Tccd The Collegian April 26, 2023

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TCC board of trustees election upcoming

but he has since suspended his campaign and given his endorsement to Carpenter Jr.

Tarrant County voters will be selecting two members of the TCC board of trustees in its election that ends May 6.

The board is composed of seven elected officials who represent districts throughout the county. Early voting started April 24 and ends May 2, and Election Day is May 6.

District 4 has three candidates running: incumbent Bill Greenhill, Larry Dale Carpenter Jr. and Laura Forkner Pritchett. Greenhill was initially elected to the board in May 2010, and he’s seeking his fourth term as trustee. District 5 has two candidates: incumbent Leonard Hornsby and challenger Jabranica “Nikki” Stroba.

Jack Reynolds’ name will also appear on the ballot for District 4,

“Larry committed to me personally that he would be a voice for the staff and faculty at TCC,” Reynolds said. “Their issues and concerns have gone unaddressed for far too long, and they have languished too long in a toxic work environment that elevates sycophantic obedience over effective educational instruction and leadership.”

Carpenter Jr., a former TCC student, has run previously for county commissioner and is the son of former Tarrant County sheriff Don Carpenter. His campaign is mainly focused on the taxpayers and representing them within the board because he feels the trustees are not doing a good enough job, he said.

“The board is obviously not representing the taxpayer, and that’s actually completely proven in the

way that they’ve acted recently with raising of the taxes,” he said.

The main point of contention between the candidates in District 4 is the property tax rate levy ap-

LGBTQ+ students open up about deadnames

A name is a fundamental part of a person’s personality. Yet, for some trans and nonbinary students at TCC, the right to be referred to by their chosen name is taken away. Deadnaming is the practice of referring to trans and nonbinary individuals by their birth names rather than the name that best represents their identity. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, being deadnamed invalidates their identity, leading to stress and even trauma.

At TCC, many students in the queer community have noticed a disparity between the message of inclusivity that drives the college and

what is actually offered to students.

“It feels like TCC does not care about preferred names at all, even if the individual students overwhelmingly,” Amber, a NE student said.

Amber, who declined to give her last name due to a fear of retaliation from those around her, said that while her social experience with students has been fine as a trans woman, the same could not be said for official institutions such as Canvas, especially when there are class rosters that still present deadnames.

“I couldn’t find anybody in Canvas who had a preferred name,” she said.

“Even though I did find multiple people using their dead names, even people that are

publicly out, which should tell you something about the way the TCC handles naming.”

NE student Jane Mahoney said she has had an overall positive experience regarding teachers and students respecting her name and pronouns, but there are still disparities in the system with attendance.

“I have always put Jane as my name for classwork and have yet to have an issue with it,” she said. “However, on attendance sheets, when passed around or on the first day of class, some teachers initially called me by my deadname. This is incredibly embarrassing. It feels like everyone in the class now knows that I am transgender. That is an uncomfortable

See Names, page 3

proved in September 2022. While the tax rate itself did not change, property taxes still raised for Tarrant County residents due to rising property appraisals.

Carpenter Jr. said another main point in his campaign, if he’s elected, is to take a deep look into the bond program at TCC and See Election , page 2

Abortion pill access temporarily approved

in yet, rather than the one that’s going to have to worry about those decisions later,” she said.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided April 21 that a widely used abortion pill, mifepristone, would be available temporarily through the mail.

U.S. Northern District of Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ordered April 7 that the drug be banned through mail nationwide, saying the FDA was wrong in its ruling in 2000 to approve the drug.

Based on the evidence presented by the FDA and the Biden administration, the Supreme Court allowed mifepristone to be used, preventing Kacsmaryk’s order from going into effect.

NE student Alexa Rangel said the ruling prohibits women’s choices to plan according to their personal accessibility preferences like mailing. She believed Kacsmaryk filed the order for the wrong reason.

“I think the people in the court [Kacsmaryk] are more concerned about a life that’s not been brought

Like Ragel, NE student Myles Troung said anyone should be able to make decisions regarding their bodies and that mifepristone should not be banned.

“If someone decides to go through with that path then so be it, if not then that’s their choice,” he said.

The choice of the Supreme Court and decisions on abortions is pushing NE student Victoria Bradley to think about leaving Texas and the U.S. Trying to change the world as a person of color has become too difficult.

“The idea of me having to make a change is scary because when people don’t agree with certain people that look like me, it gets very violent,” Bradley said. “I’m fearful of the outcome if I did try to change it or put a bigger target on my back for just existing.”

Bradley believed that abortions will continue to happen but See Abortion, page 3

WebAdvisor shutdown has left an impact on students

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

Following WebAdvisor’s shutdown, TCC has shed light on the campuses’ relation to the now defunct interface, as well as provided some further context behind its shutdown.

The beginning of April marked the end of TCC’s support of WebAdvisor, a student portal used to provide students with a reliable way to access important TCC information. The system was provided to TCC thanks to Ellucian Colleague, a cloud-based software system designed to help various institutions manage their information and informational systems.

