Earth Day: Not yet forgotten

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas— A lifestyle change is not necessary to make a positive environmental impact, said English sophomore Jenna Ennis.

Ennis said she doesn’t think many people celebrate Earth Day as a holiday but believes people appreciate the planet in their own ways.

Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement and is often celebrated as a day to give back to the environment, according to earthday.org.

The only holiday dedicated to the single known planet that can sustain human life has occurred every April 22 since 1970.

The date of this holiday was chosen because it is a weekday falling between Spring Break and final exams, to maximize the greatest student participation. So how are students participating?

Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970.

Ennis said she celebrates the day by enjoying nature. She takes her dog to the park, reads outside, goes on a walk and will sometimes bring along a picnic.

“I love celebrating Earth Day pretty much every day,” Ennis said.

She remembers growing up in the suburbs with not much nature around, but her parents would often take her to a drive-through zoo, where she realized her love for the environment.

Ennis recently started a bucket list with her significant other to visit every national park in the United States. They plan to camp and hike in all 63 of them.

She also wants to participate in a coral-restoration project in Hawaii where she would learn about coral and get to plant a coral reef.

Ennis’ advice to those who want to celebrate Earth Day is to get off electronics and go outside.

She said donating to a beach clean-up or tree planting organization and finding ways to reduce plastic use are small tasks that can make a big difference.

Ennis said, “I think our planet is such a gift to us and we should not take it for granted.”

Public Health freshman Cassandra Davila said she celebrates Earth Day by doing things that contribute to the environment, like conserving energy or planting a plant.

She said she often tries to appreciate nature by going outside, taking a deep breath of air and soaking up the sun.

Davila said she celebrates the day to honor the planet while acknowledging the current environmental issues that are harming and endangering it.

She doesn’t know many people that celebrate Earth Day, and she believes this is because some see Earth Day as another day and nothing important.

“I feel like people are so comfortable in living the life they currently live and have come to terms with the fact that our earth is damaged,” Davila said.

She said many people are uneducated on the topic of the environment, and she wants everyone to realize that the planet needs help.

Earth Day should be used an opportunity for people to learn about the Earth and ways we can preserve it, Davila said.

“Change will not start without acknowledgement, something as special as Earth Day should be celebrated and not pushed aside,” she said.

One of the free trees given away on April 23, 2022 at Grand Prairie’s Earth Day celebration in EpicCentral.

Some cities and colleges hold events to celebrate Earth Day. This year, Grand Prairie held an Earth Day tree giveaway on April 23 in EpicCentral.

The free three-hour event consisted of nature education, crafts, face painting, animal encounters and tree giveaways.

Jody Cason, Grand Prairie Environmental Quality Manager, said there are many ways to “go green” in your community, at home, in your backyard, at work and on the road.

Some simple environment-friendly tasks include, participating in the city’s curbside recycling program, buy groceries from farmer’s markets, learn how to properly fertilize your lawn, print draft documents on scratch paper, carpool and use cruise control when driving.

UTA is incorporating more green spaces on campus to raise student productivity and decrease stress, but it also adds views of nature on campus.

Brazos Hall was torn down in 2018 and is now a green space, Brazos Park.

Lipscomb Hall is undergoing demolition and once it is gone, it will also be a green space.

Small actions by individuals, colleges and communities can make a difference, Davila said.

“It is one day of many to show appreciation towards our environment and the little things that makes our home, home,” she said.

Industrial development in Grand Prairie concerns resident

Commissioner Eric Hedin twisted open a bottle of Diet Coke as Vice-Chairperson Cheryl Smith opened the Grand Prairie Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on March 28.

The briefing session began at 5:32 p.m., and the four items on this meeting’s agenda were discussed and questioned.

The meeting concluded with all motions being passed with only a single opposing vote for Item 11.

Dana Woods, Grand Prairie Planning Department senior planner, presented relating Items 11 and 12.

Item 11, seemingly the most controversial of the meeting, proposed a concept plan for Shady Grove Industrial to develop on more than 101 acres between Rock Island Rd. and Shady Grove Rd.

Grand Prairie resident Anita Malone said, “I don’t think I can stop this, and I know [Shady Groves Industrial] have a lot of money invested in this. But could they just keep Shady Grove and leave me alone?”

Laughter arose from the group of commissioners after this statement, but Malone’s voice cracked as she said she worries about never seeing the sunset from her house again with buildings blocking her view.

