Students, staff explore NW05 Chinese spy balloon found over Montana
TCC faculty and students were taken on a tour through the NW05 building currently being constructed.
On Feb. 6, two groups were led on tours throughout the active construction site where NW05 is being built. The construction company Skanska cleared out most of their workers for the tours and so the members of the TCC community were able to see a glimpse of what the completed building would look like.
The groups were taken on a circuit of the mostly-completed part of the three-floor building, and shown examples of what completed classrooms and labs would look like. NW05 includes the entirety of the Early College High School space as well as a wing for all of the sciences on campus, the tours explored both.
Executive director of institutional and strategic project development Margaret Lutton, who is acting as the liaison between many departments for this project, led the student tour and explained the design theories behind the buildings: clarity, connectivity, community, identity, efficiency and stewardship. All of these principles were aimed at the betterment of the TCC community.
“The design was very empathetic to students and how they function within the space,” Lutton said.
NW vice president of academic affairs Thomas Sosa said he was amazed to see the plans for the building come to fruition.
“When all of this planning started I was a faculty member,” he said. “I was a biology faculty member, and I was at one of the advisory panels that really contributed to the design of these structural spaces. So to go from those initial thoughts about these spaces and the planning for these spaces, to see it in person is just so exciting, so I’m excited.
I’m personally excited about all of it.”
Lutton said the color scheme both on the outside and inside of the building had a Texas-specific theme.
“Notice the colors of the inside of the building match that of the Texas iconology,” Lutton said. “The sediment, the foundations, the oranges, the yellows. That all matches the Texas icon for this building, which is sedimentary.”
NW ECHS student and SGA Senate chair Makayla Johnson was there as a student representative, and said she was excited to see the new building even if she won’t get the chance to use it since she is graduating
DISTRICT
this semester. But according to Johnson, the next generation of students are excited about it.
“Especially the juniors,” she said.
“They’ve actually been bragging to us ‘Ha, we’ll get to see the new building and you guys won’t.’ So I mean, hey it’s alright, they’re the ones who spent their freshman year online not me.”
Senior superintendent of the Skanska construction crew Greg Houle said floors two and three are more completed than floor one, and that he is excited to finish up both NW05 and NW01 so they can go build two
more buildings.
“Can’t wait to get y’all in here,” Houle said. “I hope everybody sticks around for two and a half years when they can see this thing done done. It’s going to be beautiful.”
Lutton said her favorite part about the building is the view from the building to the lake, the new classrooms and the new labs provided to students.
“It is an easily accessible building which will house a great deal of swing space activities until the new buildings are built,” she said. “Once it opens, if in doubt, go to NW05.”
Students speak on brutality after Nichols’ death
Tyre’s.”
XAVIER BOATNER campus editor xavier.boatner@my.tccd.eduTCC students voice their opinions following the invasion of multiple Chinese spy balloons.
On Feb. 2, people across the nation caught wind of a then unfamiliar surveillance balloon floating high above the continental United States. According to the NYTimes, US officials confirmed the strange balloon to be part of a Chinese spying operation.
According to CBS News, the initial balloon was shot down on Feb. 4, which has caused tension to stir between the two countries. This has led many to reflect on the incident, and people have begun debating whether or not the frenzy surrounding the balloon’s capabilities or China’s intentions was blown out of proportion.
Some believe that China’s entire spy balloon operation was justified, while others feel China had no business sending unidentified objects into the United States, to begin with.
NW Campus student Robert Flores agreed with the former stance.
“I’ve seen the ‘chinese spy balloon’ all over my TikTok and Instagram,” he said. “I think that the worry is justified to an extent.”
Meanwhile, Connect Campus student Alfredo Martinez agreed with the latter stance.
“I definitely think that people’s anger was not justified,” he said. “It was all guided by mystery. Simply because it is unknown, it caused fear.”
Disagreements in regard to whether or not the panic was justified are plentiful, and seemingly quite divisive.
However, both students agree that, despite their differing opinions on whether or not the fear was warranted, speculation about the true intentions behind the balloon and the scope of its capabilities shouldn’t be a big source of concern.
“I honestly can’t say what its true intentions were. It could truly be a weather balloon that veered off course,” Flores said. “I doubt that it was a balloon meant to cause explosive or chemical damage to US citizens.”
