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SOUTH
PLAINS
COLLEGE
www.southplainscollege.edu/ppress
PLAINSMAN PRESS
Levelland, Texas
A bi-weekly collegiate publication
Vol. 57 • Issue 6 • November 24, 2014
McMeans crowned Miss Caprock at 57th annual scholarship pageant
by NICOLE TRUGILLO
News Editor
and Production Studio in the
Creative Arts Building on the
Levelland campus.
the judges for the night. The
judges were Aaron Green,
assistant professor of geology,
The stage is filled with
Stephanie Allen, assistant
bright lights,
professor of speech profesand young lasor at SPC from 2002-2012,
dies are backand Ron Spears, dean of
stage getting
continuing and distance
ready for an
education.
unforgettable
After the introductions
night. The auof
the
judges, the nominees
dience is looktook
the
stage again, modeling up at the
ing formal wear. While the
stage, ready to
young women were modsee who will be
eling formal wear, Race
crowned Miss
told the audience the three
Caprock 2015.
words each nominee chose
This year,
to describe themselves.
14 young laWhen the contestants
dies were chowere done modeling their
sen to compete
formal wear, they went
for the title of
backstage so the judges
Miss Caprock,
could decide the top five
but only 13 acfinalists.
tually competDuring the wait, entered at the pagtainment
was provided by
eant. The 57th Above, Alyssa Gregory, right, who later won first runner-up, answers the
Rian
Castillo,
a commercial
pageant was on-stage question at Tom T. Hall on the Levelland campus on Nov. 14.
held Nov. 14 Right, Miss Caprock 2014, Molly McMeans, smiles on stage after receiving music student. He played a
couple of songs before the
in the Tom T. her crown. CHESANIE BRANTLEY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
judges announced the five
Hall Recording
finalists.
The top five finalists were:
Caprock 2015. She received a
Greogry, 19, a freshman Ra$700 scholarship.
Alyssa Gregory, daughter diology major from Littleof Bryan and Dana Gregory field, representing the Press
of Littlefield was announced Club and Plainsman Press;
the runner-up. She received a Kyla Daniel, 18, a freshman
Social Work major from Lub$500 scholarship
Sharon Race, assistant pro- bock, representing Smallwood
hosted a religious dialogue for
by DORA SMITH
students and members of the fessor of English, served as the Apartments; ReAnna Krapf,
Opinion Editor
community in the Sundown Mistress of Ceremonies for the 20, a sophomore Nursing
Opening conversations Room of the Student Center night. Each young lady went major from Westbrook, repreacross different faiths has the on South Plains College’s to the microphone and an- senting Phi Theta Kappa; Mcpotential to foster understand- Levelland campus on Nov. 4. nounced her contestant num- Means, 19, a freshman Speech
ber and name, who her parents Pathology major from Gail,
ing and peaceful relations
were, where she is from, and representing Baptist Student
between communities.
SEE “RELIGIOUS” ON PAGE 4
Ministry; and Bonnie Smith,
who she represented.
Baptist Student Ministries
When done, each contestant 19, a freshman Education mawalked the stage in her after-5 jor from Comfort, representing
dress, modeling the dress Gillespie Hall.
The rest of the nominees
while Race went into more
depth about the pageant partic- were escorted off stage, while
ipants, giving the audience fun the five finalists stayed on
stage. The five finalists chose
facts about each young lady.
While the ladies were get- a question from a bowl and
ting ready to model their for- answered it to the best of their
mal wear, Race introduced ability.
Mollie McMeans, daughter
of Bart and Vivian McMeans
of Gail, was crowned Miss
The finalists were escorted
off stage, and Castillo came
on stage once again to perform
while the judges added up the
scores of the finalists, deciding
who would be crowned Miss
Caprock.
“It was so awkward being
on stage,” McMeans said.
“Because it isn’t natural to
stand there and smile. But
the judges were so sweet, and
everyone was so sweet backstage. So we all kind of felt
Center; Maria Nevarez, representing Tubb Hall; Nicole
Stewart, representing SPC
Band; and Lia Wilson, representing Cosmetology.
Lauren Hoskins and Morgan King both represented the
Law Enforcement Club.
McMeans didn’t know if
she was going to win or not,
but she was excited.
“I was very shocked because, I’ve never [been in a
pageant before],”McMeans
Dialogue encourages
tolerance between
Christians, Muslims
like a family onstage. It was a said. “So it was definitely
really good experience.”
surprising.”
Other contestants included:
All contestants were reAriana Conner, representing quired to have a minimum
North and South Sue Hall; grade-point average of 2.5 or
Hailee Gonzales Diaz, repre- higher, and must have never
senting the Texan Cheerlead- been on academic probation.
ers; Anna Hargrove, representing Stroud Hall; Gabriele ntrugillo0806@students.
Kirkwood, representing Star southplainscollege.edu
Soldiers Matters: Series addressing veterans wraps up
Reorganization effects VA at local level
by ZACH
HOLLINGSWORTH
Associate Editor
Samer Altabaa, Imam of the Islamic Center of the South
Plains, speaks at a Christian-Muslim dialogue in the
Sundown Room on the Levelland campus on Nov. 5.
ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
Cover to Cover
Opinion...
page 8
Feature...
page 13
Entertainmentpage 18
Sports...
page 22
Spotlight... page 26
The reputation of America’s care for military veterans
has become tarnished in the
last year.
The scandals, which, for
a time, seemed to permeate
the evening news- Veterans
dying while waiting for care
on secret patient lists, abuse
of power by employees of the
Veterans Administration (VA),
or the falsifying of records so
that dysfunctional VAs could
continue to operate- seem to
have died down, in part due to
the massive demand that these
issues be fixed.
News
Former U.S. Navy fighter
pilot speaks of his time
being held as a prisoner
of war.
page 3
Opinion
Gamergate raises questions about misogyny and
journalism ethics.
page 8
Military sexual trauma largely ignored
[Editor’s note: These stories are the 10th and 11th parts
of a multi-part sees, “Soldiers Matters,” addressing the
issues veterans face when reintegrating into civilian life.
It begins in Issue 1 and continues through Issue 6.]
The popular outrage began
when it was revealed, in a report by CNN released in May
of this year, that more than 40
veterans had died in the Phoenix, Arizona VA health care
system while waiting for care.
But this report was merely the
beginning, and a cascade of
charges, both small and large,
were levelled against the VA.
SEE “VA” ON PAGE 4
by ALLISON TERRY
Editor-in-Chief
It’s something no one wants
to talk about.
But that is a part of the issue
for Military Sexual Trauma
(MST) victims. These assaults
are often ignored in the Armed
Forces. In fact, the United
States Pentagon estimates
about 86 percent of all military
assault is not reported.
Gabby Saldana, a MST
qualified counselor working
for the Lubbock Veterans
Administration, explains there
are two types of MST reports,
restrictive and unrestrictive.
According to Saldana, in a restrictive claim, the victim only
wishes to get medical attention
and to not press charges on the
attacker(s). An unrestrictive
report involves parties going
on record about the incident.
SEE “SEXUAL” ON PAGE 6
Feature
Sports
Spotlight
Puzzling new Lubbock
attraction challenges
guests to escape a locked
room.
page 15
Texans and Lady Texans
come up short at national
cross country meet.
Week-long event encourages renewal of downtown cultural scene.
page 22
page 26
2
NEWS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Regents review audit, discuss student demographics
by ALLISON TERRY
Editor-in-Chief
The South Plains College
Board of Regents covered a
wide variety of topics during
their November meeting.
The meeting began with
the presentation of the yearly
audit from the accounting firm
of Pate, Down, and Pinkerton,
LLP.
“The report we have this
year, once again, is an unqualified or unmodified opinion,” said Keith Downs, an
accountant of this Levelland
firm. “The report itself hasn’t
changed much, just a little bit
of tweaking here and there.”
According to Downs, the
bulk of the changes within the
report were due to the Governmental Accounting Standards
Board statement number 65,
which dictated changing the
word “deferred” to “unearned”
or “unrealized” instead.
In the audit, the independent
firm provides three opinions.
“We give one opinion on
financial statements,” said
Downs. “We give an opinion
or an assessment to a point
on internal control, and then
we also do compliance to the
federal and state project.”
Teresa Green, vice president
for finance and administration
at SPC, and Stephen John, vice
president for institutional advancement, worked with this
firm in order to ensure financial statements were correct.
Green noted these financial
statements were reported using
the accrual basis of accounting, meaning the college’s
revenues are accounted for
when earned and expenses are
subtracted when created, regardless of when they are paid.
“While maintaining the
financial health is crucial to
the long-term viability to the
college,” said Green, “the
primary mission of the college
is to provide an education and
public service. Therefore, net
assets are accumulated only
as required to ensure that our
funds for future operations
and implantation of new programs.”
The college’s revenues increased from $66.5 million in
2013 to $68.8 million in 2014,
while the expenses rose 4.5
percent from $64.3 million to
$67.2 million this year, according to Green. The increase in
net position can be noted from
$55.5 million to $57.2 million.
Net position may allow insight
into the financial health of
SPC, by subtracting liabilities
from assets, including monetary gains as well as capital
assets, such as land, buildings,
and equipment.
“The current ratio is basically the ability to pay the
current liabilities,” said Green.
“And it’s really current assets
divided by current liabilities,
and you can see it’s been very
stable. It was 2.47 in 2012, and
it’s 2.47 now.”
Regrettably, the school has
had to rely on student tuition
and fees more heavily, due to
a lack of state appropriations,
according to Green.
“The main thing that probably affects the financial position is enrollment,” explained
Green. “I think that we have
decided as long as we have
between 9,500 and 10,000
students, we can maintain our
normal operations.”
Fortunately for SPC, enroll-
ment this year rose by 1 percent, while most other colleges
had a decline in the number of
students.
After the financial presentations from Green and John,
Downs, acting as a spokesperson for his firm, thanked the
two vice presidents for their
willingness to work with Pate,
Downs, and Pinkerton.
“Teresa and John gave quite
a bit of financial information,”
said Downs. “…Basically,
what we are saying is what
they just said is true; that they
didn’t fudge any of the numbers at all… 2013, 2014 was
a great year, that’s the bottom
line.”
Following this presentation of monetary numbers by
Downs, Green, and John, a
Regent joked, “So, you don’t
do this in 30 minutes?”
“No, it took 45 this year,”
said Downs, with a laugh.
Shortly after her initial
presentation, Green spoke
again of the monthly tax and
financial report.
“The total collections is
$643,353,” said Green. “Total
uncollected is $12,145,170…
The total income for local
is $12,343,647, and the expenditures are $10,643,945.
That’s close to where we were
last year.
Remarking these numbers
only reflect one month of
collections, income, and expenditures, since October is
the beginning of the fiscal year,
Green said all other funds are
“in the black.”
Following the report, the
board motioned to approve the
re-selling of an Anton property
located at 204 Lawrence Avenue to a local businessman,
Christopher Waters.
Cathy Mitchell, vice president for student affairs, spoke
about the changes in the student registration process, mentioning she began working at
the college 14 years ago.
“My first day on the job was
registration day,” said Mitchell. “…Back then, it was, they
would line up and they would
fill out some, like hundreds,
of pages of information again,
and they would stand in line,
and there were pictures in
the A-J of students wrapped
around the building, waiting
to go.”
Mitchell continued, saying
changes have been made to the
registration process through
the years, for the improvement
of the system.
“We have evolved to the
point with online registration,”
began Mitchell, “…to the point
where in the spring we are not
going to have our traditional,
on-campus, mass registration,
because it has dwindled down
to a few hundred students.”
Most students register for
classes beforehand, or on their
own, according to Mitchell.
“So, if anybody asks when
we are registering students at
Levelland,” said Mitchell, “we
are now and we will be every
day, and come on.”
Following these remarks,
John stood up again to discuss
the semester’s student demographics, asking the Regents
and guests in the room to
turn to tab nine of the agenda
binder.
“I’ve provided three data
tables for you,” said John.
“The first one is what we kind
of call an enrollment snapshot.
It takes a look at our fall enrollment, and it provides a look at
gender ethnicity, age, first time
in college, residency, course
load, dual credit, and majors.
The second one that follows
takes that same information,
but it breaks it up into what
we call college-level students
and dual-credit students…The
final data is a look at all of this
stuff over the last five years.”
Significant points of this
data include enrollment listing
men making up 44 percent of
the student body, and women
comprising the remaining 56
percent. Race is split between
Caucasian and minorities.
“I think one thing we can
say is our students really do
reflect the communities that
we serve,” said John, “and
we seek to help sustain their
economic development.”
Mike Box, chairperson of
the board, announced that the
contract for Dr. Kelvin Sharp,
the president of the college,
was due to be evaluated.
“Each board member spoke
with their pencil and turned in
their evaluation,” said Box.
“We’re all very proud of the
job that you do, and I think,
with your contract, we can
extend it one year, and I think
that’s going to be the pleasure
of the board.”
The Regents then unanimously approved a motion
to renew Dr. Sharp’s contact
until 2018.
“I thank you for the opportunity,” said Dr. Sharp. “…
We have a great team here. We
have a lot of people that work
hard. The results of what you
hear in this board meeting are
the results of a lot of people’s
effort, not my effort. I’ve just
had the privilege to lead this
group, and I’m completing 10
years.”
Upon expressing this sen-
a [workshop] in the
spring,” recalls Bridges, “but it was only
for the STAR Center
students. This is the
first time we have ever
opened it up to all students on campus, so I
was really excited.”
The workshop not
only included a PowerPoint presentation
by Bridges, which was
also available by email
to any student who
wanted to receive it,
but a free lunch as well.
What students
learned from this workshop was how to prioritize, use management
techniques that are
Rhonda Bridges speaks in the Sundown Room on the Levelland
suitable for them, and
Campus on Nov. 11.
identify their goals.
Bridges stresses that JOSH HAMILTON/PLAINSMAN PRESS
setting goals is the most
around in circles because they what you’re trying to manage.
important thing to do
when it comes to managing don’t have anything to really It’s really important that stuwork toward,” says Bridges. dents write their goals down
your time.
“When [students] don’t set “If you don’t set your goals, and put them in different time
specific goals, they’re running then you don’t really know frames.”
The workshop also
helped students debunk
a few myths about time
management, such as, a
student should have no
limits, and they should
meet everyone’s expectations.
The PowerPoint that
was used during the lecture by Bridges stated
a few main ideas that
sum up time management, which is basically
just stating what your
goals are and writing
them down, taking action
to meet your goals, and
knowing how to get what
you want. The slideshow
also states that “Don’t
wait for time to come,
make the time. Think of
time management as an
investment. Spend your
most valuable resource
the way you choose.”
Another useful tip Bridges
recommends is using a longterm planner, which helps to
keep students organized with
timent, the president continued with his monthly report,
beginning with motioning to
cancel the December Regents
meeting in lieu of the annual
Christmas dinner and pushing
the January meeting back a
week, to Jan. 15.
Dr. Sharp then listed the upcoming activities of the Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 2 at
6 p.m. and the fall retirement
reception on Dec. 12.
“I’m so glad we take the
time to have a reception to
honor those employees who
have made the election to
retire,” said Jim Walker, the
vice president for academic
affairs. “Generally, we take
the numbers, those who retire
in the fall and those who retire
in the spring, and have a reception. This year, we are going to
have one in December and one
in the spring as well, and that
is because our numbers have
increased.”
Walker noted that in 2011,
SPC had nine retirees. The
school had 18 retirees in 2012,
and 20 in 2013.
“On Dec. 12, at 9:30, we
will honor 16 for this fall,”
said Walker, “and then in the
spring, we will honor those
who are retiring then.”
Dr. Sharp then noted the
college received a bid on the
cost of repairs for the Natatorium from Sunbelt Pools in
Dallas, totaling $64,420.
“We spoke to a gentleman
on the phone on Wednesday,”
said Dr. Sharp, as the board
approved the bid. “I want to
recommend this so we…get
started as soon as possible.”
aterry8911@students.southplainscollege.edu
Students learn how to prioritize at time management workshop
by MEGAN PEREZ
Entertainment Editor
After a long, grueling day of
classes, all any student wants
to do is sit back and relax with
only Netflix to keep them
company.
Unfortunately, the pile of
homework on their desk is
begging for attention, and like
most unmotivated college students do, montonous responsibilities are put off for another
day until the night before a
deadline.
To break this habit of procrastination, South Plains College’s STAR Center hosted a
Time Management Workshop
to help encourage students
to better manage their time
while in college and to avoid
the stress and frustration that
procrastination brings.
The workshop was led by
Rhonda Bridges, a basic skills
specialist at the STAR Center,
in the Sundown Room on Nov.
11 on the Levelland campus.
“We have actually done
PUBLICATION STATEMENT
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Texas. Opinions herein are those of
the writer and not necessarily those
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EMAIL: ppress@southplainscollege.edu
Editorial Staff
Charlie Ehrenfeld / Advisor
Allison Terry / Editor-in-Chief
Zach Hollingsworth / Associate Editor
Josh Hamilton / Online Editor
Nicole Trugillo / News Editor
Dora Smith / Opinion Editor
Caitlin Welborn / Feature Editor
Megan Perez / Entertainment Editor
Brittany Brown / Sports Editor
Devin Reyna / Photo Editor
Cyndi Sikes / Editorial Assistant
Chesanie Brantley / Editorial Assistant
Josh Ramirez / Editorial Assistant
not only school work, but with
personal plans as well.
“It’s very important to use
a long-term planner,” says
Bridges. “With a long-term
planner, you can avoid scheduling conflicts. When using
the planner, enter dates that
extend into the future. You
definitely want to create a master assignment list and include
non-academic events as well.”
The slideshow offers plenty
more tips and ideas on how
to prioritize and manage time
efficiently. For those interested
in knowing more about time
management skills, contact
Bridges at rbridges@southplainscollege.edu for more
details.
mperez2143@students.southplainscollege.edu
Staff Writers & Photographers
Alyssa Gregory
Tovi Oyervidez
Skylar Hernandez
Chelsea Yohn
3
NEWS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Vietnam veteran uses faith to survive life as POW
by CAITLIN WELBORN realized that they didn’t have approached me, that was the and into what would be my
any airbags.
last time that I ever saw him.” first cell.”
Feature Editor
[Editor’s note: This story is
the 12th part of a multi-part
series, “Soldiers Matters,”
addressing the issues veterans face when reintegrating
into civilian life. It begins
in Issue 1 and continues
through Issue 6.]
When soldiers fight in
wars, they often come back
as different people. But some
who know their purpose in
their mission can sometimes
come back the same.
Gerald Coffee, a pilot in the
Vietnam War, was a prisoner
of war for seven years, after
being shot down one day.
Al t h o ugh Coff ee was
captured and put through
various trials, he says that his
faith helped him get through
those tough years in war. He
was recently in Lubbock on
Nov. 14 to speak about his
time spent as a prisoner of
war during the Vietnam War in
conjunction with the Vietnam
Center and Archive Guest
Lecture Series.
He recalls the day he was
shot down, saying that he was
on a flying mission in Vietnam
in 1966. That February, he and
his team were shot down in the
central part of North Vietnam.
“We were flying along and I
feel the plane buck, and I hear
a thump,” recalls Coffee,” and
that’s when I realized that we
had been hit.”
He says that after that as
they were falling, all of the
hydraulic systems failed. He
says that the nose started
pointing down and falling
about 4,000 feet, when he
He told the other operator in
the cockpit of the jet to eject.
“Eject, Eject! Eject,” says
Coffee. “I didn’t hear him
eject, so I immediately pulled
up under my own seat, which
instantly ejected him, ready
or not.”
Coffee says that after
he ejected from the plane,
shooting into the air at about
680 miles per hour.
“I was knocked unconscious
sometime in the air, and I
regained consciousness
sometime later,” recalls
Coffee. “I don’t know how
long I was unconscious for, but
once I regained consciousness,
I had landed in the water half a
mile off the coast of Vietnam.”
He says that the automatic
function of his parachute
landed him safely into the
water, but he then had to
release the parachute so that
he wouldn’t be dragged under
water with it.
“The chute was sinking
rapidly into the water, so I had
to cut it loose,” says Coffee.
He noticed shortly after
that, there were about four
Vietnamese boats headed his
way, with every soldier on
the boat keeping guns trained
on him.
“They were shooting at me,
and literally bullets were flying
over my head and landing in
the water all around me,” says
Coffee.
He says that he hadn’t
noticed when he had first
landed in the water that his
arm was broken. But as he
was being shot at, it became
apparent.
“Every man in each boat
has his weapon trained on me,”
recalls Coffee. “I had a glimpse
of one of my team members
about 500 yards closer to
the shore. But as the boats
have something to bring back
from this experience and
He says that they shoved something to tell others about.
After being taken onto the
“I asked myself, ‘What
boat and seeing all of the fighter him inside, and the iron door
jets pass over them, Coffee slammed behind him, as they am I going to say?’” Coffee
took in his surroundings, clamped a big iron bolt on the says. “How do I condense this
experience into 45 minutes and
his introduction into North lock outside the door.
“I couldn’t believe that this say anything that makes any
Vietnam.
He would find out later that had happened to me,” recalls difference at all?”
He says that he wouldn’t
one of his crew members and Coffee. “It’s always supposed
good friend would be killed by to happen to the other guy. But know the answer to that
never to you.”
question the entire time he
friendly fire.
For the first time in his was in prison. The answer only
Coffee happened to be
came to him when
tak en to a
he was released
southern part
seven years and
of Vietnam
nine days later.
near Bien
“That’s when
city. He says
I looked around
that on their
and realized that
w a y, t h e y
some of the ways
would stop
I survived that
frequently,
prison experience
taking cover
were going to serve
in the trees.
me just as well in
C o f f e e
my daily life when
explains
I returned home,”
that they
Coffee says.“I
were taking
wanted to survive
cover from
and return with
the patrols
honor. That was
d u ri n g t h e
common of most of
day.
the POWs there.”
“People
As he walked
would come
back and forth in
out from the
village to see Gerald Coffee speaks about being a POW at the Texas his cell, he says
the captured Tech University Lanier Auditorium in Lubbock on Nov. that never in his
wildest dreams did
U . S . a i r 14. CAITLIN WELBORN/ PLAINSMAN PRESS
he think that he
pilot,” says
Coffee, “as long as they could life, Coffee says that he felt would be a POW for seven
take out their anger, and in isolated. He says that his cell years.
“I just looked from one day
some cases, hatred, out on me was only 7 feet long and 5
feet wide.
to the next, or one month to
on those days.”
“Next to the door was a the next, and from one year to
On the 12th day of travel,
they reached the city of Hanoi, piece of paper mounted to the the next,” says Coffee. “I kept
and at the heart of the city, in wall with prison regulations telling myself that I would be
the dawn light, Coffee was and all,” says Coffee. “It was home for the next Christmas
brought to the prison he would all there specifically to make or the one after that.”
be residing in.
it impossible for me to obey
He says that he could only
“The prison was called by the American code of think that he would see his
Wallow, which in Vietnamese conduct.”
kids the next year but that the
means fiery forge,” explained
He explains that due to years kept going by. Coffee’s
Coffee.
prison regulations he wasn’t youngest son would grow up to
“The guards took me out expected to keep his loyalty to be 7 before he would meet his
through the arched doorways the United States, or the code father for the first time.
and down through corridors of conduct he was sworn into.
“My son was born two
“My cell just reeked of months after I was captured,”
the human misery that had says Coffee, “and when I
happened before me,” says returned home and became
Coffee. “Decades of human more acclimated to it, we
misery.”
started to slowly introduce
During the first months of ourselves to one another.
incarceration, Coffee prayed He told everybody, ‘Uncle
a lot.
Daddy’s home,’”
“I prayed, ‘Lord, let’s get
When he came home,
this war over with as quickly he realized that he had to
as possible, or at least let capitalize on his experience.
there be a political settlement
“Survival of that experience
or a prison exchange,’” says gave me the strength to say
Coffee. “Naturally, that was what needed to be said, that
my first prayer.”
people weren’t willing to say,”
But as the months went on, says Coffee.
Coffee says that his prayers
Coffee admits that before he
began to change.
was captured he wasn’t a very
“Instead of saying ‘why me religious man. But when he
Lord?’ I started saying, ‘Show returned from war he realized
me Lord,’” says Coffee. “I that his survival was attributed
started praying ‘Show me what to his faith.
to do with this. What are you
“I had to have faith in
preparing me for? Help me to myself, as well as God,” says
use this curse so that when I Coffee. “Faith in myself to
go home, whenever that may simply do what I needed to do
be, I will be a stronger, better, to pursue my duty. Because we
smarter person in any way that had responsibilities.”
I can possibly be.’”
Coffee says that he just
He prayed to God that he told himself to stay strong and
could go home as a better have faith in himself and in his
citizen, Christian, father, and country.
anything else that he could go
“I said to myself that if I
home better as.
am interrogated that I am only
“I wanted Him to help me required to give my name,
use this time productively so rank, Social Security number,
that I wouldn’t see this time and date of birth,” says Coffee.
as a void or a vacuum in my “Yet, I found that I couldn’t
life,” says Coffee.
stick to those four items, even
Coffee says that after that when I intended to.”
day and that realization, every
He said that he had to find a
single day began to have new way to believe that he could be
meaning.
resourceful and tricky to avoid
“Now there was purpose,” giving the Communists any
says Coffee. “Every day, there information that they could
is a purpose to what I was use against the United States,
doing there.”
so that he could minimize his
He says that throughout value to the enemy.
his ordeal, he never doubted
“That became my
that he would return home. resistance,” says Coffee.
He says that when he would “To minimize my value
eventually get home he would to the North Vietnamese
Communists, because they
were trying to exploit us for
military information.”
He said that he had to
believe in himself to pursue
his duty to his country. He says
that he also had to have faith
in others around him (other
POWs) to go beyond survival
to keep faith in their country.
He says to keep faith
required communication.
“We spent hours upon hours
tapping on the walls from cell
to cell,” says Coffee.
They had created a code,
a five-column by five-row
chart with each letter of the
alphabet.
“Like the first column, first
row would be A,” says Coffee
tapping on the podium once for
the column and then again for
the row. He demonstrated how
to speak in code with a few of
the letters for the audience.
Coffee says that on top
of communicating this way,
whenever one of them would
get interrogated or tortured,
they had sounds they would
make to warn whoever was
next what they were in for.
“We would makes sounds
like coughing, sneezing,
sniffing, grunting and spitting
to warn the next guy what they
were in store for,” says Coffee.
He says they all used this
way to survive their sevenyear experience.
Coffee says that on Feb. 12,
1973,when they were being
released, he had a peculiar
experience.
“When I was released and
getting turned over to the
American solider in front of
me, one of the Vietnamese
soldiers grabbed my arm and
said, ‘You don’t have to go if
you don’t want to,’” recalls
Coffee. “I was like, ‘Are you
Crazy?’ Of course I want to
go home.”
