to put it,
they get a drink of water on their
way to bathroom,” Grigsby said.
Other symptoms include weight
loss, increased fatigue, irritability
and blurry vision.
Grigsby also talked about the
impact of diabetes if not treated.
He told the listeners that approximately 7,000 people a year go
blind from diabetes.
That total takes up about 10
percent of the blind population.
However, Grigsby also talked
about prevention of diabetes and
ways to maintain a healthy state
for someone with an incurable
form of diabetes, such as type 1.
“Diet and exercise are very
important factors when treating
diabetes. It has been found that
walking every day can do more
benefits than the strongest eye
medicine for diabetic patients,”
Grigsby said.
“Children who watch less television are less likely to become
overweight than those who spend
seven or more hours a week
watching television.”
Grigsby ended the lecture with
a question and answer section
and final comments on the ways
of preventing these preventable
diseases.
Among his experiences and accomplishments Grigsby has authored many scientific papers on
eye disease, is a past president of
both the West Texas Optometric
Society and the Texas Optometric
Society.
He was on the board of directors (2003-2007) for the Foundation for Education and Research
in Vision.
Currently, he is involved in
the Grigsby & Sheets Eye Clinic, Co-Owner, Midland, Texas,
1992-Present; VisionHealth Specialties, Co-Owner, Midland,
Texas, 1999-Present; Eye LASIK
Midland, Midland, Texas, Clinic
Director, March 2001-Present;
University of Houston, College
of Optometry, Adjunct Associate Professor, May 2003-Present;
Associate Scientist, Department
of Biology, University of Texas
at San Antonio, Andrew Tsin,
Ph.D., 2005-Present; and Redwine Research, LLC, Principal,
2011-Present.
News
Page 8
November 9, 2012
Christmas for Our Troops
Cafe Pepé serves
Non-profit fits Christmas in a box students on all levels
By Kourtney Kelley
Cricket Lemond hand
EP Staff Reporter
makes little stockings
That time of the year
that go in each box that
is approaching again,
is sent. Davis said he
Christmas time. Midalso makes sure there is
land College and the
a $2 bill in every box as
Student Government Asa symbol of good luck.
sociation has partnered
“There is a man here in
with Christmas For Our
town who donates flags
Troops led by Scott Dato people who have
vis, chairman of the nontroops overseas; they are
profit association.
the flags that you see in
Davis began the 501c3
the windows. He even
charitable organization
goes all the way to Iraan
in 2004.
to hand those flags out,”
He said that 2010 was
Davis said.
the biggest year for the
According to Davis,
organization.
Christthere are no requiremas For Our Troops
ments to help pack the
sent 2,556 boxes to the
boxes before they are
troops.
shipped. All ages are
This year will mark
welcome to help.
the ninth annual donaHe said they have little
tion year for the drive.
kids and senior citizens
Davis said there were
lined up to help. The
five boxes sent the first
times and dates to sort
year, nine years ago. The
inventory in the Midland
organization began bewarehouse can be found
cause it felt like the right
on the Christmas For
thing to do, according to
Our Troops website.
Photo courtesy of Scott Davis
Davis.
Also on the website,
People were sending Volunteers help pack boxes for last year’s Chris- there is information
their money and their tams for Our Troops charity event.
about deadlines for dedonations because they
livering donated items.
There are many different peofelt like it was the right
“All the donation
thing to do and saw the good in ple, companies and schools who boxes will be picked up and deare willing to donate their time, livered to the warehouse in Midthe charity, Davis said.
According to Davis, people items and money to the charitable land. The inventory items, which
don’t look at this as tax deduc- organization, Davis said.
are not sufficient to complete our
“We will have school kids and box goal, will be purchased and
tion; they see it as a way to help
the women and men in the mili- people from all different counties sorted as needed,” Davis said.
and cities nearby who will donate
tary overseas.
“The community doesn’t have
“The boxes go to all of the men their time and make cards. These to purchase or donate the bigger
and women who are in combat ar- cards are so incredible and touch- items because that has already
ing because it’s a way that shows been taken care of,” Davis said.
eas,” Davis said.
Davis did not serve in the mili- the appreciation and thought for
Davis said they are still in need
tary but said that he has met many all of those who are serving over- of handmade Christmas cards to
seas,” Davis said. “The look on include in the boxes as well in
Vietnam veterans.
Davis said he learned to ap- a soldier’s face who opens up a need of the support because so
preciate their service, especially card from someone just saying little can go so far and it is much
even more after having that per- thank you, is just indescribable.”
appreciated.
The organization conducts
sonal contact with the veterans.
For more information on
“This year, we are hoping to interviews on the radio, in the Christmas For The Troops and
send at least 2,500 boxes. Last newspapers and more to send out how to get involved, visit the
year, we sent out about 2,640 the message of what the charity organization’s website at www.
boxes to those serving,” Davis is all about and how people can christmasforourtroops.org or call
reach out and help.
said.
