Table of Contents
General News 1 Culture and La Voz Estudiantil 10 STEM-ing Hot News 20 Student Life 25
Sustainability 39 Sports 40 Entertainment 42
Lion’s Pride The
Fall 2015 Vol. 2 Issue 1
By Vanessa Quiroz When researching how beauty is por-trayed in the media today, the majority of the advertisements display unrealistic expectations of the human body. When companies advertise to women, they dis-play thin women with long luscious hair, super clear and light skin, covered with makeup and fake tans to show how all women are supposed to look. It is very rare to see a darker, full-bodied woman in any advertisements. When companies advertise to men, the women in the adver-tisements are usually very thin and wear a minimal amount of clothing, leaving little to the imagination. It is very sad how these advertisements are everywhere, and both little girls and boys begin to admire mod-els and are influenced to want to look the same way. It is also painful to see our youth influ-enced by meaningless standards of the human body. When children want to go swimming fully clothed or decide they can’t wear something because other peo-ple will laugh at the way they look, it is just plain crazy. The older generation should teach the younger generation that our bodies are all different and, yet, beautiful. There is no need to bully anyone for the way he or she looks or to be jealous of someone for supposedly looking “prettier” than another person. We are all beautiful in our own way, and we need to learn to love our bodies because, if we do not love and respect ourselves and our bodies, who will?
However, this will always be a chal-lenge, especially with the media having an influence on what we are supposed to look like. The only thing we can do is re-mind ourselves that we are all human, we are all beautiful, and we should to teach our little ones that the kind of beauty that is advertised is fake. Future generations should know that they are more beautiful than fake models because they are as natural and as beautiful as God made them.
What truly makes someone beautiful is what is inside him or her, and how they act is what makes them attractive and unique. I have never really been one to look at a person’s appearance when I think of beauty. Beauty, to me, is deter-mined by how nice a person is, how they treat others, and how they present them-selves. Beauty is more than looks, and it comes in different colors, shapes, and sizes. People just have to look beyond the exterior and focus on what really matters.
Beauty permeates Mountain View College
This image, produced by Collage Creator, is made of individual photos of Mountain View students and employees
Photos taken by Luke Story
2
By Babatunde Adetoro Due to the success of the first edition of TEDx Mountain View College, there was a campus-wide desire for another installment. After much anticipation, the second edition was held on September 24, 2015. The event started with a sense of excitement in the air at the registration tables. An addition to the second install-ment was the incorporation of social me-dia; tweets were scrolled live on projector screens. At last, the doors to MVC’s Per-formance Hall opened at 5:45 p.m. The host for the night was Krys Boyd, the host and managing editor of KERA-FM’s midday talk show Think. Mountain View College’s President, Dr. Robert Gar-za, introduced Boyd to the audience. Overall, there were seven performers for the night; six of which gave very compel-ling speeches, while the other, a visual arts painter, provided aesthetic entertain-ment. The first speaker for the night was Brent Brown, an award-winning architect based in Dallas and the founder and vi-sionary of bcWORKSHOP (building com-munity workshop). He is a strong advo-cate for public design, renewable energy, and physical form. Brown gave a compel-
ling speech about decision making, titled “Choice Empowers.” Next, Dr. Deb Yoder, a professor of psychology at Mountain View College, took to the stage. She has served more than thirty years in higher education as a coach, administrator, and professor. Dr.
Yoder is a licensed professional counselor supervisor, a certified Daring Way TM facili-tator, an Appreciative Inquiry facilitator, and an emotional intelligence researcher. Dr. Yoder gave a wonderful speech titled
“When We Dare to Listen,” in which she talked about her life experiences, her fears, and her decision to rise above those fears. She connected with her audi-ence emotionally. Following Dr. Yoder was another MVC professor, Stacy Vasquez, who teaches biology. In his speech, “Sanitizing Society,” Vasquez talked about bacteria and people’s fear of these microscopic agents. He made mention of the Ebola outbreak, the resulting rush to buy sanitiz-ers, and the fact that about five pounds of human body weight is made up of bacte-ria. Overall, it was a very educational talk. After a short intermission, the fourth speaker, Dr. Kimi King, a distinguished professor at the University of North Texas (UNT), came on stage. Her research inter-ests include human and civil rights, inter-national law, conflict resolution, gender studies, and sexual violence. Dr. King enlightened the audience on a topic called “Triumph of Justice.” She talked about the Hague and the International War Crimes Tribunal. Dr. Dwight Randle, a professor of chemistry and biology at Richland Col-lege, graced the stage next. Dr. Randle
(Continued on page 3)
TheLion’s Pride Founded in 2014
Editor-in-Chief: Luke Story
Chief Editorial Advisor: Jason Schneider
Chief Design Advisor: Jennifer Gehrig
Advisors: Jean Baker, Kathryn Barnett, Les Brinkerhoff, David Couric, Rick Dashiell, Lori De La Cruz, Brenda Epperson, Rusty Fox, Darius Frasure, Sarah Hutchings, Hayden Kilmarnok (Miguel Esparza), Jill Lain, Keith
McKinnon, April Minjares, Scott Powers, Ulises Rodríguez, and Karen Valencia
Editorial Staff: Babatunde A. Adetoro, Héber Bibang, Eduard Prieto Caballero, Miguel Cordero, Emily Cortez, Juan Antonio Martinez Lopez, and Herbert McCullough
Contributing Writers: Ary Bennett, Miranda Heart, Brenda Reyes, Alayna Dublin, Eivon Garcia, Gerardo Aguinaga Torres, Tosin Emmanuel Adebayo, Yassien Fadul, Bianca Muñoz, Francisco Rogers, and Cindy Umana
Photographer: Carlos Granados
TEDx II returns to Mountain View College
Lion painted by artist Ange Hillz at TEDx
3
served as the Science and Medicine Advi-sor for the American Heart Association. He also served on the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Baylor Research Institute, which is charged with the regulatory and patient protection oversight of clinical re-search. Speaking on the topic, “Celebrating the Maverick Path: Non-Traditional Careers for Science Majors,” Dr. Randle took us further on the journey of enlightenment. He devised an engaging and entertaining game in which he had the audience members guess which sci-entist was in the picture.
The last speaker of the night was another MVC professor, Naima Montacer. She is an environmental writer and pas-sionate biology professor. In her presenta-tion, “Connect to Cool Climate Change,” she took us on a boat ride. She made us see how important it is to protect the envi-ronment and works hard to encourage others to explore and connect with nature. Lastly, a young, emerging artist with an extraordinary ability to evoke emotions through the use of paint, Ange Hillz, took the stage to the amazement of the audi-ence. He speed-painted a lion upside down in less than five minutes. When he flipped the painting right side up, the audi-ence was in awe, concluding a night of ed uc a t i o n a nd e n t e r t a i nm en t : “edutainment.”
(Continued from page 2)
By Hayden Esparza
Mesquite Convention Center—Seventh Chancellor of DCCCD, Dr. Joe May, announced that he, the board of trustees, and the Foundation board had devised a plan to network the seven unique Dallas County colleges during his speech for the 50th anniversary of the Dal-las County Community College District. Dr. May described “network” as it relates to the success of Texas Health Resources, which networked hospitals,
clinics, non-profit organizations, and hundreds of other access points to meet the individual needs for the com-munity. Networking the seven commu-nity colleges of D a l l a s w i l l strengthen the district’s ability to
individually service students of a growing economy, which requires a skilled work-force. In 1965, Dallas’ workforce had wit-nessed a demand of 25% for post-secondary education. Fifty years later, 70% of the available jobs require a post-
secondary education, which is an average increase of 1% per year. Dallas County’s higher education network plan will be the first nationwide. Although the plan is not modeled after the health care network, the district’s model will aid Dallas’ increasing poverty rate using the strengths of faculty and staff “while meeting the ever changing needs of the communities we serve,” said Dr. May. “With this approach, we will return, I be-lieve, to the thinking of our founders. La-dies and gentlemen, I believe this is the new Dallas County Community College District way, as we think about how to meet the needs for the next 50 years.” The Network, as proposed, should allow everyone access to educational programs and gather existing resources from local organizations, local businesses, and neighboring schools. In other words, the board will increase personal services to the students and staff of Dallas County and to those falling below the poverty line. Future students should be part of the generation that witnesses a decrease in the poverty rate of Dallas. According to the United States Census Bureau, nearly one in five people fell below the poverty line from 2009 to 2013, while Regina Mon-toya of the Dallas Morning News pub-
lished in her column, Poverty is Eating at Dallas’ Core, the city of Dallas is ranked highest for impoverished children “with one million or more residents.” Regina Montoya is a Harvard alumni, who has served as co-chair for Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings’ committee on poverty.
DCCCD celebrates 50th anniversary with plan to alleviate poverty in Dallas
TEDx II
Photo by Carlos Granados
Photo by Carlos Granados
Dr. Joe May
Dr. Joe May visits MVC
4
By Herbert McCullough
Mountain View College was recently
honored to host a rally for 2016 Presiden-
tial Candidate Hillary Clinton. Clinton has
extensive experience in politics, having
also served as a New York Senator, Sec-
retary of State, and First Lady. The rally
saw more than a thousand attendees,
including members of the Dallas City
Council, MVC students and faculty, and
visitors from the community and other
schools. Republicans and Democrats
across the state—and even the nation—
packed Mountain View College, anticipat-
ing the appearance of Hillary Clinton.
The Barack Obama Male Leadership
Academy Choir sang the national anthem
to officially begin the rally. The President
of Women of Worth, student ambassador,
and first generation student, Cindi Robles
Perez, introduced Senator Clinton. Stand-
ing behind Clinton on stage were Trinidad
Garza ECHS students, members of the
League of United Latin American Citizens,
and members of Phi Theta Kappa.
In her speech, Clinton outlined the
importance of affordable higher education,
health care, and women’s health. Ad-
dressing the Syrian refugee crisis, Clinton
said, “Of course we have to have a lot of
vigilance, and we have to vet people; but,
we can’t act as though we’re shutting the
door to people in need without undermin-
ing who we are as Americans.”
She also argued for lower taxation on
lower income workers, which received a
roar of applause. After her speech, Clinton
shook hands with the audience and was
kind enough to take selfies with many of
those who attended.
Clinton is an accomplished individual,
and many students and faculty, regardless
of their political ideologies, were thrilled to
see her.
To our readers, do not forget to vote.
Your vote is your voice, and your voice
matters in deciding the future of our na-
tion.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign visits Mountain View College
Photo taken by Professor Luke Story
Photo taken by Professor Luke Story
Photo taken by Professor Luke Story
Hillary Clinton speaks at MVC
Attendees crowd into MVC’s gymnasium to listen to Hillary Clinton
Clinton takes a selfie Fleurette Akoudina
5
By Herbert McCullough
During the fall of 2015, The Lion’s Pride
conducted an interview with Dr. Karen
Valencia to get a better understanding
of her multifaceted role at MVC.
How does it feel to be the head of two
divisions?
It’s busy. It’s very busy, indeed. With-
in Instructional Resources, we have the
Academic Center for Writing, which I’m
very proud of, the Instructional Support
Lab as well as the Library and Media Ser-
vices. I also do curriculum, new programs,
and catalog within that job title. Communi-cations and Social Sciences is the largest
division on campus, and it’s made up of a
huge number of disciplines. Can you explain your background?
I got to move around a lot when I was
young. I got to live all over the world, and
that has influenced the way I think and do
things. I went to school at eight universi-
ties before it was all over. I really believe
in education. I have two baccalaureate
degrees: a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S.
Microbiology. I also have two master’s
degrees: a M.S. in Immune Hematoma
Coagulopathies—or bleeding disorders—
and a M.A. in Education. I also have an
Ed.D. in Administration and Supervision. What is it like to be the Chair of the
Institutional Review Board?
Oh, it’s a lot of fun! The Institutional
Review Board has to do with research that
is done on the Mountain View campus.
Therefore, anyone who wants to do re-
search and collect data does an abstract
and submits it to the committee, and we
take a look to see whether it’s worth the
time of our institution to support that. If it’s
beneficial for both the researcher and for
the institution, then we go ahead and in-
vite that researcher to do their data collec-
tion here. We often ask them to share
their data with us, and it’s very interesting
to get back some of the papers and publi-
cations that they do with research from
our campus. Can you explain your history of being a
part of the Curriculum Committee?
I’ve been chair and liaison of the Cur-
riculum Committee for a number of years,
and I really love curriculum. We have a
very detailed way of doing curriculum here
on this campus. The changes come down
from the Texas Code Ward, and they
come to our vice presidents who in turn
charge the DCCCD Curriculum Committee
chairs to get their disciplines together and
to talk about changes at the state level,
additions or deletions that they want made in their course work, and changes in pre-
requisites and co-requisites. They enjoy
getting together several times during the
year, most generally at the beginning of
the fall semester. They make recommen-
dations, go to the campuses, and review
and approve projects before going back to
the Discipline Committee. It’s a lot of work
and fun. Can you explain your history of being
co-chair of the IT Committee?
You guys have done your homework.
Commendations to you! We started this a
couple of years ago, and we wanted to get
together those people that had a stake in
putting together all of the technology on
the campus over a rolling five year period.
So, we got together and talked about not
only things that we need right now as far
as technology for the campus but also
things that we’d like to pilot and things that
we would like to implement over the next
five years. Can you explain the field of curriculum
and institutional resources?