As he boarded the plane, he
sat next to his fellow POWs,
and he said that they didn’t
believe that they were going
home yet.
“We didn’t cheer while
we sat in our seats waiting
for lift off,” says Coffee. “It
wasn’t until the pilot came
over the intercom and said,
‘Gentlemen, we have just left
North Vietnam,” and then we
cheered.”
Coffee says that when he
returned home, he had to
reacclimate himself with home
life.
He says that reintegration
was a mostly joyful experience
“ My wife was excited
for me to come home and
take on some responsibility,”
says Coffee. “I would make
decisions, and then my wife
would say that my decision
wasn’t the way they had been
doing things.”
Coffee says that he then
thought about it and realized
that he would have to
reintegrate slowly and with
careful thought.
Coffee says that after
leaving Vietnam he had a
stronger faith with God, and
because of that he didn’t find
that he was having as hard of
a time reintegrating back into
society.
“But for some of my
friends, some of them atheist,
lost their way and had a hard
time coming back home,” says
Coffee. “They couldn’t see
what being a POW had meant
for this country and what their
duty had been. But I always
knew and never let go of my
sense of duty.”
cwelborn6538@students.
southplainscollege.edu
4
NEWS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
VA struggles to correct course of ailing aid programs
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
According to a comprehensive report published earlier this year by the office of
Senator Tom Coburn from
Oklahoma, officials within
the VA had a policy of altering
the numbers of patients on the
waiting lists. The report also
alleges that as many as “1,000
veterans may have died as a
result of malfeasance.”
Amid the fallout from the
scandals, Eric Shinseki was
forced out of his role as secretary of the VA. A new secretary, Robert McDonald,
was eventually appointed by
President Barack Obama.
Robert McDonald, the former president and CEO of
Proctor & Gamble, one of the
largest consumer products
companies in the world, spoke
during a recent meeting of the
Institute of Medicine about the
new direction which will be
taken with the VA. He highlighted the need to streamline
the system.
To that end, the VA has carried out an extensive self-eval-
uation of each of its health
care systems, resulting in
disciplinary actions against
employees and executives
who committed these offenses.
Even so, some officials
argue, the VA is not going
far enough in the process of
reorganization, or acting as
decisively as it could.
In a statement released
on Nov. 10, Representative
Jeff Miller, chairman of the
House Committee on Veterans
Affairs, said that the new measures won’t really matter until
the VA cleans house.
“New plans, initiatives and
organizational structures are
all well and good,” said Miller. “But they will not produce
their intended results until VA
rids itself of the employees
that have shaken veterans’
trust in the system.”
Time will tell whether these
sweeping changes will, in the
end, improve matters.
But what does all of this
mean for the veterans in the
West Texas region, or, more
specifically, those who fall
under the umbrella of the
Amarillo VA system? According to an official from
the hospital, it means very
little, or at least very little
in the way of changes.
As Barbara Moore, chief
of community and patient
relations for the Amarillo VA system, explained,
there have been a series of
evaluations run in-house by
the VA.
“We had one review
(conducted) by our central
office,” explains Moore in
a brief interview with the
Plainsman Press. “And we
Army veteran Paul Morow poses at the Thomas E. Creek VA
weren’t chosen for a second
Medical Center in Amarillo on Nov. 11.
review.”
According to Moore, ALLISON TERRY/ PLAINSMAN PRESS
this means that the branch
and piercing eyes, the veterThe Amarillo VA system
in Amarillo has been operating an stressed the fact that the serves not only those veterans
efficiently, with few com- veterans he knows believe the around Lubbock and Amarilplaints. The veterans who have medical staff and the treatment lo, but those in the panhandle,
been a part of the system in they receive is top quality. eastern New Mexico and
Amarillo are, for the most part, The problem, he said, is “all western Oklahoma. In all,
satisfied with their experienc- upstairs… it’s a bureaucratic Moore says, the Amarillo
es, according to one veteran problem.” He did say, however, VA serves as many as 24,000
who declined to be identified. that out of all the VAs he had veterans.
Standing in the lobby of the been too, the hospital in AmaWith that kind of a pophospital, with slick gray hair rillo is by far the best.
ulation, the recent scandals
Advanced Technology Center
(ATC).
The ATC is a place where
students and working adults
can go to take classes to improve on certain areas of their
career field. Some subjects that
SPC offers help for are business administration, computer
technology, machinist trades
and automotive technology.
The facility, located at the
corner of 34th Street and Avenue Q, is supported by the
Lubbock Independent School
District (LISD) and SPC. It
houses high-tech computer
classrooms with Internet access for non-traditional students who need some additional training for their jobs.
Late last month, during
some heavy rain storms, a lot
of water damage accumulated
and caused a bad leak in the
roof above the server room.
The server room contains the
machinery and equipment
that control all the Internet
and computers for the South
All of the songs performed
were the composer’s different
versions of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” except for “The
Stars and Stripes Forever,”
which is the national march.
“There was a national celebration back in September at
music and create a visual of
how they portrayed the songs.
The photographs were taken
by Kristina Arafat, Mallory Barrera, Taylor Bradley,
Suzanne Carrizales, Lorena
Posadas, and Donatelli.
“Membership ( in the Symphonic Band) is open to anyone who has demonstrated
proficiency on an appropriate
instrument and participated
in high school band,” said Dr.
Hudson. Also, most semesters at least half of the band is
made up of students who are
not music majors, according
to Dr. Hudson. There are
also scholarships available
to band members, regardless
of what their major might be.
“The band is made up
of students from at least 16
different high schools, which
translates into 16 different
ways of doing band,” said Dr.
Hudson. “We have to become
a new, cohesive unit in a very
short amount of time while
learning all of the music for
the performance.” Auditions for the band are
usually held during the spring
or summer for applicants to
the college. The students who
are selected meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30
p.m. to 3:45 p.m. to practice. The Symphonic Band will
be playing traditional Christmas music for the college’s
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 2. They will
also become the Sharpshooters
band for the Texan and Lady
Texan conference basketball
games in the spring.
have been sure to raise doubts
among veterans. But Moore
says she doesn’t believe there
has been “any negative fallout” from the scandals.
“We’ve had a lot of questions, as you can imagine,”
explains Moore. “We have
tried to answer those questions
on an individual basis the best
we can… We’ve worked really
hard to stay on top of that.”
Moore views the scandals
from earlier in the year and the
fallout on the national level as
a learning experience, which
has helped the VA take better
care of the veterans coming
to them.
“There’s been a lot of clarification from our central office…about how processes
are supposed to work,” says
Moore. “We try really hard not
to paint anything with a broad
brush. (When) a veteran comes
in, we try to deal with them
and take care of the situation
they have.”
zhollingswor7184@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Advanced Technology Center sustains water damage due to heavy rainfall
by CHELSEA YOHN
Staff Writer
Heavy rain storms last
month caused part of an already poor and leaky roof at
the Bryon Martin Advanced
Technology Center in Lubbock to collapse.
The roof tiles fell to the
ground in the server room,
causing the loss of Internet
services for an entire day, for
students, faculty and staff of
South Plains College who
attend classes and work at the
SPC Symphonic Band plays
renditions of national anthem
by CHESANIE
BRANTLEY
Editorial Assistant
Delicate sounds of flutes
and clarinets, along with
the strong thunder of baritones and tubas, can be heard
throughout the Helen DeVitt
Jones Theatre for the
Performing Arts.
They performed the
Musical Celebration
of the Bicentennial of
“The Star-Spangled
Banner” on the night
of Nov. 18. The songs
performed include,
“The Star-Spangled
Banner,” by Francis
Scott Key; “The National Emblem,” by
E.E. “Bagely; excerpt
from “L’Union,” by
L.M. Gottschalk;
Fort McHenry Suite,
“Rockets’ Red Glare,”
“Dimly Seen Through
the Mists of the Deep” Baritone saxophone players Joe Tackand “When Freemen
itt, left, and Tori Palomo perform in
Shall Stand,” by Julie
Giroux, showcasing the Helen Devitt Jones Theatre on
Dr. Dan Nazworth the Levelland campus on Nov. 18.
narrator; excerpt from CHESANIE BRANTLEY/PLAINS“Festive Overture,” MAN PRESS
by Dudley Buck;
“Early Light,” by Carolyn Fort McHenry in Baltimore,”
Bremer; and “The Stars and said Dr. Hudson. “I thought
Stripes Forever,” by John that it would be appropriate
to have our own celebration
Phillips Sousa.
“The students are working of its’ creation featuring a
very hard to continue polish- number of works that are ining the performance up until fluenced by either the poem,
the very last moment,” said the melody it was set to, the
Dr. Gary Hudson, professor of event that inspired Key to
music and director of the SPC compose it, or the symbol of
Symphonic Band. “They have the flag itself.”
A video presentation was
done a great job preparing this
created
by the Beginning Phoprogram, which includes some
tography
class taught by provery challenging music. I am
very proud of the progress that fessor Kara Donatelli. They cbrantley1714@students.
were instructed to listen to the southplainscollege.edu
they have made.”
Plains College part of
the building.
SPC’s portion of
computers had some
Internet problems a few
days prior to the major
outage. There was a
problem with a switch,
but it was traded for
a new one and fixed.
Then the rain came a
couple days later, causing an even larger leak
which damaged the systems even more.
“ We h a d s o m e
equipment fail, and
that’s when we noticed
the leak,” says Shane
Sanders, the informa- Water damage causes outages at the
tion technologist at the
ATC in Lubbock in October.
ATC. “When I came in
CHELSEA YOHN/PLAINSMAN
and turned on my computer, I noticed I didn’t PRESS
have Internet.”
“We just kinda made due
Sanders says that he walked without Internet access for
into the server room to find the day,” said Al Sechrist,
out what the problem was and chairperson of the Industrial
found a wet tile from the roof Technology Department at
lying on the ground.
SPC.
The Internet was out for
the day, only on the SPC
computers. For some staff
and administrators, it was a
hindrance, since there was no
way to e-mail during the day.
But luckily “we have a lot
of classes that teach things that
do not require Internet,” said
Sanders, so there was a way
for most instructors to work
around the technical difficulty.
“By the end of the day, it
was up and running,” added
Sanders.
AT&T came and fixed the
problems.
“It’s a pretty leaky roof,”
said Sanders. “Apparently, it
will cost a fortune to replace
,and they are trying to budget
for it. But we just don’t have
the money.”
The roof was supposed to
be patched up last Monday
to prevent further leaks and
damage, according to Sanders.
cyohn1234@students.southplainscollege.edu
5
NEWS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Anderson reflects on counseling career at SPC
by NICOLE TRUGILLO
News Editor
Christi Anderson’s career
has made a full circle.
She started her career at
South Plains College, and now
she is retiring after 15 years of
working on the campus.
Anderson, director of
guidance and counseling on the
Levelland campus, attended
SPC for home economics
education. After graduating in
1972, in October of the same
year, she started working as
the secretary in the science
and math department, where
she remained for about a year.
In 1985, Anderson went on
to Texas Tech University to
pursue her bachelor’s degree
in home economics. She later
received her master’s degree in
educational psychology.
“I didn’t go straight to Tech,”
Anderson says. “Because I got
married after the summer I
left SPC, and right when I
was about to start at Tech, we
moved to Denver City.”
Anderson says she adopted
two children, Chad and Lacy.
Anderson explains she started
at Texas Tech when her
daughter started kindergarten.
While attending Texas
Tech, Anderson still pursued
her career in home economics,
never thinking she would end
up being a counselor.
“I started working on my
bachelor’s at Tech,” Anderson
explains. “We started studying
child development and a lot of
different things that brought in
family issues, and that’s when
I started thinking I wanted to
be a counselor.”
After graduating from Texas
Tech, Anderson worked at
Family Outreach in Levelland
for three years.
“That was more along the
counseling lines,” Anderson
explains.
After working at Family
Outreach, Anderson started
working on her master ’s
degree in 1990 while teaching
home economics at Whitharral
High School.
“I taught there for three
years while I went to school
and had two kids,” Anderson
explains. “I was cheerleading
sponsor and FHA sponsor, and
I was working on my master’s
degree at the same time. I was
very busy.”
Ande rson re sig n ed at
Whitharral, before returning
to Family Outreach. She soon
found out about the technical
Christi Anderson, director of guidance and counseling, retires after 15 years.
JOSH HAMILTON/PLAINSMAN PRESS
counselor opening position at
SPC.
In September 1994, she
started working at SPC as a
Annual Christmas stocking drive benefits children, teenagers
by NICOLE TRUGILLO
News Editor
and one of the responses we
got was Portrait Innovations.
They gave us a $100 gift
certificate, so anyone can buy
a ticket and the money will be
used for buying the stockings
or the gifts.”
The work-study students at
the libraries are arranging the
stocking drive, with the help
of the library staff.
“We’re not an official
organization,” Pineda says.
“But we have always kept it
The South Plains College
libraries are hosting the fifth
annual Christmas Stocking
Drive.
The stocking drive first
started five years ago when
a student at the Reese Center
campus named Patricia
Villanueva was involved in
another organization called
Operation Homefront.
“Patricia
was involved
in another
organization,”
explained
Tracey Pineda,
librarian at the
Reese Center
campus. “She
would give
toys to kids
in military
families.
She would
have extra
donations,
and she would
bring them to
us. We then
started having
a stocking
drive to get
the stockings
to stuff the
leftover
donations in
the stockings.”
T
h
e
donations
then would
be given to
the hospitals
in Lubbock.
But, through
the years, the
d o n a t i o n s Photo illustration by JOSH HAMILTON
would go to
other places
such as Women’s Protection going, and we have students
Services, Hope House, and My from the past who have done
the stocking drive before ask
Father’s House.
This year, Villanueva isn’t if we can keep it going. If
able to help with the stocking they decided not to, well, we
drive, so the SPC libraries are wouldn’t push them to do it.”
Pineda says Jim Belcher,
asking for not only stockings,
director
of libraries at SPC,
but gifts and money as well.
Robert
Baumle,
part-time
“At the moment, we are also
have a raffle going on,” Pineda librarian at the Plainview
explained. “Our students have campus, Gracie Quiñones,
been going out and asking for director of the library at the
donors around the community, Plainview campus, and Juanita
Yanez, library technical
assistant at the Reese Center
campus, have been great and
supportive of the stocking
drive.
“I’m impressed with our
students and how they jumped
in,” Pindea explains. “Because
they’re working or going to
school, and they’re doing this as
well. It’s a very heartwarming
thing, because you see some
of the kids and their families,
and you see their face light
up when
they get a
stocking.
We w a n t
to give
them some
Christmas
cheer.”
T h e
goal for
this year’s
stocking
drive is to
stuff 200
stockings
for kids
ranging
from in age
infants to
teenagers.
The works t u d y
students
will be
donating the
stockings
d u r i n g
finals week.
There
are three
locations
if anyone
w o u l d
like to
donate. The
locations
are: the
R e e s e
Center campus library
(Building 8); the Advanced
Technology Center (Room
114); and the Plainview Center
lobby or Library (Room 122).
For more information on
the stocking drive, contact the
Reese Center Library at (806)
716-4682.
ntrugillo0806@students.
southplainscollege.edu
transfer counselor until August
2002.
“I applied for a job at SPC,
prior to finishing my master’s,
which I did not get,” Anderson
recalls, “While I was working
at Family Outreach, we had a
conference, and Claudine,
who was the director, came up
to me asked me if I was still
interested in the job at SPC. I
told her, “Yes,” and I applied
here at SPC and got the job.”
After leaving SPC a
second time, she worked at
Capitol Elementary School in
Levelland for four years and at
the high school for a year. She
also worked at South Plains
Education Coop for a year.
After working at the public
schools, Anderson returned
to SPC in July 2008 as the
director of guidance and
counseling.
Anderson says she has a
lot of fond memories while
working at SPC with the
faculty and the students.
“I love when a student
walks out of my office and
they say, ‘Nobody has ever
explained that to me before,’”
Anderson says. “I had some
students come back and they
explain to me how I changed
their life in some way. It’s a
good feeling.”
Anderson said that she
plans to travel after retiring.
She plans to travel to Florida
because her son lives there.
She would also like to visit
some places on the West
Coast and take a trip to Mount
Rushmore. She also has an
interest in visiting the different
countries in Europe.
“I just want to live without
being in a hurry,” Anderson
says.
nt r ug i l lo0806@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Annual Christmas Tree Lighting
features holiday fun for kids, parents
by CYNDI SIKES
Editorial Assistant
Hot chocolate, Santa, and
Christmas music are just a
few of the things that make
up the annual Christmas Tree
Lighting at South Plains
College.
“ T h e C h r i s t m a s Tr e e
Lighting is a communitywide event and something fun
for the kids to do,” says Liz
Dominguez, administrative
assistant to the director of
Student Life.
T h e C h r i s t m a s Tr e e
Lighting will take place Dec.
2 at 6 p.m. at the Student
Center on Levelland campus,
according to Dominguez.
This year, Santa Claus will
be arriving in a horse and
carriage.
During this event, kids
will have the opportunity to
tell Santa what they want for
Christmas, and parents are
welcome to take pictures of
their kids with Santa. Santa
will be located in the Sundown
Room in the Student Center.
The kids also will get to
have a fairytale moment riding
on the horse and carriage.
The horse and carriage will
be located right outside the
Student Center, and rides will
be free.
Along with Santa, and
the horse and carriage, the
SPC Ball Room Dance
Team will put on a couple
of performances. The Dance
Team will be located right
outside the Student Center. To
go along will the dancing and
getting people in the Christmas
spirit, the SPC Symphonic
Band will play some Christmas
music. The music will either
be played in the mall area or
in the Sundown Room.
“The Tree Lighting will be
out in the front of the campus,
where all the big trees are,”
says Domiguez.
Hot chocolate, coffee, and
cookies will also be served at
this event.
The Levelland ABC
Kindergarten kids also will
be singing some Christmas
music. You will not want to
miss this great holiday event,
and no admission will be
charged.
csikes8428@students.
southplainscollege.eud
SPC Choir students sing during their concert in the Helen Devitt Jones Theatre on
the Levelland Campus on Nov. 17.
CHELSEA YOHN/PLAINSMAN PRESS
6
NEWS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Religious dialogue event offers opportunity to engage in discussion of faith
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
justice,” says Altabaa. “These mitted crimes in the name of and Altabaa say that the treatgreat principles, they are not God,” says Altabaa. “They try ment of others will ultimately
The event sought to enIslamic, or
courage dialogue between
Christian,
members of the Christian and
or Jewish.
Islamic faiths. Pastor Ryan
No, these
Price of the Second Baptist
are the
Church in Lubbock and Imam
principles
Samer Altabaa of the Islamic
of a human
Society of the South Plains,
being that
took to the stage to start the
God put in
conversation about religion,
people.”
misconceptions, and the prinThough
ciples that bind them regardtheir prinless of barriers.
ciples
Price
have the
and Alts a m e
abaa first
overall
met more
themes,
than four
the way
years ago
that each
when the
faith goes
mosque at
about
the Islamic
practicCenter was
ing their
vandalized
Ryan Price, pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Lubbock, speaks at a
religions
with offend i f f e r . Christian-Muslim dialogue. ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
sive grafitAltabaa
ti. When
took the
Price and
opportunity to educate the to find something to justify determine whether one has
a group of
audience about Muslim prac- their actions. There is no re- earned eternity. Price says
his church
tices and beliefs, including ligion that will tell you that if that this requirement should
members
the three foundations of Is- another person won’t convert be kept in mind when making
offered to
lam, the five pillars of Islam, to your religion, then you have assumptions about who will be
help with
to go out and kill him.”
redeemed in the beliefs of the
and the six pillars of Iman.
repainting,
Altabaa
says
that
the
acChristian faith.
He
also
noted
specific
stoa bond was
tions
taken
by
ISIS
are
not
“Sometimes we Christians
ries
on
which
the
Christian
Samer Altabaa, Imam of the Islamic Center of the South Plains, speaks at a
formed.
and Islamic faiths have dif- consistent with the values of forget that when we think that
“ W h a t Christian-Muslim dialogue in the Sundown Room on the Levelland campus
fering views, such as wheth- quality of the Islamic State maybe we’re going to be the
s o m e o n e on Nov. 5. ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
er the figure of Jesus Christ that the organization claims only ones who are there,” says
intended
Price.
was a human or a divine to relate to.
for evil, I
“The Islamic State was
The event offered the opthink God has intended for people together and encourage tended for humans, regardless being, whether he is dead or
built
on
freedom,
justice,
portunity
for sensitive issues
not,
and
the
religious
leanings
peace
and
understanding
beof
denomination.
good, because it has built a
equality,
mercy,
love
to
evto
be
discussed
in an environof
Adam,
the
man
believed
to
tween
the
two
faiths.
“We
both
work
for
the
same
bridge, and it has formed a
eryone…
It
was
not
built
on
ment
free
of
judgment.
Ruthbe
the
first
human
being.
“This isn’t about politics,” thing: for peace, for love, for
friendship,” says Price.
After a question from Price, beheadings,” Altabaa says. erford says that she hopes the
Altabaa spoke about ISIS and “These people are ignorant event will encourage others to
his belief that those involved about the teachings of Islam.” engage in their own personal
A question from the audi- interfaith dialogues.
are not truly Islamic.
“Some violent extremists ence prompted a discussion
and criminal people… they about how one gains eternity dsmith9720@students.southing process that she has en- Tackett says that the key to hijacked Islam, and they com- in either religion. Both Price plainscollege.edu
by DORA SMITH
joyed.
seeing more women in the
Opinion Editor
“We’re learning about how field is to make them aware
In a male-dominated field, electricity works, all of the that the IMET field is an option
women must be exceptional stuff I didn’t really know at for them, regardless of any
to circumvent stereotypes and all,” says Britto. “We’re also misconceptions that people
learning how to build robots.” might hold about one gender
exceed expectations.
In the spring of 2014, Cam- being better suited for the type
Bianca Britto and Erica Campos are two women pos attended her first robotics of work.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 years in the military, working sault and command assigned
“I think there are some
who break the stereotype by competition. With little trainas a military police officer. an investigator to the case.
demonstrating their abilities ing at the time, her talent for stereotype issues,” says Tack“With unrestrictive, the The veteran mentions though He asked the victim why she
ett. “Most girls options are, ‘Well, now we she personally never expe- originally thought he was her
in the field. Britto,
d o n ’ t t h i n k get to move you, if that’s what rienced sexual trauma, she husband that evening, and Jane
31, and Campos,
t h e y c a n b e you chose,’” says Saldana, of witnessed abuse of this nature responded that her attacker did
35, are both inmechanics or the possibility of relocating a in her unit before finishing her similar things that she and her
dustrial manufacwelders, be- MST victim to a different unit, service in 1997.
turing and emergspouse had performed in the
cause it never but mentioning the officers
ing technologies
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t bedroom.
occurs to them. often made excuses to ignore just a command thing,” says
(IMET) majors at
“Basically he was performIf we can get cases. “…Commanders want- Wright. “It was the whole ing oral sex,” says Wright,
South Plains Colthem to think ed to keep the unit integrity, community…Even the other and with this response, the
lege.
about it, I think and sometimes they weren’t women would look at it like, administration told her that
Of the 70 stuthat’s the first really sure if they believed you ‘Well, Honey, what were you this act was considered soddents in the IMET
s t e p … Y o u or not. And maybe you’re 18, doing? Everyone knows you omy and punishable “under the
program, three to
don’t have to and maybe you were drunk. don’t do this, that and the uniform of military justice. It
five are women
be a guy. It has Well, now we have the issue other.’ Which doesn’t justify was essentially, ‘We let all of
each semester,
nothing to do of underage drinking…So they someone hurting another that this go as an unfortunate inciaccording to Bill
with gender.”
Ta c k e t t , I M E T
way.”
dent, or we are going to have
would do nothing.”
A strong will
instructor at the
Military Sexual Trauma to charge you for sodomy with
In order to combat this
and determina- attitude, the recent Military usually occurs laterally, with your husband, as well as this
Reese Center camtion is required Justice Improvement Act was the aggressor and the victim other guy.”
pus, who believes
of anyone who created to allow MST and typically being ranked simithat making the
From witnessing this inwishes to over- other crimes to be handled by larly, according to Wright. She justice, Wright pointed out
program better
come stereo- trained, independent profes- also mentions these attacks another long-term aspect of
known will help
types. Neither sionals outside of a direct com- are more common on deploy- this situation.
increase female
C a m p o s n o r manders’ reach. Unfortunately, ment, rather than while being
enrollment.
“Because she’s in the miliBritto says she this proposed legislation was stationed close to home.
“Females hatary, because she’s assigned to
has ever con- filibustered on the Senate floor.
ven’t found out
Wright mentions one par- a unit, she has to stay there,”
sidered gender
about us,” says
ticularly
horrific incident she explains Wright. “...You have
“(The victims) want the poto be a factor lice department to handle the witnessed during her service. to go to work every day and
Tackett. “They hain their work. investigation,” says Saldana.
ven’t realized that
Jane (name changed to work with that guy, and act like
Neither seems “They want the court systems protect her identity), another everything’s fine. You can’t
they can do this.”
likely to let it and civilians to handle the female in her unit, had a party escape.”
Both Britto and
hold her back issues.”
Campos, who have Bianca Britto stands at her worktable in the Elecone evening at her home. After
While the veteran admits to
families and chil- tronic Service Technology Building on the Levelland in the near fuCurrently, 55 senators con- she and several other members the military’s current incomture either.
dren at home, have campus on Nov. 11. JOSH HAMILTON/PLAINStinue to fight to push the Mili- in the unit had been drinking, petence in dealing with MST,
“I don’t feel tary Justice Improvement Act Jane announced she was going she says that there is hope for
proven themselves MAN PRESS
out of place at through approval.
with skills to be
to retire to bed, says Wright.
future action taken within the
good technicians, according the subject and her hard work all,” says Britto. “I just think
“After she went to bed, Armed Forces.
“It totally does not get dealt
to Tackett, and by performing allowed her to bring home the that some women feel intimi- with,” explains Army veteran someone came into her room
“I think every generation
work that could be daunting first-place trophy. According dated by it, because men are Juli Wright, on the subject and proceeded to have sex gets more aware,” says Wright.
to Britto, the SPC robotics the ones who usually do it. of sexual assault in the mili- with her,” says Wright, “and “…It’s just one of those things
to some.
“Some of the stuff is kind team will attend their next I’m just not that type of girl. tary. “Unless somebody got she didn’t realize until he that’s going to take time.”
If a man can do it, I can do it.” violently beat and put you in got up and opened the door
of intimidating, but if you competition on Dec. 5.
