News-JournalNews-JournalTrinity Valley

Volume 56 Issue 6 March 29, 2013Serving Trinity Valley Community College since 1972

Health Fair/Blood DriveApril 10

8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Feature p. 5Being interesting is beneficialEmployers are looking for people with different skills.

Look who's trending#7 is a good look for the Lady Cards.

Fresh off their seventh national title, coach Lovato and the Lady Car-dinals are still reeling from their 83-71 win over Central Arizona, a team

they had faced three times for the title. The win also marks their second-straight title.

In the championship game, Shlonte` Allen led the team in points with 22. She was followed by Krystle Henderson and Shannon Smith who both added 14 each and Adut Bulgak had 10 points.

Defensively, Roddricka Patton was a nuisance to Central Arizona's scoring game, causing them to turn over the ball 18

times. She also had a game-high of five steals.Smith was named the tourney's MVP, averaging 22 points a

game and shooting 52.8 percent from the floor.Henderson and Allen both received all-tournament team

honors.The Lady Cards finished the season with a 36-1 record (they

had to forfeit a game to Weatherford in December because they didn't have enough healthy eligible players).

Overall, the program is boasting a 989-225 record. And coach Lovato is the fourth Lady Card's coach to win a national title. She joins the late Kurt Budke and Michael and Kenya Land-ers. Lovato is currently 45-3 at the helm of the Lady Cards and has a 77-7 career record.

#CELEBRATING7April 3 Cardinal Gym 6 p.m.

Feature p. 4Women's History MonthMary Nicholson goes above and beyond the call of duty.

Campus News p. 3Paper as artTVCC students learn the art of making paper.

Pictures courtesy of TVCC's Facebook Page

Opinion/EditorialNews-Journal2

www.tvccnewsjournal.com March 29, 2013

Editor-in-ChiefLis Valencia

Managing EditorTBA

A&E EditorTBA

Photo EditorLace Donaghe

Sports EditorTBA

Web/Social Media EditorShayla Wright

Staff Writers, Brianna Coleman, Lace Donaghe,

Kazandra Gutierrez,

Photographers Lace Donaghe

Student Media AdviserDeidre Jones

Memberships: TIPA, TCCJA and ACP

The TVCC News-Journal is a monthly publication and is produced by the journalism students at TVCC’s Athens campus. Views expressed in the editorial section are the opinions of the writers and do not reflect the views of the TVCC administration. The News-Journal welcomes letters and suggestions. The TVCC News-Journal reserves the right to edit let-ters for grammar or length. Letters to the editor can be mailed to 100 Cardinal Drive, Athens, TX 75751; or emailed to journalstaff@tvcc.edu.

FOLLOW USwww.tvccnewsjournal.com

Anyone that is innocent and killed against their will is always upsetting. And for those who do such thing should be put through pain themselves. This leads me to the disgusting news of a Pennsylvania doctor who is accused of running a “house of hor-rors.”

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, performed abortions past the 24-week limit allowed by the law—even alleg-edly as late as eight months into pregnancy. Ac-cording to authorities, he used scissors to server the spinal cord of newborns who emerged from their own mothers still alive, killing them right after they were brought to life.

Now, Dr. Gosnell is about to stand trial, after pleading not guilty. If he is found guilty, people want him put to death; and I think that I justified.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said, "A doctor who cuts into the necks, severing the spinal cords of living, breathing babies, who would survive with proper medical attention, is commit-ting murder under the law,".

He adds that a grand jury investigation deter-

mined that health and licensing officials had re-ceived repeated reports about Gosnell's practice but actions were never taken.

Gosnell faces eight counts of murder: for the death of seven infants, and in the case of a 41-year-old woman who died of an anesthetic overdose during a second-trimester abortion. The babies were born alive in the sixth, seventh and eighth months of pregnancy, but their spinal cords were severed with scissors, Williams said.

In my opinion I believe abortion should not be al-lowed under any circumstance, unless the mother is put under a serious, life-threatening situations. Life begins when the mother becomes pregnant, whether the child is just an embryo it is still life, no matter what.

