Training to deter active-shooter episodes

Vol. XLI, No. 1
The student newspaper of Midland College
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
Training to deter active-shooter episodes
Courtesy of Mywesttexas.com
Law Enforcement officers practice active-shooter tactic to protect students at Midland Freshman High
School
MC clinic offers therapies
to relieve stresses of life
By Mary Margaret Peterson
EP Editor
College students are often
stressed out and don’t seek mental
health care. “Shush” is often the
response to mental illness, but it
need not be.
“It is extremely important, it
is extremely needed and it is very
much a hush-hush (issue),” said
Chesly Herd, LCDC, ADAC Program Chair.
The media focuses on guns when
mental health is the issue in many
mass shootings and violence, Herd
said. People don’t get the help they
need, and many don’t have insurance.
Recent incidents, including this
week’s mass shooting in Washington D. C., almost desensitize
citizens to the need for personal
health care, but have brought more
awareness to it. However, Midland
College students have a campus
resource class at hand.
The MC Behavioral Health Center provides professional quality
counseling with a licensed counselor, and the services are just as
good as anywhere else you would
go, Herd said. The services are provided to the students, employees
and the community. Counseling
sessions are $10.
“We can do any kind of counseling for anything,” said Stacie
Goran, LCDC, MCBHC clinical
director.
MCBHC offers mental and substance abuse counseling as well as
relationship and marriage counseling, career counseling and support
counseling, Goran said. Support
counseling is working through a
specific issue.
“One of the goals when MCBHC
was founded was to provide integrated services, which is both
mental health and substance abuse
services if someone is experiencing both problems, so their needs
are addressed. Research shows that
if both the mental health and the
substance abuse are addressed, then
the chances of relapses are much
less,” Herd said.
The MCBHC is a component of
the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling program at MC.
“Services are offered at a discount because the second purpose
of the counseling center is to give
the ADAC students a quality environment to gain their clinical experience as required by the state,”
Herd said. “We have one licensed
counselor and she is in charge of
the counseling and the students either watch or participate if she feels
they are ready.”
The students do assessments, sit
in on sessions and are slowly eased
See Clinic, page 2
ByTroy Pardue
EP Staff Reporter
Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University, Columbine High
School, Sandy Hook Elementary.
What do they all have in common?
Besides being forever linked with
horrible tragedies as a result of
crazed gunmen, they all share the
fact that on several fateful days
no one, faculty or students, ever
imagined their lives would change
forever.
As a result of these and other
school shootings, the FBI, state
police, sheriffs and campus police
have had to adjust their training to
cover active shooter scenarios. The
term “active shooter” first appeared
in the American vernacular after
the Columbine High School tragedy in April, 1999.
Midland College realizes that it
too could become forever linked
with the aforementioned schools
and strives to protect its students
and faculty through training and
maintaining a well-trained police
department.
Recently, MC police officers
worked in conjunction with the
Midland Independent School District and other local law enforcement agencies on a mock shooter
drill which took place at Midland
High School. The goal of the active shooter scenario was to test the
agencies’ response times and improve upon those responses.
The MC police officers worked
with the Midland police and fire
departments in setting up and
maintaining a perimeter around the
high school. This coordinated drill
was the third such event that the
MC police department has participated in during the last three years.
MC’s Chief of Police Richard
McKee is working toward having a
mock shooter drill held on the MC
campus in the near future.
“I’m really pushing that now,”
McKee said. “I would like to have
an active shooter drill on campus
on a Friday during the summer
when the campus is closed. I think
it would be a great benefit to us.”
If participating in planned active
shooter drills wasn’t enough training for the MCPD officers, they
had their chance to respond to what
they thought was a real threat during the summer session. On August
7, Sul Ross University in Alpine
went on lockdown, searching for a
man suspected of having a rifle on
campus. While this was happening
in Alpine, MC distance learning
students were in the Fox Building
on the MC campus.
One of the MC students,
while watching her lecture being
streamed live from Sul Ross, heard
the announcement about the lockdown and thought the suspected
gunman was on the MC campus.
The student called the MCPD to
report the incident.
MCPD officers responded to the
Fox Building incident and locked it
down, preparing for the unknown.
The misunderstanding was straightened out and the all clear was
given.
Fortunately for all involved,
See Active Shooter, page 2
East Coast
brings delight
to students
Jacob Plunkett
Student Media Photo
Elegant box forms housing for selection of wood-crafting tools that are used by artist Benjamin Sandness.
Gallery hosts ‘Ritual Embodied’ Artists
Staff Reports
MC McCormick Gallery Director Michael Hubbard welcomed his
first art show of the academic year
last week to McCormick Gallery.
Community attendees continue
to view the eclectic collection of
work by Colby Jennings and Benjamin Sandness entitled “Ritual
Embodied.”
“The exhibit is the product of
long-distance conceptual collaboration,” Hubbard said. “Ritual as
both concept and practice serves
as the inspiration for the exhibition. Notions of rites and ritual
are addressed through critical and
creative discourse on the roles that
craft, experience, memory and gender play in their construction and
perpetuation. As is the nature of
ritual, process is crucial. The work
will invite the viewer to experience
the artists’ processes—and at times,
even interact with it.”
The exhibit, which hangs
through October 3, includes a number of works from each artist and
consists of pieces created previously as well as new work inspired
by conversation and collaboration
between the artists.
The artists also conducted a
special gallery seminar to students
of MC and Early College High
School. Photography instructor
Kent Moss hosted the artists as part
of a digital art session the MC Publications Lab.
EP Staff Reporter
Over the summer I had the privilege of taking a two-week long trip
with some of my fellow Midland
College students in which we traveled to Boston, New York City,
Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
The trip was part of the Summer
Government course offered at MC.
Government instructor Lee Almaguer has led this trip for about 15
years now. The trip began at the early hour
of 5:30 a.m. when the students met,
groggy-eyed and half asleep, at
the Midland International Airport.