Flores said he believes the balloon was built for a single purpose and that he didn’t see any reason to be worried by its appearance.
“The possibility of it being any more than a tool to get information is very slim,” Martinez said. “I personally did not think anything bad about the object. Again it was just a balloon over in the sky. The balloon itself was not dangerous. The intention of it was to just get information. There is no reason to be scared or fearful,” he said.
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died as a result of brute force and abuse by officers of the Memphis, Tennessee police department.
This occurred on Jan. 7, when he was stopped due to reckless driving. Immediately after the altercation he was brought to a nearby hospital where he died of his sustained injuries three days later.
The start of COVID-19 and the shutdown of the nation opened many people’s eyes into police brutality against Black people, and for SE student Yulitza Ruvalcaba it made her more aware.
“Since George Floyd, I definitely think people and also myself are more aware of police brutality, and it has become more well known since 2020,” Ruvalcaba said. “I wasn’t really aware prior to Floyd that police brutality was as bad as it was.”
In regards to police brutality, she believes that the only thing that would help these situations would be police reform. She expresses her feelings towards her safety being threatened.
“It’s very overwhelming, and it doesn’t make me feel safe. You’d think that in a country like America, these kinds of things wouldn’t happen,” she said. “But they happen almost everyday and it honestly makes it so that I’m scared to live and stay in this country.”
She feels as though the main thing that
can help police brutality and these sorts of situations is police reform. The body cameras for Nichols’ case were released 20 days after his death whilst Floyd’s footage was released almost three months afterwards. With most of Nichols’ officers being Black and Floyd’s being mostly white and mixed race, Ruvalcaba believes it is for malicious intent.
To NE student Elizabeth Palpan, nothing has been done to solve or dissipate the issue of police brutality.
“Federally, no I don’t think anything has been done in regards to police brutality; it’s or gun violence in general,” she said. “Some cities’ solutions have voted to defund the police but the core of the issue is white supremacy and systemic racism.”
Palpan said that in her opinion the delaying of Floyd’s footage was because of the riots in combination with the COVID19 pandemic and that she feels overwhelmed by violence in the U.S.. SE student Tony Fernandez explains his perspective on action from the U.S. government.
“There are cops that have been working since a certain time where black people and other minorities weren’t accepted as we are now,” he said. “So the way they see us is different, which leads them to act the way they do.”
Fernandez understood that even if he isn’t affected directly, he can sympathize with the Black community.
“At first, I didn’t think it was related to race but I think Floyd’s footage wasn’t released earlier because they wanted to cover it up as long as they could,” she said.
“It makes me think that by releasing Tyre’s footage earlier they’re doing it in an attempt to pit black people against each other and I think that’s what’s going to start happening if we keep seeing more cases like
“It doesn’t affect me directly because I’m not the one being persecuted, but it is similar to ICE splitting families up for no reason,” he said.
“I think there’s a lot of hate in the world right now and just – be kind to people,” Ruvalcaba said. “You don’t know what another person’s going through, and it’s the time where we should be united, not tearing each other down.”
Regardless of how harmful or harmless the balloons are, there are still many people around the country that still aren’t convinced that China should’ve even sent any sort of spy equipment into the United States without any warning.
“I believe that the US is and was, well within its rights to defend its own airspace against an unknown and possible threat regardless of what its true intentions are,” Flores said. “If it were truly a weather balloon that was at risk of flying into foreign airspace, China should have taken the proper steps in communicating, before letting an unknown object float around foreign countries.”
The entire ordeal has split numerous people across the states. Some feel uneasy, and some feel indifferent.
The arrival of the spy balloon will likely result in a greater discussion breaking out in the future involving what other countries should and shouldn’t do with their technologies and operations.
There are cops that have been working since a certain time where black people and other minorities weren’t accepted as we are now.Tony Fernandez SE student Joe Granita/Zuma Press/TNS Debris falling from the sky after an alleged Chinese spy balloon was shot down by an F-22 military fighter jet.
TCC will “LOV3” the SE Festival of New Plays
HOPE SMITH managing editor hope.smith393@my.tccd.eduSE campus is hosting the Festival of New Plays this spring where four award-winning student-written plays were selected for production. Among them is “LOV3,” written by Emanuel Omweri and directed by Derek Salazar.
Expected to show Feb. 22, 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m., the festival performances will take place in the Black Box Theatre, ESEE 1316.
