TCC The Collegian October 12, 2022

Student's opinions about voting system

Some TCC students are not confident in the voting system right before midterms.

With early voting starting in Texas on Oct. 24, students are dis cussing the way votes are submit ted and how it will affect this year’s election.

Due to the scrutiny the voting process has faced in recent years, especially following the 2020 presi dential election due to misinforma tion spread about mail-in votes, some students have expressed con cerns about the upcoming midterm cycle.

SE student Matthew Jewell said he’s been discussing the election with his peers and the main thing they’ve noticed is the influx of new voters who are ready to participate in this voting cycle, but may not have done the research about the candi dates.

“It scares you because many citizens are coming to the polls unin formed,” he said.

Jewell said that the voting pro cess should change so it is less re strictive as a whole.

“I understand online voting is not used due to security reasons, but we have so many who are unable to vote because of a myriad of rea sons,” Jewell said. “The voter sup pression in states like Texas are very restrictive and cause us to not vote.”

Jewell said his main distrust is because of how long the registration process takes to be able to vote, and how the importance of the different elections has shifted. He said that while the presidential and midterm elections garner more attention, the local ones will have more of an im pact.

“The smaller county elections are more for our citizens to work and have their voices heard,” Jewell said.

NE student Joseph Broadway

says that while the voting system isn’t perfect, it is fine as it is for now and what really matters is the elec tion itself and its impact.

“Since 2016, influencers, mon ey-makers, and power seekers have been driven to take command of our democracy in both parties and suck all that makes this nation great dry. Every election is important, but this will decide the fate of our democ racy’” he said.

SE student Sev Lohse is wor ried about how difficult it has gotten to go to the voting booth.

“It’s gotten unreasonably hard,” he said. “With all the barriers im posed last election, if you can’t take a day off work or school for this, you just don’t get to vote.”

Lohse also said that he is ques tioning whether the voting has any importance in the first place. He said that he sees voting as more of a data collection system for politicians to analyze rather than a way to figure out how they’re supposed to act for the public.

“I think it does give elected of ficials an idea of what the general

South program’s podcast

TRIO vibez says ‘tune in’

DOMINGUEZ campus editor

Every Thursday four TRIO students meet in the TRIO lab to record a podcast about what it means to be a modern student at TCC. This podcast is called TRIO vibez.

The TRIO program at South Campus was established 25 years ago through a federally-funded grant. The program serves firstgeneration college students from income-eligible families and stu dents with disabilities.

“We are a one-stop shop,” South Campus TRIO student sup port services coordinator Eliana Thomas said.

We want students who are listening to think ‘I wanna do what they did.’

Johnny Sifuentes

student

She connects students with anything they might need includ ing career counseling, mentoring, tutoring and financial literacy.

“The goal of the program is to help students be successful through advising, academic tutoring and

cultural enrichment,” says South Campus TRIO programs director Trichele Davenport.

She said she doesn’t just want to help students academically but wants to build leaders that can con nect with the community.

“I wanted to give the students a voice,” Davenport said.

She sent out a QR code to in vite TRIO students to sign up and the podcast was born.

South students Ana Ledezma, Johnny Sifuentes, Lera McDaniel and Lo Dominguez are the students who currently host the TRIO vibez podcast. This was a new venture

all of them.

“The only experience I had with podcasts was just listen ing to them endlessly,” Dominguez said She said the whole experience was new to her so she had to learn on her feet.

“I learned that I actually love public speaking a lot more than I thought I did. I found differ ent strength in myself figuring that out,” Dominguez said.

“I used to be nervous, one of my personal goals was to be able to talk to anyone about anything,”

populace wants, but it also gives them the chance to completely ignore that and do whatever they want,” Lohse said.

Lohse said that since the poli ticians aren’t made to enforce the wants of the community there isn’t much use in it other than the data, but he thinks that voters should have a more direct impact.

“In an ideal world, it’d change just about everything,” he said.

“We’d be able to actually propose issues instead of just voting on a bunch of watered-down pre-made

ideas. But in reality, I think they know how to swing whatever vote they get in their favor.”

Despite all of this, Lohse still encourages those who are able to vote to go participate in the mid terms.

“There aren’t any perfect op tions, and voting for the lesser evil does hurt, I know, but expressing our preferences on the local level is how we move upward, as slow as it’s going to be,” he said. “Nobody will blame you if you physically can’t vote, but please do try your best.”

XAVIER BOATNER campus editor xavier.boatner@my.tccd.edu

NE Campus celebrated LGBTQ history by talking about representation in media and school.

