Benefits of gaming - Students open up about positive experiences with video games Page 6
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 – Volume 36 • Issue 10
@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu
DISTRICT
Sole finalist for TCC’s chancellor chosen Elva LeBlanc confirmed by board during special meeting Saturday ALEX HOBEN
editor-in-chief alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu
Elva LeBlanc was named the sole finalist for chancellor of TCC in a vote by the board of trustees on Nov. 5 with two board members dissenting. In a special board meeting held on Saturday, the TCC board of trustees met for the finalization of the choice for the future chancellor, as well as an assessment of both the board and the chancellor. LeBlanc has been acting on an interim basis after being elected as acting chancellor in February of this year. Board president Teresa Ayala said the board believes LeBlanc is the “right candidate for where we are.” She said that LeBlanc is a prime example of education to occupation in the TCC community. “She has what you call a cultural proficiency,” Ayala said. “She’s been there as a student, she’s been there as faculty, she’s been there in a leadership role. So who better to know what our students are feeling and what they’re experiencing because she went through all of this, so we’re fortunate.” During the ruling two board members, assistant secretary Leonard Hornsby and board member Shannon Wood, opposed the motion to make LeBlanc the sole fi-
nalist for the chancellor position. They declined to comment after the meeting. General counsel Carol Bracken explained the next steps that will be taken now that LeBlanc was chosen. “At this point, we will need to prepare a contract for her,” Bracken said. “It will have to be negotiated first of all by the board internally to know the terms and conditions they want to offer and then after that, we’ll have to have a conversation with Dr. LeBlanc. Standard contract negotiation. If that happens, then at some point in the future she will be named our chancellor.” Also during the special meeting was an internal assessment of the board’s performance organized by a representative of the Association of Community College Trustees Mary Spilde. It included a packet of synthesized data of responses from the individual board members as well as a presentation to clarify the priorities of the board as a whole. “That is exactly the role of the board,” Spilde said. “To focus on the outcomes that you’re looking for and then work with the chancellor on how are we going to know? What measurements are we going to use to know that we were successful in reaching a goal?’” Vice president of the board Kenneth Barr said he thought the
Ariel Desantiago/The Collegian
Elva LeBlanc listens during the special board meeting held on Nov. 5 at TR Campus. She was voted as the sole finalist by the board of trustees with two members dissenting. assessment was an overall positive one. “It appears to me that the majority of the board is pretty much
in the same place but we’ve got a couple of board members who have got a slightly different orientation,” Barr said. “But all in all it
strikes me that this is a pretty positive report.” Barr said he was pleased with
See Chancellor, page 2
DISTRICT
SOUTHEAST
Affirmative action called into question NINA BANKS
campus editor nina.banks@my.tccd.edu
Joel Solis/The Collegian
SE students Lily Clouse and DaShaun Ellis practice for the SE play “Que Sera, Giant Monster,” opening on Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Exes and Monsters take the stage at SE Convenient is it that two exes ends up in the same craft brewery, even more so is the large monster terrorizing a city just outside of it. For SE Campus’ “Que Sera, Giant Monster” drama production, written and directed by Brad McEntire, that is exactly what happens to the main characters Katherine and Charles. Set to debut Nov. 16-18 at 7:30 p.m., the production is described as both serious and humorous, SE student and actor Lily Clouse said.
SE student DaShaun Ellis, who plays Charles, said the shows’ mood is calm, apart from one exception. “Most of the time it’s a pretty chill type of vibe around it outside of like one character being frantic because of the giant monster,” he said. McEntire, an adjunct in the SE drama department teaching mainly cinema and theater classes, wanted the play to reflect certain theatrical aspects into his production. “It’s a little bit autobiographical in some places, and it’s a little bit of things I like to see on stage,” he said. “I like to see bro-
Arlington Library restrictions LGBTQ book displays get restricted to certain sections Page 2
Zombiefest NE Campus holds Halloween event Page 3
HOPE SMITH
campus editor hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu
ken people try to figure stuff out, I like misunderstandings, I like people giving other people hard times, so that kind of stuff that I like to see in plays is what I try to put into this play.” The characters were people trying to get by, as McEntire says, figure out and navigate their lives trying to understand themselves and the people around them. “A lot of trouble that we get into in life is we don’t understand what we’re trying to do and we don’t understand what the people around us are trying to get from us and what they want as well,” he said. Because of that, the charac-
“Midnights” by Taylor Swift Swift’s new album delves deep into introspection Page 4
ters felt relatable to the cast, like Clouse, who acknowledged Katherine’s character. “At the start of the show, she had just worked a double,” Clouse said. “She’s tired, she’s fed up, she doesn’t have time for anybody’s crap, and you know what? I feel that.” Stage manager and SE student Marc Aldridge noted the character’s ability to be read in various ways, explaining they were structured but still interpetable. Assistant manager and SE student Mikayla Everheart had also attributed a relatability with Charles’ character.
