Lorena Perez, an 18-year-old Richland student, was scouted by an academic company after the gym coach in her hometown in the Canary Islands (off the coast of North Africa) submitted a recording of her playing in a volleyball game.
Read MoreMartha Hogan might know everything about what it takes to be a dean after 21 years at Richland, but on Dec. 21, at age 69, she will step down and let someone else take a crack at it.
Read MoreToys for Tots has been reaching out to families all over the U.S. for more than 71 years at Christmas. This year, Richland’s Health Professions Club pioneered an initiative to partner with Toys for Tots in a bid to reach out to less fortunate kids.
Read MoreHoward Gardner, a Harvard psychologist, has posited that instead of a single kind of intelligence quotient (or IQ), humans actually have several. Among them is what he calls “musical intelligence.” It’s the unusual, maybe even genetically based, ability to create or perform music that rises above that of most other people. On Fannin Hall’s noontime recital stage Dec. 4, a dozen brave souls parted the curtains to demonstrate the validity of Gardner’s theory.
Before a sympathetic and supportive audience of fellow students, the selected outstanding pupils of Richland faculty members Derrick Logozzo, Boriana Savova, Lance Sanford, Abel Rodriguez, Leah Greenfield-Fritz, Sharon Deuby, Camille Fu, Ron Jones and Brandon Kelley performed a variety of mostly classical pieces ranging from Bach to Paganini. This concert, which by tradition comes near the end of each term, is designated as the “Honors Instrumental Studio Recital” because it allows especially gifted music students to satisfy their applied music jury requirement by playing a solo in public.
Although there was an occasional off-note, for the most part the concert was an aural banquet that emanated from a fine flock of young musicians some of whom will doubtless one day develop into professionals either as performers, teachers or both.
Among the most notable was Milton Amaya, a student of Sharon Deuby, who rendered a skillful demonstration of his mastery of the deep and resonant bass clarinet. Other outstanding performances included America Castellanos on flute, and Evan Mendez and Sebastian Tran, both of whom played the marimba.
Sometimes when a musician on stage gets into the spirit of the moment and spectacularly nails all of the notes, hearts of those in the audience sing out in resonance and angels soar. Such rare musical intelligence is a joy to behold. Yet even when players stumble, miss a cue, or a stray from the cadence, they can take solace by realizing that almost everyone out front has been in the same painful place and suffers along with them. It is often helpful at such times to remember that public performances can always be regarded as growth opportunities.
Thus to those on stage, no matter your level of skill or experience, please heed this message: We are all lifted up by the beauty you bring to our lives. Our throats catch as we are elevated by the elation that emerges
from what you are doing. It is no mere string of notes from a sheet of paper you are producing. No. It is truly music.
The passing of the torch can be a tough thing to watch. On one hand, it’s a generational thing, but on the other, it’s carving out a new path for those facing their own struggles and challenges.
Read MoreI like it when sequels continue the storyline without losing the appeal of the original. That is why I relished every moment of the all-new “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” a follow-up to the 2016 release.
Read MoreReader says president Trump is a “dangerous demagogue”
Two years ago, in this newspaper, I declared that Donald Trump was unfit to hold the office of president of the United States. I sincerely wish that his performance since that time had given me reason to admit that I had misjudged him, but sadly, after nearly two years in office, he has more than proven me right.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “demagogue” as “a leader who makes use of popular prejudices, false claims and promises in order to gain power.” In light of his frequent fearmongering rhetoric, I can think of no other person who more closely fits that definition than Donald Trump.
Frankly, I am astonished that he was ever elected president in the first place, or that he was even seriously considered as a candidate. His personal behavior, both before and since taking office, has consistently been that of a narcissistic spoiled juvenile who thinks he knows everything but who actually knows very little, who betrays his lack of even the most basic knowledge every time he opens his mouth and who thinks nothing of mocking disabled people, and belittling women, minorities and decorated military veterans.
