Austin Community College’s 17-acre Sustainable Student Farm, located at ACC’s Elgin campus, is home to a herd of sheep, an orchard, a greenhouse, and a small plot dedicated to vegetable production.
It is also where you can often find Savannah Rugg, Department Chair of the Agricultural Sciences Department, who leads a small team that runs the farm.
Although trending in a positive direction, the farm has certainly faced challenges from this year’s weather. First was the winter storm. While the orchard remained intact, heavy snow and freezing temperatures brought by the storm resulted in a significant loss of plants in the farm’s greenhouse that were used for propagation.
“It did push the season back,” Rugg said, referring to the plot of vegetables on the farm. The late start after shifting planting from February to April means now-maturing plants are faced with current, intense temperatures, and thus less flower production.
“If we had more hands it probably would have been a relatively productive season because we have gotten a lot of rain,” Rugg said. “We haven’t had to irrigate too much like a couple summers ago when we were hardly getting any.”
The recent rain, however, has also had an affect on the farm. “With all the rain we are getting and the high heat days, the weeds are probably the biggest challenge for us right now.”
The entrance to Austin Community College’s Sustainable Student Farm located at the Elgin campus.Farm assistants moving plants in and out of the greenhouse for regular maintenance.Plants in their early stages avoid the harsh summer heats inside the cooler greenhouse.An Asian pear tree in the orchard.A close-up image of the pears growing in the orchard.Okra growing in the vegetable garden.A basket of freshly picked tomatoes.Senior Lab Assistant, Travis McPhaul, picking tomatoes in the garden.A farm assistant, Miranda Maldonado, working around the garden.Senior Lab Assistant, Travis McPhaul, moving between projects in the vegetable garden.
COVID-19 has changed the way we work, eat, play, and overall live. Reporter, Marissa Greene captures some images that you may have found to be familiar during these times.
Marissa Greene
As more people utilize face masks to protect themselves from COVID-19, the more we might see them in places other than the trash. Social media has started to urge that people dispose of their used face masks properly by cutting the ear rings before disposal.
A park in Pflugerville, TX has wrapped caution tape around swings, jungle gym, and more to prevent children spreading the virus from these commonly touched items.
Although we may feel that wearing gloves while grocery shopping, using the ATM, and touching other public-accessible items may be another preventative, the CDC on the other hand suggests that gloves are primarily necessary when cleaning or caring for someone who is sick.
When washing hands is not an accessible option, using hand sanitizer can be a temporary alternative when needing to disinfect hands in the moment.
Face masks and covering have evolved since March with improved ear loop functionality, patterns of fabric, and has even become an addition to ways people represent themselves.
Hand washing is necessary to keep yourself and others safe. The World Health Organization and the Center of Disease Control recommend washing your hands in warm water for at least 20 seconds.
Since March, Austin Community College students, professors and other staff have transformed the classroom and social community to an entirely virtual platform. Many students graduating Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 will be earning their degrees and certificates via their computer screens.
Have you ever seen a poster around an Austin Community College campus that catches your eye, but you walk right past it? No matter which campus you attend, each of the communication boards provide helpful resources, information about student organizations, and other ways to engage yourself within the community. For many, Hispanics and Mexican-American students at ACC, a single poster provided them a life-changing experience.
Right now, there are 130 thriving students that are participating in the ASCENDER program. According to Megan Diaz, the outreach specialist for the program, Ascender is, “A program for all 1st year ACC students, and it’s a transfer-mentor program which means that all students are paired with a mentor to give them guidance and support during their first year of college.”
The mentors involved in the program are community members from all walks of life. With a wide range of degree fields, these mentors are able to guide their students on the career path of their choice. Ascender comes from a student-made acronym of “Ascend”, meaning; Achieving, Student, Confidence, Encouraging New Dreams.
Alejandra Polcik, the supervisor of Hispanic outreach projects, said Ascender, “Encapsulates the concept of the program, where the focus is on the success of the students, especially disadvantaged students. The goal is to transfer them to a 4 year [University], and eventually return to Ascender as a mentor.”
Ascender not only provides assistance to Hispanic or first generation college student but anyone who finds themselves struggling academically. The program combines accelerated instruction in english, math, academic counseling, and writing assistance.
“All people are welcome to join Ascender as it is a very inclusive program, based on the principle of family, teamwork, and helping to care for each other. Ascender is very active at ACC, and also the Austin city community by taking part in events or creating their own special events.” says Diaz
In October 2019, Ascender participated in walking in the Viva La Vida parade in Downtown Austin. The Mexic-Arte Museum sponsored and created the 36th Annual Viva La Vida Parade & Festival this year. Otherwise known as the Día de los Muertos Parade, the event highlights the current Hispanic cultures in Austin, while using the day of the dead as a medium to celebrate Austin Hispanic heritage.