If enrollment continues to
know what you’re doing,”
the hospital...things really got to leave that it wasn’t her
increase, Britto and Campos
says Campos.
husband.”
pushed under the rug.”
aterry8911@students.southFor Britto, knowing what might have new female team- dsmith9720@students.southAccording to Wright, Jane
Wright,
now
residing
in
plainscollege.edu
she is doing has been a learn- mates for the next semester. plainscollege.edu
Lubbock, spent about nine eventually reported the asThe camaraderie between
the pair is an inspiration to
Shannon Rutherford, who
served as host of the dialogue
and director of the BSM at
South Plains College.
“I appreciate what they
model for us,” says Rutherford. “How we communicate,
how we learn, and how we
share our life and our faith
together.”
Price explains that the purpose of the dialogue is to bring
says Price. “I’m not here to
solve the questions of the Middle East, nor am I here to try
to figure out how I can convert
the Imam to Christianity. This
is about friendship. This is
about being good neighbors,
and this is about peace-making.”
Both the pastor and the
Imam find common ground
on what they encourage their
congregations to strive to be,
and what they believe God in-
Women disregard stereotypes,
excel in manufacturing program
Sexual assaults on female
military personnel neglected
NEWS
Plainsman Press
7
November 24, 2014
8
November 24, 2014
OPINION
Plainsman Press
Women encounter resistance in gaming culture
Alleged favoritism sparks Misogyny creates dangerous
controversy in gaming world environment for female gamers
by JOSH HAMILTON
Online Editor
Journalism should always
be objective.
It is what mass media is
based off of. If a journalist
cannot report on something
while being objective, then the
information is skewed, and the
average person can’t trust it.
There has been a breach
of trust between video game
journalists and their readers.
“Gamergate,” as the breach
is called, has opened up a
Pandora’s box.
It all started out when indie
game developer Zoe Quinn had
an ex-boyfriend allege that she
had a romantic relationship
with a journalist for the video
game news website Kotaku.
This led some to believe that
Quinn had used her connection
to obtain favorable reviews
for her games that were not
objective.
The controversy, however,
rises from the public outcry.
People started to harass Quinn,
and from there they went on
to insinuate that all female
gamers were of a lower class
than male gamers.
Misogyny aside, the public
was right in reacting to the
news with distaste. As I have
stated before, journalists
should be objective. That is
hard when you are dating one
of the subjects of your articles.
Yes, people got out of
control. It was bad, but it
brings a more important issue
to bear. The people who report
the news have to be objective.
There can be no conflict of
interest.
The fact that the subject
of harassment was a woman
is an indicator of society
still coddling women. If the
developer was male and was
using his relationship to get
better reviews, there would
not have been a gamergate.
The people would still have
harassed him. It has happened
in the past. But would the news
organizations have picked up
on it like they did? I don’t
think they would have.
People came to the defense
of Quinn, which is admirable.
She deserves to have people
in her corner. Again, though,
if the genders were reversed,
there would be different
headlines.
I am not saying that I agree
with what the citizens of
the Internet did. Giving out
personal information about
someone (doxxing) is a terrible
thing to do. It makes people
fear for their lives, and rightly
so. There are some sick and
twisted people out there who
would relish the opportunity to
inflict pain on someone.
The basis of gamergate
is sound. People who abuse
their power, especially in the
media, are unforgivable. They
take what was once a respected
profession and smear it with
their bad names.
jhamilton4346@students.
southplainscollege.edu
by DORA SMITH
Opinion Editor
When confronting and
opposing unjust treatment, a
woman must be wary and tread
lightly to avoid the massive
backlash for addressing the
issue.
Such is the case with the
“Gamergate” controversy,
anyway.
With the expansion of video
game culture came a new
array of participants. The
hardcore gamers became more
diverse, widening from an
audience with a male majority
to one that has included a huge
number of women, as well.
Females in the gaming
community began to rightfully
voice their concerns about
misogyny in the culture, both
in games and in real life. Some
of the issues raised include the
lack of female protagonists
in games, the fetishization
and demeaning treatment of
the female characters who
do happen to make it into
games, and the harassment
and condescension toward
female gamers off the screen.
Game developer Zoe
Quinn found herself treated
to a gradually building
snowball of harassment as a
result of her ex-boyfriend’s
allegations that she had a
relationship with a gaming
journalist that led to a biased,
positive review of her game.
A number of female
critics, including indie game
developer Brianna Wu, as well
as feminist media critic Anita
Sarkessian, were just a couple
of the women who dared to
speak publically about their
opposition to this treatment.
A portion of the gaming
community, as it turns out,
simply just didn’t like this.
Harassment of Quinn’s
supporters grew from just
awful comments through
social media to something
much more significant in a
relatively short amount of
time. Threats of rape and
murder were thrown about
with no regard for the fact that
this was a situation involving
actual human beings and not
the animated representations
that gamers are so accustomed
to.
The majority of the victims
were women, some of whom
had personal information
about them published online
by users of sites such as 4chan
and reddit.
Actress Felicia Day posted
a blog commenting on the
controversy, as well as her fear
of being personally harassed
for doing so. Quick to live
up to expectations, the trolls
of the Internet were quick to
violate her privacy.
The harassment of critic
Anita Sarkeesian exploded to
a whole new level of idiocy
and disgusting behavior.
Sarkessian was forced to
cancel an appearance at a
university due to a terrorist
threat by someone claiming to
be associated with Gamergate.
What on earth possesses
people to think this type of
behavior is acceptable is
beyond me. I understand that
these gamers are concerned
about the integrity of gaming
journalism, and are threatened
by the fact that both women
and men are looking critically
at the treatment of females in
games, instead of just gawking
over or tearing them down
with reviews. I understand
what they’re afraid of, even if
I think it’s quite stupid.
But how were these people
raised, or what kind of lessons
have they learned in adult
life, that makes them think
that harassment and threats
are somehow the answer? I
do hope they realize that they
are doing a huge favor to
those working on criticisms
by proving the point that parts
of the gaming community
are so misogynistic that they
would stoop to such a level
before admitting that there
are problems. These women
deserve none of the harassment
that they have been victims of
at the hands of men who don’t
seem to grasp the concept of
treating women like people on
screen and off.
Maybe both sides of the
issue need some addressing.
The horrid treatment of
women, certainly, and maybe
for appeasement’s sake we
can address this “ethical
journalism” concern that the
Gamergate supporters have
cooked up (which I really
think is nothing more than an
absurd attempt at justifying
their rampant power trip, but
whatever).
But this behavior has got to
stop. These individuals need to
grow up, and, by some miracle,
gain the power of empathy to
make them understand that
threats and violations make
them the scum of the earth who
are under no circumstances to
be taken seriously.
dsmith9720@students.southplainscollege.edu
Month without social media highlights value of personal interaction
by ALYSSA GREGORY
Staff Writer
You don’t know what
you’ve got until it is gone.
Yes, this saying is cliché.
But in many aspects of life,
it is true.
I am a freshman taking
classes on the Levelland
campus, and I have
recently made a decision
to do something that most
individuals today would not
do. I decided to go the entire
month of November without
social media. Trying to be
creative, I have called this
act of mine “No Facebook
November.”
Don’t let the name confuse
you. Although it says “no
Facebook,” I have made
it a point to get off of all
social media, and yes, ALL:
Facebook, Instagram, Yik Yak,
Twitter. You name it, I am not
on it currently.
One may ask why I would
chose to do such a thing. Well,
a few months ago, it hit me.
It hit me that I could not go
more than an hour without consumed with our phones.
scrolling through a news feed From the time we ordered our
or even constantly checking to food, to the time we received
see how many likes I got on a it, neither of us spoke a word.
picture or a status. It began to We had just spent the past half
become such a bad habit that hour exercising our thumbs as
I was OK with shutting out we scrolled through the news
the real world. I found myself feed. As I looked up at him,
consumed with a little screen with his face lit by a screen,
on my phone during very I looked around to find lit up
important times of my life: faces everywhere. Another
at the dinner table with my couple across the restaurant, as
family, at get-togethers with well as many other individuals
friends, even in class while sitting at tables and in booths,
my instructor spoke about were doing the exact same
details that I really needed to thing.
pay attention to. Social Media
Right then and there, I
slowly but surely took over thought to myself, “Wow, we
my life.
really do live in a different
I made
the decision
that I needed
a break from
it when I was
on a date with
my boyfriend.
A normal date
would be to
sit down and
talk about
our lives, and
spend quality
time with
each other.
But no, that’s
not exactly
how this date
was going
down.
Sitting
across from
one another,
my boyfriend
Photo illustration by ALLISON TERRY
and I were
time, where it is completely
normal to shut our loved ones
out and become one with
technology.” I thought of times
when I was just a small child
when I would go outside and
go on adventures. I would play
with rocks and sticks, and my
cousin and I would spend hours
out in the country pretending
to be Pocahontas. We would
talk to a tree and imagine that
Mother Willow gave us advice.
We would go out and get our
hands dirty, tear holes in our
play clothes. We would wear
each pair of shoes out by just
going out each day and using
our imaginations.
In the real world, anyone
could find us, but not in a
technical world that is full of
people’s ignorant statuses and
pictures that scream, “Look at
me, like my pic.” I realized that
back then I was fine without a
phone. I didn’t need a screen
to keep me entertained. I just
needed the world, the real
world.
I am about two weeks into
it, and I would have to say that
without these networks, there
has definitely been ups and
downs. Ups, as in times when
I don’t have to worry about
the latest drama going on,
and I can actually see what is
going on in my
surroundings. I
have seemed to
become more
observant. But
at the same
time, I look
around and
I see lit-up
faces of people
everywhere
that I was
just like just
a couple of
weeks ago.
Not getting
on these
networks on
my phone
or computer
has been
something I
am just now
getting used
to. For the first
week, I found myself staring
at my screen with a blank
mind, not knowing what to do.
There was no app to go to that
would take up my time. After
snapping out of it, I realized
that there is much more to life
than just being inside the world
of social media.
The only down side I have
come to find is that I do not
get to see what my family is
up to each day. Although I am
missing out on the cute pictures
being posted of my nephews
and the sweet comments my
grandmother puts on my
pictures and statuses, the ups
have definitely out-weighed
the downs. Not being able
to login to Facebook and see
pictures and comments from
them just makes it that much
sweeter when I actually get to
see them in person.
So, as the saying goes,
“You don’t know what you
have until it’s gone.” I am not
talking about the absence of
my social media sites. I am
talking about the loss of my
actual life. All this time, I have
forgotten what it was like to
actually go out and be personal
with people. I have learned
that not being consumed by
a screen makes for a much
more observant mind. I did
not know what I was missing
in the real world, until I made
the technical world go away.
ag regor y5182@students.
southplainscollege.edu
9
OPINION
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Back Alli Review: Some local coffee shops hotter than others
experience the shops’ variety
and artisan skill. I then grabbed
my trusty, black notebook, and
set out to judge brews based
on criteria such as flavor,
aroma, sweetness, body, and
aftertaste.
The first location I chose
to visit was Gatsby’s Coffeehouse, a current infatuation of
mine. Yet I promised myself on
the drive there repeatedly, “I
will not be a biased journalist.”
Hidden away in the shopping center of “Cactus Alley,”
located on the Marsha Sharp
Freeway, just east of Slide
Road, Gatsby’s is easy to
miss if you are not looking
for it. The mini-mall Cactus
Alley contains a variety of
cute joints, including a clock
shop and a couple of retail
stores. Yet, once the skin-
the timespan I had to embark
on structured coffee-drinking,
it was a frosty week outside.
Upon the barista’s recommendation, I sipped on a hazelnut
latte and a dark roast as the
first flakes of the season floated
down.
Sharing the hazelnut latte,
topped with decorative latte
art of a heart in the cream,
with my friend, I wrestled the
concoction away from him.
by ALLISON TERRY
Sweet, but not over the
Editor-in-Chief
top, this latte was a competent
balance. The hazelnut was
When I first embarked on
mellowed down, to taste other
my final mission, to find the
notes in the full latte.
best coffee shop in Lubbock,
Assuming the owner was
I learned several important
experimenting with a darker
lessons.
black brew with the changing
First off, it is crucial you
of the seasons, the plain coffee
never drink five or more cups
was full-bodied and slightly
of coffee in one sitting. I
more bitter than usual, but not
would be willing to wager the
in an entirely negative way. Despite
this, it had a sweet
aftertaste.
Next, a known local favorite for college students, J&B
Coffee Co., was my
destination.
Generally packed
with Texas Tech
University students
because of its proximity to campus on
Boston Avenue and
26th Street, I typically avoid the shop for
Above, a coffee is served at Gatsby’s Coffeehouse, and below, at J&B’s lack of parking
Coffee Co. in Lubbock. ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS and seating.
Ve n t u r i n g
out to J&B, I
American Heart Association ny cords-clad, thick-rimmed prayed I wouldn’t have to
glasses-wearing crowd dis- parallel park on the street
would agree.
Additionally, though, I covered Gatsby’s, traffic to the after circling around sevhave sampled the best of Tex- coffee shop seems to be the eral times. Fortunately, a
spot available at the city
as barbeque, tried every burg- focal point of the center.
Inside, surrounded by mock of Lubbock was spared
er grill in town, and braved
escargot for this column. This exposed brick and locally cre- from my crooked parkvenue has been the highlight ated art, it is difficult to tell it ing attempts. Friendly
of this three-semester long was an antique and costume lighting greets customers
shop just a couple of years who walk in, noticing a
food adventure.
I also feel it the most dif- ago. Eclectic furniture and statement wall painted
ficult task, ranking these res- décor surrounds with wooden in pastel mosaics that
idential brews. I love every- floors, interesting rugs, intri- may be reflected onto the
thing about coffee: the taste cate lamps and couches with large, open windows at
(of course), the alertness it flowery upholstery. Aside from nighttime.
The backroom,
brings, the aroma of it brew- paintings and photography
ing, and especially the culture from Lubbock artists, inter- adorned to appear like a
of coffee shops. My enthusi- esting talking pieces, such as quaint town square, lit softly
asm for all things coffee made a mug shot poster of prisoners with string lights, is a sanccritiquing locations particular- from Alcatraz, are hanging on tuary for writers, studiers,
the brightly painted walls.
readers and those who wish
ly daunting.
Upstairs, “The Loft” holds to quietly reflect with their
While I typically prefer
simple, black coffee with no musical events, literature read- coffee, away from the chatter
frills, my rules for this project ings, and film showings. On of the main center.
Carrying my norm of black
include absolutely avoiding occasion, the venue holds latte
Starbucks, the Wal-Mart of art competitions. The second brew and a s’mores latte, I
coffee shops, and simply stick- story also contains another cof- located an empty table on a
ing to local venues, as well as fee service area, maximizing marginally raised stage. Surrounding the area, chalk art
ordering a regular roast and space and efficiency.
Simply a happy accident, displayed a list of upcoming
a specialty drink, simply to
musical events at J&B’s upon a
galactic background. Another
panel featured realistic chalk
portraits of “Leila & Hamid,” a
couple who apparently became
window, while it continued to
snow. I took solace in the fact
that at least her feet should be
warm in furry boots, the largest
stretch of material on her body.
Back Alli’s List: Best Coffee
Shops in Lubbock, Texas
# 1: Gatsby’s Coffeehouse
# 2: J&B’s Coffee Co.
# 3: Yellow House Coffee
# 4: Ooh La Lattes
J&B’s “patrons of the month,”
perhaps for their friendly personalities or regularity.
Proving to be a sultry, dark
roast, the coffee had a stout
body, with a mild finish.
Contrasting this, the special
s’mores latte was sweet and
fluffy, perhaps a taste of the
holidays. It invites the image
of sitting around a campfire on
a chilly evening, from chocolate and marshmallow flavors
in the creation.
Quite reluctantly, I drove to
the next venue on my list, Ooh
La Lattes. Though I had been
procrastinating the drive-thru
only shop, I genuinely had no
idea how awkward the experience would be.
“Baristas” clothed in their
The idea of selling sex
along with food is not a new
idea, as everyone has heard
of Hooter’s and Bikini’s, but
I do not quite comprehend the
sexualization of coffee. Good
thing a muscular male “bouncer” loomed menacingly inside.
Later, I came to the notion
that possibly the drive-thru
needs half naked women to sell
drinks, when I tested the coffee. It was single-handedly the
weakest, blandest cup of coffee I have ever tried. I remain
convinced it was an attempt at
an innovative coffee-flavored
water beverage.
The Almond Joy latte, recommended by the barista’s
exceedingly friendly pimp,
off of a “secret menu,” was
underwear serve customers
in their vehicles. I fully understand that heterosexual,
20-something women are
probably not the intended
customer-base the original
business model was planning
on marketing to, but it was
still an uncomfortable experience when a young woman
in a barely-there lace bikini
served me a coffee and an
Almond Joy latte through the
less unpleasant than the coffee
itself. Tasting pretty similar to
the candy, it had chocolate and
coconut hints. It was definitely
drinkable in comparison to the
previous coffee, but a little too
sweet for me. Unintentionally
mirroring the venue itself, the
latte was sickly sweet, and the
finish was sugary and cheap.
Hopefully marginal perverts enjoy over-sweet drinks.
After taking a day to detox
from the caffeine overload, I
arrived at the last coffee shop,
Yellow House Coffee.
Located less than a mile
away from the former coffee
shop and yoga studio, Yoga
Bean, on 34th Street, apparently Yellow House Coffee
offered too much competition
to Yoga Bean, another coffee
facility that closed last month.
Though it’s a small shop,
the owners catch attention
from the street with cool, gray
paint on the exterior, with pops
of yellow. More minimalistic
than Gatsby’s, Yellow House
utilizes space with friendly
lighting and quaint furniture
of a long, community bench,
with stools and simple wooden
tables in the back. A wall of
multi-colored squares adds an
extremely cheery element to
the venue. Industrial strings
of lights illuminate the back
room, including a brick accent
wall.
Despite the temptation offered from the exposed French
press and crafted sodas, a
welcoming and approachable
barista served me a cinnamon-infused cappuccino with
an adorable wafer from the
famous Slaton Bakery.
The presentation was gorgeous, with a crisp latte art
heart created with cream in
a bright red mug. It attested
to be flavorful and sugary,
with a splash of
cinnamon spice.
The sweetness
was slightly overdone, with barely too much of
a sugary taste,
and not enough
throughout harmony, balancing the
flavors. The body
of the drink was
full and consistent.
The aroma was robust, and it had an
agreeable finish.
Strong, warm,
and rich, was the
regular roast.
Despite perhaps
obtaining hypertension and a caffeine addiction, I thoroughly enjoyed all
of these coffee shop outings.
My final verdict for the
best coffee shop in town:
Gatsby’s Coffeehouse in first,
with J&B’s Coffee Co. next,
then Yellow House Coffee,
followed by Ooh La Lattes.
aterry8911@students.southplainscollege.edu
Man on theDo youStreet
think human beings are inherently good or evil?
“Equal, whatever situation a
human is in depends on how
they act.”
Elvis Hernandez
Freshman
Conservation Law Enforcement
“Good, because people go
to other countries and help
with aid and other people’s
sickness.”
Marcus Carpenter
Freshman
Business Management
Denver City
“Good, because there is a lot
of people doing volunteer
work and helping people.”
Samantha Rodriguez
Freshman
Radiology
Denver City
“I think there is an evil
amount, and it’s half-and-half.
Whatever you give is what
you get. If a person gives in to
the evil desires, then the evil
wins. But if you follow your
good, then it wins.”
Cassie Simon
Sophomore
Animal Science
Pettus
“Both. It depends on where
you come from and who you
were raised by.”
Jesus Levario
Freshman
Diesel Engineering
Smyer
“No one is considered good
or evil, because it’s based on
personal views.”
De’ Andre Thomas
Sophomore
Commercial Music
Amarillo
Compiled by Devin Reyna and Skylar Hernandez
10
OPINION
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Victims deserve equal attention in police cases
by NICOLE TRUGILLO
News Editor
America prides itself on
providing opportunity for
people to be treated equally.
It is stated in the opening of
the United States Declaration
of Independence,”...All men
are created equal…” America
has had wars based upon this
saying, and some are still battling it to this very day.
I have seen on the news
where a murdered white,
wealthy person will get more
publicity than a person of color
and who may not be wealthy.
Many people believe the
police will be more involved
with the investigation into the
murdered white, wealthy person than someone of a different
race or status.
What qualifications make
a person worthy of assigning
priority to victims? I have a
great answer for that. There
aren’t any!
Everyone should be treated
equally. It says so in the Declaration of Independence. How
can America say one thing and
practice another? Oh yeah, I
forgot, because it’s America.
That is another topic for another day.
If the country wants to
preach about equality, we
should start with topics such as
police prioritizing victims. We
are in America, where everyone should have equal rights.
No one, especially the police,
should have a say about whose
life is worth more. Because the
truth of the matter is, we are all
the same.
Who cares if someone is
white or black? Who cares if
someone is wealthier than the
other? If someone is murdered,
putting all race and money
aside, I want justice, and I’m
sure the families would want
justice as well.
I never experienced it before, but I have a good friend
who has been a victim of police prioritizing. Even though
I haven’t been through it personally, I can only imagine the
dismissed them and their concerns. The police told them to
call every six months to see
if they came up with ‘new
information.’
I can’t even imagine how
through these types of situations.
Nobody has the right to
assign importance based on
somebody’s past, ethnicity,
or status. We are all created
Travel important to
broaden perspectives
by JOSH HAMILTON
Online Editor
Congratulations, you have
graduated college. You are
shoved into the real world,
expected to land on your feet.
The real world is huge,
much larger than it was when
our parents and grandparents
were young. Everything has
expanded. The economy has
become global. People are
branching out wider and wider
to find careers. Chances are
that most people will get a job
in the country of their birth, it
is vitally important that people
see the world in which they
reside.
It has been said by people
more intelligent than myself
that travel is the only thing
that you buy that pays you. As
corny as that saying is, there is
a reason it is so popular. You
always get more out of travel
than the initial monetary value.
It has become more popular,
in recent times, to leave after
college or high school and go
backpacking around the world.
But it is still a small percentage
of the population that does
venture beyond their borders.
When one travels outside of
their comfort zone, he or she
finds out more about his or her
own life more often than who
they are traveling with.
This does not mean the
“tourist” traveling. This means
going out and immersing yourself in the culture of wherever
you are. If you go to London,
go to a football game (see soccer). If you are in Scotland, go
to the highlands, make friends
with the locals and eat some
haggis. If you go to Australia,
get a job on a ranch and learn
how they survive in the harsh
Outback.
The more of the world you
explore, the more you will
understand how the world
works, in general. If you spend
some time with people from
the United Kingdom, you can
find out from citizens how their
politics work.
I have found out firsthand
how the world sees Americans.
They automatically believe
that we are ignorant, hard
headed, and arrogant. We are
geographically isolated from
most of the world. The easiest
way for the rest of the world to
find out who we are is through
our media and entertainment
presence. Do you really want
to be represented by the members of the Kardashian coven?
I didn’t think so.
The opposite is the same for
us. Our only knowledge about
the world across the pond is
what we see on TV. Downton
Abby and the Royal family
does not accurately represent
the population of the U.K.
So this is my call to any of
you that feel as though travel
isn’t important. Break out of
your bubble. Don’t let the cost
drive you away. It isn’t hard to
save, and there are programs
designed to help first-time
travelers find their bearings.
It is important to see the
world. It helps you find purpose and find out who you are
as a person. Get out there and
be personal ambassadors for
your country.
jhamilton4346@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Photo illustration by ALLISON TERRY
devastation and disappointment.
A good friend of mine had
an uncle who was murdered
by his girlfriend. He was a
drug addict, and he was African American who lived on
a lower income side of town.
My friend and her family told
the police, and they basically
frustrating that is. The police
basically told them, “Hey,
because of your uncle’s past
and his ethnicity, we are going
to blow off this report and let
it be. Talk to you every six
months.” That is unacceptable.
There are many other examples in the news, but I’m
sure many people have gone
equal. If America wants to
preach about it, and if it’s
in our Declaration of Independence, I strongly believe
you should practice what you
preach.
ntr ugillo0806@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Right to vote should
be treated with respect
by JOSH HAMILTON
Online Editor
People have been trying to
get the younger generation out
to the polls for years.
I have a different message:
Don’t vote. There, I said it.
Phew, that is a load off my
mind.
If you are in the 18-25-yearold range, as most college
students are, hopefully you
have started to realize that you
don’t know everything. Don’t
be dismayed, it’s OK. It is why
we are here, to learn and grow
as humans.
What isn’t OK is when you
know you are ignorant about
something and still act on that
ignorance.
I haven’t voted. Ever. I am
23 years old. I have lived on
my own for the past five years.
I have traveled to different
countries by myself, and I pay
taxes. But I haven’t voted yet. I
was of age during the 2008 and
2012 elections. I could have
voted during the past three
mid-term elections but chose
not to. There is a very good
reason for this. I didn’t feel
near well versed in politics to
make an informed vote.
I tried to keep up with the
politics, maybe to sound smart,
or maybe as an attempt to wade
into the convoluted cesspool
that is the political system in
the United States. But every
time someone asked me who I
would vote for in the upcoming election, I didn’t have an
answer.
I felt that it was my duty as
a U.S. citizen to take my right
to vote seriously. This meant
that I would abstain until I
could make an educated decision about which candidate I
thought would do the best job
of running our country.
Not everyone does this. In
my experience, the people who
are adamant about voting as
soon as they are able seem to
be parroting what their parents
believe. If you truly believe in
something and it happens to
coincide with what your family believes, cool. You came to
your own conclusions, and due
to your upbringing or where
you live, it’s the same as your
parents, awesome. If you are
liberal or conservative and
you have never thought of why
you believe what you believe,
that’s a problem.
You are basing an important
belief that determines part of
your identity without even
thinking about it.
Find out who you are, and
find a vague vision of who
you want to be. Then find out
which way you lean.
I believe that now I am well
versed enough to wade into the
political waters. In 2016, there
will be new candidates who
will campaign to win my vote,
and after much consideration,
I know how I will most likely
vote.
Voting is an intrinsic right
for American citizens. Take it
seriously, or it might be taken
away from you.
jhamilton4346@students.
southplainscollege.edu
11
OPINION
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Journalism student reflects on memories, bids college goodbye
by CAITLIN WELBORN
Feature Editor
I live in two worlds.
One is a world of books. I
have fought crime with Anita
Blake, solved mysteries with
Sherlock Holmes, looked deep
inside the minds of killers in
“Helter Skelter,” and entered
the wonderful world of magic
with Harry Potter.
Words are a magical thing
and can change lives.
My second world is made
up of far less eccentric people
(well, most of them), but they
have impacted my life just
the same. These people have
taken me on adventures that I
will treasure for probably the
rest of my life.
They have helped shape
who I am, and have given me
some examples of who I will
strive to be in the future.
If you had known me three
years ago, you would have
known two things about me,
that I wanted to be a journalist,
and that I wasn’t too keen on
going to school anywhere near
Lubbock.
