front 050710.indd

midland college press
Vol. XXXVII, No. 11
el paisano
The student newspaper of Midland College
May 7, 2010
Express Hilda Simmons Levitt Poetry Contest
Commencement
May 14
MC’s 37th annual commencement ceremony will take place
at 7 p.m., Friday, May 14, in the
Al G. Langford Chaparral Center.
This year, Poonam Patel, MC’s
student government president,
will offer a short commencement
speech prior to the awarding of
degrees and certificates. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and the President’s Reception
which immediately follows the
ceremony.
Chap Circle near
PE bldg closed
Work began earlier this week
on the northernmost cross walk
near the remodeled physical educations building. Traffic entering
the campus from Wadley (on I
street) on Foundation Boulevard
will be allowed to turn left only
on Circle Drive. Circle Drive traffic from the other direction will
be redirected (turned around) at
the tennis courts, except for traffic bound for the Maintenance
Facility. The traffic lanes will be
reopened in time for graduation.
Summer hours
Reminder: Midland College
closes on Fridays during the summer months. Beginning Monday,
May 17, employees will work 7
a.m. – 5 p.m. four days a week
and have three-day weekends.
Please plan your campus visits during the above mentioned
hours.
Strope, Patel
win national honors
This year, two MC students
were designated as Coca Cola
All-State Academic Team Scholars. Hannah Strope was honored
as a Gold Scholar for 2010 and
Poonam Patel was honored as a
Bronze Scholar. As winners in
this national competition—sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation, USA Today,
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
and the American Association of
Community
Colleges—Strope
will receive a $1,500 scholarship,
a gold medallion and a certificate.
Patel will receive a $1,000 scholarship, a bronze medallion and a
certificate.
Legacy essay
winners
Five MC students were awarded an additional $500 each for
the essays they wrote about their
experiences volunteering as part
of their membership in the Legacy Scholarship program. Justin
Perez, Alyssia Simmons, Alex
Prather, Susanna Karth and Landon Bell were honored at a recent
luncheon.
Since 1986, close to 10,000
students have taken advantage
of the original Abell-Hanger
Scholarship—renamed Midland’s
Legacy Scholarship in 2003 when
the Helen Greathouse Charitable
Trust became a funding partner; the Chaparral Foundation
joined the partnership in 2006.
The three agencies provide more
than $500,000 each year for the
scholarships, and in exchange,
students have contributed more
than 260,000 volunteer hours at
more than 90 nonprofit agencies.
Spring Interim classes begin
Monday, May 17 and run through
June 3 with one holiday, Monday,
May 31, for Memorial Day.
Spring Interim,
Summer I & II
on schedule
Summer I classes begin June
7 and run through July 14. They
will observe Independence Day
on Monday, July 5.
Summer II classes begin July
15 and go through Aug. 20 with
no holidays. Classes meet Monday – Thursday for all summer
classes.
Registration is still underway.
Contact the MC registrar’s office
for more info.
El Paisano
will return
in September
By Iline Tang
EP Editor
The 22nd Annual Hilda Simmons
Levitt
Poetry Contest
was held this
spring and 42
entrants submitted up to five
poems
each
hoping to win.
Only
one
student can be
the grand prize
winner and this
year it was MC
sophomore,
Clair Sweatt,
Photo courtesy of Katherine Curry-Inskeep, MD media services
who won for
her poem, Non- And the winners are--Hilda Simmons Levitt Poetry Contest winners pose with Teresa Villarreal, second from left in
front row, who judged this year’s contest, along with MC President Steve Thomas, back center, and Karen Pape,
sensicalities.
“I write a lot contest coordinator, front row left.
of poetry whengrand prize winner, I was conThorn who placed second for class last fall,” Carrillo said. “We
ever I can,” Sweatt said. “Every vinced they had made a mistake.
her poems, Hallowed Ground and started talking about loss and the
day things inspire me. I try to find
“Words are a constant compan- The Robins Come Again, said she elderly and it inspired me to write
beauty in the mundane.”
ion of mine, and to have the abil- was not expecting to place.
about my grandmother.”
Sweatt said she honestly ity to be recognized for that … to
“It was my first time enterCarrillo said she entered the
thought she got honorable men- weave them together into some- ing this contest so I was really contest last spring and was named
tion instead of the grand prize.
thing moving is truly an incred- shocked to find out that I placed,” honorable mention; she said she
“I received an e-mail saying ible honor,” Sweatt said.
Thorn said.
wasn’t expecting to place this
I was a finalist,” Sweatt said.
Sweatt was not the only one
Carrillo, who placed third for contest.
“The grand prize winner was an- who placed. MC students, Susan her poem, Our Luna, said her
Out of the 42 students who ennounced last and knowing that Thorn, Daniel Kiefer and Chris- poem was about the loss of her tered the contest, only 19 were
I wasn’t announced and all that tine Carrillo won second, third grandmother.
finalists; and 15 out of the 19
was left to be called on was the and fourth respectively.
See HSL, page 4
“I was in a creative writing
Graduates to number more than 600
Editor’s Note: (H) Honors, (HH)
High Honors, (*) Phi Theta Kappa,
(†) Legacy Society
By Iline Tang
EP Editor
The 37th annual commencement ceremony will be held at 7
p.m., Friday, May 14, in the Al G.
Langford Chaparral Center officiated by Midland College President Steve Thomas.
More than 600 potential MC
graduates will be honored at the
commencement ceremony including 13 in the Bachelor of Applied Technology program.
Potential graduates will be receiving their degrees after entering in a procession line between
faculty members and administrators.
Attendees should expect the
national anthem to be sung by
professor of music, Michael Jordan. Thomas will welcome the
crowd and Poonan Patel, MC student government president, will
speak. Those receiving awards
and scholarships will be recognized before the presentation of
the degrees and certificates.
Attendees are also invited to
the President’s Reception following the commencement ceremony.
Potential graduates receiving
bachelor of applied technology
degrees are: Rachel Ann Carr,
Christopher D. Guynn (H), Troy
E. Hobbs, Katherine Michelle
Hughes (H), Hunter Jones (H†),
Lynda Susan Lambert, Leigha
Jane Lux (HH), Brian McHenry,
Patrick N. Roberson, Christina
Eve Sanchez (†), Lordinie O.
Thomas, Pablito Vallejo Torres,
Jr. (H) and Gracie O. Vallejo (H).
Potential graduates receiving
associate of arts degree are: Lauren Abel, Lissette Aguirre (†), Es-
ther Amparan, Jasmine Angello,
Elsamartina Apo, Adrianna Arsiaga (†), Hilary Baker (HH†*),
Lyrell D. Barfield, Megan A.
Beard (†), Tara Nicole Beeson,
Landon Bell (H†*), Kyle Blackney, Cody Brooks (†), Geoffrey
Tyler Brooks (H), Jessica Brown
(H*), Donna Anne Bryant, Irma
Madrid Bueno (†), Thomas C.
Byrom (†), Deja Chrisman, Paige
Nicole Copeland (†), Casey B.
Corcoran (HH), Carlota Cordero, Miriam R. Craney (HH†*),
Laura Adell Curry (H), Kristina
M. Dean (H), Anamarie DeAnda,
Samantha Victoria Diaz (†), Lacy
Jane Duran (†) and Andrew Eaton
(H †).
Also, Tyshwan Edmondson,
Betania Francino, Maria Wiebe
Friesen (†), Christina Garcia (†),
Trey Garcia (†), Bernadina R.
Gonzalez, Shaquiri Graham (†),
Tatum Ann Guinn (†*), Megan
Gwatney, Narda Zahida-Garcia
Harber, Sarah Harding, Gabriella Hernandez, Trent Hudson,
Whitney Nicole Hull, Casey
Jackson, Curtis Jackson, Tracey
L. Jimenez, Brittany E. Johnson,
Adela Jones (†), Tiffaney King,
Gracie R. Lara, Jordan Latham,
Rebecca Jay Lien, Kirk Logan,
Clarissa Amy Lopez, Emily Lyssy, Kristen A. MacLellan, Karina
Madrid (†) and Tiffany M. Magallanez (†).
Other potential AA recipients
are: Lauren Mansfield, Kaitlin
Mitchell, Kenny Moore, Jeanette
Moreno (†), Matthew Moreno,
Robyn Michelle Odom (†), Sarah
Otwell, Elsie Pallanes, Brockeith
Pane, Diana Parada, Adrianna
Perez, Justin Perez (†*), Adriena
Perkins, Jon Mark Peterson (†),
Charity Nicole Pierce (H), Chris
Posada, Sarah Presley (†), Lauren
See Grads, page 3
speaker for the Davidson Distinguished Lecture Series on April
22.
According to Pinker, who is a
native of Montreal, Canada, and
the head of the department of
psychology at Harvard University, humans think in a concept of
space, time, causality and social
relations.
Using space as a concept of
reality, Pinker described how the
human mind develops a need to
speak certain ways in order to
give itself a sense of balance. For
example, to describe matter, humans use nouns. In order to describe causality, people use verbs.
Putting the two together creates a
sense of development and finality. A quote giving an example
of such by Pinker was, “If I held
you any closer, I’d be on the other
side of you.”
Time was described as digitized or set up in increments. Ac-
cording to Pinker, the time known
as “now” is a section all to itself.
“Now is actually about three seconds.” In contrast to this, the past
is knowledgeable, factual and
unchangeable; we see the future
as unknowable, hypothetical and
willable, Pinker said.
The language of causality was
interpreted as crazy because in
English, people speak as if something is right or wrong.
See Pinker, page 5
Leading cognitive scientist speaks at MC
By Breeann Dunham
EP Staff Reporter
Language as a window into
human nature … hearing that
phrase by itself gives only a
vague insight into Steven Pinker’s interpretation of why people
think and speak the way they do.
Pinker, Ph.D., an author and one
of the world’s leading cognitive
scientists spoke on The Stuff of
Thought: Language as a Window
into Human Nature, as the guest
Lady Chaps named 2010 WJCAC champs
By Freddy Lopez
ence champions. Applying the
EP Staff Reporter
pressure offensively, the Lady
All of the hard efforts of
Chaps won game two 9-1 and
the Midland College softball
shut the Tejanas out in game
team have paid off as the team
one 16-0.
earned the Western Junior
Gabby Hernandez, who has
College Athletic Conference
been battling a sore back got
title and a trip to the Region V
the start, set a school record of
West Tournament in Odessa.
10 RBIs in a game.
If the Lady Chaps win re“She has been out for two
gionals, they will play in the
weeks now,” Ramos said. “We
National Junior College Athwere just going to use her toletic Association (NJCAA)
day to help her find her rhythm
national tournament in St.
and it paid off.”
George, Utah, May 20-22.
Hernandez helped improve
Not only did MC (44-8 and
the squad’s record to 42-8
22-2 in conference) bring
(20-2 in conference) with a
home the WJCAC title but
second-inning grand slam, 10
also improved its national
RBIs and two runs.
ranking from 10 to nine. MC
“I felt pretty good coming
concluded the season schedule
into today,” Hernandez said.
with a dominant four-game
“The pitcher was pitching
sweep over El Paso Commuoutside. So I was able to take
nity College (14-34) at Fredadvantage of it and drive the
die Ezell Softball Complex
Photo by Freddy Lopez ball.”
last weekend.