From there we were flown to the
Houston airport, and then on to
our first destination, Boston, Massachusetts.
The city of Boston was gleaming
with antique architecture that most
of us had never seen. Our first full
day in the city was spent following
the historic Freedom Trail through
some of Boston’s most notable
landmarks. This included the Old
Massachusetts State House, the site
of the Boston Massacre, the Old
North Church, the house of Paul
Revere and Bunker Hill. On the
last night of our stay in Boston, a
few of the students, including myself, ate at the oldest restaurant in
America.
David Villesca, food enthusiast,
had this to say about it: “The lobster was amazing! Also, the cornbread they brought out was delicious, but the Boston Cream Pie
was really, really good! Some
See Trip, page 2
Commentary
Page 2
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
Editorial
Party now, pay later
Reckless abandonment, parties, horse masks, and lots of alcohol.
These things have now become the epitome of the “college experience”
and are glorified as a cornerstone in the lives of students. Yet, with the
average age of 18 for new collegians, how are these things so prevalent? The word around the campus is that in Midland, it is easier to get
a beer than buy a ticket to an R-rated movie. It is clear that things have
become out of balance in the judgment of need and want.
The worshipping of the party scene, rather than the journey for a
deeper education, has become the downfall of many students. On one
website dedicated to the collection of random photos, there are weekly
shrines to the aftermath of the binger: pictures of people with bottles
taped to their hands, people passed out in front of the toilet, and lots
and lots of beer pong. This is not to say that every college student is going to the local
country bar on Tuesday night to get a beer from her bartender friend.
Or those students who are drinking at their homes when the parents are
away. But if there were to be a poll on campus counting how many
students drink underage, it would be clear that this is not just a problem
a large colleges.
As in all things, moderation is the key. The ability to enjoy oneself
and try new things is part of the true college experience, but not in
excess. All things must be tempered in fashion that lends itself to learning about the true ego, or self. Redundant partying, binging and overall
making a fool of oneself does not create a fertile ground for deeper,
more meaningful things to grow, like the choice to follow a career for
the rest of one’s life.
What has now become blatantly obvious is that the paradigm has
shifted from going to college in search of higher learning to making all of the mistakes that parents had the good sense to keep their
children away from. College has now become an institution of living
without any responsibilities other than going to classes and turning in a
modicum of work. Then, at the end of this four-year stint, students are
released into a world where the mundane events of daily life are king
and must be paid tribute.
Jobs must be found, bills must be paid and groceries must be bought
because there is no cafeteria in the world outside of the campus. The
college experience has set the stage for a reality so woefully fictional
that it is almost criminal.
It is evident that these things are happening because there is always a
clamoring of the cost of higher education. Bills cannot be met, students
cannot find a job with their degree, and the cost of reality is too high.
The nation has forgotten the essential meaning of a college experience.
It is not to secure a high-paying job or a vehicle for a carefree life. The
purpose is to give students the tools to create a better life for themselves and for the world around them. Just as a mechanic has to pay for
tools for his career, so must students. Those tools come at a high cost.
Some degrees are more expensive than others, but do the same thing.
Students must keep that in mind before saying yes to the financial aid
of some big university or private college. Financial aid is just a mortgage on one’s future, not a promissory note that repayment will be easy.
The question that should be on every student’s mind at the beginning
of this new semester is, “Why am I here?”
Photos by Jacob Plunkett and Jessica Zarate
Is thinking out loud outlandish?
By Mary Margaret Peterson
EP Editor
Talking to oneself used to be
an odd activity. Now the site of a
person walking down a supermarket isle talking loudly in to
the air is an almost normal sight.
Headsets are invisible and users
discuss awkward and inappropriate topics in public.
Even weirder is hearing someone carry on a conversation in a
public restroom. No wonder so
many phones get dropped in the
toilet.
This phenomenon has spread
farther than phones. No social
media is safe. Against Facebook policy, many people have
two Facebook profiles, one for
professional reasons and one for
friends. Then they comment on
“each other’s” posts. Doesn’t
“liking” your own status seem
rather narcissistic?
Of course, it’s possible to call,
text and email yourself. Some use
these as storing devices-- a lazy
way to back up information. I
myself use this method quite a
bit. I have a folder in my email to
put my own messages in storage. I have school assignments,
pictures and reminders right at
my finger tips. Even without
the Internet, my mobile device
can still open previously opened
emails.
The funny part is that we do
talk to ourselves. Talking to oneself has traditionally been considered a social faux pas. Sometimes
things just pop out and we can’t
take them back. Wondering out-
loud about who was the idiot who
left the tooth paste open on the
sink might lead to your mother
hearing you call her an idiot.
A murmur at an idea you don’t
agree with will not please your
boss. Is talking to yourself really
that bad? I don’t think so.
Old ladies in the bookstore
recite their book lists out loud; a
stressed mother will talk to hear
herself think over her squabbling
children.
Thoughts can be clarified,
refined and sometimes you just
need to hear a thought to realize
that maybe it’s not the best one
you’ve ever had. On the other
hand, no one needs to hear details
about your latest doctors’ visit
or the state of your relationship.
Especially not in a restroom.
Active Shooter
it was a false alarm, but it did
help MCPD see how quickly the
Midland police could respond to
such an incident. It only took two
minutes for three Midland police
units to arrive from the time they
received the call from MCPD.
Training and preparedness are
essential in an active shooter situation, but without the proper equipment it would all be for nothing.
Such incidents require Kevlar
helmets, long rifles and bullet proof
vests.
“All of our officers here at MC
are equipped with the proper vests
and .223 caliber rifles in case
they’re needed,” McKee said. In
addition to each officer having
access to a rifle, they also carry a
sidearm with them at all times.
“We are required to qualify with
our weapons twice a year, but we
like to get out to the range four
times a year,” McKee said. “Two
times for qualifying and two times
for tactical training. We have ac-
from page 1
cess to the Midland police department’s shooting simulator as well.
