Baker calls teaching rewarding experience

by Desarea Autry, staff writer

Teaching has always been a passion for Tom Baker, but getting to his dream job was not always easy.

After teaching at various schools, Baker is now instructor in mathematics at South Plains College’s Reese Center campus.  Baker was born and raised in Amarillo.  He says his mother was your typical 1960s housewife, while his father was  enlisted in the United States Air Force.

Good takes action for better life

by Laura Cain, co-entertainment editor

At 6-foot-6, with blonde hair and blue eyes, Alex Good is a hard person to forget. Not only do his physical features stand out, but his, poise, personality and most of all, his story, are what make him shine.

Good has attended South Plains College for two and a half years and is expected to graduate at the end of the spring semester. Then he will move on to Texas Tech University, where he will major in education, specifically history. His hopes are to be a high school history teacher.

Strong perseveres through life's obstacle

by Hylann Camacho, online editor

Maria Lopez-Strong is a great example of how determination, hard work, and support can prevail and turn a difficult past into an accomplished future.

Strong is originally a Lubbock native, but while she was growing up, she kept moving back and forth from California to Texas because her father found job opportunities there. In turn, it caused a lot of confusion and a feeling of hopelessness toward her schooling, so she dropped out in ninth grade. She said she never had a feeling of stability in her school life because she was uprooted so often and then taken back, having to assimilate once again.

Lowrance's trip to Serbia reinforces faith in God

by Isa Torres, staff writer

Experiences are the best way to learn about something.

To learn about culture, people and even God, experiencing those things can teach us so much more than just hearing about them.

Katelin Lowrance, a 19-year-old biology major at South Plains College, spent some of her Christmas break doing missionary work in the Eastern Europe country of Serbia.

McDonald's builds houses of hope

by Courtney Ortega, co-feature editor

One of the greatest and most precious gifts that life can give one is a healthy child. Yet life is always unpredictable.                                                                                                                        

Some find themselves robbed of this joyous experience, whether by the birth of a premature baby or a young child diagnosed with cancer. Some children are born healthy, but have to fight for their selves after a horrific car accident. Many families are left to seek the finest healthcare, leaving many with no other option than to travel well outside of the area of where they live.