See Theater, page 2
Affirmative action Supreme Court to make decision on diversity Page 5
Following the discussions of the affirmative action programs on Oct. 31, the Supreme Court seems to be in favor of overruling affirmative action clauses in school admissions. Affirmative action considers several factors – most notably race – in regards to admissions or hiring and is used to diversify predominantly white spaces. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.” If the Supreme Court overrules affirmative action, this means universities can no longer take race into account when deciding who to admit. SE Campus government professor Hamed Madani saw the end of affirmative action as a lack of diversity in the classroom. “Without affirmative action, a typical law class will consist of predominantly white students,” Madani said. “It is due to affirmative action programs that we have more Black and female judges along with white judges who resolve disputes before their courts of law.” The concept of affirmative action has been controversial. The debate of whether it is discriminatory or overlooks qualifications to diversify spaces is constantly being questioned. TR student Mason Arredondo said that affirmative action may not always be effective. “I can see [affirmative action] as a good and a bad thing because say policing – if you are trying to use affirmative action in that – who knows what can happen in that?” Arredondo said. “You can get bad apples, good apples, you don’t know.
See Diversity, page 2
NEWS
2 • Wednesday, November 9, 2022 DISTRICT
Arlington library guidelines restrict representation KEYLA HOLMES
campus editor editor keyla.holmes keyla.ho lmes@my.tccd.edu @my.tccd.edu
Arlington public libraries will display LGBTQ+ pride month materials in the teen and adult sections, but not in the children’s section. On Oct. 28, Arlington’s library advisory board discussed and held public debate about LGBTQ displays in teen and children sections. Before the board discussed guidelines, Arlington Public library launched a survey asking the public to provide input on the proposed accommodations. According to KERA, the weeklong survey resulted in more than 1,800 responses. 1,062 didn’t support the restrictions on LGBTQ displays, 686 supported the proposal for displays to be kept to the adult section, 51 didn’t want displays anywhere and 17 was opposed to displays that are “controversial, political, sexual or offensive.” With the new guidelines in place, SE library staff expressed concern for the fact that it was even up for debate. “My opinion as a professional librarian, as a mother and as someone who works on the library board for my city, is that it’s not the kind of decision that should be a vote,” SE public services librarian Anna Hithersay said. Similarly, SE library specialist Madison White doesn’t think LGBTQ guidelines in libraries are necessary. “I don’t think there really should be guidelines,” White said. “I think it should be like any other book – freely shown and displayed.” Due to the advisory board’s compromise that LGBTQ displays will be permitted in teen and adult sections, some feel this was the right decision.
Theater
Joel Solis/The Collegian
TR library showcases a variety of books for TCC community to enjoy. “I believe the guidelines make sense because it still gives the LGBTQ community the opportunity to feel included,” SE student Eleanny Garcia said. Though the displays will be in teen and adult sections, students and staff shared the ways in which this may be a disservice to children. “I think the guidelines that the Arlington advisory board decided to make for the LGBTQ+ displays in the children section are disappointing,” SE student Alexis Santibanez said. “Children should be given the opportunity to find books in which they connect with and see themselves in.” Hithersay discussed the importance of representation for children. “It’s concerning to me that we take away
Chancellor
(continued from page 1)
“I feel that Charles’ character is very relatable in the wanting to be very ‘Stay in your comfort zone!,’ ‘Don’t change anything!’ ‘Everything must stay the same!’ Because I am an older sister, everything must be controlled,” she said. SE student Toni Colbert, acting as the Uber driver in a Toyota Corolla, had hinted at her character’s involvement. “My character, she’s very interesting. She’s very dedicated to her job,” said Colbert, refusing to give away too much of the plot. The process had the cast focused on learning, especially new skills. Clouse was given the task of learning guitar for Katherine’s role, something she noted as a challenge. “I wasn’t surprised, but I did not know how quickly time would fly and how difficult
people’s access when we unilaterally remove books like that from a children’s area,” Hithersay said. “What about the children who live with an LGBTQ family?’’ When they don’t get representation in their library it really affects them.” She also expressed the way that representation has an impact on those in need of it. “We know representation matters,” Hithersay said. “We know representation doesn’t mean you have to change your beliefs, but we know it really matters to the people it matters to.” Santibanez expressed that representation allows for children who don’t personally resonate to potentially develop a more compassionate viewpoint for people who do exist within the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s important for children who aren’t in
guitar is,” she said. Isara Al-Hilo, a SE student who acts as Beth, also included her newly founded skill. “I learned how to box, like boxing techniques,” she said. “Put me in a ring, I’ll be fine.” The characters will change progressively through the show, and an ironic twist will cause the characters to change in certain ways, Clouse explains. “Katherine starts out a certain way, ends up the complete opposite. Charles ends up a certain way, turns into the complete opposite,” she said. “That’s kind of one of the most interesting things about watching the show, Charles and Katherine are like polar opposites the entire time, but they kind of switch.”
