TCC The Collegian September 14, 2022

Community resource fair - Family Empowerment Center holds community event Page 4

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 – Volume 36 • Issue 4

@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu

DISTRICT

TCC student enrollment up districtwide

ALEX HOBEN

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

TCC student enrollment went up across the district and some students are noticing the change.

With the beginning of the school year, students new and returning are settling back into routine. Fall 2022 marks a year since the district returned to in-person classes and enrollment has been on the rise. Associate vice chancellor of enrollment and academic support services David Ximenez shared the statistics related to the increase.

“TCC’s District and Campus Enrollment History reveals our fall 2022 enrollment is up 7% over our fall 2021 enrollment,” he said. “This webpage reveals our fall 2022 census date enrollment is 43,531; compared to 40,561 students enrolled at census date in fall 2021.”

Ximenez said that he believes students are coming in because of the diversity of class choices as well as the tuition price rate. He also explained the efforts used not only to continue providing flexibility in options for classes but also to bring in more students to the district.

“TCC returned to primarily face-to-face classes in fall

Joel Solis/The Collegian

NE student employee Jon Anderson talks to students on his tour group in the NSTU building.

2021, while keeping a large inventory of online offerings for students who prefer remote class options,” Ximenez said. “TCC also increased its recruitment and onboarding communication efforts to attract prospective students and keep continuing students informed and engaged.”

South student Aisha Alfaro has noticed the new increase of students but isn’t sure if the trend will continue through the semester.

“I’ve noticed more people, but

like, forward on the year they start leaving.” she said.

Alfaro, a student with TCC for two semesters, shared her reasons for attending were primarily because she didn’t know what she wanted to do yet and the prices and location of South Campus were the best for her.

“They’re way less than the normal ones and this is near home,” she said.

South student Jacob Knott highlighted that a great aspect of

TCC is the ability to transfer credits to the schools of their choice.

“I think the main thing with enrollment is, keep in mind TCC, it’s known for having a very widespread amount of being able to transfer,” he said. “So a lot of people, they come, they’re able to get their base associates in whatever degree they need and then when they do transfer, they’re already ahead of the game. I think that’s probably why it’s a lot more increased compared to most basic universities.”

Student peer leader Ren Maenza-Oliver has had an up close look as to the increased enrollment rates through the orientations she leads around NE Campus.

“I’m pretty sure most of our orientations were at capacity which is 300, also our makeup sessions as well,” she said.

NE student Keandre Means is happy to see the increased number of students on campus and is sure some of the reasons are not just the affordability but also the faculty and the quality of education.

“The people I’ve met so far really enjoy learning here at TCC, so I think the uptick will be constant all semester,” he said.

Means explained the reason he enrolled was because of the quality of the radio and television program offered at NE Campus and how

much he is grateful for the program.

“The RTVB program here at TCC has helped me dive deeper into what it is I’m truly passionate about, while also giving me the necessary skills to pursue a fulfilling career with what I’ve learned,” he said. “Every single instructor that teaches in this program is so awesome and I really appreciate how dedicated and passionate they are about what they teach.”

The people I’ve met so far really enjoy learning here at TCC, so I think the uptick will be constant all semester.

Keandre Means NE student

Means is also grateful about the increase because of the liveliness and diversity that it brings to the school and its community. The only thing he’s noticed is a slight decrease in available parking spots.

“Parking has gotten a bit more difficult for me this semester, most likely because of the increase in students, but I still think it’s okay at the moment,” he said.

TRINITY RIVER

Joel Solis/The Collegian

TR student Journey Harrod Feeds Maddie, one of the registered therapy dogs, a treat at the T herapaws event in TR Campus fish tank while other students watch.

Therapy dogs provide support to TR Campus RABBIA MOLAI

managing editor rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu

TR students spent the day with therapy dogs during a now monthly event.

On Sep. 8, two therapy dogs along with their owners came to the TR Campus fish tank and allowed students to come and destress by spending time with them.

Library manager Stephanie Wineman, who organized the event, spoke about TCC prioritizing mental health for the students and faculty by using events like this to give them a break in between their schedules.

“I immediately saw the value

of students spending 15 or 20 minutes with the animals,” said Wineman “It is an opportunity for students to reset themselves. A reset mood, frame of mind or viewpoint helps students in their classes.”