Their simulator is equipped with a
Glock pistol like the ones we carry,
except it is operated with CO2 and
allows you to work and operate the
pistol as you would your own.”
MCPD officers are well trained
and equipped for an active shooter,
but they realize that police respond
to an incident after the fact, McKee
said.
So would it make sense to allow
those who can legally carry a concealed handgun on campus to do
so? Not so fast.
Currently it is illegal to carry a
handgun (or any other firearm) on
the MC campus.
McKee said it’s not easy as
having people who are allowed to
carry help out in an active shooter
situation.
“It’s one thing to shoot at a paper
target from 15 feet away, but it’s
a whole different situation when
you’re trying to hit one person
down a crowded hall with people
running every direction,” McKee
said.
Being able to spot the active
shooter before they start shooting
would help, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy
as that, McKee said. In the past,
active shooters have been men,
women, children and teens; of all
races and coming from all walks
of life.
“It’s hard to spot someone that
might be a shooter,” McKee said.
“Now, if it’s really hot out and you
see someone walking while wearing a trench coat and dragging a
duffle bag, you might want to call
the police.”
The best thing to do is be aware
of the active shooter plan that your
instructors went over during the
first day of class.
The active shooter preparedness guide can be found at: www.
midland.edu/about_mc/epguide/
shooter.php.
Editors: Mary Margaret Peterson,
Page Editors: Troy Pardue and Cole Hanson
3600 N. Garfield, AFA 185
Midland, Texas 79705
www.midland.edu/students/
studentactivities/studentpublications
Trip
people tried lobster for the first
time and others just got hotdogs
and chicken strips...at the oldest
restaurant in America.”
The restaurant was called the
Union Street Oyster House and it
was full of historical significance.
JFK had his own booth there and
King Louis lived there briefly
while in exile from France.
Our next stop was New York
City. After taking a 2-hour train
ride from Boston, we arrived in
“The Big Apple.” On arrival, we
checked into our accommodations, the luxurious Ritz-Carlton in
Lower Manhattan.
New York City was an amazing
experience. Everything from seeing the Statue of Liberty and 9/11
Memorial, to eating huge pizza that
was dripping with cheese, which
more closely resembled that of the
Ninja Turtles than any pizza I had
ever eaten.
Some students took the ferry
into New Jersey for a day. “Carlo’s
bakery was so cool! It was definitely worth the two hour commute
and losing my license on the ferry.”
said MC student Amanda Hightower. She and some other students
visited the bakery featured in the
hit reality show “Cake Boss.”
After spending three or so days
in New York City, we traveled on-
Clinic
Photographers: Mary Margaret
Peterson, Denise Sanchez, Becca
Byrne and Jacob Plunkett
ward to Philadelphia for a day. We
visited Independence Hall and also
made a stop at the Liberty Bell.
After only spending one afternoon
in Philadelphia, we boarded on an
Amtrak train and traveled to our
nation’s capitol, Washington D.C.
Our final days of the trip were
spent in Washington D.C., where
we visited Monticello, Mount Vernon and all the different landmarks
D.C. had to offer. We also had the
chance to visit all of the Smithsonian Museums, including the National Museum of Air and Space,
the Natural History Museum and
the American History Museum.
After D.C., we were forced to
travel back to our native land of
Midland, which no one on the trip
seemed to be looking forward to.
After two weeks of being together, however, it was time for us
to go our separate ways. If given
the chance to take this trip again, I
would do it in a heartbeat.
“The people on the trip were
especially great,” said former MC
student Leah Bell. “I went with a
fun-loving group, and there was
never a dull moment. Climbing up
the stairs at Bunker Hill was tiring.
294 stairs may not sound like a lot,
but it was killer! We were able to
stay at the Ritz Carlton. How cool
is that? I would love to go again.”
from page 1
into participating, Goran said.
MCBHC was founded in 2006
by Meadows of Dallas and the
Fasken Foundation.
If help is needed, teachers may
assist students to find the help they
need. Student Services is located
in the Scharbauer Student Center
and offers three free sessions for
referral to MCBHC or an outside
agency. MCBHC is located in
Adviser: Bob Templeton
Reporters: Vanessa Alvarado, Tessa Atkins,
Lab Instructor: Kristen Covington
Becca Byrne, Alana Edgin, Cole Hanson, Photography/Graphics Adviser: Kent Moss
Julia O’Malley, Jacob Plunkett, Denise
Dean of Fine Arts & Communications:
Sanchez, Esther Nambi and Ben Spencer
Billy Feeler
Cartoonist: Troy Pardue
from page 1
portable building 6A between the
Physical Education Building and
the tennis courts.
For information on MCBHC,
contact Stacie Goran at sgoran@
midland.edu. For information on
ADAC contact Chesly Herd at
[email protected] or (432) 6854729. If help is needed, call (432)
686-4277 or (432) 686-4219. All
calls are strictly confidential.
Comments and views expressed in
Midland College Press/El Paisano reflect the thoughts
of individual student reporters and do not necessarily
reflect the beliefs or opinions of other students, faculty
members, administrative officers or the board of
trustees. Midland College Press/El Paisano is a member
of the Texas Community College Press Association and
the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. The
publication and its student staff members have won
numerous statewide awards.
e-mail: [email protected]
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
news
page 3
Survey results favor faculty carrying guns, not students
By Troy Pardue
EP Staff Reporter
The issue may have been moved
to the back burner for the moment,
but the topic of gun control lingers
in the air. This is especially true as
it relates to the Midland College
campus.
Over the summer, David Edens
and Damon Kennedy, members of
the MC Faculty Senate, decided
to take a proactive approach to the
issue of gun control and created a
survey to gauge support either for
or against gun control measures at
MC. In the last Texas legislative
session, several different bills were
introduced to extend laws and allow concealed handgun license
holders to carry a weapon on college campuses.
Edens and Kennedy hoped to
find out what kind of support there
was among MC faculty. The online
survey, which was conducted with
the help of the MC media department, consisted of 36 questions
and was made available to MC’s
320 faculty members. Only 110
faculty members replied. Edens
was quick to point out that while
this may seem like a low number
of responders, getting a response of
34 percent for this type of survey is
considered an above average rate.
