Budget cuts en-rage DCCCD faculty

Tickets for textingPage 10Page 3

Vol. XXXIV, Issue 7, September 27, 2011 www.richlandchronicle.com

CHRONICLERichland

State Fair opens the gates

Club Fairgoes tropical

Getinvolvedpages 6-7

High School: Little Elm High School in Frisco, Texas

Major: Marketing

Why I chose A&M-Commerce: I chose A&M-Commerce because I have always heard great things about the track program and the university. I also love the small town, close-knit vibe you get from the community and professors.

Best Professor So Far: Dr. Jennifer Flanagan for international business. She really encouraged me to reach my goals in class as well as outside of class. You could tell she loved her job, and still remembered what it’s like to be a student.

Cool Stuff I Did at A&M-Commerce: My life has completely changed for the better since coming to A&M-Commerce! Pledging Kappa Alpha Psi has always been a dream of mine, and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made so far. Community service is one of the main things we aspire to help with in the fraternity. We’ve donated clothes for the women’s shelter, raised money for the Katrina and Haiti victims, and assisted the university with tasks around campus. I believe helping others in their time of need should be number one in anyone’s life.

How A&M-Commerce Changed Me: I am blessed to attend a university as great as this one, and I take every opportunity that comes my way to better myself. I’m positive my leadership skills have changed in so many ways. As time for graduation comes around the corner I can see that I am more prepared to take on the battle of life.

LeArn More about Demetrius and how Texas A&M University-Commerce can change your future by visiting:

Meet.tAMu-CoMMerCe.eDu

MEET DemetriusClass of 2011

WWW.tAMu-CoMMerCe.eDu903.886.5000 or 888.868.2682

A Member of The Texas A&M University System

NEWS

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Students urged to get flu shots

Wanted: Writers, Editors, Photographers Stop by Student Media in E-020

Wellington Lemus participats in a texting and driving simulator available oncampus last year. Students experienced the dangers and risks of texting and driving.

Arlington bans texting and driving

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Achoo!It’s time to take cover. Flu season is here again.And it’s going to take more than a steady supply

of hand sanitizers and mom’s homemade chicken soup to stave off this dreaded virus.

“Everyone should have a flu shot,” said Susan Pilukaitis, a Richland College nurse. “If [you] go to school, it makes a big difference. If you get the flu, you can miss a week of school. That could affect your semester.”

Last year about 20 students took the shot on campus.

“More employees take the shot than do students” said Pilukaitis.

It’s unclear why so few students take advantage of the readily available flu-shot program on cam-pus.

“If Richland was offering free shots,” said Ja-vier Mata, a second-year student, “I’d definitely get one.”

But most of the students who were asked if they’d taken a shot or planned on getting one said they would avoid it at all costs.

The Health Center will offer flu shots Monday, Oct. 3, from 2 to 6 p.m. in Sabine Hall, Room S-118 and on Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Sabine Hall, Room S-117. The shot costs $19.00. Only cash or checks will be accepted - no insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. Everyone from the community is wel-come to get the flu shots. It’s not limited to students, faculty or staff.

REBECCA BANKSStaff Writer

The average texter is wrapped up in the digital world of texting whether at work, class or driving.

On Sept. 13, Arlington passed an ordinance that bans texting while driving anywhere on city streets. The ban is in the early stages of development and the Arlington Police De-partment is informing the public before the law is set to take effect in November.

“The chief of police, Theron Bowman, Ph.D., participated in a public service an-nouncement with the Texas Rangers to ‘Keep your thumbs on the wheel.’ The an-nouncement was one of many ways to make the public aware of the new city ordinance,” said Tiara Richard, media relations coordina-tor for the Arlington Police Department.

To enforce the ordinance, officers will be looking to see if drivers are being distracted for an amount of time and if so, they will stop drivers to identify the cause for suspicion.

Officers will use their judgment to deter-

mine if any offense occurred due to inatten-tiveness. Richard also said that drivers often admit they were distracted because they were texting.

Although drivers may be using the phone to find directions, listen to music or anything other than texting, they still can be pulled over by the police. The ordinance only al-lows drivers to use their phone to place or receive a call.

Besides the phone, other devices such as a GPS or MP3 player that are used while driv-ing could seem suspicious to officers since they can also be a distraction. As a result, drivers may be pulled over even though not texting.

Officers will follow standard procedures for the law in these situations to determine whether citations will be given.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2009, 20 percent of accidents occurred because the driver was distracted.

“Out of the percent for dis-tracted accidents, 5 percent were caused by cell phones,” said Richard. That’s 1 percent overall.