CLARENDON - April 25,
“El Paso is definitely a MC softball player, Gabby Hernandez, crushes the ball as she sets the
The Lady Chaps clinched the
scrappy team,” Coach Tom- school record for most RBIs (10) in a game last week against El Paso
WJCAC title after splitting its
mie Ramos said. “While we Community College.
doubleheader against Clarentheir last regular season games defense only allowed the Tejanas
are getting ready for regionals,
don College. MC improved its
to put two runs up on the board overall conference record to 18-2
we are not going to overlook any for MC.
Diana Parada, one of the nine in both games. MC swept both with a 9-4 win in game two.
team.”
On Saturday afternoon, MC sophomores, made it a memora- games by the score of 10-1 in
Amanda “A.J.” Woodward
started the day wearing pink to ble one. Parada scored four runs, game one and applied the five in- (14-2), who recently signed
show support for breast cancer including a two-run home run ning run-rule in game two for a with Oklahoma City University,
and concluded the day with Soph- over the centerfield fence for two score of 14-1.
pitched a complete seven-inning
In Friday evening’s games, MC game. Woodward allowed four
omore Day, honoring the nine RBIs in the bottom of the first.
The Lady Chaps’ tight-fisted showed why they are the conferSee Softball, page 7
sophomores who have played
Opinion
Page 2
Tang, It’s The Good Stuff
Editorial
Keeping in touch
doesn’t take so much
Vitamin C once said “as we move on we remember all the good
times we had together.”
Semester end is near and it is a time of reflection on the time spent
at Midland College and an exciting step towards the future.
With more than 600 potential graduates, many of which will be
moving on to different universities and states, we would like to congratulate them and wish them the best of luck. They are now taking
a step into furthering their education and for many a step into independence. For some this may be a nerve-wrecking experience, as for
others it may be an easy transition.
While some may have support of family members, some individuals will have only themselves to rely on. Don’t think you are alone
because wherever you go, support is always there whether it’s the
bonds you made from faculty members, friends, acquaintances or
co-workers. MC will travel with you wherever that may be.
We take for granted those who are closest to us and see on a regular basis, but soon, for many, those bonds will be tested. Keeping in
touch may sound difficult but bonds made in college are now easier
to keep up with thanks to new technology. One way to keep in touch
is electronic media such as cell phones, social networking sites, emails and Skype.
There is also the “old-fashioned” way of setting up lunch dates
and setting up certain vacation dates to visit one another. A contact
made today could lead to an opportunity tomorrow so try to stay in
touch with one another because tomorrow is never promised.
The following are some tips for those heading towards independence:
- Noodles, easy mac and pretty much anything under $1 will become your new best friend. So, become acquainted with your microwave and learn to read the labels on the box. Trust me, your stomach
will depend on these instructions. Also, for those of you who feel
more adventurous, you may get a cookbook try eating left-overs.
- Learn to save money - Mom and Pops won’t be there to give
you an allowance every week. Going out to eat is not a crime, but
try and cut back to once or twice a week. Again, the microwave is
your new best friend. Want and need are two completely different
things; you may want that double cheeseburger with the large fries
and coke. Delicious, yes. Necessary, not so much. The same goes for
shopping; yes, you want to look cute for all the new boys/girls, but
you won’t be looking cute if you’re starving.
- Become involved and learn about your new campus. Many
schools offer workshops on learning how to save money, take notes,
get involved in intramural activities and campus activities to get to
know your fellow classmates. The friends you make now could end
up being life-long friend, good contacts, business partners or even
your future spouse.
Correction
The full-color
photograph
of Marvin
Hamlisch signing
MC’s new grand
piano was taken
by J.Don Wallace,
media services
director.
We mislabeled
the photo credit.
The staff
apologizes
for the mistake.
by Iline Tang, EP Editor
I never knew such a college experience would be life-changing.
I never knew attending a community college could re-connect me
with old friends, start my journalism career and help me meet new
and unique people.
Let me tell you about my experience at Midland College.
I started at MC in the fall of
2008 and planned on staying for
one year. I’ll admit, I slacked off
my first semester. I didn’t care
about classes nor did I care about
my grades and my GPA. I ended
up dropping a class my first semester because I couldn’t handle
it.
My second semester was when
I began focusing more on school;
and it was the semester that I
joined El Paisano, the school
newspaper staff.
I was editor of the spring magazine that semester and by getting
the opportunity to hold that position, it made me realize that writing was more than just a hobby.
My second semester was also
the semester that I decided to stay
for another year and receive my
associate of arts degree in com-
munications.
Coming back in the fall of
2009, I was excited. I was coming back to writing and that was
what I was looking forward to the
most.
At that point, I knew I needed
to get my GPA higher and my
grades better if I wanted to get
into a university; and I succeeded
by the end of the semester.
Spring 2010, my last semester
at MC, I was named editor for
El Paisano. I’ve been accepted
to the University of North Texas
and my grades and GPA are a lot
better.
It’s sad to think that this is my
last issue as editor of El Paisano.
Not only is it sad that this is the
last issue, but also that I am leaving my classmates with who I’ve
bonded. The students on the El
Paisano staff are the ones I’ve
bonded with the most.
I’ve met many amazing people
including people from different countries and cultures. I’ve
learned to be more responsible
and take action for myself. Basically, I grew up. When I started
at MC, I was just an immature
18-year-old student. Leaving
MC, I’ve grown up to become a
mature and ambitious 19-year old
student.
My favorite thing about MC
instructors is that they take the
time to help and to notice whether
a student is learning or not even
if that means getting a little off
track from the daily lectures. MC
instructors care; they know your
name and give you a sense of belonging.
Without joining the journalism
program at MC, I think I would
still be slacking off. The journalism program absolutely was lifechanging to me. My lab instructor
and journalism advisor have both
been very supportive throughout
my college experience at MC.
They’re the ones who’ve boosted
me to be better than the best and
they’re the ones who’ve made me
realize that writing is what I love;
and for that, I thank them.
To my journalism classmates
and ones who’ve had a class with
me – keep doing what you’re doing. Stay positive throughout life
and never give up because everyone has a future, including you.
Ra chel’s Ritches
by Rachel Ritchie, EP Staff Reporter
Rachel Ritchie
EP Staff Reporter
“School’s out for summer.
School’s out forever.” Okay, so
not quite, but hey we are out for
summer. Here is a list of the Top
Five cheap weekend trips for
broke college students.
Number one, is the Monahans
Sand Hills State Park. For simply
a day trip, admission fees are $3
per day per person. Camp sites
are also available at the price of
$14 per night.
The park is open 7 days a week.
To get to the park, travel Interstate 20 and exit at mile marker
86 to Park Road 41. Activities include bird and wildlife watching,
horse riding and, of course, sand
dune surfing. Equipment for sand
surfing is available for rent at the
park office.
Number two, is the lake at Colorado City. Admission to the state
park is $4 per day. Campsites are
available at varying prices. The
lake is about 11 miles Southwest
of Colorado City on FM 2836.
The lake features a lighted fishing pier. There is also 4-lane boat
ramp. The gate to the park is open
from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is
also a one mile hiking trail.
Number three, is Balmorhea
State Park. Admission fees are $7
per day. Campsites are available
at various prices depending on
the amount of enmities.
Balmorhea is one of the most
unique parks; it has a spring-fed,
one and three- quarter acres, 25
foot deep swimming pool that is
filled with fish.
Scuba diving is allowed in the
deep end of the pool. For more
information on the regulations
for scuba diving contact the park
office. If you want to attract fish,
bring a can a of Cheez Whiz. It’s
rumored that if you spray the
Cheez Whiz under the water all
the fish swarm to it for a tasty
treat.
Number four, is Enchanted
Rock State Park. Enchanted
Rock is located 18 miles north
of Fredericksburg. The park is
open seven days a week and daily
admission is $6. Rock climbing
and hiking are available. Also at
Enchanted Rock, there is oppor-
tunity to observe Indian culture.
Enchanted Rock is a pink granite
dome that rises 425 feet in the air
and covers 640 acres. The Tonkawa Indians believed that they saw
ghost fires flickering on top of the
dome.
If you don’t feel like traveling
out of town, just go to number
five, the Museum of the Southwest located at 1705 W. Missouri.
The art museum and the children’s museum are closed on
Mondays. Tuesday through Saturday they are open from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. On Sundays, the museums are open from 2 p.m. to 5
p.m.
Admission to the art museum
is always free. Admission to the
children’s museum is free to all
visitors on Sunday and $3 per
person Tuesday through Saturday.
Also available is the planetarium. Admission to the planetarium is $3 per person for general
admission and $6 for adults and
$4 for children to shows. For information on planetarium hours
contact at (432)-683-2882.
new people, learned so many
things and fell in love with MC.
If I thought my first year was fast,
my second year has gone by at the
speed of light.
This year I decided to try intramural sports. I was quickly
reminded that I’m not super athletic or coordinated, so I became
a referee for the games instead. I
will admit that I wasn’t the best
referee either, but I had so much
fun doing it. Again, I met more
people and made new friends.
This year I really fell in love
with journalism. My news professor and lab instructor have
encouraged me and taught me
how to write a good article. It’s
because of them that I want to
pursue a career in journalism.
I was captain of the cheerleading squad this year and had an absolute blast.
Despite what people say about
cheerleaders, these girls are the
most hardworking and sweetest
individuals I have ever met.
Just as I was getting comfortable here, it was time to fill out
my intent to graduate paper.
That’s when reality struck, and I
realized that I can’t stay here forever. It’s been a good ride, but all
good things must come to an end.
As my time here at MC is coming to a close, I have realized
how attached I really am to this
school. MC has helped shape me
and point me in the right direction
of what I want to do with my life.
From here I plan on transferring to Texas State University in
the fall to major in broadcast journalism.
All the success that I may find
in my future will be credited to
my time at MC.
For all current students and future students, give Midland College a chance. Get involved in
something around campus.
The people who aren’t happy
about going to school at MC more
than likely aren’t involved in anything.
If I was just going to class and
living life, not being involved in
anything, I would be pretty unhappy myself.
My time here at Midland College has been short lived, but it
has by far been the best two years
of my life.
Opinion
By Tatum Guinn
EP Staff Reporter
When I first graduated high
school and started classes at Midland College, I had no idea what I
wanted to do with my life.
Quite frankly, I wasn’t exactly
ecstatic about staying in Midland
for another two years.
The beginning of my first semester, I was very apathetic, but
then something changed. I decided to get involved.
I was a member of the cheerleading squad, so I was at all the
athletic events.
I was doing very well in all of
my classes and decided to become a part of El Paisano. Before
I knew it, MC was growing on
me.
I became very close with my
squad members and met a lot of
new people. I got to know all of
my teachers very well and discovered that I like to write. I became
proud of where I was going to
school, and I wasn’t ashamed to
tell people about it.