NE associate History pro fessor Karen Wisely and her friend IT operative and LGBTQ event Carla Goodrum hosted an LGBTQ history month event on Oct. 5 where they shared expe riences as allies and discussed LGBTQ representation.

Wisely said this was the first time she had done something like this in-person on campus and hoped students would be able to walk away from the event inter ested in LGBTQ history and un

derstand how far the community has come over the years.

“I had them virtually be cause I started work here in 2019,” Wisely said. “My first year I didn’t do anything. I was just trying to find where every thing was. My second year was 2020—we did it virtually. We’ve been doing virtual events all along and last fall we did a Na tional Coming Out Day. It was an LGBTQ history event that was virtual and this year we wanted to, you know, bring it to cam pus.”

Media

Bisade

The discussion began after watching “The Puppy Episode” from the 1994 sitcom “Ellen” starring Ellen DeGeneres. This episode was significant because

Campus event shows LGBTQ history

Joel Solis/The Collegian

SE student Jerrick Edwards at the SE voter’s registration booth on Oct. 3, it was part of the Voter Education Week held on SE.

Ariel Desantiago/The Collegian

Joel Solis/The Collegian

TRIO vibez hosts Lo Dominguez, Ana Ledezma and Johnny Sifuentes stands in front of the TRIO sign at the South campus.

NE students Maseo Daniels, Melissa Brown and Adam Abdulla watch “The Puppy” episode Ellen show aired in 1997.

South Campus event discusses LGBTQ identity

is when an individual chooses to not go by their birth name anymore, either because they are transgender or non-binary.

The Prism Student Organization on South campus hosted an event Oct. 5 to discuss LGBTQ Identity and terminology.

One goal of Prism is to educate on sexual orientation and gender identity factors. The event was held as an informational session with different aspects of LGBTQ vocabulary being explained.

There were 18 different LGBTQIA+ identities discussed at the event including pan sexual, nonbinary, aroace or agender.

South campus counseling director An drew Hill is the advisor over the Prism club. He wants to help students better understand LGBTQIA+ terminology.

“Culturally or socially people decide what gender means,” he said.

He says awareness could help those un certain about their gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation.

“I didn’t know that intersex was also part of this,” South Campus student Savannah Lewis said.

She said she learned what the ‘I’ in LG BTQIA+ stands for in the acronym.

Common terms used within the LGBTQ community were also discussed at length. These terms make clear how being closeted, misgendered or having a deadname could af fect an individual.

“Each person’s experience is theirs and theirs alone,” Austin Marin, a South campus student who is part of Prism said.

He explained this is why it is important to respect how someone identifies themselves.

“A person’s expression does not always have anything to do with their gender identity,” Hill said.

The topic of gender expression was also discussed amongst the group.

“A person’s clothing might have nothing to do with their gender identity,” Hill said.

Hill also delved into the history of pro nouns and why they have evolved through time.

“Pronouns used to be neutral,” Hill said.

He also said that western society grew to want things to be more traditional when it came to gender roles, they started using binary pronouns.

Marin explained the concept of misgen dering or not using a person’s preferred pro noun and how that can add to gender dyspho ria.

Deadnames were also spoken about. This

Hill took questions from the audience about how to navigate certain situations con cerning respect not being given to individuals chosen identity. Students were able to share stories from their own lives or ask for advice.

“Something that I really appreciated was just the safe space that was created here. People were able to open up and share their experiences,” SE Campus student Connor Qui nonez said.

He said it was very important that people could talk about their concerns or feelings so they could better themselves.

“There are a plethora of resources out there,” Marin said.

Marin continued that if people wanted to know more about gender identity and sexual orientation they can get the help they need. He suggested Equality Texas or LGBTQ Saves.

Hill said elected officials have the power to influence the lives of LGBTQ students. He reminded the students to get registered to vote and get involved so they could improve policy that could have an effect on the LGBTQ com munity.

“School board positions as well as other influential offices here are voted positions,” Hill said.

Hill also said LGBTQ people are in con trol of what terms are used to describe their sexual identity and orientation. He added that there would always be continued change in LGBTQ identity.

“The conversation was not a beginning or an end, but an ongoing conversation,” he said.

LGBT (continued from page 1) it was the episode where Ellen came out as a lesbian. The episode served as a catalyst for a much broader examination and discussion of LGBTQ representation as a whole.

“What I’m tired of seeing in media is that every time there’s an LGBTQ character, it has to be some big coming out moment, or they have to hide who they are,” said Wisely. “If we’re trying to normalize LGBTQ people in society then let it be normal.”

NE student Melissa Brown feels queer representation in media is still not where it could be and that there’s still room for it to grow.

“It’s still so inaccessible within the media to imagine yourself represented like that,” Brown said. “There’s still a lot of work to do regarding it being common enough that people can’t imagine it…not even people who are queer.”

