Bossier Parish Community College Presents a Student Publication
Kaleidoscope
Volume XXV Issue 3
May 2011
www.bpcc.edu/kaleidoscope/index.html
BPCC Debate Team Wins National Championship
Contributing Writer
nity college students
who competed in the
novice division of debate, BPCC’s Stewart
Black and Karen Blagg
finished 1st and 2nd respectively. Team captain
Carissa Bethea, who
began the season in the
novice division finished
10th amongst community college students
and also finished 3rd
amongst community
college students in the
varsity division where
she finished the year.
The Bossier Parish
College
Community
Debate Team captured
its first national championship at the International Public Debate
Association’s National
Championship Tournament hosted by Stephen
F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches,
TX, April 7-10.
The team was led by
Stewart Black who
earned 7 wins before
losing a 2-1 decision to
Louisiana College’s Iris
Tuttle in the octafinal
round of competition in
the novice division;
Black was also named
the 5th ranked speaker
in the tournament.
Team captain Carissa
Bethea and Tashara
Williams earned four
wins each, and Anita
Widener earned two
wins for the BPCC
team.
In 2009 and
2010, the team finished
2nd to Tulsa Community College, but this
BPCC debate team members Stewart Black, Carissa Bethea, and David Guidry create their own version of “Washington Crossing the Delaware” on the University of Mississippi campus during a debate competition earlier this year.
year’s performance led
the BPCC team to a six
point victory over the
two time defending
champions as BPCC
earned its first Community College National
Championship.
Debate team coach Bob
Alexander said, “This
year’s team is by far the
most talented group of
students that I have
worked with at BPCC,
and the results from this
tournament place these
students in a unique
place in history. The
combination of the work
ethic of these students
and their commitment to
help each other has accomplished something
for BPCC to be proud
of. I feel honored just to
be associated with this
group.”
In wrapping up the regular season, Stewart
Black finished the year
ranked 13th among the
360 college and university students who competed in the novice
division of debate.
Amongst the 85 commu-
The BPCC Debate
Team is open to any student, and no prior experience is required. If
you are interested in
finding out more about
the team, you are encouraged to contact Bob
Alexander at (318) 6786460 or e-mail him at:
[email protected].
Why Service Matters: BPCC Foundation Speaks Out
What’s Inside:
Stephanie Rogers Director of Alumni
Affairs/Development
(BPCC Foundations)
Contributing Writer
Justin Bunn: Motocross Superstar
NFL Labor Dispute
Kaleidoscope Your News!!!
Movie Review: Lincoln
Lawyer
Have anything you want to
share? Have any interesting
habits, talents, hobbies or interests? Do you know anyone
who falls under any of those
categories? We want any news
you can give us! We also post
on Facebook.
For more information, contact:
Candice Gibson
G129, 678-6364, or write
[email protected].
Miss BPCC 2011 Photos
Cavalier Players’ The
Time of Your Life
Wants
“I shall not pass this
way again: Then let me
now relieve some pain,
remove some barrier
from the road, or
brighten
someone's
heavy load.”
- Eva Rose Park
Managing the challenges of today’s busy
lifestyles along with the
pressures of juggling
family and over-loaded
work schedules sometimes makes it easy to
lose sight of what’s really important- faith,
family and service to
others. In fact, sometimes it is so easy to
forget that we, all who
work or volunteer at
BPCC, serve a greater
purpose than showing
up and doing what’s required to collect a paycheck
or
collect
community
service
points. Each day we
show up and do our
part, we actually make
life a little better for our
neighbors - BPCC students who show up and
sit in crowded classrooms with anticipation
that this day will bring
them closer to a future
better than their past.
When I am really tired
and not sure if I have
the strength to go on at
this pace, I am reminded about how important this day is for
that one person who
showed up here, at
BPCC, looking for their
future. It’s then that I
remember what it’s really all about. I remember and I am
humbled and grateful
for the opportunity to
be used as an instrument of service to others. We know many of
you feel the same way.
We thought you might
find it interesting to
hear from others who
represent BPCC within
the community everyday who feel that way
too.
May 2011
Dedication
Page 2
Editor’s Note
Views appearing in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views, practices, or
opinions of Bossier Parish
Community College or those
of Kaleidoscope.