Actually, that is the title of our divi-
sion, and it’s more or less coalesced from
the different job elements that I do. Within
our division, we work with curriculum, cat-alog, new programs, and research institu-
tional review boards. We also work with
the library, databases, Instructional Sup-
port, the Academic Center for Writing, and
Media…So, it’s a busy place!
(Continued on page 6)
MVC speaks with Dr. Valencia
Photo taken by Luke Story Dr. Karen Valencia works on writing new programs for MVC
6
What has influenced you to choose
your career at Mountain View College?
That’s kind of a complex question. On
a personal level, I was working in Nash-
ville. My mother became very ill, and I
came home to take care of her. It was a
good decision for me because I was ac-
cepted to work here at Mountain View College. I’ve been here for ten years, and
it has been a fabulous experience. I really
enjoy working with the staff, with the stu-
dents, and with all of the variety that goes
on in this campus. I would put this institu-
tion toe-to-toe with any institute of higher learning in the country. We’ve got some
very fine faculty here, and our students go
on to do some incredible things. What do you think about The Lion’s
Pride, Mountain View College’s own
academic newspaper?
The Lion’s Pride is my pride! There is so much good work going with regards to
The Lion’s Pride and The Lion’s Roar. I am thrilled at the quality of work that’s
being turned out by staff and students.
And I’m really proud of the commitment
that they have, the initiative and drive.
When I’ve read some of the articles–and
I’m putting both together–and submissions
that have been given by students and staff
alike, the amount of talent we have here
on this campus is incredible! What are the biggest challenges and
greatest rewards of working at Moun-
tain View College?
The rewards are personal satisfaction
and a job well done. I’m proud of the peo-
ple that I work with. The great range of
talent that we have in all of the areas that I
supervise is a profundity of incredible fac-
ulty and staff, but I think what I’m most proud of is the accomplishments of the
students. When they first start attending
Mountain View, many students are nerv-
ous. You know they’re scared, and seeing
them bloom over the time that they are
here is really rewarding. It makes me con-
tinue to want to work forever. Can you explain the current marketing
efforts that have made Mountain View
College the most student-populated
campus in the DCCCD community?
I know that we have an incredible
marketing staff that has done some very
creative things recently to bring Mountain
View and its name into the spotlight. Our
community is recognizing what a wonder-
ful institution that Mountain View is.
They’re recognizing that we’ve got some
great programs here. Since I’ve been
here, we’ve put in Nursing, and we’ve put
in Engineering, Mechatronics, Machining.
Students are coming because they realize
they can get a wonderful education here
and then go out and get jobs, and that’s
really rewarding to me. What about the students of Mountain
View College has impressed you most
of all?
I think the commitment students show
when many of them have so many chal-
lenges shows. Many of our students work
full-time, have children, come from other
countries, and come with challenges. Peo-ple of less character would be over-
whelmed, but their commitment and their
pride shines through in the end. Moreover,
their devotion to their work and the fact
that they complete their degrees and go
out and get some incredible jobs is re-
warding to me. Having worked on the
state committee, I know that our students
can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the
country. They’re very competitive, and our
receiving institutions recognize the quality
of students that we’re turning out here.
We’re constantly working on new pro-
grams that will increase the number of
jobs that students can get and earn a
good living for their families. What does your future at Mountain
View College look like?
I hope I’m here for a long time! There
are a lot of programs that I still want to
write and a lot of programs that I’d still like
to see implemented here, so I hope that
Mountain View will allow me to stay for a
number of years. Furthermore, I’d like to
see a lot more students graduate.
(Continued from page 5)
Dr. Valencia (interview)
7
By Herbert McCullough
Mountain View College welcomed,
thanked, and honored MVC students and
staff who had served in the United States
armed forces. Shira Bland, Cathy Ed-
wards, and Staci Lowe of the Office of
Student Life prepared breakfast in rooms
S1029 and 1030, where students and
faculty members spoke with veterans who
had served or were currently serving. Af-
ter breakfast, the event moved outside to
the student courtyard for the MVC Veter-
ans Ceremony.
Molina High School’s ROTC Color
Guard, led by Colonel Senior Army In-
structor Joe E. Conley, posted the colors for the ceremony. Mountain View’s stu-
dent ambassador Alayna Dublin sang the
national anthem.
Next, Jose Sandoval, a veteran, sa-
luted and welcomed the National Honor
Society. Sandoval welcomed Sergeant
Santos of the National Guard as he gave
the invocation. After the invocation, Ash-
ley Crosby, also a veteran, enlightened
the MVC Community on the history of
Veterans Day, which began at the end of
“The Great War” on the eleventh hour of
the eleventh day of the eleventh month in
1918. Remembrance Day is another
name for Veterans Day in Canada and the
United Kingdom, which were two Ameri-
can allies in the Great War. Before World
War II, Veterans Day was called Armistice
Day, officially recognized on June 4, 1926,
when businesses were briefly suspended
at 11a.m. However, after World War II, in
1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower
renamed the holiday Veterans Day. Veter-
ans Day continues to be observed on No-
vember 11, and it is a day to celebrate
America’s veterans for “their patriotism,
love of country, and willingness to serve
and sacrifice for the common good.”
Jose Sandoval later presented three
distinguished veterans: Lt. Colonel Pedro
S. Parra, United States Air Force veteran, his son, a veteran as well as our Veterans
Honor Society Advisor, Richard Parra,
and Mr. Hancock, the eldest member of
our Emeritus Center. After a thunderous
round of applause, Jose Sandoval and
Gary Calhoun presented the President of
Mountain View College, Dr. Robert Garza.
Dr. Garza, who served as the keynote
speaker during Palo Alto’s Veterans Day
observances for the past several years
and whose father and grandfather both
proudly served, gave special remarks. In
his remarks, President Dr. Garza high-
lighted the importance of understanding
that freedom is not free, and he stressed
that there are still men and women in
combat around the world such as in Syria,
(Continued on page 8)
MVC salutes its veterans
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
Photo taken by Herbert
MVC’s veterans gather for photo at Veterans Day celebration
Ms. Shoshana Johnson speaks at Veterans Day celebration
8
By Babatunde Adetoro
Mountain View College has been
fortunate to have a wonderful faculty and
staff over the years. Many of these individ-
uals have put in their time and effort to make this college a fun, conducive learn-
ing environment.
This year, Ms. Cathy Edwards and
Dr. Geoff Grimes were the 2015 recipients
of Mountain View College’s Presidential
Award. These individuals have worked
obsequiously, diligently, and sagaciously
among the Mountain View family.
Ms. Cathy Edwards is a Mountain
View College alumnus. In addition to be-
ing a full-time student, she worked part-
time as a departmental assistant for the
Office of Student Life. She earned her
bachelor’s degree from Dallas Baptist
University. Ms. Edwards has been at
Mountain View for twenty years, fifteen of
which have been as Director of the Office
of Student Life.
Referred to by students as Ms. Cathy,
she found the announcement of being a
recipient of the Presidential Award at the
2015 convocation a serendipitous sur-
prise. Ms. Cathy stated, “I was humbled
because I am usually the one giving the
surprises.” She felt very grateful, and she
was looking forward to working with the
new president knowing that he supported her department’s work. She explained, “I
am MVC proud for so many reasons.
MVC gave me my foundation; four of my
kids came to MVC. MVC Presidential
Award recipients and I have been working
with students for twenty years. I recently
met an old student from nineteen or twen-
ty years ago, and the ex-student wants to
send her kid here due to the impact we
have on the students. I am proud that we
have new generations of students coming
and proud that we are giving the same
quality education to students.”
Dr. Geoff Grimes has been at Moun-
tain View College since 1971. He has taught a full range of English classes and
sponsored many student clubs. Currently,
(Continued on page 9)
Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Afterward, Ms. Shoshana Johnson
told her inspiring story of being an immi-
grant from Panama, attending the Univer-
sity of Texas at El Paso, completing basic
training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
and advanced individual training (AIT) at
Fort Lee, Virginia, working as an Army cook with the 507th at Fort Bliss, experi-
encing a terrifying ambush in Nasiriyah,
deploying to Iraq in 2003, and being res-
cued by members of the Marines. John-
son's story conveyed lessons about com-
passion, forgiveness, and the struggle
veterans face when coming back home.
Even though veterans touch US soil
again, they are not at home yet.
Jose Sandoval, Cathy Edwards, Dr.
Garza, and the National Honor Society
recognized Mountain View College’s vet-
erans with a medal of appreciation. After
the thunderous applause, Richard Parra,
along with the National Honors Society,
presented the Wreath Laying Ceremony, thanking and honoring those veterans
who had departed, both on and off the
battlefield.
(Continued from page 7)
W114 Monday—Thursday 7:30a.m.—
9:00p.m.
Friday & Saturday 7:30a.m.—
4:30p.m.
The Ink Spot Academic Center for Writing
Writing Center Help Desk [email protected] Phone: 972-860-5606 Room W114
MVC salutes our veterans
Dedicated employees receive MVC Presidential Award
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
Ms. Cathy Edwards and Dr. Geoff Grimes
9
By Ary Bennett
Cedar Hill is a town on the outskirts of
Dallas, which currently appears to be
flourishing. The mayor is Rob Franke, and
he has served as mayor for Cedar Hill for
five terms. According to Cedarhilltx.com,
the council members include: Stephen
Mason, Daniel C. Haydin Jr., Jami
McCain, Chris Parvin, Clifford R. Shaw,
and Wallace Swayze.
The council does not appear to pass
ordinances frequently; in fact, most of
their ordinances are correcting flaws in their past ordinances. The council passed
an ordinance in August of 2014 making a
new no parking zone on High Pointe
Lane. This no parking zone is located on
a fairly narrow street, which only has
space for safe parking on one side as well
as being the road where an elementary
school is placed. The ordinance requires
that signs be put up designating the strip
as a no parking zone as well as allowing
for fines to be given to anyone found park-
ing in the no parking zone, according to
the city’s website.
The mayor and the council members had good intentions toward the citizens of
Cedar Hill when they passed this law.
Since the street is narrow and has a
school, it is not safe for the drivers or the
pedestrians to have cars parked on both
sides of the road. The road is too narrow
for drivers to drive safely and allows too
many blind spots where children cannot
be seen and kept within a safe distance
from danger that the road presents. Pe-
destrians, especially children, are in dan-
ger crossing the street because parked
cars along the side of the street prevent
drivers and on-coming vehicles from see-ing pedestrians crossing the street. By
passing this ordinance, the city council
made both driving and walking home from
the elementary school on High Pointe
Lane much safer.
The city of Cedar Hill tries to make it
easy for its citizens to get involved. They
have clearly stated times for council meet-
ings when a person runs for office, the city
holds elections, and the council shares
information about its people in office. The
government of Cedar Hill does its best to
run Cedar Hill in a way that is both pleas-
ing and helpful for its citizens.
he sponsors the Magic Club. Dr. Grimes
organized a number of experiential learn-
ing excursions to Mexico, Canada, and
Guatemala, and he codirected the Boston
excursion for the last fifteen years.
Dr. Grimes also helped in pioneering
distance-learning classes, and he taught
the first online English course at Mountain View College that started in the 1990s.
Dr. Grimes was flattered and honored
to receive this award. “It was a very kindly
thing and a little embarrassing,” he said.
Being a man of few words, when asked
about why he has MVC Pride, he replied,
“Because of the challenges faced as fac-
ulty, I am proud to be able to better serve
the students. I try to do better so that I can
help the students learn better. I am fo-
cused on helping students become confi-
dent and competent writers. Every day, I
feel challenged to help students excel in
their assignments and writing courses. If these students increase their confidence,
they will become more competent and I
have been privileged to see it happen.”
Congratulations to Ms. Cathy Ed-
wards and Dr. Geoff Grimes for their im-
peccable service at Mountain View Col-
lege.
Previous recipients of the presidential
award included Bonnie Hueston, Fred
Taylor, Terry Devall, Juan Baldor, and Dr.
Geoff Grimes. In addition, some depart-
ments and committees received this
award such as the Facilities SECC Com-
mittee, SACS Self-Study Team, and SACS First Monitoring Report Team.
(Continued from page 8)
Government of Cedar Hill in the MVC area reaches resolutions over a problem with city ordinances
Presidential Award recipients
10
By Miranda Heart My name is Miranda Heart. I am origi-nally from Damascus, Syria. I have been married since 2012. Before that, I studied media, and I have worked as a journalist since 2007. I wrote for a political website, then for a beauty magazine. I quit writing about political issues after the Syrian cri-sis started. I was asked to do some field covers for the marches that were happen-ing in Syria to support the role of Bashar Al-Assad, the current president. Also, I was asked to write about the crisis and about the Syrian army’s achievements according to Syrian official TV and the Syrian official news agency, SANA, with-out any other sources of information. I refused to do that because it was against my professional ethics. I believed that Bashar Al-Assad was responsible for most of the violence, killing, and torture, which was happening in Syria. I tried to avoid covering these events, but my excuses didn’t convince the website’s editor, so he started to put pressure on me that made me quit working for them. Before the war occurred, my country used to be very beautiful and interesting. If you ever visited, it would remain in your mind for a very long time. Syria is on the continent of Asia, located in the Middle East on the shore of Mediterranean Sea and bordered, from the north down to the west, by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Pal-
estine, and Lebanon. It is one of the old-est inhabited regions in the world with archaeological finds dating the first human habitation at 700,000 years ago. In Damascus, the capital of Syria, there were many places that you would have enjoyed visiting. I will list some as I remember them: Qasion Mountain’s high-est point is 3,776 ft., and it overlooks the city of Damascus. It has a lot of restau-rants from which the whole city can be viewed. Saydnaya is also located on the mountain. The name of Saydnaya in the old Aramic language refers to the Virgin Mary. Saydnaya is second in religious importance to Jerusalem. There is also Alhamidya Souq, the largest shopping center. It was built in 1780 and is located
inside the old city of Damascus, behind the famous Damascus Castle. There you can find all sorts of ancient souvenirs. Al Azm Palace is a very nice historical place, originally built in 1750. It used to be the home of the Ottoman governor of Damas-cus, As'ad Pasha al-Azm. The palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions, and all the sculptures in it are made from wax. I love my country so much, but I had to leave it because there is a war going on now. Life has become really dangerous. There is a lack of food, electricity, and water. They made us leave our house, and when we returned, the house was damaged and the furniture stolen. So I left my family, my house, my memories, and even my career, which I used to like. I wish I could stop the war and help my people there, but there is nothing I can do. Even though I love my country very much, I prefer my new life here in the United States more than anything else. I consider it my new home.