Goodman talked about representation in the media and explained why it’s important to her.

“I really care about this,“ Goodrum said. “I’m not in film or anything but this matters to me. I care about representation on screen and it just doesn’t exist for us.”

Later during the event, Wisely answered a question regarding the state of representa tion in college and whether or not students should know about the LGBTQ community and its history.

“If you are in college, I think it’s our responsibility to teach you everything that’s out there,” Wisely said. “I think at the college level we should all be aware of it and should teach it. Because in college, this is a decision, it’s a decision everyone makes.”

At the end of the event, the hosts gave some closing thoughts and responded to a question regarding advice for LGBTQ youth.

“Be extra queer,” Goodrum said. “Be even more queer than you were the day be fore and every single day going forward.”

After Goodrum, Wisely bounced back and shared similar opinions. She gave some words to attendees and LGBTQ youth right as the event wrapped up.

“Find someone who likes you for who you are,” Wisely said. “I mean that goes for whether you’re LGBTQ or straight or any thing. Just be who you are and people will either like you or not, and the ones who like you, those are your people.”

Ledezma said. TRIO vibez had their first ever interview with South Campus president Daniel Lufkin.

“That was really nerve-wracking but if I could do that, I can do anything,” Ledezma said.

“It was hard, even though we’re not speaking to a live audience it was hard to re cord in the beginning,” Sifuentes said.

He said he has been hooked ever since. He said he likes being in control of what they get out of each episode, and he does that by editing.

McDaniel said that TRIOvibez has given her an outlet to express herself.

“Doing the podcast has gotten me out of my shell,” she said. “I am usually reserved and stay to myself.”

“The podcast was born so students could share what matters to them,” Daven port said.

She says she is proud that the TRIO vibez hosts have taken this project into their own hands.

“Being part of the podcast is being able to express thoughts and feelings,” McDan iels said.

McDaniels said her favorite part is com ing up with topics that don’t usually come up in normal conversations.

“I think at the end of the day any type of broadcasting or public speaking is a way for people to reach out to one another,” Dominguez said.

She wants to be able to relate to any TRIO vibez listeners.

“I hope they feel like they have a friend or someone who understands. If they laugh at the same time then we’re winning as a group,” Dominguez said.

He said TRIO vibez wants to show peo ple that being a student in 2022 doesn’t have to be defined as one thing.

“Most of the students on campus have stress,” Sifuentes said. “For students that have more than school stress this can affect their mental health.”

Sifuentes said it is important to high light this because it is a common struggle among students.

Ledezma said that even though the TRIO vibez podcast had humble beginnings, it has grown so much already.

“We first started with a little mic from Walmart, now we have a real one,” Ledezma said. “It was a big mess, since then the mood has changed. We’re an actual podcast, not just people talking around a table.”

They hope to bring in more listeners to the podcast in the future.

“My goals would be to expand our pod cast even more for others to listen,” Mc Daniel said. “To be able to have our podcast reach different platforms would be cool.”

Davenport stresses that it has truly been a team effort on the part of South campus

TRIO Vibez streams on radioactive. tccd edu at noon and 5 p m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Sifuentes said one of the goals TRIO vibez has is to pass down the torch when they leave TCC.

We want students who are listening to think ‘I wanna do what they did and keep this thing going,” she said.

Ariel Desantiago/The Collegian South students Jennifer Garrido and Kanzas Davis listen to a presentation at the LGBTQIA Identity 101 event at the South Campus.

Joel Solis/The Collegian

TRIO administration. The advisors over the podcast are Thomas and South education partnerships coordinators Toia Phillips, De shun Jackson and Professor Natalie Johnson.

Associate History professor Karen Wisely discusses Ellens “Puppy” episode that aired in 1997 at the NE LGBTQ history event.

Illustrations by Markus Meneses

“Despierta, mi bien, Despierta!”

TR gets creative by learning about and decorating piñatas

selection of Hispanic authors and books to browse through, one of them being a book about a song.

Students lined up at TR Campus to check in for a piñata decorating event, a great way to kick off Oct. as a creative event full of eager students and staff. Tables of colorful piñata bases of orange, black, white and purple paired with vibrant tissue paper were supplied.

The piñata event was held at TR Campus’ Idea Store on Oct. 5. Tables were filled with people, and a few staff members helped guide through the craft process.

Among them was TR public services librarian Jennifer Orona, who was excited to help share the history of piñatas with the attendees.

“I think it’s important that you have events that celebrate culture and contribution, particularly that goes back and reflects on the history,” she said.