The Kaleidoscope, Bossier
Parish Community College’s
campus newspaper, was established in 1972. Its purpose is to
illuminate events on campus
and foster an awareness of faculty, staff, and students’ accomplishments.
BPCC Foundation: “Why I Serve”
Continued from Page 1
“For me, it’s all about giving back to
the community. I look at it as a time
and service investment back into the
community where I live and work. I
gladly and willingly do it because I
feel it is the right thing to do. BPCC
is not only an academic engine for
our community, but an economic engine that produces a quality workforce. It has a direct economic impact to our community.
My goal is to leave it better than I found it, and if we can all
do that in one way or another, then what a community we
will have.”
Tommy Clark, Cavalier Athletic Foundation President
“I serve to assist and help students achieve and realize their educational goals that directly lead to a
meaningful life. My efforts and those of my fellow board members help students by raising funds
and finding ways to generate and manage funds in
order to help those in need the most. It is with pride
that I offer my time, efforts, and passion to making
a difference in young people's lives through education at BPCC.”
Ray Tromba, BPCC Foundation President
To rediscover your reason to serve and find out more, go to:
www. bpcc.edu/athletics
www.bpcc.edu/foundation
Contributing Writers
Those outside of the staff who
wish to contribute may do so,
but must keep in mind that all
final decisions regarding inclusion, length, and and/or grammatical clarity are made by the
staff and advisor. Either contact Candice Gibson at [email protected], or consult
our website at http://www.
bpcc.edu/kaleidoscope/index.
html.
Retractions
Retractions or corrections shall
be made through Facebook and
on the Kaleidoscope website.
Kaleidoscope Staff
News:
Jim Potts
Jacquelyn Timmons
Features & Entertainment:
Anna Atkinson
Stephanie McFarlane
Sports: Afton Hill
Advisor/Editor: Candice Gibson
Like Us On Facebook!!
Former BPCC Student Chases Motocross Pro Dream
Afton Hill
Kaleidoscope Staff
Motocross is one of the
world’s most extreme
sports. It is known for
the money and family
bonds. To a lot of viewers, it seems easy to just
twist the throttle and go
60 miles per hour or go
off a jump so low or,
“scrubbing,” that it
does break the laws of
physics. There is more
to this sport than meets
the eye. Each person
who rides doesn’t just
want to ride for fun; the
person can imagine his
name on video games
and having his own line
of motocross gear. This
dream is difficult to
reach, but to former
BPCC student, Justin
Bunn, it is so close.
Justin Bunn has been
racing since he was 13
years old. Since the first
time he placed his
hands on the handlebars, he has been addicted to becoming the
best he can at this sport.
He started out in the beginner’s class to find
himself faster than a
majority of the beginners, and he continued
to gain speed and skills.
He skipped the novice
class and ran on the top
5 at the intermediate
level. After Justin felt
like he was ready for
the next level, he decided to go up to the
amateur pro ranks. At
this level, it was time to
travel across the U.S to
gain points to become a
National Professional
Motocross racer.
“I didn’t have family
support financially or
any big sponsors. I had
to make due with what
I had. I did side work
like rebuilding four
wheeler motors or
working on any type of
motor vehicle just to
have gas money from
weekend to weekend,”
says Justin. “Traveling
and chasing your dream
isn’t easy. I lived on
peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches and slept in
a tent at races just to
pinch money so I could
have decent parts for
my motorcycle.”
He made sacrifice after
sacrifice, raced in pain
due to past injuries, and
even went to the hospital for dehydration after
a long practice day. No
matter how hard it was
to fight through the
rough times, Justin
achieved his dream.
“I don’t really remem-
ber how I kept fighting
through the struggle. I
just remember looking
at how many points I
had, and I made it. I
conquered my dream.”
Although, he is still
racing and fighting to
become a better racer,
he feels like he will
never quit wanting to
be the best.
“I love this sport. It is
hard, and it will make
you want to quit, but
the adrenaline and fast
pace can keep a person
addicted for life,” says
Justin.
He looks back and he
is proud of some major
wins from his past
such as winning the
Texas Lone Star State
series in the 80cc beginner class his first
year of racing. He has
also qualified many
times for the AMA
Cont’d on Page 4
Loretta Lynn National. Unfortunately,
he ran into bike troubles and a major in-
May 2011
Opinions
Page 3
The NFL Players Are
to Blame
Cody King
LSUS Debater
According to legendary
football coach, Vince
Lombardi, "People who
work together will win,
whether it be against
complex football defenses, or the problems
of modern society."