With each violation officers will write a $200 citation. As with any other ticket, driver may appeal.

The Arlington Police Department and city council passed the ban to support the con-tinuing campaign against texting while driv-ing. The police department plans to continue increasing public awareness about the ban

Flu shots have been injected into muscle, re-quiring a needle an inch long or longer. However, a new version hitting the market this fall is less than a tenth of an inch long, the first flu vaccine that works by injecting just into the skin.

LADISE PEREZContributing Writer

Sally Dang, a third-year business major, said she’d never taken one and wouldn’t even if it were free.

“If I take the shot,” she quipped, “I’ll probably get sick.”

That’s a common misconception.“The flu shot does not give you the flu,” Pilukaitis

said. “There are only a few side effects of the flu shot, like cold symptoms, but it’s not the flu.”

At least one school official, English professor Elizabeth Curry, said there may be another reason why so few students line up for flu shots on cam-pus.

“When you’re younger,” Curry said, “you think you are indestructible.”

The flu is a “contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs,” according to the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention. Five to 20 percent of the U.S. population contracts the flu each year; 200,000 people are hospitalized due to flu complications and about 36,000 people die each year.

There are some things students and faculty alike can do to help prevent the spread of germs, such as washing their hands and covering their mouth when they cough.

However, Pilukaitis said, “The flu shot remains the most effective way to prevent influenza.”

Do you text and drive?

1 Yes 1 No

1 Only at red lights or stop signs

Answer and view results now at

www.RichlandChronicle.com

to make sure that the locals understand the ordinance.

At this time there is no set date for the policy’s implementation, but according to Richard, they plan to begin sometime around Thanksgiving.

Information about the ban details of will be posted in the next two months at arlingtonpd.org and on the city council website.

Image courtesy AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

File Photo

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CAMPUS

Clubs get together to

The Chess Club is made up of players of all skill levels. The club aims to teach students an apprecia-tion for the challenge of chess and hope that one day that Richland will be well-known for its chess players. According to President Andrew Graf, chess is a way of exercising the mind in a way that students wouldn’t normally do. An environment of tight knit members, the Chess Club invites anyone who is in-terested in chess to join.

Meetings: Wednesdays at noon at a location to be announced.

Contact: President Andrew Graf

Chess

Youth for Ron Paul

Anime

Art

Interested in cartoons, anime, manga or video games? The Anime Club’s goal is to expose students to a wider variety of anime than they would normally see in the United States. Every week, the Anime Club shows four to five episodes of various anime and the club votes on future episodes. They expose students not only to anime, but to Japanese culture. There are a lot of things in anime students wouldn’t necessarily understand unless they understand the culture it comes from. The club watches and discusses anime, reads manga and plays video games.

Meeting 1:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday in Thunderduck Hall, Room T-252. “Richland College Anime Club” on Facebook

Zach Smith, coordinator (family stud-ies)

Purpose: To rally support for Ron Paul for the upcoming presidential election.

Current name: Youth for Ron PaulThis is a new club. The idea is: It’s part of

the National Youth for Ron Paul Movement (nationwide). The website is: Youthforpaul.com.

“We’re focused on recruiting right now.” (There’s just Zack)

Meeting: Wednesday, from noon to 1 p.m. Campus food court (There will be a sign). His next move: To put together a watch

party for the next Republican debate. “Ron Paul has been in Congress for 20-

plus years. During that time he has upheld his integrity and has remained consistent on every point of his platform.”

One of the things Zack really loves about Paul: “You can see this in the debates. Ron Paul hasn’t forgotten about history. So many

times we want to forget about what’s hap-pened.”

“He (Ron Paul) realizes the mess that we’re in, which has di-rectly been effect-ed by the choices we’ve made in the past.”

The Art Club offers an opportunity for students to explore different fields and attend art-related workshops. The goal of the club is to en-courage students to find their artistic side and potentially discover a future artistic career. Field trips, gallery visits, guest speakers and fellow artists are a few of the activities the club offers. Anyone who has an

Purpose of the group: To help the students and faculty reduce stress, stress management and concentrate on their studies with clarity of mind.” Also, to balance emotions and for physical, mental health and well being. “I teach at UTD, Brookhaven, at UT-Arlington and the APA (Association for Persons Afflicted with Addictions),” said

interest in art is encouraged to get in contact with the club.

Meeting: To Be Announced. Contact: Pedro Arias – president

Women in Math and ScienceThe Women in Math and Science Club

is an opportunity for women to learn more about the opportunities available to them in the fields of math and science.