The play centers around a girl named Jenny, and child psychologist Dr. Bleu who works with her to decipher her meaning of love with an offsetting, comedic and offbeat tone as the play progresses and watchers learn that Jenny is a robot that is incapable of love.
Salazar said after reading the play, he knew he wanted to direct it because of its look into love.
“It explores these patterns of love and how we define our love and how outside forces help shape our idea of love,” Salazar said.
SE student Isara Al-Hilo who acts as Jenny said that because of how different the piece is from what she’s done before, she has been learning new things and explained her character’s perspective of love as it differs and Jenny’s journey to explain it.
“I guess for Jenny her perspective of love is very, very different from everybody else,”
Al-Hilo said. “It’s very interesting to see how she tries to explain to Dr. Bleu what her meaning of love is, what she cares about,” Al-Hilo said.
Salazar explained that much of the theme of the play revolved around defining love. For Jenny, Salazar said she first defines love from the textbook definition.
“We all have our different definitions of love,” Salazar said. “We’re not always like, ‘It’s what’s in the dictionary, that’s what love means.’ but it’s like each one of us has our own little baggage. Our own little dip into what love is.”
For cast member and SE student Jadon Carrier who acted as Dr. Bleu, he said he was happy with the process and thought production was running well.
“I think it’s been going pretty smoothly,” Carrier said. “I think it’s going a lot better than we thought, especially our progress. We’ve only been off the books for three days, and we’re actually doing really well.”
Dr. Bleu, who Carrier said experienced a complicated upbringing, was an interesting character.
“His whole thing is giving people a chance,” Carrier said.
This production was the first that assistant stage manager Jace Givens was working with Salazar. Givens said that working with AlHilo and Carrier has been easy because of how quickly the two picked up their lines.
“It’s the first time I’ve worked with Derek
as a director, and it’s been really interesting to see how he made the show change from how we started to now, and we aren’t even in tech yet, and it looks pretty good,” Givens said.
Both Givens and Al-Hilo said they were excited for showings as Al-Hilo was ready for
their hard work to be seen and Givens wanted to see the audience’s thoughts.
“I’m excited for the audience’s reactions. I wanna hear how people understand the show and how they see it because it’s a unique show – in my opinion,” Givens said.
Speakers show students opportunites during HBCU event
Creating a space for students to be able to look around and learn about different HBCUs can be of benefit to those who haven’t been exposed to the universities.
Deciding where to go to college can be a difficult choice. Taking into consideration the cost, location and social life can be important for students.
Representatives from HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) sat in the main commons area of SE Feb. 9 to greet students and answer questions about what their schools offer, from the different programs to sorority and fraternity life.
“I’m representing my school, Texas Southern University, and my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA),” representative Doris Smith said. “I would like students to take away that they can get a good education at an HBCU and socialization.”
“It’s all about exposure and opportunity, and that’s what I’m here to talk about,” Langston University representative Troy Stoutermire said.
Stoutermire said these outreaches are important for students to see opportunities around them.
“I believe that as many high school students I see on a regular basis, I have to see junior college students as well who may be looking for different opportunities after they leave this space,” he said.
Having the opportunity to talk to representatives can help students who may feel like they don’t have the information they need.
“I know I don’t want to go to a PWI,
but I was kind of lacking the information,” SE student Donvanne Snow said.
While informants from PWI (predominantly white institutions) may have been able to reach students better than HBCUs, making sure students understand that they’re just as great may be important for those led to believe otherwise.
“Recruiters from the PWIs may have been around more, but everything that’s being offered at a PWI, is offered at an HBCU,” Smith said.
Making sure students are aware of all of the resources available to them when it comes to paying for college can be important for them.
“I’m always happy to talk to students about scholarships and how we can help fund their education,” Stoutermire said.
For some students, having the opportunity to learn about HBCUs and connect
themselves with their advisors and representatives, means that they may be able to be in a space that’s more supportive.
“I think it’s very important because when I grew up I wasn’t very proud of who I was,” SE student Mary Akitade said. “The schools I went to were predominantly white, so going to an HBCU where I get to be around our people and learn about myself, especially because I’m not only Black, I’m African as well, so it’s important.”
SE student Jerica Lindsey said a similar sentiment.
“I feel like there’s more support and culture at an HBCU - you feel at home.”
