BY CAITLIN PIPER, OPINION EDITOR Released on Sept. 17 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Rockstar’s “Grand Theft Auto V” is the latest entry in their controversial “Grand Theft Auto” series. Like its predecessors, “V” is a fun, often chaotic adventure with a heavy dose of pitch-black...

By Marjory Morales, Reporter The Et Cetera attended the red carpet premiere of “Winnie Mandela” at the International Faith and Family Film Festival on Aug. 31 at the Omni hotel in Dallas. Reporters had chance to interview one of the lead stars, Jennifer Hudson, who played Winnie Mandela. We asked...

By Emma Hahn, Reporter The Theater Department is taking on a new direction. Unlike years past, theater program coordinator Dusty Reasons, will not be directing any of the shows this season. Instead, Reasons has called in professional directors from local theaters. Lori Honeycutt, technical...

By Justin David Tate, Life & Arts Editor A yam adorned with mouse ears cuddles to a yam-woman with a gun. Next to it, a large network of plants and greenery gives way to a painted jungle. Across from that piece is a mixture of horror and fantasy come to life in ceramic mold, as creatures with...

By Danyelle Roquemore When people go to gas stations, they typically do their business quickly. They pay for their gas, grab a soda or a quick snack and leave. They don’t usually hang out there. The Green Spot is different. The gas station is a true convenience store for the White Rock neighborhood....

By Sidney Murillo The dance studio in M-206 is no place for frilly tutus, prima donnas and dancing queens. Rehearsals for the May 9 spring dance concert are not your typical ballet recital rehearsals. Since 90 percent of the concert’s choreography is student-produced, blood, sweat and tears...

By Anjulie Van Sickle “Hairspray,” the college’s first production that included a complete collaboration between the drama, music and dance departments, opened on April 19 to cheers of appreciation. The musical is set in 1962 in Baltimore, where Tracy Turnblad, played superbly by Lindsey...

By Anjulie Van Sickle The Life House is a 1928 Rockwall house remodeled to provide a clean, organic coffee shop where people can eat, drink and visit with friends. Too often, owner Chris Kelley said, people just grab a quick bite to eat without considering what other options are available. To...

By Kametra Nickerson-Loud Janette Cobb never had a childhood. It was stolen from her by the people she trusted most. Her uncle began molesting her at the tender age of 3 years old. Then she was raped by another family member at age 12. Cobb never told anyone about either incident until she was 13. She...

By Anjulie Van Sickle The college’s theater, music and dance departments are coming together for the first time in the upcoming performance of the musical “Hairspray.” The cast advises the audience to expect to see fabulous singers, excellent dancers, a variety of comedy and spontaneously...

By Sidney Murillo It’s no coincidence that the song “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and DJ Lewis is topping the charts in the alternative rock, hip-hop, R&B and top 40 categories. Not only is the beat catchy, but the tongue-in-cheek flows by Macklemore are somewhat relatable. The line where...

By Ginny Morris Death was written all over the skinny horse. Every bone stood out on her emaciated body. Her ragged yellow coat was covered with grime and dust. Her hair was thin — a scanty defense against the harsh chill of the December wind. Her matted white mane hung dully over her neck. Her tail...

By Chanel Jimenez The art department kicked off the semester with “Food,” the second exhibit in its “Fast Food Nation” series that is tied to the common book. “I like the idea of taking the title of the book and breaking it up into those three areas, not necessarily addressing the idea...

By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. A little after 3 p.m. on weekdays, the parking lot outside The Boiling Crab begins to fill. If the overflowing crowd doesn’t testify to the quality of the food inside, the aroma will. Two neon signs in the front window flick on. One announces “OPEN.” The other reads...

By Justin David Tate In a scene near the halfway point of “Django Unchained,” three dogs bark at a black slave hiding in a tree. A group of white men hold the leashes tightly to keep the dogs from running toward their prey. His slavemaster, Calvin Candie, played with devilish intensity by Leonard...

By Claudia Guerra Violet Beauregarde sits in the audience with her mother, clutching her golden ticket and waiting for her chance to see Willy Wonka and his famous candy factory. She’s normally a gum-chewer, but when she heard about the contest, she switched to chocolate. Now she’s back on gum. The...

By Sidney Murillo Running is about the art of do. That is the philosophy of marathon runner and geology teacher Shizuko “Zu” Watanabe. Running, to her, is all about finding your own pace, setting goals each day and racing past those goals. The reward is coming face-to-face with limits and placing...

By Braulio Tellez Finding your “center” can calm the crazy stress of the college classroom. Although juggling a hectic school and work schedule can be difficult, finding time to clear the mind can help alleviate some of the stress. That’s one reason yoga instructor Beth Cunningham recently...

By Ginny Morris Timylle Adams has loved acting for as long as she can remember. She made her stage debut at the age of 2 when she recited Psalm 23 in front of her local church congregation. Since then, there has been no stopping her. Her passion for performing has allowed her to enjoy many experiences,...

Compiled by Caitlin Piper Weddings, dating, child pageants and makeovers — when it comes to reality TV, no stone goes unturned. But even the craziest of these shows seem ordinary when compared to what we’ve found. Hillbilly Handfishin’ Network: Animal Planet Sunday, 7 p.m. Skipper Bivins...