I know that sounds weird,
since I’ve been attending
South Plains College for the past
three years. To be
honest, it wasn’t
even a backup
option for me to
attend.
I had ruled
out SPC before
I even gave it a
real chance.
So when I attended college
the first fall after high school,
I wasn’t too
pleased to be
here. But a wise
friend told me to
give it a chance,
keep applying
to the college I
wanted, and, in the meantime,
keep going to school.
This was probably the best
advice I could have gotten
from someone. Because after
giving SPC a chance, I realize
that this college has done a
lot more for me than I ever
thought it could.
When I came to college, I
wasn’t exactly closed minded. But I wasn’t really open
minded either. I entered the
print journalism program at
SPC and I didn’t know what I
was in for.
Change is what I was in for.
The only change that hasn’t
happened to me is that I have
never changed my mind about
what I have wanted to do with
my life.
I have known since I was
probably in fourth grade that
I have wanted to be in journalism. I know, that’s a weird
career path for a fourth grader
to want, but it was what I wanted. That has yet to change. At
21 years old, I am only more
excited to go into this field
because I know I will never
be bored with my job. I will
always have exciting opportunities in my field. All I have to
do is work hard for the future
I have envisioned.
Part of my excitement in
this field is all of the eccentric
and interesting people I will
get to meet, and that started
my first day in the newsroom
at SPC.
Being around all of the
different characters who I’ve
mester, I decided to take on a
story that I really felt would
impact people in what I hoped
would be a positive way. I decided to become homeless for
a week, and see what it was
like to be in college and not
have a home to call my own. I
think it initially worried a lot
of people for a girl of only 18
to be on the streets (sort of) and
try to report on a subject that
most brush off.
I have to say that piece really was impactful. If not on
anyone else, it was impactful
on me. It made me think differently and think of others in
situations before judging why
that she has become one of my
best friends. She has shown me
that you can’t just hope that a
story will fall into your lap.
Sometimes you have to hunt
for the ones worth telling.
She introduced me to some
of the best people full of so
much personality that you
can’t help but love them. Randi has helped me in so many
ways that I’m not sure how I’ll
ever thank her enough.
She introduced me to Alli
Terry, or rather introduced Alli
to the newsroom. Alli is one of
those people who seems funny
and so awkward, but she really grew on me and I wanted
encountered in the newsroom
has changed so much about
me, the way I think, how I act,
what I like, and what I hope for
when it comes to my future in
this field.
Such eccentric characters
who I have encountered, some
good, some not so good, but
all of them have impacted me.
They all know who they are.
Some of them have graduated,
they are where
they are, or act
how they act.
“ We ’ r e a l most there and
nowhere near it.
All that matters
is we’re going,”
– Gilmore Girls.
I agree with
this quote. Part
of life is not the
destination, but
the journey there
and all of the
adventures that
you have along
the way.
This newsroom has given me so many
adventures with
people. It didn’t always matter
what we were doing, as long
as we were doing it together.
I think one of the most
impactful people I have ever
met on staff in my three years
has been Randi Adams. We
didn’t really like each other
too terribly much when we
spent our first semester on
staff. She thought that the
people I was hanging around
and others will still be attending SPC in the spring.
My first semester, I felt a
part of something bigger than
just reporting, I was trying to
change and impact people’s
lives. So during my first se-
in the newsroom were a little
childish, including myself, and
I thought she was too standoffish. But during our second semester, we really got to know
each other and became friends
pretty fast. I am proud to say
to be her friend. We became
fast friends, I think, and after
our first TIPA together, we
were definitely good friends.
She was someone who could
always act professional in
the newsroom and took on a
lot of stories. She is one of
a kind, and I was so happy
for her when she became
editor-in-chief this semester.
She makes me jealous with
how good of a writer she has
become.
Then
t h e r e ’s
what is
now referred
to
as
“squad,”
Megan
Perez,
Brittany
Brown,
Devin
Reyna,
and Skylar Hernandez.
I d i d n ’t
k n o w
m o s t
of the girls, excluding Megan,
who became
the newsroom
sweetheart from
day one in the
newsroom. They
were just people
who wrote or
took photos for
the paper. But
this semester, I
have gotten closer to all of them.
They have given
me a laugh when
I really needed
it, and we have
created memories that will last
us a long time. I
will miss them
all so much.
Brittany Brown has become
one of my new favorite people.
She has suffered through TV
news with me this semester
when we both know it isn’t our
forte but have somehow made
it to the end with smiles. She
is a one-of-a-kind girl. She is
strong, confident, determined,
and knows what she wants for
her life.
Devin and Nicole both
joined the staff at the same
time, and were both very quiet
girls when I first met them. But
they have helped make all the
difference this semester when
it comes to keeping my sanity.
Skylar, who is quite possibly the sweetest person I
know besides Megan, I have
watched grow so much this
past year, and I will always be
there for her like she has been
there for me.
Megan, who took a
trip with me and Alli, to
Hobbs, N.M., which then
turned into Odessa, (it’s a
long story), really bonded
with us, and suddenly we
were closer than I really
thought I would be with
them.
Then there is the matter
of my advisor, Charles
Ehrenfeld, who I have had
many bickering matches
with. We have disagreed
on many things when it
comes to a story, whether
one part of a story is relevant or not. That’s a battle
I will, of course ,face when
I make it to a newspaper.
It’s the old fight of reporter
versus editor argument.
Although these arguments, along with many
others that Charles and I
have had, have been infuriating because we don’t always
see eye to eye, I imagine that I
will miss those small moments
when those fights made me
realize that journalism is what
I was always meant to do with
my life.
I have had to take constructive criticism from him that
has, at times, worn me down.
But in the end, I knew it was
really for my benefit. He has
on staff. He is a guy who has
helped me.
He took the time to get to
know a girl who was seemingly outspoken, but hid a lot of
her inner qualities that would
make her likeable in the end.
He knows when to give me
encouragement, and constructive criticism, when I need it.
He has gone on adventures
with me for the paper and has
supported me, because we both
want to be the best reporters
we can be.
He is a character all his
own, a MacGyver and someone who knows how to find a
story worth telling.
He has opened me up and
made me soft in a way that
most haven’t seen.
Who knew that Caitlin Welborn was a marshmallow once
you got to know her?
Through the semesters,
faces have changed and people
have decided that maybe print
journalism isn’t for them. But
those who have stuck it out and
have decided that this field is
for them, I know that they will
make it because they want it
bad enough. I know that I do.
Between my homeless adventure, meeting Jeanette
Walls, the Color Run, Skydiving, Bungee Jumping, attending Austin City Limits,
and meeting various veterans,
who have told their incredible
stories, I can’t imagine what
is waiting for me when I get a
big-girl job, doing what I love.
I have always imagined it
like this crazy chase, like in
a movie that keeps you on
the edge of your seat in the
theaters, wondering what’s
going to happen next. I know
that may not be too realistic,
but I want to report on things
that matter, such as foreign
affairs, and warzones. I want to
witness and impact others with
the reality of this world, and
the issues that most of America
helped make me a better writer
and editor. He has equipped
me with the tools I will need
when I continue on to a fouryear university.
Dora Smith is a unique individual who I met this semester,
but it is like I have known
her for so much longer. She
reminds me of the girl I once
was, and watching how she is
now reminds me of who I have
always been.
The last person I intend to
mention is a fellow reporter,
and also my boyfriend, who
works on staff with me, Josh
Hamilton.
When I first met this goofy
kid, I hated him. He struck a
nerve that just got to me. He
made jokes he had never been
a part of and that were at my
expense in the beginning. He
took my complete annoyance
as flirting. He won out in
the end, since we are now a
couple. But he is not just a
boyfriend who happens to be
doesn’t realize are happening.
I believe that when I leave
this college and move on to
bigger and better things, I
will keep in mind how much
this college and the newsroom
have given me. The impact
that this place has left on me
will stay forever.
I went from high school
jungle freak, to shiny new
mean girl, to part of the breakfast club, to actual human
being.
In Omnia Paratus- it means
ready for anything, and with
the memories and the tools
I have learned and will take
with me when I move on from
SPC, I do believe that I will
indeed be ready for anything
that my career holds for me,
and anything that the world
can throw at me.
c welborn6538@students.
southplainscollege.edu
12
OPINION
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Journalism student reflects on time in college, looks forward to future
a full-time employee at the
college. He’s 76.
You have absolutely no idea
what you are doing. You pretend you halfway know what
you are doing.
writing, editing and layout,
and photography again.
Then, you write about a
windmill documentary made
in town, eventually climbing to
the top of a wind turbine with
scraps for a robotics competition.
You tell yourself print is
not dead.
You interview an elderly
Levelland author and he asks
Sometimes you award them
homemade trophies and pumpkin donuts, and you hope they
realize you sincerely love them
and appreciate their dedication
to the paper.
How to Be a Print Journalism Student: (a nod to Lorrie
Moore)
First, of course, you major
in something practical.
You believe business administration should do it.
You truly only really have an
interest in photography, but
after all, you’ve heard your
whole life fine arts is a useless degree. But business, it’s
broad, basic, and pleases your
parents well enough, as they
watch you drive off into the
sunset of a new town and an
overpriced university.
A year goes by, filled with
accounting and economic
classes. You strongly desire to
pull out your hair from business math, a foreign language
taught, fittingly, by a Russian
professor who cannot comprehend the stupidity of American
students. The only lesson you
retain from your brief career
as a business student is that
you can’t afford the university
you attend.
In between packing your
bags to move home, you stumble upon a meeting for the
university’s literary magazine
while trying to obtain “chapel
credits,” dictated by this religious institution. You scan the
room and see students similar
to yourself, after two semesters of alienation in the business college. They are writing,
photographing and designing,
and you realize this might be
where you should have been.
But you ultimately push the
thought out of your head.
meet your photo quota, or
don’t get paid a laughable
amount. And you love it.
The following semester
after your Abilene extravaganza, you enroll at the local
community college, without a
set plan, since you only know
you enjoy taking photos, and
say, “It doesn’t hurt to get my
basics out of the way.”
You’re immersed in a night
class of art history, learning
about cave paintings and
the archaic Greek sculpture,
on the Reese Center campus.
You enjoy wildly shooting at
targets in archery. You listen
attentively to your government
professor sarcastically lecture
about politicians. You spill
developer all over another
student’s new sweater in the
school’s darkroom and make
a friend. Eventually, you realize not many of your fellow
students appear to have a plan
either.
Amid classes and seemingly eternal group projects, a
particularly persuasive skater
on your roller derby team convinces you to try joining the
school’s newspaper staff. (Oh
yeah, you play roller derby. It’s
particularly essential.)
You enroll in Publications
I. You buy an Associated Press
style guide. You genuinely
frustrate your business advisor.
With unsure steps, you venture into Communications 130,
taking in the surroundings
of the newsroom, with various student awards spanning
the walls, in-progress stories
marked on whiteboards, and
multi-colored sticky notes with
little details covering Macintosh computers. It smells like
printer paper, dusty newspapers and leftover pizza from
late nights of writing, and it
is perfect.
You have yet to bear witness
to the 4 a.m., 5 a.m., 6 a.m.,
“nights” of cursing Adobe
In-Design, the unending frustration of playing phone tag
with sources, or the addicting
reward of reading your first
Interviewing him in his
campus office, he tells you of
his time spent as a Marine in
the Vietnam War, his career
in the CIA, his following
occupation of truck-driving,
his half-Vietnamese children,
and, incredibly, he allows you
to tell his stories.
You cringe as you hear
your voice on your recorder
as you begin to transcribe
the interview. You stay up all
night reading random newspaper articles, trying to grasp
the format. Indecisively, you
eventually carve out what you
believe passes as an article.
Following the deadline, you
return faithfully to the newsroom to find this story covered
in blue ink, from the advisor’s
copy editing corrections. You
need to separate thoughts into
more paragraphs. You need to
use better word choices. You
your camera strapped securely
to your back. You witness the
chaos of a local children’s play
place, as you hear about time
spend abroad being a nanny
for a student feature. You interview the hotdoggers of the
Oscar-Meyer Wienermobile
and steal a wiener whistle for
your advisor. You photograph
a Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative march, while
walking the parade backward,
pointing your Canon at yelling
and singing marchers.
You forge friendships on
staff, as they become the only
people in your life who can
truly comprehend not only
what you do, but understand
the reasoning behind your caffeinated late evenings and obsession with listing synonyms.
You force yourself to attend dry, ritualistic signings
and ceremonies, because you
After receiving the college
experience and trying to not
think daily about the college
loans that come with it, you
apply for the only photography job listed in the paper.
You’re sent to smoky bars
where local rock bands and
Texas country artists perform
no earlier than midnight. You
article in print, all in this very
same room. But you know
through stumbling and tripping
into the world of journalism,
you are finally on the right
path.
You don’t waste any time,
assigned the first day to compose a news article about an
instructor who just became
especially need to refrain from
writing “you” in articles. But
at the end, you receive a famed
“blue note” from the advisor,
encouraging you to pursue
writing.
Upon the journalism catalog’s instruction, you fill your
schedule with Charlie classes
such as photography, news
know, in the end, these proceedings and meetings are
important to the college. You
make fun of Jerry Springer
while taking notes at a “The
Price is Right” traveling show.
You argue for the right of euthanasia in an editorial. You
take pictures of penguins,
and students welding together
if you would like to go meet
his friend. Sometimes you
don’t say no to strange offers,
despite quality parenting you
received. Later, while interviewing the author’s friend,
you discover he fortunately
was a 97-year-old founder of
your college.
You are fairly certain print
is not dead.
You write a memorial article
for a murdered student, as your
eyes water while transcribing
interviews from friends and
coaches. You utilize the zoom
on your lens as you capture
photos of rattlesnakes. You
advocate for awareness of
domestic abuse and assault
on campus. You shake hands
with the leaders of the college
at monthly Regents meetings.
You drink too much.
You begin a food column,
initially as an excuse to dine
out, but discover you simply
enjoy describing pastries and
artisan tacos. You schedule
a photo shoot with a Clydesdale horse. You take a short
road trip to cover a lecture in
another state with a best-selling author with your friends
on the newspaper staff. You
take a wrong turn and end up
in Odessa, but opportunely
you arrive early to the lecture
anyway with New Mexico’s
time change. You run close to
flames, photographing a massive structure fire.
You hide under your desk.
Your eyes tear up as you
watch your friend win Homecoming queen for the Press
Club. You capture images
of a Krav Maga class and
methamphetamine found in
a girls’ restroom. You attend
approximately 10,000 music
shows to cover.
Trusting you acquire carpal tunnel, you write exactly,
probably one million headlines.
Time passes, and you begin
your final semester of community college, this newspaper staff, and to your horror,
someone made the mistake of
placing you in charge.
Consequently, you brainstorm article ideas. You put on
a pantsuit and solicit Levelland
businesses to buy advertising
space for the publication.
You interview veteran organizations. Sometimes you get
overstressed and allow your
frustration to show. You beg
staff members to take stories
and turn them in by deadline.
You slide down the Communications hallway ramp on
rolling chairs with your associate editor at midnight after
everyone has left the building.
Bill said advertisers. You
mail the newspaper to every
student journalism department
in Texas. You distribute issues
to racks in all the buildings on
campus; you pass out papers to
students in the hallways. You
guilt your family into reading
the publication, cover to cover.
Begrudgingly, you quit
roller derby for the semester.
You redesign the look of
the print edition. You make
page layouts for “the kids.”
You cautiously look over your
shoulder for inevitable pranks
from the broadcast journalism
professor. You laugh at the
staff’s repeated phrases and
over-the-top dance moves on
long evenings of corrections
and page design. You cringe at
innuendos from the notorious
“creep jar.”
You lay down old newspaper to give a haircut in
the newsroom. You often eat
breakfast with Olga, the Communications custodian, and
midnight snacks from the
vending machine. You try out
for the school play, become
too nervous and exit the room
full of experienced actors in an
awkward shuffle. You wake in
the middle of the night, thinking about leads. You abuse the
coffee maker.
You prepare for graduation,
you apply for internships, and
you enroll into a university.
Nostalgically, you wrap up
the last issue of your Plainsman Press career, yet you force
yourself to look ahead to the
possibilities you believe the
world still holds for writers
and photographers, despite
naysayers, the competitive
field of journalism, and rising
gasoline prices.
Though you sacrificed all
of your time, and most likely
a portion of your sanity, reflecting on the past two years,
you would not change one
detail of your time spent on
the newspaper staff or working
toward a career in journalism,
because you have truly learned
one valuable lesson: you will
never have the regular hours of
a 9-to-5 job, you will never get
rich, but you will always have
stories to tell.
by ALLISON TERRY
Editor-in-Chief
aterry8911@students.southplainscollege.edu
Plainsman Press
FEATURE
13
November 24, 2014
Faris engineers creative haven with Amusement Park Studio
by ZACH
HOLLINGSWORTH
Associate Editor
came from a ‘50s carnival.
A miniature Boba Fett offers
guests cinnamon gum from
a bowl, and various pieces of
vintage musical equipment
are carefully placed around
the facility.
Toward the back of the
studio is a once-blank white
in history,” says Faris. “If you
look at it, each decade has its
unique thing. The ‘30s had it,
the ‘40s had it, the ‘50s… you
had Buddy Holly, and then
you had the Beatles…Led
Zeppelin, Pink Floyd… then in
the ‘80s you had…these killer
bands coming out of there. (In)
about the modern, independent
music that’s pushing into new
and exciting territories. But,
despite fervent fan bases,
those television shows
were cancelled due to low
viewership. Likewise, the
albums by independent artists
don’t sell as well as the record
companies would like.
“To sell multimillions of
albums,” Faris says, “you can’t
be aimed at someone who has
very specific or eclectic tastes.
You have to be aimed at a mass
market.”
With the major labels,
whose decisions are based
entirely on selling records,
in such strict control of the
industry, Faris says this is also
“a scary time for music.”
Faris, in his multi-faceted
roll at the studio-he works
as a producer, engineer,
and occasional cowriter- is
fervently doing his part to
combat the negative aspects
of the modern music industry.
The idea for his style of
recording studio had its birth
in an experience he had as a
young studio musician.
“When I was a real young
man, I went into a studio to
record,” recalls Faris, “and I
had a really terrible experience.
Because the engineer just
really didn’t care. I sat there
and watched him half A the
entire session. I looked at this,
and…went, ‘I can do this. And
I can do this way better.’ This
is not how you should treat
people. At that point, I decided
to start recording all of my
own music.”
He did just that. During the
next few years, he recorded
bands he was playing in at the
time, and, eventually, word of
the work he was doing spread
around town.
During this time, Faris,
in addition to recording and
grips with the fact that I really
wanted to record. I wanted to
own a studio…I knew I could
do a better job than some of
my experience had been, and
so…I left SPC, which was
very bittersweet for me.”
He opened his own studio
officially in 2008, and, after
a few years there, Faris
grew tired of the restrictive
confines of that studio. It was
only 750 square feet, with a
modest recording room. It
was packed to overflowing
with guitar cables, amps,
and drums. It was cramped,
but even then, it contained
the DNA of the Amusement
Park. It was colorful and
plush, well-designed and
comfortable. Instead of Jimi
Hendrix watching over the
proceedings, the four members
of Led Zeppelin stood outside
their “airship,” looking stoned
and gazing out from a poster
placed in the hallway.
The inviting atmosphere
which was then and now
present at Faris’ studio is a very
conscious design decision. It is
a part of his method in offering
musicians and songwriters an
environment which fosters
their art.
“When I was growing up, I
played in studios all the time,”
recalls Faris. “…A lot of them
felt like a hospital, real anemic
and sterile… That is not what
this place is about. This is about
being a womb of creativity for
the artists. I designed this with
musicians in mind, so that
when they came in, they would
feel comfortable and able to
create.”
Faris explains that one must
“be able to let go of the rest of
the world in order to create.”
He says that all of the artists
he records take to the setting.
Recently, he even had one
musician ask if he could live
Further down 19 th Street,
heading east, is the Depot
District, a kind of “cultural”
center where students and
Lubbock-ites drink at the
numerous bars. But the Depot
and the area immediately
around Tech also host some of
the musicians Faris produces,
along with an endless number
of local musicians and artists.
“I think any music scene
is always cyclical,” says
Faris. “I think there’s some
amazing stuff happening in
Lubbock right now… We
went through a kind of down
period for a while, and it seems
to be very much on an uphill
swing. There’s a tremendous
amount of music being made
in Lubbock right now, and…
some great artists.”
Support not only for music,
but the arts in general, has been
increasing in Lubbock, Faris
says he believes. Whereas,
when he moved here “years
ago,” Lubbock did not have
a large (or even good) music
scene. But, with the increased
size of the population comes
more opportunities for the arts
and music to flourish.
“I think Lubbock is one
of the greatest places to learn
your craft,” says Faris, “but
traditionally has been a hard
place to practice your craft. But
it has changed dramatically.”
Inside the control room
of the Amusement Park,
Faris looks comfortable, and
completely in his element.
Later, sometime after the
interview, he has the lead
singer from the influential
Swedish doom metal band
Candlemass coming to work
on some tracks. Recently,
Michael Martin Murphy, the
legendary country singersongwriter, recorded banjo
and vocal tracks for his new
album at Amusement Park.
On a blustery Friday
morning, Amusement Park
Studio is open for business,
and is already busy.
People come in
unannounced, looking
to purchase CDs which
have recently been
produced by the studio.
One middle-aged
woman, for instance,
comes in looking for
a recording involving
a local middle school
band. Another man is
looking for an album
which features his
son. And the day’s
packed schedule of
recording sessions and
multimedia production
has yet to begin.
Scott Faris, owner
and operator of the
studio, takes these
interruptions in stride.
“I have people come
in (constantly),” says
Faris to the Plainsman
Press as he sits down
for an interview. He
says this without a
hint of annoyance,
but acknowledges the
potential interruption
to the proceedings.
“As a matter of fact,
I’m going to lock the
door, because if I don’t,
they’ll just continue to
come in.”
The studio, which
has been in operation Scott Faris sits in the recording room of his Lubbock studio on
at its current location Nov. 14. ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
for four years, records
a wide variety of artists, from wall which was been signed the ‘90s, you had Pearl Jam,
Hip Hop artists, to rock bands, by the numerous acts which and you had Nirvana…But
all the way to big band-style have recorded there through right now, because the tools are
crooners. This eclectic mix fits the years, wishing Faris well so available to us as musicians,
right into the environment, a and thanking him for his work. there is this amazing creativity
colorful, comfortable space It is full, from ceiling to floor, happening.”
which feels like the kind of these lines. The style of the
This “amazing creativity”
of place grown-up children studio fits its owner perfectly. can be found mostly in the
would have a ball in.
Faris, with his long hair underground and independent
A button bearing the face and goatee, certainly looks the music scenes, says Faris,
of Elvis Presley sits above part of a mad-scientist music perched on a rolling office
the plush red couch which producer and guitarist. But chair in front of the studio’s
sits in the studio’s expansive what makes him such a special g i a n t m i x i n g b o a r d . I n
control room, while a giant person in the music scene between occasional sips
poster with the serene face of is his boundless enthusiasm of iced tea from the coffee
Jimi Hendrix watches over and passion for his work. shop across the street, he
explains that there
isn’t much happening
in mainstream
music. The “major
label stuff” is
boring, says Faris.
He acknowledges
that there “is some
good pop music
being made,” but the
main reason it has
become so dull is Above, a mat, and left, a piano sit in the Amusement Park Studio. ALLISON TERRY/
that it has become PLAINSMAN PRESS
homogenized.
“ M o s t o f t h e playing guitar with numerous at the studio. Faris punctuates This unlikely duo serves to
p o p u l a r s t u f f , acts, was also a guitar teacher. this story with a peal of illustrate the wide variety of
you’ve gotta think, He taught at David Brandon’s laughter, and the obvious joy artists Faris records, and the
i s d e s i g n e d f o r guitar studio in Lubbock he takes in relating it points to extent to which his studio has
mass consumption,” before joining the faculty at the care he puts into his studio grown.
and the time he invests in each
Despite his success, his
s a y s F a r i s . “ I t ’s South Plains College.
like television…
“I was the director of guitar individual who records there. main source of satisfaction
It is this care, time and these days comes from his
T e l e v i s i o n h a s studies, and I was co-director
gotten smarter as it of the entertainment business effort he puts in, along with the love of music, and helping
decentralized from program,” says Faris. “And I unique nature of Amusement songwriters and musicians
t h e s e t h r e e b i g founded AlternaTV… (It was) Park, which has propelled develop their art.
“I love producing records,”
networks. The average a really, really great tenure out him to the top of the recording
business in Lubbock. He says Faris, with real excitement
level of intelligence there.”
that they were aiming
During the time he was records artists from Lubbock, in his voice. “That is one of my
a s i t c o m a t , i f I teaching, Faris recalls, he was the Panhandle and New favorite things to do. I view
remember correctly, also producing more records. Mexico, as well as from the entire recording studio as
was an eighth grade With his busy schedule at Midland/Odessa, Dallas, and an instrument... I get to see
education…If we had SPC, he was only able to make one artist out in Los Angeles. people’s dreams come true,
“I started out as probably the and I get to facilitate that.
just stayed at an eighth two albums a year. With his
grade level, we would talent came interest, and with smallest studio in Lubbock,” Any musician who wants to
the main recording room. His inspiring presence can never have had ‘Freaks and interest came requests from recalls Faris. “And I am now do this for a living dreams of
The walls are painted in enliven a room, and his rapid- Geeks’…we would never have local artists for him to record the biggest studio.”
making an album…I get to be
different primary colors, and fire musings on the state of had ‘Arrested Development.’” their albums.
The Amusement Park sits in there a lot when they open that
out in the entrance way sits modern music, the recording
Intelligent and cerebral
“I started having to say no,” Tech Terrace, across the street first box of CDs. It is a magic
an old Galaga arcade machine business and local culture are shows such as these point to a says Faris. “And I didn’t want from the popular hangout moment.”
and bits of installation art, remarkably astute.
more discerning taste among to do that. So I’d been out J & B’s Coffee, and not all
including a giant letter A
“I think right now is one of the audience, according to at SPC for about nine years, that far from the venues and zhollingswor7184@students.
and P which look like they the most creative time periods Faris. The same can be said and I kind of just came to bars surrounding Texas Tech. southplainscollege.edu
14
FEATURE
November 24, 2014
Plainsman Press
Dawson finding success as musician in Nashville
by CHELSEA YOHN
Staff Writer
Despite a smalltown
upbringing and uncertain
college choices, Billy Dawson
moved to Nashville to pursue
his dream.
Dawson’s school experience
was a little different than most.
Dawson grew up in Sunray,
Texas, where he attended and
graduated from high school in
2001. But not before he left
high school for a short time to
join a Christian rock band in
2000. He moved to Kenosha,
Wisc., to become guitarist for
Skillet.