Being reaffirmed by hearing about others’ positive experiences can help students feel good about attending in the future.
“I’ve heard a lot of positive things,” Snow said. “My cousin is an alumni of Xavier University and she loved it.”
COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY VS.
Along with the many differences between universities and community colleges, the contrasts of students’ social lives and the party scene of the school can be more apparent.
Despite students acknowledging this, some still have a positive outlook on their community college experience.
“I can say that my social life at TCC is pretty fun,” SE Campus student Tam Ho said.“The easiest way for me to make friends is to join clubs.”
Participating in clubs and organizations offered at campuses can make it easier for students struggling to make connections at a commuter school like TCC.
“My social life at TCC is very abundant, however, I would say my involvement on campus with clubs and activities has helped immensely when it comes to making new friends and building connections with other students,” SE student Xander Todd said.
It can be easier said than done to simply suggest that students should join a club if they are struggling with making friends and having fun while at community college.
“I think because TCC has many campuses, when they advertise clubs or organizations I don’t really pay attention because most of the time the organization is at a campus that is pretty out of the way for me,” SE student Ravion Shepard said. “I think universities might have it a little easier in that regard.”
Due to the many campuses TCC has, finding a club of interest that isn’t too far away can be a challenge that students at universities may not have.
“All dorm halls hold events daily as well as study groups in the lobby,” UTA student Aysha Mirza said. “This made it easy to just walk downstairs from my room to meet up with friends to play pool or study with my roommates.”
Not only can finding the right club be easier on UTA students, but they also have the opportunity to build relationships with those interested in pursuing the same major.
“The university also requires all freshmen to take a major based course class their first semester,” Mirza said. “This is a class with students of all the same major to learn about resources and clubs on campus, and make friends within our own community,” she said.
Going out of one’s way to make friends and learn about the resources
available
to TCC students may be the best way to make the most out of one’s social life on campus.
“It can be hard at times as some people are simply too shy and nervous to make those connections,” Todd said. “But it really just takes realizing everyone is in the same boat at the end of the day.”
Some TCC students already involved in clubs care about getting more people to join different groups and activities.
“As a student worker, my friends and I always promote events and encourage students to join,” Ho said. “We always want students to succeed, have fun and engage.”
Community college students also may not have the opportunity to experience the stereotypical party scene known to be more of an experience associated with large universities.
“I think the party scene is nonexistent unless you happen to be friends with people at that party,” Shepard said. “We don’t have many events that would allow a party scene to flourish at TCC like most universities that have homecoming and sports games,” she said.
“FOMO”, a common acronym used to describe the fear of missing out, can be a prominent feeling for those having to watch their peers experience some of the more movie - like college experiences.
“Sometimes I feel like I miss out on the ‘true college experience’ by going to TCC, so I wouldn’t be surprised if other students felt that as well,” Shepard said. “When you see everyone attending homecoming games and parties, it’s pretty easy to feel like you’ve made the wrong choice in attending a community college.”
Due to the environment university students tend to be in, it’s no secret that throwing parties may be easier for multiple reasons.
“A lot of students live in apartments on campus therefore it may be easier to throw parties,” Mirza said. “I think typically students at community college live at home, so it may be harder to get out or even throw parties.”
Despite “FOMO” and the lack of parties at TCC, Todd said that he still believes there are enjoyable experiences to be had.
“I am someone who loves to experience and I am a chronic FOMO fighter, and at times I have felt there are things I am missing out on at TCC compared to those at universities, but I genuinely believe if you make the best out of it there’s nothing to miss,” he said.
“I have fun everyday on campus.”
Community college and university students discuss the differences in their social livesPhoto courtesy of Xander Todd Photo courtesy of Aysha Mirza SE student and SGA secretary Xander Todd participates in the Tie Dye Tuesday event for Spirit Week held on SE Campus. UTA students take photo for the Shorthorn, UTA’s student newspaper. UTA student Aysha Mirza said it is easier to find socials in UTA dorms.
‘Teen Wolf’: disappointing us after six years
The long wait is over, but they should have taken longer to perfect
“Teen Wolf: The Movie” came out after a hiatus of almost six years, and I have never been more disappointed.
To begin, arguably the most important character in the series, Stiles Stilinski, was not there. Shock, disbelief and distraught are words that come to mind when Dylan O’Brien announced that his character would not be in the movie. So, going into it it can be assumed that the movie was not going to be the best.
