By Keturah Jones It’s almost 11:15 p.m. and I’m finally arriving home from a long day. My feet hurt and my back aches from rehearsing dance moves for the college’s production of “Hairspray,” in which I play the role of Motormouth Maybelle. I have math homework due at midnight on mymathlab....

By Claudia Guerra One evening as I was cleaning up the aftermath of dinner with my 1-year-old, I asked my husband to get her bath ready. I was expecting him to get the bath started, go into the bedroom and turn on the TV without actually helping me bathe her. To my surprise, he picked her up and carried...

By Anjulie Van Sickle As I watch and listen to the young lady holding her Bible, screaming at the top of her lungs about fire, brimstone and hell, I am rather ashamed. I’m ashamed because I, too, profess the same faith as she does. But unlike her, I am not as hot-tempered. As she preached, more...

By Taylor Wallace I love Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” It was my coming-of-age novel, realistically portraying parallels to my high school years. The book was written for a mature audience. However, a film adaptation of the novel was released last October with a PG-13...

By Ginny Morris I recently watched a segment on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” where an interviewer asked people on the street, “What do you think of President Obama’s decision to pardon the sequester and send it to Portugal?” The question purposely made no sense, but some people who apparently didn’t...

By Kametra Nickerson- Loud Many people can identify with different verses from the Bible, regardless of whether or not they are religious. In the book of Proverbs there is a verse that says, “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue.” This verse reminds me of the many trials I have faced...

By Claudia Guerra When my daughter was born, I wasn’t prepared for all the changes that followed. You have to be able to take a lot when you’re a new mom, and that includes knowing what advice to accept from others. Since day one, my mother has been a constant nagger about what I should and shouldn’t...

By Enrique Morales I am a music addict. I love my addiction for the pleasure it brings, yet I hate it for how much of my time it consumes. Because of this constant listening, I can recall any song after enough exposure to it. I can play all the songs I want in my mind, without an iPod, cellphone...

By Danyelle Roquemore The role of a woman is often defined in black and white terms: She is either a timid, subservient, anti-feminist housewife or a bra-burning, man-hating radical feminist. With these two extremes, it’s hard to be comfortable and confident as a woman, because it is difficult...

By David Karczewski Due to recent tragedies such as the Sandy Hook school shooting and Jared Loughner’s assassination attempt on Arizona Sen. Gabrielle Gifford, our government is attempting to implement new restrictions on the purchase of guns. These new laws include universal background checks...

By Daniel Davidson We’ve all heard of the civil rights movement. Most of us have had to write papers about someone or something within the movement such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, the various boycotts and marches or the Freedom Rides. All too often we look at these...

By Ana Nunez To most older Americans, young adults nowadays are a lazy bunch who are too dependent on technology and don’t have any substantial problems or stress. If you expect anyone older than 40 to understand and actually sympathize with young adults who are under a lot of pressure, forget...

By Taylor Wallace Be silly. Make reasonable mistakes. Fall in love. Just take a moment to breathe. These are the things young adults need to start considering as relevant priorities in their youth. These experiences shape the rest of our lives, molding us into who we are now and who we will become. Students...

By Sidney Murillo Food fuels the body. Make eating good food a habit, and eventually you will begin to feel healthy and happy with yourself. Eat nothing but McDonald’s, on the other hand, and you will end up feeling as groggy and gross as the heavily processed fries you eat. The same goes with...

By Caitlin Piper I was 7 years old when I received my first game console — a used Nintendo 64 which, even back then, looked like it had seen better days. It had quite a few scuff marks and a controller port which refused to connect, but I spent a lot of time with it regardless. Since then, I’ve...

By Keturah Jones It seems like just yesterday we were filling the malls and running up our credit cards for Christmas, and now Valentine’s Day is already here. As I walk the aisles of Walgreens and gaze at the candy hearts, giant teddy bears, boxes of chocolate and those annoying stuffed animals...

Spring registration ended Jan. 16, a full five days before the first day of classes. Unlike previous semesters, students no longer had the option to register just before the start of class. While change is often difficult, we believe that doing away with last-minute registration was for the best. For...

By Keturah Jones At the age of 30, I was faced with a decision that no one at any age should have to make. Though it was difficult, my decision helped me develop courage and strength. I sat quietly in a small room so overwhelmed by fear that it felt like my heart was beating louder than the ticking...

Beginning this spring, tuition will increase $7 per credit hour for those attending DCCCD colleges, rising from $45 to $52. The additional revenues will help employees of the district receive their first substantial pay raise in more than four years. Reactions to the former were negative, as expected....

By Anjulie Van Sickle With the holiday season upon us, retail stores are showing their enthusiasm. Christmas wreaths, ribbons and presents are everywhere. All the lights and decorations are in place. When I look at stores like Wal-Mart and Target, I notice nothing actually has the word “Christmas”...

By Danyelle Roquemore For most of the world, the magic of Harry Potter is over. It ended a year and a half ago with the last film. But it isn’t over for me. I saw the first Harry Potter film when I was 7 years old. My mom told my aunt not to let my sister and me watch it. Naturally, my aunt...

By Sidney Murillo Twitter really is a lovely concept when you think about it. You just have to really filter yourself and shed the excess word fat from your ideas — if you have any ideas worth sharing. Not every tweet is Bartlett’s worthy. Some are rants about politics, emotional Drake lyrics...

By Braulio Tellez Growing up, I was told an education is the most important thing a person can have in life. In the three years I have spent at Eastfield, I can attest to the truths in that philosophy. When I began attending college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. Then I joined the newspaper. As...

By Justin David Tate While walking to the library recently, a man in a torn shirt approached me on a bicycle. He appeared to be homeless and asked for some change so he could eat. My first response to his inquiry was to offer to buy him a burger from McDonald’s, which was further down the road. The...

By Anjulie Van Sickle The elections are finally over, and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. Before last week, every news channel, every radio station and every person was abuzz with the latest political news. Even though the elections are over — really, guys, they’re over — people are still...

By Anjulie Van Sickle Innocence is something that is to be cherished and protected. However, in today’s society, young girls lose their innocence faster and faster. I see 9-year-old girls on their iPhones, wearing mini skirts, make-up and high-heeled boots. Little girls who are not old enough to even...