Teamwork was the last
thing on the players’’
minds during the NFL's
16 day Collective Bargaining
Agreement
(CBA). I can easily
prove that the failure of
the CBA was the NFL
Players’ Association's
(NFLPA) fault -- not the
owners.’
According to nfl.com,
the players and owners
entered the CBA to divide the over 9 billion
dollars per year the NFL
Unfortugenerates.
nately, the players' stubbornness and selfishness
allowed for nothing to
get accomplished.
Look at the NFL owners'
proposal. According to
nfl.com, the owners' initial offer was to increase
their revenues an additional billion dollars and
increase the regular season to 18 games. According
to
sports.yahoo.com, the
owners also proposed a
plan to limit the rookie
pay scale and put the
money they saved towards retired players’
benefits funds. The owners also felt the increase
in regular season games
would make up for the
players’ decrease in pay
per game by increasing
the overall revenue.
More games equal more
money for everybody.
According to espn.go.
com, the owners were
making less money in
2010 than in 2006 despite the increase in revenue. After deliberation
with NFLPA, the owners
dropped the number to
650 million, and then the
owners dropped the
number to 325 million
dollars and made no intention of changing the
schedule for at least two
more years, but the
NFLPA refused. The
owners showed that they
were willing to compromise to get something
accomplished, yet the
players still said no.
The proposal was fair.
Despite the league's increase in revenue year
after year, the owners
make less money now
than in 2006. How much
sense does that make? It
shows that there was a
true need to change the
status quo. Also, the proposal dropped from 1 billion to 325 million
dollars which showed the
owners' conviction for
compromise. Some may
argue that the owners refused to show their
books and show the need
for more money. I dare
all of you to tell your
boss to show you his or
her books to show you
how much he or she
makes. Also, how about
these players show the
owners their books because a backup punter
makes 300k and the
league average is 1.5
million dollars, so do
they really need the
money? Now, about the
increase in the regular
season schedule--it is not
an increase in games.
Right now there are 4
preseason games and 16
regular season games,
and the proposition was
to have 2 preseason
games and 18 regular
season games. What is
difference between a
third string player playing his heart out trying to
make the squad in the
third preseason game and
a starter playing his heart
out in the seventeenth
regular season game?
There is not any difference. The risk of injury
is just as high because a
third string player will
play just as hard to make
the cut as a starter in the
regular season. Therefore, there is no increase
of injury.
Finally, according to
nfl.com, as of March 11,
2011, the NFLPA decertified its union, allowing
players to file antitrust
law suits against the
NFL. The players left
the negotiating table and
decided to just sue the
NFL. This solved absolutely nothing, and the
CBA failed the moment
the players became cowards and left the negotiating table.
We have seen how the
players'
selfishness
caused the lack of football for months to come.
The deal meant more
money for everyone. The
owners were willing to
compromise, and it was
the players who left the
CBA and failed not just
themselves, but every
football fan. The players
owe it to us fans to follow Vince Lombardi's
advice and work together
to get something accomplished.
BPCC VS LSUS
NFL Players’ Labor Dispute
The NFL Players Represent the Right Side of
the Labor Dispute.
Carissa Bethea and
Stewart Black
BPCC Debaters
Dwight Harrison was an
NFL player for 11 years
with the Broncos, Bills,
Colts and Raiders. According to gridirongreats.org, today he lives
in a FEMA trailer with
no running water. Harrison suffers from head injuries
and
post-concussion
syndrome, inability to concentrate/focus,
and
severe depression. Harrison’s story is not an
anomaly, and that’s why
we stand in support of
the NFL players in the
current labor dispute.
The refrain heard often
regarding the NFL play-
ers and owners’ dispute
is that this is about “millionaires vs. billionaires,” but like many
clichés, this is only half
right. According to a report by economists
Kevin M. Murphy and
Robert H. Topel, the average value of an NFL
franchise has increased
nearly $750 million since
1998 and now averages
over $1 billion, so indeed, ownership may be
associated with the “billionaires” part of the refrain, but the players
with the most at stake in
the current battle are far
from being “millionaires.”