The movie’s plot was okay. It was about bringing back Allison Argent, a character who had died, back into the land of the living after her father and Scott McCall, the protagonist, had visions of her screaming for help. She is caught by the Nogitsune, an ancient Japanese being that feeds off of pain.
The need for the series to bring back dead characters was seriously annoying. Not only have the characters that remained alive moved on, but the dead tend to ruin other aspects of people’s lives too. The movie continued this with Argent horribly.
Everyone seems to be going about their lives, 15 years after her death. But she just had to appear once again so they all gathered in Beacon Hills to save her. Admittedly, my animosity towards her arrival was due to my enthusiasm towards McCall and Malia Tate, the coyote of the pack. Their ‘love’ seemed more genuine but Allison ruined that with her screams for help.
While McCall’s alpha mentality—to no one’s surprise—remained, the possibility of the movie being more than just about saving Allison seemed like the better ideal. Because everything about the series was very hot and speedy, it would have been a fresh perspective to the entire franchise.
There was more cussing than expected, the series was not very family friendly considering the fact that people are in danger
all the time, but the target audience seemed to be the younger Generation Z. Some prude cussing was in the series, but their obvious steer towards ‘authenticity’ crashed into an oak tree.
The movie wasn’t all bad though. The fact that they still cared about each other years later and how they banded together to save one of their own was admirable. McCall isn’t a demanding alpha but a guiding one, so he guided his pack pretty well in trying to save Allison.
The whole movie was about two hours
long, and for the amount of information surrounding the plot and considering the fact that it was an action movie, everything felt rushed. There were so many developments in the 15 years that they haven’t seen in each other that would have been great to uncover.
For instance, how McCall recovered from everything that occurred in his teen years, especially with being chased by a million supernatural species in order to save either himself or people in Beacon Hills. I’d even watch it if it was a little longer than two hours.
VIDEO GAME REVIEW CROSSWORD
Hi-Fi Rush takes over floor in cartoonish style
Unfortunately, this did not happen. Stiles’ famous and very loved Jeep was there but he wasn’t. Allison being saved was boring even with the special effects, and there was cursing galore. It just felt like an elongated episode, and hopefully if there is another season or movie, a better job will be done – with Stiles of course.
Xbox took the internet by storm with “HiFi Rush,” a colorful, rhythmic action game that takes pride in being absolutely delightful.
Developer Tango Gameworks and publisher Bethesda simultaneously announced and released “Hi-Fi Rush” on Jan. 26, which is unprecedented for not only a modern video game release, but a modern media release in general. It’s a risky move, especially for a completely new property, to come out with no prior marketing or announcement.
However, “Hi-Fi Rush” has defied the odds and has been released to critical and financial acclaim. This is because, to put it bluntly, it’s bursting at the seams with charm and style.
The art style is stunning and makes the game stand out in the sea of muted colors in other modern game releases. There’s a varied array of saturated colors that decorate the levels. The cel-shading and use of 2D animation ingame make the game world pop in a beautiful way.
Speaking of the animation, oh my goodness the animation in this game is unbelievably good. I can’t help but feel like this game’s animation is at least somewhat inspired by “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” mainly due to the way it frames its action sequences and the way characters move and pose. It’s a sight to behold, and a massive leap forward for video game animation.
The main character Chai, voiced by Robbie Daymond, bumps up and down to the beat of the music alongside the game world itself. Yes, the backgrounds of the levels are animated to dance with the music. Not in a
weird “everything is alive” way, but in a “very loud music is playing and the ground is shaking” kind of way. And it’s so much fun.
But what about the gameplay itself? Is it any good – of course it’s good. It’s honestly better than good, to be honest. Everything in the game centers around music. Everything, everywhere, all at once. It’s all about the music, and it’s lovely.
The player’s goal is to beat up evil corporate robots to the beat of the music with their robot arm and guitar.
Chai can attack to the beat to deal higher damage, dodge to the beat to immediately get another dodge without recharging, and even block enemy attacks to the beat to launch their projectiles back at them. This is just scratching the surface of what’s capable. There’s so much depth to be found here, so long as you can dance to the game’s music.
As for the music, it’s great. It’s got that alternative/punkish feel which adds so much youthful energy to the atmosphere of the game. It elevates the infectious charm and personality of the gameplay and characters exceptionally well and makes for a memorable auditory experience.