Culture and La Voz Estudiantil
Syrian recalls life at peace before the war in the Middle East
11
By Herbert McCullough During Native American Heritage Month, which falls in November, Mountain View College was honored to welcome Dallas’ great Bear Claw Singers and Dance Troupe to share their cultural herit-age with the Mountain View College com-munity. The Bear Claw Singers have been performing for twelve years across Texas and the rest of the United States and have members from the Kiowa and Comanche Tribes of Texas and Oklahoma. These singers come together with other Native American communities across the south-western United States to celebrate their proud heritage. The most powerful instrument that is used is the drum, which has the beat of a heart. Just like a heart, the drum’s beat represents healing, love, and blessing to others. The first song was a welcoming song, where the Bear Claw Singers welcomed the Dance Troupes. The lead singer ad-dressed how diverse many Native Ameri-can tribes are and how that diversity rep-resents the United States. He addressed the strong contributions of Native Ameri-cans to the American armed forces since
World War I, although many were not rec-ognized citizens by the government. They also sang a song that honored those who have lost their lives and are still serving in the armed forces. A dance trouper presented a dance to
represent the story of healing. Another dance trouper from the Kiowa Tribe per-formed a dance to represent motherhood and its blessings. The dancers consider it the most calming dance they have ever done. The next dance, from the Sioux, was called Stomping Grass. This dance was very special because it was performed by two of the youngest members of the troupe, one a teenager and the other a small child. The dancer of the Blackfoot Tribe honored the Great Prairie Chicken, a colorful prairie bird that dances to attract a mate. In the same vein, the Bear Claw Sing-ers also performed a traditional song that was used to attract loved ones like a mod-ern love song. One of the most vibrant dances was from an experienced gentle-man of the Comanche Tribe who per-formed a battle dance. As the event end-ed, the Bear Claw Singers and the Dance Troupe invited attendees to join them in a dance and song representing friendship.
Bear Claw Singers and Dance Troupe share their native heritage with MVC
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
12
Attendees of Dia de los Muertos celebration dress in traditional clothing
By Herbert McCullough
Sigma Delta Mu is a Mountain View
College club that expresses and cele-
brates the heritage of the vast and diverse
Hispanic community. Sigma Delta Mu
hosted a celebration of the traditional
Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos at
Moutain View College.
The modern practices of Día de los
Muertos are influenced by Spanish and
indigenous cultures. This day connects to
the common Spaniard tradition of All
Souls Day; however, during the time that
Mexico was among the Spanish Empire,
many indigenous, folklore traditions were
still practiced. During Día de los Muertos,
the dead are remembered and honored,
and people are taught that death is a cy-
cle of life and to be expected, not feared.
The host, Ulisses Rodríguez, comical-
ly apologized about the rain since the
event was expected to be hosted in the
courtyard, but, due to the weather, it was
relocated in the S Building. Despite this,
many students and faculty members at-tended.
During the event, Sigma Delta Mu
read Calaveras Literarias (i.e., a genrte of
traditional poems for Día de los Muertos)
written by the fall 2015 Spanish 1411
class. Among Sigma Delta Mu, Adriana
Perez Niño, Miranda Tellez, and Brenda
Reyes also read poems. Calaveras Lit-
erarias are traditional poems recited dur-
ing Día de los Muertos. The poems refer
(Continued on page 13)
Dia de los Muertos
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
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13
to death, but they can also be comical and
political satires, which were common after
the 1910 Revolution in Mexico. As a
Spanish 1411 student, I also took the
stage and recited my own Calaveras Lit-
erarias.
As the last Calaveras Literarias was
read, the event finished with activities
such as taking photos and playing games.
People attending were served sugared
bread and hot chocolate. This event was
culturally enlightening for those who are
not familiar with traditions of other nations
and with more events like this, students
and faculty are encouraged to express
their customs.
(Continued from page 12)
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
Dia de los Muertos
14
By Herbert McCullough and
Heber Bibang
Mountain View College a organisé la
semaine annuelle des humanités en
W181/183 dans l'Édifice de l'Ouest. Cet
événement a été organisé par trois des
meilleurs professeurs don’t : Dre Janice
Franklin, Joseph Brockway, Randy Clow-
er, et Luc Histoire. Cet événement a
également été organisé par quatre élèves
Ambassadeurs de Mountain View Collèges dont: Jorge Pina, Herbert
McCullough, Daniel, et Alyana Dublin.
Malgré les défis de l'accueil d'un événe-
ment de une semaine, les étudiants et les
professeurs ont travaillé très dur pour que
cette semaine humanitaire demarre et
prenne fin avec un grand coup. Ce fut un
événement réussi et instructif.
Lundi (octobre 19)
La semaine humanitaire commença
avec de la poésie de Joe, qui a été ac-
cueilli par Joseph Brockway et l'étudiant
ambassadeur Jorge Pina. Dans cet expo-
sé, le professeur Brockway posa les in-
structives questions suivantes: « Qu’est-
ce-qu’un un poème? Qu'est-ce qui fait un
poème? À quoi ressemble t-il? » Toutes
ces questions et bien d'autres ont été dis-
cutées lors de cette conférence. Dans cet
exposé, il nous a présenté des poèmes en
anglais, français et espagnol. Il a com-
mencé avec la présentation et la discus-
sion du poème « De quien es la poesi »
par Felix Franco Oppenheimer, qui a dit :
« la poésie appartient à chacun et elle est partout. » Un autre travail qu'il a présenté
était celui d'un Français nommé Isidore-
Lucien uruguayen Ducasse, qui lui a dit :
« la poésie est créé par tous, et non pas
par un. » D'autres poètes et œuvres qu'il
nous a montré inclurent « Dans la station
du métro » de Ezra Pound et « Rimas »
de Edger Allen Garcia. Il nous a informé
que la rime et le symbolisme sont la forme
de base de la poésie. Le poète le plus
intéressant qu'il nous présenta fut le Fu-
turisme F.T. Marinetti de l'Italie, qui lui
utilisa son travail pour contester l'interna-
tionalisme. Il a terminé cette conférence
avec la série Erra; où la poésie est expri-
mée par le sentiment de choquer, dé-
goûter, faire honte et des métaphores joyeuses.
Mardi (20 octobre)
Le deuxième jour de la semaine des
Sciences Humaines a commencé avec la
question de Pauvert Bin-Asset et du
groupe de discussion l'Éducation, qui les
a accueilli par les deux Tre Noirs, à savoir
le Président de treco de placement collec-
tif ltée, le Dr. Janice Franklin, et l'étudiant
ambassadeur : Herbert McCullough. Dans
cet exposé, le Président Noir nous a in-
formé sur la raison pour laquelle il est
important pour d’aucun de construire son
avenir financier à un âge précoce. Malgré
la croissance de l'économie du Texas et
en dépit de l'accroissement de la puis-
sance économique de la génération du
millénaire, beaucoup de gens manquent
de lumières financière et de stabilité. De
ce fait, de nombreux jeunes sont pris dans
un cycle infernal de la pauvreté. En outre,
il expliqua que plus de la moitié de la pop-
ulation de Dallas est incapable de sub-
venir à leurs besoins sans un revenu sta-
ble pendant trois mois (les rendant fi-nancièrement pauvre). Il a également
expliqué l'expérience très utile en ce qui
concerne le prépa université; il était à la
fois un étudiant de Mountain View College
et de El Centro College. Il a encouragé les
étudiants à ne pas s'inquiéter si c'était leur
premier semestre et leur leur filière un-
decis. Selon lui, la première année devrait
être cella-là où les étudiant doivent ap-
prendre à se découvrir avant de décider
de leur spécialisation. Le Président Noir et
le Dr Franklin ont également expliqué
l'importance d'étudier la filière. Il a terminé
cette conférence en donnant à la Commu-
nauté de Mountain View College des pa-
roles de sagesse sur comment il est deve-
nu un homme d'affaires réussi et com-ment devenir un homme d'affaires.
Mercredi (21 octobre)
Le tiers de la semaine des humanités
a commencé avec l'Identité, qui est animé
par le Dr. Janice Franklin, et l'étudiant
ambassadeur : Daniel Leareno et Dr
Franklin a commencé cette conférence en
demandant ce que c’est que l'Identité. Elle
a répondu en disant: « C'est compliqué. »
Les deux definitions comunes compren-
nent: 1) La condition d'être soi-même; et
2) Le caractère de ce qu'une personne/
place/chose est. Elle exposa le fait que ce
que constitue une identité sont l'ascend-
ance, profession, et l'image. En démarrant
avec l'ascendance, elle s’inclua à sa char-
mante famille; qui comprenait sa mère de
Louisiane et son père de l'Oklahoma. Elle
a également eu l'amabilité de nous mon-
trer son test ADN, où elle peut retracer
ses ancêtres au Ghana, l'Irlande et de la
Norvège. Elle a également expliqué com-
ment le concept de race est une création
de l'homme et n'a pas de la biologie. Ce-
pendant, le racisme systémique existe toujours. Elle a expliqué la différence en-
tre la race et l'ethnicité à travers le re-
censement des États-Unis. Elle a mis fin à
cette conférence avec une entrevue de
Rachel Dolezal. Lorsque l'entrevue était
(Continued on page 15)
Semaine des sciences humaines
15
terminée, la question qui est apparue a
été «qui fait de vous ce dont vous êtes :
vous-même ou la société? »
Jeudi (22 octobre)
La quatrième semaine des Humani-
tés était une vidéo avec Randy Clower,
qui a été accueillie par la vidéaste Randy Crowford, Dre Janice Franklin, et
l'étudiant ambassadeur : Herbert
McCullough. Dans cette conférence,
M. Clower éclaira les étudiants sur la ré-
volution de la photographie avec son baby
-boomer âge à l'ère post-millénaire actuel.
De loin, l'élément le plus intéressant de
cette présentation était quand il nous a
montré un vidéo de son baby-boomer, y
compris son expérience avec la guerre du
Viêt-Nam Projet et de la révolution contre-
culture. Comme nous avions du temps
supplémentaire, il devait nous montrer
plus de vidéos qu'il a travaillées sur, y
compr i s ce l u i conc e rnan t l e
30e anniversaire de Mountain View Col-
lege, la Journée de Reconnaissance de l’
Étudiant en Spring 2015, et la Convoca-
tion Étudiante du semestre de Fall 2015.
Vendredi (octobre 23)
Le dernier jour de la Semaine des
sciences humaines a été sur l’expression;
ce qui a été animé par les Conseillers
Academiques de Rédaction, le professeur
Luc Story, le Dr. Janice Franklin, et l'étudiant Ambassadeur : Alyana Dublin.
La semaine des Sciences humaines ne pu
prendre fin sur une note supérieure, que
où les étudiants et membres du corps
professoral ont été encouragés à exprimer
leur poésie, littérature dramatique, et mot
de discours. Les Exploits inclurent la per-
formance de Drame de Mountain View
College effectuant une scène d’un livre de
Mountain View intituté: Dans le Mag-
nifique Nord (Into the Beautiful North). Ils
étaient aussi assez gentils d’avoir présen-
té trois autres œuvres; un comprenant
pourquoi d’aucun devrait envisager aller
apprendre à Mountain View College.
D’autres œuvres était deux disserta-
tions, dont l'une des professeurs de l'État
les plus respectés de la Communauté
DCCCD, et l’autre de Jonothon York sur
l'intégration des arts et des sciences champs; le président de l'astrophysique
Club, et Ian Gris sur la reconstruction du
Texas et de l'Irak. D’autres expositions
inclurent un poème du professeur Darius
Frasure, ainsi que un discours du vice-
président du Kevin Williams Writing
Lounge: Heber Bibang. Un des travaux
litteraires intéressants inclut une bilingue
fiction Français-Anglais du vice-président
Heber Bibang et du Président Herbert
McCullough, du Kevin Williams Writing
Lounge. La derniere performance, mais
non la moindre, était un Dave Chappell
influencé sonnet du professeur Luke
Story.
En conclusion, la Semaine des sci-
ences humaines était une grande oppor-
tunité tant pour ceux de la Communauté
de Mountain View College de s’exprimer
en tant que des êtres humains fiers et
curieux. Les thèmes de cette semaine
allaient de la littérature, à financer, s’iden-
tifier, et la photographie. Se porter vo-
lontaire et participer à cette série d'événe-
ments a été une expérience très humble et accueillante, et je suis impatient de
revoir comment la prochaine semainte
des Sciences Humaines se passera.
(Continued from page 14)
Theatre
Auditions for Romeo and Juliet will be performed March 30-April 2, 2016.