My first year of college was
fast, exciting and by far the best
year of my life. I met so many
midland college press Editor: Iline Tang
Page Editor: Karen Buenrostro,
el paisano
Peyton Roye
3600 N. Garfield, AFA 185
Midland, Texas 79705
www.midland.edu/studentactivities/
studentpublications
www.midlandcollegepress.com
May 7, 2010
Lab Instructor: Karen Lanier
Adviser: Bob Templeton
Dean of Fine Arts & Communications:
Billy Feeler
Production Assistant: Whitney
Lovett
Reporters: Thomas Byrom, Shayla Carmichael, Martin Castaneda, Breeann Dunham,
B. Francino, Tatum Guinn, Kory Hauschild, Chris Henkel, Freddy Lopez, Ronnie
Marley, Mary Neufeld, Rachel Ritchie, Clair Sweatt, Julie Williams
Comments and views expressed in Midland College
Press/El Paisano reflect the thoughts of individual
student reporters and do not necessarily reflect the
beliefs or opinions of other students, faculty members,
administrative officers or the board of trustees.
Midland College Press/El Paisano is a member of the
Texas Community College Press Association and the
Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. The publication and its student staff members have won numerous
statewide awards.e-mail: studentpublications@
midland.edu
News
May 7, 2010
Upward Bound names new director
By Ronnie Marley
EP Staff Reporter
Fifty low-income, first-generation college students have the
opportunity to continue their
education thanks to the Upward
Bound program at Midland College and its new director, Pervis
Evans.
Evans, who is a Lubbock native and a product of the TRiO
program, graduated from Texas
Tech where he received his
Bachelor of General Studies.
He recently earned his Masters
of Education degree from Sul
Ross State University in Alpine,
Texas.
The Upward Bound program,
which started at MC back in
1999, has continued to help lowincome students succeed.
“To really understand Upward
Bound, you can go back to 1965
during the higher education act,
when it was created to offer
higher education opportunities
to those who come from lowincome backgrounds, first-generation college students, whose
parents did not receive a bachelor’s degree,” Evans said.
Some of those programs also
include Student Support Services and the McNair Scholars
Program, which assists similar
populations of students who are
in college and are working to
get their doctorate degree, Evans said.
However, the process to get
into the program can be challenging.
“It is rigorous and when we
are recruiting students, we are
looking for students who may
just need that extra push, but do
have that desire to continue education past high school,” Evans
said.
“There is tutoring and a Saturday academy, where students
give up part of their Saturday
morning to take some courses
that are going to prepare them
for college work and to help
them succeed in high school,”
Evans said.
“We do want students who are
dedicated to the program, because once they are entered into
the program we do make a commitment to stick with them until
they’ve graduated high school
and entered a college or university,” he said.
Availability into the program
is limited.
“Right now, we have filled
all 50 of our spots and have a
waiting list. At the beginning of
the year, there are seniors who
have graduated and we will have
some open spots,” Evans said.
Not only does the program
help high school students, college students are also involved
with the students in the program.
“The interesting thing is a lot
times college students will work
with our students as tutors or as
resident assistants, when they’re
living on campus during the
summer,” Evans said.
“Right now, we are about to
start hiring resident assistants,
who will help students during
the summer program.”
Evans said any applicant
looking to be hired for the resi-
Grads
Priest (†), Guadalupe Yharte
Ramirez, Raelyn Ramirez, Megan
Reilly (HH), Chelsie Robbins (H†),
Cruz D. Rodriguez, Hector Rosas
(H†), Michelle Rubio (HH†), Sergio
Andrew Rubio (H†), Cynthia Ruiz
(†), Elissa Arielle Russell (H†) and
Sarah Russell.
Also, Timari Erin Russell, Samantha Salazar, Vanessa Samaguey, Cody
Scott, Olivia Segulja, Heather Sheppard, Adrienne Shiels (H), Jonathon
Simmons, Lacey C. Smith (†), Amanda Sosa (†), Ben Spencer, Hannah
Strope (H†*), Larami Clair Autery
Sweatt (HH†), Iline Tang, Kelsie A.
Taylor, Jamesha Toland (†), Shauna
D. Trela (H), Ryan Turner, Kristen Uthe, Steven Valles, Betty Vice,
Terri Lynn Wakefield (H), Mark Walter (HH), Erika Warren, Callie Beth
Weatherford (H†*), Kristin Elizabeth
Wehmeyer, George Kirby Wheeler
and Monty Winn (†).
Potential graduates receiving associate of science degrees are: Carla
Cai Adams (†), Jose M. Alverado (†),
Guadalupe Amparan (†), Edgar Eduardo Armendariz (H†), Lizette Avila,
Eric Badger, Marissa Mylene Barrera (H†*), Aubrey Baxter H, Kristen Beck, Allison Faithe Bell (H†*),
Savanna Bernal and Kennie Terrell
Berry (†).
Others are: David Andrew Bonds,
Karen Peña Buenrostro, Christine
Burleson (†), Cecilia Calzada, Jesus
Jose Vigil Carrasco, Daniel Carrillo
(†), Evan Ceballos (†), Kaime Cerecero (H), Sarah Chaney (H), Leonard Chavez, Samantha Corrales (†),
Kimberly D. Courtney, Taylor William Crisp, Lance Day, James Warren
Dean, Tawny Laree DeGraffenreid,
Daisy Delval (H†*), Matthew David
Demel (H*), Von S. Doria (†), Travis Ryan Ellington, Antonio Enriquez
and Martin Enriquez.
Also, Marisa Estrada (†), John
Filip (H), Danielle Marie Gagne,
Abraham A. Gai, Cynthia Gandara,
Andrea Garavito, Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.
(†), Sabin Garza (†), Gregory Matthew Gasser, Brandy N. Gray, Will
Harris, Bailee Jo Hennis (†), Bianca
Herrera (†), Joshua Caleb Hill (†),
Kristi Dawn Hill (H), Jayson Hook
(†), Cody Howard (†), Michael Hunt,
Cory Dewayne Jones, Carrie Kahn,
Bonnie Kendall (H), Devin Knapp
(†), Erica Lee, Rebecca J. Lien, Amber Nicole Loyd, Robert John Luebano, Ismael Lujan, Jr., Reginald Lee
Lyle (HH), Brent Anthony Madison,
Jesus Javier Salgado Madrid, Spenser
Mailman, Jennifer D. Maraga, Ignacio Martinez Mariscal and Brandi
Matheson (H*).
Other potential AS graduates are:
dent assistant position must be a
sophomore and be a responsible
student.
The resident assistant will
be paid $250 a week during the
summer program, which is a
five-week program.
The resident assistant may
also get the chance to go with
the students on an out-of-state
trip.
“At the end of the summer
program, we have a week-long
summer trip and the program
selects two resident assistants to
help chaperone during the trip,”
Evans said. Those trips have
taken students to Washington,
D.C., Los Angeles, and Memphis, Tenn. This year, students
will be traveling to Denver,
Colo.
Before coming to Midland,
Evans worked for five years as
an academic advisor in Lubbock
with the “Talent Search” program, which is a sister program
to Upward Bound under the
TRiO program.
When Evans arrived in Midland, he was an academic advisor with the “Talent Search”
program at MC for a year. Evans has also worked as a project director with the Midland
Independent School District at
Coleman High School and also
has worked with Child Protective Services doing external relations and consulting work for
four years.
For those interested in applying, applications are available
on the MC Web site at www.
midland.edu.
Page 3
Aviation program
hosts annual
Fly-In breakfast
By Shayla Carmichael
EP Staff Reporter
The Midland College Aviation
Department held its Annual FlyIn Breakfast on April 17 at Midland Airpark.
If drivers could have seen
through the rain, they would have
noticed four planes parked outside Hangar H.
“This is the fifth year we have
been holding this breakfast and
this is the first time we have been
rained out,” said Karen Harris,
technical program coordinator for
the aviation program.
This year’s breakfast was hosted by the Professional Pilot and
Aviation Maintenance Programs.
These MC programs train pilots and aviation mechanics for
the airline industry.
The public was invited to come
out and talk with the faculty and
staff, view the MC aircraft and
enjoy free breakfast burritos
made by the students and cooked
by the staff.
The morning of the Fly-In
Breakfast, Midland was in the
middle of a storm therefore preventing the CAF Warbirds from
landing at airpark.
Had the Warbirds been in attendance, the visitors would have
been able to pay for a ride in the
bomber aircraft.
In attendance were the students
of the two programs and students
who plan on attending MC in the
fall.
The prospective students were
able to meet the staff and connect
with current students.
“The flight school started in
2001 but didn’t become part of
MC until 2004,” Harris said. “I
have been the aviation coordinator for six years but I have been
working for the college for the
past 30 years.
“We guarantee all of our pilot
program students and interview
with Mesa Airlines after they
have completed all of their training as per our agreement with the
airline,” Harris said.
“However, the airline has recently gone bankrupt and is not
hiring.”
The maintenance program has
an agreement with Midland In-
ternational Airport where the students can get valuable first-hand
experience.
“What made me choose MC
was the price,” said Nicholas
Kaniasty, a 26-year-old army veteran.
“And I didn’t have to go
through getting all of the college
basics. I could concentrate on the
pilot stuff first.”
The affiliation with Mesa Airlines also helped Kaniasty choose
MC.
“The airline industry is the best
way to get in flight hours. I would
like to go into the industry within
the next year and then eventually
become a military pilot,” Kaniasty said.
There is also a personal use
private pilot’s license program at
MC.
All the students are required to
do is enroll in the class and pay
for the flight time.
“Right now there are 10 people
enrolled in the personal use program and 26 people enrolled in
the commercial program,” Harris
said.
A commercial license enables
a person to work professionally
as a pilot and fly for that specific
company.
A commercial license requires
more flight hours than a private.
To become part of the professional pilot program a student is
required to complete the following checklist: Midland College
application, Pilot Application,
proof of applicants ability to read,
write, and speak English fluently,
photo (passport type photo), driver’s license copy, $45 application fee, copy of birth certificate,
three-year driving record (from
Motor Vehicle Dept.) and an FAA
accident/incident report (if applicant has more than 50 hours total
flight time).
Upon admission, the students
must complete another list of requirements: DOT drug screen,
psychological profile, first class
flight physical and a letter of intent to enroll.
For more information, contact Harris at 432-685-4799 or
by email at kharris@midland.
edu.
iel Wayne Phillips, Kelley Michelle
Pickens, Marquette Jamal Pierce, Lee
Nora Plasentillo, Ana Plata, Jennifer
Lyn Pond and Jessica Porras.
Also, Rubin Portillo (†), Laci Rae
Pugh (H), Ashley Nicole Pyle (†),
Neri A. Reynosa, Melissa Riggs, Renee’ Roberts, Virginia Gomez Robles
(†), Janet Martin Rodriquez, Bryna
Danielle Salmon, Amalia A. Sanchez
(†), Jessica Cruz Sanchez, Nichole
Romero Sanchez (†), Marissa Sanders, Shady Marie Sandoval, Israel
Sanjuan, Charles Michael Sansom
(HH), Mark D. Sarckees, Deborah J.