“We are always concerned about the folks that are already here,” Smith said.

Commissioner Max Coleman said he worries about this plan prohibiting the development of family houses in the area.

“We have provided enough right-of-way for Shady Grove and Rock Island to be expanded in the future,” said Ryan Level, representative for the developers of Item 11.

Level said the company will plant trees and maintain the landscape to benefit the residents nearby as much as possible.

Smith told Level she was concerned for the homeowner near the development, and she wants her voice to be heard.

Level replied that the company’s design plan would not touch Malone’s land.

Coleman said he was concerned for Malone, but he believes the development would not directly affect her neighboring land.

Chairperson Shawn Connor initiated the vote for this motion, and all commissioners were in favor except Ana Coca

The item’s related motion, Item 12, was a zone change on Rock Island Rd. from Single Family One and Commercial zoning to Light Industrial on 12.13 acres. All commissioners voted to pass this motion.

Bed Races returns to UTA after three years

Laughter and conversation rang throughout Maverick Stadium Wednesday as teams and observers prepared for the annual Bed Races.

The tradition returned to UTA for the first time since 2019 due to COVID-19 precautions, said Drew Barfield, Campus Recreation assistant director.

The event typically has a theme for a costume contest, and this year’s was noticeably Candy Crush as students flooded the stadium in Fun Dip, gumdrop fairy and donut costumes.

The cold air did not deter students and other attendees from filling the stadium to witness the races.

An inflatable slide, inflatable rotating obstacle course, and cornhole filled half the football field, while the other side held the designated bed racing lanes.

Two teams return their beds to the start line after their race, and a group of UTA Wranglers walks by in striped overalls at Maverick Stadium on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

Students fell down the slide and jumped in the obstacle course before the races began.

When the races began at 7 p.m. attendees cheered on the sidelines and in the stands for their team.

One girl stood on the sidelines cheering and holding a sign that read, “Kevin’s #1 fan!”

A team of five pushes their bed to compete in the men’s division of Bed Races on the football field in Maverick Stadium on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

The races were held in subdivisions: women’s, men’s and co-ed.

As teams of five pushed their beds down part of the football field, cheers rang louder with each race becoming more competitive.

Nursing sophomore Myrna Briones competed in this year’s races as a captain of one of the three Orientation Leader teams.

Before the races began, Briones said she hopes her team does well and everyone has fun.

She said her team was influenced to participate in this year’s races by their supervisor, Kelly O’Keefe.

Briones said O’Keefe wanted them to continue the past tradition of Orientation Leaders participating in a group for Bed Races.

Bed Races has been a UTA tradition since 1980 and remains a popular event some students believe is important to continue.

Social work freshman Cassandra Davila attended Bed Races as an observer and said UTA’s lack of a football team and opportunities for school spirit is what makes Bed Race popular.

“This is one of the things that brings UTA students together,” Davila said.

Davila and Briones both said the event is important to UTA because it builds a sense of community or belonging for students and increases school spirit.

Inaugural 24-hour run raises an estimated $15,000 for inclusive playground

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas— Grand Prairie resident Jason Claybrook began a 24-hour run at 6 p.m. March 4 and stopped at 6:07 p.m. March 5 to raise money and awareness for PlayGrand Adventures, an expanding inclusive park at EpicCentral in the city.

The inaugural run, “Gigi’s Run”, was named after 17-year-old Abigail “Gigi” Wilson who was born with cerebral palsy and now uses a wheelchair to get around.

Abigail “Gigi” Wilson swings on the wheelchair-accessible swing in PlayGrand Adventures.

Claybrook mentioned the idea of doing a 24-hour run to Grand Prairie City Manager Steve Dye in November 2021. Dye then had the idea to make the event a fundraiser for PlayGrand Adventures.

PlayGrand Adventures is a playground that allows people of all abilities to experience social interaction, creativity and exercise. The park’s inclusive equipment includes wheelchair-accessible swings and sensory walls.

Claybrook is a friend of the Wilson family, and he wanted to dedicate the race to Gigi and other children with different ability levels who don’t get the opportunity to experience swing sets, merry-go-rounds or other common park attractions.

“Ultimately [the run is] to raise money, and it’s to help expand things, so Gigi can get out there and do the things that she really hadn’t been able to do,” Claybrook said.