They are innocent and are not guilty for being brought to this world. No one has the right to end life but God. God brought them to life, and no hu-man being should ever have the right to end life.

"They are innocent and are not guilty for being brought to this world."

-Rebecca Valle

Rebecca ValleStaff Writer

Doctor who causes death now faces death

The Olympic athlete who brought tears to our eyes and inspired others to achieve what they thought would never be possible is now being accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar Pistorius was, until a month ago, consid-ered a hero to many people. People are shocked that the man known as the, “Blade Runner,” is being ac-cused of killing his model girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.

Pistorius gained stardom when he competed in the 2012 London Olympics. Although he did not medal, Pistorius gained many admirers. He became the first double-leg amputee to participate in the Olympics.

During the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Pistorius won two gold medals. One in the men's 400-meter race and another in the 4 × 100 meters relay where he also set world records in both events.

When news came out about Pistorius horrible crime, it took everyone by surprise, including me.

How could a person that so many people viewed as a real-life superhero be accused of such a horrible

crime?As with any case, including a star athlete like Pis-

torius, there are many sides to the story. It is said that Pistorius' reason for shooting his girlfriend was because he thought she was an intruder trying to come into his house.

His girlfriend was shot three times. Pistorius fired through the bathroom door, which supports his claim that he thought it was an intruder. But as the case got more attention, new details began to emerge.

Witnesses who live close to Pistorius' home said that before the shooting took place, they had heard people yelling from Pistorius home. Many people speculate that an argument could have lead to Pis-torius committing this crime.

The question really here is if Pistorius is guilty or not guilty of killing his girlfriend. Was his life really in danger that he had to fire four times through a bathroom door?

Even though I am a huge admirer of what Pisto-rius has achieved, I do believe he is guilty of this crime.

Whether someone is or is not breaking into your house, you should not rely on shooting

them─especially not through a door─because you never know who it might be.

Due to the amount of crime there is in Africa, Pis-torius' claim that he fired because he thought there was an intruder in the house might work in proving he is innocent.

But should we really have another athlete be given a free pass when it comes to such a horrible crime?

Pistorius could have easily called the police if he thought there was someone coming into the house or even fired a warning shot, so that whoever was there could speak out or leave.

I do not think there was such necessity to fire four shots, because I don’t believe his life was really in danger.

All he heard was a noise, and I believe the only way you can fire a shot at someone is in self-defense. What was he defending himself from? A noise he heard?

What Pistorius has achieved is something that should inspire people and he should be praised for that. But that doesn't mean he should be treated any differently, nor should the crime be investigat-ed differently because he is a well-liked athlete.

Kazandra GutierrezStaff Writer

Blade Runner: Olympic star, hero or murderer?

News-JournalCampus News 3

Trinity Valley News-Journal @ Facebookwww.tvccnewsjournal.com

March 29, 2013 www.tvccnewsjournal.com

Campus/Community News Campus

The Ark The Ark, located

right across campus on S. Prairieville Street, offers free lunch for college students every Monday and Wednes-day. They also offer Internet and TV access as well as games like ping-pong and pool and places to study.Collegiate MinistryThe Collegiate Min-

istry is located right across campus, on FM 2494, next to the Ki-wanis Park. They offer free lunch for college students every Tues-day and Thursday. They also offer bible study and places for students to study and relax.

Student Government

Student Government meetings will take place every Tuesday in the cafeteria confer-ence room at 12:15 p.m. They will have free lunch at the meetings.

Student Music Recitals

The music depart-ment will be having student recitals in the Fine Arts Building in Room 112 on Fridays. There is no admission for the recitals and they are open to the public.

CardettesThe Cardette Show-

girls competed on March 23 at ADTS Collegiate National Competition in Denton, Texas. The team was named National Aca-demic Champions and were third runner up in Division III dance,

The Annual Cardette Spring Show Produc-tion will be in the au-

ditorium on the TVCC Athens Campus April 19-21. Visit the Car-dettes website for times and ticket prices www.tvcc.edu/cardettes.

