24

Entertainment SUMMER WORD FIND SUDOKU

A race to the “Fin”ish

1

Lion’s Pride The

Summer 2017 Vol. 4 Issue 3

By Dan Macias

The immigration enforcement

law known as Senate Bill 4 (SB 4)

immediately went into effect follow-

ing a majority vote in the Texas Sen-

ate. Drafted by Sen. Charles Perry, the

law was introduced as a method of

banning “sanctuary cities” and creat-

ing safer Texas communities. While

the bill is slated to take effect Septem-

ber 1, the two-thirds approval allows

for instant enforcement.

The enforcement of SB 4 man-

dates police officers to question the

immigration status of any person de-

tained and, in some cases, victims of

crimes. It is not just peace officers

who are required to serve the enforce-

ment bill; city officials and officers

within college campuses also must

inquire as to the immigrant status of

any detainee.

This bill is reminiscent of Arizo-

na Senate Bill 1070 (SB 1070), which

was signed into law early in 2010. SB

1070 granted police officers the right

to detain and question individuals

who they suspected may be in the

country illegally. The law roused both

interest groups and minorities, which

led to legal disputes regarding the

possibility of discrimination by law

enforcement. When the legal battles

reached the Supreme Court, the law

was gutted severely but was deemed

constitutional by a vote of 5-3 in July

2010.

At the time of SB 1070’s pass-

ing, the American Civil Liberties Un-

ion (ACLU) reported that they would,

in coalition with other civil rights

groups, continue to challenge the

hotly disputed bill. In regards to SB4,

the ACLU declared a travel alert to

anyone looking to visit Texas, includ-

ing foreign tourists, warning that trav-

elers may experience issues with law

enforcement.

In response to SB 4 being passed,

Art Acevedo and James McLaughlin,

the police chiefs for the cities of Hou-

ston and Dallas respectively, pub-

lished an op-ed in The Dallas Morn-

ing News arguing against the bill. The

two men explain their concerns about

SB 4, asserting that it “will lead to

distrust of police, less cooperation

Texas Legislature Passes SB 4 Immigration Enforcement Law

Table of Contents

Student Life 7 Arts & Culture 11 STEM 14 Sports 16

La Voz 18 Sustainability 20 Business 22 Entertainment 24

(Continued on page 4)

Image courtesy of The Texas Observer and Gus Bova

SB 4 protestors sit outside the office of the Texas governor

2

TheLion’s Pride Founded in 2014

Chief Advisor: Luke Story

Chief Student Editors: Chr is Char tier and Dan Macias

Editorial Advisors: Jason Schneider and Scott Powers

Web Advisor: Yoriko Sosa

Advisors: Jean Baker, Iva Bergeron, David Couric, Lori De La Cruz, Brenda Epperson, Darius

Frasure, Jennifer Gehrig, Margaret Geiger, Ian Grey, Colleen Harris, Sarah Hutchings, Hayden Kilmarnok (Miguel Esparza), Sa-

mar Kolailat, Jill Lain, Frida Castañeda-Lomonaco, Scott Powers, Alice Rios, Ulises Rodríguez, Luke Tesdal, Karen Valencia, and

Judson Wood

Editorial Staff: Dan Macias, Megan Medina, Sarah Moreno, Br ittani Samuels, and Meghan Wiggins

Contributing Writers: Chr is Char tier , Colleen Har r is, Ree Himself, Dan Macias, Sarah Moreno, and Scott Powers

Photo by Luke Story

By Colleen Harris

DALLAS—MVC Facilities works

hard to keep our campus clean and

“green.” During a full-campus tour

with Allan Knott, Director of Facili-

ties, Mr. Knott explained that he looks

forward to his job every day because

he has the opportunity “to work with

hardworking people and talk with the

deans to see if they have any con-

cerns.”

The different branches of Facili-

ties include the “custodial department,

operations, grounds or landscaping,

and maintenance.”

The accessibility and safety of

the campus is the number one con-

cern, and, according to Knott, Moun-

tain View “has an audit that works

with the Americans for Disabilities

Act, and there are ample restrooms,

parking spaces, and entrances” for

those with disabilities.

The inside of MVC’s campus has

accommodations for those with disa-

bilities. “Anytime we do remodeling,

the auditors make sure we are in com-

pliance with the ADA,” stated Knott.

About the department’s goals,

Knott said that facilities has “a ten-

year plan for the future of the school

[that includes] building sport team

rooms in the men’s and women’s

locker room, paving the parking lot

from the B Building to the Tennis

Court, and installing LED lights in the

parking lot.” These improvements are

both convenient and eco-friendly. As

Knott mentioned, “LED lights use less

energy.”

MVC strives to be as environ-

mentally friendly as possible and has

been recycling for about twenty years.

MVC “recycles 100 percent of card-

boards, papers, cans, and plastics,”

Knott said. RecycleMania is a contest

that tracks recycling at colleges and

universities across the U.S., and MVC

is in the top 10 percent. All DCCCD

campuses participate in the annual

RecycleMania competition.

Regarding the campus grounds,

Knott explains, “All 210 acres are left

alone. We let nature take its course.”

MVC works to maintain wildlife and,

according to Knott, has been

“designated an urban wild life sanctu-

ary by the National Humane Society.”

While cleaning the MVC cam-

pus, the district requires that all clean-

ing supplies be environmentally-

friendly. “We are striving to install

hand dryers and remove paper towels

[in the restrooms] to be greener,”

Knott continued. If students or em-

ployees need to contact Facilities,

they should submit a Classroom Ac-

tion Notice, which can be found in

every classroom.

As the ten-year plan moves for-

ward, MVC and facilities will contin-

ue to keep the needs of our campus

environment as a top priority. Current

and future students can look forward

to improved facilities and rest assured

that no new improvements occur at

the expense of the environment.

MVC Facilities Keeps Our Campus Beautiful

Trees reflect off of an MVC pond

23

extremely enjoyable.

Whether working at Disney

World or Disneyland, you will learn a

lot of things. You will get to know

how to be independent, manage your

money, pay taxes and bills, work with

guests, and give directions around the

park. Some people think that they are

already independent, but really they

might not be until they move out on

their own. When you learn to buy

your own food, cook, and pay bills

and taxes, then you can say, “I’m in-

dependent.” Other things you will

learn are how to work with people

from all over the world and how to

give them directions. You learn where

everything is at the park and how to

get there. If you did not know how to

give directions before, you will learn

big-time because people will

constantly ask you how to get to plac-

es at the park where you work. When

working at Disney World, you will be

living there for five to seven months

in special student apartments for the

DCP. You will have roommates and a

bus that will take you to and from

work every day.

To get into the program, you

have to be 18 years old or older, have

your GPA, grade level, and number of

credit hours earned. You also have to

have at least one college semester

complete, so, if you are a freshman,

then you can apply for your second

semester. When living out in Florida

for Disney World, you will have pay a

$350 fee, due at the time you accept.

There will be no smoking, and, if you

have someone who is 18 living in the

same apartment as you, then there will

be no alcohol. You cannot have over-

night guests. They will take $99 to

$130 out of your paycheck once a

week for your rent, so you do not have

to worry about paying rent on time.

Disney World also has many

earning choices. When you apply, go

to “Earning” and pick what you want

to do for Disney. If you get the job,

you have to be flexible with time be-

cause sometimes you will be called-in

either late at night or early in the

morning. You get paid by the hour,

and this will help you learn how to

work with time.

As Cinderella says, “Dreams re-

ally do come true.” My sister Karen

met Steven when they were both

working at Disney World in 2008.

They are now married and have a

daughter, who is six years old, and a

son, who is one and half years old. So,

on top of all the other benefits, if you

do the Disney College Program, you

might meet your prince or prin-

cess...you never know!

Happiest Place to Work

(Continued from page 22)

To apply for the DCP, go to:

http://jobs.disneycareers.com/disney-college-program

22

By Sarah Moreno

Some college students are unsure

what career path they want to take.

The Disney College Program (DCP)

can help them in many ways. Whether

one is interested in hotel management,

restaurant management, or other hos-

pitality careers, Disney World has all

of this and more to offer. Imagine

combining your childhood dreams

with a paying job. That is exactly

what you get when participating in the

Disney World or Disneyland College

Program.

I learned about the DCP from my

sister, Karen, and my brother-in-law,

Steven. When we were living in

Tennessee, Karen had a friend in the

program who did not want to go to

Florida by herself, so Karen went with

her. Before he met Karen, Steven

joined the program because he was

living in Arkansas and wanted to

move out of state for a while.