Davis at 432-620-8820.
Election 2012
million people voted before Election Day.
In Midland, Democrats gathered at Harvest Caffé to host
a watch party for the election.
David Rosen, Midland County
Democratic Chairman, expressed
his reasons as to why Obama was
the right choice for America.
“For me, I hear Republicans
speaking about liberty and personal freedom but when I looked
at the issues, they want to take
away women’s rights to do with
their bodies as they choose. They
want to control who you marry,”
Rosen said.
Any political party that wants
to control personal choices is
counter-productive to the improvement of American society,
Rosen said.
“I believe that everyone should
have the right to control their own
personal destiny,” Rosen said.
Wanting a businessman to run
this country is not a good thing,
Rosen said.
“Look at the last businessman who was president, George
W. Bush. Many of our problems
today are because of his leadership,” Rosen said.
Alexis Martinez, Midland College student, said, “Whoever
wins, I hope they do well. I believe in Obama’s stand on impor-
from page 1
tant issues.”
Martinez said she is afraid
Romney would cut funding or
eliminate things she cares about
such as Pell Grants or Medicaid.
Voters interviewed outside
of polling places had differing
views.
“Romney is a businessman
which means he understands economics as well as people and how
they operate in the boom and bust
economy,” MC sophomore David
Ochs, said.
MC Sophomore Cesar Chavez
said, “I want a leader who isn’t
afraid to make tough decisions.”
Another student talked about
the importance of voting.
By Erin Barnes
EP Staff Reporter
A college student’s life usually consists of coffee and a lot
of studying, according to Samantha Baeza, MC student.
Cafe Pepé, located on the
second floor of the F. Marie
Hall Academic building, may
be the place to be if a student is
in search of coffee and a place
to study.
In the mornings, students can
be found scattered throughout
the cafe and its outdoor patio.
“I’ve seen students inside
reading their textbooks, some
students reading what looks like
their own novels and there’s always that one kid playing a guitar or something,” said student
Christopher Martinez.
Cafe Pepé offers a quiet
place for studying, a place to
get refreshments or a place to
play some music. The patio is
a covered balcony overlooking
the campus. It is also one of the
designated smoking areas on
campus.
Cafe Pepé sells coffee, tea,
soda, muffins, pastries, grab
and go salads, sandwiches,
snacks and candy.
While there are few complaints, Martinez said he feels
that Cafe Pepé provides him
D
with the things Baeza considered necessities for a college
student.
“I stay out late at work, then
I stay up late doing homework
and sometimes I just need a cup
of coffee and the patio at the
coffee shop,” Baeza said
“I wish there was more food
options like a soup. I am already
tired of the same old thing,”
said student Brittany Rolston.
Although the convenience of
Cafe Pepé is good, some students would prefer a change in
menu.
“I enjoy the coffee shop but I
don’t get to go in there as often
as I’d like because they don’t
take debit cards,” said Lauren
Jackson, student. “I know a lot
of people who don’t carry cash
and they don’t go to the coffee
shop because all they take is
cash.”
A group of students uses Cafe
Pepé on Monday nights for Bible study.
“Even though they’re not serving food, Cafe Pepé gives us
a quiet, neutral place to have
good discussion,” said Evelynn
Valles, student.
Cafe Pepé is open from 7:30
a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday-Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to noon on
Friday.
Lost
&
Found
id you know that the Midland College Police Department
is the official home of the campus Lost & Found?
Lost and/or found items may be reported online at www.midland.edu. You may call 685-4734,
but you will receive a quicker response online.
Pickup is by appointment only,
1–5 p.m., Monday – Friday. Valid I.D. is required.
Unclaimed items are kept
for 60 days before disposition.
The MC Police Department is in Room 136,
Scharbauer Student Center.
“We need to really stress that
their [students] votes really do
count. If they do not like how a
president is running our country,
that’s why you vote ... because
we as Americans have the power
to change from Democrat to Republican or Republican to Democrat,” said Daniel Wright, MC
sophomore.
Ochs agreed.
“Watch the news. Read the
paper. Go to class. Get involved
in the country you keep whining
about. Don’t be a goat, go vote!”
Ochs said.
Romney easily won the Electoral College vote in Texas.
“We have run out of Romney-
Ryan yard signs; We have reordered some four times and they
are now on backorder. We just
have a high demand for them,”
said Roxie Blair, secretary of the
Midland Republican Headquarters.
Issues facing this election
are very key and shape the way
Americans vote.
“I would say the debt crisis is
important because my generation
will be the one dealing with the
long term effects. Another one
will be social security,” Wright
said.
“I most likely won’t have social security when I hit my 60s
when I retire,” Wright said.