It’s an opportunity for women to ask ques-tions and get information about a certain op-portunity or career. The club also talks about

women, such as Marie Curie, who have made a significant impact in the field of math and science. There are no prerequisites and it is encouraged that students come to explore the math and science world and learn more about prospective careers.

Meeting: First Tuesday of every month from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Contact: Annalisa Erder, president and founder, Professor Polly Schulle, Professor Applebee or visit the “Women in Math and Science at Richland” page on Facebook

YogaDada Theo, instructer, from Malaysia, who has been teaching yoga for over 30 years. “I had an interest in it when I was very young. I formally learned yoga in high school and took additional training in India.” Members vary from seven to 25.Contact: Dada Theo, instructor.

Images credit Julio Nieto

President Pedro Arias

President Annalisa Erder, left, talks to students about the importance of Math and Science and the contributions they have in our society.

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Images credit Julio Nieto

recruit new membersPeter Thavornvong, age 23Major: mechanical engineeringPurpose: “We want our fellow students to get to know each other and build our network.” “Our slogan is, ‘Student linked to success’.” They meet every Friday at 1 p.m. in Medina Hall, M-207. We’re meeting Sept. 30, Friday.

Members: “Right now we don’t have a lot. Students have transferred out. We’re recruiting. We have about 10.” Why is your group special?“We help out a lot in our community. We do volunteer work in downtown Dallas every week at shelters. We do fundraisers every month at Richland. We pick a monthly theme. For October, it will be Halloween.

Connections Other clubs to check out:-African American/Latino Male Student Success-Blue Star Club-Dance Team-Delta Psi Omega-History Club-Muslim Student-Peace and Justice-Phi Theta Kappa-Richland Bible Study-MuAlpha Theta-Richland Gay Straight Alliance-Super Awesome Science Club-Fellowship of Christian University Students (F.O.C.U.S.)

Honey Macabitas, presidentMajor: child developmentShe’s been here 3 years and hopes to go to

TWU. Purpose of the club: “We are a group that

tries to bring students to Christ. We meet every Wednesday at noon to 1:30 p.m. in El Paso Hall, Room E-076. We have free lunch-es every other week. We have a college minis-ter who teaches the Bible. He does this at all the meetings.”

Members: 20Special events: “We try to have an activity

outside campus once a month. That’s part of it. We do Thanksgiving parties.”

“As a student, this is a very diverse com-munity college. We would like as a follower of Christ to share what God has done for us.”

The college minister is Mark Warrington from the First Baptist Church in Richardson. He’s been doing this here for four years.

He said: “We have a few minutes where I introduce a passage. Then we’ll sit at tables and discuss it. We’ll have food every other week.”

Baptist Student Ministry

Major: educationTheir focus: Mostly academic to help stu-

dents stay in school. They have 10-15 mem-bers right now. They meet on Thursdays, 4

p.m. in El Paso Hall, Room E-081. Special guest lecturer will be Dr. Sherry Dean on Oct. 13.

Achieving Latino Academic Success Students visited booths set up at the Club Fair on Sept. 20. They were met with members and sponsers to find clubs that peaked their interests.

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REVIEWS

After a long break, Blink-182 has finally released “Neighborhoods” its new album. It is exciting to hear new material from the band for the first time in almost six years. The first half of this album really shows the band’s growth over the years and progres-sive experimentation with new sounds. This is a great result from the band members’ dif-ferent side projects during their hiatus.

The first track, “Ghost on the Dance Floor,” draws the listener into an environ-ment reminiscent of Blink-182’s earlier works. The track is well supported between choruses by high tempo drums and guitar.

The second track, “Natives,” opens up with impressive, fast-paced guitar work. This pacing is kept very high and had me lis-

tening attentively throughout the length of the track.

One of my favorite tracks is “Snake Charmer.” Fluid bass lines work well against the crisp and clear vocals of Tom DeLonge. Everything comes together on this track to give it a unique sound.

The two minute instrumental piece, “Heart’s All Gone Interlude,” is an interest-ing piece that somewhat breaks up the al-bum in two. It is also creative way to intro-duce the next track, “Heart’s All Gone.”

Overall the second half of the album has more sounds fans will be able to asso-ciate with Blink-182’s previous albums. So no matter if you enjoy their new or older sounds, there is likely to be a group of songs for you. The album comes out today (Sept. 27), the same day they can be heard live as they perform at the Gexa Energy Pavilion with My Chemical Romance on the Honda Civic Tour.