According to SoftwareAdvice, a database for information on various software applications, Ellucian seeks to “helps higher education institutions with professional solutions to create a connected campus,” and is a platform that intends to provide “solutions for departments such as finance, IT, student services, human resources, recruiting and admissions.” TCC utilized Ellucian Col -

league and its software system for upwards of 20 years according to TR director of application development Kenneth Smith.

“WebAdvisor was a component of the Ellucian Colleague Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and was first implemented at TCC when we migrated over to Colleague, circa 2001-2003,” Smith said. “TCC used it because it was part of the ERP they had selected and supported by the same ERP vendor. It was the part of the system that provided the student portal which allowed students to register for classes and pay tuition.”

The plan to move away from WebAdvisor had been discussed for quite a while. This can be attributed to TCC wanting to provide more advanced systems for the campuses and Ellucian itself moving away from that component of the system as well, according to Smith.

“Ellucian created a new and improved version of their student portal called self-service, which we call MyTCCTrack,” Smith said. “This effectively made the old student portal obsolete. The vendor provided functionality for students that is now being provided by their See WebAdvisor, page 3

ALEX HOBEN editor-in-chief alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu

ALEX HOBEN editor-in-chief

Photo (left) by Joel Solis/The Collegian | Photos (center, right) courtesy of campaign websites Bill Greenhill, Larry Dale Carpenter Jr. and Laura Forkner Pritchett are running for the District 4 seat on the board of trustees. Early voting started on April 24 and ends May 2, Election Day is May 6.

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

Photo by Alex Hoben/The Collegian | Illustration by Markus Meneses/The Collegian NE Pride Club president Jane Mahoney and her TCC student ID with a piece of tape over her deadname and instead her chosen name drawn over it along with a cartoon drawing of a cat.

NW Mosaic Project brings dancing to arts festival

HOPE SMITH managing editor hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu

On Fort Worth’s red-brick street, NW campus Mosaic company dancers gathered in a pop-up dance performance surrounded by the artists and vendors of the Fort Worth Main Street Arts Festival.

The performances made of selected excerpts from the upcoming Spring concert this Thursday were chosen for their upbeat, engaging vibe.

“For today we selected a hip-hop class, tap and one of our African fusion pieces called Soul Fusion,” Amy Jennings, associate professor of dance at NW, said.

Lacreacia Sanders, an associate professor of dance at NW as well, said that the pieces were chosen to attract the crowd, get them moving along with the dancers and feel uplifted at the festival.

They danced through rain and shine—at some point both—to various different dancing styles.

NW student and dancer of the Mosaic company Melanie Diaz grew up dancing in ballet but got into more styles later on. Because of this, she said learning these al

lowed for her to expand as a dancer, like pop, which was applied in the performance.

“Pop is very new to me, but I mean, over the weeks you get it in your system,” she said.

Tap dancing was introduced when a dancer arrived with a circular wooden board to place on the ground.

Jessie Martinez, an alumni in the program, said the tap dancing piece they performed was a tribute to past dancers and had a very Y2K, nostalgic feeling.

“This was the first piece of the semester, and we didn’t really get that long to learn it,” she said. “So a lot of it has been watching videos and just watching the other dancers, I think it was like 2004, 2008 or something like that, so a long time ago.”

NW student and Mosaic dancer Kara Hawkins said that when she was a kid, she liked making noise with her feet more than she enjoyed doing ballet, thus tap. For her, she preferred being louder than the poised nature of a ballerina.

“It’s just always more fun, more sounds.

It’s also really cool when you get a trick,” she said. “I feel tricks in tap dance are more satisfying than a turn.”

Andrea Faber, an instructional aid alum-

ni for the company and NW student was already familiar with the performance and wanted to perfect it. One she had recognized was the African fusion piece.

“We have an anniversary show and that’ll usually be our big finale number, so I’ve learned that years ago,” she said.

The Mosaic itself is an audition based

TCC weighs in on potential benefits of AI

NINA

campus editor nina.banks@my.tccd.edu

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence have the capacity to change the world of education.

Artificial intelligence, or more commonly referred to as AI, has made large strides in the world of technology and is increasingly accessible to the general public. ChatGPT is an AI that allows users to be serviced in a variety of ways.

It can be used like a search engine for general information like Google. ECHS student Dee Ediale uses ChatGPT as a tool to help research assignments.

“I use ChatGPT to help me research topics and facts for informative papers,” Ediale said. “ChatGPT is really useful when it comes to researching information or topics you know nothing about because it gives a broad idea on what you want to gain knowledge from.”

However, ChatGPT and other AI similar to it have been under fire after many educators have caught students using it to write their assignments.

“I consider myself to be a good writer

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touring company, as Faber said.

“We do a lot of outreach stuff. We’ve been in high schools, spring shows, we’ve gone and done career days for elementary schools,” she said. “It’s more for people that just want to expand a little bit and do some things around the community.”

so I don’t use it to write my essays,” Ediale said. “I’ve seen my classmates only use ChatGPT for research purposes or short paper responses. ChatGPT is perfect for a 3 paragraph response because it doesn’t require a lot of effort.”