Schafer, Sylvia Sena H, Fukamanji
Sikazwe, Rebecca Silva, Sonia Sotelo, Tamsyn Romilly Souther, Ky J.
Stafford (H), Jennifer Howard Stefano, Elise G. Stocker, Sonia Sutton,
Brent Swain, Catarina Tavarez and
Dean K. Teagarden (H).
Other potential AAS graduates include: Wendy Paige Teeter, Bianca
Aide Tellez, Shayla Tyshun Terry,
Lindsey Catherine Thomas, Tiffany Nicol Thornton (†), TaNasha
L. Patton Tolliver, Angelica Flores
Urias, Ryan Ashley Valdez, Saul Valenzuela, Vincent-Val Acosta Vega,
Leslie Ann Velasco, Fernando Villa,
Mercedes Dawn Vondracek, Robert Wade (H), Colby Walker, Marci
Lynne Walker (H†*), Nikki Gevon
Waters (†), Alexandra Weingartner,
Nannette Wells, Nathan Wennerlind
(H†), Dendra Kay Whisman, Katrina
Deshani White, Sharesa Ann White
(†), Erika Williamson (†), Daniel Stephen Wood (HH), Katherine Breanae
Wynn and Amber L. Young.
Students scheduled to receive certificates are: Johnnie F. Aaron, Sylvia
Aleman, Esteban Almendarez, Ana J.
Amaya, Samantha G. Anderson (†),
Veronica Cathryn Armendariz, Steven Richard Babcock, Yara Isabel
Baiza (H), Kasey D. Barker, Myeshia
D. Batiste, Tiffany A. Belcourt (H),
Joel Madrid Bernal, Juanita Billeiter,
Carolyn Brewster (H), Barbara S.
Briggs and Anthonia Oby Brown.
And Colette D. Brown (H), Gerre
Brown, Robert M. Buck (H), Toby
M. Bunch, Mindy Cagle (HH), Arnol G. Carrasco, Saul R. Carrasco,
Dustin M. Carroll, Daniel Castillo,
Darwin D. Cavil, Rukia Chambuso,
Arla Danae Chavez, Monica ChavezEstrada (H), Marisa Chinikidiadi,
Mary Ann Zarate Collins, Chance
Cross (H†), George Andrew Cross,
Anthony Cummins (H†), Ivanah L.
Dominguez (†), Maria Dominguez,
Vilma G. Duarte, Christian Estep,
Joshua Eugene Freeman, Nicole Friday and Danielle Marie Gagne.
And Vanessa Marie Galindo (†),
Delfa Ann Garcia, Laura Garcia, Van-
essa Candelaria Garcia, Gary Gibson
(HH), Adda Lee Gonzales, Michael
Anthony Gonzales, Iliana Gonzalez, Arthur Dale Graham, Emille
O. Granada, Christopher Granados
(H*), Ramiro M. Guerra (H*), Scarlett Renee Gutierrez, Monica Haire
(H), Mandy Haynes (H), Cassidy
Lea Helmers, Kenneth W. Henderson, Sr. (H), Darlene Henry (H), Tyler M. Henry, Alexis Hernandez (†),
Guadalupe Magaly Hernandez (H*),
Maria Elena Hernandez, Darla Day
Hines (H), Genifer Hobbs, Angela
Hoelscher, Sheena Cherie Hubbard,
Dorthy M. Hunter, Philip Varghese
Jacob (HH), Claudia Jasso, Dynique
Cankata Johnson, Regina Juarez (H),
Shanna Lynn Kelley, Mary King, Joseph Kiowski (H†), Brenna Lauderdale (HH), Sheena Lehnert, Neagan
Leanne Loftin, Davisin Lopez (†),
Ubaldo Lopez (†), Kimberly Nicole
Luna (†) and Victor M. Macias.
Also, Agustin Maldonado, Jr.
(H), Sibongile Tabeth Mangxangaza, Israel M. Mariscal, Christina
D. Martinez, Sarah Elizabeth Maurer (H), Lyndsie Nicole McCulloch
(H), Cathy Ann McCullough, Maria
Griselda Mendoza (HH†), Amber
Lynn Miller (H), Jolinda Molina, Andrew J. Moore, Jeremy Moore, Evelia Jordan Navarrete, Wilson K. A.
Nyamwatta (HH), Heath P. O’Brien,
Shana O’Neal (H†), Myra Ann Ortiz,
Christopher James Osborne, Jayeola
Osinowo, Amanda Louise Parkins,
Susan Bishop Peters (HH), Kelley
Michelle Pickens, Patricia Corralez
Peña, Celeste Pinal, Stephanie Priego (†), Joe Prieto, Sally Christine
Puckett, Adriana Gonzales Ramirez,
Virginia Ramirez, Randy Read (H),
Jesus Rey, Jr. (†), Mucio Rey, Ambra
Lynn Riley (H), Bryan Riley (†), Evi
L. Rojas (H), Vonnie Elizabeth Rosas, Estevan Rubalcaba, Tawny Salazar, Meshack Samia, Annabelle P.
Sanchez and Jennifer Ann Sanchez.
Other possible certificate graduates
include: Mark D. Sarckees, Randi
Lyn Shakelford, Melodie L. Shaw
(HH), Andrea Dawn Silva, Meagan
Ann Simmons, Virginia Sirengo, David R. Smith, Pandora Felicia Smith,
Savanna D. Smith, Crystal Sophie
(H), Patricia L. Soriano, Ruby Jean
Sosa, Joann G. Tamez and Aaron M.
Tarin (HH).
Others are: Valerie Garcia Tarin
(H), Bianca A. Tellez, Angelica Flores
Urias, Chiegelanu Princess Uzoma,
Ivi Shea Villanueva (H), Kathleen
Wallis, Erin Walsh, Branden Weeks
(H), Nathan Wennerlind (H†), Amy
Amber Wiesman, James Wilshite,
Mallory Erin White (†) and Virginia
LouAnn Lovelady White (†).
from page 1
David Mault, Samuel McBride (H†),
Justine Robyn McDonald (†), Trevor
David-Chandler McDonald (H†),
Clarissa Molina, Alexandrea Moroles, Jack M. Murphy III (†), Patricia Navarrete (†), Tuan Nguyen (H*),
Jesus Alberto Ortega, Poonam Patel
(H*), Nathaniel C. Paul, Natalie R.
Peebles, Angel A. Pena, Adriena Perkins, Jason Edward Pucel (H), Dore
E. Rodriguez, Ismael I. Rosa, Mariza
Saenz (†), Vanessa Samaguey, Brian
Mulele Sapi, Toby Semler (H*),
Adam Silva and Steven Smith (HH).
And Alyssa Miriam Snow (†), Patricia L. Soriano, Christopher Spears,
Maxlynn Marlene Stephens (†),
Christopher M. Sylvester (H), Tiffany Taing (HH), Marissa Talamantes, Austin Taylor, Ricardo Francisco
Teodoro (H), Simona Barrientes Tyler, Brooke Underwood (†), Vidal
Billy Valles (*), Tiffany Rachelle
Vermillion (H), Maria Cristina Villegas (†), Joshua Caleb Voyles, David Walkling, Lindsey J. Weber, Jamie Lynette West (H), Trey Whaley,
Danette Whittle (H), Kelii M. Williams, Marshall Williams (H), Amanda Woodward (H) and Tyler Timothy
Yancey (H*).
Potential graduates receiving associate of applied science degrees
are: Jamie Larissa Abney, Grant M.
Abrams, Heather Jean Aguilar, Lori
Maines Aguilar, Joel Fuentes Aguirre, Raquel Renee Aguirre, Brittni
Aldridge (H), Juanita J. Allcorn (H),
Stepheny Ann Armendariz, Lance
Victor Armour (H), Melissa Ann
Ascencio, Manuel Avila III, Melissa
Diane Avila (†), Rebecca Baeza (H),
Karli Ann Bailey, Marcus Jin Barron
(H†), Ashley Basler (H), Catherine
V. Bejil, Sharalee Bell (†), Savanna
Bernal, Theresa A. Bernal, Ismail
Boodhwani (†), Scotti Boone, Whitney Erin Box, Nicole Christine Bradshaw (†), Amber Michelle Branum
(†), Tela Brasher and Mary Elizabeth
Brewer.
Also, Angelica Brown H, Michelle
Leigh Brown (H), Lindsey Browning, Guadalupe Bunch (H†), Sandra
Elaine Bustamante (H*), Nekeidra
Butler, Ami M. Byrd, Amanda Calloway, Charles A. Campbell (†), Mayra
G. Carrasco (†), Carlos Santana Castillo, Annette Castro, John Christopher Chance, Jessica M. Chavez and
Monica Chavez-Estrada (H).
Also, Crystal Cole (H†*), Cheryl
L. Craig (H), Shay Alan Crawford,
Stephenie Mercedez Crawford,
Amanda Shena’ Cross (†), Leoni A.
Davis, Tanya Davis (H), Kevin Dawson, Olivia Delburn, Michael Dennis (H), Brandon Derevan, Angela
Louise Donham, Jeanette Barnett
Dragisic (H*), Debbie Ann Duke,
Kayla Delane Edward, Christopher
Estrada, Gerardo Alejandro Flores,
Irma Flores, Joel M. Flores, Melissa
Flores, Trisha Flores, Sarah Melissa
Foster, Courtney Ann Fowler (H),
Danielle Marie Gagne, Heather Gallimore (HH), Antonio Garcia IV, Osiris
F. Garcia, Larry G. Gaston, Gretchen
Elizabeth Gately, Deborah K. Gilbert,
Natasusha A. Glidwell, Ricardo Godoy (†), Randi Lee Goff, Desirae A.
Gonzales, Leticia D. Gonzales (†),
Brianna Gosch (HH), Emily Granado
(H), Rosalinda Esquivel Granado,
Christopher Granados (H*), Trent
Graves (†), Ramiro M. Guerra (H*),
Paula Gutierrez (H) and Natalie Guy.
Other potential AAS graduates are:
Waylon Gerrod Hadley (†), Leslie
Darlene Hafley, Tami Sue Hamill,
Kaci Hayes, Alicia Hernandez, Alma
Hernandez, Amber Hernandez (†),
Stephanie A. Herrera, Lisa Ann Higgins, Katherine Lee Hird, Angela
Hoelsher, Allison Christine Hogan,
Kandace Lee Holmes, Stacy Horton,
David M. Houston (H), Callie Dawn
Howell, Shara Denise Hukins (H),
Jordan Scott Ingram (H), Karen A.
Jaquez (†) and Tyler Keith Jezek (†).