Additionally, she brought a wide

“‘La piñata,’ it is a children’s book and it gives the history of–there’s a song that you sing during birthday celebrations while you’re hitting the piñata–so it goes through and it sings the song and tells you a little bit about that song,” she said.

Orona recalls a time where she had an experience with the song mentioned in “La piñata” with a friend and her family.

“It’s like everybody would just get into singing the song and just express such joy, it’s fun just to be a part of that.” she said.

The presentation itself contained information that explained the history of the piñata and the fact that it was originally colorful clay jars that represented temptation. Many of these star-shaped piñatas contained seven points, representing the seven deadly sins. Breaking into the piñata and receiving the treats inside were meant to resemble resistance to temptation.

Guest speaker TR student Monica Hopkins led the presentation. With experience in piñata making, she expresses the joys of creating the piñata.

“I like to recycle. Material is very cheap, very accessible, and it’s very relaxing. It gets you into a routine, it relaxes you, the colors help to distract you and think more positively,” she said.

Hopkins also said why piñata decorating was important and what the participants should take away.

“I want people to have that continuity of this tradition, to know that they can do it and then continue to do it and pass it on to others,” she said.

TR Humanities instructor Lucia Ramiera-Amarasekara was one of the staff members who had the idea to hold the event. She explained the importance of the attendees coming in and participating in the tradition of piñatas.

“Getting people into making the piñatas and informing of one of the most common items that we have here

and understanding the history and the cultural significance of the piñata,” she said. “It’s not just the piñata, it’s a lot of symbolism behind it.”

TR coordinator of student activities Carly Johnston also came and helped run the event. She pointed out the helpfulness of allowing creativity to flow through decorating piñatas.

“You know, we always think of piñatas in one context, like ‘oh it’s the candy box at a party.’ But it’s kind of fun to hear about a little more of the cultural significance, the background and origin, and then be engaged in the hands on–the creation experience–not the destruction experience,” she said.

TR Spanish instructor Daniel Hopkins, who also helped put together the event, was happy to see all the people who came and decorated.

“I hope they get a better appreciation and understanding, not only of Hispanic culture but just ways to be creative and use that creative output because that’s such a necessary need today,” he said.

Photos by Joel Solis/The Collegian TR students Adrana Castro and Priscilla Garcia decorate their piñatas with skulls and tissue paper to make flowers at the TR Idea Store.

TR student Kate Munoz decorates her piñata at the TR Piñata decorating event.

“Hocus Pocus 2” is a wicked funny sequel

some lousy stuff is thrown in. There’s still the occasional cliche line, eye-roll-inducing gag and fart joke which reminds you that you’re watching a modern-day Disney film.

The year is 2022 and you learn Disney is bringing back “Hocus Pocus.” You get excited and celebrate by breaking in your “Lightning McQueen” Crocs and taking a long sip from your “Buzz Lightyear” mug.

Sound familiar? Sure it does! Between “Pinnochio,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers,” “Lightyear,” “Dis enchanted,” “Avatar 2” and now “Hocus Pocus 2,” Disney has been churning out revivals at an alarming rate.

Alas, in order to keep the money-hungry Disney corporation at bay, one brave consumer must be willing to make a financial sacrifice during these trying times.

So “Hocus Pocus 2,” what’s the deal? Well, the movie follows teenage friends Becca, Izzy and Cassie on their adventure to stop wicked 17th-century witches known as the Sanderson sisters after unknowingly resurrect ing them.

It’s a simple but fun premise to work with. So fun, as a matter of fact, that it’s nearidentical to the original. Perhaps this is one of those, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” kinds of things.

Let’s kick things off with the positives and then work our way down to the more negative aspects.

Positives? The Sandersons. They steal the show every time they’re on-screen, and they bounce off each other remarkably well.

Winifred, played by Bette Midler, Sarah, played by Sarah Jessica Parker and Mary, played by Kathy Najimy are having a blast and you can tell they know these characters like the back of their hands.

Another highlight was Tony Hale’s per formance as mayor. Mainly because he was being Tony Hale, and as an “Arrested Devel opment” fan, more Tony Hale is only ever a good thing.

To touch on the more technical side of things, the set design is surprisingly well done. The score is nice and fits the tone of the film, and the camera work is fine enough for what it is.

Now let’s shift gears a bit and talk about the negatives. Thankfully, the movie doesn’t have much in the way of major negatives and the bits that aren’t as good don’t get in the way of the fun too much.

The writing is solid most of the time, but

The Sandersons’ electric performance is a blessing and a curse since it makes it obvious when someone isn’t pulling their weight the same way the sisters are.