Location: W37
Tuesday, January 26 • 6:30-9p.m.
Wednesday, January 27 • 6:30-9p.m.
Actors and stage combat experts and backstage crew are all needed.
Amy Mills Jackson 214-860-3685
Sigma Delta Mu, Xi de Texas
Join Today!
Honors those who attain excel-lence in the study of the Span-ish language and the litera-ture and culture of Spanish-speaking peoples.
Ulises Rodriguez
214-860-8792
Join LULAC Today!
Promotes a positive image of the His-panic community through cultur-al awareness, as well as through professional contacts.
Juan C. Garcia 214-860-3628
Semaine des sciences
16
By Herbert McCullough and
Heber Bibang
Mountain View College est très privi-
légié d'avoir de très exceptionnels
étudiants leaders. L'un de ces cas excep-
t i o n n e l s d ’ é t u d i a n t l e a d e r
est Bianca Muñoz: une tutrice de STEM,
Vice-Président de dirigeat au Phi Theta
Kappa, et élève Ambassadeur. Elle a été
assez aimable de nous avoir rejoint dans
un entretien pour discuter de ses expéri-
ences comme une étudiante leader.
Interrogée sur son titre de poste, elle a répondu : «Je suis une tutrice de STEM
pour Mountain View College. »
Lorsqu'on lui a demandé ce qu’elle
aime du fait d’etre une membre du pro-
gramme STEM à Mountain View College,
elle expliqua : «Je pense que ce que
j'aime le plus, c'est aider les élèves à at-
teindre leur plein potentiel, car ils ne
viennent sans comprendre; lorsqu'ils quit-
tent avec la compréhension du matériel,
c'est toujours un grand moment . »
Lorsqu'on lui a demandé quelle filière
elle souhaite poursuivre, sa réponse à
cette simple question était : « Je suis à la
poursuite d'un Bachelor (diplôme corre-
spondant au Master 1 dans l’Ensei-
gnement Francophone) en biologie, et
puis j'espère avoir un Master (diplôme
correspondant au Master 2 dans l’Ensei-
gnement Francophone) en études d'assis-
tance de médecins . »
L'un des éléments les plus intéres-
sants à propos de cette merveilleuse
étudiante leader est qu'elle a déjà son
Associates Degree (diplôme correspon-dant à la License tronc commun scien-
tifique dans l’Enseignement Franco-
phone). Quand on lui a demandé plus à
ce sujet, elle m’a brillamment éclairé son
incroyable exploit: « J'ai obtenu mon
diplôme d’Associate in Sience (License
Scientifique) en décembre dernier J'ai
cloturé cela en la félicitant en espagnol. »
Lorsqu'on lu i a demandé-
d'expliquer son expérience antérieur,
malgré que ce soit une question délicate,
elle fut assez aimable pour avoir répondu
comme ceci : « Je suis la première de ma
famille à fréquenter le College (institution
correspondante a un prepa Universitaire
dans l’Enseignement Francophone), j'ai
une soeur plus jeune, et j'ai toujours été
une intéllo; et j'ai toujours aimé l'école . »
Lorsqu'on lui demande quels sont ses
objectifs, elle a répondu : « Mon objectif
est, évidemment, de transférer dans une
université de quatre ans. Lequel? En ce
moement, celui qui m’intéresse le plus est
l'Université du Texas à Dallas, mais je
vais toujours postuler dans une différente variété d’écoles et voir ce qu'ils m'offrent.»
Lorsqu'on lui a demandé d'expliquer
pourquoi est-il important pour les
étudiants d’entrer dans une institution de
quatre ans à partir d'une Communauté
College (Prépa Universitaire) avec un
diplôme plutôt que sans un, elle a
gracieusement répondu cela en insistant:
« Je pense que les avantages de transfert
avec un diplôme est que vous êtes con-
sidérés comme étant un individu accom-
plis; de sorte que, lorsque vous êtes à
l'université, ils doivent vous exempter de
classes que vous avez déjà pris et adapt-
er à votre plan de diplôme. Je pense que
c'est l'un des avantages au lieu de
prendre un peu de classes et de transfer-er où l'université a le pouvoir de dire non,
nous n'accepterons pas ces classes. »
Lorsqu'on lui a demandé si elle ap-
parecie être un membre de Phi Theta
Kappa, elle a répondu : « Être membre de
Phi Theta Kappa est très cool, très im-
pressionnant. Cela m'a permis de trav-
ailler et améliorer mes compétences en
tant que dirigeante et me defier moi-
même plus . »
Quand on lui a demandé pourquoi
elle aime faire du bénévolat pour de nom-
breuses activités, elle répond à cette
question avec un sourire qui pourrait
bouger une nation : « J'adore faire du
bénévolat parce que j'aime ce sentiment
d'aider quelqu'un; j’apprecie juste aider
les gens. Faire quelque chose sans être
payee signifie que amez vraiment
beaucoup la chose, alors pourquoi pas ?»
Lorsqu'on lui a demandé qu’est-ce-
que cela fait d’être un étudiant Ambas-
sadeur et quells en sont les défis et les
récompenses d'en être un, elle a
gracieusement répondu : « J'adore être un étudiant Ambassadeur. Je crois que c'est
vraiment cool parce que vous obtenez
beaucoup de reconnaissance dans le
(Continued on page 17)
Une entrevue avec Bianca Muñoz: leader étudiant
Photo provided by Herbert McCullough Bianca Muñoz
17
The Lion’s Roar Academic Journal of Mountain View College
campus et les gens se souviennent de
votre nom, et mettre ce nom sur votre
visage, afin qu'ils sachent qui vous êtes.
Je pense que les défis sont en équilibre
avec votre école et votre vie en general
parce que parfois je donne des cours de
soutien et parfois je dois quitter l’ensei-
gnement pour aller à un événement, alors
il faut que je revienne car il y aura certains
eleves de m'attendre, d’où la difficulté. Je pense que les avantages sont que j'ai
l'occasion de rencontrer beaucoup de
gens; j’intéragis avec beaucoup de gens,
et j'introduis un grand nombre de per-
sonnes. C'est toujours un bon plus . »
Lorsqu'on lui a demandé quels con-
seils qu'elle donnerait à ceux qui
souhaiteraient devenir member du pro-
gramme STEM et de Phi Theta Kappa de
Mountain View College, elle a répondu :
« Je dirais faites le! Si vous ne faites rien,
et êtes simplement un étudiant qui vient
juste de l'école, qui rentre chez lui, vient à
l'école, rentre à la maison, vous faites mal
votre apprentissage (integration) dans la
vie universitaire. Cela peut-être accepta-
ble au lycée, mais pas à l’université, vous
n’irez nulle part comme ça. Vous devez
être impliqués; commencz quelque part.
Ce que je dis aux étudiants, ne faites
d’abord rien dans votre premier semes-
tre,habituez-vous à la vie de l’université,
puis si vous vous sentez suffisamment à
l'aise, soit prendre un travail d’étude dans
le campus ou joignez-vous à une organi-sation parce que nous avons plus de vingt
ici dans le campus, de sorte qu'il doit y
avoir une qui vous convienne. Cela vous
aidera à vous épanouir, et cela va aussi
vous aider à grandir, et vous aidera à aré-
aliser ce que vous voulez . »
Lorsqu'on lui a demandé quels con-
seils qu'elle donnerait à ceux qui
souhaitent devenir étudiant Ambassadeur,
elle a souligné très fortement à ce sujets :
« Je dirais postulez; postulez au début. Et
soyez sûr d'aller dans cette entrevue par-
ce que vous avez les meilleures notes,
mieux reprendre, les meilleurs dirigeants
de recommandation, mais tout se résume
à cette entrevue; ne soyez pas effrayés,
ne soyez pas intimidés, allez là-bas et
montrez leur le véritable vous, soyez hum-
ble, et amusez vous . »
Mme. Bianca Muñoz n'est pas
seulement une fantastique tutrice de
STEM , une étudiante Ambassadeur, et
une member Phi Theta Kappa; elle est
également quelqu'un qui est toujours à la
recherche du meilleur. Je lui ai posé la question la plus importante de toutes, qui
fait ses cheveux? Elle a ri et souligné le
fait qu’elle le fait par elle-même. Elle a mis
fin à cette entrevue de la meilleure façon
possible : « Mes cheveux
sont frisés ! »
(Continued from page 16)
Bianca Muñoz
About The Lion’s Roar The Lion’s Roar publishes writing of all kinds by Mountain View College students, faculty, staff and alumni. Additionally, in ac-cordance with the MVC QEP, The Lion’s Roar is intended to provide a venue to show-case writing at Mountain View College across the disciplines. Not only is The Lion’s Roar a place for poetry and short fiction, but it also publishes excellent research papers, digital artwork, essays and writing of any other sort. All fac-ulty should encourage their students to sub-mit their work to The Lion’s Roar; faculty who are aware of fine student writing can submit it themselves, with the student's doc-
umented consent. One of the best ways to reward fine student writing—more rewarding than any grade you can give it—is to encour-age students to publish for others to enjoy! Artistic, political or social commentary represents the views of the artists and writ-ers, and inclusion in The Lion’s Roar does not indicate editorial endorsement or non-endorsement of the writers' or artists' views. The Lion’s Roar does not claim to represent the views of Mountain View College, the Dallas County Community College District or its officers.
Contact Information
The Lion's Roar General Email: [email protected] Submissions: [email protected]
Editor-in-Chief
Luke Story
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 214-860-8748
Chief Faculty Editor/
QEP Culture of Writing Sub-
Committee Chair
Darius Ajai Frasure, MFA, MA
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 214-860-8857
18
Boletín informativo mensual redactado por estudiantes de la Sociedad Hispana
de Honores Sigma Delta Mu de Mountain View College
By Herbert McCullough
Cuando se acerca la navidad, en los
Estado Unidos de América es ya una tra-
dición para los norteamericanos acercar-
se a los grandes almacenes a realizar las
compras navideñas.
Sin embargo, no todo el mundo cele-
bra la navidad a base de compras navide-
ñas. Existen muchas maneras diferentes
de celebrar la navidad y cada uno escoge
su manera de hacerlo. De igual manera,
la navidad se celebra de manera distinta
en otros países.
En los Estados Unidos, la navidad es
una fiesta religiosa que fue declarada por
el gobierno de los Estados Unidos como
una fiesta nacional, para fomentar la paz
y la hermandad entre el pueblo estadouni-
dense (que todavía tenían secuelas de la
Guerra Civil Americana), en 1870. En los Estados Unidos, las personas celebran la
Navidad de manera similar a muchos
países europeos, donde los barrios están
decorados con motivos navideños, las
casas son decoradas con luces navideñas
y hay árboles navideños por todos los
rincones. En la víspera de la Navidad, las
familias se reúnen y los regalos son inter-
cambiados.
En México, las fiestas navideñas em-
piezan el 12 de diciembre con la fiesta de
la virgen de Guadalupe. Durante el mes
de diciembre, se honran y celebran las
historias de María y el nacimiento de Je-
sús, terminando con la fiesta de los Re-yes Magos el 6 de enero. Durante ese
día, los niños reciben regalos por parte de
los Reyes Magos, que viene siendo algo
parecido a los regalos que tradicional-
mente reciben los niños estadounidenses
en el día de Santa Claus.
En Cuba, la Navidad no es tan exten-
sa. En 1969 se prohibió la Navidad como
una fiesta nacional debido a que se re-
quería mano de obra para cultivar el azú-
car durante esas fechas. Afortunadamen-
te, la Navidad fue re-declarada Fiesta
nacional en 1990 y ahora se celebra du-
rante un día el 25 de diciembre.
En América Central, las celebracio-
nes navideñas son muy variadas. En El
Salvador, los niños celebran la Navidad
jugando con fuegos artificiales, los ado-
lescentes y adultos prefieren usar velas.
Las familias (como en los Estados Uni-
dos) se reúnen en una fiesta donde el
chocolate caliente y emparedados son
servidos.
En el otro hemisferio, la navidad se cele-bra en verano. Por ejemplo, en Brasil, es
común ver a Santa Claus haciendo surf
en Río de Janeiro.
La navidad es siempre navidad, y de
una manera u otra reúne familias alrede-
dor del mundo en una fiesta de nivel mun-
dial. ¡Feliz Navidad!
Art Club Join Today!
Promotes the growth of interest and appreciation of the arts and fos-ters continued learning.
Tina Medina
214-860-3654
International Friend-ship Club Join Today!
Promotes cultural awareness and diver-sity at Mountain View College.
Juan Sandoval
214-477-5856
Paola Medina
214-860-8700
Navidad en los Estados Unidos y América Latina
19
By Cindy Umana
¡El final de este maravilloso se-
mestre se acerca! Si no es demasia-
do, asegúrate de comprobar con tus
profesores si aún estas a tiempo de
incrementar tus calificaciones de algu-na u otra manera. Nunca duele estar
por delante de sus clases, así que
trata de tomar alguna clase durante
las vacaciones. Las clases de invierno
son rigurosas, las A requieren un poco
más de esfuerzo, pero no son imposi-
bles. Si lo hace, al finalizar el “winter term,” usted estará adelantado, y una
clase más cerca de su grado. Aun así,
si usted decide no tomar clases, no se
atrase en sus estudios. Existen sitios
web para personas que tienen dificul-
tades en matemáticas y lectura pue-
dan tomar ventaja de ellos. Ahora
bien, si usted prefiere disfrutar de una
navidad sin tareas pero quiere hacer
algo por su comunidad, existen cien-
tos de personas sin refugio o comida a las que usted puede ayudar en es-
tas fechas tan especiales. Las vaca-
ciones no son solo fiestas para recibir,
sino también un tiempo para dar.