Though ChatGPT does “not have thoughts or opinions” as AI, it asserts that using the platform to cheat is unethical and can lead to potentially harmful consequences.

“It is important for individuals to develop their own knowledge and skills through independent learning, research, and critical thinking,” ChatGPT said. “Dependence on AI language models for completing assignments can hinder this development and can lead to serious consequences such as academic penalties, loss of credibility, and damage to reputation.”

Like other English teachers, SE English instructor Kathy Quesenbury uses the plagiarism and AI detection software recently added to TurnItIn for students.Although she has seen an uptick of students using AI, Quesenbury does not believe that there should be extreme concerns towards it.

“No, because I think it’s like anything else,” Quesenbury said. “The calculator

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determine whether the money they are spending on projects such as the construction of NW and SE is justified. He also said he would be analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion policies in place. He said he has received calls from multiple faculty members who are dissatisfied with the way TCC is run right now.

“With the Brandon administration creating such a toxic environment and hiring people based upon race and not on merit, this is not good for the entire county, is not good for our state, is not good for our country,” Carpenter Jr. said. “We will put an end to this, but first off, we have to get people in position that are willing to tackle that, and that’s one thing I’m willing to do and work towards.”

He also wants to focus on special education programs and see what the board can do to improve them.

Greenhill said the main aspects he has enjoyed as a trustee is going out to community events and seeing TCC students and staff, and that’s one of the main reasons he put his bid in again.

He said he is incredibly proud of the actions that he and the other trustees have initiated over his past terms and looks forward to, if reelected, continuing that work for the sake of TCC.

“The main goal of these times is ensuring – budget wise – keeping the college affordable for all and having quality education and affordable education, as you might expect we have,” he said.

Greenhill said he thought his opponents were turning this nonpartisan office into a partisan election with their campaign strategies. He said he focuses more on what the college is doing for the community and the student’s experiences.

“This is something that I feel like it’s important to do because community college, as you well know, has a huge impact on our community,” Greenhill said.

Greenhill, a corporate attorney for Haynes & Boone, has held other community college leadership positions such as being a former chairman of the Community College Association of Texas Trustees.

Pritchett is currently a Tarrant County Republican precinct chair 4340, and is also

the director of North Texas for Restore Liberty, a group dedicated to restoring the original values and doctrines of the Constitution. The main issues addressed on her website are also to stop over taxing, eliminate Critical Race Theory and DEI and to focus on job skills instead of larger tuition.

In District 5, Hornsby was initially elected in May 2021 in a special election due to his predecessor Mike Evans being elected as mayor of Mansfield, and this marks his first full four-year term . For Hornsby, the position of trustee means serving to ensure the future economic success of Tarrant County through the way TCC prepares their students for future careers.

“I have a love for TCC as a former student, employee and now as a board member being to serve the community and the students in particular to make sure that they receive the best education, have the best opportunities to increase their ability to earn income in our community, thereby having a great economic impact in our

came out and students still can do math. I think if we in education have time to learn it and learn how to teach students to use it rather than students just use it, yes I think it could be beneficial.”

Concerns about AI taking over the roles of educators or the academic integrity of students have risen in recent months. Dee understands the concerns, but also the potential of AI as a tool in the classroom.

“I mean to an extent because of how quickly a human can be replaced by a robot who doesn’t need to be paid for their work,” Ediale said. “I’m not sure especially how current students use it to write full on essays. Some educational systems and districts might even ban it before it can be recognized as a good tool.”

Because AI is presumed to continue to advance further in its educating capabilities, ChatGPT maintains that students should only use it to provide aid.

“It is important for individuals to use AI language models responsibly, as a tool for learning and improving their understanding, rather than as a shortcut to bypass the learning process,” ChatGPT said.

Board approves Title IX guidelines

ALEX HOBEN editor-in-chief alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu

TCC’s board of trustees approved of a change to the college’s Title IX policy, and were given presentations in the recent board meeting.

During April’s meeting, the board discussed and approved a cumulative $2 million dollars spent for the acquisition and installation of new furniture for the SE Campus. There was also a presentation regarding the Marketing, Communication and Public Relations department given by Reginald Gates, the Vice Chancellor of Communications and External Affairs.

Everything on the consent agenda was passed, but there was a discussion held for item 4b, regarding an update to the Title IX statutes of DIAA, FFDA and FFDB.

“The changes in policy that the staff is asking the board to consider deal with our existing Title IX policies,” Carol Bracken, general counsel for the board of trustees said. “The policies we have in place were passed in 2020 in connection with changes that were made by the Department of Education at that time.”

The main change will be a move from the original Association of Title IX Administrators model policies and will now be moved back to the Texas Association of School Boards model. This change, Bracken said, will make it so when the Department of Education adds new policies for Title IX, the change will not be so drastic.

“If our policies are in line with TASB’s, it will make it much easier to conform our Title IX policies when TASB’s updates the policies,” she said.