Health Fair/Blood Drive

The annual health fair/blood drive is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. April 10 on the Plaza. Blood Drive Located There will be lots of informa-tion presented to help you maintain and live a healthy lifestyle.

Campus FunBattle of the Sexes,

games pitted girls vs. the guys is at 7 p.m. April 2 in the cafeteria conference room.

Cardinals Got Tal-ent” is a talent show where students can showcase special skills and talents is sched-uled for April. Contact student activities for more information.

Powder Puff Foot-ball sign-ups are now. There will be a meeting on April 1. The game will be on April 25 at the Pit, located behind Cardinal Gym.

A Mud Volleyball game will be at 7 p.m. April 17 at Pit.

Late Night Breakfast will be at 10 p.m. in the cafeteria. It's open to all TVCC students.Community

Heritage JubileeThe 32nd Annual

Heritage Jubilee in Terrell, Texas will be on April 19-21 at Ben Gill Park. This is a fun- filled event for the whole family. For more information visit: www.terrelltexas.com

Brianna Coleman

Art students at the Athens TVCC campus learned a different kind of art. Instead of painting or mold-ing clay, student got to make their pieces of art.

Guest artist September Kirk came to the Ath-ens campus and held two sessions where students learned about the art of paper making.

Kirk studied at UTA, where she received her bachelor’s, specializing in painting, as she went on to receive her master’s, she came across the book art program at the University of Alabama.

On March 6, students got a chance to learn the history of paper, from how it was invented to how the paper making process has evolved. Kirk shared where she had traveled to during her studies.

Not only did the students got a chance to hear about paper making, they also got a chance to make their own paper. Using water, cotton and recycled paper, students received hands-on experience with making their own paper.

“It was interesting to learn about the history of paper making; it was a fun hands-on project,” said Dallas Meadows, a sophomore art major from Ath-ens.

Student were amazed by their own paper. The project allowed students to be creative with their fi-nal product, using different colors, frames and even actual pressed flower petals into their pieces.

A trip to France or Italy sounds just about right for some stu-dent’s right now, but is there re-ally a need to travel more than nine hours on a plane to a place that is technically already here.

Trinity Valley Community Col-lege provides a diverse array of students from places like Japan, Ethiopia, France, Italy, Spain and many more other places.

For those student interested in learning about different cultures, joining the International Student Organization at TVCC is a good place to start.

“Other students should get

involved to benefit from the in-teraction with students of other cultures,” said Audrey Hawkins, director of school relations and the club's advisor.

The organization is open to any student at TVCC. This organiza-tion is a way for students to ex-change ideas and learn from each other as well as help all interna-tional students become success-ful.

“I hope that it will serve as a re-source for international students in providing assistance with transitioning in a new country and/or new college, if they have previously attended elsewhere,” Hawkins said.

Even though there are only a

few students involved with the organization, Hawkins believes that it will begin to grow with the coming years.

“My expectations for the pro-gram are that, first, it will become a viable organization, rather than one in 'name' only,” Hawkins said.

Joining the International Stu-dent Organization is a great learning experience that allows you to gain knowledge from peo-ple that you otherwise wouldn’t talk to.

For more information about the organization, contact Hawkins at ahawkins@tvcc.edu, or call her at 903-675-6257.

tvccnewsjournal.com

Students come from far away places to be a part of the Cardinal Spirit

By Kazandra GutierrezStaff Writer

TVCC students are making paper...literally By Lis Valencia

Editor-in-Chief

Lis Valencia/News-JournalSeptember Kirk shows students a parcel paper made of goat skin.

FeatureNews-Journal4

www.tvccnewsjournal.com March 29, 2013

Honoring one of TVCC's gems

Most people might say that history has not been very kind to women. Many

women have been overlooked and forgotten.

Every March, Women's His-tory Month is a month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and society. Women's History Month traces its beginnings back to the first International Women's Day in 1911.

In 1978, the school district of Sonoma, Calif., participat-ed in Women's History Week, an event designed around the week of March 8.

In 1981, responding to the growing popularity of the event, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Barbara Mikulski co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution pro-claiming a Women's History Week. This week was well re-ceived and, soon after, schools across the country began to have their own local celebra-tions.