By Brenda Reyes
En el año 1531 una "Señora del Cielo" se le apareció a San Juan Die-go. Ella le pidió que le dijera al obispo de Tepeyac que construyera una igle-sia en el lugar donde se le apareció. Cuando Juan Diego fue al obispo para informarle que la Madre de Jesús pidió una iglesia en lo alto del cerro en la que él la vio, su tilma cayó y con
ella unas rosas. Algo muy interesante es que en la tilma de Juan Diego apa-rece la imagen de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y se dice que si uno mira en sus ojos se puede ver exactamente lo que vio ella en ese momento. Mu-chos mexicanos la celebran el 12 de diciembre haciendo una peregrina-ción. Los niños pequeños se visten con trajes tradicionales y todo el mun-do canta y reza en su camino a la Ba-sílica de Guadalupe, en la Ciudad de México. Cada año, hay un estimado de unos 10 millones de personas que van a la Basílica, haciendo esa iglesia una de las más visitada del mundo. No importa cómo los católicos de Mé-xico elijan celebrar la patrona de Méxi-co, porque lo único importante es el respeto que se le otorgue el 12 de diciembre.
Boletín informativo mensual redactado por estudiantes de la Sociedad Hispana
de Honores Sigma Delta Mu de Mountain View College
Fin de clases
La Virgen de Guadalupe
February 8, 2016 – A day full of student life fun!
12:00 AM RecycleMania: Club Paper Contest Location: West Hallway
10:10 AM Building Pathways to Success: Understanding Your Learning Style Location: S1029/1030
12:00 PM RecycleMania Kick-off: Pledge Drive and Club Paper Contest Kick-off Location: Treetop Lounge
5:00 PM Black History Month Movie Night Location: S1029/1030
20
By Alayna Dublin
“The most courageous act is still to
think for yourself. Aloud” (Coco Chanel).
The Science Technology Engineering
and Math (STEM) fields have been satu-
rated for centuries with men. However, in
recent times, women have felt the urge,
fueled by their curiosity and carried out by
their persistence, to join these men in their
pursuit of knowledge. From Rosalind Franklin’s discovery of DNA structure, to
Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s jour-
ney to space, to Wangari Maathai’s efforts
to reduce poverty through the introduction
of the “idea of community based tree
planting” which led to the Green Belt
Movement, to Martha Coston’s invention
of the Coston Flare, used by military forc-
es, it is obvious that the capacity of fe-
males to excel in STEM fields is both di-
verse and strong. Even in our own educa-
tional environment, here at Dallas County
Community College District, there are
many creative females in STEM.
A biology professor at Mountain View
College, Naima Montacer has a Master of
Science in Biology with a focus in wildlife.
Professor Montacer is interested in sci-
ence because of a love for wildlife instilled
as a child. As a child, Professor Montacer
loved the outdoors and often played out-
side with brothers. This fueled a curiosity for the outdoors. In addition to teaching,
Professor Montacer publishes environ-
mental focused articles in which she is
able to interact with different community
groups. With these methods, she seeks to
inspire eagerness for learning and under-
standing science. Support from those
close to her and her independent charac-
ter helped her succeed in attaining her
degrees. Montacer testifies that she was
fortunate to have taken this journey with-
out discrimination or ridicule because of
her gender. However, as she progressed
to her master’s degree, she met some
resistance from the male saturated field.
She explained it was her strength and
determination that made her conquer the
slight teasing from male colleagues. In
addition to the solidified strength, Mon-
tacer recognizes every small triumph as
highlights in her career. Among her high-
lights as an educator, she counts the suc-
cesses and increases her students’ hun-
ger for knowledge. Montacer advises all
females in STEM to not lose their spirit,
even in these male dominated fields.
One of our esteemed biology and
nutrition professors is Dr. Neeti Srivasta-
va. Fascinated with biology, Dr. Srivasta-
va pursued her Ph. D in Bioscience and
Biotechnology from the Indian
Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India. Thereafter, Dr. Srivastava continued her
professional work at the University of To-
(Continued on page 21) Dr. Naima Montacer
Dr. Neeti Srivastava
Females in STEM work with MVC students
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
21
ledo, researching responses to meningo-
coccal and pneumococcal vaccines, and
studying immunology. After her break to
start a family, Dr. Srivastava resumed
working and began teaching at Mountain
View College. Being an educator afforded
her various advantages such as more
flexibility to manage her family and career.
Dr. Srivastava takes the example of hard work and dedication from the life of
Dr. Rosalind Franklin, who persevered in
her career despite the lack of credit given
to her for her work. Dr. Srivastava was
fortunate enough to have the support of
friends and family as she made the neces-
sary choices to advance both personally
and professionally. She counts her scien-
tific publications as the highpoints of her
professional career and the successes of
her students as the highlights of her ca-
reer as an educator. Dr. Srivastava advis-
es that a person should have a passion
for their work. “Find your passion and fol-
low your dreams,” says Dr. Srivastava.
Coming from a family of scientists
and holding many positions as an educa-
tor and scientist, Dr. Peggy Shadduck was
always filled with curiosity for the world
around her. Dr. Shadduck began her
STEM career in the math field as an actu-
ary (i.e., a professional who analyzes fi-
nancial risks). Interested in the psycholog-
ical workings of patients with mental dys-
functions, she pursued a master’s degree
in neuroscience from Northwestern Uni-
versity and Ph. D in neuro-pharmacology
from Southern Illinois University. Thereaf-
ter, Dr. Shadduck taught in college as a post-doctoral fellowship and fell in love
with being an educator. Henceforth, she
has remained in education. Dr. Shad-
duck’s experiences in STEM fields now
are much better than when she began her
educational journey. Often, she had to be
comfortable being the only girl in her
class. Many times in her undergraduate
years, she encountered people who were
unaware of their own sexist biases. As an
encouragement and inspiration, she
looked to her colleague Kathleen Jagger.
Dr. Shadduck explains, “I was falling
into relaxing and shying away from leader-
ship roles.” Fortunately, Ms. Jagger
pushed her to get involved and away from
complacency. “I was the first woman to be
the chair of the science department at my
college,” Dr. Shadduck elaborates. Some
male faculty members were not pleased,
but she persevered. Currently, Dr. Shad-
duck serves as the Director of the DCCCD
STEM Institute. She advises that women
must be willing to follow their passions no
matter what they are. “You should enjoy
what you’re doing, [and] be open to
change,” she advises.
The consensus? Follow your pas-
sions! Along with the long line of females that came before, these female profes-
sionals have overcome various obstacles
in order to see their dreams come to pass.
Many students have been impacted and
strides made in STEM education because
of the willingness of these women to con-
tinue, despite family crises, subtle discrim-
ination, emotional and physical challeng-
es, and immigration. Strides are continu-
ously being made. STEM females can
look back at their history and find great
encouragement to propel them towards an
unlimited future, filled with wonder and
innovation. The world is yours.
(Continued from page 20)
Dr. Peggy Shadduck Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
Females in STEM
22
By Eivon Garcia
Mountain View College is excited to
have new Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR) equipment. It will benefit current
and future students in biology classes
because they now have the resources to
study DNA with new technology in a new
way. This new equipment is being first
used by Dr. Hilton, the adjunct biology professor on campus.
According to Dr. Hilton, PCR is a pro-
cess that copies DNA. It allows research-
ers to make a lot of DNA from very little,
making it possible to build a fingerprint
from DNA. DNA polymerase is the en-
zyme that copies DNA. Other ingredients
that make this process possible are pri-
mers. Primers determine the part of the
DNA sample that will be copied. A thermo-
cycler is used to change the temperature
of the sample for certain amounts of time.
The first step is to “unzip” (i.e., an
enzyme called a helicase separates the
hydrogen bonds that hold DNA together)
the small sample of DNA at 95° C. Then
the primers bind with the human DNA at
about 55-60°C, and, finally, it copies the
DNA at a temperature of -70°C. PCR is
used in molecular biology, and it is very
important in forensics. PCR can also be
used to determine paternity. The benefits
of this new process are that it has a low
cost and is controllable.
Dr. Chris Hilton
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) comes to Mountain View College
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
23
By Tosin Emmanuel Adebayo
The Día de la Familia festival was an
exciting and fun-filled event that took
place at Mountain View College on Satur-
day, April 18, 2015. Día de la Familia is an
annual event that started over 20 years
ago in an effort to encourage families to
engage with the DCCCD college pro-
grams and services, while highlighting
local partners and resources. The event
included food, entertainment, and educa-
tional experiences. In addition to being
served a nice meal, the attendees partici-pated in a variety of activities, like step
dancing, Zumba dancing, face painting,
tours of the community garden and aqua-
ponics, and a 3K run.
Of all the events, the static electricity
demonstration by the physics lab stood
out the most and fascinated everyone who
passed by it. The question on everyone’s
lips was, “Why is people’s hair standing
up without being touched?” Ian Grey, a
physics lab assistant, Professor Shahnaz
Sokhansanj, physics instructor, and Em-
manuel Adebayo, physics lab assistant,
worked with attendees to demonstrate
how static electricity works and why peo-
ple’s hair stands up when they touch the
metal ball on the Van de Graaff generator. How the Van de Graaff generator cre-
ates static electricity
Everyone has probably experienced
static electricity during the winter. During a
dry winter, static electricity can build up in
our bodies and cause a spark to jump
from our bodies to pieces of metal or other
people’s bodies. A Van de Graaff genera-
tor is a device for producing a high voltage
electrostatic charge. The generator was
invented by American physicist Robert J.
Van de Graaff in 1931 to supply the volt-
age needed for early particle accelerators.
A classroom model of a Van de Graaff generator provides the static
(Continued on page 24)
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
Attendees of “dia de la familia” experience static electricity first hand
Ian Grey demonstrates how to use the Van de Graaff generator
Student experiences the effects of static electricity on hair
24
“The Pen Is Our Power” What is a QEP-Enhanced Course Sec-
tion (WICS/WECS)?
Writing Intensive Course Sections (WICS)
and Writing Enhanced Course Sections
(WECS) are courses that contain an in-
creased focus on writing. Students will
participate in discipline-specific writing
assignments and have increased access
to writing resources, such as specialized
software and tutoring. Which courses will be WICS/WECS?
Are they only English courses?
WICS/WECS will be available in all disci-
plines and all levels. History, Science,
Business, Trades, Nursing. Math, core
courses, electives – whatever subject you
are taking, there will probably be a QEP-
Enhanced Course Section available. The
faculty who teach these courses will be
specially trained and certified to add the
QEP-Enhanced Course Section compo-
nent. Will a QEP-Enhanced Course Section
be harder than the current courses?
Not necessarily. Faculty in these courses
will be reinforcing instruction learned in
previous Developmental Writing and/or
English Composition. Students enrolled in
QEP-Enhanced Course Sections will be
familiar with the grading standards (see link to college writing rubric), the writing
process and the writing resources provid-
ed by the college. In many ways, this fa-
miliarity may create a much more valuable
learning experience.
Why would I want to take a WICS/
WECS course?
It is good for you. Studies have shown
that students that can express themselves
through written communication often have
higher grades, can engage in a deeper
level of learning and often perform better
in their future career fields. In addition,
many local universities have emphasized
the need for incoming transfer students to
be good writers. Are WICS/WECS part of the Honors
Scholars program?
Yes. Students are eligible to receive hon-
ors credits.
charge that makes the participants’ hairs
stand up. A simple Van de Graaff genera-
tor is made up of a hollow metal sphere
that is supported by a cylindrical insulating
stand. A motor-driven rubber belt inside
the support stand passes by a comb-like
set of metal tips that are maintained at a
large negative potential relative to ground.
Discharge by the tips deposits a continu-
ous supply of electrons on the belt, which are carried up into the hollow conduction
sphere.
Since the electric field inside the
sphere is zero, the charge is not prevent-
ed from leaking into the metal points (tiny
lightning rods) inside the sphere. The
electrons repel one another to the outer
surface of the sphere, just as static charge
always lies on the outer surface of any
conductor. This leaves the inside un-
charged and able to receive more elec-
trons as they are brought up by the belt.
The process continues, and the charge
builds up until the negative potential of the
sphere is much greater than that of the
voltage source at the bottom—on the or-
der of millions of volts.
A sphere with a radius of one meter
can be raised to a potential of 3 million
volts before electrical discharge occurs
through the air. Lengthening the radius of
the sphere or placing the entire system in
a container filled with high pressure gas increases the voltage. Van de Graaff gen-
erators can produce charges as high as
20 million volts. Touching one can truly be
a “hair-raising experience.” How to create static electricity at home
There are various ways to create stat-
ic electricity at home. One of the possible
ways to generate static electricity is using
common household items like balloons,
wool, and cereal. Follow these simple
steps to generate static electricity:
1) Rub an inflated balloon with a piece of
wool;
2) Rub the balloon and wool together for
10 to 15 seconds;
3) circle the portion you rubbed on the
balloon using a pen/marker because the
strongest ionization (movement of elec-
trons in the atoms which is the cause of
static) will be at this point;
4) Bring the inflated balloon near a
piece of cereal;
5) Tie a piece of sugarless puffed cereal
to a thread and bring the inflated balloon
close to it.
6) When you get close enough, you will notice that the balloon will start attracting
the cereal. You can try this with a drop of
water and notice as the charged part of
the balloon attracts the water.
Try bringing the part of the balloon that is
not circled close to the cereal and water.