Joel Solis/The Collegian
DaShaun Ellis and Lily Clouse practice their lines for the upcoming play “Que Sera, Giant Monster” at SE Campus in the Roberson Theater in ESEC.
(continued from page 1)
the board voting to designate LeBlanc as the new chancellor. According to him, she has done a very good job as acting and then interim chancellor in what he described as a “rather difficult year.” “The tenor and tone of the whole organization has changed and seems to have improved in my opinion, so I think we’re moving in the right direction,” Barr said. LeBlanc said she is excited about the position and that she is delighted to be a part of the work changing people’s lives for the better. She said she is focused on
Diversity
the LGBTQ+ community to be able to gain knowledge, and an understanding that in life there are people with different values and lifestyles,” he said. “This can help them comprehend that ‘different’ isn’t bad.” White considers that while regular library visitors may be impacted, there also may be a change in regards to funders. “I think that the public libraries that are changing the way they display books they consider controversial is really going to affect the people that show up, but also their donors,” she said. “I mean every public library is funded by donor money on top of tax dollars, and so I think we are going to start seeing a shift there with what we have available to us.” Despite some of the disappointment from students and staff, the acknowledgement that parents should have the ultimate say in what their kids read was still present when discussing the new guidelines. “I believe in every household there are different sets of beliefs and that is acceptable,” Santibanez said. “I believe the limit to what a child should be able to read is up to their parents.” Staff expressed that regardless it shouldn’t be a decision for the public to make. “The foundational goal of libraries is to provide resources to everybody,” Hithersay said. “It doesn’t matter who they are or why they’re there, they deserve access to resources that they need.” Hithersay shared that children deserve access. “I think if a child lives in a situation, they should have access to books and resources that talk about the situation they live in,” Hithersay said. “It’s not a judgment. It’s simply that they deserve access.”
the strategic plan in place regarding the construction of NW and SE Campus, tech-
nology across the district and the retention of students.
“I think the future is pretty awesome,
these are exciting times,” LeBlanc said.
“The pandemic created a lot of disruption, from that a lot of good things evolved and we’re going to focus on students, focus on
the things that we know work well and the strengths of our talent. And I think we have a tremendous future.”
(continued from page 1)
I think in policing— it’s best to hire on merit and moral – despite affirmative action.” Madani acknowledged the impact affirmative action has had on his family. “Today, my daughter is a physician assistant because of affirmative action,” Madani said. “The fact that she is a minority and fluent in Spanish helped her to qualify as an applicant for admission to UT Health Science Center.” For some, affirmative action is well intentioned but not adequate to completely address the issue of the lack of representation within universities. “I don’t know if they should get rid of it,” Arredondo said. “I think it should be revised, maybe they can add an economic level into there.” Adequate representation in predominantly white spaces has been a more prevalent issue in recent years. For instance, Hollywood has attempted to alleviate these issues through recasting roles originally played by white actors to people of color.
TR student Samantha Coronado said the importance of affirmative action was to understand one another. “With affirmative action, I think it can help many people to make those differences and changes,” Coronado said. “I feel like we need more diversity because you don’t really know what people go through unless you’re a regular Joe.” Coronado saw affirmative action as a solution to the lack of diversity and opportunities afforded to her. “I never really had opportunities until I started applying myself to those resources and then I was like, ‘Hey you know what this is my calling,’ and started realizing there is more need for me in communities,” Coronado said. Though the decision is not set, Madani fears what precedents will be set through the overturning of affirmative action. “I am afraid it means increased discrimination both on race and gender in education and employment sectors,” Madani said.