Also, Dynique Cankata Johnson,
Roger Jones (H), Regina Juarez (H),
Shanna Lynn Kelley, Ronald Kincheloe, Melissa C. Kizer (HH*), Robert
W. Knappage, Heath C. Kohanek
(H), Donna Grace Kollar, Cozetta
D. Kooro, Bradley S. Kuhn (†), Joy
Mullins Kurtz (H), Sara Morgan
Lack, Joanna Lai, Kenda Kay Land
(H), Ciana Longbotham, Briana
R. Longoria (*), Kylie Pat Lugar,
Kimberly Nicole Luna, Brandon
Kyle Luttrell, Wendi M. Lyle (H†*),
Micky Lee Lyon (H) and Elizabeth
Ann MacKintosh-Lopez (*).
And Dina Madera, William G.
Maraga, Ambar Ariana Marquez,
Martha Josephine Marquez (†), Kiley Martin (†), Alma Kay Martinez,
Elida Hinojos Martinez, Mary McAllister, Cathy Ann McCullough, Violita L. McDonald, Nathan McElrath
(HH), Shannon McIntire (H), Randa
Cheyenne McNeil, Jerry Lee Mertens
(HH), Jim Hale Miller III, Pedro Molina, Andrea Karina Montes, Karla
Susana Montes (H†) and Kevin A.
Moore (H).
Also, Victoria R. Morado, Travis
Alexander Morris, DeAndra Natividad, Sarah A. Navarro (H†), Paloma
Nevarez (H*), Rachelle L. Nickel,
Alan Norris, Orlando O. Ochoa, Lidia Lynn Olivas, Salih Onder, Lorenzo
Orosco, Jr. (†), Susana Ortega (†),
Kim Osborne, Olayinka Oyedun
Oyewole, Amanda Nichole Parades,
Cody Paris, Loni N. Payne, Dan-
News
Page 4
May 7, 2010
MC hosts first-ever multidisciplinary emergency exercise
By Ronnie Marley
EP Staff Reporter
A car accident and bloody victims were the near-realistic visuals of an exercise held on April
20 to help educate Midland College’s EMS and nursing students
to learn how to deal with an emergency situation.
MC hosted the first-ever multidisciplinary emergency simulation at the Chap Center. The
exercise was part of the Simulation User Network or SUN Conference.
“We put together these conferences for people to gather together from Texas and New Mexico.
The goal is to gather and network
practices, as well as give presentations on best practices,” said
Spencer Harris, Laerdal executive territory manager.
According to MC officials, the
scenario was the driver of a car
had a seizure and hit a pole.
A bystander in the area called
911 and officials responded to the
site.
Upon arrival, officials saw two
male occupants were in the vehicle along with an infant in the
back seat.
Fire and EMS officials quickly
began the process of extricating
the passenger, who appeared to
have serious injuries.
While the passenger was being
removed from the vehicle, firefighters used the jaws-of-life to
pry the driver’s side doors open
to reach the driver and the infant
in the back seat of the vehicle.
Once all the victims were extricated from the vehicle, they were
transported to the Aaron Medical
Science Building to be treated by
MC nurses-in-training.
When the victims arrived at the
AMS building, the “live” victims
were replaced with SIM mannequins, which are used to teach
the nursing students how to treat
different types of health emergencies.
During the nursing portion
of the scenario, observers at the
Chap Center were able to view
live video of the treatment as the
victims were being wheeled into
the building.
No one was killed in the scenario, but the passenger was believed to have the most serious
injuries and was to be airlifted out
as part of the scenario.
However, MC officials said
the helicopter could not fly due
the weather, which caused that
portion of the scenario to be cancelled.
During a debriefing, the students and actors said they enjoyed
the learning experience.
“I was a dummy. It was really good to just lay there,”
said one of the “live” victims.
“I think from our standpoint, having all that equipment out there, having nobody get hurt that was a
pretty big success,” said one
of the EMS students.
“I think that’s a good thing
the way everything was coordinated. We caught a
bunch of things; we messed
up on a lot of basic simple
stuff, but that’s why these
things are so important,
because next time if it happens in real life or the next
exercise, it’ll be in the back
of our heads the whole time
to make sure we don’t mess
up.”
Photo by Ronnie Marley
One nursing student
MC Fire and EMS students remove passenger from a vehicle.
learned that it can take some
time for firefighters to remeetings were needed to get the of Medicine in Lubbock, South
move victims from a vehicle
scenario worked out and ready for Plains College, Texas Tech Uniafter a bad accident.
versity – El Paso, Texas State
“I wasn’t aware that it took that the students.
The SUN conference brought Technical College and Abilene
long for the jaws-of-life to get
someone out of the vehicle,” one more than 20 healthcare insti- Regional Medical Center.
The event was sponsored by the
MC nursing student said during tutions from Texas and New
Mexico
together
for
the
day-long
Laerdal
Corporation, which is the
the debriefing.
same company that manufactures
Coordination of the event start- event.
Some of those institutions in- the SIM mannequins that the MC
ed a few months prior to the SUN
Conference, but MC officials said cluded: Medical Center Hospital health sciences department uses
during the debriefing only a few in Odessa, the Texas Tech School in its SIM Center.
By Mary Neufeld
EP Staff Reporter
With spring in progress and
summer on its way, outdoor activities are in full swing. With
pedestrians and cyclists out and
about, safety is a major issue.
According to bicycleaustin.
com, 25 percent of all bicycle
wrecks happen because the cyclist is going against traffic and
not with the flow of traffic.
It is the pedestrians and cyclists
responsibility to know the rules if
he or she plans on using the road
but motorists should also become
familiar with the rules.
Cyclists have all the rights and
duties that drivers of vehicles do.
They must stop at stop signs, signal direction changes, yield the
right of way and obey one-way
street signs. Failure to follow
these rules is a violation of the
law, according to www.txdps.
state.tx.us/. It also states that it is
a misdemeanor offense and could
result in a citation.
A person riding a bicycle on
a two-way street should always
ride as close to the right curb as
safely possible. If a cyclist is riding on a one-way street with two
or more marked lanes, then he or
she should ride as near to the left
curb as safely possible.
A cyclist should make hand
signals with the left arm. Bicycleaustin.com offered the way to
signal properly. To signal a left
turn, a rider should extend the
hand and arm horizontally.
To signal a right turn, extend
hand and arm upward or bicyclists may also extend the right
hand and arm straight out. To
signal a stop, extend the arm and
hand downward.
Always ride with the flow of
traffic. A study on bicyclesafe.
com said riding a bike against
traffic showed to be three times
as dangerous as if a person were
riding with traffic.
Although riding on sidewalks
is not illegal in all cities, it is
still dangerous and is not recommended.
For example, if a cyclist is riding on a sidewalk, vehicles riding alongside in the road might
not see them. So when the cyclist
reaches the end of the sidewalk
to cross the street, a car making
a right hand turn could hit the
cyclist, according to bicyclesafe.
com.
Wearing a helmet will not
keep you from getting hit by a
car but it will protect you in case
something does happen.
A person should never operate
a bike unless the bike is equipped
with rear brakes capable of making a braked wheel skid on dry
Follow safety guidelines while riding bike this summer
pavement. Some bikes have front
and rear brakes but if a bike has
just front brakes this could cause
the cyclist to flip over.
A person should not operate a bicycle at night unless it is
equipped with a lamp that emits a
white light said bicyclesafe.com.
It must be visible from a distance
of at least 500 feet, on the rear of
the bike either a red reflector or a
lamp that emits a red light visible
from 500 feet is needed.
A bicycle should never carry
more than one person unless it’s
designed for it.
A cyclist giving kids rides
should only use the regulated
seat. No riding on the handle bars.
Cyclists should try to avoid busy
streets especially at night.
Bicyclesafe.com is a Web site
that gives several scenarios on
how not to get hit when on a bicycle. The Web site has several real
life events they use to illustrate to
people what not to do.
For example, the Web site
states that many people don’t
think about being in a vehicle’s
blind spot when parked at a red
light. One Austin cyclist was
killed when a semi truck ran over
him while making a right turn.
The cyclist was parked in the
semi truck’s blind spot. The truck
driver never saw the rider thus
causing him to be crushed beneath the tires.
The Department of Public
Transportation has pamphlets on
all the rules of the road for pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles.
Also information can be found in
books on safety and proper road
precautions.
A book called The Art of Urban Cycling is a manual offering
ways to safely navigate roads in
the city.
Phi Theta Kappa honors new members
By Tatum Guinn
EP Staff Reporter
For Midland College students
who have put in the extra hours of
studying to boost their grades and
GPA, there is a renewed campus
club to honor their hard work and
success in the classroom.
The Alpha Beta chapter of the
nationally recognized honors society, Phi Theta Kappa, has been
restarted at MC.
New members were recently
inducted at a ceremony in the
Carrasco Room located in the
newly renovated Scharbauer Student Center.
Of the 400 qualified students,
110 accepted membership into
the honor society. At the ceremony, every student who was inducted had to introduce themselves,
state their GPA, where they plan
on continuing their education and
their major.
“I think it takes a very special kind of student to be in this
group,” said MC President Steve
Thomas, Ph.D. “All of the students who were inducted at this
ceremony have different plans,
HSL
finalists were named honorable
mention as followed: Ten Haiku
by Athan Tsakonas, Markten
Nein by Steven Pepper, An Elegy
for the Heart She Wrote by Taylor Matlock, Luxurious Essentials
by Iline Tang, Prayer for the Lost
by Jasmin Herrera, Anil Gorania,
Love by Joyce Abraham Kwayu,
My Burdens by Jennifer Krenik,
Pierced in the Dark by Lindsay
Thornton, Broken Woman by
Sharee Robinson, Love on Willow’s Wings by Sarah Rosenberg,
Survived by Justin Perez, Enduring by J. Scott Laing, I Suffer by
Juan Escobar and Drown Me by
Alexis Hewitt.
MC English instructor, Karen
Pape, one of the contest coordina-
majors and interests. The common bond they all share though is
the desire to succeed.”
To become a member of Phi
Theta Kappa a student must have
a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5
and must have completed 12
hours of schooling. Once a student has become a member of the
honor society, they are a member
for life.
“It is an honor to be in this
society. It takes discipline in the
classroom, desire to do well and
the consistency of both to become
a member,” said Ed Penz, MC Phi
Theta Kappa advisor.
The society was founded in
1910 by six charter members at
Stephens College in Columbia,
MO. According to ptk.org, “Phi
Theta Kappa’s mission is twofold: 1) recognize and encourage the academic achievement
of two-year college students and
(2) provide opportunities for individual growth and development
through participation in honors,
leadership, service and fellowship programming.”
MC’s Alpha Beta chapter of
Phi Theta Kappa has been around
well over 25 years. Aline Collins
was the sponsor for many years.
Penz is the new sponsor and said
he has plans of growing MC’s
chapter of Phi Theta Kappa in
the fall. The group plans on having monthly meetings, getting
involved in student activities,
participating in the club fair and
trying to get word out about the
group.
Not only is it considered an
honor being a member of Phi
Theta Kappa, it has its benefits
as well. Members get to wear
special graduation regalia to their
graduation ceremonies and they
become eligible for numerous
scholarships. An estimated $2
million nationwide is awarded in
scholarships to members every
year.