Yet the people who make up his base, people who appear to lack either the ability or the willingness to think for themselves, apparently have no problem with the president of the United States exhibiting, on nearly every occasion, the sort of boorish bad behavior that no responsible parent would ever allow their own children to get away with. Why they give the president a pass is entirely baffling to me. If I treated my students the way that Trump treats the press, I’d soon be out of a job.
It is generally conceded that all politicians lie, but let’s face it, some lie a lot more often than others and some a lot more blatantly than others. There can be no question that Trump is one of the latter.
While listening to the speeches that he gives at his rallies, the provocative and outrageous statements he seems to simply make up as he goes along never cease to amaze me. Sometimes, he not only lies but also says things that make absolutely no sense. Recently, at one of his televised rallies, I heard him say that he had kept more promises than he had made. How is that even possible?
Americans seem to have already forgotten that only a few short weeks ago, just before the midterm elections, an ardent Republican, whose van was plastered with pro-Trump stickers and whose social media presence made it clear that he was a big fan of the president, was arrested and charged with sending letter bombs to several high-ranking Democrats including two former presidents.
Yet Trump disavowed any personal responsibility for the divisive, inflammatory language he frequently uses that seems to have animated the alleged would-be assassin. By routinely demonizing Democrats, refugees, legitimate news outlets such as CNN or NBC (which he insultingly calls “Fake News” or “the Enemy of the People”) and just about anyone who either disagrees with his policies or publicly points out the falsity of his often outrageous claims, he has shown himself to be nothing less than a dangerous demagogue.
By sowing the seeds of discord he does nothing to heal the political divide that is so painfully apparent in this country. If anything, he is making it worse by appealing to emotion and fear (most of it baseless), rather than to reasoned, civil discourse.
It is ironic that the president often uses derogatory language to describe the press or his political opponents that is far more applicable to him. By both words and deeds, he almost daily proves that it is he, not they, who is “rude,” an “embarrassment” and a “disgrace.”
I’ll give Trump this: Despite his limited vocabulary (or perhaps because of it), he certainly knows how to work a crowd and get them on his side. But so did Hitler.
– Dr. Steven Butler is an adjunct faculty member in the history department at Richland.
As the winter holidays approach with fun and festivities on the minds of many, a solemn anniversary looms for the survivors of the 2015 tornado that devastated parts of Garland and Rowlett.
Read MoreIs there a teacher whose positive impact resides within you? A teacher who changed the course of your studies — and perhaps the course of your life? Are you struggling to find something commensurate to your gratitude?
Read MoreThe Multicultural Center at Richland is collecting donations to help a student who lost all of her possessions in a fire at the Cambridge Park Condominiums on Nov 27.
Read MoreA Dallas County grand jury indicted former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, 30, for the murder of 26 year-old Botham Jean on Sept. 6.
Read MoreFor the past 140 years the Salvation Army has facilitated the Angel Tree Program in order to help families in need provide gifts for their children during the winter holidays.
Read MoreIn the spirit of Thanksgiving, 110 people came together to participate in Richland’s annual Turkey Trot on Nov. 20. This is the 45th year the run/walk has taken place.
Read MoreFor the first time in a long while, I actually got goosebumps. No, not that mediocre Jack Black flick of the same name from a couple of years back, rather the feeling when something goes through your body and one feels in tune.
Read MoreLegendary comic book writer Stan Lee has died. He passed away at the age of 95 on Nov. 12. For readers who are not familiar with Lee, he’s the old man who makes cameo appearances in the Marvel films and TV shows.
Read MoreCarmen Rivero, 28, found a way to use math and science to help the disabled. Rivero has an associate degree in science from Richland and is working toward another in biomedical engineering. She plans to transfer to the University of Texas at Dallas in the future. She found her calling through volunteer work.
Read MoreWith the pain of last year’s finals defeat entrenched in the memories of many of the players, the Richland men’s soccer team went into the national championship game against Nassau with a point to prove.