Six years later, in 1987, Congress expanded the focus to a whole month. Soon oth-er state departments began to encourage celebrations of National Women's History Month as a way to promote equality.

The News-Journal staff wanted to honor an employee this month for her contribu-tion to the college.

Trinity Valley Community College has a woman that has gone above and beyond what is asked of her, devoting her time and effort to TVCC and its students. Mary Nich-olson is the Vice President of Institutional Advance-ment and Executive Direc-tor of the TVCC Foundation. Aside from the long title she is known as “Mama Mary” to many TVCC students.

After she graduated from high school, Nicholson said she was not your typical 18 year old.

“I started my career just out of high school in the human resources field without a de-gree,” Nicholson said. “I was a student of my trade and took classes as I could, because my young children came first. I didn't complete my A.A. until 2004, my B.S. in 2007 and my masters in 2009.”

She has come far and rose to the position that she is in, proving herself successful the entire way.

“I began working at Talla-hassee Community College in 1994 and worked very hard to learn about the public educa-tion system, particularly in the community college en-vironment,” Nicholson said. “I interviewed at TVCC in the summer of 2009 and was hired and moved here that August.”

She was hired as the Execu-tive Director of the Founda-tion, then the additional du-ties and title of Vice President came a year later.

With her love for the com-munity college environment and her particular job, she intends to continue to work in education.

“I have no desire to climb any higher in administra-tion,” she said. “I have consid-ered teaching in the future; however, I feel I can help more students in my current capac-

ity.”Nicholson's decision to go

into this field of work was very important to her.

“I believe wholeheartedly in education and the impact it can have,” Nicholson said . “I love people. I love our [TVCC] students, and I want to help them achieve their greatest potential.”

She has a very demanding schedule that is sometimes difficult.

“I work many evenings and most Saturdays, so I would be lying if I didn't say there are times I wish I could slow the schedule just a bit,” she said.

Along with serving on the Athens Chamber of Com-merce Board as a chamber ambassador, she is a member of the Athens Kiwanis Club and serves as the club's sec-retary. She also serves on the Biomedical Technology Board in Athens.

Nicholson has been a leader in a variety of different proj-ects that promote education. As the college's liaison, she has increased student’s access to scholarships and opportu-nities. Nicholson has been an active force with the Athens Kiwanis. She helped establish the Splash Pad at Kiwanis Park.

The Splash Pad is a free, safe, unstructured water play and socialization area. It is an outdoor water attraction that eliminates the need for life-guards.

In addition, she initiated a collaborative effort to es-tablish the Foundation and helped raise scholarship lev-els for Institutional Advance-ment.

“The Foundation supports the growth and development of Trinity Valley Community College in whatever ways are beneficial to its students, faculty, staff and campus fa-cilities,” Nicholson said. “We

fulfill this mission by active-ly encouraging private gifts from individuals, alumni, businesses, associations and service organizations.”

Along with being an avid

supporter of TVCC and serv-ing on the Foundation's board, Nicholson is the driving force of the alumni association, a program that keeps in contact with all the former graduates of TVCC.

Many people in today's so-ciety measure success by the amount of money a person makes, the title they carry or the things they own. True suc-cess requires respect, admira-

tion, appreciation, integrity and patience. All are traits that are genuinely difficult to attain; especially in the face of modern society.

Nicholson exhibits all

these traits and more. She is a genuine person that truly cares, not only about TVCC, but its students and their success and ability to go on and achieve their goals and dreams.

“My door is always open,” Nicholson said . “If you need a hug or a shoulder to cry on, I am here.”

tvccnewsjournal.com

“My door is always open. If you need a hug or a shoulder to cry on, I'm here.”

-Mary Nicholson

By Lace DonagheStaff Writer

Mary Nicholson

Lace Donaghe/ News-Journal

FeatureMarch 29, 2013 www.tvccnewsjournal.com News-Journal

5

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You’ll also have the chance to talk one-on-one with an advisor in your major. Choose the date you’d like to attend:

Mar. 22, 2013Apr. 26, 2013May 10, 2013May 24, 2013

Jun. 7, 2013Jun. 28, 2013Jul. 12, 2013RSVP at utdallas.edu/enroll/

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(StatePoint) In an age of economic uncertainty, being indispensable at work is crucial to job security. And while developing specific professional skills is important, some experts say that there are intangible factors that are even more important for your long-term success.