At the heart of the current dispute is that the
owners want to decrease
the pool of funds to share
with players by $1 billion.
However, the
aforementioned financial
gains of owners are contrasted by examples like
Hall of Famer Herb
Adderly who draws a
pension of $126 a month,
or John Mackey and
Willie Wood who suffer
from Alzheimer’s and
dementia (Denver Post,
4/10/11). Instead of siphoning off more money
for the owners who are
earning an incredible rate
of return on their investment, it would be preferable to continue to
improve the retirement
system and medical care
for former NFL players.
Because of a limited
number of high profile
athletes, many inaccurately assume that NFL
players all receive mutimillion dollar contracts.
While many salaries are
indeed high, they are disproportionately
low
compared to other pro-
fessional athletes. For
starters, the 3/19/11 issue
of Pittsburgh TribuneReview noted that 10%
of NFL athletes earn
90% of the money paid
to players; furthermore,
the NFL’s average salary
for current athletes is the
lowest among the four
major American sports
and the minimum salary
is also the lowest. Meanwhile, NFL players have
the shortest average career among pro-athletes
(an average of 3.5 years)
and, as opposed to in
baseball, basketball and
hockey, most salaries are
not guaranteed. Couple
the lower rate of pay
with the fact that no sport
causes as many careerending injuries or as
great of a threat of injury
that can hinder and/or
shorten the lives of explayers. Over the past 6
years, 23% of all NFL
players have ended the
season on injured reserve.
Of course, the owners
need to be able to earn a
living. When considering the four major American sports, the 32 NFL
franchises rank among
the top 35 sports franchises in the world according to the Pittsburg
Tribune-Review article
(the only other teams on
the list are the NY Yankees, NY Mets and
Boston Red Sox). Furthermore, the NFL’s revenues far exceed MLB
($7 billion in 2010), the
NBA ($4 billion) and
NHL ($2.7 billion). The
owners are doing fine,
but there are plenty of
players who have been
left out of the economic
boom of the modern era.
This debate is not about
the player with a multi-million dollar contract who will
play for 10 or more years.
This debate is about the
owners of franchises that
have each increased in
value by three-quarters of a
billion dollars in a little over
a decade and the individuals
who may only briefly earn a
relatively minor salary before facing a lifetime of
hardship due to injury suffered while working to support a billionaire franchise
owner. Because we believe
that these players deserve to
have a basic standard of living and medical care provided by the employer that
reaped the benefits from
their risking of debilitating
disease and injury, we stand
firmly in support of the NFL
players.
May 2011
To Entertain
Page 4
Lincoln Lawyer: A Satisfying Film The Time of Your Life
Stephanie McFarlane
Kaleidoscope Staff
I am a Matthew McConaughey fanatic, and when I
found out that they were making a motion picture out
of one of my favorite books, The Lincoln Lawyer by
Michael Connelly, I was ecstatic, so of course I went
to see this film! The Lincoln Lawyer has complex
characters that contribute to the mysterious and dangerous plot with the only apparent weakness being
the failed romantic advances.
Matthew McCounaughey plays Mick Haller, a Los
Angeles criminal defense attorney who does business from the backseat of his
Lincoln town car. Haller has spent most of his career defending drug-dealers
and prostitutes until he adds Louis Roulet to his clientele. This is not your typical Matthew McCounaughey film where he is on a beach shirtless showing off
his incredible body. The role of Mickey Haller is much more deep than any
other role that he has ever played.
Ryan Phillippe stars as Louis Roulet, an extremely rich playboy who claims that
he has been wrongfully accused in the murder of a woman. He is very cocky
and arrogant, but he is extremely complex and mysterious. He says he is so innocent and the woman set him up because he is rich, but Haller comes to find
out that Roulet is not as innocent as he says he is.
Kathryn DeFatta Barattini Drama Correspondent
Contributing Writer
The Cavalier Players of Bossier Parish Community College scored a hit with their
production of William Saroyan's Pulitzer Prize winning play, The Time of Your Life.
Set in a saloon in San Francisco in 1939, the production treats the audience to a day in
the life of the many colorful characters who patronize the saloon. The cast of 25 was
led by Bradley Silman as "Joe," a philanthropic idler who helps those around him, Dalton Brooks as "Tom," Joe's errand boy, Chelsea Hockaday as "Kitty Duval," a kindhearted streetwalker, and Matt Carroll as "Nick," the owner and barkeep of the saloon.