This mainly comes from the protagonists of the film. Becca, played by Whitney Peak, Izzy, played by Belissa Escobedo and Cassie, played by Lilia Buckingham, left a lot to be desired in their performances and characteriza tion during the film.

None of the girls are characterized par ticularly well, and their development hinges on the friendship they formed off-screen before the events of the film. Certain things happen in the story and seeing their reaction to said things would make you question whether it was a false take.

Becca gets the worst of it since we’re ex pected to feel something when she’s on-screen given she’s the main character, but she doesn’t have much to offer to the audience. To be fair it doesn’t seem like Peak had much to work with, but a bit more charisma from her in par ticular would’ve gone a long way.

Izzy is there, but she just kind of fades into background noise and doesn’t do much of note. Her character was quite inconsequential but she brought more to her role than Peak. She delivered her lines with a bit more energy, which is greatly appreciated.

Cassie is a weird case since she’s techni cally a main character but she doesn’t have much screen time or really anything to do. There’s an implied history between her and the other two girls, but it isn’t really explored.

She shows up in the beginning as if to set herself up to play a bigger role alongside Becca and Izzy, but she stays out of the picture for the most of it. She comes back later on in the last 10-20 minutes but doesn’t add much to the disjointed friend group that is Becca and Izzy. A bit of a wasted character to be honest.

Granted these aren’t major deal breakers. In a serious movie having flat main characters is a death sentence for the film’s plot, but in a movie as goofy as this, it’s a minor gripe.

With that being said, “Hocus Pocus 2” is a fun movie that can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of “Hocus Pocus.” It’s a silly romp through Salem that will leave you with a smile and cravings for a candy apple.

‘Do Revenge’: a cinematic masterpiece

OLLA MOKHTAR campus editor olla.mokhtar@my.tccd.edu

Starring actors Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke, “Do Revenge” is a two-hour film that combines the two successful actors into one masterpiece.

The movie explored the bond between two teenagers by the names of Drea, played by Mendes, and Eleanor, played by Hawke. The two of them meet at a tennis camp where Drea helps coach and Eleanor is learning about the sport. After Drea’s car breaks down, Eleanor suggests that she give her a ride and they kick off their friendship.

Mendes’ character was beautifully exe cuted, but she has played this kind of role for years and it is scary to think that she might be typecast.

Her character Veronica Lodge is like Drea in that she is popular, well known, and feared because of her popularity. However Lodge is rich while Drea is not as her mother is a nurse that works night shifts and is not seen in the movie at all.

She has played Veronica Lodge from Riverdale since 2017 and has been featured in other movies as well. However, she’s most famous for Riverdale. She’s a great actor, when will we get to see her in other genres more?

As for Hawke, she played a different role than usual and also performed flawless ly. Both of her parents are famous actors and I’m sure they have many connections and networks at her need so it works out for her even if she gets typecasted, which doesn’t seem to be happening.

She has mentioned before that she is aware of her privilege and nepotism at play, however it is not a reflection of her acting, again, she performed very well and she tran sitioned well from her character in “Stranger Things.”

The movie starts with Drea, a 17-yearold soon-to-be senior who is celebrating her birthday hosted and paid for by her rich friend Tara. She then goes through many hardships that lead to her stumbling down to the bottom of the high school food chain where she meets Eleanor.

Eleanor is introduced as a transfer stu dent. She is sent by her parents during the summer to attend RoseHill Country Day High School and to go to tennis camp where she meets Drea. She also has an enemy, Ca rissa, who told everybody that she was a les bian when Drea thought that she could trust her.

Both Drea and Eleanor bond over their situations.

On the first day of senior year, after having altercations and confrontations with people who have wronged them, they meet in the bathroom that later becomes “their spot.” After a few moments, they decide to get revenge for each other, claiming it would be the perfect plan since neither friend groups run into each other.

Mendes and Hawkes’ acting in this movie was outstanding, especially with the way their characters aligned but there could have been more done with the story.

For instance, they could have had more bonding moments before they dived into the revenge part of the movie.

The movie was only two hours with a lot happening, but I think Drea and Eleanor could’ve had more time exploring their bond in the movie. They had the same goal, but their friendship should have been nurtured better to create more chemistry thus giving us a better movie.

The plot and drama of the movie were unusually unique. I expected a reincarnated version of “Mean Girls” but it delightfully exceeded my expectations.

With the popular clique aspect evident, it seemed to be redundant. But the revenge aspect, teaming up with the new transfer stu dent and becoming friends with said student is new.

With many plot-twists, stories and per sonalities, it succeeded in creating Genera tion Z characters, something many films now fail to do. It also captured the essence of adolescence and how vulnerable and tiring school and thinking about the future can be.