Trustee Shannon Wood motioned to have 4b removed from the agenda and moved to be considered in September due to a recent bill that passed through the Texas Senate.

community,” Hornsby said.

Stroba, an Arlington ISD educator, is committed to performing a financial audit on the budget, lowering the property tax burden, prioritizing education over administration, eliminating race-based hiring practices and wants to prioritize tradebased program enrollment.

Neither Pritchett nor Stroba responded to messages seeking comment by press time.

District 4 covers West Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Azle, Haslet and Haltom City while District 5 extends into Arlington and Mansfield.

“Voting is always important, no matter who you vote for,” Hornsby said. “Exercising your right to and to make your voice known is always important. If you don’t vote, you’ve said ‘I don’t care.’ And then if you don’t care, you shouldn’t complain about anything that happens or how anything goes.”

“This will be a moot point come September, so I just see extra work for our faculty and staff to do all this work and then it’s going to be changed in September,” Wood said.

Bracken said that while she has read the bill, it mainly dealt in the DEI initiatives of colleges and universities rather than Title IX.

Bracken is anticipating having to come to the board again soon with updates to these and other policies if and when they are passed through the Texas House of Representatives.

The meeting also included student highlights. Three students were featured: NE student Jordin Bryan, Connect student Daniel Sanni and SE student Mohamed Yahia. The stories were not without a few tear-jerking moments.

When trustee Bill Greenhill read Bryan’s experience of how she had started and stopped college three times over 15 years, and was able to pass her first semester without dropping out at TCC, Bryan started to tear up at the podium.

“I owe a lot to this school and the people that work here,” Bryan said while wiping tears.

“I owe a lot to the programs, and the advisors, to my boss, to VP [NE vice president of student affairs Terese Tann] Craig and I just really appreciate what y’all do for us, thank you.”

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

NW Dance Mosaic Project members Jesse Martinez, Andrea Faber and Audrey Derbyshire jump during their Main Street Arts Festival performance April 20.

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Joel Solis/The Collegian NE student Jordin Bryan cries as trustee Bill Greenhill shares her story.

Photo (left) Alex Hoben/The Collegian | Photo (right) courtesy of campaign website Candidates Leonard Hornsby and Nikki Stroba who are running for the District 5 board of trustees seat. The district covers Mansfield and parts of Arlington. Hornsby, the incumbent, was first elected in a special election in May 2021.

Students navigate transitioning into adulthood

KEYLA HOLMES campus editor keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu

Many students are experiencing a phase of transition – becoming more independent as they step into adulthood.

“Adulting”, a popular term used to describe new adults subscribing to a new lifestyle and leaving experiences associated with childhood behind, can be difficult. Especially when trying to balance multiple facets of one’s life, such as school, work, hobbies, friends and family.

“Some tasks I consider to be ‘adulting’ are getting your oil changed, paying your taxes on time, or being early to a meeting at work,” NE student Anna Jones said.

She thinks “adulting” is problem solving, being punctual and accountable.

Jones is a part-time student and full-time hairstylist. She said that managing time is a hard skill to master, but she’s learned that doing small tasks throughout the week works better for her than doing the bulk of her tasks in one day.

“Taking an hour to clean my house every night instead of taking one day of the week to clean, or studying for smaller amounts of time after work instead of skimming over the day before the test,” Jones said. “Getting myself on a strict routine was the best way for me to understand how to balance my life.”

Finding the time to do school work while

Abortion

her well for life after graduation.

working can be stressful.

“I do my homework during breaks or after school,” SE student Pauline Pham said. “I always feel like I’m in a time crunch, so that kind of sucks but I just kind of have to deal with it.”

Pham takes classes Tuesdays and Thursdays while working two jobs. She said that while balancing school and work is manageable, her high school experience didn’t prepare

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procedures will occur in a more dangerous and uncomfortable way and preparing the youth for this possibility is the best way to move forward.

“We need to really look into the people that we vote for and want to have our vote,” they said. “I want the public to be more knowledgeable in who they vote for, what they stand for. Because it feels as if we are trapped watching these people that are supposed to advocate for us, not advocate for us. But at the same time, it is kind of

Names

“I don’t think high school prepared me because I graduated COVID year, so I was just at home and then I got sent straight into college,” she said. “It was an adjustment.”

Having a strong support system can be imperative during times of change and growth. NE assistant professor Mary Buck said having a strong social support system helps reduce

stress, increases life satisfaction and well being.

“In times of transition having good social support is key,” Buck said. “So, use your resources and seek advice from family and friends.”

When it comes to managing money, Jones said what advice she’d give to those who are new to budgeting.

“The best advice I can give to someone who is learning to manage their money for the first time is ‘it’s not what you make, it’s what you spend’,” she said. “Not saying you can’t treat yourself, or buy nice things, but genuinely be conscious about the money you are spending and always pay your bills first.”

Knowing that asking questions is okay is something Pham said is important for students to be aware of.

“Always ask questions,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to ask people that are older than you questions because they’ve been where you’re at and can help you.”