SOUTHEAST
‘You Belong Here,’ a nice sentiment or a mocking declaration? KEYLA HOLMES
campus editor keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu
TCC’s slogan may be “You belong here,” but some students can’t help but feel the stigma of attending community college. While some students said that TCC allows for them to grow at their own pace, this slogan, which is boasted on pretty much every poster across the district, has left some feeling like it may encourage the existing stigma. “As someone who came from very little, this can be encouraging, as it helps boost the idea that you belong in a learning, advancing environment,” SE student Alice Compean said. “However, for anyone who holds any stigma or shame in their heads or hearts, the slogan can come across as a jeer, mocking them for
taking this step.” For many, TCC can act as a stepping stone for those who are interested in furthering their education. However, connecting with those who immediately attended four year universities after high school can be difficult. “When speaking to someone who attends or attended university, there can be a barrier,” Compean said. “If either party has little to no knowledge on the other’s school life, it can be an awkward interaction. Especially with established prejudices regarding who frequently attends community college.” While the idea of going straight into a university may sound alluring, the cost of community college can be a major incentive. “I think anyone who wants to pursue higher education does, at one point or another, think about going to a four year university – live that ‘college experience,’” Compean said.
“Unfortunately, for people like the ones from my neighborhood, that isn’t exactly an attainable goal.” SE student Eder Rodriguez shared that TCC’s low cost and flexibility is an incentive for him as well. “What brings me to TCC is the low cost of classes and my undecided major,” Rodriguez said. Although the university experience may sound enjoyable to some, students expressed being happy that they don’t have to deal with some of the possible stressors at four year schools. “It isn’t just parties and having a good time,” Rodriguez said. “It’s stressful. Especially when they have doubts about their majors.” SE student Mathew Jewell also expressed going to a university being a major decision. “So many students struggle with going
to four year universities, and don’t understand that there is a major stepping stone from high school to university,” Jewell said. Community college may act as a way to bridge the gap for those who feel they aren’t ready for a university. “There is a sense of comfortability for students that are scared for the next step in their educational journey,” he said. Rodriguez said that community college makes him feel like he has more wiggle room for mistakes. “TCC makes it feel as if, even if you mess up, it wouldn’t affect you so much,” he said. Compean said what they would say to a student feeling ashamed about attending community college. “Just because this is where we start doesn’t make us any less. Run your race in your own time,” she said.
NEWS
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 • 3
NORTHEAST
NE resurrects the dead with Halloween event HOPE SMITH
campus editor hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu
Outside and between the NFAB and NCAB buildings, shouting and screams could be heard as roaming “zombies” scared students and staff all night long during the Zombiefest event. On Oct. 27, NE Campus hosted Zombiefest, an event TCC has held before. They had a prize table and a zombie makeup station, as well as snacks, treats and a trebuchet catapult. Though the weather was chilly, the event was filled with people and some gathered around a fire, holding marshmallows over it. The table supplying candy and marshmallows had NE students Elizabeth Jones and Liana Flores helping out. The event was advertised throughout campus, and Flores and Jones were there to volunteer from the theater department. Some zombies roamed in packs, some in doubles, and they continued their work of spooking while the night went on. Flores complimented their devotion to the role. “I think they’re brave to want to do that, like dress up as zombies and want to go after random people,” she said. Those who volunteered as zombies were both high school and college students, decked out in zombie attire complete with special effects makeup. The high schoolers were supervised by Andres Rizo from Treetops School International, a private school in Euless, to enjoy the festivities and partake in the zombie experience. “We’ve had a good partnership with the college for many years,” he explained. “I like to bring high schoolers to a college, because they can say, ‘Oh, I can be here one day, it looks fun!’’ In the grass next to NFAB, a trebuchet shot all sorts of objects into the set-out and blocked-off path for flinging at a pair of zombie volunteers.