Did it attract them? If it did not attract
them, why is it so?
Source:
Hewit, P. (2015). Electrostatics.
In Conceptual Physics (Twelfth ed., p. 424). Pearson.
(Continued from page 23)
Attendees of “Dia de la Familia”
25
Student Life
By Gerardo Aguinaga Torres
This past summer I was given the op-
portunity to be part of Dr. Rachael French’s
lab at San Jose State University. In Dr.
French’s lab, we tried to understand the
effects of Developmental Alcohol Exposure
on a developing mammalian organism.
Developmental Alcohol Exposure (DAE)
has been known to cause an array of phys-
iological and behavioral abnormalities, in-
cluding developmental delay, decreased
survival, and permanent neurobehavioral
abnormalities. These symptoms were col-lectively known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder (FASD). We established Drosoph-
ila melanogaster as a model for investigat-
ing the effects of ethanol exposure. By
understanding how ethanol exposure alters
gene expression and interacts with cell
signaling pathways, we began to formulate
treatments for the symptoms of FASD as
well as to prevent those same symptoms in
utero.
We studied genes in the Wnt pathway
as ethanol targets. Our goal was to deter-
mine how this pathway mediates DAE. We
approached this question in two ways:
First, we determined how mutations in the
Wnt pathway genes fz-2, drl-2, APC-2, and
sgg alter the growth and survival of flies
reared in ethanol. Based on previous re-
sults, we predicted that mutations reducing
Wnt signaling (fz-2 and drl-2) will cause
reduced survival, while mutations increas-
ing Wnt signaling (APC-2 and sgg) should
make the subjects’ (i.e., the flies’) survival
more likely. Second, we used quantitative
Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain
Reaction (RT-PCR) to determine the effect
of ethanol exposure on the expression of
these genes. We predicted that ethanol
exposure will reduce the expression of fz-2
and drl-2, while increasing expression of
APC-2 and sgg. The results from our ex-
periments proved vital for the understand-
ing of FASD and for the generation of
methods for prenatal treatment and pre-
vention.
Both fz and fz-2 showed a decrease in
survival for the flies reared in seven per-
cent ethanol compared to the control. How-
ever, the fz-2 mutant showed an increase
in lethality compared to the fz mutant. From
my results, it was assumed that fz was
protective against developmental ethanol
exposure. Although fz and fz-2 gene func-
tions appeared redundant, we saw a more
dramatic effect on the fz-2 mutant flies.
Further understanding how the fz gene
interacts in both pathways could be the
topic of future research. The Real-Time
Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) data
showed genetic expression of fz decreased
while the genetic expression of APC in-
creased. This matched with the microarray
data previously compiled in the lab. Since
the receptor protein was no longer sending
disheveled signals to dissociate the de-
struction-complex, the expression of APC
(Continued on page 26)
Student goes to San Jose State University for intern-ship and gains an unforgettable experience
Photo provided by Gerardo Aguinaga Torres
26
increased since it was not being deactivat-
ed. The activation of the destruction com-
plex destroyed β-catenin and hindered it
from inducing gene transcription in the
nucleus that, ultimately, resulted in the
death of the cell and later the organism. Opportunities for DCCCD Students
My research was funded by the Na-
tional Science Foundation (NSF). All costs for travel, lodging, and food were paid for
by the NSF. I also received a competitive
stipend throughout my ten-week intern-
ship at San Jose State University. Alt-
hough I was a community college student,
I was still able to conduct the same gradu-
ate-level research that undergraduate and
graduate students were conducting at Ivy
League universities and other universities
across the United States.
You, too, can do great research! You
will be working with other undergrads and
graduate students who will be more than
happy to help you in conducting your inde-
pendent research and answering any
questions you might have. Internships are
places where you learn, grow, and ask
questions.
Since my research was conducted in
the Bay Area of California, I was able to
explore and see new places around the
Bay when I was not working in the lab. I
stayed at the International House dormito-
ries, allowing me to be exposed to new
cultures, people, and new ways of thinking
that I could not have gotten anywhere
else.
The basic requirements for the intern-
ship at San Jose State University and
many others are at this website: https://
w w w . n s f . g o v / c r s s p r g m / r e u /
reu_search.jsp.
There are research opportunities for
all full-time college students in any field of
science. Anything from ocean science to
psychology, engineering, and the biologi-
cal sciences have an REU site at some
university in the United States. Some
even have internships in Europe, and eve-
rything is free. All you pay for are the sou-
venirs you buy for your friends and family.
Everything is covered by the National Sci-ence Foundation. You can come into the
program with little research experience,
but as with everything else in life, if you
work hard and have a positive attitude,
you will be successful. Take my research
experience as an example as to what the
impact a student from a small community
college in Dallas can have in the greater
scientific research community at a major
university. Both public and private institu-
tions are looking to diversify their science
programs, so San Jose State right now is
a great place to be a minority pursuing a
research career in science, technology,
mathematics, and engineering.
MVC’s STEM coordinator Juan Sand-
oval and I can provide more information
about the National Science Foundation
(NSF) and Research Experience Under-
(Continued from page 25)
(Continued on page 27)
San Jose State
Photo taken by Gerardo Aguinaga Torres
Photo taken by Gerardo Aguinaga Torres
27
graduates (REU). I will be more than hap-
py to help you with the application process
to do an internship to do great research.
Here are two sources to contact for
information regarding interest in research
and internship programs: Students may
find opportunities to do research and in-
ternship that NSF-REU offers from their
website at <https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/
reu/reu_search.jsp> and additional infor-
mation from Juan Sandoval by sending
him an email to [email protected].
Completing research at an NSF fund-
ed site, or other government or private
institution, can help prepare you for na-
tional conferences and symposiums
where you can present your research to
other undergraduate students, graduate
students, post-docs, and leading re-
searchers/professors from every major
university across the United States. M o r e
information about these scientific confer-
ences can be found at https://sacnas.org/
or by reaching any of the people previous-
ly mentioned. Thank you and happy re-
searching!
(Continued from page 26)
By Yassien Fadul This summer, I was fortunate enough
to participate in my first research-
experience at Brookhaven National Labor-
atory in New York. Another student, Juan
Sosa, and one of Mountain View College’s
chemistry professors, Mr. Jesse Fox, ac-
companied me. Since we entered the in-
ternship through Mountain View College
and not independently, we were assigned
to the Environmental Sciences depart-
ment. Typically, interns are placed in de-
partments relating to their area of study.
Our internship was ten weeks out of
the summer. Our project for the summer
was to work alongside an appointed men-
tor (a Brookhaven scientist) in studying six
different perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs)
under geothermal conditions with the in-tent to determine the ideal PFT to track
the flow of water underground. Professor
Fox, Juan Sosa, and I worked in a labora-
tory five days a week for six to eight hours
a day running tests using a miniature au-
toclave to simulate geothermal conditions
at 200°C and 200psi.
This internship opportunity was a
good chance for us to get hands-on-
experience in the STEM field. We learned
that there is more to being a scientist and researcher than just running tests. They
have quite a few other things going on
around them as well. Although my major
is mechanical engineering and not envi-
ronmental science, I still learned valuable
information from this research experiment.
I believe every student majoring in the
areas of STEM should partake in any re-
search opportunities available, especially,
if an opportunity allows students to visit
somewhere new.
San Jose State
Summer research experience teaches students something new and opens new opportunities
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
Fall 2016 Applications Open March 1, 2016!
Starting in Fall 2016, DCCCD Foundation scholarships can be
accessed through myScholarships, our new online scholarship
application system. Until the Fall 2016 application period opens
on March 1, 2016, the Foundation has removed fall scholarship
pages from our website. The new system will allow you to easily
search and apply for scholarship opportunities using a single
electronic scholarship application. Eligible students will be auto-
matically matched to scholarship opportunities. If a scholarship
requires information beyond eligibility such as an essay or ques-
tions, the system allows you to enter it online.
Shad Rasco, Senior Director of Operations, 214-378-1532
DCCCD Foundation 214-378-1531.
28
By Francisco Rogers
Texas A&M University Commerce—
Research Experiences for Undergradu-
ates (REU) is an internship program of-
fered by Texas A&M University at Com-
merce for students thinking about making
a career in research. The program mainly
targets students studying physics and
chemistry, emphasizing the disciplines of
science. The internship paid its interns.
Although the distance was a nice drive, it
was great to participate in the program.
I was able to pick up new information and techniques quickly, thanks to the kind
mentors who are in charge of specific
experiments and the participants. The
program gave us rooms in the new Lion’s
Pride Den apartments near the science
center. The apartments were nice, a little
small for many people, but we grew used
to them as we worked many nights away
from our dorm rooms.
We worked hard to understand and
present our experiments. The REU staff
was also very helpful and nice as they
tried what they could to inform and plan
things out so that we could finish the pro-
gram’s requisites such as assistance with
a presentation and reports. There were
some tiring aspects to it as well, such as
waking up early every morning to continue
our experiments. Many of us went to the
gym, which is free to REU participants,
and exercised by climbing the rock wall, swimming in the pool, or just going to
work out. I would highly recommend the
program to anyone interested, even in the
slightest, in a research field of science or
looking to make new friends and connec-
tions. It was a great experience and learn-
ing opportunity for me to be in the REU. I
hope to get accepted again for 2016.
MVC student is accepted in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
MVC Fitness Center
Mountain View College’s hidden gem is our state-of-the art fitness center. With staff and a certified trainer on hand, the MVC Fitness Center is open to the com-munity.
29
By Herbert McCullough
Mountain View College is very fortu-
nate to have such outstanding student
leaders. One of these outstanding student
leaders is Melissa Silva: the President of
the Mountain View League of Latin Ameri-
can Citizens (LULAC) as well as a student
ambassador. Can you explain LULAC?
“The Leagued of United Latin Ameri-
can Citizen. We are a civil rights group
dedicated to educational, political, and
economic growth of the Latino Community. And it includes Mexicans, Colombians,
Puerto Ricans; anyone of Latino herit-
age.”
What is it like to be president of LU-
LAC?
“It’s really challenging especially
since we are a new council this year. We
had LULAC here at Mountain View before,
but it was inactive. This year it is back
active. Being president of a newly active
civil rights organization at a college cam-
pus where Latinos are the majority of the
students has been very difficult. However,
it’s rewarding because we’ve been able to
help and work with amazing people who have been making a difference, not just in
the community, but in Texas. I have also
(Continued on page 30) Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
Melissa Silva and Ms. Leslie Sanchez
By Bianca Muñoz
This summer proved to be the turning
point of my life. I started my summer as a
nursing major and ended the summer as a
biology major. My first life-changing expe-
rience took place at Johnson Space Cen-
ter in late May. I was in a cluster of stu-
dents from all over the country. Our mis-
sion was to create and program a rover
that would be sent to Mars to collect water
samples. Among my team, I was given the
position of Lead Design Engineer. As a
nursing major, I was freaked out by the
idea of being an engineer. However, my
team’s rover ended up retrieving the most
samples from the course and ultimately
winning the entire competition. This intern-
ship sparked my confidence tremendous-
ly.
Later this summer, I began my sec-
ond internship at Parkland Hospital. I was
working under the Pastoral Care Depart-
ment. This was one of the biggest chal-
lenges of my life. Through this internship, I
witnessed deaths, trauma, prayers, final
seconds of life, and even visited the
morgue quite a few times. Every day was
different from the last. I left that internship
more humble than when I began. This
summer was filled with opportunities that
have shaped my life the way it is now, and
I couldn’t be happier. I feel like for once I
have limitless potential to be whatever I want to be.
MVC student has a summer of opportunities
MVC interviews Melissa Silva
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
30
grown as a leader and developed skills I
didn’t even know I had or possessed.” Do you have to be a Latino to join LU-
LAC?
“No! You do not! Although we do
work for the well-being and advancement
of the Latino community, we do not just
encourage Hispanics or Latinos to join
LULAC but encourage everyone. The reason is that the issues LULAC advo-
cates affect people outside the Latino
community too. For example, regarding
voting, young people are not aware of
current local elections. A lot of policies like
free college tuition for universities affect
other minorities and other groups, so
that’s why we aren’t just exclusive to the
Latino Community because many issues
we advocate reach beyond ethnic lines.” What advice would you give to those
who are interested in joining LULAC
and becoming a Student Ambassador?
“The advice I would give them is to
just be you. Whether you are going
through the interview process with student
ambassadors or with LULAC, it’s im-
portant to be genuine to yourself. Because
you’re going to face different types of peo-
ple with different beliefs, different morals,
and different characteristics, it’s hard to
accept who others are if you cannot ac-
cept who you are,” she concluded.
(Continued from page 29)
Mountain View College Student Ambassadors: Herbert McCullough, Melissa Silva, guest speaker Ms. Leslie Sanchez, Eduard Prieto Caballero, and Alayna Dublin
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
Melissa Silva (Interview)
Photo taken by Herbert McCullough
MVC Health Center The Health Center is a multi-purpose facility that promotes health, wellness and
preventive care for the college community. Registered nurses coordinate and
provide the health services.
STAFFED BY REGISTERED NURSES
SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO CURRENT STUDENTS AND STAFF Services
•Rest and illness
•First Aid & Emergency Care
•Non-Prescription Medications: pain relievers, cold/allergy medications, antacids, etc.