For those who feel unsure or anxious about where they are in life Jones said what she’d want students to know about success, and appreciating what you do have.

“If I could give some advice to students who are nervous about becoming independent I would tell them that it’s okay to make mistakes and ask questions,” she said. “That’s how you learn. Success looks different for everyone, so take the time to learn what yours looks like and be grateful for everything because it can always be worse.”

WebAdvisor

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our fault for getting them there in the first place.”

They said they would like the Supreme Court justices to consider the youth, the elderly and those who should not bear children as it affects more than just pregnancy.

“Now you’re having a child that you don’t even want. That resentment, that hate is going to be harbored in your body,” they said. “You’re going to eventually grow up to hate this child that didn’t even ask to be born.”

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Abortions will still happen but in a more dangerous fashion with an increasing death rate, they said. Since this is a controversial and emotional kind of conversation, they said they would feel more comfortable discussing this issue even if they had a differing stance. They felt that the conversation surrounding abortion is nuanced, affecting race, sex, sexuality, gender and more as it is a broad topic to them.

new student portal

TCC had been chipping away at developing this system, and the remaining information available on WebAdvisor moved to Hello!TCC to give students the best possible experience when interacting with TCC resources.

“The site has been purposely designed to help them find exactly what they are looking for very quickly,” Smith said. “It has a built-in filtering system, so they don’t have to scour the site to find the link they need. It also provides them with the ability to bookmark frequently used links for quick access.”

After nearly a month, some of the changes and new systems that have emerged in WebAdvisor’s wake have been a source of frustration for students.

thought for classmates to know something so personal.”

Mahoney utilized the service provided by the TCC registrar’s office to have her “preferred name” used on documents such as attendance sheets. But she said that it’s not enough and instead can be potentially dangerous, considering the way the name shows on the records is having their deadname and then their preferred name in parentheses after it.

“Meaning that everyone is still able to see your deadname,” she said. “Having your deadname on an attendance sheet when you have expressed your preferred name is unnecessary and possibly hurtful. Not only are you outing this person to the entire class, but if a transphobic person decides to take action, you are now putting this person in potential danger.”

Amber said that she didn’t know there was a system in place to add preferred names, even in parentheses, because it’s hard to find any information about it. She couldn’t find any page on the TCC website for how to start the process.

Chloe October, a nonbinary NE student, said they wish there was more choice about what name was used in private and public spaces, especially in the email system.

“I feel violated when I am deadnamed – like someone used the name of a late relative too soon. It makes the environment feel more hostile,” October said. “The TCC naming system never changing, even after a legal name change, makes me feel like a nagging annoyance. I sort of gaslight my-

self into thinking it’s somehow my fault for finding my identity too late.”

Amber said it doesn’t make sense that TCC’s naming system doesn’t have much flexibility considering that it’s the IDs that are how the student is designated in the system.

“We can change our name 50 times in a semester and as far as the TCC database is concerned, nothing’s going to change,” she said. “So I don’t understand why exactly they’re so hellbent on keeping the deadname. You should just be able to change the name whenever you need to because they’ve got the ID, and the ID is constant.”

District registrar John Spencer said any students looking to change their chosen first names may do so by completing the Records Maintenance Form and submitting it by email to academic.records@tccd. edu or they can do so by submitting a name change request form to the admissions and registrar’s office.

“Using a chosen name in the classroom and on our campus frontlines is a proven best practice,” Spencer said. “It not only empowers students but also fosters an environment of inclusion, respect and dignity. This practice helps in promoting safe and welcoming spaces at each of our campuses.” Spencer said students can advocate for changes by talking with their student government association.

TR SGA president Milo Norris said

he hasn’t

named and misgendered is not only harmful for the trans community but for society as a whole.

“Whether on purpose or by accident, these actions are divisive,” he said. “What we need is to recognize that trans people are just other people. My transness does give me a different perspective on life, but everyone has a different perspective on life.”

Referring to someone by their preferred name is a basic form of respect, Mahoney and October said, and that many don’t realize how such a simple act can mean so much for the person they’re referring to.

“I just want to point out how low the bar is, that referring to someone as the correct gender or with the right name could be enough to make their day,” October said. “That speaks a lot to the trans experience.”

Amber said she doesn’t mind as much as some others in the LGBTQ+ community when she is deadnamed, but that doesn’t mean it’s an OK thing to do. She has realized that what is most important to her is that the people close to her know her identity as she has realized it.

“I think a while ago I kind of came to terms with the fact that the first thing that everyone’s gonna see when they think about me is the fact that I’m trans,” she said. “And then it just kind of became, how can I make the best of that? And then I made the best of that.”

“I actually don’t use WebAdvisor much for work, and I haven’t used any of the new Hello!TCC applications yet,” NE student worker Jordin Bryan said. “I did find the new TimeClock a little on the frustrating side –mostly because I wasn’t used to using it, but also I go into work straight from class, so having to wait to start my computer and start the applications to be able to clock in was annoying.”