“The one thing that really
comes to mind when I think about
these students is how proud I am
of them, Thomas said. “It’s hard
to make good grades in college,
and they have succeeded very
well. I am proud of all these students.”
from page 1
tors said she enjoyed the poems
she read.
“We’re all creative in one way
or another,” Pape said. “The contest was a safe place for students
to publish their poetry, but it also
demands some rigor from the students.
“We still want to encourage our
English students to keep writing
whatever they want,” Pape said.
This year’s HSL judge was
Teresa Villarreal, who teaches
English in Abilene, Texas. She
received her undergraduate and
graduate degrees from HardinSimmons University and has read
her poetry for the National Public
Radio Poets Corner and in local
poetry venues.
Villarreal read several of her
poems at the awards ceremony.
“It was very difficult to judge the
96 poems and choose little,” Villarreal said. “Although it was my
first time judging, I know what
it’s like to put words on paper;
something spoke to me when I
read the poems chosen for the finals. I had a gut feeling that the
poems I chose to win left me with
an image and an emotion.”
Selected entries from the contest will be printed in the fall in
MC’s student literary magazine,
Tableau.
The prizes this year were $600
for the grand prize winner, $400
for second place, $200 for third
place and $100 for fourth place.
News
May 7, 2010
Page 5
Motorcycle gangs, sunbathing, love all part of college experience
By Clair Sweatt
EP Staff Reporter
Sun bathing, cafeteria love,
motorcycle gangs and flea-bag
motels--these are the ingredients
for some of the most memorable
college experiences of Midland
College faculty members.
“I met my husband at Texas
Tech and that was a wonderful
memory,” said MC yoga and pilates instructor Rebecca Speight.
“It was kind of embarrassing,
though. I was walking through
the cafeteria line, and he came up
and asked me if I would sit with
him at his table. I asked him if he
was sitting with anybody else,
and he said just a few other guys.
So I agreed, but when I went outside to the table, there was a huge
long cafeteria table full of guys
and I was the only girl. It was so
embarrassing.”
Speight, who graduated from
Texas Tech University in 1977,
said that sunbathing was another
favorite memory of hers.
“In the ladies area of the cafeteria, the sun would beam down
and they called it ‘Stangel-Murdo
beach,’ and we would all sunbathe out there,” she said. “We
just loved to sit out there in our
spare time.”
Joe Willis, assistant professor
of speech communication, may
not have sunbathed while in college, but he did share an unforgettable night ride with a New
Mexico motorcycle gang.
“While serving as student body
president at Eastern New Mexico
University, there was a meeting
in Santa Fe that the governor had
called in order to promote a tuition increase,” he said.
“I heard about it, and I called
his office. I felt that since I was
president of the associated students of New Mexico I should
have some time to speak on this
tuition increase. He said that if I
could be there by 8 a.m. the next
morning then I could speak.
My vice president and I got in
his car. It was very late, and we
on
through.
The police officers
turned
their lights and
sirens on, and
the policemen
literally pulled
us off the bikes
and put us on
the ground face
down.
We
didn’t
realize it, but
there had been
a
policeman
killed about a
month before
by a motorcycle
gang, so things
were still a little
tense.
We’re face
down in the
dirt, literally,
and it was like
6:30 in the
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Speight morning.
The
Speight dazzles a smile in her 70’s chic attire .
polic man noticed right away
put our two best suits in the back
of the car, which was ancient. We that we weren’t part of the group,
were driving along in the middle and we explained what we were
of the night, and when we were doing there.
He called the governor’s ofabout two hours outside of Santa
Fe, the car broke down. It was fice and the secretary told him we
about three in the morning at this were supposed to speak. So we
rolled up to the capital building
point.
So we grabbed our suits and and washed up as best we could.
started walking. We walked for I looked at my watch and it was
a while and then we heard what 7:48 a.m. It was hilarious. I will
sounded like a car. It turned out never forget that.”
While motorcycle gangs were
to be a motorcycle gang. Ed,
my vice president, waved them nowhere to be found in MC prodown. These guys were tough. fessor of government Terry Gilm‘Cut your heart out and eat it for our’s college experience at Sam
Houston University, flea-bag mobreakfast’ type guys.
We told them our story and tels certainly were.
“We had a curfew when I went
this guy was like, ‘Just jump on
the back son, and we’ll take you to college,” she said. “You had to
to Santa Fe. They can’t do our be in at 11 p.m. during the week,
and on the weekends, you had to
students like this.’
So, we jumped on the back of be in at 1 a.m. At Sam Houston,
their motorcycles and went flying one of the biggest things to do
down the road. We got to the cap- was to go to football games.
Me, my best friend and about
ital building and there were state
six of my sorority sisters all had
police troopers everywhere.
The motorcycle guys just road dates to go to the football game
right up to the gate and just drove and, of course, parties afterwards.
and what we thought as students.
Well, about three hours beforehand, I got the news that my father had died.
He had a car accident, and the
stress of it caused a heart attack.
They came and told me literally at the ceremony. They didn’t
know that I was going to speak or
anything. They were just trying to
let me know.
I still spoke, though. It was the
hardest thing I’ve ever done. I debated back and forth with myself
at the time, whether I should do
it or not, but I felt like my father
would have expected that. He
would have expected me to continue.”
Each one of these faculty members made it through their college
experience seemingly unscathed.
For college students today, they
offer this advice:
Speight – “You should experience as much as you can, as far
as opportunities go. That’s a huge
part of your college experience.
Enjoy it while you’re there. Don’t
look at it as, ‘I’m going to get
out.’ It’s a process,
not just a destination. Enjoy it while
you’re there.”
Gilmour – “Don’t
waste your time.
Don’t waste your
money.”
Willis – “If there’s
something you really want to do,
you should do it. If
there’s
something
that you’re passionate about, that you
care about, that you
really want to do,
I don’t think you
should let things stop
you. And the experiences, the friends
you make in this
time, are extraordinarily powerful in
the rest of your life.
Photo courtesy of Joe Willis You should treasure
it.”
Willis typing away in the fall of 1976.
We didn’t want to come back at
one that morning, so we put all of
our money together, and the eight
of us got one hotel room. It was a
flea-bag motel, and we all spent
the night there. It was hilarious,
but the memory of that flea-ridden hotel room will probably stay
with me for a long time.”
Though these stories recounted
the fun and crazy moments of
these faculty members’ college
experiences, there were some less
enjoyable moments, as well.
According to Speight, her
worst memory of college was
registration. The lack of today’s
technology made things tedious
and time consuming. Gilmour
stated that dissecting in biology
was her least favorite memory.
Willis’ worst memory, however, was one of great pain and loss.
“I was about to give a speech
to invest our new president at the
college,” he said.
“I, as student body president
my senior year, had to give a
presentation about four to five
minutes long concerning him
Student Success Workshops increase in popularity
By Clair Sweatt
EP Staff Reporter
Midland College offers students a unique opportunity with
its fast-growing Student Success
Workshops.
These workshops, designed
by counselor/disability specialist
Dale Williams with the help of
career center coordinator Laurel
Clement, were developed to offer
students some education training
in important skills that will lead
to success in both their school and
work.
“The reason we did the workshops were because I reflected
back on my college experience
and there were a lot of things I really didn’t know a lot about when
I got to college,” Williams said. “I
saw a lot of those same scenarios
with the students we work with
here at MC.”
Note taking, time management,
reading skills, study skills and
decision making are just a few of
the areas these workshops cover.
Recently, however, the workshops have branched out by adding “How to Succeed at Work”
and “Getting the Most from a Career Fair” to its repertoire.
With these new additions, the
workshops have seen a significant increase in participation,
Williams said.
“When we first started the
workshops, we had two or three
students attending. Then, word
got out about them, and it’s not
unusual to have 25 students at
these workshops,” Williams said.
Another new addition to the
workshops is the fact that they
are now available online, thanks
to Clement.
“The reason we wanted to put
them online was that we have a
population of students here that
never come to the classroom here
at MC,” she said.
“They don’t see the posters.
They don’t have access to that
type of information. These are
non-traditional students that
come to school at night. They
rush into the classroom; they’re
excellent students, but then they
go home to their family or their
jobs,” Clement said.
“We have some students that
are online only. They never step
onto the campus. So, we wanted
them to have the same advantages
as our other students. That’s why
we put it online,” she said.
When accessing these workshops online, students will listen
to the presenter speak and watch
a PowerPoint presentation that is
synced with the information.
At the end, there is an evaluation and attendance verification
that they will be asked to complete.
On the evaluation, there are
certain required fields that the student must fill out. Among these
are – What did you get from this
workshop? How will you apply it
to your life? How are we doing?
What else do you need?
Once those forms are submitted, they are sent directly to the
career center where they are
Pinker
looked over carefully.
“The evaluations are instrumental,” Williams said. “We’ve
changed some of the programming and some of the content because of the evaluations. It’s good
feedback. We use that feedback. I
look at every single one and pay
attention to what they’re saying.”
The career center relies heavily
on the faculty to spread the word
of these workshops.
“The faculty is one of the reasons these workshops have become so popular,” Williams said.
“The faculty has the ability to
help those students become better
students specifically in their class.
They’re giving extra points sometimes for attending the workshops, as well.”
During the summer months,
students will still be able to access these workshops online. To
do this, they must follow this
simple process:
- Go to www.midland.edu
- Click on the blackboard icon
- Click on the login into blackboard icon
-IMPORTANT:
click
on
“Course Catalog”
- Select and click on Career
Readiness
- Click on the Course ID for
SSP0001
- You are now in the Career
Readiness website page for workshops. Click on the link “How to
Manage Test Anxiety” video.
Workshops will continue to be
added over time until they are all
available online.
Clement and Williams both
said that there are more exciting
things for students in coming academic year that will make these
workshops even more interactive.
“We’re about the fact that
you’re coming to college and it’s
your career,” Clement said.
“When we see the responses
from the evaluation or when
we’re in the lecture environment
and we see the students or hear
them say ‘Wow, this is going to
help me. I can now do this and
this in my life. I didnt know this.’
That’s rewarding and that’s what
it’s all about.”
from page 1
“There is a theory of physics embedded in language. For example, swearing is a sign of something
wrong or causing wrong to someone else. It can
be used as a form of showing emotion or to injure
someone else purposefully.
“Taboo words activate brain areas associated with
negative emotion,” he said.
Language as a window into social relations: Humans make indirect speech acts, meaning they speak
so that others can “read between the lines,” Pinker
said.
Even though the literal meaning is obvious, humans still speak with double meanings.
Pinker made the reason clear when he said this is
because the risk of coming straight out with the true
meaning has a risk, even if it is small. Whether it
be bribes, seductions or even threats, the speak will
more than likely cover the truth up with innuendos
or indirect words. If the meaning backfires on the
speaker, it is much easier to deny it if the truth was
never truly out in the open, Pinker said.
At the end of Pinker’s speech, he closed the evening by answering a few questions from the audience. Here are a few:
Q: Is it true that most humans only use 10 percent
of their brains?
A: This is not true. There is activity all over the
brain all the time.