“If you’re interesting, people will re-

member you and want to work with you. You’ll get the call back; you’ll make the sale. And you’ll be better able to think your way out of trouble and into new territories,” says Jessica Hagy, author and illustrator of the new book, “How to Be Interesting (in 10 Simple Steps.)”

Hagy says that in today’s fast-paced

world, there are steps you can take to avoid blending into the hum of the background:

• Go exploring: Explore ideas, plac-es and opinions. The inside of the echo chamber is where all the boring peo-ple hang out.

• Chat: Don’t just keep your head down. Gain new perspectives by talk-ing to everybody -- not just those who do what you do. No one has seen ex-actly what you have or has the same exact feelings as you. Find out why.

• Leave your comfort zone: Expose yourself to risk and wild ideas. It’s the only way to grow. If you’re not cou-rageous, you’re going to be hanging around the water-cooler, talking about the guy who actually is.

• Offer to help: Seek out people who need your help. Know what you can do and tell people you’re willing to do it. They will remember you and talents. This is how people begin to fall in love with your work.

• Overstep your bounds: Just be-cause it’s not in your job description doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Only you can really decide what league you really belong in. Get over your fears

of making waves. Friction is a good thing.

• Be a link: Don’t just tell. Don’t just listen. Make introductions. Pass on what you know. Be the fulcrum upon which your organization turns.

• Have hobbies: Outside of work, read, study, and sign up for classes. Learn new things. You never know when you’ll need random knowledge or skills.

• Find a niche: The smaller the niche, the less room there is for copy-cats. If you want to be interesting, work with specifics, not generics.

• Leave the ego at home: If your ar-rogance is more obvious than your ex-pertise, you are someone other people avoid.

More tips and information from Hagy can be found at www.How2BeIn-teresting.tumblr.com/.

Becoming great at your specific job description will only get you so far at work. If you want to become an indis-pensable member of the team, find a way to stand out positively.

Courtesy of State Point Media

Why being interesting helps you get ahead

News-Journal6 Entertainment

www.tvccnewsjournal.com March 29, 2013

By Tony MatthewsStaff Writer

It has already been the year of Dwayne Johnson, also known by his wrestling name "The Rock." Although three months have past, he is starting to become a major icon for film and pop culture fans.

He started off 2013 by making his long-awaited return to World Wres-tling Entertainment. He said he en-tertains the wrestling crowds and promised them that he would get a shot at the WWE championship. He became the champion on Jan. 27 at WWE's Royal Rumble in Phoenix.

He is scheduled to headline WWE's biggest pay-per-view-of-the-year in April called WrestleMania.

During this year's Super Bowl, he had two movies trailers shown and was featured in a "Got Milk" commer-cial. Super bowl audiences who didn't know much about him before were in-troduced to the now house-hold-name- action star.

The Rock has four films that he will be released this year, and they are "Snitch"; "G.I. Joe: The Retaliation"; "Fast and Furious 6"; and "Pain & Gain." These films are mostly differ-ent than his past films like the "Tooth

Fairy" and "The Game Plan," which were made for younger audiences.

Johnson plays his first leading role of the year in "Snitch," that premiered Feb. 22. He plays John Matthews, an owner of a construction company, who tries to save his estranged son from being killed. His son faces a 10-year prison sentence for distribution of ille-

gal drugs. The film finished second at the box office, behind "Identify Thief" and made $13.2 million worldwide in its opening weekend.

Johnson also stars in "G.I. Joe: Re-taliation," which opens March 29. It is the sequel to the "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and resembles Hasbro's G.I. Joe toys and comic books. Johnson

plays Roadblock who is a heavy-ma-chine gunner and his secondary func-tion is as a cook.