•Blood Pressure Monitoring
•Weight & Height Scales
•Test Facilities
•Nutrition Information
•Health Information and Literature; Diabetes, STI's, Alcohol & Drug Abuse, Awareness & Prevention, Death Rate, Exercise, and much more
•Student Health Insurance
•Community Health Resources/Referrals
•Special College Events
•Blood Drives
•STD Testing-Mobile Screening
•Wellness Events
Phone: 214-860-8713 Fax: 214-860-8704 Room: S1088 Hours: Monday & Thursday: 10:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
31
By Herbert McCullough The annual Humanities Week, hosted by the Office of Student Life, covered a host of topics ranging from literature, to finance, identity, and photography. Despite the challenges of hosting a week-long event, the students and faculty members worked hard to make this Humanities Week start and end with a bang. Humanities Week started off on Monday with “Poetry with Joe,” hosted by Professor Joseph Brockway. He asked the enlightening questions: What is a poem? What makes a poem? And what does it sound like? In his lecture, Brockway discussed American, French, Italian and Latin American poetry and informed the audience about rhyme and symbolism in basic poetry. Tuesday featured Tre Black hosting an education panel discussion about the importance of building one’s financial future at an early age and addressed the concerns of poverty in the growing economy of Texas and the rising economic power millennials have.
In the “Café Conversations” panel on that day, Dr. Janice Franklin attempted to answer the question of identity in the 21st century. The answer, “It’s complicated.” She also presented emotional debates regarding racial and gender identity. Thursday showcased videographer Randy Clower. In “Video with Randy,” Clower
enlightened students on the evolution of photography from the baby boomer generation to the current post-millennial era. He also showed a video of his baby boomer childhood, including his experience with the Vietnam War draft and the counter culture revolution. With spare time, he concluded with presenting videos of the 30th anniversary of Mountain View College, Student Recognition Day in the spring 2015 semester, and the Student Convocation of the fall 2015 semester. On Friday, Professors Luke Story and Amy Jackson hosted “Speaking Out Loud,” in which students and faculty members were encouraged to express themselves via poetry, dramatic literature, and spoken word. Performances included the Mountain View College Performance Ensemble Troup’s scene from the Common Book, Into the Beautiful North and a skit about why one should consider attending Mountain View College. Other performances included Jonathon York, Ian Grey, Darius Frasure, Herber Bibang, and Herbert McCullough. This year’s Humanities Week was a great opportunity for members of the Mountain View College community to express themselves as proud and creative human beings.
Calendar of Events 1/25/2016
9:00 AM College and University
Transfer Fair
Location: West Hallway
1/27/2016
9:30 AM Building Pathways to Suc-
cess: Note Taking Methods
Location: S1029/1030
1/27/2016
9:30 AM Building Pathways to Suc-
cess: Note Taking Methods
Location: S1029/1030
1/27/2016
9:30 AM Building Pathways to Suc-
cess: Note Taking Methods
Location: S1029/1030
1/27/2016 9:30 AM Building Pathways to Suc-
cess: Note Taking Methods
Location: S1029/1030
1/28/2016
12:30 PM Student Leadership Insti-tute: Applying Leadership to Life
Location: S1029/1030
1/28/2016
12:30 PM Student Leadership Insti-
tute: Apply Leadership to Life - Active Citizenship
Location: 1029/1030
2/8/2016
12:30 PM RecycleMania Kick-off &
Pledge Drive Location: Treetop Lounge
MVC holds Humanities Week during October 19-23, 2015
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
Photo provided by Sarah Hutchings
32
Student Clubs & Organizations Shira Bland (Coordinator)
214-860-8594
African Student Association
To unify the African student body and friends within MVC. We believe in creating a club where students can exchange ideas in the spirit of unity and humanity to cele-brate diversity.
Janice Walker 214-860-8644
Asian Culture Organization
Exposes students to the Asian culture through cultural events, film, music, and pop culture.
Dr. Jesse Gonzalez 214-860-3640
Black Student Organization
Develops an awareness of African Ameri-can heritage and culture through interaction and trips.
Lorraine Hoodjack 214-860-8767
Career Connections
Understanding how education and career planning connect. Network-ing with community re-sources and employers.
Oscar Santos 214-860-8871
Cultura Latina
To promote Latin American Cul-ture and the Spanish language through dance, the arts, and travel abroad.
Joseph Brockway 214-860-8896
Lions Club
To serve as a forum for transfer Stu-dents. Also to promote the growth of students’ awareness of trans-fer services in order to foster the contin-ued interest in transferring to four-year colleges and universities.
Johnathan Moss 214-860-8622 Gilda Nunez 214-860-8659
[email protected]; [email protected]
Student Government Association
Serves as the student voice, assists with programming, and promotes students issues and concerns.
Cathy Edwards 214-860-8715
Airik Sanders 214-860-8594
Student Veterans of America
Providing academic and career enhanc-ing resources for veterans attending MVC.
Dr. Leonard Garrett 214-860-8700
Women of Worth
Empowers and supports female stu-dents in their college journey through workshops and open discussions.
Alice Atchison 214-860-8818 Jennifer Mims 214-860-8685
Do all you can do. Aim high; the top score is the limit.
TSI: Texas Success Initiative For information about TSI Boot Camp: Call the Instructional Lab at 214-860-8538/8879 or visit-www.mountainviewcollege.edu/Academics/InstructionaISupport
Farzin Farzad: 972-860-5613 Sergio Ulloa: 214-860-8687
33
2015 Honors In Action Project Theme 4: Exploring the Natural Environment Our Hallmarks in Action (HIA) pro-ject was titled “Planting a Seed.” The project was concentrated towards re-searching and educating young ele-mentary school children on how to im-prove the quality of our soils nutritional value. The manner in which this was done was by creating a hands on work-shop dealing with composting and add-ing several organic matters that contain nutrients such as carbon, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil. We began by testing the pH of regular soil and the pH of the soil with organic matters added to it in order to see the differences in quality. In sci-ence, pH is a numeric scale used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of an aqueous solution from one to ten, with seven being neutral. Our research in-formation came from academic jour-nals and newspaper articles. This infor-mation gave a global perspective on various ways in which soil degradation affects people all around the world, how it influences their ways of life, and
the harm it ultimately does to the Earth. After the research was conducted we formed three committees that split the task of forming a project. One con-tacted several elementary schools that could partner with us, another commit-tee designed the project, and the final committee focused on expenses and materials. Leadership development was seen in several tasks our officers performed. Our VP of Leadership used her knowledge of biology and chemis-try to develop and implement a project. Our VP of Membership and VP of Five Star made contact with the ele-mentary schools they had connections with in order to have a target group to conduct our project on. Ultimately we saw a great deal of membership in-volvement, which is something our chapter had not experienced in several years, allowing the general members to develop new leadership skills through participation. Once we were able to solidify a project and audience, the officer team,
general members, and the officer team from Cedar Valley came together to do the hands on workshops at Grand Prai-rie Independent School District’s school for the highly gifted and Dallas Independent School District’s Anson Jones elementary school. We also had a helping hand from Ms. Lori De La Cruz, the sustainability and engineer-ing club advisor on campus, who gen-erously donated items for the project and educational books on the topic. In total we had 141 students participate from both elementary schools. Overall, we were able to have a huge impact on the children who partic-ipated in the project and from the feed-back we received from them they en-joyed the project very much. We con-ducted a set of questions for the chil-dren who participated to answer before and after the project that tested the children’s basic knowledge of what soil is and where its nutrition is obtained.
Inside this issue:
Overview 1
Preparation 2
Implementation 3
Reflection 4
34
Selection of Theme: The chapter decided to have an orga-nized process of reaching our theme. We began by narrowing down the themes of interest to theme 4 and theme 5. This was done during our summer officer meetings by voting. The chapter first invited Lori De la Cruz, who is the advisor of the Sustaina-bility Club at Mountain View College, to talk to us about several areas within the natural environment within theme 4. We invited Professor Jonathan York to talk to the chapter about outer space and give us information surrounding theme 5. After hearing both experts on their field, the chapter ultimately voted on doing the Hon-ors in Action research on theme 4. Develop Research Questions: 1. As resources become scarcer and pres-sure for their use increases, how will these challenges impact [soil]? 2. What opportunities exist to preserve the [soil] for future generations? 3. What are the novel ways of maximizing existing resources in use to mitigate or reduce the impact on largely undisturbed, rapidly diminishing areas of the [soil]? 4. What frontiers are available in [soil/the earth] to alleviate poverty, hunger and the growing expectations of global entrants into middle classes in societies that for-merly did not have established ones?
To what extent is it desirable and via-ble to restore balance between the pres-sure to extract and convert [soil] into pro-ductive areas and to conserve it? Analysis and Conclusions: After examining our research thor-oughly, our chapter came to the conclu-sion that the soil is not being taken care of as it should be. This is an important issue because, without soil, there would be no vegetation. There is a need in improving soil quality. As a chapter, we agreed that our greatest impact would be within the younger and future generation. Determination of Action: Our objectives for this HIA project was to have each officer provide at least three to five sources about soil, to complete the HIA journal and rubric by setting commit-tees, to find the right project, clubs, and other chapters that would participate with us in our project, to find the right elemen-tary schools to cooperate with us, and to inform the younger generation on how they can take care of the soil. During our officer meetings, the chapter created committees for the HIA journal and rubric. Out of all the scholarly sources presented, we chose eight to use in our HIA journal and for the project. Each officer was responsible to talk to another Phi Theta Kappa chapter
and another student club on campus, which they would then invite to participate in our HIA project. The Sustainability Club contributed by lending us some of their supplies. The President and VP of Leader-ship from the Cedar Valley’s Alpha Zeta Omicron chapter participated, and mem-bers of Sigma Delta Mu also helped. The biggest obstacle was finding the best way to make a project fun and educational for the children. The idea was to demonstrate to the students how to make the soil healthy. The steps in this process would be 1) to test the pH level of soil to see if it is healthy, 2) to find out how to improve the soil’s health, and 3) to plant a seed inside the new healthy soil. The chapter used a smart planning matrix, an instant group messaging app known as “group me,” and email to make sure the process was carried out efficiently and in order. After examining our research thor-oughly, our chapter came to the conclu-sion that the soil is not being taken care of as it should be. This is an important issue because, without soil, there would be no vegetation. There is a need for improving soil quality. As a chapter, we agreed that our greatest impact would be with the younger and future generations.
Join Phi Theta Kappa today Scholarship Phi Theta Kappa offers members opportunities to apply for over $87 million in scholarships opportunities from Phi Theta Kappa, partnering senior colleges, universities and foundations – a benefit unmatched by other honor societies. Leadership As well-rounded scholars, our members strive to be leaders of Mountain View College. Members have an opportunity to develop leadership skills that will be put to practice for years to come. This can be achieved through participation in our Honors in Action Project, holding an Officer position, or simply being involved in our Chapter with local and/or campus events. Service Throughout the year, our Chapter is involved, not only in campus events, but community-wide services as well. As servant leaders, members are encouraged to become involved in our chapter to be engaged in yearly activities. Community service and volunteer-ing information is announced at our general meetings. Fellowship As a Chapter, Omega Omega strives to become a well-bonded organization. It is in our Chapter’s interest to have a harmonic at-mosphere, not only within our Chapter, but with other Chapters of Phi Theta Kappa as well. Through multiple fellowship activities, we aim to develop a welcoming environment where students can connect with other colleagues who share the same interests and ambition for academic learning.
2015 Honors In Action Project Theme 4: Exploring the Natural Environment
Preparation
35
Leadership Roles: There was an immense amount of leadership displayed throughout the entire project. The chapter started out by plan-ning the project around the best date where the majority of officers would be available. Then, our VP of Membership, Alvaro Arroliga, and VP of Five Star, Va-lerie Diaz, took the initiative to contact elementary schools. Once the schools had been selected, it was time to prepare the material needed for the project. Our Vice President of Leadership, Bianca Munoz, created worksheets with ques-
tions and instructions that would be given to the students for the experiment. She also took the time to create detailed direc-tions for the officers and members to use as guides. Our Treasurer, Jose Cas-taneda, created a spreadsheet for the materials needed along with a total esti-mate on how much would be spent. Peter White, our VP of Public Relations, created a captivating flyer that was sent to our sister chapters and members. The day before the project, the entire chapter met together and went through a simulation of how the project would be executed with the students the following day. On the day
of the project, each of the officers took the initiative to lead during the project. Vice President of Public Relations was taking pictures as the other officers were working personally with students through the steps of the experiment and even rewarding them with gifts in the end. Collaboration: Omega Omega collaborated with Anson Jones Elementary School and School for the Highly Gifted, Cedar Val-ley’s Alpha Zeta Omicron chapter, and Sigma Delta Mu, which is the Spanish
Honor Society. The first elementary school we collaborated with was School of the Highly Gifted located in Grand Prairie, Texas. Omega Omega was able to work with over one hundred children, ranging from first grade to fifth grade. The children were active, and the teachers were very helpful. The second elementary school we were able to collaborate with is Anson Jones, a public elementary school located in Dallas, Texas. We had a total of fifty students show up. The children were in the second and third grade. These chil-dren were full of energy and very proac-tive with the project. Alpha Zeta Omicron
chapter helped out with our HIA project. They were helpful and even invited us to help them out with their HIA project. A couple of members from Sigma Delta Mu came to help out with the event at Anson Jones. Action: The manner in which this was done was by creating a hand-on workshop deal-ing with composting and adding several organic matters that contain nutrients such as carbon, phosphorus, and potassi-um to the soil. We began by testing the pH of regular soil and the pH of the soil with organic matters to see the differences in quality. When we began the project, we handed out a worksheet to each student that contain questions about the soil. The worksheet had two parts: a pre-assessment, which determined what the students knew about soil, and a final quiz, which revealed what the students had learned. We received a total of 141 work-sheets from both elementary schools. The project was a huge success. Every stu-dent showed improvement from the pre-assessment to the final quiz.