After graduating from
high school, Dawson
attended several different
colleges around the Texas
and Oklahoma panhandle
until landing at South Plains
College to join the commercial
music program.
“I enjoyed it thoroughly,”
says Dawson about his
experience at South Plains
College. “I got pretty in
depth out there in the music
department.”
Dawson says that SPC was
definitely the best college he
attended.
He has been singing, program, wanting to pursue a with asked him to join them
playing music and writing more musical direction. Only on their tour in Portugal.
songs for most of his life. a few short months before
Dawson says that he called
Dawson says that he wrote graduation, Dawson was his parents, who told him,
his first song titled “Jumping
“Let’s pray about
on the Bed” when he was 4
it.”
years old.
The next day, his
Dawson says that he also
dad called and said,
was chosen to be in the Gifted
“Pack your stuff
and Talented (GT) program at
and come see us
his school. He says that he can
for a few days, then
remember staying up too late
move your butt to
listening to music and scoring
Nashville.”
badly on his GT tests, causing
“They have
him to get into trouble with his
always been very
teachers.
supportive of me,”
“I would have rather
explains Dawson.
listened to music than have
“And so has SPC.
been in GT,” Dawson said.
When I decided
While attending Sunray
to leave, all the
High School, Dawson
teachers were super
auditioned to be the new guitar
supportive of me.”
player for Skillet. Within a few
After moving to
days, he received a call from
Nashville, Dawson
the band asking him to join
has really made his
the band and move with them.
dreams come true,
So Dawson left high school
achieving some
to tour with Skillet for a little
great milestones in
while, before returning to
his career. A few
Sunray to finish high school.
of the highlights
After going “to a lot of
Dawson said that
Photo courtesy of Billy Dawson
different colleges trying to
have been the
appease different people,”
most eye-opening
D a w s o n d e c i d e d t o d o presented with another once- and life-changing have been
something for himself and in-a-lifetime opportunity. A winning the 2010 “Get
attend SPC for the music band he had toured Europe Discovered” (iHeart Radio/
Clear Channel) National
C o mp e ti t io n , an d b ei n g
featured on the Jerry Lewis
MDA telethon in Las Vegas.
“It was the most positive
week of my life, “said
Dawson. “It was mind blowing
being with all those kids with
Muscular Dystrophy.”
“Looking back now, I
wouldn’t change one thing,”
Dawson adds. “I’m glad I went
through hardships. I’m glad
I went through good times.
I’m glad I had the parents and
support I had…”
Dawson said that he was
very determined to follow his
dreams, even though he did not
know what the road ahead was
leading toward.
“Every experience leads us
to the right place,” Dawson
says. “If people would just
realize that no matter if it’s
hard or if it is good, it molds
us into what we need to be and
makes us better people.”
Dawson says that he just
wanted to be in a place where
he could impact people, not
impress them.
“Just being a positive light
in this world is a good thing,”
Dawson says. “If I can be an
inspiration to just one person
at SPC, or use my songs to
impact people and take a gun
out of their mouth, or just
encourage somebody to love
somebody.”
Along with singing and
performing, Dawson is very
involved with mission work,
speaking at schools and writing
children’s books. He says that
he is inspired by helping other
people and trying to encourage
others to be the best they can
be. He also aspires to “get into
as many schools as possible
and speak to as many children
that I can.”
Dawson has been asked
to be a performer this year
during halftime of the Dallas
Cowboys vs. Philadelphia
Eagles pro football game on
Thanksgiving Day.
Dawson hopes to be on the
road with a bigger artist in the
next few years and opening for
a full tour.
“I think my ultimate goal
would be to impact a nation
with my songs,” Dawson said.
cyohn1234@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Family history, ROTC program inspire Gregory to pursue military career
by CAITLIN WELBORN
Feature Editor
Families who serve in the
military normally pass on the
tradition from generation to
generation.
Shelly Gregory is one of
those few who it was passed
down to. A recently graduate
of Baylor University, Gregory
is enlisting in the Air Force.
Gregory has a history with
the Air Force in her family, as
both of her parents, were in the
Air Force.
Gregory’s mother, Lynn,
works for South Plains College
as a technical advisor on the
Reese Center campus.
Her mother was in the
military doing social work,
and now Gregory is going into
the military, following after
both of her parents.
Although Gregory isn’t
going into social work, she
will be doing her part when
we goes into active duty in less
than 20 days.
While in college at Baylor,
Gregory was a part of the
ROTC program, and she says
that what made her decide to
do it was a sense of home.
“I grew up on different
bases and moving around until
we finally settled in Lubbock,”
explains Gregory, “and then
when I started looking at
colleges, the ROTC programs
came up. So when I went to
Baylor and joined the program,
it gave me a sense of comfort.”
For three years of her life,
she was stationed in Japan
while her parents were on
assignment. She says that she
doesn’t remember that time but
looks forward to a point when
she will get the chance to live
out of the country.
Gregory says that her time
in Baylor’s ROTC program
was a four-year program
that had classes each year
that would change. During
her freshman year, she took
classes in the history of the
military, war strategies and
how to be an officer.
She explains that each
branch of the military has
their own courses, and that
she just decided to take Air
Force.
“Once you leave ROTC,
you become an officer, so
that’s why they have that
class,” says Gregory.
She says there also was
a physical training class,
and that they would have a
physical test.
Along with these classes, Photo courtesy of Shelly Gregory
Students express passion through fender competition
by JOSH HAMILTON
Online Editor
any discernable damage, there
would be points taken off. If
the paint wasn’t perfect, points
Students in the Automotive
were taken off. If the student
Collision Repair Technology
had to ask the instructors
class at South Plains College
for help,
recently participated in
points were
its semi-annual fender
taken off. If
competition.
the project
Every semester, the
took too long,
auto body class instructor,
points were
Robert Hotaling, hands out
taken off.
car fenders to the students
It is a
for them to repair. On the
process that
fender is a dent that has
involves a lot
been “placed” on it for the
of patience,
students to fix.
according to
The competition has two
Hotaling. The
parts. The first part involves
students have
how well the students can
to be able to
fix the body of the fender.
keep their
The second part involves the
cool when
refinishing of the fender, and
their hard
if they can get it to look like
work is dented
there had never been a dent.
repeatedly.
“If they [the students]
For more
handled the procedures Nathan Gonzales, left and James Deme, right, pose in the Auto Tech garage information
t h e y w a y t h e y w e r e on the Levelland campus on Nov. 17.
about the
taught, without having to JOSH HAMILTON/ PLAINSMAN PRESS
Automotive
ask for help, and when
Collision
they are finished painting
placed first and second in the small dents, and moved on Repair Technology course,
and you can’t see the dent body repair.
to medium and large dents,” email Hotaling at rhotaling@
we gave them, that’s what
It is apparent that all of the said Hotaling. “Finally I took southplainscollege.edu.
we are looking for,” said students have a driving passion a three-pound sledge hammer
Hotaling, who is the program for their work.
and smashed the fender.”
coordinator.
“It runs in my family,” said
The students were judged on jhamilton4346@students.
Hotaling gave out awards Gonzales, who is deaf. “My their final product. If there was southplainscollege.edu
for both parts. Nathan Gonzales
and James Demel placed first
and second, respectively, in
the refinishing section, and
Fred Alcala and Antonio Perez
grandfather did it; my dad
did it.”
The competition ran all
semester.
“ We s t a r t e d o u t w i t h
she explains, they
had leadership
roles.
“You lead the
underclassmen
when you
become an
upperclassmen,”
says Gregory.
Gregory says
that joining the
Air Force was
definitely a
lifestyle choice,
and she knew
that she would be
OK with moving
around again.
“I just decided
that this would be
a good decision
for me,” says
Gregory.
Gregory
is moving to
Washington, to
the same place her mother
was first stationed when she
joined the Air Force, in less
than a month.
Gregory, unlike her mother,
had a choice of where she
could be stationed and chose
one of the places her mother
had been.
“I think it’s really cool that
I’m being stationed where she
was first stationed, and I had
a little bit of choice in that,”
says Gregory. “My mom spoke
so highly of where she was
first stationed that I wanted to
follow in her footsteps.
Gregory says that she’s not
concerned about the possibility
of having to move out of the
country for a mission, as she
knows that this is going to
happen at some point.
“I know at some point I
will have to move to a place
where war is taking place,”
says Gregory.
She says that the idea may
be nerve racking, but she is
willing to do it, adding that
she wouldn’t mind living in
Germany or in England.
“I’m definitely
adventuresome, like my
parents,” says Gregory, “and
will look forward to all of the
experiences I’ll get to have
when that time comes.”
Her major in college was
political sciences, so her she
applied for a job dealing with
public affairs.
“It’s like being the liaison
between the military and
civilians, and dealing with
social media, and speech
writing,” says Gregory.
She says that she won’t have
to go through basic training,
but that she will have to go
to her job-specific training,
which entails getting a degree
in photojournalism.
“It’s a three-month crash
course in journalism,” says
Gregory.
But when it comes to her
plans for the future, Gregory
says that she will probably go
back to law school, because
she says that she would really
like to get her law degree.
“It’s like the show “JAG,”
says Gregory, “I would love
to work in the court rooms on
bases dealing with military
cases.”
Gregory says that the
transition of her moving
to her job might be a little
straining, since she is now in
a serious relationship with her
boyfriend, who is also in the
Air Force and training to be
a pilot.
“Since we are going to be
a part for a while,it will be
tough,” says Gregory, “but
hopefully we can end up in
the same place, and then after
we get married, get stationed
somewhere together.”
Gregory will be leaving for
Washington on Dec. 1.
“I think part of this job is
knowing the sacrifice of it,”
says Gregory. “Although we
won’t be stationed together
for a while, I am proud of the
work that we are both doing,
and I think it will be worth it
in the end.”
Gregory says that she is a
little scared of the job she will
be doing, but she has an idea.
“I’m lucky, since I grew up
in the lifestyle, and that my
parents went through,” says
Gregory, “because it gave me
an idea of what to expect.”
cwelborn6538@students.
southplainscollege.edu
15
FEATURE
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Teams work against clock to escape room in Lubbock attraction
by ZACH
HOLLINGSWORTH
Assistant Editor
from the early 2000s and
speaks softly. Nothing in his
disposition would indicate
that he is really a kind of
mad scientist with a talent
for creating challenging, yet
enjoyable, escape puzzles.
Sitting comfortably in the
chair from which he guides
the action, he explains how
he ended up with the escape
room, and also where he got
the idea.
“Well, I was just looking
for a job,” recalls Posey. “I
wasn’t really seeing anything
I wanted to do… This summer,
we did a backpacking thing
through Europe, and we kept
seeing these room escape
games in all of the cities we
were going to…We eventually
tried one in Prague, and it was
the most fun thing we did on
our whole trip. So I’ve been
brainstorming and thinking,
what if I open my own?”
After a few months of
purchasing props to be used
for clues, setting them up,
potentially world-ending. hints over a walkie talkie that speakers in the room, alerting affair with creepy photos and
Various chemicals, plants, and the group takes in with them if the players to the time which children’s toys strewn about.
powders in jars line shelves. they get stuck. Even so, some is passing. There is also an It will be more in the horror
A copy of “The Rise and groups don’t make it out at hourglass set on a table in the movie vein than the mad
Fall of the Third Reich” rests all, says Posey, while others main room, a reminder to the scientist vibe from the current
on a bookshelf
room. He is also
alongside
toying with the idea
numerous
of having an actor in
books on
one of the rooms, to
c h e m i s t r y.
add a little spice to
There are
the proceedings. But
also locked
any possible zombie
metal boxes.
or murderer will
What do they
have to wait, as he
contain?
plans on switching
Posey has
the layout of the
put careful
rooms “every six
thought into
months or a year.”
his clues,
Posey is also
and their
interested in the
placement in
parallels some draw
the scheme of
between his escape
A key hangs on the wall at Trapped! Escape the Room in Lubbock on Nov. 10.
the puzzles.
puzzle and films
“ T h i s ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
such as “SAW,”
room,” says
which feature
Posey, gesturing toward the are particularly adept at the contestants to move a little protagonists trapped in the
Lab with a nod, “I was testing game. One group in particular, quicker. There are “clues” same kind of puzzle rooms
for a week or two. At first, I Posey recalls, made it out with and objects that lead nowhere, (albeit much more sadistic
had to adjust the puzzle… 17 minutes left on the clock. simply there to mislead less ones-thankfully, there are no
This one was too hard at first, But the ability of a group to observant detectives.
pits of hypodermic needles in
escape has little to do with the
While searching through Trappped!).
numbers of a group, but rather one desk, you might find
“I think that’s why people
the teamwork which a group a spare AA battery next to like it,” Posey says. “It’s kind
puts in to it.
a chemistry book open to of like putting yourself into a
“They were the masters a section about dangerous horror movie.”
of this thing,” says Posey. gases. You hear the sound of
Trapped! Escape the Room
“…I feel like it depends on an alien invasion coming from costs $20 per person, and
the group, not necessarily the the speaker behind you, the offers students a 10-percent
group size…It depends on how classic “War of the Worlds” discount. Contact Posey at
well you’re communicating, radio broadcast. In this setting, (806) 410-1474 to schedule
and how well you’re working the old radio play is eerie and an “appointment” to lock you
a s a t e a m , ( a n d ) h o w distracting.
in a strange room from which
enthusiastic you’re going after
This sense of unease is one there is little chance of escape.
this puzzle.”
which Posey hopes to foster
Every 15 minutes, an in the second escape room zhollingswor7184@students.
alarm sounds through a set of at Trapped!: A haunted room southplainscollege.edu
Sand slips down an
hourglass as the sounds of
bubbling chemicals fill the air.
Behind a false panel,
Orson Welles narrates an
alien invasion, and a woman
looks out wistfully from the
photo sitting on a desk bearing
documents, documents which
may or may not lead to
freedom. Clocks rest along
the walls and on the desk, all
stopped at different times. Are
those times clues, or are they
there to mislead?
Panic sets in as an alarm
goes off. 15 minutes left. You
and your partner furiously
attempt to solve the last puzzle
and unlock the door to your
freedom. Finally unlocking
the door which you think
leads out, you are confronted
with another dead end, and
another mystery.
This is not the plot of some
horror film
(although it is
an archetype of
the genre). It
is real life, and
it is available
to anyone
with $20 and a
healthy craving
for adventure.
“ Tr a p p e d !
Escape the
Room,” located
at 3621 50 th
Street, is a
new business
in Lubbock
owned and
operated by
B e n P o s e y.
P o s e y, w h o A timer sits on a table at Trapped! Escape the Room.
hails from San ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
Marcos and
lived in Boston for a time, figuring out the layout for the and this one was too easy, so
moved to the Hub City at the room, and a week of testing, I’ve had to get them…evened
end of July.
Posey was ready to open his out to where it takes people an
“My fiancé is now at the creation to the public.
hour to get out.”
medical school at (Texas)
The details in the room are
Posey explains that in the
Tech,” says Posey, “…so now what make the experience short time Trapped! has been
we’re here. I’m just along for special. The props all feel like open, most groups make it out
the ride.”
they belong in a laboratory with mere minutes to spare,
Posey, dressed in a gray of questionable ethics, circa with some even unlocking the
sweater and slacks, resembles 1946, just after scientists had exit door with one minute left
a record store employee created something awful, and on the clock. He gives people
Unique band integrates
multiple cultures into music
by CHELSEA YOHN
Staff Writer
first impression one to
remember.
Each member had a different
instrument and sound that was
different from every other
member of the band. Yet they
all sounded so harmonious and
a long way for just one single
s h o w. T h e p e r f o r m a n c e
Funkadesi did at Texas Tech
University was the only one
they did in the area. They
traveled from Chicago to
Lubbock just for one show.
The members of the band
An Indian funk band from
Chicago blends multi-cultured
musicians into one great
captivating performance.
Funkadesi, a band
composed of 10 members
who are from all around the
world, performed on Nov.
7 at the Allen Theater on
the campus of Texas Tech
University in Lubbock.
This was the first time
that Funkadesi had ever
played in Texas.
“You guys made us want
to stay a couple more days,”
said Rahul Sharma, founder
of the band and bass
guitarist. “We were floored
by the crowd reaction and
participation we got. It was
amazing!”
Before going on stage to
perform shows, there is a lot
of excitement and nervous
energy going through the
air. Sharma said that it helps
to have a band of 10 people
to help calm nerves.
“You never know how
a show is going to go,”
Sharma said. “So you want
to make sure you do your
best.”
Sharma said he had a
music professor who told
him that if he didn’t get
nervous he would be scared.
“I’m supposed to be A member of Funkadesi plays a djembe as he leads the crowd
nervous,” Sharma said.
to clap along in the Allen Theatre at Texas Tech on Nov. 7.
Without saying one CHELSEA YOHN/PLAINSMAN PRESS
word, the band had the
crowd’s full attention as
each member filed in through catchy when everyone played come from several different
backgrounds and bring lots
the back door of the theater. together.
Each member was carrying
Funkadesi has gained of culture to the group, which
and passionately playing appreciation, recognition and makes them so unique. They
their unusual, unique, and attention from all over the describe their sound as a mix
between Indian, Classical, and
fascinating instrument. They world.
then walked to the stage,
“Sometimes we try to tie a Bollywood, with some reggae
before forming a line at the few shows together at a time,” funk thrown in.
front of the stage to serenade Sharma said.
cyohn6768@students.
the audience, making their
But other times they travel southplainscollege.edu
16
FEATURE
November 24, 2014
Plainsman Press
Texas wineries partake in annual tasting event
One 30-something Hispanic proceedings, the Wine and Vine
come from all across the the laughter grew louder,
state, explained
and a local band set up in gentleman stood at the back of also featured a beer tasting, and
Emily Simpson,
the operations
Wine enthusiasts from m a n a g e r f o r
around the South Plains McPherson.
recently gathered at a tasting
“They’re able
event held at McPherson to donate their
Cellars in downtown Lubbock. wine for samples,
The third annual Wine and and a lot of these
Vine Tasting, which was held wineries aren’t
on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, drew distributed (here),”
large crowds of up to 1,400 said Simpson. “A
people during the course of lot of them get
two days.
their grapes from
The sounds of reggae and the high plains, so
laughter issued forth from they come up here
the wineries’ courtyard, while to feature their
food trucks busily served wine…They also
patrons a variety of food near get to sell bottles.”
the entrance to the tasting
As the afternoon
room. The crowds weren’t as progressed, and
large the second day, but there the wine samples
were still several hundred continued to flow, Guest mill from booth to booth at the annual Wine & Vine Festival at McPherson Cellars on Nov. 9.
patrons milling around inside, the bottles were ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
moving from booth to booth sold by talkative
and sampling the wine. y o u n g w o m e n ,
The wineries’ employees, excitable old hippies, and one McPherson’s lush courtyard the crowd with a wide grin on a chef competition. According
volunteers, and representatives special group of volunteers.
to set up. Phillip Coggins, a his face, an open bottle of wine to Simpson, the beer tasting
of each company explained
“The entrance fee proceeds local musician, performed in his left hand, and a wine was a huge success.
the strong and weak points of benefit Meals on Wheels,” his brand of reggae, while a glass in his right. The glass
“The Home Brewers
their respective wines to the explained Simpson. “The first stellar backing band laid down was rapidly emptying.
Association…came out,”
enthusiastic crowd.
I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e s e Simpson recalled. “It was
year, we gave some money a funky groove.
O n e o f t h r e e l o c a l to the Texas Wine and Grape
wineries in the Lubbock area, Foundation. But last year…
McPherson actually began life and this year is exclusively
as a label of the Llano Estacado Meals on Wheels.”
by SKYLAR HERNANDEZ induced coma for 71 days. music career and his amazing
Winery since 2000. It has been
According to one winery
“There were some really dark talent for writing songs.
made and sold out of its own employee, the event had Staff Writer
days, but they always kept
Johnston performs happy
storefront since 2008. The raised $21,000 for the charity,
Life has a funny way to pushing me. My mother left and upbeat music.
winery itself is in the former which helps feed the invalid always take a sudden turn,
“Happy country music is
Coca-Cola bottling plant, and elderly, on the first day alone. with trials and tribulations. But me encouragement notes and
what I love
has a groovy, retro feel, with As part of McPherson’s it takes a determined
to perform,”
courtyards, old equipment partnership with Meals on heart to beat the odds.
s a y s
mixed in with the new, and an Wheels, several volunteers
Ray Johnston, a
Johnston,
air of sophistication.
with the organization handed former member of the
who received
The numerous winery out samples of wine.
Dallas Mavericks, plays
a life-saving
representatives in attendance
As the afternoon progressed, his heart out for the
bone marrow
Texas country scene
transplanting
these days, performing
2008.
upbeat songs from town
He
is
to town.
all about
Johnston was drafted
making the
into the NBA as a free
audience
agent in 2004. His
believe
journey with the NBA
w h a t ’ s
was short lived, though,
happening
as three months later,
on stage. He
he was diagnosed with
says that one
Leukemia and was
of his music
forced to hang up his
inspirations
jersey.
is “Garth
Johnston says that he
scriptures everywhere for me.” Brooks, for the way he
had a long road ahead of him,
Johnston has a favorite performs his music.”
but he had all the support he Bible verse that kept him
“If an artist is believable
Shirley Gentry-Moran pours wine at the Grape Creek needed.
motivated throughout his from the first note to the last,
Vineyards booth at the annual Wine & Vine Festival.
“ My mom and dad kept battle with the disease.
it goes a long way,” Johnston
ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
me going,” said Johnston,
“Proverbs 17:22,” Johnston adds.
who was in a medically- told the Plainsman Press in
Johnston and his band
by ZACH
HOLLINGSWORTH
Associate Editor
out-of-control crazy, it was
supposed to last from 6:30
p.m. to 9 p.m., and they
were done in about 30
minutes.”
Simpson said that the
beer tasting will likely
become a tradition at
future Wine and Vines,
as it was more popular
than any other event
they’ve hosted as part of
the event.
Sitting in the plush
tasting room of the
winery in what looked
like a comfortable
leather chair, with the
sounds of merriment
coming from the next
room over, Simpson said
she is happy with the
turnout and the event as
a whole.
“It’s a fun event,”
said Simpson. “It’s just
a chance to taste wine
from all over the state of
Texas… People seem to really
enjoy it.”
aterry8911@students.southplainscollege.edu
Country singer overcomes illness, achieves success in music
a recent interview. “Faith have a motto for every show
has always
been the
foundation in
our family.”
A l s o ,
“Friends,”
the TV series,
helped a lot,
Johnston
s a y s ,
especially
being able
to watch his
T.V. crush,
Rachael
G r e e n ,
(Jennifer
Aniston).
Johnston
made a stop Photo courtesy of Brandy Reed
in Lubbock
on Nov. 13
when he performed his special they play, “G.I.B, Get invited
blend of country music at the back,” Johnston says, “which
Blue Light.
naturally works.”
Luckily, Johnston is just
Johnston has come a long
as talented with a guitar, pen way since starting his music
and pencil as he was with a career. He recently released
basketball. Johnston said that a new album titled “No Bad
music has always been in his Days.” His hit single, “More
life, from playing drums in Crown than Coke,” has broke
high school to being in a cover the top 20 on Texas music
band throughout college.
charts.
Music veteran Tim Bubois
“I’ve had four singles,
and artist Kevin Fowler and three have been top 10,
noticed Johnston’s talent and and they have had a real fun
encouraged him to pursue his melody,” says Johnston, who
co-wrote nine of the 11 songs
on his new album.
He is about to be featured in
Country Weekly Magazine and
on Billboards The 615. He just
filmed his segment on Texas
Music Scene TV, hosted by
Grammy-winner Ray Benson.
The show features artist who
are getting a lot of attention.
“I’ve been very fortunate
in Texas, with all these
opportunities,” says Johnston,
who grew up in Montgomery,
Alabama, and was a walk-on
for the University of Alabama
men’s basketball team.
“Red Dirt Rebel has also
been good to me as well.”
Hunter Hutchinson opened
the Lubbock show, getting the
crowd dancing and ready for
some more music.
“Happy, Happy, Happy,” is
something Johnston and his
band say every time they are
about to perform, and that’s
what they brought to the Blue
Light stage.
Those in attendance could
feel the energy and happiness
Johnston and his band had on
stage.
Not only did Johnston
perform his new
songs from “No
Bad Days,” he also
sang familiar songs
to keep the crowd
going, such as,
“All My Ex’s Live
in Texas,” by the
legendary George
Straight. He also
performed theme
songs to TV sitcoms,
including, “The
Fresh Prince of BelAir.”
Johnston has
made some loyal
fans through the
years as an artist.
Not only does he
bring happiness to
the stage, he is also
very humble and inspirational
to so many people.
Johnston has had a long
journey and has overcome so
many battles throughout his
life. But he looks forward to
entertaining more fans.
Johnston encourages all his
fans to follow his Twitter and
Instagram @Rayjohnstonband,
where he posts pictures and
updates on his shows.
shernandez2472@students.
southplainscollege.edu
17
FEATURE
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Wardlow publishes book based on Facebook Column
by DORA SMITH
Opinion Editor
In a life that has taken
him through numerous
jobs and states, Jack
Wardlow has amassed a
collection of experiences
that form his strong
opinions.
In 2010, Wardlow,
associate dean of research
and reports at South
Plains College, started
a column on Facebook
titled, “It’s Friday, and
I Was Thinking.” Each
Friday, he discussed, as
suggested, what it was
Jack Wardlow sits in his office on the Levelland campus on Nov.
he had been musing on
that week. The subjects 11. DORA SMITH/PLAINSMAN PRESS
varied from the funny
history at the University of “I had a pretty good knack
to the controversial. In
September, Wardlow released Science and Arts of Oklahoma. for research…Writing was a
He has held a number of chore, especially writing for
a book comprised of these
jobs,
including working as a educational purposes.”
opinions, which he describes
When Wardlow obtained
as coming off the top of his police officer, a truck driver,
and
a
bartender.
Wardlow
his
current position at SPC,
head.
also
owned
his
own
barbeque
however,
he found enjoyment
“I don’t spend a lot of time
hut
at
one
time.
He
moved
on
in
writing
both data reports
thinking about it, because
I want to write while I’m to teach history at both the and small programs called
University of Oklahoma and “batch files” that allow people
thinking,” says Wardlow.
Wardlow, who is married Amarillo College. Wardlow to move through masses of
and has seven children, was says that he was not fond of data faster.
“I like writing what I found
born in Amarillo and grew writing in what he describes as
the
“publish
or
perish”
world
immediately,”
he says. “My
up in Shamrock, Texas. He
of
education.
favorite
part
of
it is actually
initially majored in police
“History
is
a
lot
of
research
working
on
the
computer.”
science at Amarillo College,
For recreational writing,
before moving on to study and writing,” says Wardlow.