Almost instantly, the outfits throughout the entire movie caught my eye and had me what my generation calls “shook.”

Most of the time school outfits in other movies are very bland with the typical red, white and blue color scheme with their blaz ers, pants and skirts. But, this movie’s de signer did something different.

The school uniforms are the literal man ifestation of what I would want to wear ev eryday. They were pastel green and purple, and the aesthetic matched that of the students who attended there – rich and pretty.

The movie’s costume designer Alana Morshead beautifully executed her vision, and shined over all of the movie and series wardrobes in my opinion.

The best one would have to be Drea’s outfit when Eleanor gave her a ride. The hot pink top and vintage accessories were beautiful, it gave a 1960’s inspired look that subtly etched on Generation Z’s style choic es. Many of us like to dress up in vintage clothing and the designer did a wonderful job incorporating that aspect.

With many shows and movies, I feel like directors try to include Generation Z humor and sayings but they fail hideously. TikTok trending sounds and mannerisms are too integrated and it lacks the feel of what we actually act like.

When people hear TikTok trends or see them in today’s media it seems out of place. This is because many people look to movies and series as an escape from reality. When directors put popular trends in film, they seem like the relative that is constantly trying to adhere to the younger generation. It gets very awkward.

“Do Revenge” avoided that by plotting only some characteristics that were not too flashy, and all directors should follow in the director Jennifer Robinson’s footsteps.

Despite being a chick-flick, it wasn’t ge neric or tacky. This movie is definitely worth a re-watch. The good aspects of the movie outweigh the bad. It was a movie that related to what it means to be a struggling teen in today’s age. The director made it look, as Gretchen Wieners from “Mean Girls” put it, “fetch.”

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Eleanor, played by Maya Hawkes, after she is transformed to look like the popular girls to seek revenge for Drea, her new bestfriend.

Media’s idolism of murderers worrying

The consistent media attention given to murderers and their crimes is harmful in many ways.

With the release of Netflix’s “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” the ethics of true crime stories, specifically those centered on horrific murders, has once more been called into question.

The show was released within a wave of controversy due to some of the victim’s families speaking out about the series. Specifically Rita Isbell, sister of one of Dahmer’s victims Errol Lindsey. According to an interview with Insider, Netflix did not contact Isbell about the show, yet still used an emotionally vulnerable moment recreation of her victim statement for their own benefit.

Another reason why this sparked outrage online was that Netflix initially labeled the show as LGBTQ in their categories. The show depicts young men of color being stalked and killed by a horrible man, yet it was labeled as LGBTQ content.

Netflix has since removed the label, but all of these factors lead back to the discussion of whether or not the genre of true crime has gone too far.

It seems that the obsession with these sorts of gruesome stories has reached worrying levels, even with the case of Gabby Petito’s death in August, 2021. With the oversaturation of the murder media market, it’s as if we’re desensitized to the fact that people were brutally murdered.

These are actual people whose families are now having to relive the trauma of having their loved one taken from them because it’s what’s

popular right now. What is worse is that there are some people who, due to the sympathetic way the murderers are portrayed, have revived the “fan clubs” they had.

These cases should be a oneand-done discussion to inform the public, as long as it’s with the victim’s

family’s permission. But instead, the murderer is the headliner and the details of the victims are washed away in a wave of fan girl posts about how hot Zac Efron looked as Ted Bundy.

The constant retelling and making of documentaries about these

Burnout from overworking sadly becoming too familiar

Depending on the person, the societal standards and personal standards can become intertwined creating a mess of expectations without consideration for how those goals can affect their mental and physical health.

So much of our outlook as a society revolves around this need to be “resilient.”

It’s as if we’re just expected to consistently bounce back from any issue and keep moving forward. But this narrative is not only harmful, it’s also just impossible to keep up with.

Working hard is always seen as a good thing until you work yourself to the ground.

From a young age, many of us are taught to have a good work ethic, to always work as hard as we possibly can. We carry that narrative through our lives and oftentimes push past our very last limits. Until one day we just simply can’t.

Sometimes over exerting oneself can seem like a very normal routine. You wake up, go to work early and somehow end up staying late. You give up your weekends and work through holidays all the while thinking to yourself, “This is completely fine, everyone does this.”

All of these things seem to be a daily occurrence, and then one morning your eyes open to the sound of your alarm and for some reason, you can’t physically bring yourself to get out of bed. All of a sudden the weight of your own body has become debilitating and you’re just a shell of a person left lying under a comforter.

That feeling, the feeling of, “I just can’t anymore,” that is burnout.

It is something that is experienced by so many people on a daily basis, and why? Because society has created a timeline that if not followed to a tee can make anyone feel inadequate.

