
Life & Arts


Classic crime novel chosen as common book
By Doug Castillo Eastfield is taking a trip back in time to solve a somber mystery this academic year in its latest installment of its annual common book project. This year’s common book is “The Maltese Falcon” […]

Faculty show ends Friday
By Brandon Wagner During September, original artworks of faculty and students decorate the Eastfield walls in the show “In Good Company,” open through Sept. 25 in the H and F-217 galleries. The show consists of […]

‘No Escape’ thrills, energizes with action
By James Hartley If you’re looking for possibly the most heart-pounding, action-packed flick of the year, “No Escape” is for you. Starring Owen Wilson and Lake Bell, the film excels at its purpose of edge-of-your-seat […]

Review: New ‘Fantastic Four’ revives franchise
By J. Gomez It looks as if 20th Century Fox may have gotten the “Fantastic Four” formula right. This latest reboot doesn’t have any blockbuster star names weighing it down, and that’s a good thing. […]

MOVIE REVIEW: The dinos are back, but they’ve changed their tone
By James Hartley “Jurassic World” is the first true blockbuster of the year, but audiences who grew up with the original three films will find themselves sorely disappointed. The movie, though it pays homage to […]

Movie Review: Off-color humor bogs down ‘Spy’
By James Hartley “Spy,” a star-vehicle for comedienne Melissa McCarthy, is sure to make some audience members laugh but also certain to make others cringe. Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is a CIA analyst working for agent […]

‘Ex Machina’ director: Selling small films takes work
By James Hartley Films are in a weird place right now. With social diversity so high and so many people looking for less conventional films that cater more to their individual tastes, independent filmmakers have […]

Festival Applauds songs, words, art
Candid Campus The Literary and Fine Arts Festival filled the campus with music, dance and discussion of the arts during the week of April 20. Arts in Action featuring Jazz Under the Stars attracted 200 […]

Summer TV binge: A crash course in shows with cult followings
Summer is here and another semester at Eastfield comes to an end. At The Et Cetera, we racked our brains thinking of the best ways to spend our summer vacation. Instead of burning in the […]

Country boy returns to Mesquite roots
By James Hartley Two years ago Mesquite native Craig Wayne Boyd hadn’t quite made a name for himself. That meant that his initials, “CWB,” on his guitar strap didn’t mean much to most people. On […]

A Book To Consider: Reading with enemies: Larson goes to sea
“Dead Wake,” written by non-fiction narrative author Erik Larson, is a climatic delineation of the events that happened leading up to, during and after the Lusitania’s fate. Larson was born in Brooklyn, New York, […]

Eastfield celebrates Cinco de Mayo
Scenes from Eastfield’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. Photos by Darnisha Cornelius

‘Avengers’ battle new foe, show their souls
MOVIE REVIEW By James Hartley “Avengers: Age of Ultron” has everyone’s attention, and for good reason. The film is exciting, fast-paced, well-developed and layered. Unlike “The Avengers,” the sequel delivers a fascinating story, better action […]


Movie Review: ‘Ex Machina’ excites but exhibits flaws
By James Hartley Writer and director Alex Garland (“28 Days Later”), known for his mind-stretching psychological thriller dramas, has come out with his latest project, “Ex Machina.” The film focuses on two programmers: Caleb (Domhnall […]

Movie Review: Veteran cast not enough to lift humdrum dramedy
By James Hartley “While We’re Young” is a dramedy that isn’t funny. The film had a lot of potential but was handled poorly. It provides a different take on the worn-out story about a mid-life […]

A Book To Consider: Rice revives Lestat for 11th ‘Chronicle’
Since its release in October 2014, “Prince Lestat” has made waves in the literary world. “Prince Lestat” is the 11th installment in Anne Rice’s the “Vampire Chronicles,” the first new volume in the series in […]

Rugged around the edges
Facial hair is making its way back into fashion By J. Gomez Beards are back! Grizzled jaw lines are more and more the cultural norm as men young and old abandon their razors and ride […]

Rapper, songwriter praises education
By James Hartley Rapper and songwriter Richard Preston Butler Jr., better known under his stage name Rico Love, released his first studio album “I Sin” last year after writing and producing songs for the likes […]

Life, liberty and the pursuit of brunching
Brunch is the sacred time of the week when you can enjoy classic leisure cocktails like mimosas and bloody marys from a carafe at 9 a.m. It’s also the only time of the week when […]

6-string professor shows classic skill
By Andy Carrizales Directly beyond Ed Healy’s office door is a table piled high with books on music theory and famous composers. A full-body mirror rests against a wall and, apart from two chairs, the […]

Documentary exposes college rape, cover-ups
By Courtney Schwing “The Hunting Ground” begins with an array of young people anxiously looking at their computers and raiding their mailboxes. They celebrate with their families as they realize they have been accepted into […]

Blackmail, birds, psychos, murder: Hitchcock lives on
By James Hartley Alfred Hitchcock’s special brand of cinematography and storytelling is regarded with envy and admiration in the film world. Many have tried to imitate Hitchcock’s unique style with varying success. The classic suspense […]

A Book to Consider: Plath still speaks from ‘The Bell Jar’
Sylvia Plath’s haunting work “The Bell Jar” was published 52 years ago. It is her only novel, yet it is considered to be an American classic and her most famous work in addition to her […]

‘The Medea’ times two in EFC theater
By Chandler Claxton The Harvester Theatre Company is gearing up to do something a little different from their usual post-modern plays – they’re preforming two classical shows in one night. The department will be performing […]

International Festival enriches campus
By Andy Carrizales In a technology-driven world, it is easy to go online and get inspiration for your daily outfits from the latest Pins and newsletters. With so many global publications and advertisements promoting a […]

Movie review: ‘Woman in Gold’ shines
By James Hartley An estimated 100,000-plus art pieces stolen by the Nazis during World War II have not been returned to their rightful owners. Based on a true story, “Woman in Gold” is an outstanding […]

Women’s chorus director calls Eastfield home
By Parker Ward Even when 40 voices rise together in song, Melinda Imthurn can hear a single bad note. “Melinda has an amazing ear,” said Radha Daswani, who previously sang with the Dallas Women’s Chorus. […]

‘Gunman’ full of action movie cliches, lacks originality
By James Hartley Sean Penn’s latest movie “The Gunman” promises action, adventure and intrigue through the trailers, but disappoints in the theater. Although the film delivers action and edge-of-your-seat suspense, the story is cliché […]