Duane Strawn, the director of Grand Prairie’s Parks, Arts and Recreation Department, agreed the event would make a good fundraiser and began working with Claybrook to make the idea a reality.

Strawn said his department is working to make the run available to runners and teams to pay to participate in by 2023.

“Gigi’s Run” raised an estimated $15,000, and donations are still being accepted on playgrandadventures.com, Kelly Eddlemon, the Grand Prairie Parks, Arts and Recreation Department marketing supervisor, said.

Donations go to the PlayGrand Adventures Foundation to fund the expansion of the park.

The Grand Prairie Parks, Arts and Recreation Department’s map of the plan for PlayGrand Adventure.

Strawn said the park had opened in January 2020 but closed six weeks later due to COVID-19. It reopened in October 2021 and the department is continuing its expansion process.

The park is occupying 3 acres and consists of two play zones, but it will eventually have nine zones on 10 acres when completed.

“When you see all these people playing together, you can really tell why a project like this is so important and how much of a benefit it will be to the community as we can continue to build,” Eddlemon said.

The Past, Present, and Future of Aidan Conroy

Aidan Conroy became teary-eyed as he explained the impacts his grandfather and ex-girlfriend have had on his life.

His grandfather, who he called Papa, died when Conroy was 13 years old. The death rattled Conroy, and he wishes he had the opportunity to build a deeper bond with his grandfather.

His mother and grandmother described him and his brother as shadows of their grandfather. The boys were a lot like him.

Conroy wishes he was able to form a bond with his grandfather as a young adult. He almost envied his older brother and cousins for being able to form a more mature connection with their grandfather. 

“I was young so I didn’t really get a chance to connect with him as I would nowadays,” Conroy said.

However, he cherishes the time he did have with him. Conroy still carries his grandfather’s wallet.

His grandfather was an artist and Conroy has his art hanging in his room. Seeing his grandfather’s passion for art drove him to pursue his dream of sports journalism.

Conroy’s ex-girlfriend had a vastly different effect on his life.

When they met and began dating their freshmen year of high school, his ex-girlfriend caused him to develop insecurities and she did not treat him kindly.

The two later disconnected but eventually met again when they fell into the same friend group.

Conroy noticed his ex-girlfriend was much nicer this time around, and he eventually found himself viewing her as a role model.

“I strive to be like her, how she is nowadays at least,” Conroy said.

He referred to his ex-girlfriend as his slightly better equal as he explained how he looks up to her, but also tries to compete with and be better than her.

Conroy said, “Her passion and seeing how she is with things in her life, I try and apply that to a lot of things in my life.”

He said his ex-girlfriend introduced him to the game of bowling, which he now uses as a method of relaxation after difficult college assignments.

Conroy chose to become a journalism major to have a range of career options, mostly relating to sports journalism or analytics; however, he hates writing. 

“I don’t think I find myself being happy as just, like, a common journalist at a news organization,” Conroy said.

He copes with the endless writing assignments and journaling exercises his major requires by going to the lanes.

Conroy said after finishing a writing assignment he looks forward to treating himself to a trip to the bowling alley to unwind and relax.

Though other individuals have had an impact on his life, Conroy is working to focus more on himself.

Conroy said, “It’s finding that balance of being hospitable to people, but also you know, worrying and taking care of yourself. Once I find that I’ll be good and confident in whatever I do.”

Conroy is learning and growing from his past experiences. He is looking to the future and hoping for a plan to fall in place.

“Don’t get caught up in the past. When you hold onto the past, you don’t allow yourself to make change in yourself and to grow,” Conroy said.

Some of Conroy’s personal future goals include settling down with a partner in his late 20s, being proactive in obtaining his sports journalism career, and getting to know his parents on an adult level.

Conroy is a UTA journalism junior and only chose to attend UTA for financial reasons. His first choices were Texas Tech or Texas State.

However, he believes it was the right choice for him and thinks he would be overwhelmed at any other college.

“I don’t think I would go back and change anything,” Conroy said.

PBS’ American Portrait: My Life Right Now…

PBS American Portrait is a national storytelling project that asked people all over the country to submit their stories by responding to thought-provoking prompts, according to the PBS website.

American Portrait is an intriguing project. It allows everyone to come together, tell pieces of their stories and be heard. I encourage people to partake in it.

I chose to answer a prompt, whether it would lead to feelings of pride, sadness, tragedy, or success. However, browsing through the 25 prompts proved that choosing one to answer would be difficult.