According to Wineman, the Therapaws event has been held at TR Campus on and off since 2014, and now due to the positive student response, they plan on having the dogs come on a monthly basis.

“This will be our first visit for this new academic year,” Wineman said. “Responses from students are mostly positive. Most students welcome the time with the animals and look forward to their visits. We do track student visits and it shows that students visit again and again during our monthly sessions.”

The benefit for the therapy dogs is just time to destress and enjoy being a dog.

Lynne Buchwalde Therapy dog handler

For students like Danielle Mares, Therapaws is an event that she looks forward to every month.

“I really like just being able to come in here because I have such a busy schedule,” Mares said. “I work here and I am a full-time student, so coming in here and see-

ing the dogs really brightens my mood.”

The benefits of these events aren’t just for the students, according to Lynne Buchwald the owner of one of the therapy dogs, Maddie, said that these events also benefit the dogs.

“The benefit for the therapy dogs is just time to destress and enjoy being a dog,” Buchwald said.

Buchwalds pup Maddie, a schnauzer/terrier mix, was one of the two dogs at the event. She showed off tricks such as high fives and pressing a button to tell everyone her name. Maddie’s companion at the event was Cokeita, an old English sheepdog who cuddled up to guests and allowed them to braid her hair.

For students like Mares, these events are something she continues to look forward to as a way to have a balanced school experience.

“It’s a 5-10 minute break where I can just sit down and pet the dogs and admire them and it’s really nice.”

2 • Wednesday, September 14, 2022 MUSIC REVIEW

Two Door Cinema Club album is a mess

Photo Courtesy of YouTube

Screenshot from the music video for “Everybody’s Cool” by Two Door Cinema Club. The video features a mixture of random clips all related to the lyrics.

FROM THE LECTURE HALL TO THE PERFORMANCE HALL

FOR FREE

Students ride FREE in Tarrant County with TCC IDs!

Heads up, some Trinity Metro routes and services are changing. Starting Sept. 18, take bus route 5 to the TCC South Campus and our new Southeast ZIPZONE to the Southeast Campus.

Learn more at RIDETRINITYMETRO.org/TCC

ALEX HOBEN

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

Two Door Cinema Club’s latest album was a discordant mess with nuggets of gold but no consistency.

“Keep On Smiling”, the band’s comeback collection since the “Lost Songs (Found Album)”, was released on Sept. 2 and left a confusing aftertaste. The way the songs are mixed seem unbalanced at times and there isn’t any sort of flow within the album that a listener can follow. Instead they are given a disjointed, psychedelic and funky experience that will confound.

The overall vibe of the album is a low-key and manic depression spiral all painted with a fun gold facade.

When listening to the songs, it evokes when the person you’ve known to always smile and be bright and happy is having a hard time and their smile and cheer is starting to slip into something crazier.

The longer you listen to the songs the more chaotic elements can be heard. The melodies are bright while the lyrics are dour, if you can even hear them.

The instrumentals hit heavy and chaotic one second then fall back into the background the next with barely any transition and there’s no way to parse through all the talking head and voice samples they decided to work in there.

The way this album somehow fights within its own songs is almost impressive. The main song that shows this is “Little Piggy”, a psychedelic grungy fever dream that I still don’t understand.

The lyrics are nonsensical, the rhythm break with just repeating “little piggy” multiple times took me out and the music just refuses to meld into a cohesive piece. The abrupt switches in styles of music within the song make it seem like there are three different tracks all competing for dominance all wanting to show off but none of the actual prowess shows through.

It goes from crunched-out vocals with metallic tech synths to melodic falsetto singing with flourishes on the end in a second. Then they also try to work in a choir of both harmonies as well as monotone speaking, it just does not work.

The parts where the singing was the main focus were good but then the heavy clanking of chords at the end throws that out of your mind.

Not all the songs on the album were that confusing though, quite a few

were pretty decent and well-rounded in terms of rhythm and meaning.

My favorite song on the album is “Wonderful Life” because it’s by far the most put together and an enjoyable listen. The song is a standard preppy 80s inspired medley with fun upbeat drum samples and electric guitar strums to pull you into the bouncy rhythm.

The lyrics, in contrast to the music, have quite a deeper meaning.