Members of Phi Theta Kappa pose for a group photo
“THE PURPOSE OF PHI THETA KAPPA
SHALL BE TO RECOGNIZE AND ENCOUR-
AGE SCHOLARSHIP AMONG TWO-YEAR
COLLEGE STUDENTS. TO ACHIEVE THIS
PURPOSE, PHI THETA KAPPA SHALL PRO-
VIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOP-
MENT OF LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE, FOR
AN INTELLECTUAL CLIMATE FOR EX-
CHANGE OF IDEAS AND IDEALS, FOR LIVE-
LY FELLOWSHIP FOR SCHOLARS AND FOR
STIMULATION OF INTEREST IN CONTINUING
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.”
2015 Honors In Action Project Theme 4: Exploring the Natural Environment
Implementation
36
Future Implications:
Acknowledgement
We influenced the younger generation on how to take care of soil, but our generation still does not know how to take care of soil. We
still need to influence our own generation so they can inform future generations about the importance of soil. There is still an oppor-
tunity to teach other elementary schools that are not being taught the value of our soil and how it ultimately provides life for us. At
some of the schools we visited, the students were not as knowledgeable about climate change, soil, and vegetation, whereas the
students from the School for the Highly Gifted knew a great deal about the importance of soil. The lack of knowledge and resources
in many other schools only proves that we need to continue to inform others and create a change in our soil.
Jorge Pina - Chapter President
Bianca Munoz - V.P. of Leadership
Fernanda Medina - V.P. of Scholarship
Eduard Prieto Caballero - V.P. of Service
Valerie Diaz - V.P. of Five Star
Peter White - V.P. of Public Relations
Daniel Laureano– V.P. of Hallmarks
Alvaro Arroliga - V.P. of Membership
Jose Castaneda - V.P. of Communication
Estefany Prieto - Historian
We also want to thank the members of Phi Theta Kappa, Omega Omega Chapter, and the officers of Cedar Valley College’s Alpha
Zeta Omicron chapter for helping us demonstrate soil conservation techniques for our future generations.
Members of Phi Theta Kappa
Reflection
37
Henry David Thoreau’s cabin
By Eduard Prieto Caballero
MVC helps its students to have a
better understanding of the history of this
country. The Office of Student Life offered
students the opportunity to go on an an-
nual trip to Boston. The trip was led by Dr.
Ken Alfers, Professor of History, Dr. Geoff
Grimes, Professor of English, and Cathy
Edwards, Director of the Office of Student Life. Fifteen students visited historic and
literary sites related to the American Rev-
olutionary War.
The students were delighted with the
landscape of Boston while the leaders of
our group drove us to our first destination
downtown to the Paul Revere House
(1735–1818), a house from the 1680s.
We visited Walden Pond, a lake located in
Concord where the writer, philosopher,
and transcendentalist Henry David Tho-
reau wrote his famous
book, Walden; or, Life in
the Woods, recording the experiences he had dur-
ing the two years, two
months, and two days
(1845—1847) that he
lived in a cabin. From the
cabin where Thoreau had lived, Dr. Grimes led our
group near a pond to a “cairn,” a human-
made pile of rocks. The place receives
stones with individual messages from all
the visitors who arrive there. Thus, we left
our own stones at the same place where
students from MVC have been leaving
stones since 1999.
The next stop on our tour was the
famous town of Lexington. There, we re-
ceived one of the best American history
classes, by Dr. Alfers
and Dr. Grimes, at the
exact place where the
first shot was fired in
the American Revolu-
tionary War at the Bat-
tle of Lexington on April
19, 1775. Therefore,
our group saw the
North Bridge and the
Old Manse. The North
Bridge is the place
where the British and the first “Americans”
faced each other during the Battle of Con-
cord in 1775. A few meters from the
bridge, the Old Manse sits in an emblem-
atic place by the Concord River. The Old
Manse (built in 1770) was the house of
the minister William Emerson and became
the center of the political, literary, and
social revolutions during the next century.
We went to the Robert Gould Shaw and
54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial
to start the Black Heritage Trail walking
tour. The tour passed by emblematic
buildings, which served as homes, busi-
nesses of refugees , organizations,
schools, and officially ended at the na-
tion’s first African Meeting House. Howev-
er, our leaders on the MVC Boston excur-
sions added a few more emblematic plac-
es to visit before coming back to the hotel
using the “T.” We visited the site of the
Boston Massacre, and the Jewish Holo-
caust Memorial – Quincy Market.
The last day of our Boston excursion
started a little bit earlier than the rest of the days. That was caused by the task of
packing all our backpacks not only with
our personal luggage, but with all the sou-
venirs we brought back with us for the rest
of our lives. The first stop of the day was
to see a rock, but not just any rock, the
(Continued on page 38)
MVC students at the Paul Revere monument
Photo taken by Eduard Prieto Caballero
Photo taken by Eduard Prieto Caballero
Students from MVC go on an excursion to Boston
38
Photo taken by Eduard Prieto Caballero
Plymouth Rock! The Plymouth Rock is a
rock with the date 1620 carved on its sur-
face. The second place, and the last we
visited before our way back to Dallas, was
the Plymouth Plantation, which was a
complete trip to the past. The Plymouth
Plantation is a real scale representation of
what life looked like in the 17th century. The Plymouth Plantation is composed by
two different cultures: the English settle-
ment and the Native-American settlement.
We enjoyed that visit because it was
basically free time for us to explore a
“new” civilization where we had the oppor-
tunity to talk with, visit the homes of, learn
from, and have lunch with the reenactors,
even eating the food they ate.
Thanks to this experience provided
by MVC, we were able to review American
history in a life experience we will never
forget. This is an extraordinary excursion
that transports the students back to the
origins of American society, and enlarges
the knowledge of American history.
I can assure every one that the Bos-
ton excursion makes a huge impact every
year on the lives of students who take the
trip. Surely, it is something no one will
forget for the rest of his or her life.
2015 Participants: Myra Valdez, Aracely
Valdez, Joyma Tello, Vanessa Nuñez,
Destiny Buantello, Khalilah Frasure, Jose
Sandoval, Damian Olmos, Jose Campos, Francisco Alegria, Nancy Rodriguez, Sta-
cie Sims, Ricardo Garcia, Derwin Town-
send, Ciara Edwards, and Eduard Prieto
Caballero.
(Continued from page 37)
The North Bridge
MVC students at Harvard University
Plymouth Plantation (English settlement)
Plymouth Plantation (English settler cooking) Photo taken by Eduard Prieto Caballero
Photo taken by Eduard Prieto Caballero
Photo taken by Eduard Prieto Caballero
An excursion to Boston
39
Sustainability
Under the administration of Ms. Lori
De La Cruz, the Student Climate and Con-
servation Congress (Sc3) seeks to pro-
mote sustainability and educate the public
about the effects of wasting resources on
climate change. Sc3 stems from the Sus-
tainability Scholar program offered at
Mountain View College, where students
receive hands-on knowledge and experi-
ence to prepare them to apply sustainabil-
ity in any field a student pursues. The
student representation in this organization
is made up of both college students and
many brilliant students from the Trinidad
Garza Early College High School. Ms. De
La Cruz’s vision for this organization is to
help others “understand sustainability in
[their] daily lives and careers.” She elabo-
rates that numerous businesses today are
looking for ways to be sustainable. There-
fore, being a Sustainability Scholar “allows
the student to be more employable,” says
De La Cruz. With various exciting upcoming
events, students of Sc3 wait with bated
breaths for the next venture. Sc3 serves
not just Mountain View College but does
the community through workshops. The
organization has been able to donate
some of its produce to Café Momentum, a
business that assists juvenile offenders in
the positive redirection of their lives, which
is a great example of how one person’s
actions can create a cycle of generosity.
Upcoming activities include gardening,
congress meetings, and discussions on a
wide range of topics pertaining to commu-
nity service events, energy, water conser-
vation, landfill engineering, food reliability,
resilience, and global climate negotiations.
September began the video series,
Sustainability Series: Years of Living Dan-
gerously, which is shown once a month, and culminates in April 2016. The follow-
ing semester holds great promise for ad-
venture with events such as the Recycle
Mania recycling competition, Mountain View College’s Earth Day Celebration and
Wellness Fair, and Earth Day Texas.
The project demonstrated that sus-
tainability is not just in the physical envi-
ronment but in everything associated with
human survival. Experiences garnered
from these activities are great learning
tools for students as they prepare for the
work environment.
Sc3 gives students the chance to
learn, grow, and express themselves
through sustainable living. The congress
pushes students to not only think about
today but how actions today can affect tomorrow’s survival.
In October, Sc3 students collaborated
with the EPA recognizing World Food
Day. Students conducted a food waste
audit in the ECHS cafeteria and then
presented their findings to students on
November 2, 2015, in the Treetop
Lounge.
Sc3 meets most Wednes-days
Room: W184
Time: 2:30 -3:30 p.m.
Spring Semester 2016
February 10, 17, and 24
March 2, 9, 23, and 30
April 6, 13, and 20
May 4
Sc3 launches into spring with hands-on activities
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SPORTS
Support Mountain View’s Basketball team. Jan 30 Brookhaven College 2p.m. Feb 3 Eastfield College 7p.m. Feb 6 Northlake College 2p.m. Feb 10 Richland College 7p.m. Feb 13 Cedar Valley College 2p.m. Feb 16, 18, and 20 Confer-ence Tournament TBA LeRoi Phillips, Men’s Basket-ball Coach Office: E07 Phone:214-860-8726 Email: [email protected]
Mountain View College men’s basketball
team began the month of December on a win-
ning note, Tuesday, December 1, against Texas
Wesleyan University JV. The final score was 93
-85. Revenge was sweet to the Lions, who lost
to the Rams at the beginning of the 2015-2016
season. Five players scored in double figures
with DeTarrius Kirk leading the way. He finished
the game with 24 points and 14 rebounds. An-
thony Walker Jr. contributed 18 points to go with
12 rebound. Reggie Myrks added 14 points,
Juriz Linzy 12 points, and Anthony Scott 10
points. The Lions continued their winning ways
with a victory over Tomball College Friday, De-
cember 4, 113-90. With Anthony Walker Jr lead-
ing with 21 points and 17 rebounds, five players
scored in double figures. Jamal Ray recorded
his first triple-double (19 points, 10 rebounds,
and 10 assists) in a Lions uniform. Juriz Linzy
had 16 points. Taray Martin and DeTarrius Kirk
scored 10 points apiece. (Coach Frederick
Washington).
Lions roar into December with two wins
Congratulations to Moun-
tain View College and MAC
Athlete on being selected
as Region 5 DIII Player of the Week!
Men's Soccer--- Ivann
Sanchez Mountain View
College
You can view the pictures
and write ups at the NJCAA
Region 5 Website.
Support Mountain View College’s volleyball team by attending the game. We will see you there.
41
Congratulations to Mountain View College Men's Basketball team on being selected third in the nation by the National Junior College Athletic association (NJCAA)
BASKETBALL QUICK STATS
Jan. 16 • MVC 67 • Northlake 71
Jan. 13 • MVC 93 • Eastfield 95
Jan. 9 • MVC 88 • Brookhaven 95
Jan. 5 • MVC 93 • El Centro 73
Dec. 8 •MVC 92 • CYM 73
Dec. 4 • MVC 116 • Tomball College 90
Dec. 1 • MVC 93 • Texas Wesleyan JV 85
Nov. 24 • MVC 92 • Southwestern Christian 84
Nov. 23 • MVC 69 • Weatherford 75
Nov. 20 • MVC 75 • OnPoint Academy 72
The Mountain View College
men’s basketball team along with the
coaching staff and athletic director
joined ex-NFL player, Dominic
Rhodes, in giving away turkeys to
deserving families Wednesday after-
noon at the Salvation Army. Rhodes,
heralded for his outstanding play in
the 2007 Super Bowl XLI victory with
the Indianapolis Colts, has been
spending much of his time doing
charitable acts of kindness that he
feels are for a worthy cause.
The team formed a line leading
to where each family would receive a
turkey. They gave high fives to all
family members as Rhodes issued a
turkey. Also, he posed for pictures
and gave away autographed photos.
Lions join former NFL star with turkey giveaway
Roar on, Lions!
42
Academic Word Power
43
Crossword Clues
Across
1. talking or tending to talk too much or freely
3. to laugh at, in scorn or contempt
4. having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas
5. to produce, cause, or give rise to
9. to lessen in force or intensity
14. easily understood; clearly perceived
15. deserving praise; commendable
17. to be indecisive
19. to dry up
21. extremely bold or daring
23. a deviation from the common rule
25. using few words; concise
26. to bring about prematurely
28. to debase or make impure
30. enthusiastic or heated in spirit
31. habitual dislike
33. of the same or similar kind
34. to appease or pacify
35. a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence
Down
2. to support with evidence
6. eager desire or endeavor
7. conforming to acceptable behavior
8. eruptive; unstable; unsettled
10. questionable; deliberately ambiguous
11. to hold oneself back voluntarily
12. a practical point of view
13. easily deceived or cheated
16. learned or scholarly
18. erratic or flighty
20. short-lived, transitory
22. not translucent; impenetrable by light
24. absence of emotion
26. wastefully or recklessly extravagant
27. a person who overemphasizes rules or details
29. to speak or write in favor
32. to make milder or less severe
44