This is the perfect game to kick the New Year off with. In recent years, it’s become increasingly apparent that the world has seen better days. It’s tough out there, and having a game that is so unapologetically fun and energetic is such a fantastic thing.
I honestly can’t recommend “Hi-Fi Rush” enough. It really is just that good.
Across
1. “There is no reason to be scared or ___,” Martinez said.
7. An organization or society meant to foster longlasting connections amongst college men.
9. In Hi-Fi, you fight to the beat of the ____.
10. Last name of the 29-year-old Black man that has recently died due to police brutality.
11. The theater_____manages a production.
13. A ____ is a machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.
14. An_____is the assembled spectators or listeners at an event.
16. The state where Nichols passes away.
19. He was ___ red-handed!
20. A sweatshirt with an additional piece of cloth that wraps around the user’s head.
21. A law enforcement authority sworn to serve and protect.
25. People across the ___ caught wind of a then unfamiliar surveillance balloon floating high above the continental United States.
28. A _____ is an expert or specialist in psychology.
30. The last name of the owner of the clothing brand “Share the Melody”.
31. A group that divides humans in terms of shared characteristics.
32. The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk or tragedy.
33. A___ is an annual celebration or anniversary.
34. The last name of the owner of the clothing brand Youthful Bloom.
35. People have begun debating whether or not the ___ surrounding the balloon’s capabilities.
38. A_____ is a group of actors who make up a film or stage play.
Down
2. A noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public
3. “I think that the ___ is justified to an extent,” Flores said.
4. The initial balloon was shot down on Feb. 4, which has caused ____ to stir between the two countries.
5. Roiland, He’s the co-creator of “Rick and Morty.”
6. A style of dressing up in regard to clothes.
8. A grant or payment made to support a student’s education.
12. A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society.
15. The main character of Hi-Fi is named ____.
17. The country went into _______ following the introduction of COVID.
18. Daymond, He voices the main character of Hi-Fi.
22. “I doubt that it was a balloon meant to cause ____ or chemical damage to US citizens,” Flores said.
23. Acronym for “Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”
24. ____ is an intense feeling of deep affection.
26. A ____ is a building or outdoor area in which plays and other dramatic performances are given.
27. The name of the man whose death led to many protests in the height of 2020.
29. A scenario in which cars are stationary while on the road.
36. Tango Gameworks released a game by the name of Hi-Fi ___.
37. There’s nothing “____” about this, Justin.
Police brutality: Will this issue ever end?
Yet another Black man, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, was brutally assaulted by the local police in Memphis, Tennessee.
On the evening of Jan. 7, Nichols was stopped by the Memphis police department because of “reckless driving.” The police officers engaged in severe physical assault including pepper spray and beating that eventually led to his death on Jan. 10.
For some, this is unfortunately another reminder of the police system we have in the U.S.. Violence brought on by the police is thought of as a consistent theme in the country’s history.
In the year of 2020, many remembered George Floyd’s death as the one that educated them on police brutality against Black men and women. Treyvon Martin, Floyd, Daunte Wright, Adre Hill, Manuel Ellis and Breanna Taylor are a few of them. However, it slowly became something many have gotten used to and are desensitized from because they believe that nothing will be done by the authorities.
Belief in more body cameras, accountability and psychological tests in training seems like a good idea but with no systematic change happening, hope is seemingly lost.
Not only has the death of another Black man been excruciatingly sad, but for some people of color, it reinforced the fear that they had grown up in. Being taught how to act, talk and behave
VIEWPOINTS
around law enforcement because of the way one looks is a painful experience that should not happen.
Confiding with said law enforcement will take a long time because even with the officers
in question being reprimanded, nothing has actually changed. More and more people from the Black community are the victims of horrible violence from the people sworn to serve and protect
Driving while black, the ultimate offense In America
don’t smile too much.
The cop approached my window and asked for license and registration. Upon retrieving them, the cop goes on the dispatch and informs the other cop that an “18-yearold Black female” was in the car.
I was let go and got off with a warning.
I didn’t think much of it until I told my white peers about the interaction and was met with silence.
“The cops never said anything about my race when I got pulled over.”
Americans.