The first question asked was:
“Do you support faculty carrying a
concealed handgun?” The opinion
of those who responded was split
50/50.
so the survey asked the participants
if they were gun owners or non-gun
owners. Next, the first two questions were asked again, and the
responses showed that gun owners
Photo courtesy of v-defense.com
The second question asked was:
“Do you support students (who
hold CHLs) carrying a concealed
handgun?” The support dropped to
12 percent that would be in favor
of such a measure.
Edens needed to narrow the field,
were 73 percent in favor of letting
faculty carry a concealed handgun,
but only 20 percent were in favor
of allowing students to carry.
Non-gun owners’ numbers were
quite different.
Only 31 percent were in favor of
NSA invades personal privacy
By Tessa Atkins
EP Staff Reporter
The picture of a drunken student
laying naked in their own vomit
wasn’t deleted from a cell phone.
Now that picture is on the internet
for the world to see, even the government. Recently, the National
Security Agency received permission to search American citizens’
communication devices. As of now,
anything that can be saved to a
computer, smart phone, or database
can be observed by the government.
Since September 17, 1787,
America has been promised the
protection from search and seizure
without a warrant or probable
cause. That promise is known as
the Fourth Amendment. But now,
because the NSA can go through
private conversations of U.S. citizens, that promise has been broken.
To some Americans, the new approval that the NSA has received
is a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Midland College government
professor Terry Gilmour says. “The
NSA (federal government) will
claim that our national security/
safety is at risk and therefore there
is probable cause, making it okay
for the government to search whatever it desires.”
Not only are individuals affected
by the risk of having private infor-
mation found, major companies,
banks, hospitals, and schools can
also have their databases searched
at any time. Financial decisions,
faculty information, attendants’ information and conversations within
computer systems will no longer be
confidential.
Many American technology
companies, including Google,
Microsoft, Apple, YouTube, and
Skype, are all particapating in a
program known as PRISM.
This program allows the NSA to
gather metadata from those agencies.
Metadata is data that gives information about other data.
There is a possibility that anything a U.S. citizen has on file can
be obtained by the NSA.
Because this is now an issue,
there are Americans who feel like
the government is breaking the law.
“Law enforcement should be required to follow the rules of obtaining a warrant to search your person
and seize personal property,” says
Marty Villarreal, program chair
of information technology here at
MC.
Some agencies are hacking its
own citizens’ systems without their
knowledge or consent.
Some of the security and safety
that was guaranteed to America is
no longer.
Everything that an American
citizen has on record is accessible
to the NSA.
Any American with a Blackberry, iPhone, or Android phone
are potential victims of having
their data hacked by government
officials under the guise of national
security.
Pictures, videos, location, text
messages, phone calls and everything that is sent or saved to a
smart phone is obtainable and can
all be viewed by the NSA.
There are citizens who feel apprehensive because strangers are
allowed to look at their personal
files. MC student Shelbie Parker
says that she feels “violated of her
privacy.”
She also adds: “Just because
the government can’t come onto
private land without a warrant,
doesn’t mean that valuable things
aren’t being taken from you. The
majority of important and private
things are kept on media files.”
The NSA doesn’t have warrants
to go through citizens’ stored information, leading some Americans’
to question the U.S. Constitution as
a whole.
Marla Wilson, MC student asks,
“If the government isn’t going by
what the Fourth Amendment says,
what other amendments will be
ignored?”
MC hosts “Latino Americans” documentary
Staff Reports
Heritage Month Continues
through October 15, and National
Hispanic Serving Institution
Week ends this week with several
activities on campus.
The events began last week with
MC hosting special screenings
of the PBS documentary “Latino
Americans.” A complimentary light
meal was provided.
“Latino Americans,” a landmark
three-part six-hour documentary
allowing faculty to carry and only
five percent were in favor of allowing students to carry.
“It’s easy for a person to take
a survey online and just click a
series narrated by actor Benjamin
Bratt, will air on Basin PBS on two
consecutive Tuesdays, at 7 p.m.,
Sept. 24 and Oct.1.
“Latino Americans” is the first
major documentary series for
television to chronicle the history
and experiences of Latinos.
Mary Gonzales, MC Community
Liaison/Student Adviser
encourages the film’s viewing.
“The (documentary) highlights…
the history of Latino Americans
in the U.S. (and) famous Latinos
throughout history from Juan
Seguin to Gloria Estefan.
Midland College is proud to be
a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and
we are inviting the community to
help celebrate.”
The screenings were cosponsored by Basin PBS, Freedom
Buick GMC Truck, John Ben
Shepperd Leadership Institute and
Rosa’s Café.
couple of answers, but we wanted
to know if some people were really
serious about this issue,” Edens
said. “So we asked people if they
were really serious about this to
continue with the survey, answer
more questions, and sign their
name to it.” From the original 110
responders, 41 continued.
Of the 41 who were willing to
go further with the survey and sign
their names to it, 42 percent were
gun owners.
Percentages did not differ much
between gun owners and non-gun
owners when asked if they would
feel more secure with faculty carrying a handgun.
Both groups were apprehensive
about students carrying a handgun
on campus.
Three percent of gun owners
were also apprehensive about students carrying, compared to 21
percent of non-gun owners.
The 41 people who went further
with the survey were asked what
measures they would suggest for
self-defense rather than a handgun.
Answers ranged from non-lethal
bullets to tear gas to more police
presence on campus.
No matter what category the
respondents of the survey fell into,
gun owners or non-gun owners, all
of them want some sort of policy,
the survey results suggested.
Since the bills that were before
the Texas legislature did not pass,
the policy at MC is no person except law enforcement officers are
allowed to carry a handgun.
MCPD Protects Campus
By Vanessa Alvarado
EP Staff Reporter
The Midland College Police
Department is preparing to better
protect the campus community
from major incidents such as
an active shooter on campus as
much as it performs the routine
tasks such as issuing parking
tickets.