The leads gave a solid performance and easily connected with the audience as they
gave life and depth to their characters. The supporting cast also gave strong performances, with special recognition going to Daniel Salazar's portrayal of "Harry," the
dancing comedian, and Blake Watson's brilliant performance of "Kit Carson," the
quirky old cowboy who stole the show. The set design by David White was authentic
and allowed for easy movement by the many actors who were on the stage, and Keith
Bruce's lighting was very effective in creating the atmosphere. Rona Leber's costuming gave a realism to the period of the show as well as a further glimpse into the players' characters, and Rose Clayton's props were delightful.
Marisa Tomei co-stars as Maggie McPherson, a prosecutor and Haller’s daughter’s mother. She and Haller have a kind of on and off romance, hooking up
only when they are drunk or lonely, but in the morning fighting over their jobs.
Maggie is a prosecutor and is committed to put away murderers and bad guys,
so she and Haller clash over him setting them free.
Director Ray Scott Crawford has once again produced a winning performance with
student actors whose enthusiasm and vigor more than compensated for any minor
stumbles that occurred. It was obvious that the actors thoroughly enjoyed themselves
as did the audience who laughed throughout the show.
The plot is solved a little more than halfway through the movie, but it is a mystery what kind of legal maneuver Mick is going to pull when he finds out that
the client he thought was innocent is indeed very guilty. Roulet threatens Haller
on several occasions, but Haller is unmoved. He is not intimidated by Roulet
because he is not the first client to ever threaten Haller. The movie takes a
twisted turn when Frank Levin, Haller’s private investigator is found dead in his
home.
BPCC student and audience member Jason Jones (Telecommunications major) summarized the performance by commenting, "The show is the beautiful, ugly truth of the
world we live in...just set in an earlier time." Such revelations are why the Cavalier
Players do what they do, so if you’ve ever entertained the idea of acting, rest assured
that no experience is necessary to audition for one of BPCC’s shows. Give it a try!
Miss BPCC 2011: In the Spotlight
There is an attempt to turn this drama into a romantic comedy, but it is not successful. There are a few scenes that attempt to rekindle the romance between
Haller and his daughter’s mother. These scenes are just awkward and should
have been left out of the movie. I think it confused more viewers than it grabbed
their attention.
The conclusion of the movie should leave viewers very satisfied that justice has
been served to the full extent of the law.
Overall, I was very impressed with this film and will be purchasing it on DVD
or at least renting it from Red Box.
Motocross Superstar Justin Bunn Cont’d from Page 2
Ms. BPCC, Ashley Tidwell and
Ms. Tiny Cavalier, Allie Loflin
jury to his ankle that ended up getting him 2 pins, 2 plates, and 8
screws.
In 2007, Justin was racing in the Intermediate and College boy class and
won the Texas Outlaw Amateur Nationals. After suffering from a few
minor injuries, Justin finally decided to move into the Amateur Pro Class
in 2009.
“I realized people were racing to pay bills rather than winning just another weekend trophy. This made racing more competitive than I imagined.”
Justin is currently recovering from another injury. He is still planning on
racing and being as competitive as possible. He just recently rode the
2011 AMA Monster Energy Supercross in Dallas. This summer he plans
on following the 2011 AMA Lucas Oil Outdoor National schedule, so
be on the lookout for Justin Bunn, number 331, on the SPEED Channel.
All Music Events are Free
All Events Occur in the
Performing Arts Theatre
Bldg C
For More Information Call
(318) 678-6021
Left to Right: Kim Ly, Ashley Tidwell, Sarah Bolton,
Chelsea Horton, Sarah Jones, and Shea Swinford
April
18
19
21
26
28
29
Guest Artist Series: ULM Wind Ensemble
Student Recital
Choir Concert
Theatre Voice Recital
Jazz Ensemble Concert
Concert Winds
2:30pm
3:30 pm
7:30 pm
3:30 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
May
2
3
Sophomore Solo Recital
Sophomore Solo Recital
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
Sightings of Bigfoot Reported!
Curious? Go to the Kaleidoscope Facebook page by searching Kaleidoscope and
BPCC, and find out!