The racism and force is also rampant with the officers involved with Nichols and Floyd’s death as well. The body camera footage that captured Floyd’s last moments was
released approximately three months after his death, while Nichols was released 20 days afterwards. Two of Floyd’s officers were white and the other two were people of color, while Nichols’ officers were overwhelmingly Black.
Some believe that their race has nothing to do with the times that the body cameras were released because every police department is different when it comes to technology and reporting. But others believe that it was since Nichols’ officers were prosecuted quicker and dealt with faster in general just because they were Black.
So what happens next? Where is the effort given to the people by the government?
Police can start participating in events with the community so that they have the opportunity to get to know the people that they are protecting. And in return, the people may start to trust them. There is a gap in understanding between Americans and the government. Simply firing or charging those at fault will not bring back Breanna Taylor or George Floyd, and in this sense, Tyre Nichols.
However, mending it with understanding, testing and participation with those in power and the people they serve may prevent it from happening again. Not only that but appreciation from the Black community, because seeing it happening again and again is simply painful.
so they say.
However, these likely aren’t the most topical examples. Many recent examples of – let’s say it how it is – pretty bad people include far more extreme scenarios such as abuse, assault, and manipulation, among other nasty things.
“You know I’m _____ right?”
A sentence that I’m sure many people have had to clarify about their race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc. when met with a comment made disparagingly about one of their identities. The moment the question leaves my lips, I am met with wide-eyed glances paired with obligatory apologies about how “they didn’t know.”
Passing in terms of race has been a tool for many to escape prejudice, but for many mixed race individuals such as myself, racial ambiguity makes it difficult to discern what others perceive you as. Being Black and Japanese, I have heard people think I was fully Black and vice versa. Thus making non-Black people feel comfortable making stereotypical Black jokes in my presence.
In 2023, being visibly Black or Asian isn’t beneficial to my safety. Black people are subjected to racial profiling and East Asians have been subject to violent hate crimes in recent years.
My first run in with racial profiling was — shocking — with cops. I got off work at 11 p.m., and was exhausted. This particular night however led me to make the innocent mistake of forgetting to turn on my lights. I didn’t make it far down the street before I was pulled over. Here we go. Hands on the wheel, no sudden movements and smile. But
Fortunately, I came out of my traffic stop alive, but for so many Black Americans, that is not the reality. Racial profiling is so prominent, we have coined the term “driving while Black” to describe the all too common scenario of getting pulled over because of our race.
In America, Black Americans have been killed by doing the mundane: driving, sleeping, walking, etc. Instead of being able to rely on law enforcement to keep communities safe, we must instead fear them. The instinctive check around the car when you see a police car approaching could mean life or death to Black Americans.
The fear of police for Black Americans stems from a history of unwarranted aggression and violence. Our modern day cops evolved from “Slave Patrols,” a system that’s intended use was to catch and return runaway enslaved people to their enslavers. Once slavery was abolished, cops were put into place to resume the job of the former “Slave Patrols” and maintain law and order.
However when Black Americans weren’t afforded to create generational wealth due to 400 years of servitude, crime and poverty became rampant in these communities and thus the target of the police. The association of Black Americans with wrongdoing is historical and runs farther than many are willing to acknowledge.
In a world full of aggressors and abusers, one must wonder at what point is forgiveness no longer a viable option.
It seems like nearly every day now, news breaks of some random person or celebrity getting “canceled” for their unjust actions or behavior. While not everything the internet cancels people over is bad, there’s certainly a fair amount of canceling that’s justified. Don’t think of it like getting canceled, think of it like having consequences for your actions or something.
Jokes aside, when do people get those elusive second chances? The answer may shock many and numerous people will never see it coming – it depends. There’s a wide range of mistakes and bad things a person can do that would result in society putting them under the judgmental microscope of emotional exemption.
For those lucky enough to have only forgotten their best friend’s cousin’s twiceremoved girlfriend’s sister-in-law’s brother’s boyfriend’s fiance’s birthday a few times, asking for that deliciously sweet second chance shouldn’t be too big of a request.
For those not so lucky, crashing a car into the driveway of the neighbor one too many times may likely significantly reduce the possibility of getting a second chance, or
Let’s take Justin Roiland for example. Justin, the co-creator of the popular adult animated comedy “Rick and Morty,” has recently been outed as a domestic abuser and has been accused of false imprisonment. In times like this, it should go without saying that Justin is in the wrong here.