TIMOTHY POTTERStaff Writer

“Rage” takes you to a place that might seem familiar.. It kind of reminds me of “Fallout,” “Resistance,” “Borderlands,” etc. since it takes place in an apocalyptic waste-land just like the others. It is a little differ-ent.An asteroid has crashed into Earth and caused chaos and ruins.

Now humanity is trying to rebuild itself but the wastelands are overrun by a vari-ety of grotesque and mutated clans. What’s

unique about these clans is that they have their own peculiar behavior.

Gamers are probably wondering what is the difference between this game and any other? Well, “Rage” is an intense first-person shooter (and when they mean intense, they mean constantly on the edge of your seat in-tense!), has an expansive world, breathtaking graphics and an incredible story line that sets itself apart from other games.

“Rage” has a variety of weapons and each one has its unique qualities. “Rage” is Pow-ered by id’s idTech 5 technology that delivers an experience you have never seen before.

For online play, gam-ers can play 6 versus/ 2 Co-op and 2 co-op local play.

“Rage” will be released Oct. 4 and available on Playsta-tion 3, Xbox 360, PC, iPhone and Mac.

MARY CHANNELLStaff Writer

“If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place, I give you a five-minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours, no matter what. Anything a min-ute either side of that you’re on your own. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down, I don’t carry a gun, I drive.”

In “Drive,” Ryan Gosling plays a stunt driver who gets involved a relationship with his beautiful neighbor and child. The driv-er is a complete mystery to everyone. He isn’t even given a name. Gosling plays this character perfectly adding even more to the film’s tension. He sort of comes across like a mysterious Steve McQueen.

The picture plays much like an art film, or even a great B-movie. But on top of its fantastic acting you’re treated to something special you just can’t take your eyes off. The movie is marketed toward fans of car chases and will definitely keep them interested.

The movie is much more than this. Every puzzle piece of this movie fits perfectly; act-ing, stunts, script, direction and the unrelent-ing tension lying within the film.

Did I mention the entire thing just feels cool?

On top of being the coolest film of the year, it’s also one of the best. It’s far from being the “Transporter” knockoff many ex-pected.

SCOTT JACKSONStaff Writer

Image courtesy FilmDistrict

Images courtesy Geffen Records

Images courtesy Spawnkill.com, Rage.com, Ign.com

Game Preview:

If you are a “Rage” fanatic, you should check the comic book series. It is set prior to the events in the game. It will provide numerous insights into the game’s storyline.

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SPORTS

AnnA HernAndezContributing Writer

File Photo

AdAM CrOUCHStaff Writer

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath Walk to Richland College Washer and Dryer

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Large area, over 900 sq ft, plenty of storageLocated in a quiet community at: 9605 Walnut St, Dallas, TX 75243

Conveniently near Richland College, Texas Instruments & Hong Kong MarketEasy Access to 75 N. Central Expy and LBJ I-635

Applicants must not have eviction(s) or prior rental obligations, no criminal conviction(s), only non aggressive pets allowed

Women’s soccerRecord: 5-0-2 (3-0-0 in Metro Athletic

Conference)The Richland College women’s soccer

team is unbeaten in the 2011 season. Af-ter recording one win and two ties against nationally ranked Division 1 programs, the team has started conference play with a per-fect 3-0-0 record.

“We haven’t lost yet, so their confidence is high,” said head coach Scott Toups. “They know they are capable of winning.”

Freshman Malin Qvarnstrom has record-ed a team-high five goals and eight assists to start the season. Against Eastfield College on Sept. 16, the Swedish forward recorded two goals and two assists to lead the Thun-derducks to an 8-0 victory.

The competition will heat up by the end of September, as the team is scheduled to travel to face Division 1 powerhouse Tyler Junior College (Sept. 25) and conference rival Mountain View College (Sept. 27).

“The teams we have beaten or tied are good, but Tyler is kind of in a league of their own,” said Toups.

Toups regards Mountain View, along with North Lake College, as the team’s primary

competition to win the conference. The team defeated North Lake Sept. 20 by a score of 3-2.

Men’s soccerRecord: 3-2-1The men’s soccer team started the season

strong, scoring 14 goals en route to a perfect 3-0-0 record. But over the past two weeks, the team has had difficulty scoring against elite competition from around the country.

The team first dropped a 4-0 decision on Sept. 9 to Tyler Junior College, the two-time defending NJCAA Division 1 champions. After earning a 1-1 tie against Northern Oklahoma College on Sept. 11, the Thunder-ducks faced off against the two-time defend-ing state champions Mt. San Antonio (CA) on Sept. 16. The team fell 1-0.