They implore the listener to try and realize their potential because it takes much more than dreams to get their wonderful life. Even calling them out by saying “Talk about it, but you never ever want to think about it.” As if to say: you always talk about a great life you want, but never think about how to get there or the consequences of what will happen when you want it.

Other enjoyable songs with one or two problems are found throughout the album, especially “Everybody’s Cool” and “Lucky”. These had the most polish and sounded like they belonged to the same world of music.

Though I will say the ending to “Feeling Strange” certainly left me feeling strange with the random offbeat echoing piano plucking after the vocals and synth just went through a fantastic stacking and blending.

With almost every song on this album I have at least one major critique about its quality. I’ll like one very specific part of the song such as the chorus, but then it’ll move to the next verse and lose me again and I hate that. It’s best if you have some sort of rhythm or theme from one song to the next so it doesn’t sound like it’s haphazardly thrown-together.

I think the main thing that confused me about the album was how much it differed from the music that Two Door Cinema Club has done in the past. “Undercover Martyn” and “What You Know” are fantastic tracks that have held up years past their debut. But this album feels more like I can listen to it then immediately forget it, which I feel is ridiculous, especially for a two year absence.

Overall, “Keep On Smiling” feels like I was given a generic b-list 80s band’s CD that was adjusted for this era’s depression and manic nature.

They tried to recapture the same magic of the genre but instead just declined the quality of their own style. I enjoy very specific songs on this album but as a whole it was a convoluted mess to try and sort through.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 • 3 EDITORIAL

Is having children these days a smart idea?

For years, traditions have dictated that as we get older, our job is to at some point have children, but is doing so the right decision considering the current state of the world?

Many people these days don’t see having children in their personal futures. A major reason can be that the world we are living in is not only not suited for children but is often actively against them.

Being a parent means constantly worrying about the health and safety of a child. How can you guarantee a child’s security in a country where elementary schools are used as shooting ranges?

Depending on what state you live in, the prospect of being pregnant can be dangerous in its own right. Assuming you make it through that, the basics of trying to keep a child alive have grown even more complicated due to the rise of gun violence in the U.S..

For those on the fence, the safety reason alone can keep them on the no-go side. But for those who have grown up dreaming of becoming parents, the worries move past physical safety. For Generation Z and millennials, life has not been easy from an economic standpoint.

These generations experienced two major recessions, while also dealing with traumas from political events and, of course, COVID-19.

Witnessing major political events can be traumatizing for anyone, but for a young adult, they can have a lasting mental impact.

These issues don’t just reflect the present. They represent a picture of the future that prospective parents would throw their kids into.

Previous generations made a point of sucking all the good from the world and leaving the youngsters with the scraps. So it’s not hard to see why young people wouldn’t want to put the same pressures on the next generation.

Seeing and living through these issues has meant many people are now “waiting for the right time” —

the right time being when inflation isn’t making basic grocery shopping a game of “What do I need more?”

Or when the stress of paying back hundreds of thousands in student loan debt isn’t creeping up every waking moment.

Even veteran parents want to lock their kids in a box for fear of what lies ahead.

Tj Favela/The Collegian

Unfortunately, that’s not an option. Parents have to choose between scarring their kids for life by telling them the true reality of the world or risking the dangers if they continue to live in ignorance.

For previous generations, hiding the world’s wicked ways was a lot simpler, mostly because the issues at hand didn’t literally exist in

their hands.

Technology may be a necessity but it can also be dangerous if not handled properly. Most adults grew up with either none or very minimal amounts of technology and social media use. However, for younger generations, social media is something that many have before they can even read. It is so common to see children with their own phones, but how does free reigning access to the internet and other people’s opinions really affect them?

While knowing how to navigate technology is an important skill to have, it comes with the risks of cyberbullying, access to inappropriate websites and online predators.

Given the facts, it’s not unreasonable to see why so many people are not having children of their own. Some people have found comfort in the idea of adoption, but with as many problems that people face perhaps, some of the worst can be found in the foster care or adoption system.

Seeing an overgrown and underfunded system such as foster care or adoption seems to be the one beacon of light for those who still want a family. The kids in the system are not only more susceptible to world issues due to their unstable environment, but many are navigating these issues completely alone.

The truth is, “traditional family values” are changing. The next generation of parents is more concerned about their circumstances and ethically raising children than they are about just continuing the family name.