The event started first with a parade showing different aspects of Hispanic culture, like pre-Columbian to Austin-weird, then followed with a festival full of dancing, music, traditional food, and crafting marigold flower crowns.
If you or someone you know would like to get involved in Ascender, visit their website to see upcoming events and how you can get enrolled into the program.
Día de los Muertos Catrinas dance to music during the Viva La Vida parade in the Pre-Columbian section.
Viva la Vida staff members hold up a pre-Columbian inspired serpent during the parade.
Austin Spanish dance group dances and shouts (Baila y Grita) while wearing colorful and traditional costumes from the Pre-Columbian time period.
Colorful, traditional costumes inspired by a Pre-Columbian aesthetic.
Men from dance group playing drums while the dancers rhythmically move around them.
Austin Hispanic dance group wearing traditional ancient Central American costumes of gold and jewels.
Viva la Vida staff members hold up a ancient Central American inspired serpent during the parade.
Multiple Las Catrinas and Los Catrínes dance together during the Mexi-Arte section of the Viva La Vida parade.
La Catrinas and El Catrínes from a Austin Hispanic dance group showcase their superior traditional dancing skills.
The Ascender group follows behind RB in the truck as they show their ACC spirit to the crowd.
ASCEDNER student, mentors, teachers, and staff, show off their signs.
Ascender students smiling for the camera as they show off their Dia de Los Muertos Pride.
Family members of all ages of Ascender students join in on the parade and show support.
Hello Washington DC! The E-board members from ACC’s Student Government Association recently took a trip to Washington DC to attend the American Student Government Association conference. The conference was located in their hotel which included daily workshops on how to better their leadership, make connections, and more! After all the training they then got to explore many historical sites. Come along and see some photos of Washington DC!
Manthurs Oseni, Secretary (SGA), arrived at the Baltimore/Washington DC train station feeling empowered. The different atmosphere felt cold along with heavy winds from the passing trains. Manthurs says, “I felt like I was myself, waiting for the train we did a photo shoot just because we were so excited!” At the time of the shoot, the station was clear of people which gave SGA the chance to take photogenic shots.
Welcome to Washington DC! The next morning SGA takes a stroll to visit Texas congressman Doggett’s office. To dress the part, SGA wore their business outfits got to enjoy the beautiful sights like the capitol which was only a few blocks away from their hotel.
From left to right, Manthurs, Mohammed, Noble, Nikoo, Mical, and Precious attended a meeting with Texas Congressman’s staff member, Sarah Laven. She began a career in teaching then transitioned to working for the political offices. Ms. Laven answered some of SGA’s questions relating to the education system, financial aid, and international students. Mical, Vice- President (SGA), says,” It was good and informational, she was a kind person because she started as a teacher so she related to student’s viewpoints.”
Photoshoot at the capitol! On the way back to their hotel, SGA took the time to take some memorable shots in front of the capitol. President of SGA, Noble Udoh, felt empowered while standing where other politicians have stood. The area was filled with tourists, so the best angle to take photos was to look up to the capitol. Noble looks engaged, strong, and motivated! Just like a president, don’t ya think?
Time for some sightseeing! SGA got to enjoy a view of the Washington Monument and a fun fact, the monument was dedicated to the nation’s first president, George Washington. As the sunset, SGA members finally got to spend time outside of their professional setting. They all could say that Saturday was a start to a fun friendly group. After all like how SGA President Noble said, “Knowing, valuing, and spending time with your team is gold!”
Peaceful riot! On Saturday the 13th, the Kurdish community gathered in front of the White House. This was to demand US President Donald Trump to take action against the ongoing Turkish military operation in north-eastern Syria. These two men paint red on their faces and proudly hold their flag hoping for President Trump to help the Kurdish community.
A union of flags! A man wearing a traditional Kurdish outfit has put the Kurdish flag along with the USA flag together to symbolize their need for an ally to stop this war with Syria and the Turks.
Where history was made into stone! SGA got to visit the massive Lincoln Memorial. SGA got to walk the long path into the memorial and got to meet Lincon face to face… well, the stone version anyway. Nikoo, the Historian, says, “ I believe the long path to the memorial represented the hard and long work one much go through to finally get to their goal. As you see the view from the top you will see how far you’ve gone.”
Lincoln 24/7 view! Sitting at the top of the Lincoln memorial right where Martin Luther King Jr gave his ‘I have a dream..’ speech was a restful break from a long walk up. Nikoo says, “The energy in the air felt empowering and I spiritually felt in the presence of history.”
