By Gereneicia Foster, staff writer The time had come again for Cody Dziak to compete in the state championship race at the Metroplex BMX track in DeSoto.  It was a familiar yet frustrating venue. He had won many races in his young career, but never this one. Now it was his time to win. Dziak...

By Justin David Tate Life and Arts Editor Massive turkey legs and ferris wheel rides are what the average person pictures when they think about the Texas State Fair. The problem for college students is that the cost of a turkey leg and ferris wheel ride is nearly $20. Photographer Kristen Dixon and I each...

BY KEVIN CUSHINGBERRY JR., EDITOR IN CHIEF Mexican-born artist Carlos Donjuan was just another kid with a spray paint can when he started honing his graffiti skills on the streets of Oak Cliff. Now he’s noticed in countries as far away as Italy, where his work will be displayed in February. On...

By Braulio Tellez Metal heads rejoice. Your movie is here. Nimrod Antal’s “Metallica; Into the never” premiered this month and blew out my ear drums, as well as my perception of the heavy metal concerts. I wasn’t too familiar with Metallica’s music and had only heard their radio hits,...

BY KRISTEN DIXON, REPORTER Scott Porter isn’t the biggest name in the music industry. He isn’t on billboards and hasn’t been signed to a major record label. But he’s just started. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter performs at college campuses all over the U.S. and is finishing a 4,000-mile...

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...