Category: Feature
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Gelber gets students involved with her own interest in music
by REBECCA WILLIAMS//Staff Writer Deborah Gelber started to sing and play the piano in church when she was a little girl, singing with her family and the church choir. Dr. Gelber, assistant professor of Fine Arts, has been teaching for almost 16 years, five of which have been at SPC. She attended West Virginia University…
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South Plains Balloon Round-Up rises to occasion
by CHANEY ARNEY//Staff Writer Not even the rain could keep the balloons on the ground and the people away. Hundreds attended The Southwest Regional Balloon Club’s annual South Plains Balloon Round- Up on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 at Buffalo Springs Lake. The festivities began 7 a.m. both days, with a night flight on Saturday. …
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Former student turns patrol officer after sexual assault
by MATT MOLINAR//Opinion Editor One South Plains College graduate has gone from calling the cops several times, to becoming the patrol officer responding to the emergency. Amber Rodriguez grew up in Lubbock, where she also experienced what most people would consider an absolute nightmare.
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Coloring books can help take adults away from daily stress
by KACI LIVINGSTON//Staff Writer After a long stressful day, you thoroughly enjoy being able to sit back, relax, and unwind. Sometimes the world can be a hectic and cruel place. A growing trend to de-stress is to revert back to childhood and get out a coloring book. But the coloring books are not just for…
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Student artist continuing his passion for drawing cartoons
by NOELL LUNA//Staff Writer David Alaniz has always wanted to draw ever since he was little. Now, Alaniz is getting the chance to live his dream during his journey in college, drawing cartoons for a living. Alaniz, a sophomore at South Plains College, is a cartoon artist from Lubbock who is working on his third…
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Former student has high hopes for budding music career
by SERGIO MADRID//Staff Writer Lubbock has spawned yet another rock star on the rise. Since she was 6, Alissa Beyer, has been singing and involved with music. While most kids were involved in sports or other after-school programs, Beyer’s mom started her off singing at the Cactus Theater. But Beyer would eventually put music down…
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SWAT team leader relates mass shooting experiences
by SARA MARSHALL//Editor-in-chief Bullets whizzing by his head. Distraught shouts and cries ringing in his ears. Footsteps echoing through the empty, disheveled hallways. Chaos unfolding all around him. Grant Whitus never backed down from the challenge of being SWAT Team Leader in his 17 years of service in the Colorado SWAT. Despite beginning his life…
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Feddes balances family life with maintaining Women’s Complex
by HANNAH NELSON//Staff Writer From rattles to room checks, Jennifer Feddes has impacted the hallways of the Women’s Complex in many extraordinary ways. Feddes, hall director for the Women’s Complex makes up a very important part of student housing and the South Plains College community. She works within the wings of her dorm nightly, providing…
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Seattle musician debuts first solo album
by MATT MOLINAR/Opinion Editor Benjamin Cissner has gone from living in rural Kansas to performing in tours throughout Europe. Cissner debuted his album, “Birds in the Night,” with a single titled “Follow You Down.” The album was released on April 22 and is available on SoundCloud. The aspiring musician recalls growing up in a small…
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Former student encourages those battling depression to keep fighting
(Editor’s note: This story is the seventh part of a multi-part series “Mind Wars,” examining the struggles of the mental illness, depression, that began with Issue #7 and concludes in Issue #12. Several staff members took it upon themselves to interview, take photographs and conduct research. The results of their combined efforts follow.) by NICOLE…
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Government instructor looking for new career path in law school
by NICOLE TRUGILLO/Editor-in-Chief It’s never too late to choose a different career path. Zachary Carlton, instructor in Government, has decided recently to take his career path in a new direction. Carlton has decided to attend New England School of Law in Boston to become a lawyer. He will be finishing out the current semester and…
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English professor retiring after 56 years of helping others
by JENNY GARZA /Entertainment Editor When growing up, you are usually asked what you want to do with your life. But sometime you just don’t know. This was the case for Gary Poffenbarger, professor of English, at South Plains College who is retiring after 27 years. According to Poffenbarger, he just didn’t know what he wanted…
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Food, drinks being used to treat addiction
by NICOLE TRUGILLO/Editor-in-Chief There is nothing better than sitting down, having a big appetite, and biting into food that smells and tastes delicious. Mostly everyone thinks we eat food just to survive, but that’s not the case. Food is being used in ways that people couldn’t imagine. Dr. Keith Kantor, CEO and Founder of the…
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Student shares struggle with depression
(Editor’s note: This story is the sixth part of a multi-part series “Mind Wars,” examining the struggles of the mental illness, depression, that began with Issue #7 and concludes in Issue #12. Several staff members took it upon themselves to interview, take photographs and conduct research. The results of their combined efforts follow.) by CHESANIE BRANTLEY/Editor-in-Chief…
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Alcazar hopes to continue family nursing tradition
by RILEY GOLDEN/Editorial Assistant BreAhna Alcazar says her interest in the medical field runs in her blood. The Pre-Nursing major at South Plains College took dual-credit classes in high school, and she played the saxophone in band, and participated in HOSA-Future Health Professionals, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, and has always been…
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Former student inspired to open microbrewery in Lubbock
[Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing project in conjuction with the South Plains College Alumni Association. The project highlights former SPC students and their achievements.] by NICOLE TRUGILLO/Editor-in-Chief Everyone enjoys a refreshing drink. But many will agree that it tastes better when you make it yourself. Robert Box never dreamed about owning…
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Kennedy teaches importance of music through experience
by MATT MOLINAR/Opinion Editor If there is something you like doing, don’t stop doing it. Dr. John Kennedy, associate professor of fine arts, has been working at South Plains College in the Fine Arts Department for five years. Every year he has been dedicated to showing students what music is about and how it can…
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Christian novelist publishes first murder mystery
by: MALLORY CARVER/Feature Editor Everyone loves a good mystery. Rhonda Russell, has just published her fifth book, and her first true-crime murder mystery, “The Difference.” Her previous books include “I Promise You the Moon,” “The Best Things in Life are Free,” “Life: A Moving Target,” and “Walking Into a Nightmare.” Russell is a retired licensed vocational…
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Young leaving SPC with gratitude, lifelong memories
by: MALLORY CARVER/Feature Editor Retirement is often bittersweet. For Jim Young, professor of biology, retirement is not only an opportunity to spend time with his two grandchildren, but it is a farewell to his fellow faculty, his beloved students, and the job he has devoted time and love to. Young and his wife, Charlotte, met…
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‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ entertains with comedic plot
by JENNY GARZA//Entertainment Editor She only wanted her daughter near her. This is all Toula Miller wanted in the second installment to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” The first film, which came out in 2002, begins with following the life of Fotoula “Toula” Portakalos (Nia Vardalos), who is Greek and not very pretty. By the…