Karen worked as an outdoor food

vendor. She sold ice cream, drinks,

and popcorn in the Magic Kingdom

and walked around helping people

with directions to certain places. Ste-

ven, on the other hand, was a custodi-

an. He also helped people get around

the park. One patron judged him be-

cause she saw him cleaning up after

people and made him an example for

why her children needed a good edu-

cation. She did not know that he was

working for the DCP. A few negative

experiences can happen at any job, but

the majority of his time there was

(Continued on page 23)

Business Disney Is the Happiest Place to Work

By Colleen Harris

Are you looking to improve writ-

ing skills and gain work experience at

the same time? If so, then writing-

related internships are right for you.

I had the opportunity to have an

interview with Mountain View Col-

lege’s very own Prof. Darius Frasure

to learn all the details. The internship

tasks range from “facilitating high

school writing workshops to facilitat-

ing open mics and or writing-related

events,” stated Frasure.

Several organizations offer writ-

ing internships, including MVC, The

Wild Detectives Bookstore, The Writ-

ers Garret, DaVerse Lounge, Big

Thought, and several others. These

associations all explore different areas

of writing and give interns unique

tasks. Frasure explained, “The Wild

Detectives Bookstore assigns main-

taining social media blogs to their in-

terns, while The Writers Garret offers

their interns administrative opportuni-

ties.”

If aspiring interns are interested

in helping other students improve

their writing, then becoming a peer

tutor at MVC’s Academic Center for

Writing is also a great choice.

Interns hone their writing skills,

but proficiency in other areas such as

“time management, working with oth-

ers, presentations, organization, and

meeting deadlines” can also improve

writing.

All the hard work and dedication

pays off since internships may be

“paid [positions] or even lead to

long-term employment.” The duration

of each internship “depends on the

availability of each student and their

personal interests.”

To qualify for internships, stu-

dents need to have a recommendation

or coaching from Professor Frasure or

Professor Luke Story, Director of the

Academic Center for Writing.

Prof. Frasure explained that stu-

dents who take “QEP courses or par-

ticipate in the Kevin Williams Writing

Lounge” at MVC are great candidates

for writing internships.

Interested students should direct

all inquiries and interests to Professor

Frasure so a formal meeting can be

held between the potential internee

and the intern coach. He can be

reached by email at

frasured@dcccd.edu or in his office in

Room W261.

Get Paid for Writing:

Writing-Related Internships

Photo by Sarah Moreno Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World

3

By Frida Castañeda-Lomónaco

Given that The Lion’s Pride ad-

heres to the philosophy of providing

positive, informative, impartial, and

uplifting news to our readers, we de-

cided that we would highlight some of

the amazing stories from news outlets

across the globe. The following is a

list of our top 10 headlines:

“The Sea Cow Rebounds in

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef”

Dugongs, relatives of the mana-

tee, are officially making a

comeback. According to the Great

Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority,

the population in the southern region

of the coral reef is growing. In an aeri-

al survey, 10 percent of the animals

counted were calves. Scientists credit

the increase in births to meadows of

seagrass that have recovered after a

powerful cyclone in 2011.

“Singer/Songwriter John Legend

Contributes $5K to Cover Seattle’s

School Lunch Debt”

Three weeks ago, John Lew start-

ed a GoFundMe campaign aimed to-

wards eliminating school lunch debt

in Seattle; however, he was astounded

when someone by the name of John

Stephens made a single donation of

$5,000. A quick Google search

showed that John Stephens is actually

the birth name of R&B singer John

Legend. When thanked via Twitter,

Legend responded, “My pleasure! We

should have free lunch for all of our

public students!”

“Scientists Create a Virus that

Helps Immune System Beat

Cancer”

Swiss scientists have designed a

virus that kick-starts the immune

Global Headlines Create Smiles

By Chris Chartier

In 1939, The Wizard of Oz prem-

iered at the Strand Theatre in Wiscon-

sin. In 1965, The Beatles came out

with their song “In My Life,” and, in

1997, J.K Rowling’s first Harry Potter

book was published. These three

events have one thing in common, and

that is they are all the products of phe-

nomenal writing. Whether it is aca-

demic writing, a book, song lyrics, or

a screenplay script, writing has helped

to shape the backbone of our culture.

The exciting news is that there

are professional advisors and profes-

sors in the Academic Center for Writ-

ing (ACW) in room W114 to help

students with their writing. All one

needs to do is set up a consultation.

The ACW is also working on its

online Instructional Resource Data-

base project as a valuable supplement,

helping students become better com-

municators and continue the MVC

Culture of Writing.

The Instructional Resource

Database has received wide recogni-

tion throughout the classes here on

campus. Professors have used the In-

structional Database as an aid for dai-

ly classes and as an effective way to

guide students through extra credit

assignments. ACW Writing Specialist

Scott Powers explained, “At lot of

times it’s not convenient to stop and

give a whole classroom a lesson for

one student. The video database is

very helpful, because they can come

in, watch the video, answer the ques-

tions, and receive their assigned extra

credit.”

This type of video instructional

support can have a profound impact

on students. Professor Powers pointed

out a situation in which “students who

had originally been coming to the

[writing] workshops came in and actu-

ally started watching more of the vid-

eos on their own. They discovered

some more diverse topics. It wasn’t

even about the extra credit anymore.

They really liked the videos, and they

learned from them. That’s about the

best compliment a video editor can

ever get.”

Not only does this database con-

tain instructional support for writing

techniques, but it also discusses liter-

ary devices and analysis, editing, re-

vising, college preparedness, critical

thinking, and more.

Stop by the Academic Center for

Writing, set up a consultation, and

meet some amazing writing specialists

who will help you become immersed

in the MVC Culture of Writing.

To access the Instructional

Resource Database, search for it on

the MVC website or scan the follow-

ing QR code:

Instructional Resource Database Helps Students Write the Right Way

(Continued on page 5)

4

from members of the community and

will foster the belief that they cannot

seek assistance from police for fear of

being subjected to an immigration-

status investigation. This is a lose-

lose for everyone.” The police chiefs

also mention existing issues faced by

law enforcement, including dwindling

jail space, limited resources, and

strained budgets.

In addition to the provisions al-

ready listed by SB 4, the bill details

the consequences for any person of

authority who refuses to enforce fed-

eral immigration laws. These adden-

dums would charge peace officers

with fines and possible misdemeanor

charges. Consequently, any person

holding an elected or appointed posi-

tion in a governmental office would

also forfeit that position if he or she

failed to comply with SB 4.

The final portion of this law pro-

vides funds for officers or officials

who have suits filed against them

concerning immigration. This stipula-

tion would allow the attorney general

to use state funds for the costs of re-

solving a lawsuit against officers or

officials.

While Texas legislators have

already passed the law and are wholly

willing to defend it, it is obvious that

not all law enforcement officers are

on board. The resistance from police

officers and government officials res-

onates with civil rights groups and

immigration lawyers who seek to pro-

tect minorities from discrimination.

Their united stand against SB 4

gives hope to the possibility of revers-

ing and preventing further immigra-

tion enforcement bills that may en-

danger the relationships between

communities and law enforcement

agencies.

Recently, the tension stirred up

by this contentious bill came to a

head within the Texas legislative

body. In response to SB 4, protesters

gathered in the Texas House of Rep-

resentatives gallery. The disruption

reached a point where lawmakers

were unable to continue their work

due to the elevated noise levels. This

is when that state troopers were called

to disperse the protesters who reacted

by live streaming to Facebook.

Angered by the live streaming,

Republican Matt Rinaldi began shout-

ing at his fellow Hispanic lawmakers,

threatening to call immigration agents

to deport some protesters who alleg-

edly had signs reading, “I am illegal

and here to stay.” Afterwards, Repre-

sentatives Cesar Blanco and Ramon

Romero reported hearing Rinaldi

boast about calling ICE to clear the

protesters (with Romero recalling

more forceful language), which was

followed by a fracas between various

representatives.

Rinaldi reported a different set of

events; he stated that Romero

“physically assaulted” him and that

he was threatened by another law-

maker, Alfonso Poncho Nevarez. In a

tweet posted by Rinaldi hours after-

ward, he clarified, “I made it clear,

that if he attempted to, in his words,

’get me,’ I would shoot him in self

defense.”

However, Representative Justin

Rodriguez reported a very different

set of words uttered by Rinaldi,

threatening, “I’ll put a bullet in [his]

head.” The various Texas representa-

tives took to social media to express

their opinions and points of view,

with multiple videos of the altercation

posted as well. The confrontation

displayed a clear division of ideas

brought on by SB 4 between lawmak-

ers and their constituents.

While resistance was expected

from interest groups and private or-

ganizations, large cities within Texas

have joined a lawsuit filed against SB

4. In an article by The Texas Tribune,

it was reported that the Houston City

Council voted to join Dallas, San An-

tonio, Austin, and other local govern-

ments in the lawsuit against Governor

Greg Abbott. The lawsuit, originally

filed by El Cenizo, a small border

town, primarily argues that SB 4 vio-

lates the U.S. Constitution by limiting

the First Amendment rights of gov-

ernment officials, particularly the

punishments imposed for advocating

any policy limiting local law enforce-

ment in regards to immigration law.