Q: Is there a difference between the male and female brain?
A: In literal terms, the female brain is a tiny bit
more symmetrical, and there is a band around the
brain that is slightly thicker. In terms of use, the female is typically better at verbal communications
and men are literally more likely to do something
stupid.
Q: How efficient is the brain at multi-tasking?
A: Studies show that the brain is able to do so, but
not very well unless different parts of the brain are
applied at the same time.
Entertainment/News
Page 6
May 7, 2010
Spoiler Alert MC officer teaches personal safety
by Shayla Carmichael
EP Staff Reporter
“Oh, hey William, I thought I smelled cookies wafting from the
ovens of the little elves that live in your hair.”-Sue Sylvester, Glee.
My constant praise of Glee is probably getting really high on the
obnoxious meter but it’s not one of the best new shows on TV for
no reason. The highly anticipated all-Madonna episode was a huge
success and The Power of Madonna CD has already been released,
featuring all of the songs from the episode.
Kristin Chenoweth made her comeback to the show as April
Rhodes, Will’s old high school crush and former leading lady of
the McKinnley High glee club. After Sue has jerked the auditorium
away from the glee clubbers, Will goes on a search for an off-site
place to practice. Will walks into an old skating rink and there is
April, new owner and operator. She immediately engages Will in a
duet of the song Fire originally sung by Bruce Springsteen.
Kurt showed us a softer side when he sang a very vulnerable version of the song A House Is Not a Home to Finn. He sings about lost
love and how he isn’t meant to live alone. The song makes you feel
the pain that Kurt must be going through being so amazingly in love
with someone who will never return the feelings at all.
Finn is going through his own pain as well. His mother has finally
moved on from her “high-waisted” love of acid wash denim and has
been selling all of the furniture that reminds her of Finn’s father,
who had passed away in the war. Kurt, with the intention of being
nearer to Finn, introduced his also widowed father to Finn’s mother
at a parent-teacher night at the school. They immediately hit it off
and now Finn is dealing with what he feels like is losing his father
all over again.
However, after Kurt’s father gives Finn a promise to do right by
his mother, he accepts the situation and even watches a basketball
game with him while Kurt watches his father bond with what he
feels like is the son he never had.
Accidently on Purpose has ended its first season with a bang. Billie has gone into labor just as Zach gets arrested for speeding. Olivia
and Davis get it on while Billie is in the hospital and Abby also gets
arrested trying to get Zach out of jail. Luckily everyone ends up
back to the hospital in time to experience the birth of little baby boy
Henry. Billie finally accepts Zach’s wedding proposal and the two
are now engaged and have a beautiful baby mouth to feed.
Bret Michaels, of the hair-band Poison, has been in the hospital
for a brain hemorrhage. He was under constant watch in the ICU and
is expected to make a full-recovery. Best wishes, Bret.
American Idol has gotten to the point that someone’s favorite contestant will go home. If it was Tim Urban, first of all shame on you,
you lost him two weeks ago. If the crazy and very talented Siobhan Magnus was your favorite, I am truly sorry. She is an excellent
singer and performer. The Shania Twain week probably didn’t help
her out at all.
Sandra Bullock has had a lot of ups and downs in the last year. She
won an Oscar and then found out her husband was not the man she
thought. However, she is nothing if not graceful. The Blind Side star
has filed for divorce and is filing for single-parent hood of the little
boy she and Jesse James adopted in January. She has now relocated
to New Orleans.
Life after MC
Iline Tang
EP Editor
As the weather becomes hotter and summer is arriving, finals
are nearing as well as graduation.
Not only are high school students
receiving their high school diploma, but also students from Midland College are receiving their
associate degree.
MC sophomore, Brittany Johnson attended MC for two years.
“I started in the fall of 2008
and I was intending on staying
for only one year,” Johnson said.
“I planned on taking only my basic classes, but after my first year
at MC, I decided to stay another
year to get my associate degree.”
Johnson plans on graduating
this May with an associate’s degree of science.
Martha Marquez, also an MC
sophomore is planning on graduating this May. She’s been attending MC since the fall of 2007 and
plans on getting her associate’s
degree of applied science in nursing.
“I’ve been in the nursing program at MC and it’s a really good
program compared to other community colleges,” Marquez said.
“It’s a difficult program with intense learning and knowledge.
“There’s not much interaction
outside of the program because
a student involved in the nursing
program is stuck in one building
for two years,” Marquez said.
“But, we’re all together as one
big support system helping each
other out.”
Although Marquez didn’t stay
in the MC dorms while she attended MC, she said she tried to
interact with other students outside of the nursing program.
“I went to the basketball games
and intramural games,” Marquez
said. “By far, the fourth semester
was the most social interaction
semester, but also the hardest academically.”
Unlike Marquez, Johnson has
been staying in the dorms since
she attended MC as a freshman
even though she could’ve stayed
with her family in Midland.
“I chose to stay in the dorms
because living in Midland, I still
wanted the college experience,”
Johnson said. “It was the best
choice and it made me grow up. I
always had to be careful with the
way I spent my money and I was
always responsible for myself
100 percent.”
Johnson said the thing she’s
going to miss the most when she
leaves Midland is the people.
“Not only are my classmates,
my roommate and the people I’ve
met in the dorms supportive, but
also the faculty and staff members of MC,” Johnson said. “The
MC faculty became like family; I
could go to them for advice, encouragement and they actually
cared.”
So, where do these graduating
sophomores plan on doing with
their lives next?
Johnson said she plans on attending either the University of
North Texas or the University of
Arlington.
“UNT is a liberal arts school
which would be a great choice for
my psychology major,” Johnson
said. “As for UTA, I received a
chance to visit the campus and I
liked it.”
Marquez said she plans on attending UTA in the fall of 2010
where she will be majoring in
nursing and receiving her bachelor’s degree of science in nursing.
“The University of San Antonio was my other option for education after MC,” Marquez said.
“But, I enjoyed the campus a lot
when I visited. The technology
systems are better in the nursing
program; there are more beds and
mannequins and it’s also more
collaborated.”
Johnson said she would recommend a high school student to
attend MC after graduating high
school because the expense is
cheaper than a university, courses
transfer to a university, it’s a great
college experience and the faculty
is supportive.
“I’m happy I went to MC,”
Johnson said with a smile. “It was
amazing and life-changing.”
By Mary Neufeld
EP Staff Reporter
Theft, terrorist threats, jump
starting vehicles and public intoxication are all in a day’s work for
the Midland College police force.
Recently MC police officer,
Marihya Houck, gave a presentation on personal safety for MC
faculty and students.
Houck gave tips like walking
safely, theft prevention and how
to report a crime, as well as how
to deal with disruptive individuals and armed suspects.
Houck said when possible walk
with someone and be aware of the
surroundings. If a person is walking alone, they should walk with
confidence and a steady pace,
Houck said.
Attackers look for people who
appear vulnerable. When walking
at night, avoid poorly lit areas and
stay away from shrubs or other
areas where attackers can hide.
Houck said that if anyone
would like an escort to his or her
vehicle, MC police are available
24 hours a day to assist.
Houck said to be careful when
people in vehicles ask directions.
If this happens, reply from a distance and don’t get too close to
the vehicle.
Houck said one of the number
one problems the officers deal
with on the MC campus is theft.
“Don’t leave valuables unattended,” Houck said. Don’t leave
valuables like purses or laptops
in the car where people can see
them.
“If you must leave them, lock
them in the trunk,” she said.
Houck said that textbooks get
stolen all the time, especially at
the end of a semester when the
bookstore gets ready to buy the
books back.
She said one thing students can
do in case their books should ever
get stolen is to mark the books.
For example, a student could
mark page 28 in their math book
with a star on the bottom left hand
corner.
Then if their book got stolen
and was possibly returned to the
bookstore, that student could say
that they marked page 28 with a
star and they would have proof
that that was indeed their book.
If a student or faculty member
is receiving phone calls with repetitive hang-ups or threatening
e-mails, they should report this as
harassment.
A disruptive individual is
someone who makes threats to
harm others or themselves, is intoxicated or someone who is acting in a bizarre, unstable manner.
If anyone notices these things,
Houck advised them to contact
the MC police. Make a note of the
situation, campus location, age,
gender, personal appearance and
any other information that would
help identify the individual.
Possession of a weapon on the
MC campus is illegal. With the
rise of school shootings and terrorist acts, these things cannot be
taken lightly, Houck said.
If anyone should suspect an
armed subject or gunman on campus, authorities need to be notified immediately.
Make a note of the campus
location as well as gender, race,
body build and clothes of the
suspicious person so that proper
steps can be taken to ensure the
safety of everyone on campus.
MC employs seven police officers and seven security guards.
They are here to protect the campus and will even help change a
flat tire or unlock a vehicle should
the keys get locked inside, Houck
said.
The MCPD has a link at www.
midlandcollege.edu that has been
updated. On it are pictures of
criminal offenders, lost and found
and much more helpful information.
In case of an emergency, call
911 or the MCPD at (432) 6854734.
Brushing up on new technology
By Breeann Dunham
EP Staff Reporter
“So what is it that makes you
enjoy the class, Mr. Roy?”
Alan Roy, a master electrician,
takes a bite of his cookie and
laughs as he leans forward in his
computer chair.
Pointing the half-eaten cookie
forward, the man gives a concentrated look and replies, “Gavin
Frantz is very knowledgeable,
and he makes the class worth going to. Any question (one) might
have, he has the answer to.”
This is what makes the hard
part of classes go by quicker, Roy
said.
Roy is currently enrolled in a
technical class at Midland College.
In his thirties, with three teenage children and a wife, he said
attending even one class is uneasy. It is especially difficult because the class only occurs in the
evening.
According to Roy, the class is
to assist him in “staying up with
the technology, tying together
(his) line of work and the new
programmable logic controllers,
which are used to monitor gas and
oil lines.”
Roy, a man who recently set
out to run his own electrical com-
pany, said the most difficult parts
he foresees in running his business are “finding qualified help,
getting clients and customers and
just finding enough time to do all
the jobs.”
In the current times, finding
all of these factors proves much
more important also, Roy said.
Roy said he might require future employees to attend classes
at MC.
“It just depends, but right
now there is nothing else I truly
require. But there’s always that
maybe.
“Juggling my home life, work
life and school is definitely harder than just balancing one of the
three. If I just attended the one
class and didn’t have to worry
about the other two, things would
be easy. But they’re never easy,”
Roy said.
Keeping up with the little
things like ice and dog food get
tedious when making big plans
for your family and its future, but
it still has to be done, Roy said.
“My oldest is soon to be 18,
and we’re trying to get him out
on his own. We want to show
him responsibility, and we figure
sending him to work and helping
out around the house will begin to
mature him. Though he’s a teen-
ager, he doesn’t know everything,
as he seems to think,” Roy said.
“I’ve been considering letting
him help me out as an employee
too, but seeing as it’s such a recent development, getting things
straightened out is proving difficult,” Roy said.