“We play very good soccer, but we are working on putting together a complete game,” said head coach Scott Worley. “We played really well in parts of the Tyler game. We dominated play in the Northern Okla-homa game, and we played very competitive and hard in the Mt. San Antonio game. We just have to learn to put it all together and play a complete game from the first minute to the 90th minute.”

The team’s next game is scheduled for today, (Sept. 27) at Mountain View College. If the team aspires to win the MAC and ad-

vance to nationals, a road win against Moun-tain View is an important step.

Women’s volleyballRecord: 5-10 (1-0 in MAC)Now halfway through the 2011 season,

the women’s volleyball team has stumbled to a 5-10 record. While the team has faced a challenging schedule, head coach Zelda Smith expects more from this team.

“We have a lot of great talent but we’re not playing up to our potential,” said Smith. “It’s about being inexperienced, learning to play together and trusting each other.”

Competing in the Vernon Tournament at the beginning of the month, freshmen Am-ber Davis and Taiesha Brown were recog-nized as all-tournament performers.

Though the overall record is hardly impres-sive, the team got off to a fast start in con-ference play on Thursday with a 3-0 victory over Mountain View College. Conference play will grow more difficult as the Thunder-ducks must compete with Brookhaven and Eastfield, both of which are top-five teams in the nation.

“They’ve been working hard, so I am ex-pecting us to be a very competitive team in conference,” said Smith.

Cedar Valley College visits Richland on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. for the conference home-opener.

Soccer and volleyball heat up

Richland’s women’s soccer team is scheduled to take on conference rival Moutain View Col-lege today. The team was victorious on Sept.

20 at North Lake.

Tony Romo has been a hot topic these past weeks. With broken ribs and a punctured lung, he rallied the Cowboys to an overtime win (27-24) over the 49ers.

It was uncertain at press time if Romo would play against Washington last night. He was seen on the field, but was seen stretch-ing. Back-up Jon Kitna prac-ticed with the first team and would start if Romo couldn’t.

A r o u n d the Rich-land cam-pus, Romo has also created a stir. He was praised for his tough-

ness and leadership one week after being criticized for the fourth quarter meltdown in the season opener against the Jets in New York.

Dewayne Petties, a sophomore seeking his associate’s degree in science, admits he sup-ports Romo.

“First game he played good. If defense would have held their own, Tony would have had less pressure. In the second game, he outshined. He showed the first loss wasn’t

his fault.”However, many

agree that Romo needs to lead the team to a Super Bowl in order to gain respect.

“Yes, because he’s been with the Cowboys a long time and all he has to show is two playoff losses,” said Petties.

Hanna Hailu, a finance major, added, “Yes, not this season neces-

sarily, but soon.”When it comes to how well Romo per-

forms under pressure, fans are divided. The first two performances of the season showed two very different sides of Romo.

“When he’s 100 percent confident with his team and chemistry is clicking, then yes,” Hailu said.

“No, sometimes he plays well, but if the other team puts pressure he loses control,” added Omar Calderon, who’s undecided

about his major.In two weeks Tony Romo showed two

sides. Game One: He lost it in the fourth quarter. Game Two: He pulled out a victory in overtime after being down by 10 points. Football season is far from over. Romo will either show he has what it takes to lead the team to victory, or prove his critics right.

Romo’s ups and downs

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) lies on the ground after being hit by San Francisco 49ers Carlos Rogers.

Image courtesy AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

CAMPUS

dennIS Q. LYStaff Writer

PAtrICIA VILLACInStaff Writer

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All performances are free to the public on Stage in the Richland CafeteriaConcert Schedule is tentative and subject to change

Symphonic Instrumental Concert 1:Wind Symphony, String Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble

Tues. Oct. 25, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Richland Guitar EnsembleTues. Nov. 8, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Richland Jazz Showcase:Jazz Combo, Lab Band, Jazz Singers, & Jazz Ensemble

Tues. Nov. 15 , 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Symphonic Instrumental Concert 2: Wind Symphony, String Orchestra, Chamber Ensembles

Tues. Nov. 22, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Richland Evening Jazz Ensemble:Directed by Phares Corder

Thurs. Dec. 1, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Richland Choral Concert: Chorale, Chamber Singers, Gospel Choir

Fri. Dec. 2, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Student Composer’s Concert: Works composed by students of Dr. Paul Bonneau

Tues. Dec. 6 , 2011, 7:30 p.m.

World Beat Concert: Richland Percussion Group [RPG], Steel Bands & World Drumming Esemble

Thurs. Dec. 8, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Go to www.richlandcollege.edu/music for latest updates.Call Derrick Logozzo at 972.238.6254 for information.