However, another major feature

of the lawsuit against SB 4 is the idea

that the Senate bill violates the Su-

premacy Clause. The Supremacy

Clause states that the federal govern-

ment supersedes state law; in this

sense, the lawsuit argues that state

governments cannot create new laws

concerning immigration, which is the

federal government’s domain. The

argument using the Supremacy

Clause was highly effective when

used to dismantle portions of

Arizona’s SB 1070.

With temperatures heating up,

it’s little wonder that tempers are ris-

ing with them. As protests continue,

The Texas Observer spoke with sever-

al lawyers concerning what the future

might look like for SB 4 and the law-

suit against it, lamenting, “The case

will likely end up at the U.S. Supreme

Court, and that could take years.”

SB 4 (Continued from page 1 )

Word on the Corner

Circumlocution <noun>

/ˌsərkəmˌləˈkyo͞oSH(ə)n/

The use of more words than necessary

to express an idea; a roundabout way of

saying something.

21

warming, but rather caused by it.

According to the United Nations,

the Paris Agreement builds upon the

Framework Convention on Climate

Change by uniting nations toward a

common goal. Among the goals listed,

the most important one would be to

curb global carbon emissions and

maintain global temperature “well

below” 2°C. In addition, a provision

for the Green Climate Fund would

provide underdeveloped nations the

tools and resources for maintaining a

cleaner standard of living and combat-

ing the difficulties brought about by

climate change.

More importantly, because of its

non-binding nature, the Paris Agree-

ment presents each nation with the

opportunity to set their own reduction

goals with no penalty for failing to

meet those goals. The nations will

then reconvene every five years to

gauge progress and set new targets for

themselves. Of the total 196 nations

that joined the agreement, only two

did not participate: Syria because of

the ongoing civil war, and Nicaragua

who demanded a stricter contract.

Unfortunately, on June 1, Presi-

dent Donald Trump announced that

the U.S. would withdraw from the

Paris Agreement. The announcement

resonated with promises that Trump

had made while campaigning, particu-

larly with coal workers. Trump has

often stated that the Paris Accord was

a “bad deal” for the United States,

usually referring to the Green Climate

Fund and insisting that the United

States contributes more than its fair

share.

In his speech, Trump quoted sta-

tistics from a National Economic Re-

search Associates study on the eco-

nomic impact of the Paris Accord on

the United States. Particularly, Trump

stated that, as a direct result of the

Paris Accord, the U.S. would lose

roughly 2.7 million jobs by 2025 and

experience a loss of $3 trillion in GDP

because of lower production in a vari-

ety of sectors including iron, steel,

paper, cement, and coal.

President Trump’s reporting of a

loss of jobs failed to take into account

the creation of new jobs in the fields

of renewable energy. For example,

reports from The Solar Foundation’s

National Solar Job Census in 2016

noted that there was an increase in

jobs in solar energy by about 25 per-

cent (51,000) from 2015 totaling

260,077 workers, with employment

nearly tripling since the first job cen-

sus in 2010. In the wind energy sector,

Texas is leading the nation with the

most installed or under-construction

wind energy projects and wind-related

manufacturing facilities. A report by

the American Wind Energy Associa-

tion stated, “During 2016, wind ener-

gy provided 12.63% of all in-state

electricity production,” equaling

roughly 5.3 million homes powered

by wind. These wind-related projects

and facilities allow for the support of

about 22,000 related jobs.

By comparison, the Bureau of

Labor Statistics reported only about

70,000 jobs in the coal industry as of

May 2015, with the industry in a

steady decline for the better part of

three decades. While environmental-

ists and politicians may wish to attrib-

ute the increasing decline in coal to

renewable energy, that’s simply not

the case. In fact, as reported by the

U.S. Energy Information Administra-

tion, natural gas has increased in pro-

duction of energy, while coal has

steadily decreased, with renewable

energy barely making an impact.

Using the same study as Trump,

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz published an

op-ed on CNN advocating the with-

drawal from the Paris Accord. How-

ever, various scientists and profes-

sionals found faults with Cruz’s argu-

ment and, more importantly, the study

by the NERA. Professor Kenneth Gil-

lingham of Yale University points out

that, while the NERA study does pro-

vide factual information on the effects

of the Paris Climate Accord on the

U.S. economy, it also does so on the

basis of a hypothetical set of policies

that exaggerate the costs. “These may

not be the actions that will be taken to

comply with the Paris Agreement.

One could easily model other actions

with much lower costs,” says Gilling-

ham. Gillingham’s argument, pub-

lished on ClimateFeedback.org,

aligned with those of his peers, reiter-

ating that climate change is very real,

that renewable energy is working, and

that withdrawing from the Paris Ac-

cord would be a costly mistake.

As a whole, the Trump Admin-

istration’s decision to withdraw from

the Paris Accord is damaging to more

than just the environment. During his

speech on June 1, Trump insisted that

he would attempt to renegotiate the

Paris Accord to better suit the needs

of Americans; despite that statement,

world leaders from France, Germany,

and Italy responded by stating that the

Paris Climate Accord would not be

renegotiated. Trump’s action can be

seen as damaging to the nation on the

global political field; because of the

non-binding nature of the agreement,

the United States’ withdrawal may be

seen by other nations as an unwilling-

ness to cooperate with future treaties.

Paris Agreement

(Continued from page 20)

Word on the Corner

Omphaloskepsis <noun>

/om-fuh-loh-skep-sis /

contemplation of one’s navel as part of

a meditative exercise.

20

Sustainability

By Chris Chartier

Imagine stepping outside in the

morning and breathing clean air. Im-

agine having the ability to run, play

sports, grow your own food, and, lat-

er, celebrate an evening of fun with

family and friends. This is what a life

of sustainability can provide. Sustain-

ability is formally defined as

“development that meets the needs of

the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet

their own needs." This type of sus-

tainability is what the United Nations

agreed to globally promote when they

adopted 17 Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs) in a September 2015

Summit. Mountain View College is

becoming a part of this effort, and

there are ways in which everyone can

make their lives more sustainable.

As a college student, you may be

asking how sustainability will benefit

you. MVC’s Sustainability Coordina-

tor, Lori De La Cruz, clarifies,

“Sustainability makes our global

community and our lives stronger. If

you’ve got a strong community, your

chances of getting a well-paying job

are better. You have a chance at a

good education, an opportunity to eat

healthy food, breathe clean air, and

drink clean water. Not everybody has

that. People care about sustainability

because it improves quality of life for

all people, present and future.”

Though some of the 17 SDGs

seem broadly defined, there are spe-

cific ways in which people have been

supporting them. De La Cruz has

been promoting sustainability on

campus for four years. In the fall se-

mester, she will introduce these 17

SDGs with on-campus events. During

each event (e.g., World Food Day),

De La Cruz and MVC’s Sustainability

Office will be advertising the sustain-

ability goal(s) being supported by that

activity.

She is also writing a workbook

that will be distributed to MVC facul-

ty, informing them of how they can

integrate sustainability into their cur-

ricula. Sustainability can be applied to

several academic fields, including

biology, business management,

chemistry, architecture, and econom-

ics. De La Cruz asserts, “You could

pull in a professor and say, ’Let’s talk

about sea level rise as it relates to

economics.’” De La Cruz also

stressed that by looking at the broad

range of sustainability topics, a stu-

dent can see how his or her own clas-

ses start to connect to each other.

Relatively speaking, people have

only a short amount of time to spend

on this planet. What better way to

spend that time than to improve one’s

own and other’s quality of life?

For further questions, please con-

tact MVC’s Sustainability Coordina-

tor Lori De La Cruz at

ldelacruz@dcccd.edu.

MVC Embraces United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals

By Dan Macias

“Someday we may see this as the

moment that we finally decided to

save our planet,” declared former

President Barack Obama when he an-

nounced that the United States would

officially join the Paris Agreement.

The agreement is a coalition of

nearly 200 nations coming together to

combat climate change caused by

global warming.

However, what exactly is climate

change? Often climate is mistaken for

weather—those who don’t understand

the difference may mistake a winter

snowstorm for an argument against

increasing global warming. However,

it is important to understand that cli-

mate is the study of weather patterns

and temperatures of an area over an

extended period of time. Discerning

the difference between weather and

climate is the first step to properly

understanding how climate change is

not interchangeable with global

(Continued on page 21)

Is Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement a Step in the Wrong Direction?