Taylor expresses passion for
poetry based on human emotions
by NICOLE TRUGILLO
News Editor
Taylor says. “I always consider
myself to be able to understand
more about their own emotions
more than themselves.”
“People don’t take the
time to watch themselves, nor
take the time to think about
it,” adds Taylor. “While they
interact with each other, I’m
standing there taking mental
notes, watching them, learning
how they act, how to respond
to things. It’s in those times
and in those moments they
give me the feeling of whether
this is true happiness or pure
sadness. I observe people.”
Taylor says that his writing
progressed during high school
from a couple of sentences
from his observance of people
that went into short essays and
then ended up with poetry
pieces.
At the end of his junior
year and at the beginning of
his senior year of high school,
pieces ended up winning, and
it got selected to be put in a
published book. A few months
Being passionate about
later, I ordered it, and sure
something usually comes with
enough, I was in a book itself.
achievements and awards if
The company also told me it
one is willing to work hard
was the same way how Taylor
for it.
Swift started her publication
Christian Taylor, a video
of poetry.”
production major at South
The piece that was selected
Plains College, has a passion
to win is titled “One Morning,”
for writing poetry, and it
a poem that explains the
certainly has paid off.
emotion of someone who is
Taylor was born in Virginia
living in the middle class,
Beach, Virginia. He lived in
describing his or her morning
a lot of places in Texas, but
routine.
during his high school years,
“It goes on explaining
he ended up in Sundown,
someone who has all these
Texas.
thoughts running through
Taylor explains that he
their head the moment they
majored in video production
wake up, up to the point
because he knows he can
where they do wake up,”
follow through with it. He
Taylor explains. “I put in
plans on earning his associate’s
words, ‘He looked into his
degree, but he doesn’t plan on
mug to gasp, looking down
graduating anytime soon.
at the thing what life he has to
“I can do writing, but
grasp,’ meaning that finding
unless you’re the best of
out that the cup was
the best, you can’t make
empty, that what he
that a career,” Taylor
wanted to be in it was
explains. “You would also
no longer there.”
have to go through a lot of
Shortly after
college classes, and I’m
Taylor had his first
just straight up saying, I’m
poem published, he
not a fan of school.”
published a Kindle
Ta y l o r t o o k v i d e o
book on Amazon
production classes in
titled “Individual
high school, and he was
Emotions.” The book
also involved in track and
has 11 pieces of poetry.
football.
Ta y l o r ’s m a i n
“I actually did a UIL
subject for his poetry
journalism class my
are human emotions.
freshman year,” Taylor
He strives for basic
explained. “It was weird,
emotions because he
but in different ways. I
says that he believes
learned some stuff, and
it is what people relate
that’s probably where I
to.
started my poetry.”
“Some of my pieces
Taylor started taking his
are sad, and I don’t
poetry writing seriously
want to say, ‘It makes
when he was a freshman
Christian Taylor poses in the library on me happy to write
year of high school. He
about people crying
explains that during high the Levelland campus on Nov. 20.
or being in pain,’ but
school he was a loner. But MEGAN PEREZ/PLAINSMAN PRESS it’s understanding
according to him, that was
and knowing that this
where he received his passion Taylor started submitting his makes you human,” Taylor
poetry pieces to a contest called explains. “It makes you
for writing poetry.
“ W h i l e o t h e r p e o p l e Creative Communications. He understand who you are. The
enjoyed going out or involving was looking for scholarships, basic experience is why I go
themselves in other people’s and he came across poetry for basic emotion. It’s what
business, I would just rather submissions.
makes people cling to things.”
“I sent in random pieces
enjoy watching other people
to a point where they can’t to different contests,” Taylor ntrugillo0806@students.
see themselves emotionally,” explains. “But one of my southplainscollege.edu
Wardlow began the “It’s
Friday, and I Was Thinking”
column after becoming
hooked on Facebook. The
range of subjects covered
include humor, nostalgia,
criticisms, and politics. When
it was suggested to him that
he compile the columns for
publishing, Wardlow agreed.
“I always wanted to write a
book,” says Wardlow. “I like
to write, and I have a huge
ego.”
Though the nature of the
essays varies, Wardlow says
that he believes that the book
is about appreciating life.
“I love life…Life’s a
challenge,” he says. “It’s
something new every day, and
that’s mostly what this book is.
It’s a book about living life:
the trials and tribulations we
all go through, what springs
up during the day and how to
handle it. It’s sort of a ‘never
give up’ type of book.”
The book has an appeal
t o t h e p e o p l e o f We s t
Texas, reflecting Wardlow’s
conservative values and
religious convictions, as
well as his familiarity of and
fondness for the Texas climate.
However, Wardlow says that
there’s something in it for
everyone.
“If you’re reading it, no
matter your age group or
demographic, I hope that
you get something out of
it that tells you that your
life’s worthwhile, that all life
is worth living,” Wardlow
says. “We’re all critical of
our fellow man, but we really
don’t know what they’re going
through.”
Wardlow’s experiences
by DORA SMITH
Opinion Editor
However, finding a job
was much easier said than
done. Wood found that every
teaching job he was offered
also required him to be a coach
as well.
“I am the most unathletic
person imaginable,” says
Wood.
Instead of working in
education, Wood found himself
working in rehabilitation and
corrections for eight years in
Ohio. Working in the prison
system can be a job that
leaves a lasting impression,
sometimes in a negative way.
Wood says that he saw both
the best and the worst of those
incarcerated. The experience
humanized the prisoners for
him.
with the “salt of the earth”
citizens he describes in not
only Texas, but Levelland,
in particular, keep his belief
in people alive and well. He
approaches everyone with
the same positivity that he has
seen in others.
“If you’re a pleasant person,
a good person, chances are
that everybody you run into is
going to be pleasant and good,
because that’s how you look at
life,” Wardlow says.
With such strong
convictions and a unique
outlook on life, Wardlow
intends to continue expressing
his views through writing,
with hopes of publishing a
second book soon.
dsmith9720@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Wood uses past experiences to
motivate, engage students
“I was looking for
something that I could use in
that job, and I certainly could
Regardless of the
see a need for it,” says Wood.
circumstances, Robert Wood
After graduation, however,
has the capability to see
Wood returned to Texas, where
the good in everyone and
he found a job with SPC as an
everything.
access counselor.
Wood grew up accustomed
“Basically, I helped arrange
to what he described as “small,
for daycare and assistance for
rural towns,” spending his
some students, and worked in
childhood in Childress and
the Counseling Center helping
Post. After graduating from
to academic advising,” Wood
Post High School, he went on
explains.
to study at both Texas Tech
When offered the chance
University and Midwestern
to
teach at the college level,
State University in Wichita
Wood
took the opportunity.
Falls.
Currently, he teaches sociology
While attending college,
and social work, subjects that
Wood, assistant professor of
he is passionate about.
sociology and social work
“The thing I like about
at South Plains College,
teaching sociology and social
and adjunct
work is the opportunity
professor at
to let people see that
Te x a s Te c h
there’s a world bigger
U n i v e r s i t y,
than what they grew up
had to develop
seeing,” says Wood.
a system to be
“Not everybody is in
able to meet
the exact same spot as
the costs and
they are.”
requirements
Expanding the
of attending
minds
of his students
a university.
is
something
that he
For two years,
finds rewarding, but
Wood worked
occasionally difficult.
two jobs at a
“Sometimes I think
time, and then
that’s
what makes
spent the next
sociology hard for
six months
a lot of people,” he
w o r k i n g
says. “Giving people
one job and
the opportunity to see
attending
that there is something
school. After
different, and maybe
that, he would
not to be quite so
return to
judgmental in how we
two jobs and
approach things.”
continue the
Wood’s approach
cycle. to
life
is not always so
During
serious.
his time in
“I am probably the
school, Wood
says that he Professor Robert Wood sits in his office in Holden most immature person
found himself Hall at Texas Tech University in Lubbock on Nov. that you’ll ever meet,”
he admits. “I have the
uncertain of 10. DORA SMITH/PLAINSMAN PRESS
same hobbies now that
his goals and
I did when I was 12: I
lacked the motivation to figure
“It
sort
of
dispels
a
lot
of
will
put
together models, I will
it out at first.
stereotypes
about
people
who
read
comic
books, and I will
“Coming out of high
school, I had no idea what I are incarcerated once you’re go to the movies.”
Wood teaches an Intro to
wanted to do,” says Wood. “I there day in and day out,”
Wood
says.
“They’re
not
all
Sociology
class that focuses
was not prepared to be a good
monsters.
A
lot
of
them
are
on
pop
culture.
He cites this
student at that time. It took
me being a bad student, and like average, ordinary people.” as his way of incorporating
In fact, Wood brings up what he loves into the way he
learning some pretty rough
one
particularly amusing makes a living, advice that he
lessons from that, to kind of
experience.
offers to anyone in any career.
figure out what do I want to
“I’ve seen an impromptu
“I was able to incorporate
do.”
Though he spent some drag show in a male prison… my passions into making a
time studying elementary that was an eye-opener,” he living,,” Wood says, as he
education, Wood soon turned recalls, “and that was a darn encourages others to do the
same. “Find some way to do
his attention to the subject good drag show.”
His experiences working what you want. I understand
of English, as he wanted to
teach high school English with the prison populations, that you have to have a job,
classes. With this in mind, he including being moved by but jobs are much better if you
graduated with his bachelor’s watching the interactions like them.”
degree in English, which during visitations on Father’s
Wood says he uses to “speak, Day, inspired him to pursue a dsmith9720@students.
degree in social work.
southplainscollege.edu
and not a lot else.”
18
ENTERTAINMENT
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Alamo Drafthouse serves up simple meals, offers intelligent cinema
DINNER...
by ALLISON TERRY
Editor-in-Chief
“The Thing,” “Creepshow,”
and “The Shining,” leading up
to Halloween.
But for the town’s new favorite cinema, the film is only
half of the experience.
Flipping through the menu
located inside of a small table
attached to the seat, it’s diffi-
ey mustard, or a peanut butter
banana shake with a scoop of
vanilla ice cream.
Just in case you happen to
be forgetful, before each show,
text splashed across an old
photograph of Volkswagens
at a drive-in theater reminds
patrons of the Drafthouse’s
paper provided, then set them
upright in an attached railing
for the waiter to pick up, read,
and deliver the desired dishes.
During other times, I’ve
attended a showing at the
Drafthouse, I have relished this
“dinner and a movie” experience. On this particular visit, I
Your waiter squats down,
bent at the waist in the pitchblack room, illuminated only
by the movie screen presenting
an array of humorous
movie clips and music
videos with bedazzled
dancers from the ‘80s.
Taking a slip of paper
from the front of your table, she silently returns
with a Cherry Coke, or a
chicken pizza, or an ice
cream sundae.
The Alamo
Drafthouse, a Texas
chain based out of Austin, has quickly gained
popularity in Lubbock
after opening earlier this
year. While the theater
shows the current blockbusters expected to be
found at other local theaters, the venue is truly
embraced for its showings of cult classics,
various films including
Above, a BBQ Smokehouse burger, and below, loaded fries are served at Alamo Drafthouse in
“Purple Rain,” quoteLubbock on Nov. 9. ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
alongs for fan favorites
such as “Monty Python
and the Holy Grail,” and
special line-ups, such as last cult to decide between a baked policy: pencil food and bever- arrived early for the movie and
month’s horror showings of pretzel with Shiner Bock hon- age orders on the given slips of chose to eat in the bar, prom-
...AND
A MOVIE
by ZACH
HOLLINGSWORTH
Associate Editor
The theatre was dim when
we entered, an empty house.
As my companion and I
took our seats, a gag reel began
on the screen which contained
various clips of newscasters
goofing up
and mispronouncing
names, flubbing lines,
or cursing
when their
foot would
slip in a
hole. There
was a movie trailer for
the classic
film “Network,”
which was
a vicious,
if darkly
humorous,
attack on
television
media and
the depths
to which
they sink in
the pursuit
of the almighty high
ratings.
Also, there
was a goofy
bit featuring
a young Jake Gyllenhaal in
a promo clip for “Sesame
Street,” and a surreal music
video by the little-known ‘70s
disco group, Chilly, admonishing us to “come to LA.”
What do these things have in
common? At the Alamo Drafthouse, they were linked to the
feature film my friend and I
had come to see: the striking
“Nightcrawler.”
“Nightcrawler,” starring
Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill
Paxton, and relative newcomer Riz Ahmed, is a morality
tale about journalistic ethics
wrapped in a bleak dramedy. It
shows the almost nonexistent
line which exists between
violent nightly entertainment
ising myself I would order a
drink in the theater later.
Scanning the scene, a long
line of draft beer taps span the
wall of the dark bar, seemingly
canvased with simple wood,
black paint, and imitation exposed brick. Uno, Talisman,
and decks of cards were spread
throughout the booths and
tables for casual drinkers to
play. Placed before me fairly
soon by a waiter was the BBQ
Smokehouse Bacon Burger.
With American cheese,
cabbage, barbeque sauce, and
bacon topping the patty, I took
a bite into this creation while
looking up at the retro-stylized posters hanging on the
walls by booths. Admittedly,
it was a little plainer than
anticipated, but I can imagine this type of simpler food
working excellently while
fishing around in the circular
dish while sitting in a dark
theater. While only slightly
disappointing, the cheese added a subtle variation from the
meatier bacon-and-barbeque
sauce aspect. Surprisingly, the
cabbage provided interesting
texture that wasn’t entirely
unpleasant.
Traditional fries were
served on the side of the burger, with a ketchup dipping
packet for simplicity while
performing the multi-tasking
activities of stuffing your face
while watching Jake Gyllenhaal. As expected, they were
slightly crispier on the outside,
but almost doughy in the middle, much like cafeteria fries.
Fresh. Simple. They were
nothing out of the ordinary.
My dining companion and
I pushed back the board game
of Connect Four, as the waiter
also delivered an order of
loaded fries. (Don’t judge
me.) This masterpiece of movie-grazing food was presented
as a dish of fries with cilantro,
chives, a hot sauce, shredded
cheese, and sour cream. The
spicy twang from the cilantro
and sauce was balanced beautifully with sweetness from
the sour cream and cheddar
cheese.
My dining companion, who
is, of course, my associate
editor and, conveniently, my
best friend, and I digested
in the bar, over-full from the
Drafthouse’s cuisine. Once I
had finished destroying him at
classic board games provided
by the bar, we paid for our
meals and prepared to enjoy
the show.
becomes more depraved and
hollow as the film goes on,
even while his success grows.
As the film progress, viewers
begin to see under his smiling mask. The film ends on
an open-ended note, leaving
Bloom to his devices and the
audience to despair.
But don’t let all of this
cerebral analysis fool you.
“Nightcrawler” is still a highly
entertaining film. The brief and
brutal car chase which occurs
in the film’s climax is one of
the best seen on
screen in some
time, and there’s
enough slick
visuals and upbeat music (even
when the film is
at its darkest, the
music sounds
like it belongs
in the “A Beautiful Mind” kind
of film genre)
to keep the
audience entertained. One
could watch it as
a simple crime
flick, enjoying
the car wrecks,
bleeding bodies, and absolute
brilliance of the
performances.
But therein
lies the genius of
this film: What
we are seeing
is morally and
ethically empty,
so why are we so entertained
by it? Where is the appeal in
a dead family on the evening
news, or a dying man who
was out buying medication
for his ailing wife? Where is
the charm of watching bombs
explode in a Middle-Eastern
country on a 24-hour loop on
cable news? Where indeed?
Lou Bloom, for all his moral
apathy, is simply giving the
audience what they want to
see, giving viewers what we
want to see.
So why are you watching it?
and nightly news. Where does
one end and the other begin?
Increasingly, the distinction is
hard see.
The film opens with austere
shots of Los Angeles at night.
The skyscrapers, slums, and
freeways are at once beautiful
and desolate, bathed in an
orange halogen hue. It looks
cold, impersonal and supremely slick, which coincides with
the characters and plot of the
rest of the film.
him a blank stare before flatly
refusing.
Driving on the freeway,
Bloom comes across a flaming
car wreck, with two police
officers struggling to pull a
woman out of the wreckage.
When a freelance cameraman,
played with wormy brilliance
by Paxton, comes and films
the scene, Bloom discovers his
true calling: video for television news.
Purchasing a cheap video
er to discover, and really, the
story of Bloom and his increasingly visible lack of empathy
and morals serves as a vehicle
to show us the unfortunate
state of television “news.”
Gyllenhaal’s performance
as Bloom is truly impressive.
In his talented hands, the
character becomes a haunting
study of a sociopath. With
wide, staring eyes, mechanical
movement, and overly-cheerful smiles and speech, Bloom
Romina, embodies the same
qualities (or lack thereof).
She is out for success at all
costs. When Bloom brings in
graphic footage during sweeps
week depicting three murder
victims, she quickly pounces
on it. Viewing the footage, her
eyes light up like a child’s on
Christmas morning. Asking
the station’s lawyer whether
she could air the footage,
she impatiently waits for the
answer.
Standing amid this cold
beauty is a rail-thin man cutting a chain link fence with a
pair of bolt cutters, collecting scrap to sell. This is Lou
Bloom, the film’s protagonist
(or perhaps antagonist). Played
by Gyllenhaal, Bloom is an
enthusiastic scavenger. Aside
from an act of violence in the
first five minutes (quickly forgotten), he is almost likeable.
Attempting to get hired on at
the junkyard where he brings
his metal scraps, he stresses
his interest in hard work and
dedication.
“If you want to win the
lottery, you’ve gotta make the
money to buy a ticket,” Bloom
says to the foreman, who gives
camera and police scanner,
Bloom begins his journey.
He films car wrecks, broken
bodies, and bullet holes in
family fridges. He gains the
attention of a news producer
at a floundering television
station, played by Russo, who
purchases the raw footage
from Bloom before cutting
it into dramatic perfection.
The station’s ratings steadily
rise, propelled by Bloom’s
often-violent footage, and he
finally finds success. But with
that success, comes the darker
and antisocial parts of Bloom
become more clear.
To say any more about the
story would give away plot
points better left for each view-
is a hollow man. As the film
progresses, it becomes obvious
just how devoid of morality
he is.
He is not even particularly
evil. He is simply an emotionless machine, acting in ways
which benefit him and him
alone. He is, in many ways,
a metaphor for the modern
news industry, which operates
in much the same way. Both
Bloom and the news industry
are morally bankrupt, as well
as emaciated by their hunger.
Bloom’s hunger is for money
and success, while TV news is
hungry for high ratings. There
is nothing happening under the
surface for either one of them.
Russo, who plays Nina
“Legally?” asks the lawyer.
“No, morally,” says Romina
scathingly. “Yes, legally.”
This brief and ugly exchange sums up her character.
The dead glint in Bloom’s
eye sums him up. As they
broadcast the footage, Romina
dictates to the anchors what to
say, pushing hard for the angle
of minority crime creeping
into white suburbia (the murders take place in a well-to-do
section of LA). The anchors
speak in facts when there are
none to be had. Bloom and
Romina both seem ecstatic.
And the ratings steadily rise.
Perhaps paralleling the simultaneous descent and rise
of the news, Bloom slowly
aterry8911@students.southplainscollege.edu
zhollingswor7184@students.
southplainscollege.edu
19
ENTERTAINMENT
November 24, 2014
Plainsman Press
Pierce the Veil, Sleeping With Sirens play Lubbock venue on world tour
by MEGAN PEREZ
Entertainment Editor
from Long Beach, Calif., took
the stage. Surprisingly, the
two-man acoustic band made
an impression on the crowd.
Playing songs from their selfreleased album of 2012, titled
“Heart Flip,” the duo got the
fans swaying to their soft, yet
powerful songs about love and
love lost.
The second band to perform
was Beartooth, an American
hardcore band from Columbus,
Ohio. With careful instructions
given by front man, Caleb
Shomo, Beartooth got the fans
in the crowd screaming the
lyrics back to him, jumping off
their feet, forming mosh pits,
and crowd surfing to the front of
the stage. The group performed
songs off their newest album,
“Disgusting,” and literally had
overzealous fans climbing and
clinging to the rafters.
Beartooth hyped up the fans
to an extreme as soon as coheadliner Sleeping With Sirens
took the stage. Teenage girls
screamed at the sight of posthardcore heartthrob, Kellin
Quinn, lead vocalist. Kicking
off their set with a blast of
smoke and their newest single
to date, “Kick Me,” Sleeping
With Sirens had people pushing
and shoving just to get to the
front of the crowd, hoping for
the chance to touch hands with
Quinn.
The band’s set featured
songs from all three of their
previous albums, sending fans
into an emotional whirlwind
sadness. The band ended their
time on stage with, “If I’m
one of the few bands on the
road 365 days a year.
Heartbeats thumping so
The postloudly they match the ominous
hardcore
booming of the bass. Cigarette
band is
smoke swirling around every
currently in
corner of the undersized
the process
venue, and fans wildly dancing
of recording
and jumping to the hypnotic
a new album,
beat of the drums.
so the band
Plenty of post-hardcore
performed
music lovers were in
songs off
attendance for the most
their album
anticipated concert of the local
previous
music scene. Pierce the Veil
albums,
and Sleeping With Sirens, two
“Selfish
of the most compelling and
Machines,”
influential forces of the postand “Collide
hardcore/metalcore scene,
With the
hit the road together for the
S k y. ” T h e
co-headlined “The World
band played
Tour,” sponsored by Rock
my personal
Star Energy.
favorite,
It’s been more than a year
“Hold On Till
since the two bands have shared
May.” With
a stage, so the announcement
powerful
of a co-headlining world tour
lyrics such
was a pleasant surprise to fans
as, “If you
everywhere.
were me,
Lubbock was fortunate
you’d do the
enough to have earned a spot
same. And
on the tour. The show was held
I can’t take
at the Lone Star Event Center
anymore;
in the Pavilion on Nov. 11,
I’ll draw
and eager fans began arriving
the shades
Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens performs at the Lonestar
as early as 5 p.m. even though
and close
the bands wouldn’t go on until
t h e d o o r.
Pavilion in Lubbock on Nov. 11.
7 p.m.
Everything’s
SKYLAR HERNANDEZ/PLAINSMAN PRESS
After fans had filed into the
not alright,
venue on a cold November
and I would
night, This Wild Life, an
of feelings, ranging from James Dean, You’re Audrey rather…” The song sent the
acoustic pop-punk duo hailing
free-spirited anger, love, and Hepburn,” a song all about crowd into chaos, with fans
lost love, which caused young jumping so high as if to reach
couples in the crowd to hug for the stars, and confetti
closer together.
cannons blasting everywhere.
Heading on stage after
After several songs, the
Sleeping With Sirens was the band’s set took a softer tone
main attraction, the headliners with an acoustic rendition
of the tour, the band the crowd of “I’m Low on Gas and
had been dying to see live, You Need a Jacket.” Heavy
by SKYLAR HERNANDEZ guitarist; Steve Augustine, Ghandi’s Gun, which got the Pierce the Veil. The band lyrics such as, “As I choke,
guitarist; and Joel Bruyere, bass crowd jumping and excited. originates from San Diego, tried to wash you down with
Staff Writer
Righteous Vendetta, was next Calif., and is known for being something strong. Dry but
guitarist.
Thousand Foot Krutch
After spending almost 10 to take the stage and couldn’t
recently took a small venue years with Tooth and Nail have been a more perfect band
by storm, with their lights, records, the band decided to to perform right before TFK.
love for music, and amazing be independent. After making They had the whole room
you find on a person every
energy.
that big change, they released pumped and trying to crowd by CAITLIN WELBORN
day. But he seems to adjust
A Sunday night,
around the stage Feature Editor
to it, thinking that these horns
with school and
to get as close as
Everyone has a devil inside that are appearing are only
work the next
possible.
imaginary. But as the days
morning, did not
A s s o o n a s of them.
At least Ig Parrish does.
drag on, Ig finds out that
stop eager fans
TFK hit the stage,
If you don’t know who he people are revealing secrets to
who were there to
they had lots of
watch the energetic
e n e r g y. T h e i r is or what he has supposedly him, secrets that they normally
legendary TFK
lights and sound done, just pick up the book wouldn’t share with anyone.
perform.
were spectacular. “ H o r n s , ” o r g o
TFK played at
The crowd enjoyed s e e t h e m o v i e
Jake’s Sports Bar
every minute of a d a p t a t i o n . I t ’s
and Backroom on
the concert. There worth it, I promise.
Horns was
Nov. 9 in Lubbock.
were people of
The crowd waited
all ages with their released as a movie
in the United
patiently all night
hands in the air.
to hear the band.
The band played K i n g d o m m o r e
Luckily, the two
a total of 13 songs, than a year ago,
bands before them
including “Fire it and on Halloween
pumped up the
Up,” “Light up the n i g h t m a d e i t s
crowd and got them
Sky,” and “Born way to theaters in
ready for TFK.
this Way.” They the United States,
The Canadian
ended the night including Premier
Christian rock
with three encore Cinema in the South
band was formed
songs, which drove Plains Mall.
Based on the
in 1995. They
the fans crazy with
have released six
excitement. TFK’s book written by Joe
albums, along with
set had so much Hill, the movie is
one live album and
energy and did not a peculiar one that
two mix albums.
rest once the entire will surprise you
At first, he’s not sure how
Trevor McNevan,
time they were on with how good it
turns out to be.
to take this. These secrets
lead singer of the
stage.
P a r r i s h ’s g i r l f r i e n d , aren’t ones that he ever wants
band, started the
Fans were
Lead
singer
Trevor
McNevan
and
his
Merin
Williams, was brutally to know.
group when he
dressed from
But as the days go on and
was 17. The band’s band Thousand Foot Krutch, perform in
head to toe with murdered, and he is the prime
music and lyrics are Lubbock at Jake’s Backroom on Nov. 9.
m e r c h a n d i s e , suspect, although there is more secrets are being spilled,
based off of their SKYLAR HERNANDEZ/PLAINSMAN
showing the love little evidence to prove that he Ig decides that he wants to
see how much information
faith and beliefs.
they have for the might have done it.
PRESS
A l m o s t a y e a r l a t e r, he can learn. Now Ig is on a
The band is
band.
known for their heat
Lubbock was something strange is in the mission to find out what really
happened to Merin the night
and energy in their music. a new album titled “The End the tour’s last stop in the works.
Parrish, played by Daniel she was killed.
They have been featured in is Where we Began.” TFK has United States, and they ended
As Ig looks deeper into
sports promos, commercials come a long ways since then.
with a boom. Fans went home Radcliffe, wakes up one
and film trailers, playing on
The band is now on their with nothing but smiles, and morning after spending the the people around him, what
ESPN, WWE, and during ‘ B o r n T h i s Wa y ” t o u r, their hearts still filled with night before in a drunken haze. he never expected was to be
When he awakens, he feels betrayed by the people he
NASCAR races. They are promoting their newest album excitement.
pressure next to his temples, thought he knew.
really big on getting people “OXYGEN:INHALE.” The
only to find out that he has
The horns growing on top
pumped up.
band was more than excited
horns
growing
out
of
the
side
of Ig’s head are much more
In addition to McNevan, the to perform their new songs at
of his head.
significant than most might
band features: Neil Sanderson the event.
shernandez2472@students.