“My second child is beginning
her career at high school, and this
summer we’re already planning
to get her to look into college opportunities. If she gets her goals
set up early, she’s more likely to
strive to achieve them,” Roy said.
“My youngest, the 12-year-old,
is registered to attend an engineering program over the summer. He hasn’t even entered junior high yet,” Roy said.
“All of this ties together with
my schooling and my job. As far
as I’m concerned, I don’t like
school. However, if the class is
good enough for me to actually
enjoy it, then it’s worth taking
over and over again,” Roy said.
While finishing off his cookie
and wiping the last few crumbs
off his hands and mouth and onto
his napkin the master electrician
stands up and holds out his hand.
With a strong handshake and a
polite goodbye, the man sits back
down and pours over his paperwork once more.
Sports
May 7, 2010
Page 7
Chaps baseball takes on rivals for final spot
Freddy Lopez
EP Staff Reporter
As of this moment, the Midland
College baseball team is in a fight
to the finish with rival Odessa
College to solidify the fourth
and final spot in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference
standings.
In order to qualify for the regional tournament in Fort Worth
beginning May 15, the Chaparrals
(30-18-1, 15-13 in conference),
must close out the season this
weekend against cellar dwellers
New Mexico Military Institute
(16-36) with a sweep.
The scenario is simple: win
two games this weekend and OC
loses two, the Chaps will secure
the fourth and final spot in the
WJCAC standings.
MC’s one win during the weekend series with Howard College
proves to be the key that will advance the Chaps.
The Wranglers on the other
hand were swept in a four game
conference series on March 5th to
the Hawks and that could be the
reason MC would cash in OC’s
ticket to Fort Worth.
FORT WORTH- The Chaps
traveled to Texas Christian University to take on the No. 1 San
Jacinto Junior College at Lupton
Baseball Stadium on April 29.
MC emerged victorious sweeping the Gators 2-1 in game one;
11-2 the second game.
The Chaps took a commanding
seven-run lead in the third frame
and scored another three runs in
the fifth inning.
Lance Day (7-1) earned his
seventh win of the season, striking three batters out and allowing
six hits while pitching the complete game.
In game one, everything led
to the tenth inning as both teams
stayed tied 1-1, until first baseman Nick Smelser hit the gamewinning RBI.
Smelser drilled a ground ball
that slipped between the legs of
the Gators first baseman and allowed MC shortstop Joe Wielbruda to score the final run.
On April 23-24, heading into
a weekend series against the No.
4-ranked Howard College Hawks
(40-8), the Chaps’ team held its
destiny in their own hands.
“There’s no pressure to win,”
Coleman said.
“We’re in control. We do not
need scenarios to make it. We just
need to win games.”
Instead, destiny slipped out
of their grasps as the defending
champion Hawks took three out
of four games from MC even
though the game plan was simple.
“We need to come in and immediately throw strikes, get people out,” Assistant Coach Hector
Rodriguez said.
“Giving our offense a chance to
come in and get things rolling.”
BIG SPRING- On April 24, in
a doubleheader split, errors from
games one and two in Midland
carried over into the road series
versus the Hawks at Jack Barber
field.
In game four of the weekend
series, MC and the Hawks went
at it offensively with HC evening
the score in the bottom of the
sixth inning.
The biggest error came on an
overturned call from the umpire.
Initially Smelser’s throw out to
first baseman Marshall Williams
was ruled an out.
The game umpires overturned
the original call and allowed the
Hawks Joe Leftridge to stay on
first.
Coleman came out to discuss
the decision and got ejected for
arguing the call.
After the game, Coleman said
he was only doing what was right
in sticking up for the team.
In the eighth inning, Chase Durham singled off a David Walkling
pitch to end the game 13-12.
In game three, the Chaps got
its first win over the Hawks since
2008 to bring a halt to the ninegame losing streak with an 11-10
victory.
MC reliever A.J. Longoria
(5-1), who earlier in the season
closed out another key conference game vs. Odessa College,
came through in the same fashion, retiring the last batter with a
strike out.
On Friday evening, April 23,
at Midland Christensen Stadium,
MC lost game two 16-7 in seven
MC athletes honored
By Tatum Guinn
EP Staff Reporter
To see the Midland College
athletes gathered together wearing something other than their
sports uniforms may seem odd.
This is exactly what occurred
at the annual sports banquet held
last month.
All of the MC athletes dressed
up and met at the Hilton Midland
Plaza to receive their awards
from their coaches.
In attendance were all of MC’s
sports teams as well as the cheerleading team, all sports trainers
and several members of the college’s administration.
The first team to be recognized was the Lady Chaps volleyball team. Carrie Kahn was
the recipient for the MVP award.
Megan Gwatney was the Defensive Player of the Year and Jordan Latham was the Offensive
Player of the Year.
Samantha Salazar was the
team’s Most Improved Player.
Gabby Garcia received the most
distinguished award given to
a member of each Chap each
team--the Fighting Lady Chaparral Award.
The men’s basketball team
was the second team to be recognized. Darrell Williams was the
team’s MVP. Brockeith Pane and
Jonathan Simmons were the CoOffensive Players of the Year.
Caleb Dean was the team’s
Defensive Player of the Year.
The Most Improved Player
award went to Ty Nurse. The
Fighting Chaparral Award went
to Curtis Jackson.
The Lady Chaps basketball
team was the next team to be recognized. Lauren Mansfield was
named the team’s MVP and the
Offensive Player of the Year. Defensive Player of the Year went
to Tanica Anderson.
Miriam Seale was the team’s
Most Improved Player. The
Fighting Lady Chaparral Award
went home with Anderson.
The baseball team, softball
team and golf team was recognized but did not receive any
awards because the teams are
still in season so the award winners have not yet been determined.
Chaps sign at variety of four-year schools
MIDLAND, TEXAS - In the
first wave of the annual Chap
migration to
destinations
across
the
US, several
Midland College studentathletes have
signed their
King
National Letters of Intent
to continue
their careers
at four-year
universities.
T h r e e
members of
the Midland
Molina
College Lady
Chap softball
team,
Tiffaney King,
Claire Molina
and Amanda
“AJ” Woodward inked
Woodward
with
Briar
Cliff University (IA), Angelo State University (TX) and Oklahoma City
Softball
University respectively. King is
a sophomore catcher from Wildomar (CA); Molina is a pitcher
from San Bernardino (CA) while
Minefee (CA) native Woodard is
also a pitcher.
The Lady Chap softball team
clinched the
2010 WJCAC
championship
and is currently ranked
No. 10 nationally with
a record of
Kahn
40-8.
MC volleyball coach Kimberly Boone saw
two of her current team members
sign with four-year universities.
Sophomore
right side hitter,
Carrie
Kahn (Moraga, CA) has
signed with
Friends UniGwatney
versity (KS)
and defensive
specialist Megan Gwatney will
continue her collegiate playing
from page 1
runs on five hits and tossed 10 three RBIs and a home run. MC
strikeouts in game two.
built an early 4-1 lead, Parada
In game one, MC’s offense added two RBIs and Adrienne
failed to put any runs on the Lozano put in two hits one for an
board, stranding eight runners, RBI.
including two potential tying runs
“Considering how windy it
in the seventh inning. For the first was, I thought we did a good
time in the WJCAC this year, MC job,” Ramos said.
was shutout by the score of 2-0.
In Saturday’s first game Angel
BORGER-On April 24, the Lady Lopez went two for three from
Chaps swept the doubleheader the diamond including a homeagainst Frank Philips College.
run. Woodward struck out 13
Hannah Raubolt helped lead batters out gave up one hit and a
the Lady Chaps to a 6-3 game to walk as the Lady Chaps won 4-1
victory. Raubolt contributed with on the road.
career at Oklahoma Panhandle
State University. Gwatney is a
native of Jacksonville (AR).
Two members of the
Lady
Chap
basketball
team
have
inked
with
NCAA Division I univerMansfield
sities. Honorable Mention NJCAA
All-American
guard Lauren
Mansfield will
be moving on
to Iowa State
University
Shiels
and forward
Adrie Shiels
has signed with the University
of Idaho. Both Mansfield and
Shields are native Australians.
Finally four members of the
Midland College Chaparral basketball team signed with NCAA
Division I universities. Caleb
Dean, 6’9” forward from Novi
(MI) will play for Western Michi-
gan University; Tyshwan
Edmondson,
a guard from
Hopkinsville
(KY),
has
signed with
Dean
Austin Peay
State
University (TN);
Brockeith
Pane of Dallas
(TX) will take
his considerable skills to
Edmondson Utah
State
U n i v e r s i t y.
MC’s “doubledouble” machine Darrell
Williams
of
Chicago, IL,
will move on
Pane
to
Stillwater (OK) and
Oklahoma
State University of the Big
12
Conference.
Wiliiams
innings of baseball.
“Baseball is like life,” Rodriguez said.
“The baseball cliché is ‘you
live to fight another day.’”
Game one seemed to be in the
cards for the Chaps as they took
the lead early 4-1 showing no
signs of a hangover of dropping
two games to El Paso Community
College the week before.
The errors began in the fifth inning.
MC catcher Toby Semler attempted to throw out Kevin Sah,
who was going for second base.
The ball flew into centerfield allowing two runners to score.
By the end of the sixth inning,
HC scored three more runs to take
the lead 7-4.
The key moment was with two
outs, Semler who was three for
four with two doubles and two
RBIs, initiated a seventh-inning
three-run comeback that fell short
off a Tate Baker fly out to center,
ending the game 8-7.
“We just need to tighten up a
few things … come out ready to
play again,” Rodriguez said.
Page 8
Photo Feature
May 7, 2010
Enrolling at Midland College?
Here’s a photo guide to the steps of becoming a Chaparral.
Photos & Story by Thomas Byrom
The Dorothy and Clarence Scharbauer
Student Center is where your journey
begins. Enter the doors that face the
west parking lot.
The Admissions Desk (under the
Chaparrals sign) is the first stop. This
is where you’ll turn in your application
for enrollment as well as any
transcripts you might have.
After Admissions comes Counseling. The
counselors can help you to determine what
you would like to pursue while at MC. They
will also tell you if you need to take any
pre-enrollment tests such as the THEA or
Compass.
Next, you’ll head over to the
Cashier’s office to pay for any
testing.
After paying for the test, take your
receipt to the Testing Center to reserve
a test time. This is also where the tests
are administered.
After all testing is completed; you’ll want
to meet with a counselor again to design
a schedule.
The Financial Aid desk will be your
next stop. This where you can get
any information regarding Pell
Grants or other aid
When these steps are completed, you’ll
head over to Registration to enroll in your
classes. This can also be done online
through Campus Connect at midland.edu
After enrolling, you’ll return to the Cashier
desk to pay for your classes. Note: Payment
is due at the time of registration
You will then return to the Admissions desk
to get your Student ID made. The ID also
serves as a bank account debit card for any
scholarships or grants that you may receive.
Before leaving, you’ll want to stop by
the Campus Police Office to obtain a
parking permit for any vehicles that
you may drive to class.
It’s as simple as that. You are now on
your way to bleeding green and gold.