Richland College Music DepartmentFall 2011 Evening Concert Series

For the time being, they remain in hiding in Fannin Performance Hall’s many practice rooms. In a few weeks, they will set foot on the small stage set up in the middle of the cafeteria. Fret not, faithful Subway patrons. Richland College’s musical ensembles are prepared to entertain and rescue you from your lunchtime boredom and woes.

The Lunch Concert Series is the brainchild of Derrick Logozzo, director of instrumen-tal music. The lunchtime concerts began last spring and the music department has since organized six weekly performances in the cafeteria each semester.

“When I was applying for this position, my interviewer asked me, ‘What would you do to engage the Music Department students more with the rest of the campus?’” Logozzo said. “The concerts are a way for music students and faculty to be more integrated with the campus and to reach out to their peers.”

Richland is home to 18 performing ensem-bles, including symphonic, jazz, world music and chamber groups that play brass, wood-wind, percussion and string instruments. When deciding on which ensemble gets to

Fall Lunch Concert Series

perform, Logozzo said he makes an effort to represent different performing groups that will also represent different genres of music. He also considers performances that are suit-able for the chosen venue.

Directors give participating students grades based on their performances, as the lunch-time concerts are part of the ensemble course performance load. Aside from performing in the cafeteria, the ensembles also provide en-tertainment for functions and campus events organized by the Office of Student Life.

“The turn-out [for the concerts] has been really good since people are eating lunch anyway,” Logozzo said. “It’s a win-win situa-tion because the rest of the campus is [enter-tained] and our students and faculty get good practice time in a more informal setting be-fore hitting the performance hall stage.”

The first concert will be Oct. 20 and will feature a mix of contemporary rock, jazz and world music from the Fusion Band.

“[The concerts] are a great opportunity because you get to perform for an audience in a unique setting,” music student Jordan Laurence said. “It’s like a mental game. The more you surprise students with your musical ability, the more you’re motivated to practice and perform well.”

A diverse musical line-up with perform-ers who aim to create a more inviting atmo-sphere may be the key to turning lunch into a time both students and faculty can look for-ward to this fall.

Starting her first year at Richland College, Jenny Do, 18, a nursing major, is adjusting to the transition from high school to college as a full-time student. Meanwhile, she con-tinues to work part-time.

Born in Dallas, Do is of Vietnamese descent. Her childhood was like many oth-ers, except she had to speak two languages, English and Vietnamese.

Growing up, school was Do’s top prior-ity. She is the first person in her family to graduate from high school and enter college. Enrolled in 12 credit hours, Do struggles with procrastination.

“My planner is my best friend for time management,” said Do. “I have to check my planner every class period to see what assignment is due when so it won’t interfere with work.”

Although she has yet to experience any

major surprises on campus, Do has enjoyed the size of the classrooms and making new friends.

During Do’s spare time, she volunteers at her church. She is one of the youth group leaders who help children learn more about God and provide a better understanding of

the Bible.“The person who inspired me the most is

my godmother,” said Do. “She made me a better person by keeping my head focused on school instead of slacking off freshman year of college. She basically keeps me in check with my goals.”

Do’s godmother helped and improved her writing skills through the use of a journal. Do said that this was a tool used to keep track of what and how things are going in her life, including school and family.

Do’s hobbies include drawing, listening to music and writing. She says writing helps her to express herself better, because she “has the tendency to put her foot in her mouth in public.”

“Sundays are my day off and relaxation,” said Do. “I feel at ease when I’m at church. I get to see my closest friends and be in touch with myself at church.”

Image credit Julio Nieto

Turtles bask in the warm sun during a cool fall day.

Jenny Do overcomes challenges

Jenny Do is a first generation college student

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State Fair celebrates 125 years

Staff meetings: Monday and Wednesday 2 p.m. in E-020-------

Letter PolicyLetters to the editor may be edited for space. They will be edited for spelling, grammar and malicious or libelous state-ments. Letters must be the work of the writer and must be signed. For identification and verification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s classification (grade level), full name, address and telephone number, although address and telephone number will not be published.

Editorial PolicyThe Chronicle is the official student-produced newspaper of Richland College. Editorials, cartoons, columns and letters are the opinions of individual students and do not neces-sarily reflect the opinions of other individual student writers, editors, advisers or the college administration.

© Richland Chronicle 2011

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MARY JANE HIGGINBOTHAMStaff Writer

It’s that time of year again! The Texas State Fair runs Sept. 30 to Oct.

23 and features a variety of educational ex-hibits, shows, art contests, thrill rides and food.