The department is responsible
for the prevention of crimes such
as bomb threats, rape and theft on
campus. The MCPD website offers education on child, personal
and telephone safety protocols, as
well as information about policies
such as weapons on campus.
The daily and annual crime
log is one resource of the MCPD
website is. Chief of Police Richard McKee said his officers “update that about every week, and it
gives you an idea of what’s been
going on.”
The most recent update includes arrests involving possession of marijuana, public intoxication, warrant arrest, possession
of alcoholic beverage in a motor
vehicle, and information reported
concerning theft.
Although the crime log is public, it does not release names.
“It depends on what it is, McKee said. “If it’s an open active investigation then we’re not going
to release anything. For the most
part, out of respect for the people
involved, we just give a general
brief report.”
Most importantly, students
need to be knowledgeable of the
safety awareness programs on
campus, he said. There are three
methods in place to inform students for their safety, depending
on the type of emergency.
“The most reliable and best option that we have is the text messaging” the chief said. “Assuming
that you registered correctly and
gave them your number, we have
your information. It’s what’s
called an opt-out system, you’re
automatically put into it unless
you choose to remove yourself.”
Compared to last year’s opt-in
system, in which 300 people were
involved, more than 5,000 students are now involved with the
opt-out system. As more students
are involved, more news can be
spread effectively.
Besides texting, there are other
ways to be informed of an emergency. On campus there is an
intercom system that is connected
to all of the buildings on campus,
inside and out. It can play prerecorded messages, or live broadcasting audio, depending on the
situation.
In light of recent national
shooting events, MC police have
also prepared a plan for a possible
shooter on campus.
“All of our officers have been
trained, and now our latest challenge is to get our faculty and
staff trained,” McKee said. “Officers receive more advanced training on how to encounter and deal
with a shooter.”
Faculty and staff attended
mandatory training before classes
began and for those who didn’t
attend, there will most likely
be a follow up session later this
month.
New changes on the campus
this semester include a change in
speed limit.
On the circle it is 20 miles an
hour, while the parking lots remain 10 mph.
There is a new state law,
McKee said, that “Anyone under
18 is allowed only one nonfamily member passenger in the
vehicle.”
The law will not affect most
MC students.
“We do have early college high
school on campus that it affects,”
McKee said.
Friends of the Library offers MC students scholorships
Students sort books at Friends of the Library.
Photo courtesy of Friends of the Library
Staff Reports
The Friends of the Libraries and
Literacy Bookstore presented the
Midland College Foundation with
a $25,000 check to award textbook
scholarships to deserving students.
This is the third monetary donation that the “Friends” have made
to Midland College in the past several years.
In exchange for the textbook
funds, students are required to
complete 20 hours of volunteer service at the bookstore.
The bookstore is nestled near
Midland Memorial Hospital at
2305 W. Michigan Street and is one
of Midland’s most precious gems,
according to Bob Templeton, MC
Allison Chair of Journalism and
library member and customer.
The Friends of the Libraries
and Literacy Bookstore contains
thousands of used books at bargain
prices.
The store is run by a group of
volunteers and is open from 9 a.m.
to noon every Wednesday and Saturday.
“Friends” Margaret Leonard,
Bookstore Treasurer, said: “We
love having Midland College students assist us. They do a little bit
of everything—mainly shelve, sort
and price books.”
“The ladies at the bookstore
are so sweet to our students who
volunteer at the store—sometimes
they even feed them!” said Susan
Benham, MC Scholarship Specialist. “People that haven’t purchased
college textbooks in a while will
be shocked at how expensive they
have become in the past 15 to 20
years. When registering for college
courses, students not only have to
budget for tuition, but also have to
consider the cost of textbooks. We
are so blessed to have the Friends
of the Libraries and Literacy
Bookstore help defray some of this
expense for Midland College students.”
Students interested in the
“Friends” textbook scholarship
should contact Benham at (432)
685-6894, [email protected].
ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 4
A New Tycoon Game
By Cole Hanson
EP Staff Reporter
Game Dev Tycoon, by
Greenheart Games, has been
around for a few months but
only recently was released on the
popular Steam gaming service. As
the name suggests, the game puts
players into the role of a fledgling
game developer at the beginning
of the first generation of console
gaming with a nod towards the
Commadore 64.
It follows your career as you
develop better and better games
as technology progresses towards
todays gaming standards with
name parodies such as the TES
(NES) and the mBox (Xbox),
though these are far from the only
two names dropped. The game
follows the approximate 34-year
history of gaming so that players
can develop strategies for being at
the cutting edge as they learn what
the game, of course) support with
full orchestral sound and MMO
(Massive Multiplayer Online)
gaming.
None of this research comes
without a price though, as the
player must accumulate both
research points and money to be
able to stay relevant and stay in
the game. This is accomplished
by creating, marketing, debugging
and releasing games. This involves
choosing how large you want the
game to be, what technology you
want to put into the game, what
systems you want to release your
game on, what genre and setting
you want for your game and of
course naming the game.
Choosing a genre and setting
for your game is done with a pair
of lists letting the player choose
between up to six different genres
and up to 52 different settings,
giving players a massive
works and what doesn’t.
This Tycoon game follows the
same formula as other Tycoonstyle games where players
maintain a budget, follow trends
and tweak mechanics of different
products in the quest of gaining
their audiences’ undying brand
loyalty and releasing a perfect
product.
The interface is very intuitive
and easy to understand with
clearly labeled menus and
interface options. It would be no
surprise if the game were soon
ported to iOS devices because of
how easily it seems to lend itself
to touchscreen devices. Most of
the menus are simple selections
and sliders. The only typing
involved is the naming of games
you produce and the gaming
engines you design.
Yes, Game Dev Tycoon goes
that far into the experience.
The player can research new
technologies ranging from basic
2D graphics and basic 8bit sound
effects, all the way up to the most
advanced Oculus Rift (renamed in
Photo by Greenheartgames.com
variety of options to toy with.
