In the search for the next Eastfield College president, students should be playing a central role. But for the past two weeks, unless their professors informed them about the presidential candidate forums or they read about them on our website, students did not know the forums were taking place. Emails...

Eastfield administration has big plans for the campus’ future, and at The Et Cetera we believe that we can provide some valuable insight into how to further improve the quality of our campus. Instead of caving to the demands of having an expanded food court, Eastfield needs to double-down on its promotion...

Two-thirds of Americans, young or old, conservative or liberal, don’t place much faith in the Fourth Estate, according to a 2016 Gallup Poll. Considering that the press’ primary role is to inform and hold government accountable, it is shocking that so many Americans don’t trust what ethical, trustworthy...

In response to the deaths of 17 people in a school shooting, students who survived the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, decided they would not let the issue fade out of the public eye. These students took to the media and to government officials to make their beliefs...

Voting is one of the most powerful ways Americans impact their government, but Texas voter turnout is abysmal, ranking third lowest in the nation. It’s up to our generation to be the ones who change that, and it starts with making our voices heard in primary elections. While more than half of Texas...

Those exhausted by Hollywood reboots and sequels will be really upset when they realize that the trend is making its way to Washington, D.C. The government shutdown that lasted from Jan. 20 to Jan. 22, a remake of the 2013 shutdown, is already headed for a sequel on Feb. 8. The future of immigration,...

Education is one of the most notable determining factors in a person’s future success. According to a Pew Research study released in May, 40 percent of employed millennials have a college degree. In order for Dallas County residents to effectively compete in the job market, they must have post-secondary...

The growing efforts to limit or ban disagreeable speech on college campuses is a dangerous path that, if successful, could spell the end of the First Amendment as it is written in the Constitution. The Et Cetera stands by the rights of all people, no matter how controversial their views, to speak...

More than 3 million American citizens have been living without food, clean drinking water, shelter, medical assistance and communication with the outside world in the wake of a disastrous hurricane that leveled the majority of Puerto Rico. An island just over 1,000 miles from Florida, Puerto Rico waited...

OUR VIEW President Donald Trump made close to a million people susceptible to deportation by ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, otherwise known as DACA, with a six-month delay. Only four years ago, 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children­— otherwise...

OUR VIEW @TheEtCetera The plan to transition 80 percent of classes to an eight-week format by fall 2018 will undo the work Eastfield has done to make higher education more accessible to lower income students and those who have not had strong educational foundations. Eight-week terms, while beneficial...

@TheEtCetera In the wake of any disaster the size of Hurricane Harvey, there are tremendous needs throughout the community that last beyond the current news cycle. As winds and rain tore across Southeast Texas, it was immediately clear that Texans have a long road ahead of them. While some have...

With more than 4,000 classrooms in need of qualified teachers, Eastfield and the Texas Legislature are taking steps to improve the quality and availability of pre-k through third-grade education in Dallas County. In three to four years, Eastfield will begin offering a bachelor’s degree in early...

As the semester draws to a close and another academic year ends, we have seen many programs introduced, cut or altered both throughout the district and within our campus with varying levels of success. A decline in extracurricular activities and lack of accessible resources for students struggling...

Transparency in crime reports is integral in keeping the public informed and safe. The media regularly uses such records to confirm information for news stories and presentations, and ordinary citizens have the option to consult these reports directly. Unfortunately, the Dallas County Community College...

With a new executive dean presiding over Eastfield’s Office of Student Engagement and Retention, change is to be expected. The recent implementation of the Puente Project and the revamped advising system are only two examples of improvement brought on by the switch in management, but other changes...

In the chaos of campus life, students are especially susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction. Whether they’re popping pills to stay awake through finals, smoking to calm their nerves or drinking alcohol for the first time, college is where many people are introduced to addiction. A support...

With seemingly unrelenting attacks on the judicial branch of government — both courts and individual judges — President Donald Trump has set an ominous precedent for the next four years. His comments on court decisions and judges show a lack of respect that bodes of an administration that will...

Less than a week after President Donald Trump placed his hand on the Bible and swore to honor and uphold the United States Constitution, he shook the country with more than a dozen executive orders of questionable constitutionality and repeatedly voiced contempt for the press, the First Amendment...

For a man who’s vowed to unite Americans, President-elect Donald Trump seems to be trying his hardest to pit them against one another. A particularly vicious election cycle has left the country split right down the middle, and Trump’s current picks for his cabinet are only confirming the worst...

On Oct. 22, the Los Angeles Times reported that thousands of veterans of the California National Guard were being forced to pay back thousands of dollars of enlistment bonuses erroneously awarded by the Pentagon over the last decade, many with interest charges. Following the rightful public outcry,...

@TheEtCetera San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been drawing a lot of heat after he refused to stand for the national anthem at an Aug. 26 game to protest racial inequality. Despite threats, boycotts and accusations of disrespect, he maintains that he will not stand for the anthem...

@TheEtCetera In the final months of one of the most controversy-laden presidential races in United States history, the average American is unfortunately becoming less and less motivated to vote. Amidst the litany of scandals and relentless mudslinging, many are finding it pointless to visit the polls,...

While most of the 10 candidates seeking to fill three seats on the Dallas County Community College District Board of Trustees appear genuine in their desire to improve the district, we’ve chosen to endorse Richard Morgan (District 2) and Monica Lira Bravo (District 4) for their administrative goals...

In 2014, we praised President Barack Obama’s series of executive actions amending his 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which allows undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country by their guardians to avoid deportation and find legal employment under strict criteria. The...