Open from 10 a.m. to midnight (or later for the midway), the fair provides entertain-ment for just about everyone. While popular attractions and family events such as the Pee Wee Stampede and Illumination Sensation fireworks return this year, expect to expe-rience new attractions, vendors and fried foods.

This year the State Fair will introduce the Greenhouse on the Midway.

According to an official press release post-ed on the bigtex.com website, the Greenhouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Visitors can cool off with misters and enjoy Farmer Mike the Pumpkin Carver and vari-ous flora and fauna

At night a show called the Electric Light Show Greenhouse occurs at 15-minute inter-vals until 10 p.m.

While the Greenhouse provides a more traditional garden experience, it is not the only garden exhibit at the fair.

Besides the lagoon, located behind the Children’s Aquarium, you will find the State Fair Fall Garden Exhibition. The exhibit fea-tures local artists and landscaping companies displaying their respective creations.

One of these local artisans is long-time DCCCD student Pascal Pryor. French by birth, Pryor lives in Oak Cliff with her daughter. She began taking art class-es at Brookhaven College, moved to Northlake College for ceramics and trans-ferred to Mountain View College, where

Pryor says her first sculpture provides “serenity in the middle of loudness.” Quot-ing personal friend Roger Kallenburg, Pryor called “Tree Gate” a response to living in gated communities.

“If we are going to live behind gates, at least let’s not live behind bars.”

Still other newcomers to the State Fair express their creativity in fried foods.

Some of the vendors appearing for the first time this year include Crispies, Cassie’s Frozen Yogurt and Island Spot, where you can explore the Jamaican menu.

The winners of the 2011 Big Tex Food Choice Awards represented two catego-ries, best tasting and most creative. Buffalo Chicken in a Flapjack and Fried Bubblegum won respectively.

Some of the finalists included Hans’ Kraut Balls, Fried Pineapple Upside-down Cake, and El Bananarita.

Want to try something new? Then try the Fried Naked Tamales, Texas Steak Cone or Heavenly Deep Fried Brownie to satisfy your cravings.

Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering and Western Swing Festival Oct. 21-23The event provides a chance to experience authentic western lifestyle. Imagine the scope of the State Fair or Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo’s activities squeezed into three days. Fort WorthAdmission: for details see www.redsteagallgathering.com Hours: varies

Halloween Nights at the Dallas ZooOct. 28 - 31Admission: Adults $12, Children $9Hours: 6-8 p.m.

Fright Fest Oct. 1-30 Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington General Admission- $56.99; Kids (48” and below)- $36.99; Kids 2 and under free Hours: varies, see the Six Flags over Texas website for more details about the annual Halloween celebration.

Texas Renaissance Festival Weekends - October through November Plantersville (see www.txrenfest.com for directions) Admission: General: $25 - $12, Group (25 adults): $15 $6, family 4-pack: $50, weekend pass : $35-$14, season pass: $250 - $100Hours: 9 a.m. to dusk

Fort Worth Music Festival (formerly Jazz By the Boulevard): Sept. 30-Oct.1 Will Rodgers Coliseum in Fort Worth Admission: VIP and general admission tickets: www.frontgatetickets.com;General admission: $10 per day at the gate, kids under 12 freeHours: doors open at 4 p.m. (Friday) and 1 p.m. (Saturday); see www.fwfest.com for the complete schedule

Fall Cottonwood Arts Festival Oct. 1-2RichardsonAdmission: freeHours: 9 a.m-10 p.m.

Dallas fall events & festivals overview

Images courtesy bigtex.com

she found her passion for metal sculpture. Pryor said she doesn’t know specifically

when she decided on a career as an artist, but said, “When I was a child I always used to dream about being a big artist . . . I’ve always done it [artwork] for fun. I do it for my san-ity.”

The artwork on display at the fair in-cludes two pieces titled “Serenity” and “Tree Gate.”

Images courtesy bigtex.com

JOE STuMpOStaff Writer

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400+ cable stations – but nothing to watch!

Richland CollegeMusic Recital Series

All performances are Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. in Fannin Performance Hall, unless noted otherwise and are free to the general public.

Fall 2011 RECITAL SCHEDULE:

Sept. 27 ◆ Dr. Michael Varner “Yoruba Music of Nigeria”

Nov. 8 ◆ Richland College Guitar Ensemble

Oct. 4 ◆ Iridium Brass Quintet (Arena theatre)

Nov. 15 ◆ Richland College Jazz Ensembles

Oct. 11 ◆ “Conquistadors & Composers” (Arena theatre)

Nov.22 ◆ Richland College String Orchestra & Chamber Ensembles

Oct. 18 ◆ Dr. Jerry Wallace Music Scholarship Recital

Nov. 29 ◆ Richland College Choral Ensembles

Oct. 25 ◆ Richland College Wind Sym- phony & Chamber Ensembles

Dec. 6 ◆ Vocal Honors Recital

Nov. 1 ◆ Richland College Percussion Group and Steel Bands

Dec. 8 ◆ Instrumental Honors Recital (Thursday)

For more information about this series, contact Dr. Michael Crawford, Associate Dean of Performing Arts, 972-238-6284

“Joe, step away from the TV.”That was a comment a former co-worker

posted on Facebook back in December af-ter reading a few remarks I posted on her page referencing various television shows.

Although I am 110 percent certain she was joking, I admit I was a little offended, at first, as she made it sound as though all I do on my off time is watch television. In fact, that’s far from the truth. To be precise, ever since I got hooked up with AT&T U-verse back in 2007 I’ve got 400+ cable stations (I don’t have the movie stations) and I still can’t find anything to watch!

Truth be told, I sit for hours at my job, so between working in front of the computer, blogging and going to see movies, the last thing I truly want to do when I get home is watch television.

In fact, I am not the least bit sorry I haven’t kept up with a majority of what today’s viewing audience watches. I have no idea the dirty laundry the women of Wisteria Lane on “Desperate Housewives” have been up to for a few seasons now. I can’t remem-ber what the last episode of “The Simpsons” I saw. I don’t know why viewers love “Modern Family” and I’m not interested in finding out.

I am not sorry I missed the several train wrecks on “Dancing With the Stars” seeing

various celebrities prove to audiences they have rhythm. However, I did catch five min-utes of reality star Kate Gosselin dancing last season and quickly concluded she can’t dance. This is coming from someone who also has no rhythm.

It doesn’t upset me to have missed Simon Cowell belittle hundreds of contestants on “American Idol.”

I am literally bored to death (no pun intended) by all the “Law & Order,” “ CSI,” “NCIS” spin-offs and forensics shows like “Bones.”

I am interested in seeing AMC’s “The Walking Dead” one of these days but not now. That’s what DVD/Blu-ray season box sets are for.

As I read through the list of new shows for the Fall 2011-12 season, I can’t say I am terri-bly excited about any of the major network’s offerings either. NBC dropped “Wonder Woman,” and the other two shows I have a vague interest in watching, like “Pan Am” a drama about female flight attendants set during the airline’s early days and “The Playboy Club,” about gorgeous female bun-nies in their skimpy outfits back in the 1960s, will be nothing more than male eye candy.

The truth is, television today has changed. There is no such thing anymore as “Must See TV” on Thursdays the mid-1980s when shows like “The Cosby Show” (1984-1992), “Cheers” (1982-1993) and “Night Court” (1984-1992) were on. There are no worthy

dramas out there like “Hill Street Blues” (1981-1987), “St. Elsewhere” (1982-1988) or “Dallas” (1978-1991).

Most everything in terms of award- winning dramas (and I can’t really say any of them are “award winning”) has gone to the cable networks, if for no other reason than they are cheaper for the studios to produce because they always have to churn out a full season of 20-plus episodes.

Television to me has gotten to the point where the best thing to do now is to just turn it off. To quote a scene from a classic TV series of “The Cosby Show” where Rudy (Keshia Knight Pullliam) can’t find anything to do, Cliff (Bill Cosby) tells her he has over a million dollars worth of books sitting in her room that she could read.

I’ve got quite a few books and magazines all sitting in storage that I hope to read one of these days. I have often considered just turn-ing “The Boob Tube” off and doing just that. There lies the problem. I like to read when I know I won’t have any distractions. I don’t have that luxury right now.

Sitting in bed at night trying to read George W. Bush’s “Decision Points,” I find it hard to not to pick up that remote on my nightstand. Like everything else, looking to see what’s on television is like an addiction. No matter how much I complain that there’s nothing worth my time, I just can’t bring myself to leave that damn remote alone.

Excuse me now while I go look for some-thing to watch.

Cartoon credit Glen Sovian

UNT is helping me achieve more thanI ever thought possible.

“UNT’s professors and staff genuinely care and take the

time to help students succeed. I went into a research

class not knowing anything and my professor helped me

navigate the research process and figure out what I want

my focus to be. Now I’m excited to go to graduate school

— something I’d never even considered before.”

Amy SimpsonJunior transfer student in the Honors College,

researching animal-assisted therapy

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