VIEWPOINTS

COVID time warp taken major toll on my mental well-being

ALEX HOBEN

editor-in-chief

alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu

Any concept of time for me has fled in the aftermath of the COVID lockdown and my entrance into the real adult world.

I keep almost being late to class. Now for most, this isn’t an important issue because “almost” is in there, but I hate it. I’ve always prided myself to always be there when I’m needed, be it events or just randomly meeting people. But lately, it hasn’t felt like that. It now feels like I’m constantly playing catchup just to meet the present.

The era of lockdown took something from all of us. For me, it was my ability to perceive time. Now, I’m not talking about knowing the day on an analytical level, even though during the worst of the pandemic it felt like that. Instead sometimes it feels like I can’t accurately keep track of what happens in a day when there’s just so much both personally and on the news.

I lost the years when I was supposed to be starting to make it as an adult, and I’m sure this new inability to track time correctly is my brain trying to make up for those lost opportunities. When someone asks me how old I am, I have to hesitate now because I’ll want to say what my age was during the pandemic.

When I look at a calendar, it’s like it doesn’t fully settle that we are in the latter half of 2022. It feels like just yesterday, it

Rise of “clean girl” aesthetic reveals hypocrisy within media

was 2019 and I was hearing the echoes of a virus without truly comprehending what it meant. But it’s not 2019. It’s three years later.

For a full year, I was shut inside and had pretty much nothing to help me keep track of the days and months that had passed me by because I was too afraid to go out and risk infection.

So much happened in that COVID year with no way to connect it with the time that passed. It was like swimming in an ocean looking for any life raft or buoy to hang onto, but instead you get another wave that pulls you under.

When we were allowed to come out and start experiencing the world again, I was still counting the COVID cases on my phone rather than the hours I was spending in classes or at my new job. I measured the day by the graph provided by The New York Times each morning and didn’t bother looking at the date.

Somehow, even though I work in a job I love, meet new people and have fun every day, I still can’t quite keep track of how much has happened in such a short amount of time.

I will discuss something that supposedly happened a year ago, then realize it was actually just the month before.

It feels like there’s a world changing event every week, yet I still have to remember what someone said to me 10 minutes ago? It’s impossible. My brain is overloaded every day, even after a year of being out and about.

What worries me is how I don’t know if this will ever change. It’s been a year, but I’m still almost late, and I keep feeling like every day is longer than it actually is. Will I constantly be checking my charts, clocks and calendars instead of living in the moment?

Will I ever be able to see time not as an everpresent force but an opportunity?

RABBIA MOLAI

managing editor

rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu

Slicked-back hair, minimal makeup and dainty gold jewelry are the trademark of a 21st -century “it girl”, at least they are now.

For years, women of color have faced public persecution for the fashion and beauty trends that have now entered mass media.

But why is it that when Black girls wear big hoops and clear lip gloss it’s seen as ghetto but when white models or influencers do the same it’s chic?

The same can be said for South Asian beauty standards. For many Desi girls, the ritual of wearing gold jewelry and getting their hair oiled has been passed down for generations. But many have given up their traditions after being scarred by the ridicule they faced because theyof i for did not fitting the quintessential American beauty standards. and the ridicule they faced because of it.

These days, it’s impossible to open your Instagram feed as a person of color without seeing some form of your culture being taken over and watered down with no credit to be given. And unfortunately, beauty standards and trends are only the beginning.

Many Hispanic people were outraged when TikTtok trends emerged of people making “spa water” or “corn on a stick.”

News flash, agqua frescas and elote have been around forever and they don’t need to be redone.

The issue here is not with people wanting to partake in food or beauty standards from other cultures. It should be noted, that there is a difference between appreciating a part of someone’s culture and appropriating it. Completely changing the name for something and passing it off as a new idea is not cultural appreciation.

What makes it worse is when a person of the ethnicpeople group whose traditions are being gentrified tries to point out their displeasure and is immediately met with a medley of “it’s not a big deal, just get over it.”

If it truly wasn’t a big deal then the act wouldn’t have been done in the first place. America is known as a melting pot for a reason, there are hundreds of different cultures and traditions practiced within the country., and n No one has said that learning or experiencing them is a bad thing.