The development phase forces
players to choose whether they
want to focus on the design
or technology of the game as
different combinations of genre
and setting require different things
for success.
Game Dev Tycoon is immensely
entertaining and looks to be a
success for casual gaming as it is
light on the wallet and easy to pick
up and put down without too much
thought required to remember
what is going on in the game.
There are a multitude of options
avalaible for players to choose,
with the only real limit being what
a player can imagine as a video
game.
With the release of the game
on Steam, it should eventually
mean mod support as well, only
increasing the replay value of
the game even further. Game
Dev Tycoon is avalaible now
for Windows, Mac, Linux and
Windows Phone.
Riddick Returns
By Hailey Hopkins
EP Staff Reporter
“Betrayed again, shoulda seen
it coming. Especially since the
first time it happened was the day
I was born.”
-Riddick, Riddick (2013)
The Chronicles of
Riddick continues with its newest
installation Riddick. It proves
to be a worthy follow-up to its
predecessors: Pitch Black the
animated movie Dark Fury, The
Chronicles of Riddick.
The movie is 1 hour and 59
minutes long and is rated R, so it
is not for everyone.
Riddick (2013) begins with a
betrayal that blindsides Riddick
(Vin Diesel), and catches him
unaware after having forgotten his
“animal side”. He is abandoned
and left for dead on an unknown
planet. Once again Riddick must
face a monstrous race.
Later on, two mercenary crews
and a part of his past appear. Will
they be his death? Or will they be
his salvation?
As the storm brews and breaks,
the plot thickens with adrenalinepumping conflict.
Riddick (2013) is an
exhilarating film filled with danger
horror, plenty of action. Karl
Urban (Vaako), Jordi Mollà
(Santana) form a spectacular
supporting cast along with others
partaking in this experience.
However, there are some
similarities to past movies in this
saga, yet it still manages to retain
its own differing storyline. This
motion picture gets 5 stars out of 5
and the hope that readers will also
view and love this most recent
addition to The Chronicles of
Riddick saga.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
Music Review
Lil Wayne Fails to Deliver
By Vanessa Alvarado
EP Staff Rporter
Tunechi, Fireman, Lil Weezy,
Birdman Jr- his nicknames go on
and on. You most likely know who
I’m talking about, unless you’ve
been living under a rock for the
past 14 years or so.
Known for proclaiming he’s
“The Best Rapper Alive,” Lil
Wayne has clearly fallen out of
the rap game and is undoubtedly
trying to leave his mark, yet again,
on the industry.
Insane Lil Wayne fans
have followed his music,
from his “Tha Block Is Hot”
album back in ’99, to all of
his chapters of “Tha Charter.”
People used to go crazy over
all his mixtapes and his highly
anticipated albums that would
do more than just deliver a
head-bobbin’ beat. But with the
years passing, the rap game is
developing and making it more
and more challenging to be
known as a master in the scene.
The slightest thought of Lil
Wayne being out of the loop
in the hip-hop scene for even
a short period of time seemed
pretty unimaginable, but
surprisingly it happened. Just
recently, after the VMAs in
August, Lil Wayne tweeted to
more than 13 million followers
on Twitter, acknowledging his
lack of involvement. “Noticed
I wasn’t nominated nor
involved n da MTV VMA’s nor
da BET awards...I apologize to
my fans and I promise 2 work
harder if it kills me.”
Soon after this, the extremely
anticipated new fifth chapter in the
highly acclaimed “Dedication”
mixtape series dropped in August.
Mixtape distribution website
DatPiff stated: “DJ Drama and
Lil Wayne are back for a fifth
time with this new 29 track
offering. Weezy touches all type
of instrumentals like ‘Type of
Way’, ‘Bugatti’ ‘New Slaves’ &
many more. Features include
The Weeknd, Chance The
Rapper, Mack Maine, Vado, T.I.,
Euro & others. Welcome back
‘MixtapeWeezy’!”
With all the hype about it
dropping, and rumors that the
old “mixtape”, Lil Wayne is back
has fans anxious. They have had
the opportunity to sit with the
rapper’s mixtape, Dedication
5, for a few weeks now and
listen to Weezy put his personal
touch on popular tracks like he’s
done in the past. Downloading
and listening to a mixtape of 29
tracks is an experience. Dope, or
nope? NOPE. Let’s just say I was
disappointed with Lil Wayne to
say the least; talk about a bummer.
Lil Wayne’s verses are
inevitably not his finest, and 29
tracks are still way too many
to listen to him go into great
explanation about the unpleasant
raunchy ways he engages the
female body, and let’s not forget
his recreational use of marijuana
and “sizzurp.” That’s expected
of most rappers and the freestyle
beats that are chosen are pretty
predictable.
It’s obvious there’s no
development in Lil Wayne as a
rapper. It’s hard to know if the D5
is just terrible, or if one just gets
sick of hearing the same overused
Photo by rap-up.com
similes and metaphors that he
thinks are impressive.
He’s decent now, but he’s
definitely not the same creative
beat killer he used to be back
during his prime, and he’s
certainly not in his “Best Rapper
Alive” mode. Although he didn’t
deliver much, this gives the
features an opportunity to shine.
At this time in the industry, it
truly saddens me to say that I feel
that Lil Wayne has fallen off. His
music isn’t considered unique
or interesting anymore. There’s
no story behind it, no passion
for anything and zero poetic
foundation or vision that merits a
hit. Most significantly there’s no
excitement or competition with
him right now.
Take Kendrick Lamar’s
feature on Big Sean’s “Control”
for example.
“I’m usually homeboys with the
same n***** I’m rhymin’ with, but
this is hip-hop and them n*****
should know what time it is. And
that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big
KRIT, Wale, Pusha T, Meek
Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake. Big
Sean, Jay electron’, Tyler, Mac
Miller. I got love for you all but
I’m tryna murder you n*****.