Tips to integrate sustainability into one’s everyday life:

1) Recycle steel and glass 2) Steel and glass are some of the most recyclable products in the world. 3) Bring reusable water bottles to school. 4) Instead of buying single-use bottled water, get cold filtered water from one of the 20 stations around campus. This will reduce the amount of harmful plastic waste that pollutes the environment and endangers wildlife. 5) Recycle cellphones which are built with recyclable, rare earth minerals.

5

system, helping it track and kill cancer

cells. By inserting cancer proteins into

the artificial virus, the scientists effec-

tively make it easier for the immune

system to identify, target, and kill oth-

er cancer cells that contain similar

proteins. The treatment has shown

promising results in mice and could

help fight cancer without the severe

side-effects of chemotherapy.

“9-Year-Old Girl Opens Lemonade

Stand to Help Local Library”

When 9-year-old Mia Maguire

heard that budget cuts threatened her

local library, she jumped into action.

Mia set up a stand outside of the li-

brary and sold glasses of lemonade for

50 cents each. She made a total of

$625 in one day, including donations.

“I didn’t know so many people cared

about the library like we do,” said

Mia. This summer, the people of

Berkley, Massachusetts, will vote on

keeping the library open.

“NASA Gears Up to Touch the

Sun”

NASA is set to embark on a jour-

ney that has been in the making for

over 60 years. The Parker Solar Probe

will help solve some of the Sun’s big-

gest mysteries and revolutionize our

understanding of the sun. The probe,

which is scheduled to launch in July

2018, will orbit the sun for 88 days at

a speed of 450,000 miles per hour.

That’s fast enough to get from Phila-

delphia to Washington, D.C. in one

second!

“New Yorkers Stage Grad Ceremo-

ny for Student on Delayed Subway”

Jerich Marco Alcantara was

stuck in a situation known all too well

to New Yorkers. He was on the E

train, and it was delayed. Jerich’s situ-

ation was made special because he

was dressed in full regalia, headed to

a commencement ceremony at Hunter

College’s Brookdale campus, where

he was scheduled to walk the stage.

After a 3-hour delay, he saw no hope

of making it to his ceremony. Friends

and strangers came together on the

train to award him with a makeshift

diploma, as “Good Riddance (Time of

Your Life)” played in the background.

“Ariana Grande Holds Benefit Con-

cert for Manchester Arena Attack

Victims”

In a statement to victims and

their families, the singer explained, “I

extend my hand and heart and every-

thing I possibly can give to you and

yours, should you want or need my

help in any way. The only thing we

can do now is choose how we let this

affect us and how we live our lives

from here on out.” Coldplay, Katy

Perry, Pharrel Williams, and a multi-

tude of other pop stars also signed on

to perform. All proceeds benefited the

We Love Manchester Emergency

Fund.

“6-year-old Girl Becomes Youngest

Competitor Ever at Scripps Nation-

al Spelling Bee”

Edith Fuller of Tulsa, Oklahoma

is preparing to compete against kids

twice her age as the 90th National

Spelling Bee gets underway. In

March, Edith out-spelled more than

50 competitors and won the 2017

Scripps Green Country Regional

Spelling Bee in Tulsa. The win earned

Edith a spot in the record books and

sent her to the national spelling bee,

where she is set to compete against

290 others. Edith hopes to grow up to

be a professor of zoology.

“World War II Vet Earns High

School Diploma After 71 Years”

Milton Mockerman, 89 year-old,

received an honorary diploma from

Kalkaska High School in Michigan,

71 years after he was meant to gradu-

ate. During World War II, Mocker-

man forged his birth certificate in or-

der to leave high school early and join

the Navy. Recently, he contacted

school officials and asked if there

were any classes he could take in or-

der to earn his high school diploma.

After hearing his story, the board of

education voted unanimously to

award Mockerman with an honorary

diploma, proving that it is never too

late to graduate!

“Stranger Purchases Plane Ticket

for Soldier”

Keaton Tilson, 19-year-old, sat

anxiously at DFW airport with a

standby ticket for a 5am flight home.

The Fort Hood soldier had been given

last minute permission to visit family

for Memorial Day weekend. Unfortu-

nately, Tilson had no luck landing a

flight with his standby ticket and

could not afford any other options.

Josh Rainey, a good Samaritan who

had witnessed the soldier’s dilemma,

purchased a ticket for Tilson so that

he would not have to miss any more

time with his family. Rainey, whose

father was in the military for 30 years,

said that the good deed was worth

every penny.

Global Headlines (Continued from page 3)

6

Editor’s Choice Photos

Photos by Luke Story

Sunset on the beach in Corpus Christi

Clouds over the parking lot

19

de esta sensación que llevo dentro, me

impulsaba a descubrir lo que ya estaba

descubierto, y que yo desconocía, esta

sensación se mezclaba con lo que iba

descubriendo día a día por las calles

de la capital.

Dos años más tarde, tuve que

abandonar los estudios, por las necesi-

dades de la vida, tenía que pagar una

renta y mi propia manutención. Ahora

bien, jamás se me apagó esa llama,

que me impulsa a seguir descubriendo

cosas nuevas, que me llevaban a inda-

gar, preguntar y explorar a través de

las calles de la ciudad.

Por casualidades de la vida, aho-

ra me encuentro inscrita en “Mountan

View College”, Dallas, Estados Uni-

dos de América, debido a que sigo

con aquella inquietud que me deslum-

bró desde que era una niña. Aquí es-

toy intentando obtener el GED, que en

mi país de origen es el equivalente al

bachillerato. A pesar de las

diferencias de estudios en ambos paí-

ses, me resulta muy interesante poder

seguir preparándome, porque la edad

no deja de ser un impedimento para

seguir aprendiendo, sino todo lo con-

trario. Pienso, que nuestra condición

humana nos lo exige, sin que poda-

mos evitarlo. Al estar aprendiendo

algo nuevo, se regenera mi vitalidad

interna y disfruto del ahínco de lo

aprendido. En otras palabras, si bus-

cas encuentras, o como dijo Nelson

Mandela: “Después de escalar una

gran colina, uno se encuentra solo con

que hay muchas más colinas que esca-

lar”. Por ello, quiero decir a los que

me lean, que cada momento es opor-

tuno y que nunca es tarde para em-

prender o iniciar algo para adquirir

conocimientos, como lo es el GED,

para mi ahora.

Quiero dar las gracias a este Co-

legio, y al equipo de profesionales que

me han atendido en cualquier momen-

to en especial al profesor Rodolfo

Guel, que me ha demostrado una

completa dedicación en la impartición

de sus enseñanzas, como también la

paciencia que ha tenido la clase en

general para hacernos comprender las

diferentes materias. Al Writing Center

de esta honorable institución; donde

se encuentra, el historiador Ángel Vé-

lez. Decirle gracias, por su cariñoso

acogimiento, atención y esmero en la

asesoría de mis trabajos de arte, len-

guaje y ahora en el seguimiento de

este pequeño artículo. Al mismo tiem-

po, no me olvido de mis compañeros,

en especial Susy, que me ha brindado

un gran apoyo tanto dentro, como fue-

ra de este colegio.

En breve regresaré a San Luis

Potosí, para posteriormente cruzar ese

gran charco que separa a América

Latina de la vieja Europa, para poder

así reunirme por segunda vez con mi

hija y su familia en Barcelona, Espa-

ña. Ralmente, tengo muchas ganas e

verlos, compartir mis experiencias y

poder nuevamente tener la oportuniad

de volver a convivir con ellos. Des-

pués de mi viaje, regresaré a MVC

para continuar con mis objetivos.

crear el tradicional altar mexicano,

cuyo altar fue dedicado a Juan Ga-

briel, cantante influyente de la cultura

hispana, que falleció el pasado mes de

agosto. Allí pudimos observar cómo,

estudiantes, padres y maestros, disfru-

taron de la actividad.

El pasado 26 de abril, tuvo lugar

la ceremonia de investidura de Sigma

Delta Mu, que fue completamente un

éxito. Entre los asistentes, pudimos

contar con la presencia de diferentes

personalidades y profesores del cole-

gio que, junto con los padres de los

galardonados, se unieron conjunta-

mente para darles la enhorabuena.

Entre todos los galardonados, destaca-

ba el rojo y el negro, dos colores, muy

significativos de Sigma Delta Mu.

Las familias de los condecorados,

se mostraban muy felices cuando

veían, que cada uno de sus seres que-

ridos, recibía el distintivo pin de la

sociedad de manos del Presidente Don

Robert Garza, el acorde de manos de

la Sra. Cathy Edwards y por último el

certificado de manos de su querido

profesor, Don Ulises Rodríguez.