The absence of WebAdvisor and the new systems in its place have been unreliable and inconvenient for some students as well, like NE student worker Anistasia Anderson.

“The issues with the new system have been, and are continuing to be rather inconvenient,” she said. “In addition to having problems clocking in, I was just trying to add a newly-added class to my fall schedule and the system is down.”

With these systems, Anderson has become worried for the upcoming semester, believing that they won’t be able to register for classes because of technical inconsistencies.

“I will not have time at work to keep checking the system to see if TCC track is back up,” she said. “I worry that I will not be able to take Cal 2 in the fall due to these outages, which will undoubtedly put me behind on my degree plan.”

Despite student concerns and frustrations, Smith assured campus-goers the shift will be worth it in the long run.

“We also greatly extended [WebAdvisor]’s functionality by incorporating many custom applications into it, and those applications were safely migrated to another system called Hello!TCC,” Smith said. “The shutdown of WebAdvisor is a good thing because MyTCCTrack is a new, modern student portal and will be fully supported by the ERP vendor for years to come.”

KJ Means/The Collegian

NE student Jason Holly presents the Timeline Sports segment of the TCC Newsfeed. Students can work on the Newsfeed to get on-the-job experience.

Joel Solis/The Collegian Error screen shown when trying to access the student self-service website page for TCC students.

Photo by Alex Hoben/The Collegian | Illustration by Markus Meneses/The Collegian TR SGA president Milo Norris smiles as he holds up his student ID with a piece of tape covering his deadname.

Yet another FBI show: ‘The Night Agent’ An investigation of mystery, deception in the trusted White House

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

The FBI and the Secret Service have made yet another appearance in the Top 10 shows on Netflix: “The Night Agent.”

Deriving from the book by Matthew Quirk under the same title, scheming, murder, scandal and a dash of romance is all what this show had to offer starting March 23. However it isn’t all that different from popular shows like “NCIS”, “CSI” and “Bones.” Starring FBI agent Peter Sutherland, his sole job is to answer a phone in the basement of the White House that supposedly never rings as a part of Night Action, a top-secret investigative program within the FBI.

That is until Rose Larkin calls in the midst of running away from her uncle and aunt’s killers in an intrusion. Before they pass away they tell their niece and only survivor of the attack, Rose Larkin, to call a special number that directs her directly to said FBI agent – Sutherland.

Throughout the 10 part series, Sutherland is tasked to protect her as the relentless killers try and alter her fate to match her aunt and uncle’s. Unveiling why two federal agents were killed makes them question everything they know about those in power, loyalty and trust.

Sutherland and Larkin present as yin and yang. Sutherland being the one who loyally answers to authority without question and Larkin being the one who’s more independent. This dynamic was executed flawlessly, amid the frustrating search for the truth behind her relatives’ death, they each struggled with continuing on their search or giving the ‘proper’ authorities the chance to solve it on their own.

It gave viewers a chance to reflect on their own ideologies on trust, something that was unexpected but thought provoking as well.

Even though the time between the agents’ deaths and solving the mystery was only a few

days, they developed a sense of innate trust, a seemingly unbreakable bond that slowly turns romantic. Now that is what is particularly interesting, because it could be so many things including trauma-bonding and blind faith.

Maybe even kindred spirits.

The director did a phenomenal job with creating a philosophical turn in an action series beautifully.

What was even more beautiful was the plot however, unlike the main characters’ chemistry it was unoriginal. The fact that two ‘low-levels’ are trying to figure out who in the White House is responsible for Larkin’s aunt and uncle’s death is seen in many hit shows “NCIS”, “Criminal Minds” and so many other

government intelligence agency shows in the past two decades.

Underdog vs. authority has been overdone so many times.

Don’t get me wrong, watching two people bond through trust and romance makes me giddy but because it was only 10 episodes long, the action and major events happened quickly and soon were cause for a headache . The director could have stretched it out for at least 20 episodes, with an attractive female and male lead and more originality it could’ve been better. But it became exhausting to follow their journey because everything was just like lightning speed.

Intriguing to look at but too fast to follow

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or understand.

Spice and an element of genuine surprise is nice to have, but there is something much more satisfying to watch in a longer, more thought out plot. If you like subtle romance and FBI fights against the ‘evil’ authority, you should watch this.

And every other BookTok recommendation solely on the fact that the main character looks like a fictional character in a romantic novel.

3. Food Drug Administration.

5. “Never Enough” is Caesar’s ____ album.

8. A person who cuts and styles people’s hair professionally.

9. NE student Jordin _____, while having her story shared at the board meeting started crying.

13. The competence or skill expected of a professional.

15. The termination of pregnancy.

16. An artificial intelligence service that many students have used recently to cheat.

17. A website that TCC students currently use to find information, _____!TCC.

20. An accomplishment or desired outcome.

24. A person or group of people treated as insignificant or peripheral.

28. A database for informing various software applications.

29. Another word for jealousy.

30. The practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult.

1. Distinguishing them from others of the same kind, especially when strongly marked.

2. There will be a board of trustees ________ on May 6.

4. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

6. The possibility of suffering harm or injury.

7. A cloud-based software system designed to help various institutions.

10. a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes; coins and banknotes collectively.