Tryna make sure your core fans
never heard of you n*****. They
don’t wanna hear not one more
noun or verb from you n*****
What is competition? I’m tryna
raise the bar high. Who tryna
jump and get it?”
Kendrick Lamar brings back
the excitement and curiosity into
the hip-hop industry by raising the
bar and name-dropping rappers.
Lil Wayne doesn’t need to
name drop to get him back in the
loop; but that’s exactly what he’s
missing. He’s predictable now;
there are no unexpected lines from
him that get fans hyped anymore.
It’s all cliché P.M.W. from him,
and if you listen to him, you know
what P.M.W. stands for.
One of the more interesting
statements of Dedication 5 is
delivered in a skit.
Lil Wayne is asked if he
considers himself a “living
legend.”
Wayne doesn’t know, but he
wraps it up by saying being Lil
Wayne is “amazing, it’s awesome;
I wouldn’t give it up for the
world.”
Fans can speculate about D5
and make their own opinions on
the mixtape, but regardless it’s
great to hear Lil Wayne again,
even if it didn’t live up to all the
hype.
Athletes host Kids’ Night Out
Staff Reports
The Midland College basketball
program will continues its Friday
evenings of “Kids’ Night Out” on
Sept. 20 and 27. The first one was
held Friday, Sept. 13.
Each evening consists of
supervised games, sports and a
movie.
Parents can drop their children
off at the MC Physical Education
Building at 6 p.m. or any time
thereafter and pick them up by
9:30 p.m., and parents can also
choose to stay and join in the
activities.
Bryan Hodgson, MC assistant
men’s basketball coach, says this
is a way for youth to relax.
“We want to offer entertainment
for local children who have been
in school all week and are ready
to have some fun on Friday
night,” he said. “High school
students have football games,
but there’s not much for younger
children on Friday nights. Also,
this gives parents an alternative to
babysitters and will offer children
exercise and socialization in a
supervised atmosphere.”
He added: “We are piloting our
‘Kids’ Night Out’ program on
Friday evenings to see how the
community responds. It may be
something that we do on a more
permanent basis.”
Hodgson said that children can
register for one or two evenings.
The cost is $50 per evening, and a
concession stand will be available
for purchase of pizza, candy and
drinks.
Pre-registration is not necessary.
Parents can complete the
registration form and pay on
Friday evening.
The registration form requires a
phone number, medical insurance
information (name of company
and policy number) and parent or
guardian signature.
For more information, contact
Hodgson at (716) 499-2834.
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Photo by Huffingtonpost.com
4400 N. Midland Dr. Suite 300
Midland, TX 79707
(432) 689-0009
sports
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
page 5
MC welcomes men’s basketball coach
Photo courtesy of MC Athletic Dept.
Chaps blank the Plainsmen
Staff Reports
The Midland College
volleyball team, depleted by
injuries and illness, fought its
way to a 3-0 win versus visiting
Frank Phillips College on “First
Responder Night” at the Chaparral
Center. The Lady Chaps (7-7,
1-0) defeated the Plainsmen (5-6,
0-1) by scores of 25-14, 25-11,
26-24. The win is the fourth in the
last five for MC and was a great
start to the WJCAC portion of
the season. Midland College also
defeated Frank Phillips College in
straight sets less than a week ago
at the Odessa College Volleyball
Classic. With only seven players
available, MC jumped out to
a two set lead heading into the
intermission. However, in the third
set, the Lady Plainsmen refused
to lie down, seizing control of
the game. Midway into the third
set, Midland College led 11-9
only to see the Plainsmen wrest
control of the match with a 7-0
momentum swing to take the lead
16-11. Following that point the
match featured mini runs, with
MC closing the gap. With FPC
leading 24-22, MC took advantage
of outstanding offensive and
defensive plays to ultimately win
the third game 26-24. Midland College was led
offensively by freshman Larissa
Gomes who recorded 12 kills, four
digs and four solo blocks, followed
by sophomore Naomi Posada
who chipped in with 11 kills, four
service aces and six digs. Lady
Chap setters Kristina Gafford and
Samantha Orta led the team with
17 and 13 assists respectively.
Freshman Orta also had ten digs to
lead the Lady Chaps.
Defensively MC had 12 solo
blocks, with sophomore Megan
Sanchez recording three to go
along with Gomes’ four. Midland
College also had 41 digs as a team,
in the contest.
Midland College will have
a week off before returning to
action versus Odessa College at 7
p.m.,Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the
Odessa College Sports Center.
Staff Reports
Midland College gave special
recognition to first responders at
a 9/11 ceremony before the Lady
Chaps volleyball game when MC
hosted Frank Phillips College in
the conference opener at the Al G.
Langford Chaparral Center.
Prior to the first serve, MC
players and participants observed a
moment of silence and recognized
all first responders and members of
the military, active and retired.
“We wanted to be able to do
something to commemorate
September 11 and show our
gratitude for our local first
responders who bravely put their
lives on the line to assist others on
a daily basis,” said MC Athletic
Director Forrest Allen.
“Also, we don’t say thank you
enough to members of the military
for their service to our country.”
All first responders in uniform
and their families, as well as active
and retired military in uniform or
with ID and their families, were
admitted to the game free.
The pre-game ceremonies
included presentation of colors by
the Midland High School Air Force
Junior ROTC.