Read MoreAward-winning film scores may abound, but none could be as dramatic as the sound of the final whistle on Nov. 11 at Wedgbury Stadium in Loves Park, Ill. The Richland women’s soccer team edged Delta College from Michigan 1-0 to win the national championship.
Asia Revely strikes the ball against Delta College at Wedgbury Stadium in Loves Park, Ill., Nov. 11. Richland won the championship game 1-0.
Richland took the lead with a rifle from about 30 yards out. A befitting lead for a special occasion.
“When I scored the goal in the final, I was kind of in shock,” forward, Eva Mulligan said.
Twenty-seven minutes into the first half, defender Miranda Ibarra, drove through the Delta midfield before laying it off for a teammate. Mulligan took a deft touch beyond her defender and rifled a bullet into the net.
“It was very exciting to get a goal that meant a lot for our team. It took a lot of stress off of us. When I realized I scored, it was kind of overwhelming.”
“We were trying to figure out why she [Mulligan] didn’t score more goals during the year. I think a lot of it is confidence. I think early on she didn’t want to take the set-pieces because she didn’t want to be the one who messed it up and same thing with finishing; I think she was more concerned about passing the ball,” said women’s soccer coach Scott Toups.
“As the season went on, she got more and more confident. You could see it in her play, she got better and better and all of a sudden, she started shooting and realized she could score goals. For her, I think it’s a confidence thing. She got more confident, she got better.”
The Richland women’s soccer team poses for a photo with the coaches after winning the Div. III national championship in a battle against Delta College in Loves Park, Ill.
Mulligan ended the season with nine goals and five assists. She wasn’t a frequent name on the score sheet at the beginning of the season, but as it wore on, her influence on the team grew. Five of her nine goals came in the last four games.
The road to the finals was relatively easy for Richland. They breezed past Holyoke in the quarterfinals with a 9-0 win.
The semifinal was more of the same. Inclement weather and a frozen field required the game to be moved indoors, but that didn’t deter the Thunderducks. They beat Brookdale 5-1.
The final was where Richland faced its biggest test yet and for the first 45 minutes, Richland looked to be the better side. They threatened, but goals weren’t forthcoming.
“It was just unfortunate we didn’t get a second goal. It went off the cross bar early on, we missed a couple that most of the time we would have scored. Their goal keeper made some really nice saves. Behind Dynastee [Cain], she was the best goalkeeper at the tournament,” said Toups.
An ankle injury sustained by Citlali Gonzalez forced a change in tactic midway through the first half.
“So, we ended up pulling her off and instead of replacing her with another defender off the bench, we moved one of our center midfielders, Cloe, to the back. And that changed the dynamic of the game. We lost control of the midfield, they gained more possession and gave us more trouble,” Toups said.
“I think part of it was they were stronger [than previous opponents] and part of it was, I think, we were just not there,” Ibarra said. “In our heads, some of us had already thought we won, so we were a little bit more relaxed when we shouldn’t have been.”
Ibarra was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament for her display. She was part of a defense that kept a clean sheet in two out of the three games.
“I think I worked pretty hard this season and I was focused as much as I could’ve been in those three games,” Ibarra said.
Coaches from all the schools who participate in the nationals vote for the MVP. Ibarra was shocked that she garnered attention.
“I feel like in the back I didn’t get to play very much. So, I was kind of confused how my abilities were shown [and] how they could notice me. I was very surprised,” Ibarra said. “I think it’s one of the best seasons I’ve had throughout my soccer career. Had a couple losses, but overall, I like the girls, I like the coaching and some games were not that challenging, but I still had fun.”
Ibarra’s teammates, Mulligan and Cain took Offensive and Defensive MVP honors respectively.
The win was the Richland women’s soccer fourth national championship. The team had its last national championship win in 2014.
“We went [to the nationals] with that result in mind and that’s how we left, with what we wanted to accomplish,” Toups said.
| Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon |
| +78° | +75° | +67° | +49° | +48° | +59° |
| +49° | +60° | +45° | +33° | +29° | +32° |