11. Happening or doing something at the agreed or proper time.

12. “WebAdvisor was a component of the Ellucian ______ Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system,” TR director of application development Kenneth Smith said.

14. Having or showing intelligence, especially of a high level.

18. The way a person lives their life.

19. A feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.

21. The FBI agent uncovering the mystery in the White House.

22. A gift.

23. The act of referring to a transgender or non-binary person by a name they used prior to transitioning, such as their birth name.

25. “_____ Enough” is the name of Daniel Caesar’s album.

26. Texan judge who ordered mifepristone away from the mail.

27. Daniel _____

Photo courtesy Netflix

The White House’s integrity is questioned when a mole disrupts and sabotages the safety of thousands of civilians.

Texas legislators are taking too many risks

In a race to see who could pass as much legislation restricting minority populations in one go, Texas and Florida are toe-to-toe to see who can get there first.

It’s either this or legislators are sharing notes across state lines. The general lack in considering the communities of these states has become increasingly worrisome and scarily similar with both abortion and gender-affirming health care in jeopardy.

It’s odd that the bills being drafted are targeting their own populations, too. It is no secret that Texas is a Republican state, but what’s sad is to see them project guns over gender-affirming health care.

Unfortunately, Texan leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott do not have their citizens in mind. It’s likely they push these extreme ideas to stay in office or somehow they really believe what they are doing is for the good of Texas.

Texans deserve a state government who can at least attempt to care about their human rights.

Right now, we are at a point in history where children are becoming familiar with lockdown practices and learn to expect the worst in school. Women have to decide what risks they are willing to take to have some autonomy over their bodies, and people who no longer want to hide their gender identity face a world

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that struggles to accept that. If the conversation for these things could at least be open, it can make a difference. But the problem with Texas and Florida legislators is that the conservative pride of

these Southern states have taken any chance for progress and flushed it down the toilet.

Where do legislators think these bills will take their citizens? Because the way it looks, they’re turning to

Focusing on the little wins is what matters the most

nagging feeling that arises. A little voice that tells people they aren’t good enough. Why is that?

Is it a feeling of inadequacy? A feeling of envy? Doubt? Inferiority (which I’m pretty sure isn’t too dissimilar from inadequacy but I digress).

other states for help. Being able to live in Texas shouldn’t mean joining one large, controlling Bible study. Texas is large enough to house plenty of people, and it does. There are people of so many different back-

grounds that it may be hard to cover all the bases in the Texas government, but supporting regulations that are clearly in favor of one group cannot be good for a state’s health.

This begs the question, of course, how many people are affected by these bills in Texas? The answer is, enough of them are.

It is enough that the first thing that shows up when Uvalde is searched is the shooting at Robb Elementary School. When victims’ families are calling for justice and tighter gun laws, they should be heard. Uvalde residents should never have had this moment. It should not define them.

When 50.9% of the Texas population has a uterus, according to the 2020 Census, and must plan a road trip if they come across a pregnancy they cannot support, how can they say their government supports them?

Of course, the job of being in government is not easy and walking into an office every day to make decisions for an entire state is presumably hard. The government should listen to people instead of leaving them in the dark.

Texas’ actions are always going to be watched. There is a standard set. It’s the responsibility of the state to pass legislation supported by the people.

Finally arriving at college is a great blessing, so how come it still feels like it isn’t enough?

Not too long ago, a number of college students were in high school. Not too long ago, many of said students would show up to school each day, eagerly anticipating yet another insightful chat with their friends on who other students are dating, what last night’s homework was or talk proudly about how much sleep they didn’t get. Usual high schooler stuff, really.

It may not be true for all, of course, but it’s likely not a stretch to say a few of the people many of those students went to school with are probably off doing their own things.

While some of us have gone to pursue our education at community college (which is a beautiful thing), some have gone and accomplished — a lot.

It’s fascinating seeing people’s paths play out so differently. For every new college student fresh off the heels of high school, there’s another that has become a proud social media influencer, actor, globetrotting traveler, becoming homeowners, starting families, etc.

Speaking from experience, it’s definitely surreal and cool seeing familiar faces (or just anyone around your age) going on to do such amazing things. Though, there’s a bit of a

There’s a bit of an uncomfortable and more than a slightly self-deprecating gut feeling that flares up when seeing someone from middle or high school become a runaway celebrity sensation. It’s a human response, but it can be damaging if left unchecked.

We all get that feeling from time to time, but it wallowing in the envy and that selfloathing can hurt more than it can help. It’s a feeling that can be frustrating for sure, but it is important to understand that if you’re feeling this way – you’re not alone.

We all walk different paths in life, and that’s okay. Maybe some people need to remind themselves of that every now and again, and that’s fine.

Acknowledging that nagging feeling – that envy and doubt – is the first step in a journey that could lead to a magnificent, flourishing lifestyle. It may feel like time is running thin sometimes, and it may feel suffocating, but don’t panic.