That’s not something that think. This movie has an
o n d r u m s ; Ty D i e t z l e r,
T h e s h o w b e g a n w i t h southplainscollege.edu
Thousand Foot Krutch performs
for eager fans on final tour stop
the taste of blood remains (of
blood remains). Cold, empty
mattresses and falling stars,
my, how they start to look the
same…Slow conversations
with the gun mean more than
I’ve ever said to anyone,
anyone…” The emotional
song brought some fans to
tears as they swayed to the
hypnotic strums of the song
and the clear vocals of lead
vocalist/guitarist Vic Fuentes.
Before the band ended their
set, they called a lucky fan up
on stage to sing along to one
of their singles, “Bulletproof
Love,” sending the crowd into
madness.
As Pierce the Veil exited
the stage, fans in the crowd
begged them for an encore,
which they gladly received.
Upon arriving back on
stage, the intro to their song
that just recently went gold,
“King for a Day,” began to
play. And, to no one’s surprise,
Quinn came back on stage to
lend guest vocals to the band,
causing mosh pits to erupt
everywhere.
Even after the show, the
energy of the crowd was still
high. Fans who were drenched
in sweat raced to the exits to
cool off in the cold November
air as small girls dismounted
the shoulders of their tall
friends. Many dedicated fans
even tried to stay behind, just
hoping that the band would
come back out to play one
more song. But, unfortunately,
the show had come to an end.
The performances of all four
acts were a success sending
home exhausted fans covered
in confetti.
mperez2143@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Book adaptation ‘Horns’ creates peculiar storyline, intrigues audiences
essence of biblical value that is
underlying, yet almost in your
face. It is a beautiful concept
of true love and injustices
made by society. It is a prime
example of how sometimes
the system tries to just pin a
tragedy such as murder on
the first suspect to be found,
without looking deeper into
the truth.
This movie has complex
characters that will reel you in
until you are obsessed. If you
see the movie before reading
the book, this movie will
influence you to read the book.
Although there are distinct
differences between the movie
and the book, that does not
mean that they are not both
equally good in their own
way. But I would say that
the movie always does the
book justice. Then again, it
is written by Hill, and he is
Stephen King’s son. So can the
movie adaptation really ever
do his work justice?
That is ultimately up to the
viewer. If you like thrillers that
keep you thinking, then you
will like this movie.
This movie is a pretty
awesome movie, one worth
seeing, that is for sure.
This adaptation is much
more different from the book
than probably most readers
would like.
But overall, it is a fairly
unique concept with lots of
actors who meld well together
to create a wonderful story.
I give this movie 4 out of
5 stars.
cwelborn6538@students.
southplainscollege.edu
20
ENTERTAINMENT
November 24, 2014
Plainsman Press
‘Freakshow’ intrigues audiences with twisted, insidious plot
by MEGAN PEREZ
Entertainment Editor
As a young girl, I used to
dream of running away with
the circus, joining the freak
show as a contortionist and
living life in the spotlight.
Even now, I still consider
it as a career when my major
stresses me out. But the circus
life isn’t all fun and games, or
balloons and cotton candy.
FX proudly presented the
fourth season of the popular
horror anthology, “American
Horror Story” on Oct. 8. This
season, the setting takes place
in Jupiter, Florida, following
the story of one of the last
remaining freak shows in
America and its struggle to
stay in business.
Only four episodes have
currently been released, but
all have lived up to the hype
and anticipation of this season.
The first episode is centered
around conjoined twin sisters,
Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah
Paulson). A milkman who
enters their country home after
noticing that several bottles of
milk have spoiled on the front
porch discovers the twins. He
also discovers the body of
their mother, who has been
brutally murdered. News of
the twins’ discovery spreads,
leading Elsa Mars (Jessica
Lange), a local carnival freak
show owner, to visit them in
the hospital. She attempts to
try to persuade the twins to
join her freak show. One twin,
Dot, is absolutely appalled by
Mars’ offer, while Bette, with
eyes sparkling and an eager
smile, agrees.
After much consideration,
both of the twins are on board
to join Elsa’s troupe, realizing
that without Elsa there will be
no one to look after them.
When the twins arrive
at Elsa’s camp, just on the
outskirts of Jupiter, they meet
the rest of the freaks, which
include Jimmy Darling, played
by Evan Peters, a flirtatious
young man with syndactyly,
who earns some extra money
by pleasuring local women
with his abnormally long and
fused fingers, and his mother,
Ethel Darling, the bearded
woman, played by Kathy
Bates.
As the twins begin to settle
in to their new home, they
can’t escape their past. A
detective discovers where
the twins have been “hiding”
and attempts to apprehend
them for the murder of their
mother. Jimmy puts a stop to
the detective, and in a crime
of passion, he murders him.
Jimmy claims that he couldn’t
let the detective take away the
headliners of the show, and the
new members of their family.
Leading the rest of the
troupe out into a clearing,
Jimmy leads his “family” into
hacking the
corpse apart.
While the
freak show
is preparing
for their
upcoming
d e b u t ,
something
sinister is
occurring
in the town
o f J u p i t e r.
Twisty (John
Carroll
Ly n c h ) , a
deformed
killer clown,
has targeted
his next
victim. After
terrorizing a
young couple
having a
picnic and
murdering
t
h
e
boyfriend,
Twisty holds
the girl
hostage in an
abandoned
bus in the
middle of
the woods.
Continuing
on his silent
rampage,
the clown
massacres a
young boy’s
parents and
keeps their
son hostage. Twisty then
decides to go lurking around
the freak show’s campgrounds,
going unnoticed.
After preparing and
rehearsing, Elsa’s Cabinet
of Curiosities puts on their
first performance for only two
audience members. Gloria
Mott (Frances Conroy) and her
son, Dandy, (Finn Wittrock)
have purchased every seat
in the house for that night’s
performance. After the show
has come to an end, Dandy and
his mother bargain with Elsa to
buy the newly acquired twins
from her for $15,000. The twins
refuse, telling the buyers that
their home is with Elsa and the
rest of the troupe, infuriating
Dandy.
After the show, Elsa reveals
to Ethel that she brought the
twins aboard to gain more
attention for the show and
boost her own fame. It is also
revealed during the season that
Elsa is an amputee, legless
beyond the knees.
Soon after the disappearance
of the detective, police
investigators arrive to look into
the case and to inform Elsa of
a curfew in place for the town
of Jupiter, following the string
of mysterious murders.
Meanwhile, a new couple
arrives at the campgrounds.
Strongman, Dell Toledo
have come to ask Elsa for a
job. She reluctantly agrees,
(Michael Chiklis), and his wife
Desiree, (Angela Bassett), a
three-breasted hermaphrodite,
making Dell head of security.
She soon realizes her mistake
once Dell goes against her
orders and schedules a matinee
because of the curfew, attacks
and beats Jimmy,
and frames Meep,
a “freak” who can
bite the heads off
of small animals,
for the murder
of the missing
detective. Meep
is apprehended
by police before
being beaten
and murdered by
inmates in a prison
cell. His small body
is dumped back at
the freak show,
where the troupe
gathers around to
mourn the death
of innocent, little
Meep.
To everyone’s
surprise, Dandy
returns to the
carnival to ask
Jimmy for a job,
explaining to him
that he has always
wanted to perform
on stage and be
in the spotlight.
Jimmy scolds
Dandy, telling him
to be grateful for
the life he has and
then sends him on
his way, disgusted
by the young man.
On his way
home, Dandy falls
into a fit of rage and
repeatedly bangs
his head against the
steering wheel of his car,
showing the audience that
there is something wrong
and twisted with the spoiled
young man. Upon arriving
home, Dandy discovers that
his mother has hired a clown
to cheer Dandy up. This clown
is none other than Twisty,
the serial killer. Dandy is
somewhat delighted and takes
the clown up to his playroom,
where he waits for the clown
to entertain him. As Twisty
is looking for something to
amuse Dandy with, Dandy
takes a peek into the clown’s
bag, discovering something
absurd and vile. Twisty storms
off after bludgeoning Dandy
and leaving him unconscious.
Soon, Dandy comes to and
begins to search for Twisty,
seemingly interested in the
clown’s whereabouts. He
follows him back to his bus
where Twisty is holding his
two captives. One of them
escapes and looks to Dandy
for help, but the twisted young
man scoops up the girl and
returns her back to the clown.
I definitely won’t spoil
the rest of the episodes for
anyone who’s hoping to
start the season soon, but
this season’s miniseries is
definitely a promising one,
with a quick start and many
unsolved mysteries, leaving
you begging to know what
will happen next. I’m eager
to have more of my questions
answered and anxious to keep
following the story of Elsa
Mars’ Cabinet of Curiosities.
mperez2143@students.
southplainscollege.edu
‘Supernatural’ presents original storyline, relatable characters
by CAITLIN WELBORN
Feature Editor
Saving people. Hunting
things. The family business.
For those of you who
immediately knew what show
I was talking about, good for
you. For those who didn’t,
you’re missing out.
“Supernatural” is one of
those shows that makes you
watch an episode because
it was showing a scene that
immediately peaked your
interest. But you won’t be able
to stop at just one episode.
I’ve been following this
show since it began, and it
has become one of those
shows that is close to my
heart.
Now in its 10th season,
“Supernatural” hasn’t lost
its touch. Although the story
has been altered drastically
since season one, that is
to be expected. Over time,
the characters in the show
(or any show for that
matter) change and grow to
sometimes become completely
different characters than how
they may have started out.
The series starts out with
Sam Winchester, who is going
to college for law school. After
taking his LSAT exam, Sam’s
older brother, Dean, pops up
out of nowhere asking for
Sam’s help.
Dean tells Sam that their
dad hasn’t been home from a
hunting trip in a few days, and
that Dean wants Sam’s help to
find their dad.
It’s concerning to Sam and
father of two very different
sons who are both traumatized
from their mother’s early death
only six months after Sam was
born. John is a hard man who
is obsessed with finding the
demon that killed his wife.
Through the first three seasons,
not only does the show display
John’s obsession, but it also
displayed the obsession that
he instilled in his sons.
Dean is a simple man who
loves hunting monsters and
eating pie. Dean, played by
Jensen Ackles, is probably one
Dean that their dad hasn’t
returned, because their dad
doesn’t hunt normal game.
He has a specific taste to hunt
for creatures that most of the
world thinks don’t exist.
John Winchester is the
of the most tortured characters
on this show. He deals with a
lot. He is a fighter and someone
who seems selfish at first. But
the more you get to know him,
the more you see that he has
given everything his all. He is
a man who has never felt good
enough, in his dad’s eyes.
Both boys have never felt
good enough, but John has
been permanently scarred by
the loss of his wife and what
is left is a broken man.
As the seasons go on,
characters are lost and new
ones are found. Bobby Singer
is probably one of the most
loved characters on the show.
He is more of a father to Dean
and Sam than John ever was to
them. Bobby, who never had
kids of his own and is a hunter
himself, has a jaded look on
the world. But he loves both
boys more than anyone ever
could, including themselves.
Bobby is the go-between for
everything. He constantly
saves the boys. He has spells
and remedies for not just the
boys, but for everyone who
ever asks for his help.
Each season has a slightly,
if not totally, different theme
to it that tends to throw the
audience for a loop and pull
them back in if they are losing
interest in the show, which is
almost impossible.
This show is amazing and
has lasted for 10 seasons so
far, with probably a few more
to come.
The story never seems
over. Although certain topics
get a little old at times, this
show never stops being fresh
and keeping the audience
interested.
With an original idea and
complex storyline, this show
is like no other. It has a strong
male cast with a few even
stronger women to keep them
company.
I give this show 5 out of 5
stars.
cwelborn6538@students.
southplainscollege.edu
21
ENTERTAINMENT
November 24, 2014
Plainsman Press
‘Constantine’ recovers with original storylines after disappointing start
by DORA SMITH
Opinion Editor
Comic books have been
influencing other visual media
styles heavily in recent years,
especially television and film.
The heroes and storylines,
however, can get overused and
start overlapping, becoming so
similar that story arches are
almost interchangeable.
N B C ’s n e w s e r i e s ,
“Constantine”, is offering
up stories that couldn’t be
mistaken for anything other
than the adventures of this hero
(albeit one with questionable
morals).
Based off of DC Comics’
“Hellblazer,” the series delves
into a much darker world of
demons and death.
The first episode of
the series, titled “Non Est
Asylum,” manages to avoid
the pilot slump of beginning
too slowly to keep the
attention of viewers. Instead,
it moves at a rapid-fire pace,
which is definitely not a good
thing in this instance. The plot
jumps around, moving far too
quickly through explanation
and introductions, resulting
in an episode that is rushed to
the point that it is just a jumble
of scenes and dialogue that
serve no other purpose than to
explain things to the confused
audience.
“Non Est Asylum” opens
in a mental institution where
John Constantine, who
describes himself as a “petty
dabbler” in the dark arts, a
business involving exorcisms
and magic, currently is
staying. When another patient
in the hospital shows obvious
signs of being possessed,
Constantine first tries to
resist doing anything. But
he eventually gives in with a
long-suffering annoyance that
is quite funny.
This attitude is an accurate
introduction to Constantine,
who is exceedingly sarcastic,
inappropriately crass, and
is self-described as a man
who is “all trench coat and
arrogance.” In contradiction,
he later describes himself as
“a nobody.” He is, without a
doubt, a man with conflicting
views of himself, evidenced by
the guilt that we later find out
he suffers from.
Also introduced in episode
one is a young woman named
Liv, who might
actually win a
competition for
the most boring
da msel ever
portrayed on
television, with
even worse
dialogue.
Constantine
f e e l s
responsible for
protecting her
for the sake
of settling a
debt with her
late father. He
accomplishes
this, keeping
her safe from
a
demon
who controls
the dead. In
the end, he
offers the woman a chance to
accompany him, but she flees.
Episode two is better to the
point that it almost seems like
a different show. The story,
involving mines, demons, and
a sympathetic abuse victim
who raises a dilemma of
ethics in the end, is drawn
out to a good length and
is much more interesting.
(Worth noting to those who
like their heroes with a strong
funny bone is a scene in
which Constantine brings a
TV dinner, of all things, as
an offering at a wake.) The
dialogue is less contrived,
and the audience is introduced
to another young woman
named Zed. The character
of Zed is teased at the end
of episode one, showing her
obsessively sketching pictures
of Constantine that are later
explained as having come to
her in visions.
up being John’s savior in the
episode, rescuing him from a
pickup that is being filled with
oil under the influence of a
demon. This is a far cry from
Liv, who needed her hand held
constantly to keep calm and
not die. When Constantine
tries to discourage Zed with his
cliché “I work alone” speech,
her eye-rolling can almost be
heard. She’s not buying it, and
she isn’t leaving.
The homicidal influence of
a decades-old, haunted record
is the subject of episode three.
When warned against it, a
record producer, of course,
immediately listens to the
record. As expected, this goes
She is almost the
complete opposite of Liv.
Zed is insistent, independent,
and refuses to take “no”
for an answer. Even when
Constantine tries to give her
the slip, she follows. She ends
remarkably horribly wrong
when he begins freezing and
ultimately stabs himself. This
episode allows for a really
disturbing, but horrifically
awesome scene involving
thrashing corpses in body
bags, one of the better scenes
I’ve seen in horror television in
months. Again, in this episode,
Zed comes to Constantine’s
rescue, an amusing, cool, role
reversal in which it seems
Constantine is developing a
pattern of being Zed’s damsel.
Without spoiling too much,
a character named Papa
Midnite also is introduced.
By the end of the episode, it
seems like his sights are set on
Constantine, with him being
the subject of a bit of voodoo
magic.
In episode four (which
is an adaptation of what is
actually the first story in
the “Hellblazer” series),
Constantine
is sought out
by an old
friend who
was with him
at the time of
a particularly
b r u t a l ,
traumatic
incident that
is constantly
brought up
in the series.
Constantine
initially shows
absolutely no
sympathy
for his drug
addict friend,
explaining
to Zed that
his life is a
waste, and
that there’s no
hope for him. Zed, who is
quickly becoming a moral
balance for Constantine,
responds with her assessment
that “no one is hopeless.”
Though Constantine seems
to come around, there is
manipulation and conflicting
emotions in abundance in this
episode, ending with a climax
that he was not prepared for.
This series could be easily
dismissed by its first episode,
which was a complete mess
apart from beginning to
explain Constantine’s nature.
As the story has progressed,
monumental improvements
have been made. There are
a few turn-offs, such as
Constantine’s occasional
belittling of Zed, and his
annoying amount of selfloathing (though he does
deserve a portion of it), and
the sometimes cliché nature of
the supernatural.
However, the show makes
up for it. Zed and Constantine
are interesting characters, and
Zed especially is a breath of
fresh air and a break from
the tiring damsel trope that
seems to haunt comic book
movies/television shows.
Constantine’s humor is a huge
part of his appeal, though it can
be disturbingly sociopathic at
times. Some of the stories have
been actually frightening, and
underneath the circus of the
supernatural lies the moral
dilemmas and study of the
world around us that makes
this type of show so appealing.
Fans of the supernatural
genre, the horror genre, and
the various interpretations of
comic books might enjoy this
show, which seems to grow
better with every episode. I
give “Constantine” 3 out of
5 stars.
dsmith9720@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Creative storyline, expansive world make ‘Ready Player One’ great read
by JOSH HAMILTON
Online Editor
Everyone enjoys a good trip
down nostalgia lane.
Earnest Cline’s Sci-Fi
adventure book, “Ready
Player One,” is that and more.
It’s the year 2044, and
the world has changed. The
economy has been crippled,
and the world is in the midst
of the biggest energy crisis it
has faced. In order to conserve
space and energy, the slums
of major cities have become
‘stacks,’ modules of trailers
that are stacked on top of one
another, literally making a highrise trailer park. Unfortunately,
this has become the living
situation for the majority of the
population.
There isn’t much hope for
a better life. The job market is
shot, with a two-year waiting
list for fast-food jobs; money is
hard to come by. It is in this dire
situation that one man brought
an escape to the masses: Oasis.
Oasis was created by the
mad genius, James Halliday. It
is an immersive virtual reality
machine that uses haptic
gloves (gloves that simulate
touch) and a high-resolution
visor to help people forget
their surroundings. Halliday
introduced the Oasis 10 years
prior to the opening of the
book.
Unbeknownst to the world
Halliday had fallen ill and
eventually passed away.
This is when Wade Watts is
introduced. From his point of
view, he regales readers with
the story of Halliday and the
Oasis. When Halliday died he
issued a video will to all the
users of Oasis. In Halliday’s
will, a set of conditions are laid
out. If anyone finds all of the
Easter eggs described in the
will, then he or
she will inherit
Halliday’s vast
fortune, worth
more than $200
billion, and
the controlling
stake in his
billion-dollar
company.
T h i s
invitation
is wrought
with ‘80s
memorabilia
and references.
The terms are
these: there
are three keys
that open three
gates. Whoever
finds and opens
all the gates
wins; a simple
p r e m i s e ,
infinitely more
complicated
in execution.
The keys and
gates are hidden
inside the vast
virtual reality
world of the
Oasis.
The competition spurs
the world into a frenzy. The
‘80s are back in style. From
fashion to movies, the world is
entranced in that bygone era of
Molly Ringwald movies, stone
wash jeans, feathered hair and
leg warmers.
Watts, a teen computer
wiz, is a resident of the
stacks outside of Oklahoma
City. He is enthralled by
the invitation and quickly
becomes an obsessed follower
of everything Halliday.
Cline dug deep into ‘80s
culture to write this book. If
you happened to live through
the ‘80s, then you will be taken
on a whirlwind trip down
memory lane as he enthralls his
audience with obscure cultural
references and wonderfully
crafted storylines.
The meat of the story
happens five years after
Halliday dies, and Watts is
immersed in the Oasis. He
attends school, has all of his
meaningful relationships,
and basically lives his life
inside of the Oasis. In the five
intervening years between
Halliday’s death and where the
story opens up, the world has
lost interest in the hunt for the
Easter eggs. Except, of course,
for the hardcore egg hunters,
dubbed “Gunters.”
The “Gunters” are obsessed
with finding the Easter eggs.
They play all the video games
that Halliday played, watch
all of his favorite movies, and
listen to ‘80s music. For all
intents and purposes, they live
in the ‘80s.
Cline crafted such a large
story universe that it is nearly
impossible to describe it
without giving away the story.
His dedication to the book and
getting his ‘80s trivia correct is
apparent on every page.
The story moves quickly. It
is easy to get lost in the book
as you are reading the firstperson account of Watts and
his friends, Aech (pronounced
“H”) and Art3mis (pronounced
Artemis) and their search for
the Easter eggs.
The main antagonist is
personified by Nolan Sorrento,
the CEO of Innovative Online
Industries, an evil corporation
that is in search of the eggs to
take over the Oasis.
The story spans a huge
multi-world universe inside of
the Oasis. “Ready Player One”
is a story of love, friendship,
intrigue, and fierce battles that
would make Tolkein proud.
If you don’t feel like
sitting down to read it, there
is an audiobook, narrated by
Wil Wheaton of “Star Trek”
fame. He does an excellent
job of giving life to Cline’s
characters.
“Ready Player One” is
quickly becoming one of my
favorite reads. I give it 5 out
of 5 stars.
jhamilton4346@students.
southplainscollege.edu
SPORTS
22
November 24, 2014
Plainsman Press
Roller Dollz have dominating performance in final bout
by ZACH
HOLLINGSWORTH
Associate Editor
For the final time in 2014,
the Lubbock Civic Center was
filled with fans of the West
Texas Roller Dollz.
As usual, the crowd consisted of a mixture of drinking
fans, cheering families, unsure
newcomers and, for the first
time, a series of cowbells.
Sponsored by a variety of
local businesses, with Bikers
Against Child Abuse (BACA)
in attendance at their own
booth, the final bout of the
season was anticipated to be a
tough matchup.
The El Paso TexPistols, of
El Paso, Texas, is a team long
thought to be comparable to
the Dollz, at least as far as jamming is concerned. Indeed, if
this bout was anything to go by,
the jammers for the TexPistols,
in particular Rie “Secret Asian
Slam” Romero, and Dolores
“Atomic Fireball” Rodriguez,
were on equal footing with
the Dollz’ Chrystal “Dream
E. RaceHer” McCullar, LaKendra “Bam Bam Block Her”
White, Angie “Shadow Smith”
Smith, Leila “Iron Fist Ghost”
Forouhi, Kyleigh “Sour Patch”
Knight, and Tristan “ScaryGo-Round” Murphy.
It was in the blocking game,
however, where the disparity
five, she called off the jam.
During jam 2, McCullar
faced off with the Tex Pistol’s
Meghan “Punky Jukester”
points. However, when Murphy was also sent to the box,
this gave the returning Salcido
the chance to power jam for
Above and right, West Texas Roller Dollz’ Tristan
“Scary Go-Round” Murphy skates against the El Paso
TexPistols at a bout at the Lubbock Memorial Civic
Center on Nov. 15.
Smith As Usual, McCullar broke through, scoring
four, while Smith also broke
through. However, she only
had the chance to score one
point, as McCullar called the
jam off immediately after her
scoring.
This set a precedent for the
a few precious seconds.
She scored four, while, for
the first time, the clock on
the jam was allowed to run
down to time.
For the remainder of
the first period, the Dollz,
thanks to some smooth jamming and a weak El Paso
West Texas Roller Dollz’ Chrystal “Dream E. RaceHer” McCullar, right, high-fives her
teammates after a WTRD victory. ALLISON TERRY/PLAINSMAN PRESS
in skill was clear, as the bout
bore out. The TexPistols, however, did not go quietly.
The bout began like any
other from the rest of the season. The Dollz took their positions, with Murphy being the
first jammer. The other Dollztook a “Tornado” formation,
or a two-man wall with a
backwards blocker in the front,
supporting the wall, and an
extra blocker whose job it is
to tire or knock the opposing
teams. Murphy quickly swept
through the packs, becoming
lead jammer. After scoring
rest of the bout, as the Dollz
implemented a strategy of
“nickel and diming it,” or calling off the jam each time they
had lead jammer. This kept the
TexPistols from being able to
score, and it proved to be an
effective strategy.
The jams went on in the
usual fashion, with the Dollz
steadily stacking points. Jam 4
saw two different power jams.
Marlene “McLov’n” Salcido,
who was jamming for the
TexPistols, was called to the
penalty box early on, allowing Murphy to rack up nine
defense, scored more than
150 points to the TexPistol’s
19. Despite the weakness of
the TexPistol’s walls, especially on the inside, there was
a lot of heavy hitting going
on. Jammers from each team
were knocked out, down, and
around for the entirety of the
first period. Jam 24, immediately before half time, featured
the hardest hitting.
White and Smith were jamming during this bout. White
quickly became lead jammer,
while members of her team
and the opponent’s were fall-
ing all around. Smith struggled
to get around the Dollz’ wall,
and found nothing but frustration. She was repeatedly
knocked
to the
ground
by Murp h y ,
who was
backwards
blocking
during
t h i s
bout.
A s
the bout
w e n t
into half
time, the
named on El Paso’s team.
As the second period began,
it was quickly obvious that this
was a bout of domination, at
least as far as points go. Interestingly, this was also a fairly
evenly matched bout, in the
end, based on one factor: the
ferocity of each team. This was
one of the more violent bouts,
with the sounds of skidding
skates and players hitting the
ground. The bout did come to
a stop for one skater early on
in the second period, but not
from any kind of hit.
During jam 7, Salcido fell to
the track, and didn’t get up. As
the music stopped, the crowd
died down, and the skaters of
both teams took a knee. The
(Dollz: Blocker-Murphy, Jammer-White. TexPistols: Blocker- Salcido, Jammer- Romero),
Murphy, who is also the captain for the Dollz, spoke with
the Plainsman Press in a brief
interview, discussing the bout,
the season, and the possibility
of a professional roller derby
league.
“I feel like the game went
really well tonight,” said Murphy, holding the MVP “candle”
in one hand. “Roller Derby is a
sport that is constantly evolving. It is the most strategic
sport ever played. If you don’t
play with strategy, you’re not
going to win…I feel like this
year our strategy has been
better and more effective than
it has ever been.”
Murphy acknowledged that, while
the Dollz did have a
blowout against the
TexPistols, she said
it felt “much more
competitive,” especially to the fans. The
amount of hits and
the aggression each
team displayed was
much higher than
normal. And those
kinds of bouts are just
fine by Murphy.
“I love the
hard-hitting bouts,”
said Murphy. “It feels
a lot more like old
derby, where…you
get out there, and you
have to be aggressive.
You have to constantly be thinking about
what’s going on strategically.”
For the next seascore was 156-19, with the medical team came out to take son, which begins in March,
Dollz having the clear ad- a look. She had not been hit Murphy said that she and the
vantage. By this point, it was particularly hard, but was hav- rest of the Dollz will be playobvious that the TexPistols’ ing a hard time with the pace ing a lot of tournaments and
defensive wall was weak at of the game, endurance-wise. away bouts, in a bid to increase
best. Time and again, the After a few minutes, she was their rankings in the WFTDA
jammers from the Dollz back on her skates, and head- (Women’s Flat Track Derby
swept past their defense, ing toward her team’s box. Association).
usually on the inside. There Derby waits for no woman.
There has been some interest shown in
transforming
roller derby into
a professional
sport. While, on
the surface, this
may seem like
a good thing,
though Murphy
said she has
“mixed feelings
about it.” For
now, before any
“big wigs” get
their hands on
derby and turn
it into a money-making machine, Murphy
wants it to stay
s k a t e r- o w n e d
and operated.
“I think everybody has
this dream of
playing derby
professionally,”
said Murphy.
“But I think that
it would change
the culture of the
game. I think
anytime you doAbove, West Texas Roller Dollz’ Angie “Shadow Smith” Smith,
ing something out
13, and Leila “Iron Fist Ghost” Forougi, 99, block El Paso
of obligation, even
Tex-Pistols’ Rie “Secret Asian Slam” Romero. Left, West Texas if you’re getting
Roller Dollz’ Chrystal “Dream E. RaceHer” McCullar, 11, skates paid to do it, you
through a hole in El Paso Tex-Pistols’ defensive wall created by tend to lose that
teammate LaKendra “Bam Bam BlockHer” White, 143.
fire. (It would be)
politics rather than
was often the appearThe remainder of the sec- who is the most athletically
ance that there was in- ond period was similar to the skilled at this game.”
deed no wall from El first, with high scoring from
Paso, whereas their jam- the Dollz and heavy hits all
mers were repeatedly around. The final, official
blocked by the wall of score was WTRD 305, Texthe Dollz. There were Pistols 46.
only a few instances
At the end, after the MVPs zhollingswor7184@students.
when a lead jammer was for each team were announced southplainscollege.edu
23
SPORTS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Texans win two at home, suffer close loss on road
against sixth-ranked Indian
Hills Nov. 15 in a rematch of
last year’s Final 8 game in the
National Tournament.
SPC got off to a running
start in the first half and took a
60-38 lead to the locker room
at intermission. However, the
Warriors had only lost one
left on the clock, slipping past
the Texans, 99-98.
Once again, six Texans
The South Plains College
scored
in double figures, led
men’s basketball team looks
by
Spight
with 22 points.
to be starting the season off
Also scoring in double figstrong after the opening weeks
ures
for SPC were Birt with
of play.
17,
Jones
with 16, Neel with
The Texans travelled to
13
points,
and Omogbo and
Ottumwa, Iowa,
Deonte Hearns
to participate in
with 11 points
the Bowling RV
each.
Classic, hosted
The Texans
by sixth-ranked
hosted the TexIndian Hills
an Classic and
Community
dominated both
College.
opponents they
SPC squared
faced. The conoff against then
test on Nov. 7
3-1 Marshallagainst Coastal
town on Nov.
Bend College
14.
was the first
Freshman
home game
forward Marof the season,
lon Jones led
and the Texans
the Texans in
showed exactly
the 94-85 victowhy they were
ry, with a douranked No. 3 in
ble-double of 30
the NJCAA.
points and 10
Birt led the
rebounds.
way
for SPC
After an
with
17
points,
evenly-matched
as
the
Texans
first half, the
cruised to their
Te x a n s w e n t
second victointo halftime
ry of the seatrailing by one.
son, defeating
Coming out in
Coastal Bend,
the second half,
S P C j u m p e d South Plains College men’s basketball tips off against 69-49. The vicout to an early Wayland Baptist University’s junior varsity team on in tory moved the
lead and con- Levelland on Nov. 8. DEVIN REYNA/PLAINSMAN Texans to 2-1
on the season.
tributed to batPRESS
Both teams
tle until coming
got
off to a slopout on top.
home
game
in
the
past
four
py
start
that
included
multiple
SPC finished the game with
six players in double figures. years, so the Texans knew fouls and turnovers by each
Sophomore Emmanuel Omog- they weren’t going to lay down team. The Texans led by as
many as 11 during the first
bo led the way with 15 points. easy.
The
game
came
down
to
half, but the Cougars cut the
Also scoring in double figures
were Andre Spight with 13, the final 1.8 seconds when lead down to seven before the
Brandon Neel with 11, and Pat Indian Hills had the ball out half. SPC headed to the locker
of bounds under their basket, room with a 26-19 lead.
Birt with 10 points.
The Texans came out with
The Texans matched up and then scored with no time
by BRITTANY BROWN
Sports Editor
some fire under them to start
the second half, quickly going
on an 8-2 scoring run, sparked
points in the victory. SPC led
by as many as 27, but would
settle for the 20-point win.
South Plains College’s Deonte Hearns slam-dunks
against Costal Bend College in Levelland on Nov. 7.
DEVIN REYNA/PLAINSMAN PRESS
by a three-point play from Andre Horne. The Texans would
not look back, as Spight came
off the bench to hit four consecutive 3-pointers, finishing
the game with 15 points. Pedro
Konofino also chipped in 10
SPC returned to the Dome
on Nov. 8 and were set to
play Mesa College. But after
a last-minute cancellation,
the Texans faced off against
Wayland Baptist University’s
junior varsity squad.
by JOSH RAMIREZ
Editorial Assistant
and were the only two Lady
Texans to score in double digits. Courtney Randle chipped
in nine points in the game.
As a team, the Lady Texans
The Texans opened the
game with the same momentum they ended the game with
against Coastal Bend the night
before.
SPC had five players score
in double figures. David Kadiri
had a game-high 32 points
and 17 rebounds to lead the
Texans, while Horne and Neel
pitched in 24 and 23 points,
respectively. Birt tossed in 11
points, while Lincoln Davis
was close behind with 10.
The Texans got off to a
quick start against WBU,
jumping out and going on a
16-2 run in the early minutes
of the first half. SPC built up a
49-point lead that they would
take into halftime.
Not much changed with
the start of the second half.
The Texans hit their first six
shots, including four consecutive 3-pointers from Neel and
Horne, and a couple of dunks
from Kadiri.
With the 125-47 victory,
the Texans moved to 3-1 on
the season.
The Texans were to host
the Texans Classic on Nov.
21- Nov. 22. Teams participating in the event were Seward
Community College and Collin County.
Results were not available
at press time.
bbrown8223@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Lady Texans struggle in consecutive games
The South Plains College
women’s basketball team was
looking to string together some
victories after a tough start to
the season.
The Lady Texans traveled
to Liberal, Kansas on Nov.
14 to face 20th-ranked Seward
County Community College in
their first game at the Billy’s/
Days Inn Classic tournament.
The Lady Texans fell to
Seward County CC 84-56,
leaving them with a 1-2 record
to begin the season.
Victoria Lopez, who played
32 minutes, went 4-for-10
from the field, including
three 3-pointers, and Paris
Townsend, who played 31
minutes, hit five of her 11 shots
from the field, making two
3-point shots. Both women led
the team in scoring, finishing
the game with 12 points each,
shot 35.6 percent from the
field, including 9-for-25 shots
from beyond the arc.
The woes continued as the
Lady Texans turned the ball
over 27 times, and were only
able to get six steals.
The Lady Texans had the
chance to put a positive spin
on the weekend the following day when they played
second-ranked Hutchinson
Community College. But they
dropped a 74-36
decision instead,
with their record
falling to 1-3 on
the season.
Regina Scott
and Townsend
finished with
eight points each
for SPC.
The Lady
Texans finished
the game with
24.2 percent
shooting from
the field, and
only shot two
free throws in
the game, failing
to capitalize on
either.
The Lady
Te x a n s w e r e
back in action
Nov. 21-22 when
they traveled to
Snyder to take
on Temple College and Southwest Texas
Junior College. Results were
not available at press time.
jramirez5196@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Top, Johnesha Major, and above, Courtney Randle, left,
and Major practice for upcoming games in the Texan
Dome on the Levelland campus on Nov. 19.
CYNDI SIKES/PLAINSMAN PRESS
24
SPORTS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
Cross country teams give strong effort at NJCAA Championship
by JOSHUA RAMIREZ
Editorial Assistant
The South Plains College
men’s and women’s cross
country teams put their best
feet forward with their performances at the NJCAA Cross
Country Championship.
The championship meet
was held on Nov. 8 at the
Shadow Hills Golf Course in
Lubbock.
Antibahs Kibiwott, who
had finished first overall in
his last three meets, fell short
of his usual mark, coming in
second overall with a time of
24:25, seven seconds behind
Central Arizona’s Harry Mulenga.
The next Texan runners to
cross the finish line were Jose
Martinez and Hassan Abdi,
finishing in 25:08 and 25:19,
respectively, while placing 10th
and 11th.
The next SPC runner to
finish was Kelvin Keter, who
completed the 8,000-meter
course in 25:47, finishing 21st.
The last runner to score for the
Texans was Colton Hollis, who
crossed the finish line in 26:04
and came in 27th overall.
The Texans, who came into
the meet ranked first in the
nation, finished third overall
as a team, at the NJCAA championship with a final score of
71 points.
SPC Texans finished just
nine points behind Iowa Central Community College, with
two runners placing in the top
five and finishing first with a
team score of 62 points.
Central Arizona lead by
Mulenga,placed second with
a team score of 68 points,
beating the Texans by a slim
three-point margin.
With a third-place finish,
the Texans fell short of their
expected mark, but Coach
Frank Barker says he couldn’t
ask any more from his team.
“I told them, if you guys go
Photos courtesy of Wes Underwood/College Relations
out there and give it all, then
I can live with that,” Baker
explained, “and if we get third,
then that’s great. If you come
up and tell me you felt like
you had more, I won’t be too
happy.”
Barker went on to say the
men gave everything they had
during the championship race.
“The kids laid it all out on
the line,” he added. “Every one
of those guys were collapsed
when they came through the
line. They just did a fantastic
job. They gave everything
they had.”
The Lady Texans, who
came into the NJCAA championship ranked 10 th in the
nation, had their best finish of
the day come from freshman
runner Victoria Salvadores,
who traversed the 5,000-meter
course with a time of 18:20,
giving her 10th place overall.
The next runners to finish
for SPC were fellow freshmen Kassidi Jones and Lyndi
Hanson. With times of 19:03
and 19:06, respectively, they
finished 32nd and 35th overall.
The final two scorers for the
women were J’Cee Holmes,
who posted a time of 19:16,
and finished 41st overall,
and Kaitlyn Henderson, who had a time of
22:08, finishing 212th
overall.
The women finished
ninth at the NJCAA
championship meet
with a team score of
285.
El Paso Community
College placed first in
the women’s team scoring, with three runners
in the top 10 and posting a team score of 64
points. The next closest
competitor, Central Arizona, finished behind by
a staggering 46 points.
Barker says there is
no question of how hard
his team has worked this
season.
“Every girl, across
the board, had a person-
al best for the season,”
said Barker. “My sophomores, one of the two
of them had a personal
best, all time,” Barker
said. “I can’t ask for more
than that. If a kid goes
to a big major meet like
that and they have their
personal best, you know
what they’ve done; they
gave it all.”
The Texans and Lady
Texans will compete in
their last meet of the year
on Nov. 22 when they
travel to Topeka, Kansas,
for the NJCAA Half Marathon Championship.
With all the teams
participating in the Half
Marathon, Barker said
he knows there will be
some strong competition
for the men and women.
But there are a few teams
that will be sure to give
the teams trouble.
“On the men’s side,
I would have to go with
Central Arizona as being
the one that will press
us,” Barker said. “On the
women’s side, probably
El Paso. Our women have a
good chance of winning it,
but El Paso, I think, is going
to be the team
to beat.”
In order to
prepare for the
tough competition at the Half
Marathon,
Barker says he
has his team on
a rigid training
schedule.
“I think
what’s happening is I’m not
real popular,”
Barker said.
“ Ye s t e r d a y,
we went on a
long run, and
I knew coming back from
the national
meet, running
as hard as they
did, it was going to be hard
for them. And it was hard for
them.”
Although the training has
been tough for the men and
women leading up to the last
race of the season, Barker
says he has a method to his
madness.
“They should have been
sore from the meet because of
the type of effort they gave,”
Barker explained. “Then to
come out and give them a
day’s rest, then hit a long run,
it’s hard on the body. But the
other side of that coin is this is
going to be our last real hard
training day as far as distance
goes. We’ll have a couple of
hard workouts, then load up on
the bus and be ready.”
Results of the NJCAA Half
Marathon were not available
at press time.
jramirez5196@students.
southplainscollege.edu
25
SPORTS
Plainsman Press
November 24, 2014
College football stars making final push for Heisman Trophy
by JOSHUA RAMIREZ
Editorial Assistant
It’s that time of year again,
the time when football fanatics across the country debate
the best football player in the
NCAA in an attempt to find
out who will be the recipient
of the prestigious Heisman
Trophy.
Everyone seems to have an
opinion about who should be
named the best football player
of the year when November
comes around, and I’m no
exception.
This year’s Heisman race
has already come to a head,
with three weeks still left in the
regular season. Three leaders
have proven to be amazing
athletes week in and week out,
but which one is the best after
week 10?
Dak Prescott, a junior quarterback for Mississippi State,
has had a season to remember
without a doubt, throwing for
2,521 yards, 20 TDs, and 10
interceptions up to this point.
He also has rushed for 861
yards and 11 TDs, making his
presence felt in the Heisman
watch this season.
On the other end of the
spectrum is Oregon’s junior
quarterback, Marcus Mariota,
who as accounted for 2,780
yards on 277 attempts, with a
staggering ratio of 29 TDs to
only two interceptions on the
season so far
Mariota, along with
Prescott, has proven to be a
duel threat, gaining 524 yards
and scoring eight TDs on the
ground as well.
Another possible candidate
for the Heisman trophy this
year is Alabama wide receiver
Amari Cooper, who has 1,303
yards on 87 receptions with
11TDs this season.
With the stats that each
athlete has posted, one can’t
clearly decide who is the best.
So the next logical thing to do
is look at individual performances.
Prescott struggled in the
game against Auburn, throwing two interceptions to a
single touchdown, completing
only 52 percent of his passes.
Roller derby should remain amateur sport
by ALLISON TERRY
Editor-in-Chief
vent the other team’s jammer
from escaping the pack as they
pull their own jammer free.
At first, I was elated at this
possibility of roller derby “going pro.” Who wouldn’t want
to get paid to skate? Never
mind attempting to balance
school, work, and practice. If
you were funded well enough
to play the sport, you wouldn’t
need to work, and with this
career opportunity, it would
be tempting to re-think higher
education. With all of this
freed up, more time could be
allotted to practicing at the rink
and training off-skates.
Recently, there has been
talk of beginning a professional roller derby league.
For those
who do not
know, roller derby is a
sport played
on skates,
where “blockers” and
“jammers”
compete on
a flat track.
Segments of
game time are
divided into
two-minute
or shorter periods called Photo illustration by ALLISON TERRY
“jams.” Within jams, four
But then I truly gave it some
blockers and one jammer from
thought.
each team line up on the track.
The Lubbock league’s
The blockers form a pack and
the jammers pose themselves theme is “for the skaters, by
to begin behind the pack on the skaters.” This entails the
the “jam line.” The jammers’ league running practices, fundgoal is the break through the raisers, promotional events,
pack, gaining a point for each and setting up bouts on their
opposing blocker passed. In own, for their own benefit. The
turn, blockers attempt to pre- Women’s Flat Track Roller
Derby Association (WFTDA),
the governing body for flat
track roller derby, echoes this
sentiment in a broader fashion.
WFTDA boasts the sport
is “real,” “strong,” “athletic,” and “revolutionary.” In
their mission statement, they
boast, “WFTDA promotes
and fosters the sport of women’s flat track roller derby by
facilitating the development
of athletic ability, sportswomanship, and goodwill among
member leagues.” The West
Texas Roller Dollz, the roller
derby league of Lubbock, are
proud members of WFTDA.
If professional
roller derby existed, where would
WFTDA be?
This organization would cease
to be of any importance, and
the hundreds of
American and international roller
derby leagues that
have membership in WFTDA
would essentially become little
league.
Though the
revitalization of the sport is
still new, with WFTDA being
founded in the early 2000s,
for the time being, roller derby should remain an amateur
sport, with its original grassroots beginning.
aterry8911@students.
southplainscollege.edu
Although Prescott struggled with Auburn, he had a
signature game in Mississippi
State’s victory against LSU,
when he threw for 268 yards
and two TDs on 24 attempts
finishing with a QBR of 183.8
versus a Tigers team that upset
a red hot Ole Miss.
Mariota has had what I
would say is close to a perfect
season. Not once to this point
has Mariota had a QBR of less
than 150 or completed less
than 60 percent of his passes
in a game.
He showed why he is in
the Heisman race in week
10 against a feisty Utah
team, throwing for
239 yards and three
TDs, with no interceptions in the game. Mariota
posted a top performance
while dealing with the loss
of his starting center, Hroniss
Grasu, and starting tight end,
Pharaoh Brown.
As for Cooper, the only
receiver still in the Heisman
race, he had a big game against
top-ranked Mississippi State,
with eight receptions for 88
yards and one TD.
Another signature game for
Cooper came in Alabama’s
59-0 rout of Texas A&M,
ule than Prescott and Mississippi State, facing off with
unranked Colorado and Oregon State in the weeks
to come.
While
Prescott, who took a
Mariota,
hard hit to his Heisman
Prescott,
campaign with a 25and Coo20 loss to Alabama,
per have
will still face off
had amazing
with Ole Miss in
seasons, after
one of its two last
taking in their
games of the season.
entire body
Cooper who was on
of work, I
the winning side of the
give
Mississippi State game, will
have an easier time against
Western Carolina, but will
have a tough game to end the
season when Auburn
comes to town.
Prescott and Coothe edge to Mariota over per have tougher remaining
schedules, but Mariota has
Prescott and Cooper.
Prescott has shown amazing more to lose in the last weeks
talent this season, but when of the season. If Mariota puts
stacked up against Mariota, he up a mediocre performance
looks like the first runner-up. against an unranked team,
And even though Cooper has and if Prescott and Cooper
proven he is worthy of men- can have big games against
tion with his performance in big-name opponents, it could
big games this year, his stats result in a hard fall to second
don’t jump off the page the for Mariota.
same way as the Oregon quarterback.
Mariota and Oregon have a jramirez5196@students.
much easier remaining sched- southplainscollege.edu
when he accounted for 140
yards on eight receptions and
scored two TDs.
Former WNBA star becomes Spurs coach, opens doors
retiring in August. She played
for the San Antonio Silverstars
from 2007-2014 and the New
York Liberty from 1999-2006.
Women are not incapable
of doing what men do. Some
just don’t have the motivation
or the drive to reach those high
points in life.
“Nothing in my life has re-
by BRITTANY BROWN
Sports Editor
Most people would say
convincing a grown man to
play a professional sport under a female coach would be
impossible.
Some people would laugh
at even the thought of that,
but not the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs hired Becky
Hammon as an assistant coach
in August, making her the first
full-time, paid female assistant
on an NBA coaching staff.
Hammon, a WNBA legend,
is paving the way for female
athletes and coaches who are
involved in a so-called man’s
sport. With the Spurs hiring
Hammon, I believe other
NBA general managers will
open their eyes and see that
women can do just as good of
a job as any man. Hammon’s
ally ever been easy,” Hammon
told ESPN. “I’ve always been
someone who did it uphill.”
experience and knowledge of
the game and how it should be
played makes her a perfect fit
for the position.
Most on-lookers are impressed by the fact that a
NBA team hired a female to
be a coach, but what I’m most
impressed with is what she
did to make it to this point in
her career. Hammon ranked
seventh in scoring and fourth
in assists in the WNBA before
Hammon was born in Rapid
City, S.D. where she attended
Stevens High School. After
graduating high school, Hammon went on to play college
basketball at Colorado State,
earning All-American honors.
Hammon, 37, is so much
more than the NBA’s first
female assistant coach, or the
San Antonio Silverstar great.
She is an example to young
girls and women. With hard
work and dedication, one
can be anything in a “man’s”
world.
Last year, when my 10
year-old male cousin told me
he wanted to play basketball,
I was ecstatic. But with hesitation, I only thought about
coaching his team. Because in
my mind, I knew there would
be fathers who
brought their
sons to practice,
and if they saw
me, a female, in
the gym introducing myself
as the coach,
they would have
something smart
to say. I’m sure
not a single
person would
ask me why I
felt I was more
than capable of
coaching fifth
grade boys.
Most female
athletes aspire to
be in the WNBA,
coach girls high
school sports,
or even become
trainers because
they feel that’s the only way
they can continue to be around
the sport and be taken seriously. Now
that limit has
been exceeded.
H a m mon’s success thus far
has inspired
so many others, including myself. I
applaud the
Spurs for
their decision. It will
open many
opportunities
for women who want to be
around a sport, but not necessarily play anymore.
The Spurs have continued
to be successful so far this
season, so maybe now more
women will be considered
for coaching positions at the
professional level of all sports.
bbrown8223@students.
southplainscollege.edu
26
November 24, 2014
SPOTLIGHT
Plainsman Press
Aesthetic awakening...
Urban Stage generates awareness to revitalize downtown Lubbock
by CAITLIN WELBORN
Feature Editor
Live local music, a party in
the streets, good food vendors
and more color added to the
city.
Those are ingredients for
a glimpse into the future of
what the
downt o w n
area of
L u b b o c k
could
become
through
revitalization.
This
w a s
demonstrated
recently by
Urban
Stage, a
project
involving different
departments on the Texas Tech
University campus.
This was a project to raise
awareness that maybe Lubbock could use a little more
culture.
For the first time ever, a
six-day event of culture, good
food, and live music for the
public to enjoy.
This event was hosted by
Urban Tech, College of Architecture, City of Lubbock,
Texas Tech Department of
Theater and Dance, Civic
Lubbock Inc., and Lubbock
National Bank.
Each sponsor contributed
to the idea and helped host
the event to bring awareness
to the public that downtown
Lubbock needs a more modern touch.
To add to it, the community offered to do their part in
support
of the
cause,
according to
David
Driskill.
Those
organizations
that participated
were:
H u b
Theater
group,
H u b
Performing Arts
School,
Brave
Combo, Courier Coffee Bar,
and Twist’d Texan. Others
included Klemke’s Sausage
Haus, Knights of Columbus,
Ecowater systems and Cody
Malone Landscape maintenance, Tom’s Tree Place and
Pharr and Company.
One of
the most
influential parts
of the
project
was Texas Tech’s
College
of Architecture
that hosted most
of the
events
for Urban
Stage.
Driskill, who is
the director of the
program
at Texas
Tech, says that this is a very
experimental project that has
just started. Depending on how
it is received will determine if
this event will happen again
next year.
“Really, what this is all
about is getting more cul-
ture into Lubbock,” explains
Driskill.
He approached many of his
architecture students about
wanting to
do this
project, and
they all
agreed
to help
set it
up and
build the
art that
would
be dis-
played
all week
at each
event.
Many
of the art
pieces
included
the Pocket
Park that
was most-
ly set up by
Lubbock
National Bank,
which is
expected
to be kept
year round.
But in
the middle
of Avenue
J, between
Broadway
and Main
Street,
there were
places for
people
to sit and
many interesting
abstract
pieces
were scattered about the street.
Light fixtures and plastic
balls were fused together
to create a sculpture. Also,
couches and various other
unique sculptures of every color and
shape were
displayed.
There were
plenty of places to sit for
everyone, and
mostly free
alcohol was
served to those over the age
of 21.
Driskill says that this was
just a chance to exhibit what
Lubbock
could do to
bring more
culture to
Texas Tech
and the
community
overall. He
says that it
was also a
time for everyone to
mingle and
have a good
time.
“We have
a few local shops
open that
are hoping
to at least
stay open
through
the Christmas holidays, as
well as
some
street
food for
everyone,”
s a y s
Driskill.
The
week
started
out with
B i k e
the Art
Trail.
It is an
eightm i l e
round
trip that
started
at 5:30
p.m. at
the Outdoor Pursuit Center on the
Tech campus. From there, it
made stops at Urban Tech on
Avenue J, and various places
in the Depot District.
On Oct. 30, Oktoberfest was held. The
free event was held
on Avenue J, between
Broadway and Main
Street, where every
event was to be held.
There was live music
by brave Combo and
street vendors including Knights of Columbus, and Klemke’s
Sausage Haus.
On Halloween, Urban Stage held the
Monster Dash Fun Run 6k,
which started and ended at
Urban Stage on Avenue J,
between Broadway and Main.
It was a 30-minute run, with
checkpoints along the way.
After the Fun Run, a “Thriller” video and
dance was held
for those ages
17 and younger, and another
dance was held
for 17 years of
age and older.
The next
day, there was a
Fairytale breakfast featuring
performances by
fairytale characters. Patrons
could enjoy
their breakfast
and get pictures with their
favorite fairytale characters
at the Lubbock
National Bank
Pocket Park that
was built in the
alley between
two buildings on Avenue
J, between Broadway and
Main.
On Nov. 2, there was a
Broadway and Gourmet
on Avenue J dinner, with a
performance by theThe Hub
theater group.
On the last day of the
week-long event was the
Benefit the Band, which featured a night of local bands
playing on Urban Stage.
Along with the live music by various local
bands in
Lubbock,
there were
a few local
shops that
were open
every day
of Urban
Stage. One
of the local
shops was
a unique
place that
held a lot
of art and
tried to
make the
experience as interactive as
possible.
There were pens taped on
all of the walls of the shop,
and the owner encouraged
all of the patrons entering to
write something, anything, on
the walls. This shop also sold
wine by the cup (at least they
did on the last night).
Also on the street where
Urban Stage was being held
was Giorgio’s Pizza, which
participated
in the event
by holding
a cabaret
night every
night of Urban Stage.
The show
was offered
by the Hub
theater
group, with
a different
show every
night, followed by live music.
Giorgio’s sold pizza by the
slice and by the whole pie,
so that those who wanted to
wander the exhibit could do
so while enjoying some good
local food.
Driskill said that each event
was made to be family friendly, as well as for college students to enjoy.
The project was to create
and help support more culture in Lubbock, according to
Driskill.
cwelborn6538@students.
southplainscollege.edu
PHOTOS BY ALLISON
TERRY/PLAINSMAN
PRESS