Goodbye DC! As SGA caught their flight back home to Austin, they had to say a quick goodbye and thank you for welcoming them with open arms. A goodbye message from Precious, the Parliamentarian, says, “There was so much more to explore in the capital. You do not get to see the enormous statues of MLK and Lincoln every day. However, I do get to see Austin every day. That means more opportunities to make a difference every single day. I left DC with dreams bigger than Texas!” SGA is now motivated more than ever to help their students better their college.
The heat has already started to peak, but to Anika Lockhart it doesn’t matter. Even as the sweat rolls down her face, she keeps riding, pushing herself, and her horse, onward. Lockhart has been riding horses since she was a child but she didn’t get back into it until 2013. “I’ve always loved horse since I can remember,” Lockhart said.
After picking up her old hobby, she began training for shows. Lockhart rides dressage, a type of horseback riding in which the rider makes the horse perform choreographed movements. Horse and rider have to be in tune with one another to be successful, but Lockhart believes that she and her horse, Bentley, have developed a special relationship. “You have to work in harmony with the horse,” Lockhart said. “You have to work with them and build up a relationship where they want to work and they actually enjoy it.”
Lockhart’s love for horses has not been dulled since childhood, and she plans to keep riding for as long as she can. “It’s a very relaxing but also challenging activity,” Lockhart said. “I love everything about it.”
Lockhart leaves the barn after several hours at AEC.
Lockhart strokes Bentley, She has owned him for three years.
Lockhart watches another rider work with her horse, Ronan.
Lockhart chides Frodo after he tries to snack on grass on the way from the pasture to the tack stalls.
Mary Mobley, right, gives riding advice to Lockhart, left. Lockhart often rides Mobley’s horses, Frodo and Star.
Lockhart picks up her horse’s hooves. Especially after rainy days, the horse’s hooves are muddy and need to be cleaned.
Lockhart gives Bentley a bath after their workout.
After a long ride, Lockhart takes off her sweaty helmet.
Lockhart, who rides dressage, works on her lead changes with Frodo in AEC’s indoor arena
Anika Lockhart, 36-years-old, warms up her horse, Bentley, before a ride at the Austin Equestrian Center.
It started as a garage project in 1997. The idea was to release fixed-up yellow bicycles around town for anyone who needed free and convenient transportation. Twenty-two years later, Austin’s Yellow Bike Project has evolved into a story of success that has earned the non-profit organization its iconic place in the city’s celebrated culture. The Yellow Bike Project is a 501c(3) non-profit organization with a simple yet ambitious mission: to get people on bikes in Austin.
Austin’s Yellow Bike Project volunteer, Dawn Horton, examines the tightness of bicycle wheel spokes by using a turning stand. May 2, 2019.
A customer and a volunteer coordinator, who double-duties as a shop clerk, inspect a restored bike one last time before taking it home. Austin, Texas. April 25, 2019.
A volunteer scrambles through an assortment of hardware and pieces, looking for a pair of matching handlebar mirrors. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019.
Volunteer, Stephen Piyor, struggles to find where to put a misplaced airhorn among the crates full of strayed bicycle accessories. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019.
Volunteer coordinator Rob Greenfield teaches volunteer Kalina Guerra, 8-years-old, how to use a wheel turning stand. Austin, Texas. April 25, 2019.
Enrique Mejarada works on his earn-a-bike, using a chain tool to attach links to fit correctly. Austin, Texas, May 2, 2019.
A customer of the Yellow Bike Project searches for a replacement for his wheels among repurposed rims. Austin, Texas. April 25, 2019.
New sprockets are added to a cogset by a coordinator who teaches a volunteer how to repair a freewheel cluster. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019.
Volunteer Garrett Man raises his hand to call for a coordinator’s assistance; Juan Padilla unseats a tire bead from its rim. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019
Volunteers, workshop attendants and coordinators work in their respective bike stands at the Yellow Bike Project during open workshop hours on a Thursday eventing. Austin, Texas. April 25 , 2019.
The Austin Trail of Lights is easily one of the most recognized holiday events in the Austin area. This makes 53 years of Zilker Park hosting Trail of Lights.
The Trail of Lights Foundation and Lyft will host the 4th Annual “Night Lights” Preview Party on Friday, Dec. 8. Ticket proceeds will support STARS at the Trail, a
Trail of Lights Foundation program that enables roughly 1600 children, families,
veterans and seniors to visit the trail who normally wouldn’t be able to.
“Night Lights” will take place at Zilker Park from 7-10 p.m. and will highlight live performances from Mother Falcon String Trio, Whiskey Shivers, and Austin’s favorite DJ, DJ Mel. This prestigious event will host tasty samples of food, beer and wine, exceptional holiday entertainment, a classic car show, a Maker’s Market curated by Edible Austin, and a chance to experience the Trail of Lights like never before. Joining in the festivities will be restaurants such as Mattie’s, Sway, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, La Pera, Chi’Lantro, Texas Honey Ham, H-E-B Café, Cabo Bob’s, Top Notch, and much more.