He stars in "Fast and Furious 6," which opens on May 24. It's the sixth installment of the Fast and Furi-ous film series. Johnson plays Luke Hobbs, a diplomatic security service agent whose mission is to track down people with a historic criminal record. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Paul Walker return, once again, for the film series.

Finally, "Pain & Gain" is set to be released on April 26. Johnson plays Paul Doyle who recently got released from prison. He helps Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mack) kidnap a rich busi-ness man who many don't like because of how much money he has.

Between the action-crime films and being back in the World Wrestling En-tertainment, he has become one of the top most-followed people on Twitter and is constantly trending. Johnson is making such an impact, not only on pop culture, but in social media, and he continues to be featured in block-buster movies. There are many more projects that he is working on, but un-til then let's enjoy what he has done for films everywhere.

Do you smell what the rock is doing?

Courtesy: IMDB.com The Rock has already had a busy year. He stars in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Lil Wayne has had a hectic month. He was admitted to the hospitalized twice in one week for multiple sei-zures.

There were rumors going around that he was in critical condition after being in a coma from an overdosed of a concoction called Sizzurp.

And there were also reports that he was at the point where he was being read his last rites, according to TMZ.

President of his Young Money re-cord label, Mack Maine, said in an interview on Rapfix Live, “I was ac-tually sitting right next to him, hon-estly, when it happened, and his mom was in the other room, his face dropped.”

Mack Maine finally set the record

straight. “A lot of blogs and stuff put out some foolishness that wasn’t true," he said.

Lil Wayne was in the Cedars-Sinai hospital for six days and was released on March 18. There have been conflict-ing reports swirl-ing about his health scare.

Maine also said he wanted to thank the fans for wishing Wayne "well-wishes" and the rapper is "looking forward to a speedy recov-ery."

Many people have speculated that Wayne's recent hospital stint was a publicity stunt to promote his new album “I Am Not A Human Being II.” The album is the sequel to the first

album “I Am Not A Human Being.”Lil Wayne released the cover art for

his new album in January. Rapper Kayne West actually did the artwork

for the album under the name DONDA.

The album, released on March 26, was ac-tually pushed back several times. Prior to the album's release, Wayne had been re-leasing a handful of singles including the hits “No Worries” and “Love Me.”

There are also some big collabora-tions from fellow Young Money la-bel mates like Drake, Nicki Minaj, 2Chainz and many more.

Wayne is currently working out details of a tour to promote his new album.

"I am not a Human Being II"

Tracklist

01. IANAHB02. Curtains f. Boo03. Days And Days f. 2 Chainz04. Gunwalk f. Gudda Gudda05. No Worries f. Detail06. Back To You07. Trigger Finger f. Soulja Boy08. Beat The S*** f. Gunplay09. Rich As F*** f. 2 Chainz10. Trippy f. Juicy J11. Love Me f. Drake & Future12. Romance13. God Bless Amerika14. Wowzers15. Hello16. Lay It Down f. Nicki Minaj17. Hot Revolver f. Dre18. My Homies Still f. Big Sean

Lil Wayne's health scare coincides with release of new albumBy Julie Pearl

Staff Writer

www.tvccnewsjournal.com March 29, 2013 News-Journal Page 7

WWW.TAMUC.EDU • 903.886.5000 or 888.868.2682A Member of The Texas A&M University System

MEE

T RO

SYFor Rosy, a senior from Dallas, a college

education was made possible thanks to the generous scholarship and financial aid support

she received from A&M-Commerce. Now she tries to help other students on campus as much as possible by taking an active role in student organizations and promoting diversity on campus.

“When I first came to Commerce I didn’t know one person,” Rosy said. “I wanted to get involved, but none of the on-campus organizations really pertained to my cultural background. Now I am now cofounder of three successful organizations; LULAC (League of Latin American Citizens), Hermanas United and HSA (Hispanic Student Association).”

Looking ahead to her future as a financial consultant, Rosy hopes to help others in the same way the university community has helped her.

SCAN THIS QR CODE To learn more about Rosy, see her video profile and learn how Texas A&M University-Commerce can change your future.

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www.tvccnewsjournal.com March 29, 2013