MC recognizes first
responders on 9/11
Health Tips
from Denise Sanchez
YOUR GROCERY LIST
FRUITS
Bananas
Apples
s
Strawberrie
Blueberries
Grapes
Peaches
Plums
CKS
VEGGIES
THER SNA
O
tarines
ec
N
Spinach
Almonds
cado
vo
A
e
uc
tt
Mixed Le
Raisins
Onions
berries
Dried Cran
utter
B
Bell Peppers
ut
Pean
oes
ese
he
C
g
Cherry Tomat
in
tr
S
Broccoli
GRAINS
Mushrooms
Whole Grain Flat Bread
Zucchini
Brown Rice
Cucumber
Grain Tortillas
Whole
s
ot
rr
Ca
Quinoa
Celery
Crackers
Grain
Whole
le
Ka
PROTEINS
Chicken Breast
Turkey (sliced, ground, breast)
Shrimp
Fish (Tilapia)
Eggs/Egg Whites
Whether you are trying to lose weight or just eat
clean, knowledge of the best food choices comes
with a bit of experience. It is important to have
healthy options on hand in order to stay on track
and away from pre-packaged, high-sugar impulse
buys. In my quest to live a healthy lifestyle, I find
it useful to keep this list with me at all times. It has
helped me get through those forgetful moments
while I shop and push past my "sweet tooth"
temptations. With these groceries, I am able to
prepare healthy meals at home, which helps me
cut calories as well as the cost of eating out.
By Denise Sanchez
off campus because of behavior
better every day,” he said.
EP Staff Reporter
problems.
He said he wants the community
In June, Jordan Dreiling packed
Dreiling, with the help of his
to see what special players there
up his car and headed to Midland
staff, plans to lead the team and
are on the MC men’s basketball
after accepting his second head
focus on core values like serving
team. Aside from winning,
coaching position at
Dreiling says he is also
the Junior College
helping his players
level. Dreiling left
focus on themselves
behind a 30-5 overall
from the inside out.
record at Central
Dreiling is taking a
Arizona College.
holistic approach and
When asked
has printed out diets
about his overall
for his players.
experience so far with
Along with handing
MC, Dreiling said,
out diets, Dreiling
“Everyone has been
is supplying players
so great: friendly,
with whey protein
genuine and helpful
supplements and
in every single way, I
gallons of water in
love it.”
order for players
As he takes on
to stay hydrated
his first season with
throughout the day.
MC, Dreiling said
Dreiling has three
he realizes that a few
big expectations for
changes must be made
his players:
right off the bat.
graduating,
In the past, he said
affecting people in our
basketball players
community in positive
have not been held to Jordan Dreiling, MC men’s head basketball coach
ways and leaving
the standard he requires.
the community and helping
behind a legacy.
The situation escalated to the
one another with as he says “an
“I want them to know how
point of MC basketball team was
attitude of gratitude.”
it feels to hang a championship
not allowed access into certain
“We are grateful for every
banner before leaving this school,”
businesses, mostly restaurants,
opportunity, and we strive to be
Dreiling said.
MC golf team swings into action
Staff Reports
The MC golf team opened the
2013-14 season with a third place
finish in the Charles Coody West
Texas Invitational. The tournament was held at the
Diamondback Golf Course (par 71,
6977 yards) in Abilene, TX and
was hosted by Abilene Christian
University. The Chaparrals finished in a
third place tie with the host college,
Abilene Christian University, posting scores of 289-297--586 (+18)
in the 36 hole event. Odessa College won the team
title with a two-round score of 290284--574 (+6).
The Chaparrals were led by
freshman David Wicks with scores
of 70-72--142 (E), finishing in a
three way tie for fifth place. Fellow freshman Chris Schriedel
finished in a tie for 10th place with
scores of 74-71--145 (+3). Top Five Teams:
1st: Odessa College, 290-284-574
2nd: Texas Wesleyan University,
286-289--575
T-3rd: Midland College, 289297--586
T-3rd: Abilene Christian University, 291-295--586
5th: Grand Canyon University,
296-294--590
Top Five Individuals and Midland College:
1st: Corbin Renner, Abilene
Christian University, 70-65--135
(-7)
2nd: Calvin Clyde, Texas Wesleyan University, 66-71--137
3rd: Micah Rodgers, Odessa
College, 70-68--138
4th: Mark Geddes, Grand Canyon University, 71-69--140
T-5th: Cody Buffalo, New Mexico Junior College, 69-73--142
T-5th: David Wicks, Midland
College, 70-72--142
T-5th: Frederik Andersen, Western Texas College, 72-70--142
T-10: Chris Schriedel, Midland
College, 74-71--145
T-16: Russell Lara, Midland
College, 72-74--146
T-24th: Trace Morrow, Midland
College, 75-73--148
T-35th: Ossie Schlenkrich, Midland College, 72-79--151
T-42nd: Ryder Skillern, Midland
College, 75-78--153
T-45th: Jake Boggus, Midland
College, 81-73--154
T-45th: Tanner Fischer, Midland
College, 79-75—154
news
Page 6
Events
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
Top left: Members of Amtgard at Midland College show off their medieval
garb at the MC Club Fair.
Top right: Participants in the Runnin’ Fur Rescue 5K Run/Walk, sponsored
by Lone Star Sanctuary for Animals, start the race.
Bottom right: Dogs splash around in the wading pools set up for the Runnin’
Fur Rescue 5K Run/Walk.
Bottom left: Attendees admire artwork at the opening for “Ritual Embodied,”
the works of Colby Jennings and Ben Sandness in the McCormick Gallery.
Middle left: A turtle and a lizard were among animals exhibited by the Petroleum Museum at the MC Club Fair.
Photos by Becca Byrne, Denise Sanchez and staff.
CALLING ALL
WRITERS, ARTISTS
& PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chapar
Midland
Tableau
ary
The Liter
Caring family
offering a new, cabin-style
apartment for rent to a
single, female student
3.5 mi from Midland
College (9 min) and 15 mi
from UTPB (19 min). Will
rent for $700/month, $500
deposit. Wi-Fi,
light cleaning and utilities
included. No smoking,
drinking or pets allowed.
Call (432) 425-0945
to make an
appointment to view it.
ral 201
Studen
t Public
ations
3
2012
ge
and Colle
e of Midl
Magazin
College
WANT TO
GET PUBLISHED?
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
is looking for submissions and staff members for the
El Paisano student newspaper, the Tableau literary
magazine and the Chaparral student magazine.
Come see us in AFA 185 or contact:
Bob Templeton at 685-4655 | [email protected] or
Kristen Covington at 685-5597 | [email protected]