For people of color, traditions such as the way they dress and the food they make represent more than just beauty and sustenance. They represent ancestral pain and tradition that generations of people have fought tooth and nail to keep protected in a foreign land.

We live in a world where the knowledge of anything and everything can be attained with just a few clicks. Cultural sensitivity and awareness should not be this much of an issue in the 21st century. As a society, it is our job to not only be well informed before blasting something on the internet, but also be willing to sit with the discomfort of making a mistake and rectifying it.

Beauty and food are two of the best ways to bring people together, especially on the internet. We just need to remain mindful about where our ideas are coming from and who should be receiving the credit for them.

Letter Policy The Collegian is a weekly student publication serving the Tarrant County College District. Editorial statements and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the TCC administration.

Letters to the paper should be 150 words or less, free from libel and poor taste and include the writer’s Colleague ID or telephone number (the numbers will not be published). Letters may be brought to The Collegian of-

fice (NCAB 1124A, NE Campus),or mailed to: The Collegian 828 Harwood Road Hurst, TX 76054

@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu TCC is an equal opportunity institution that provides educational and employment opportunities on the basis of merit and without discrimination because of race, color,

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Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alex Hoben

MANAGING EDITOR Rabbia Molai

ILLUSTRATORS Tj Favela

PHOTOGRAPHERS Ariel Desantiago

LEAD DESIGNER Hannah Seese

DESIGN & WEBSITE Shelby Gatewood

PHOTO EDITOR Joel Solis

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Nathan Hailu

Professional Staff ADVISER Chris Whitley PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacy Luecker

4 • Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Helping Hands Hold Community Family Empowerment Center on South highlights possibilities ALEX HOBEN

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

Photos by Ariel Desantiago/The Collegian

TCC student Jacob Garcia looks at a booth around the community resource fair.

Hayley Brant speaks to students during the event.

Attorney Cameron White talks to TCC students about Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas.

TCC’s Family Empowerment Center held a community event to highlight the various resources available to everyone in Tarrant County.

On Sept. 8, in the courtyard just beyond SSTU, the community resource fair was available to students and faculty. Booths and tents were set up with colorful and informative flyers, swag to be handed out and bright red balloon arches swaying in the wind. The event was arranged by the staff behind the center: coordinator Allison Knott and South student activities employee Amalia Guadalupe; they have been planning this event since April.

“We’re a very small, but mighty team. It’s only the two of us, Amalia and myself,” Knott said.

Knott was excited to see the turnout for the event and to share what the center can provide for the TCC community.

“The Family Empowerment Center is like a one-stop shop for resources for our students in the community,” she said. “We support them by assisting with food, clothing and shelter. We offer financial literacy workshops, we have legal workshops and we oversee the campus food pantry. We also bring in the Tarrant area food bank once a month to do the fresh market.”

Knott said that the Family Resource Center is the only one in the district located on South Campus, which means that they take referrals and cases from across the campuses all to help the TCC community.

“We just want students to know that the family empowerment center is here to serve them,” Knott said. “We’re in building SFOF and we’re open five days a week, eight to five.”

Guadalupe explained that the main point of the center is to take the burden off the shoulders of students so they can focus on their studies rather than their stresses.

The Tarrant Area Food Bank truck offers food to TCC students at the community resource fair.

“We want to make sure any barriers the students have, we can help them to be successful in the school,” she said.

The booths set up were not only related to TCC but to the Tarrant County area. One of them was Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, a non-profit law firm that offers its services to students as long as they are under a certain income level.

Attorney Cameron White explained that the firm provided counseling and representation to those having issues with moving, as well as providing assistance with expunctions and nondisclosures to help students apply for jobs.

“You can actually speak with an attorney so long as it’s a civil legal issue, by all means, feel free to call, and we should be able to provide some assistance.” White said.

South student Rilesha Bowles was excited to share that it was her first day employed with the center and she was happy to find a place at TCC that aligned with her values.

“I lead a women’s empowerment group that I launched at the beginning of the year and I was approved for work study, so I had passed by the office before,” she said. “The Family Empowerment Center was just a great addition to what I’ve already been doing, and I feel that is going to be a great resource and help for me in school while I’m in school and my career as well.”

South student Jordyn Turner at the Family Empowerment Center booth.

TCC students Jade Tijerina check out the many swag laid out at a booth at the fair.

Illustration by Hannah Seese/The Collegian