La mejor parte de la ceremonia,

vino a continuación, cuando la invita-

da especial del evento, la Dra. Doña

Sheryl Santos-Hatchett, profesora bi-

lingüe de UNT Dallas, explicó con

entusiasmo a todos los presentes, la

importancia de ser bilingüe hoy en

día. A medida que la ceremonia conti-

nuaba, anunciaron el premio "Eduard

Prieto Caballero," que tanto mí com-

pañera, Abigail Flores y yo, recogi-

mos entusiasmadas de las mismísimas

manos de Don Eduard Prieto Caballe-

ro. El premio, fue un reconocimiento

al esfuerzo, dedicación y trabajo duro

realizado, a la hora de escribir artícu-

los en español para el boletín mensual

del colegio, "La Voz Estudiantil.” Sig-

ma Delta Mu, me ha demostrado mi

verdadero potencial y, sobre todo, lo

que puedo llegar a desarrollar como

persona. Sigma Delta MU, me ha ins-

pirado tanto, que he decidido seguir

siendo un miembro activo más, para el

beneficio del colegio y de la

comunidad.

Ceremonia (Continued from page 18)

(Continued from page 18)

Rufina

Palabra en el Esquina

Enhorabuena <n.>

(Felicitaciones) congratulations

18

Rufina Huerta en el Writing Center

Por Rufina Huerta

Mi nombre es María Rufina

Huerta Díaz, tengo sesenta y tres años

de edad, soy la novena hija de quince

hermanos y pertenezco a San José de

Cabezas, provincia de Guanajuato de

los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Nací

un cuatro de septiembre en un peque-

ño rancho, sin luz ni agua que sigue

en pie hasta la fecha.

Mis padres, Bernabé y Josefa,

dos humildes campesinos, se dedica-

ban con muchísimo esfuerzo al cultivo

del maíz y del frijol. También se dedi-

caban al cuidado de ganado vacuno, al

cual ordeñaban para elaborar queso

añejo y así poder venderlo, para lograr

el sostenimiento de una familia nume-

rosa como la nuestra.

Todavía me acuerdo de cuando

tenía seis años, que aparte de ayudar a

mi madre y de cuidar de mis herma-

nos pequeños, mi madre me mandaba

todos los días a recoger agua a un

arroyo cercano, para que la buena mu-

jer nos pudiera hacer la comida, lim-

piar la casa y regar unas bellas flores

de cempasúchil, que ella misma

plantaba al atardecer y cuidaba con

esmero.

Con siete años, me trasladé al

municipio de Tierra nueva en San

Luis Potosí, debido a que era el único

lugar donde podíamos estudiarla edu-

cación primaria. Fue aquí donde me di

cuenta que me gustaba muchísimo

aprender, sentía que todo era novedad

para mí.

Sobre todo, cuando escuchaba a

los maestros explicar las matemáticas,

hablar de la historia de la humanidad,

de la cual me quedaba unas veces in-

crédula y otras veces maravillada.

Más tarde a la edad de trece años,

tuve que emigrar a México capital.

Allí, estudiaba la secundaria en una

escuela nocturna de lunes a sábado,

donde por las mañanas, desarrollaba

una carrera comercial en la escuela

politécnica. Mi juventud, acompañada

(Continued on page 19)

La Voz Estudiantil

Por Melva Yanes

Ser una de las líderes de la Socie-

dad Hispánica de Honores de Sigma

Delta Mu de Mountain View College,

me ha cambiado positivamente, para

servir al colegio y a la comunidad. He

aprendido muchísimas cosas como

miembro de Sigma Delta Mu.

Ocupar una posición de lideraz-

go, me ha motivado a no permanecer

más en mi emplazamiento de bienes-

tar y desarrollar con esfuerzo y dedi-

cación, diversas responsabilidades con

diferentes organizaciones. Por no aña-

dir también, la complejidad en la que

mis compañeros y yo hemos estado

sometidos, a la hora de organizar

eventos tanto académicos, como co-

munitarios.

Gracias a mi cambio y a todas las

situaciones difíciles que hemos vivido

como grupo, donde las puertas, se di-

viden en alegrías y tristezas, es ahí

donde me he ganado el respeto y la

admiración de todos mis compañeros.

El compromiso de Sigma Delta

Mu para mejorar la comunidad, se

manifiesta por las innumerables horas,

que los miembros invierten en la coor-

dinación de eventos comunitarios y en

la organización de las recaudaciones

de fondos.

Por otra parte, como Sociedad

Hispana de Honores, hemos podido

difundir nuestra cultura hispana a tra-

vés de nuestros eventos en el colegio.

Hemos sido capaces, de compartir y

trasmitir los antecedentes históricos

de la cultura hispana en presentacio-

nes, eventos, reuniones e interpreta-

ciones. Por ejemplo, uno de los even-

tos con más éxito, fue el Día de los

Muertos, que es uno de los grandes

festivales folclóricos mexicanos, que

se celebra cada día dos de noviembre.

En el evento, los miembros de la so-

ciedad, trabajaron conjuntamente para

Ceremonia De Investidurade Sigma

Delta Mu 2017

(Continued on page 19)

Rufina Es Un Ejemplo de Superación

Photo by Angel Velez

Dr. Sheryl Santos-Hatchett Photo by Kennith Doss

7

By Scott Powers

Staff Editorial Advisor

As with many other lifelong

learners when afforded a break, I of-

ten take the opportunity to “feed my

head” with a good book or five. I

choose two or three just for fun, usu-

ally something in satire or fantasy.

Reading keeps me creatively sharp

and usually inspires some form of ar-

tistic output.

When I was a college student,

back when books were large, bound

papery things, I always chose several

that were to be taught the next semes-

ter. I was already registered, and the

syllabi were online, so why not? I

walked into class on the first day

ready to jump right into discussions,

and with foreknowledge of the text I

could follow the professor’s assign-

ments much more thoroughly. Still

today, the overly conscientious stu-

dent living in my mind never wants to

stop studying, evidently preparing for

some “Grand Final Exam at the End

of It All,” wandering into the “boring”

parts of the library, selecting books on

physics, history, philosophy, and the

like.

There are many students at

Mountain View who feel similar anxi-

eties when facing the prospect of a

summer without research, group pro-

jects, or ten-page essays, as “student-

me” (did and still does). For you, I

have summoned the wisdom of MVC

professors across many academic dis-

ciplines, asking what they recommend

for summer reading.

Here are 20 of their summer reading

suggestions:

1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta

Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

2. The Curious Incident of the

Dog in the Nighttime by Mark

Haddon

3. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

4. Beloved by Toni Morrison

5. The House on Mango Street by

Sandra Cisneros

6. Crime and Punishment by

Fyodor Dostoevsky

7. To Kill a Mockingbird by

Harper Lee

8. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s

Manifesto by Michael Pollan

9. CompTIA Network+ All-In-One

Exam Guide, Sixth Edition

(Exam N10-006) by Michael

Meyers

10. American Gods by Neil

Gaiman

11. The Book that Changed the

World by Randall Fuller

12. Mastery by Robert Greene

13. The Killer Angels by Michael

Shaara

14. The Autobiography of Mal-

colm X by Alex Haley

15. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the

Galaxy by Douglas Adams

16. Born Standing Up by Steve

Martin

17. I Contain Multitudes by Ed

Yong

18. Making Sense of Science: Sep-

arating Substance from Spin

by Cornelia Dean

19. Why I Write by George Orwell

20. Nonsense: The Power of Not

Knowing by Jamie Holmes

To all Mountain View students,

faculty, and staff, I wish you a hot

summer near cool water with a good

book...or five. Happy reading!

Wordsworth Editions Ltd. Crime and Punishment book cover

Student Life MVC Faculty Suggests Summer Reading List

Word on the Corner

Penultimate <adj.>

/pəˈnəltəmət/

Next to the last; second to the last.

Example: The penultimate runner fin-

ished 30 seconds before the last runner

crossed the finish line.

READ

ME!

I’m full of

wisdom,

surprise,

fun, and

adventure!

8

By Brittani Samuels

Get Organized Ahead of Time

Time management is key. Make

sure to plan your class schedule one to

two weeks ahead of time.

Using a calendar, school planner,

and notes on your phone are great

ways to keep track of your class mate-

rial. Write down your class times,

room number, and valuable infor-

mation from your syllabus (if availa-

ble), such as assignments and due

dates.

Start Planning in Advance

Setting realistic goals this sum-

mer is the best way to plan. As the

semester approaches, you should find

what classes you should take and reg-

ister for those courses. Write down

grade expectations in your notes and

strategies you’re going to use to

achieve those goals.

Get Back to Your School Schedule

Allow your body time to adjust

to new sleeping hours. If you’ve spent

all summer sleeping in, give yourself

a chance to re-adjust to waking up

early again. Use the last few weeks of

summer to get accustomed to waking

up at a certain time by setting your

alarm clock as you would the night

before class. Doing this will help your

body become acclimated to your new

schedule.

Pick Up a Book over the Summer

It is important to take one to two

hours out of your day to read a book.

Reading over the summer stimulates

your mind and can help you retain

valuable information. The MVC Li-

brary offers a variety of books, so stop

by at least once a week for some quiet

reading time. When you’re not read-

ing at your campus library, make

room for “me-time” during the day

and read for at least an hour.

Do Some Early School Shopping

What better way to kick off the

school year than shopping? Whether

you’re flying solo or in a group, set

aside time this summer to go school-

shopping.

As the fall semester approaches,

many retail stores, such as Walmart,

Target, and Office Depot, have sales

on necessary school supplies. If

you’re shopping on a budget, as most

college students are, the best way to

shop-and-save is to go to a clothing

store that offers a student discount.

The most important part of

school shopping is buying your books

early. If you know what books you’re

going to need for your courses, stop

by the book store before classes start

and pick them up. You can also pur-

chase them online and pick them up or

have them delivered to you.

Tips for Using the

Summer to Prepare

for Fall

Need assistance with writing?

The Academic Center for

Writing (aka The Ink Spot) is

here to help!

Location: W114 Hours of Operation: 7:30a.m.-9p.m. Mon.-Thurs. 7:30a.m.-4:30p.m. Fri. & Sat. Phone: 972-860-5606 Email: mvcwritingcenter@dcccd.edu

Word on the Corner

Aesthete <noun>

/es-theet or, esp. British, ees- /

1) A person who has or professes to have refined sensitivity toward the beauties of art or nature.

2) A person who affects great love of art, music, and poetry, and indifference to practical matters.

17

do just one thing. McKinney does

multiple things at Mountain View

College. He recently collaborated with

Trinity Garza Early College High

School where he did a prom boot

camp. Students who participated in

the program and lost the most weight

received a dress and suit for prom,

funded directly from Eric.

Where there is hard work, there

is a success story to follow. “Trust the

process, train now and train hard,” is

the motto that Eric McKinney lives

by. As a result, he has several motiva-

tional success stories. Though his cli-

entele continues to grow, he still has

his loyal trainees that have been with

him for over three years. From one

client battling depression and another

expecting her second child, he has set

up personal strategies to help each of

his clients lose weight.

For Eric, safety is key. He makes

sure each customer is safe and com-

fortable when working out with him.

He stated, “You build a relationship

[with your clients], we keep a report

with each other on how that person is

doing.”

Eric has an open door policy for

all of his clients and wants to make

sure they are getting the best results as

possible. “Technique is key,” in Eric’s

words, and being comfortable with

your technique and knowing that he is

here to help with anything that you

aren’t comfortable with is what mat-

ters. “When they come in I ask ques-

tions like do you need help? And

make them feel comfortable. If you’re

comfortable you’re willing to open up

and peel those layers back,” Eric in-

sisted.

Training can be expensive but

worth it all the while when you have a

trainer that money cannot buy. He

added, “As we all know, training can

be expensive. It’s not going to cost

anything to help somebody or to show

them how to do something.”

Your trainer is someone who you

should feel comfortable with, and Eric

raises the bar for all trainers with his

passion for fitness and genuine con-

cern for his clients’ well-being. “A lot

of the times people are just afraid that

you will judge them,” said the eight-

year fitness coordinator. “You can’t

be robotic... and maintain those rela-

tionships with students, faculty, new

members, and the community. You

want to have a good support system in

place, you always want people to en-

courage you not direct you,” said Eric,

explaining one of his strategies.

With the leadership of President

Robert Garza, Eric McKinney, and

Mountain View College’s motto of

“Empowering Students,” the Fitness

Center has reached new heights.

“Let’s get the students active,

involved, and build relationships.

That’s the goal moving forward,” Eric

McKinney ended.

Trust the Process (Continued from page 16)

Photo by Brittani Samuels

MVC Lions working out in the Fitness Center

S1020

Mon.-Thurs: 6:30a.m.-

8:30p.m.

Friday: 6:30a.m.-6:00p.m.

Saturday: 8:00a.m.–

1:00p.m.

Sunday: Closed

Contact Information

972-860-5603

EmcKinney@dcccd.edu

16

By Brittani Samuels

The MVC Fitness Center caters

to students, faculty, administration,

and adjuncts for free. Students are

encouraged to take advantage of the

free services, but they must be cur-

rently enrolled in credit courses. The

outside community is more than wel-

come to use the Fitness Center with a

charge of twenty dollars a month: six-

ty–five dollars for the semester and

fifty-five dollars for the summer.

There is only a one-time fee, and

memberships can be canceled at any

time with no charge.

In 2013, the Fitness Center

opened and began to increase the

physical activity and open hours.

There are certain steps that

should be done before anyone begins

the health and fitness process. “First, I

would have them visit their physician

and see what should be the route for

them to take, and make sure they

don’t have any type of medical issues

that may hinder them from performing

at a high level. [I take into considera-

tion] their fitness level at the Fitness

Center,” Eric stated. “Get with a certi-

fied trainer [for] a consultation, that

way you can get as much information

as possible,” recommended McKin-

ney, a former football player.

Eric has been a fitness coordina-

tor at Mountain View College for

eight years. His first priority is finding

out more information about his client:

“I try to get a bit more in depth to

understand how a person has [formed

unhealthy habits].” Eric’s method to

create a fitness plan for his clientele is

to learn their history of unhealthy hab-

its. McKinney questions, “How did

you get here? Is it to lose weight or

for medical reasons? What are some

of the things that are causing you to

want to get healthy now?” .

It seems starting a fitness plan is

the hardest part, but in fact it’s contin-

uing that plan that’s the most demand-

ing. “The best way to [maintain your

health] is to just document and write

everything down. It can be tedious at

times if you have a busy life with

school [assignments], work, and fami-

ly,” Eric explained. “If you can stay

consistent with writing down what

you’re doing, you can see it and go

back and reference to it,” he contin-

ued. It’s easier to make a workout itin-

erary instead of trying to memorize

your schedule. There are others ways

to keep your body in shape physically

without exercising. Create a meal plan

that accommodates your daily routine.

Make sure you consult with your phy-

sician before starting any food plans.

“Get with your doctor to find out your

blood type, [so] it’s easier to find out

what foods to avoid, what foods

would be beneficial, and what foods

are neutral,” McKinney informed.

Eric is a reputable fitness coordi-

nator, physical trainer, sports nutri-

tionist, and strength and conditioning

specialist with a strong plan and re-

sume. Before his impressive transi-

tion, Eric weighed 320 pounds. He

was introduced to fitness by his best

friend, Ricky. They met lifting

weights together, and things took off

from there. The success story behind

Eric’s ambition is one that should in-

spire us all.

Eric explained, “Of course at a

young age you want to look a certain

way. Back then, I [wanted] to look

like this guy in the magazine so it was

predicated on that.” Eric made his

own equipment and worked out with

different objects, such as broom sticks

and bricks, until he was able to get

into a gym.

When Eric first started

part-time at Mountain View, he want-

ed to use his skills to the highest de-

gree. He aspired to help people for the

better and show them the importance

of health and fitness. An educated

man with a plan is never destined to

Sports Trust the Process:

Train Now and Train Hard

Photo

Photo by Brittani Samuels

Photo by Brittani Samuels

Eric McKinney, Fitness Center Coordinator

McKinney adjusts a weight bench

(Continued on page 17)

9

By Brittani Samuels

The MVC Library offers many

resources for students to achieve their

full academic potential. Students think

the library is used only for studying,

printing, and checking out books, but

it serves other important purposes.

The library offers free tools that

students can use to aid in their re-

search assignments. MVC Library

Director Jean Baker explained, “The

library offers online resources that the

library already paid for, so students

know that they are using resources

that professionals have written.”

Furthermore, according to Steph-

anie Noell, one of MVC’s librarians,

it is more beneficial to use the library

database when researching a topic

because it is important to “understand

the importance of authoritative re-

search versus Google search.” How-

ever, Noell also mentioned, “Google

has advance search options that can

help [students] narrow down their

search to more authoritative resources

[or] domains.”

Finding creditable sources is not

the only help students can receive.

The library staff takes the initiative to

help other students academically and

personally. “My personal goal as a

librarian [is] to help students see that

whatever their interest [or] goal is,

there is a path for them. I don’t as-

sume anyone comes in with a certain

level of knowledge. If they are not

comfortable with using a computer, I

try to help them navigate that as well

the resource I’m demonstrating. We

do a lot of work to help the students

understand the research process and

whatever success they are after,” No-

ell explained.

The librarians at MVC will estab-

lish “relationships” with students so

that “anytime a student may feel lost,

they can come to the library,” Baker

added. Noell and Baker have set up

many online resources available to

students and are always looking for

Using Library Resources to Ensure Academic Success

By Chris Chartier

For those wanting to earn their

GED (General Education Diploma) in

order to enter into a post-secondary

education or develop trade skills to

get a better job, the Mountain View

College Workforce/CE Division’s

WorkReadyU program is a perfect

place to start.

WorkReadyU is a state-wide pro-

gram funded by the Texas Workforce

Commission, under the umbrella of

the local Workforce Board of Dallas

County. Mountain View’s involve-

ment is led by DCCCD Director for

WorkReadyU Gloria Smith. The pro-

gram is focused on delivering English

language, math, reading, and work-

force training instruction to help adult

students acquire the skills needed to

earn a high school equivalency diplo-

ma and enter and succeed in college

or career training.

The 2016-17 academic year was

the third year for the WorkReadyU

program at Mountain View College.

Frida Castaneda-Lomonaco, Depart-

ment Assistant for WorkReadyU, stat-

ed, “This year, we successfully served

over 1400 GED students, 600 ESL

(English as a Second Language) stu-

dents, and 75 career pathways stu-

dents. We expect to serve an even

higher number of students in our

fourth grant year.”

GED courses are available in

both English and Spanish. ESL clas-

ses are also available for non-English

speakers. The GED prep courses

begin with 60-72 class hours and take

about six to eight weeks to complete,

based on the student’s beginning lev-

el. The ESL classes consist of 80

hours and take approximately 14

weeks to complete. Courses are not

only held on campus, but at various

community locations including, Moli-

na High School, Grand Prairie ISD,

Life Charter Schools, Grand Prairie

Workforce Center, La Luz del Mundo

Church and other locations.

Participation in the WorkReadyU

program is free for all students. At the

end of the GED course, students can

take a practice test that lets them

know whether they are ready to pass

the official exams. If they pass the

practice test, they can then apply for a

scholarship through the Dallas Public

Library that covers the costs of the

official GED tests. If a student does

not pass, there are instructors and ad-

ditional resources available to

strengthen the student’s knowledge in

key areas so that they can try again.

WorkReadyU Changes Lives One Student at a Time

(Continued on page 10)

(Continued on page 10)

Photo by Brittani Samuels

The resource section of the library

10

Once students successfully ob-

tain their GED, they can enroll in a

career pathway class. Mountain View

currently offers career pathway certi-

fication for Certified Nursing Assis-

tants (CNA), Childcare Development

Associates (CDA). Teaching Assisi-

tants (TA), and Cerified Logistics

Technicians (CLT).

The instructors are excited and

ready to help students who are pas-

sionate about learning and improving

their lives. Debra Johnson is an in-

structional specialist with the pro-

gram. She teaches reading, language,

social studies, and math in both Eng-

lish and Spanish. Mrs. Johnson con-

veys that her most rewarding mo-

ments are when “students come in

motivated and ready to learn,” adding,

“For anybody who wants to earn their

GED, I would want them to know that

it is well within the realm of

possibility.”

The results of successfully com-

pleting the program are numerous.

Students come out of the program

with an increased opportunity to tran-

sition to post-secondary education,

training, or employment. For parents

in the program, it shows their children

the importance of an education. To

this last benefit, Ms. Castaneda-

Lomonaco added, “For me, the impact

on children is huge. I was an elemen-

tary school teacher for six years. Go-

ing from working with children to

working with adults was a big

change…. I no longer have the same

direct connection that I [did], but now

I think about how I’m helping parents

better the lives of their children, and

that makes this job very fulfilling for

me.”

By gaining an education, parents

become good educational role models

for their kids and show other people

who are aspiring to educate and im-

prove themselves that it can be done.

WorkReadyU accepts individuals

from diverse demographics including

those who did not complete high

school, prospective students coming

in from other countries, and students

wanting to learn trade skills to obtain

better paying jobs. Whatever the situ-

ation is, the WorkReadyU program

and its supporting staff are here to

help. The following are the dates for

the orientation schedule: July 14th,

August 4th and 25th, September 8th

and 22nd, October 13th and 27th, No-

vember 10th, and December 1st.

For more information, contact

Ms. Castaneda-Lomonaco at

FCastaneda-Lomonaco@dcccd.edu or

(972) 860-5676.

WorkReadyU (Continued from page 9)

separate ways to improve the student

library. “Our mission is about being

there for all of the steps and help

through the stumbling blocks, even if

it’s not about the resource,” says

Baker. Students who use the library

instead of receiving information

online are more likely to succeed

academically.

The main goal for Jean Baker

and the library staff is to make sure

students are using proper resources,

encourage them to use the library, and

help guide them towards their best

career path. (Since the writing of this

article, Stephanie Noell has moved on

to bigger and better things. We appre-

ciate her contributions to MVC and

wish her the best!)

Library Resources

MVC Library Like to read?

Need to do research? Need a place to study?

If so, you should come check out the MVC Library!

(Continued from page 9)

Hours of Operation

M-Th. 7:30a.m.-9p.m.

Fri. 7:30a.m.-4:30p.m.

Sat. & Sun. CLOSED

Contact Information

Location: W Email: mvclibrary@dcccd.edu Phone: 214-860-8669

15

and integral aspect of astronomy and a

mainstay of any good star party.

Once you move beyond the con-

fines of our solar neighborhood and

the surrounding envelope of stars, you

begin to tour the galactic structures.

Most of these areas are lost to us in

the deluge of light that is our urban

sky, but some exceedingly bright ob-

jects, such as M32 (Orion Nebula) or

M13 (Hercules Star Cluster), are still

visible with a telescope.

Some notable galaxies to observe

are M49 in the Virgo Cluster and M31

our closet neighbor the Andromeda

Galaxy.

There are darker skies to be

found. Even driving an hour or two

away from the metroplex will reveal

more parts of our galaxy. Observato-

ries and dark sky parks remain mag-

nificent places to hold star parties be-

cause their skies hold the night.

Impressive collections of tele-

scopes, highly tuned and intricately

refined, reveal the depth of the night

sky and the detail of planets.

There is also an overall lost maj-

esty of the sky itself, a vastness of the

cosmos that you can feel; darkness is

not something ominous but something

pure, with the incredible multitude of

stars suspended like a million tiny

crystals—their collective light blur-

ring and fading into the enveloping

blanket of the Milky Way. It is a sight

like no other. I encourage everyone to

observe the night sky.

In the meantime, the Mountain

View College Astrophysics Club, in

partnership with the Physics Depart-

ment, has hosted regular (almost

monthly as of last year) star

parties at various sites around the

campus, usually by the east water

tower.

The Astrophysics Club has also

been able to make the sojourn to sev-

eral state observatories to experience

dark skies firsthand. Though the dili-

gence of its members and the im-

mense care of its advisers, these

events are sure to run long into the

future.

Below are links to find more infor-

mation about star parties, both here at

MVC and throughout Texas:

The Mountain View College Astro-

physics Club:

www.facebook.com/mvcastroclub/

The Night Sky Network, operated

by NASA’s JPL:

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/

index.cfm

The 3 Rivers Foundation for the

Arts and Sciences:

https://www.3rf.org/

The University of Texas McDonald

Observatory:

https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/

The UNT Rafes Urban Astronomy

Center:

http://astronomy.unt.edu/index.htm

(Continued from page 14)

Star Party

Photo by Ian Grey Star party equipment awaiting setup

14

STEM-ing Hot News

By Ian Grey

Star parties are events that focus

on astronomical observations, i.e. the

sun, moon, planets, constellations,

etc., typically by the use of optical

telescopes.

Why bother having star parties in

Dallas since we don’t have much of a

night sky here? The bane of the terres-

trial astronomer, both professional and

amateur, is light pollution—all the

excess light from human civilization

poisoning the dark of night. Light pol-

lution results in only the brightest

stars and planets being visible here in

the metroplex even in the night. How-

ever, even through all the city lights,

there is still an astronomical view for

a star party.

What do you see at a star party?

Before sunset, many star parties

will have events akin to a preshow:

solar observations! Remember, you

should NEVER look directly at the

sun unless you have the proper

equipment. Before sunset, as the tele-

scopes are being set up, solar-film

glasses, reduction filters, and special-

ized solar telescopes can be found. All

of these allow for safe solar viewing

and the examination of various solar

structures that would otherwise never

be visible. These phenomena include

sunspots, plages, flares, and even

CMEs (coronal mass ejections).

After the Earth has sufficiently

turned from the sun for the effects of

Rayleigh scattering to subside (the

sunlight bouncing off air molecules to

create a sunset), it will be dark enough

for the real star party to begin. If the

moon is waxing, it will be visible long

before sunset. The high contrast of

night and day frames the craters and

valleys of the moon in exquisite detail

that can only be truly appreciated with

the correct combination of lenses and

filters.

Lunar observations are always a

favorite of Mountain View star par-

ties, because the sheer luminance of

the moon’s reflected sunlight means,

it is not affected as much in even the

worst city skies. Professional observa-

tories and large formal star parties are

usually held during the phase of the

new moon to avoid the moon’s light

drowning out dimmer objects that are

to be observed.

Planetary astronomy, the exami-

nation of our solar system siblings, is

also done in the urban environment

because their reflected sunlight is less

distorted by our atmosphere. With a

large enough aperture (telescope

width), stunning visuals of the planets

can be obtained.

Although stars are lost to the

brightness of the city night, many of

the largest and closest ones are still

visible—enough to reveal seasonal

constellations. These funny shapes

with odd names paint an intricate tap-

estry of history, mythology, religion,

and science. The constellations are far

from irrelevant, antiquated methods of

navigation or lore; they are a vibrant

MVC Astrophysics Club Hosts Star Party

Photo by Kathy Grey Observers gaze at the night sky (Continued on page 15)

Special Note: Solar eclipse will occur on Monday,

August 21, 2017!

11

By Dan Macias

Speaking with Professor John

Merrifield, The Lion’s Pride got an

inside look at the inner workings of

the MVC Dance Department. Prof.

Merrifield provided insight into how

his classes work, the various dancing

events throughout the year, the issues

that lie ahead, and much more.

“Professor Merrifield, will you give

us a little background information

on yourself?”

JM: “Well, I studied at the University

of Oklahoma, where I received both

my BFA and MFA in Dance. I’m the

full-time faculty for the dance depart-

ment, but I’m also the director, mean-

ing I oversee the dance adjuncts, the

dance productions, class scheduling,

course information, and basically any-

thing to do with our curriculum.”

Indeed, Merrifield has been a

part of MVC’s dance department for

about ten years, starting when partici-

pation in the program was low. Slow-

ly but surely, working alongside stu-

dents and administrators, there has

been a revival of the fine arts at MVC.

Speaking on the structure of the

dance classes, Merrifield focuses

heavily on student success: “I would

probably say that I’m very student-

oriented, meaning I work with stu-

dents individually and in groups.”

Given the nature of two-year institu-

tions, many students enter the dance

department unprepared, without much

formal training. Along with the ad-

juncts, he provides the technical train-

ing and dance curriculum to allow

students to successfully transfer to

nearby dance programs and universi-

ties such as TWU or UNT.

“Are there any programs you’d like

to highlight?”

JM: “We always have one featured

dance performance every semester –

the Fall Dance Showcase and the

Spring Dance Performance. The Fall

Showcase tends to be a little smaller

in scale. In addition to our MVC per-

formance classes, we invite area high

schools to perform, which allows their

students to become more familiar with

MVC and what we can offer to them.

This provides both a recruitment tool

for future students and community

outreach to all the schools in our ser-

vice area. Our Spring Dance Perfor-

mance is a little larger in scale; not

only do we feature our MVC students,

we also invite local guest artists to

perform. This past spring semester,

Arts and Culture Prof. Merrifield Presents a Behind-the-Scenes Look into

the Dance Department

(Continued on page 13)

Dance class at Mountain View Photo by Luke Story

12

By Colleen Harris and

Brittani Samuels

One of the most iconic albums

from the legendary English rock band,

The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely

Hearts Club Band, was released on

June 2, 1967. It was The Beatles’

eighth top-charting album. Sgt. Pep-

per’s is a combination of positivity

and darkness.

The record begins with the line,

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club

Band,” a driving rock and roll start to

the album. The album soon transitions

to a more somber tone on songs like

“She’s Leaving Home.”

One song on the 13-track record,

“Getting Better,” is about overcoming

obstacles over time. The song leads

off with lyrics such as, “Me used to be

[an] angry young man/me hiding me

head in the sand/you gave me the

word I finally heard/I’m doing the

best that I can.” The song is about

encouragement and self-improvement.

With the help of their producer,

George Martin, and engineer, Geoff

Emerick, The Beatles created a hard-

hitting masterpiece responding to the

controversy circling the English band.

Although this was the Beatles’

first project after announcing they

would tour no more, it reminded eve-

ryone that The Beatles weren’t going

anywhere. George Martin said the

work was inspired by The Beach

Boys’ Pet Sounds and Frank Zappa’s

Freak Out!

Indian music was a major influ-

ence on the group, and it was dis-

played in the George Harrison song,

“Within You, Without You.” Not only

was this album different from The

Beatles’ usual sound, it was also made

by unique processes, such as piecing

together random bits of tapes and

bleating on toilet-paper kazoos.

Completing the album with “A

Day in the Life,” The Beatles ex-

plained the problems they still faced,

regardless of their fame. The final

track starts off with John Lennon de-

scribing a man involved in a fatal car

crash: “He blew his mind out in a car,

he didn’t notice that the lights had

changed.” Each part of the song then

tells a story from John Lennon and

Paul McCartney. It was a reflection of

the troubled situations they would

continue to face. Overall, the album re

-invented musical technique and will

always be one of the most iconic

albums in history.

It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles pose for their Sgt. Pepper album cover

Photo by Bruce McBroom/ © Apple Corps Ltd.

George, Paul, John, and Ringo (from left to right)

(©Apple Corps Ltd./WWD)

13

we hosted Dallas Black Dance Thea-

tre’s "Encore" and Alegre Ballet Folk-

lórico, which is a very talented folkló-

rico ballet company based here in Oak

Cliff.”

The guest dancers provide a

unique experience for MVC students,

allowing them to observe and learn

from professional dancers while

building networking opportunities.

Sometimes students are invited to

train with professional dance compa-

nies, and a few dancers have even

been hired to perform as company

members.

Beyond the featured dance per-

formances, there are also Brown Bag

performances in the fall and spring.

These smaller dance series are unique

in that they feature student choreogra-

phers. Because MVC does not cur-

rently offer a choreography course,

Merrifield, who freelances as a pro-

fessional choreographer in his spare

time, devotes his time to mentor those

students interested in choreography

and the production process. The

Brown Bag series also allows students

the freedom to choose their dance

medium, from ballet to modern, jazz,

hip hop, folklórico, and others.

Still, Merrifield and the dance

department face their own challenges;

a recent decision by the state curricu-

lum board of Texas mandates changes

to the dance curriculum. These chang-

es are meant to standardize the dance

courses offered at all two-year colleg-

es for beginner and intermediate lev-

els. In the past, MVC has enjoyed the

ability to offer upper-level classes

aimed to attract students who perform

at a more advanced level or those who

have had previous dance experience.

“Is there anything that can be done

about this issue?”

JM: “The DCCCD Dance Curriculum

Committee worked with our neighbor-

ing districts and other two-year col-

lege districts in the state of Texas. We

collectively appealed the state board’s

decision and some dance courses were

reinstated, and we hope additional

courses will follow.”

While the changes made by the

curriculum board don’t take effect

until the fall semester of 2017, noth-

ing is set in stone. Together with the

fine arts department, Merrifield hopes

that some of the more damaging

changes can be mitigated or prevented

entirely. In fact, things are looking

brighter than they have in the past.

Merrifield added, “We’ve had a reviv-

al of the arts here at Mountain View,

which has been fantastic.”

In the future, Merrifield hopes to

attract more students to further the

success of the MVC Dance Depart-

ment. Even students who don’t wish

to become professional dancers or

dance educators can benefit from tak-

ing the various dance classes at MVC.

There are classes offered to students

that would be a great source of exer-

cise and body conditioning and clas-

ses for former dancers to brush up on

their dance skills. The dance adjunct

faculty working with Merrifield con-

stantly strives to create a positive

learning environment for students.

Merrifield proclaimed, “We’re really

about student success, we’re just here

to help the students… [to encourage

them] to dream big, not to be limited

by the background you came from.”

“Do you have anything you’d like to

say to our students or faculty?”

JM: “I want our students and faculty

to know that we have so many won-

derful fine arts events here at MVC.

Whether it’s an art exhibition in the

Cliff Gallery, music recital, theatre

production, and of course a dance pro-

duction, most every event at MVC is

free. Please show your support and

attend a fine arts event.”

Experiencing culture at MVC is

not the only benefit of attending the

various arts events. Merrifield notes

that many students who participate in

the performance courses often feel a

sense of camaraderie. According to

Merrifield, students enrolled in the

fine arts classes also tend to stay in

school and have better retention while

building confidence and social skills

to help them.

Consequently, Merrifield invites

all students to participate and become

involved in the arts: “We’re kind of

like a big family here, and we’re al-

ways looking to enlarge our tent.”

This invitation is extended to students

who may not be necessarily interested

in becoming professional artists as

involvement in fine arts contributes to

a great memorable college experience.

Dance (Continued from page 11)

Photo by Jake Wagner

Dancers perform at the Brown Bag festival