Starting Saturday, December 9th the Trail of Lights will open its doors to the public and will run through Saturday, Dec. 23rd. Each night at the trail will feature local performers and storytelling spreading cheer among the masses.
I have been a fan of Snow Tha Product’s music for about five years now, but oddly enough, I have never seen her perform in concert. So naturally, when the opportunity arose to review this show after the Sound On Sound Fest cancellation, I jumped on it. Snow, originally from San Jose, California, ended up moving to Texas in 2010. It was then she started to make a name for herself by performing here in Austin at South By Southwest.
This performance was originally scheduled to take place at Sound On Sound Festival but was rescheduled to take place at Empire Control Room.
Within the first few minutes of her hitting the stage, I realized that this is no ordinary hip-hop show, this was a full-fledged party! You could quickly call this a family celebration, since it was the last stop on Snow’s tour that her mom would be present.
Snow is not your average hip-hop artist. She could be pitted against the best of the best, and would utterly school them with her chopper styled flow. She transitions between spitting bars, melodic singing, and jumps between English and Spanish without missing a beat. Snow also does not not hold back when it comes to expressing her political views.
Snow kept the crowd turned up as she played a bunch of songs from her Good Nights & Bad Mornings 2 mixtape. She performed “Play,” “Lord Be With You,” “Cookie Cutter B*****s”, “Business Is,” “Hopeless,” “Waste of Time,” and even took to crowd surfing for the hype party track “Gettin’ It.”
Snow and her fans have a robust Chicano pride in common. Between songs, she takes time to connect with them personally.
I couldn’t close out this review without giving a shout out to the venue staff at Empire Control Room. The staff are always on point and accommodating. For a Sunday night and a first-time experience with Snow Tha Product, I had an absolute blast – even with a 10:30 PM curfew![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/wfISNlnN0bI”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Written and photos by Taylor Kokas
Despite this year’s sudden cancellation of Sound On Sound Fest, many artists were able to be rescheduled at various venues around town to perform for the live music capitol audience. The festival continued on in spirit, early that Saturday afternoon. Fans lined up on both corners of The Mohawk, awaiting performances from their favorite punk bands: Drug Church, Turnstile, and headliner The Story So Far.
Thirty minutes after the doors opened, Drug Church warmed up the crowd playing songs like “Banco Popular,” “But does it work?”and their newest single “Weed Pin”. After finishing up their short, 30 minute set, the crowd continued to grow. As casual fans played it safe and settled along the railing of the upper levels of the venue, dedicated fans and avid moshers made their way down to the front of the stage. For a good 45 minutes, Turnstile performed songs like “Drop” and “Fazed Out” inciting the crowd to throw down in the pit. Crowd surfers made their way to the stage hoping to be handed the mic from lead vocalist Brendan Yates (who occasionally tossed the mic out while he dancing around on stage). After their set, fans dispersed to grab a drink, buy some merch, or re-situate themselves for the final act.
The Story So Far kicked off their set playing two of their most popular songs, “Things I can’t change” and “Nerve” while also performing their newest single “Out of it.” It was a wild set, as some fans surfed their way up to the front, attempting to get a hug from lead vocalist Parker Cannon. At one point during a break between songs, Cannon was handed a switchblade, causing some shock amongst the band. Parker put it away safely in front of the drum kit and continued on with the show. Throughout the remainder of the night, fans jammed out to a setlist of the band’s greatest hits from their past three albums while also squeezing in a couple covers from Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. Fans left with a fun, memorable performance to reflect on as they exited the venue to go home and recover from their ringing eardrums.
Pick this review up in the Spring 2018 Life4U magazine on campus.
Pulling in headliners as Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Chance The Rapper and Gorrillaz, made for a variety of dance parties across the stages. If those artists just weren’t an attendees jam, silent disco was offered. Adding in a new stage this year (Barton Springs) and the festival merchandise store, it’s evident to see the growth of the festival.
We were able to take some photos of bands we were able to catch, from the multi-talented musician Tash Sultana to Austin’s The Black Angels. There is more to be found on aclfestival.com.
“Night Lights” will take place at Zilker Park from 7-10 p.m. and will highlight live performances from Mother Falcon String Trio, Whiskey Shivers, and Austin’s favorite DJ, DJ Mel. This prestigious event will host tasty samples of food, beer and wine, exceptional holiday entertainment, a classic car show, a Maker’s Market curated by Edible Austin, and a chance to experience the Trail of Lights like never before. Joining in the festivities will be restaurants such as Mattie’s, Sway, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, La Pera, Chi’Lantro, Texas Honey Ham, H-E-B Café, Cabo Bob’s, Top Notch, and much more. 