The ones that stuck out most to me were “Now is the time…”, “My greatest challenge is…”, “I never expected…”, “My life right now…” and “What keeps me up at night is…”. The prompt I chose to answer is “My life right now…”.

This prompt resonated with me most because my life at the moment is much different than I ever anticipated.

I think young people don’t see themselves accomplishing anything substantial by the time they are 19 years old. I have learned that even small goals and achievements should be praised because they all lead to bigger milestones.

When I sat back and observed my life as an outsider, I realized how much I have grown in just a few years. I should be proud of what I have accomplished, and instead of expecting more from myself, I need to remember the small goals I have already reached.

Sharing a small piece of my current life and things I have accomplished on the internet is intimidating, but it is important for others to see how much can be achieved with determination.

My advice to any teenager would be to expect more from yourself after graduation, after you move out and into your 20s. Age should not determine what you accomplish or when you do it.

Below is my entry for the American Portrait prompt “My life right now…”.

“My life right now…”

Justin Dean, 19 year-old Baseball Coach, Shares a Pivotal Moment for Him

Feb. 2, 2022 – GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas

Justin Dean is a 19-year-old TAMUC student, P.E. Paraprofessional, coach, and baseball fanatic. Dean has played baseball nearly his entire life and has a strong passion for the sport. He began high school at Palmer High School and played on the junior varsity baseball team; however, Dean wanted more out of his high school experience than what Palmer had to offer. He eventually enrolled at Avalon High School and greatly benefited from this new experience. When his high school athletic career was cut short due to COVID-19, like many other 2020 seniors, Dean looked to higher education to continue his baseball playing. However, after a few months working with the DBU baseball team, he was offered a chance to coach his own team. He began his coaching career in March 2021 as the head coach of a select baseball team, and he transferred from DBU to TAMUC. He now coaches two teams for the TBT Texas Baseball program. Plus, he is back in Palmer ISD as the elementary P.E. Paraprofessional.

Justin Dean talks about the most pivotal moment in his life that shaped who he is today.

Climate Change in Recent Years Threatens Texas

THE WEATHER CHANGE

Extreme weather changes in Texas in recent years are threatening the state’s residents with more signs of climate change in the future, according to WFAA reporters David Schechter and Chance Horner.

         Multiple signs of climate change occurred in 2017, including record temperatures. The National Weather Service website shows in November 2017 extreme temperatures were reached. Examples of the record heat index for 2017 include 94 degrees on November 2, 90 degrees on November 4, and 94 degrees on November 5.

         Texas Observer writer Naveena Sadasivam reported examples of extreme weather events in 2017 that could be linked to climate change. These include softball-sized hail, an increase in wildfires, and the Category 4 hurricane known as Hurricane Harvey. According to the Texas Observer, Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast and stalled for several days over Houston, then dumped about 60 inches of rain.

         “The amount of rainfall produced by any given storm is increasing because of climate change,” said Sadasivam.

Credit: Courtesy/National Centers For Environmental Information

RECENT SIGNS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

         A more recent example of climate change in Texas was the winter storm that occurred in February 2021, which proved Texas is not prepared for these extreme changes in weather. Power outages and deaths across the state demonstrated Texans’ lack of understanding of climate change. Gov. Greg Abbott has created no policy on the risks of these extreme weather conditions or how to reduce them, according to Schechter and Horner.

         Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon is a climatologist and a professor at Texas A&M University’s department of atmospheric sciences who has been researching the risks of climate change for years. He has warned policymakers about the harmful effects of climate change and his research shows Texas will endure more extreme weather conditions in the future.

         “It’s all tied together. Everybody has to worry about everything,” said Nielsen-Gammon.

Nielson-Gammon’s statement refers to the price everyone must pay if climate change continues to cause these weather crises.

STEPS TO PREVENT CLIMATE CHANGE

No Texas agencies or departments have created any policies on climate change yet. The state is threatened with droughts and more extreme weather in the future, according to WFAA News. Residents of the state should take part in climate control prevention to lessen these extreme weather changes.

         A few ways to prevent climate change according to AIDA, a regional organization of environmental legal experts, include supporting small agricultural producers, combating short-lived pollutants, and promoting green energy.

Sources Used: Normals, Means, and Extremes

2017 Was Texas’ Second-Warmest Year on Record

Texas and Climate Change