There are moments in life when you need to get back up and keep going, but, there are also moments in life when you need to take a step back and reevaluate what you need. Whether that be a day off or a mental check in with a loved one, it is just as important to prioritize oneself as it is to prioritize a workload.

Dealing with burnout is one of the most difficult experiences as an adult. Because it creeps up on you without you realizing it, and unfortunately, it’s one of those feelings that you can’t just shake off.

Whether we realize it or not, having a good work and life balance is a huge part of having a strong work ethic. Taking care of yourself and keeping your mind and body in alignment can not only promote a healthy lifestyle but also a healthy work life as well.

Society will always have an expectation we’re not meeting, and sometimes we may feed into those expectations. However, it’s important to remember that life has stages, and every person living it is different, and so is the pace they are going to achieve things will be different too.

It’s time we focus more on our own timelines and attainable achievements and less on working ourselves to the bone.

Tj Favela/The Collegian

cases do nothing to slow down the obsession the public has with true crime. The only thing it does is put more money in the pockets of the production companies because they know it’s what will get the most clicks.

In a perfect world, the discussion

of these crimes can be used to inform and alert the public. Telling these stories is important because it will give the victims a chance to be seen again, but if you focus only on the person who killed them and exactly how they did it, it’s incredibly disrespectful to their memory.

The scenarios can help viewers identify when they are in a dangerous situation and how it can be prevented, but when you show the murderer in a humanizing light as they watch their victims from the bushes it’s not informative, it’s idolism.

Discussing cold cases so they can be reopened for the purpose of justice for both the victims and their families can be incredibly healing and helpful. Sensationalizing the death of a human being by telling the story multiple times for more views or dollars is just wrong.

It is alright to have an interest in these cases if you are determined to understand the case and how it can be prevented in the future, but if there is instead an obsession with the killer or the methods they used that is incredibly dangerous. There’s always the possibility of an obsession becoming too overpowering and leading someone to recreate a case they heard on some beauty YouTuber’s channel.

But apparently, in the world we live in, not only will this case be immediately documented on TikTok in a 30-part series, but there will also be a Netflix documentary released in the next year, and that is chilling to think about.

NINA BANKS campus editor nina.banks@my.tccd.edu

15 minutes and 23 seconds into the movie, I had to turn “Blonde” off.

The new Netflix movie starring Ana de Armas is based on the fictional biography of Marilyn Monroe. The movie depicts Monroe’s rise to fame as well as her eventual death.

With no prior knowledge about Monroe’s legacy, the controversy surrounding this film seems completely unwarranted. Just another biopic. But in the case of Marilyn Monroe, it seems her legacy may never rest.

Monroe was one of the most iconic stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her coquettish persona paired with her revealing wardrobe made her an instant sex symbol and fascination to the public.

Monroe’s persona was curated for the male gaze. She emphasized her hourglass figure with tailored dresses, spoke with a light cadence and played off the “dumb blonde” stereotypes . Paired with her tragic childhood, she appeared to be “attainable” as opposed to the other starlets at the time.

Her persona however, was a stark contrast to her true personality. Behind her image, Monroe struggled with depression, anxiety and insomnia. She endured several abusive relationships and her facade led to

her to be exploited for overtly sexual roles.

Her unfortunate death at 36, did not stop the public’s fascination with her. Monroe’s death catapulted her fame tenfold and so came the continuous, most overt and revolting exploitation of a person post-death.

“Blonde” is one of several works about Monroe’s life that continue to sensationalize the trauma she experienced during her life for monetary gain. The treatment of her legacy can be observed with the handling of her famed wardrobe.

On May 19 1962 Monroe wore a sheer, rhinestone encrusted dress to sing happy birthday to former President John F Kennedy. 54 years later, the dress was auctioned to “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!,” a museum for odd attractions. Earlier this year, the dress was damaged after Kim Kardashian wore it at the Met Gala.

Rather than the dress being preserved alongside many other historical dresses at the Smithsonian, the dress was improperly handled by the staff at Ripley’s. After the Met Gala, the dress is now in poor condition with seams busted and rhinestones that have fallen off the dress itself. This shows the lack of respect people have for Monroe’s legacy.

Besides the fact that the dress is a historical artifact, Bob Mackie, the designer, intended it to only be worn by Monroe.

“Blonde” has received a NC-17 rating for its sexual content, including several sexual assault scenes which never occurred in Monroe’s life. To include such scenes that aren’t accurate to Monroe’s life or provide any progression to the storyline they fabricated, it reinforces the idea that Monroe was purely a sexual being and only capable of being treated as such.

The least Hollywood can do is finally let her rest and stop exploiting Monroe past her grave.

CAMPUS

“Blonde,” the newest addition in besmirching Monroe’s life

RABBIA MOLAI managing edit editor or ra rabbiabbia.molai@m.molai@myy.tccd.tccd.edu .edu

A pursuant of boxing, singing, song writing and real estate

ther down the path in his life.

“I knew then that this was what I got to do,” he said. “I’ve always known but there’s a knowing about doing and you’re like ‘Yeah I’m supposed to be here.’”

From the boxing ring, to the office, to the studio and even to the classroom, TR student Bisade Afo labi is pursuing his education and his passions.

Afolabi was born in Nigeria on March 27, 2001 and came to the United States when he was just 11 years old. Afolabi got acclimated to the United States and adjusted his life to that of an American one fairly comfortably.

With new people and a new language that’s spoken by the majority of those around him, Afo labi learned to transition into an American accent. Though Afolabi made this transition, he thinks that there is still a Nigerian accent that is easy to miss.

“Now I’m speaking in a great American accent but I did have to work on it,” Afolabi said. “It took me some years, even now if you are the kind of person that pays attention, you’ll catch me slipping up.”

He developed his American dialect from watching cartoons and practicing. He also dis covered his love for boxing through watching and practicing karate with his relatives.

He recalled his first fight at the beginning of his boxing journey and the lessons he learned.

“I lost my first fight, the excuse being that I didn’t strategize and I got so lost in the thought of it being a fight that I wasn’t having fun,” he said. “I got amped up and nervous but it was a great expe rience at the end of the day.”

This solidified Afolabi’s desire to do boxing fur

Liking boxing and fighting has proven to be dif ficult as the redundancy of training is seen to Afo labi as exhaustive .

“You got to live and breathe it, you have to be obsessed,” he said. “And to be honest I haven’t been obsessed and living and breathing it. I’m working on being more present and more ob sessed. That is greatness, the people that are able to do it past their boredom.”

SE Intercultural Network’s student engagement coordinator Larry Jefferson, commented on one of Afolabi’s matches.

“He invited me to support him at the boxing event and I was proud to attend and honored by the invitation,” Jefferson said. “Bisade is a special young man.”

With boxing also came real estate, a field that Afolabi has found interesting.

“My boxing coach is actually a realtor and being me, I just wanted to do better,” he said. “I talked to him and he suggested that I go to an open house with him. I loved how he controlled the room, he was on the button and interacted with lots of people thought to myself, I could do that and that I wanted to do that”

With boxing and real estate, he opened his per spective to consider new possibilities. He believes opening up to different possibilities is what really determines the outcome of your affinity for it. Even though it is possible to not love it as much as other things it could still be something worth doing to pass time.

Another interest that Afolabi has pursued is music, something that he has always had an affinity for.

“I sing from time to time,” he said. “I’ve always had that and when I finish listening to the song, I would find myself continuing to rap to the beat or adding vocals to it.”

Afolabi met his friend Glen Che at the Inter cultural Network working on a song and Afolabi was given the opportunity to listen to it before he released it.

“When I heard it I said ‘I could write you a cho rus’ and I literally sat there and wrote a chorus and gave it to him,” he said. “Sooner or later he said ‘I have a little set up at home, we can make a song,’ this was 2019.”

Like boxing, his passion for music was war ranted by action. He released an album named “CMNG2AMRCA” earlier this year on Soundcloud, Spotify and Apple Music. The album consists of five songs: “Regardless,” “Blood Is,” “Problems,” “Bisade Rock” and “Sticks and Stones.”

“‘Regardless’ is about coming to America and what was different for me and my experience in pursuit of my goals and women and the journey in general,” he said. “‘Blood Is’ is me just rapping, its nothing deep and ‘Problems’ is a song where I’m very vulnerable

His work is still unfinished as he is planning on releasing more music in the future.

“I have a second episode or collective of songs coming out called ‘Why Not Me.” It tells you a bit more about myself, experiences, life and having a good time,” he said. “I plan on having four epi sodes come out with singles dropping in between.”

SE Campus student and childhood friend of Afolabi’s, Godfavour Aigbona praises Afolabi on his character as a person with many pursuits.

“Bisade is a very ambitious person who cares deeply for those around him. From the moment I got to know him, he has been telling me about the great things he wants for himself and those around him,” Aigbona said. “And true to his word he has been doing those things.”

Photo illustration by Alex Hoben/The Collegian TR student Bisade Afolabi poses with his boxing gloves in front of the album art for his next EP. He is currently taking classes for respiratory therapy.

OLLA

Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian Afolabi poses with his album art. The art was made by his friend for the next EP. He started his rap career in 2019 .

Afolabi