Speaking from experience (again), try to focus on the little successes in life. Take your time. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Don’t worry about things out of your control. Life isn’t a race after all.

If you see someone from high school that is wildly successful with a million dollars and 17 kids, be happy for them and keep it moving. Don’t dwell on these types of things. Again, focus on the little successes. Be happy and keep on living.

The idea of professionalism is changing. As society becomes more accommodating and accepting of every person’s individuality, the workplace has adapted as well. Building personable connections is an important part of networking, and has taken over some of the “stuffy” norms that used to be standard. Instead of focussing on one’s superiority when engaging with others, this new age of professionalism places friendliness and genuinity at the forefront of each interaction. Professionalism set standards that discriminated against marginalized groups of people. Women with curly hair may have been expected to straighten it to meet the guidelines of their work space. Women with braids have also been told that their hairstyle isn’t appropriate for work. In 2019, The CROWN Act became law to prohibit discrimination based on hairstyle and texture.

It was a step in the right direction. Recognizing and embracing people’s differences, especially for service jobs and people focused jobs, allows employees to connect with those they’re working with more effectively. Connections drive human beings. Losing the elitism and performance

like act in workplaces is beneficial for everyone involved.

Authenticity is now a part of the conversation when discussing professionalism. Being professional shouldn’t conceal who a person is.

A standard of respect for others should be set, such as being punctual and kind. However, this standard shouldn’t shame others for simply being a different race, having a different sexual orientation, identifying as female or male, or identifying in a way that doesn’t adhere to society’s binary structure, or being dedicated to a different religion.

The culture of shaming others in the workplace and calling it professionalism is an act Gen Z is dismantling.

Working from home became a reality for many people during Covid, playing a role in the shift of what’s considered professional. An attitude of understanding became prevalent. People were just trying to get by –attending Zoom meetings with their four year olds in the background. The pandemic led people to practice empathy and be more considerate of what people may be going through in their personal lives.

Instead of continuing an elitist, “stuffy”, hustle culture in the workplace, it’s becoming more valuable to have a good work life balance. Being able to manage one’s time well, enables one to show up in a more productive way.

With Gen Z settling in professional positions, social media is becoming a large part of the conversation. What’s appropriate to post and what isn’t is something that’s changing as well. Being able to have fun is important as long as it’s respectful.

Tj Favela/The Collegian

XAVIER

xavier.boatner@my.tccd.edu

KEYLA HOLMES campus editor keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu

Celebrating Cultures all

TCC invited to partake in cultural food and celebrations

MAIYA STOVALL reporter collegian.editor@tccd.edu

The International Festival “Cultural Fusion” took place on NE Campus April 18 involving activities for students to learn about different cultures.

A fashion show by the Cultures of Other Languages Club showcased traditional fashion pieces of several different cultures around the world.

The fashion show consisted of cultural outfits from Mexico, Egypt, Kenya, Congo, Sudan, China, Nepal and Vietnam.

The show was followed by a performance and samba dance lesson taught by members of the United Dance Academy Samba based in Dallas, lead by Ernesto Plazola.

The UDAS made a conga line that wrapped around the room, with students dancing to Brazilian music and even playing a game of limbo in the process.

UDAS members expressed how samba is not just dancing, but a sense of community and family. They discussed how many people came before them and sacrificed so much, including their lives, in order for them to be standing where they are today.

Drinks and Puerto Rican food were provided at this session by the Adobo Puerto Rican Cafe.

Another session taught the history behind Brazilian instruments, music and traditional dances.

Students were able to play Brazilian instruments and learn traditional dances.

The dance lesson was based on the Brazilian capoeira dance style inspired by afrodiasporic dance.

NE student Genevieve Breuer gave her feedback on this session.

“I think it’s interesting to see and hear the different types of music and instruments from Brazilian culture as someone who is inexperienced,” she said.

NE student Doc Terry gave feedback after participating in the dance lesson and learning about some of the instruments.

“It’s very cool and now I feel like I want to go to Brazil,” he said.

One session was held in the food court of building NSTU that taught students about afrobeats and the cultural dance moves associated with this Nigerian music genre.

Students got to learn traditional dances associated with afrobeats and then got to dance in groups together to showcase what they learned in the end.

NE student Melissa Wippert said she thinks that cultural events like this are important.

“I think it’s important for us to learn about different cultures so we can better understand and vibe with people from different cultures and backgrounds,” she said.

This festival held three sessions that took place all in one day to teach students about different cultures.

All three of these sessions were open to everyone with two being held in Center Corner and one being held in the food court of NSTU.

United Dance Academy’s Selene Rosales dances during the Carnaval performance. They performed in full festival garb.

United Dance Academy’s Ernesto Plazola leads a step routine with other members of the academy during the performance. The performance followed the COLC showcase.

Photos by Ariel DeSantiago/The Collegian

United Dance Academy’s Samba troupe performs during the International Festival April 18. The performance focused on Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval.