20 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By BILLY DENNIS When I heard Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”) was making a movie based on the classic racing video game series “Need for Speed,” I expected it to be terrible. Really, really terrible. I was wrong. Yes, the plot points are fairly obvious, and you know where the movie is going,...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By Billy Dennis The most dangerous drug dealers I ever knew were my pain doctors. At the age of 22, I survived a near-fatal car wreck. As I laid in a medicated coma, doctors told my family I had a 10 percent chance to live through the night. I spent the next seven months in the hospital and an additional...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera By David Ramirez College students, especially new ones, are learning something you can’t learn in a classroom: time management. When full-time students juggle classes and a job, it can be quite difficult. As a student with a 4.0 GPA, I wanted to challenge myself beyond this semester. I’m...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera By Genesis Castillo Diagnosed with ADD/ADHD at age 13, I refused to believe in the idea that my forgetfulness, lack of focus and impulsiveness were symptoms of a learning disability. All my life I had thought of myself as intelligent and bright, but as I reached my adolescent years, I struggled...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By BILLY DENNIS A federal judge’s recent decision to strike down Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage has sparked debate on campus. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio ruled that Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional on Feb. 25. Then he placed a stay on his ruling pending...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By KARINA DUNN The organization of the college’s academic programs will shift to a four-division format in the fall. Michael Gutierrez, executive vice president of academic affairs, said the new divisions will be Arts and Communications, STEM, Career Tech and Social Sciences. The removal of the College...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By MORGAN CORLEY Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in society as people have come to rely on smartphones, tablets and computers. However, this trend may not be for the best, especially when the personal devices become more of a distraction than a tool. Faculty and students have varying...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By ROBERT BURNS Quirky, optimistic and energetic. These are all words that could describe the characters in the play “The Miss Firecracker Contest.” They also describe the Eastfield theater students who played them. But unlike the protagonist in the play, the students won their contest. On...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By ANAHI PEREZ From catching to hitting to preaching the word of God, sophomore catcher Taylor Empkey leads the Eastfield Harvesters baseball team on and off the diamond. Empkey’s .400 batting average and 25 runs batted in have helped the Harvesters compile a 21-4 overall record and win their...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By KEVIN CUSHINGBERRY JR. LOCH SHELDRAKE, N.Y. — Freshman forward Ricardo Artis slumped in a chair with a towel over his head, hiding his sweat-drenched face and watery eyes. The Eastfield Harvesters had just lost 72-68 to Caldwell (N.C.) in the Final Four, and Artis wasn’t ready to accept...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By KEVIN CUSHINGBERRY JR. Most college students can visit their grandparents whenever they want. For Maria Garcia, it wasn’t that simple. Garcia was brought into the country illegally when she was 3 months old. So until 2012, when she received her green card, Garcia wasn’t able to visit...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By JUSTIN DAVID TATE The South By Southwest festival in Austin was agony on my feet. There was a lot of walking, running, jumping and standing, but the pain and the waiting in line was worth it — mostly. Some of SXSW was highly entertaining and surprising in a good way. Other parts of it, including...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
By KARINA DUNN Stephanie Dibble doesn’t have a typical faculty office. A car panel covered in blue eyes hangs on one wall, and a drawing of a female mechanic, frozen in a no-nonsense pose, graces another. Various tools and equipment, including a pair of goggles, are within reach of her desk. Visitors...
Read more → 19 Mar 2014
Posted by etcetera 
The Et Cetera called for reform to Stand Your Ground laws shortly after the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012. These laws allowed Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, to avoid being convicted even though he shot an unarmed teenager. We believed these laws were ripe for abuse, and today that...
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