There’s not much leeway for forgiveness and “I’m sorry” when the victim of your violent actions is damaged either physically or psychologically. There’s not and should never be any consolation for this kind of dehumanizing behavior. There’s nothing “schwifty” about this, Justin.
Another topical example of a filthy cad losing their second chance privileges is Twitch content creator Brandon Ewing, known online as Atrioc, who has been exposed for something that’s, to be blunt, absolutely disgusting.
Recently, the collective internet caught him with one hand on the keyboard and another – wiping the sweat from his forehead after people found he had NSFW deep fakes of female content creators. Not only is this damaging to the women’s reputations, but it’ll likely have devastating effects on their mental health as well.
It’s times like this when forgiveness was never an option.
Many people do deserve second chances. We aren’t perfect and we’ll never, not in a million years, be perfect. But it’s important to realize that there are some things we shouldn’t forgive. Not everyone deserves a second chance.
Second chances should be earned, not handed out
Bryan Iwuru and Abdul Lawal have a passion for fashion — more specifically, their fashion. The SE and South students respectively run their own clothing lines, and are navigating the world of fashion together.
The two have been close friends for years, but each have separate styles. Iwuru’s brand Youthful Bloom features a signature floral logo, as the name would suggest. Choosing ‘Bloom’ was an intentional choice, Iwuru said.
“It is more than just a brand,” Iwuru said while pointing to the flower on his windbreaker. “It is Youthful Bloom. The idea was just for the youths. It has ‘youth’ and ‘bloom,’ and bloom is kind of like a flower that is growing and I really want the youths to grow so that’s why.”
Youthful Bloom has been a success, already amassing 30,000 followers on Instagram. Iwuru has no plans of slowing down in both his brand and personal ventures. He is currently working on a line for women called Bloom Girls. His ultimate goal however, has nothing to do with fashion.
“Also just outside the world of fashion, I want to start a charity so I can give back to kids and stuff like that,” Iwuru said. “So the idea is just from Youthful Bloom. We’re talking about the youths. At the same time some of the profit I get, I’m also going to create an organization in the future so I can give back either to my high school or even elementary school, and find gadgets for kids like that.”
Iwuru’s friends often help out modeling his clothes, including SE Jobe Ondijo. The two have been friends for about a year, allowing Ondijo to witness the growth of Youthful Bloom.
“I think it’s a really good clothing brand,” Ondijo said. “It has grown a lot from the time he started, and he’s getting really creative with the pieces he’s putting out now. It’s no longer just graphic tees and shorts and stuff like that. Now he’s doing actual cut and sewn items and putting time into design.”
Lawal’s brand Share the Melody is inspired by his love of music. Citing that music and fashion go hand in hand when discussing music artists that have influenced his style. His designs have music notes incorporated into them. Even the logo is reminiscent of a treble clef.
“When it comes to finding your niche, then you’d go with something you stick with,” Lawal said. “And I feel like music was really good sticking out to me. So, I went for more of a brand where I can share the pos itive vibes through music, so I make the products over music.”
So far, Lawal has launched a zip up hoodie, two beanies and a new hoodie into the works. His brand leans into streetwear embracing ca sual silhouettes with unique prints, but hopes to branch out of his com fort zone.
“I basically did a trialand-error thing last year, so now I am trying to get more abstract and diverse pieces rather than the general pieces,” Lawal said. “The style is more like some laid-back fashion. Like people don’t want to wear too much and be too loud. It was meant to casually have.”
Lawal only began his interest in fashion sophomore year of high school. A smile came to his face when he recalled shopping excursions with his friends.
“Me and my friends would leave in the summer and go to stores, and just spend mad money every other week and take pictures and post them on Instagram. Like thinking that we were cool,” Lawal said with a chuckle. “But it’s not cool.”
Iwuru and Lawal feel fortunate to have a friend in the same in dustry to bounce ideas off of, and hope to be a source of support for one another for years to come.
“Bryan is very close to me,” Lawal said. “We were the main ones to start this kind of thing. And so when it comes to things we want to do, we just hit each other up and start thinking about different ideas. It’s good having a friend close to you doing it because sometimes it’s hard to be motivated by yourself.”
TCC students share their individual styles and voices through their respective clothing brandsPhoto courtesy of Abdul Lawal Abdul Lawal sports a hoodie from his upcoming drop. This is Lawal’s third apparel release.