NE art department chair Susan Perez, who was monitoring the experiment, was one of the faculty members who helped bring the event to life. “Our professors have hosted and created this event in the past, and coming off the pandemic, professor Andrew Stalder and professor Scott Parker inquired if we could host this event again and we said ‘Sure, let’s do it,’ so that’s how it got started for this year,” Perez said. Alongside Perez was Parker, who explained why he was happy with the student turnout at the event. “It’s a great event to bring students out,” Parker said. “There’s a lot of statistics that show that engaged students are better students.” NE math co-chairs Tamara Fuenzalida and Thomas Kinzeler were manning the trebuchet, and Fuenzalida explained the mechanics. “Mathematically, the very specific thing is the angle of the release pin,” Fuenzalida said. “So, depending on the different weights, you need a very specific release angle.” The trebuchet was tested by flinging round objects and pumpkins at varied distances. “I think my favorite part of this whole thing is asking, ‘How far do we need to rope off the designated area?’ Because we didn’t want to launch it anywhere that would hit someone,” Kinzeler joked. As the night went on, a zombie flash mob made their way into the scene. Some crawling and others growling, they broke into a performance dance to the song “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. Dance faculty Hyun Jung Chang and Najwa Seyedmorteza helped create the flash mob, which was a five-week process in their Jazz Dance and Modern Dance classes. Seyedmorteza commented on the end results and how the dancers performed, delighted that they were so involved. “My favorite part of the process was seeing how they all reacted and felt after they had performed!” she said. “The energy was
TRINITY RIVER
KJ Means/The Collegian
Dancers dressed as zombies perform a choreographed number to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” during Zombiefest. electrical and I could tell that they had so much fun with the performance.” At the end of the night, student-led and produced zombie films were broadcast on a screen for everyone to watch. These films were entered into the film fest contest for NE, and the winner would receive a prize. In the end, the winner of the film fest was NE student Rachael Adams. Her film was called “Descent,” and was a collaboration of various other students to help make the film. “I say it was stressful, but any filming
process is stressful,” Adams said. “But I had a good group and that made that really easy. We all pitched in together and did everything together, so it was really a group effort.” The film itself was set under a small room with eerie lighting, and Adams explained that it was actually filmed under the NE stage. “There is a little location under the stage called the ‘dungeon,’ and we got access to it from the theater head,” she said. “Without her, we would have never been able to do that.”
SOUTH
BOO at the SSTU gives students spooky night campus editor irene.dominguez370@my.tccd.edu
Nina Banks/The Collegian
TR student Amblessed Gilbert receives the John Hiser AARC President’s Scholarship at the anniversary event.
TR celebrates respiratory program’s 50th anniversary NINA BANKS
campus editor nina.banks@my.tccd.edu
TR Campus hosted a 50th anniversary celebration for their respiratory program on Oct. 28. The respiratory care program began in 1972 on NE Campus when TCC was known as Tarrant County Junior College. The program moved to TR Campus 39 years later and has resided there since. Associate professor of respiratory Donald Holt reflected on the program’s history. “We’ve come a long way,” Holt said. “It was all brand new and had all the great digs so we’ve really appreciated our time here and hope to continue on for years to come.” Holt started his career in respiratory care at TCC, going on to graduate in the class of 1991. He is thankful for all the opportunities his education has provided. “When I was out of high school, I was mostly interested in just playing ball. That was my main priority,” Holt said. “I was like ‘I want to do something in science’… so I kind of steered my way to medical and ended up in respiratory.” Since its establishment, the program has received several awards and has graduated around 800 students. Event organizer Theresa Griego acknowledged the success of the program. “It’s extremely important to recognize and celebrate the longevity of the program
and to honor the legacy of 50 years of health care leadership within our community,” Griego said. In addition to the celebration, the John Hiser AARC President’s Scholarship was awarded to TR student Amblessed Gilbert. According to TCC’s website, the scholarship is “based on leadership, scholastic ability, attitude, clinical performance and financial need.” “I was really surprised that I was going to get it because I thought the president [of our class] was going to get it,” Gilbert said. “I was really hoping they would get it, but I was surprised to get this scholarship.” Despite initially being nervous about joining the program, Gilbert felt fortunate to be able to celebrate the success of the program with his peers. “Before I came into this program, I really had a doubt that I was going to like it,” Gilbert said. “But everyone here has been like a family to me and that is really something that stands out to me and everyone is super nice. You can tell everyone your problems. They can figure out how to help you.” Holt is optimistic for the future of the program as well as the expectations he has set for his students. “I want us to be experts at the bedside, make a difference at the bedside and also provide the leadership that I was talking about for the nation in respiratory care,” he said.
South Campus student activities hosted a Halloween event Oct. 28. The event called “Boo at the SSTU” was held in the dining hall and attended by students, families and children. The event was a large one that had been in planning for months. There was food, a DJ taking song requests and a projector playing movies to set the scene. There were over 10 different recognized student clubs and TCC organizations in attendance. As well as resources such as the DASHH Prevention Squad. DASHH was offering students gift cards to DoorDash for any student that pledged to not drink after the event that night. The Korean culture club was among the different clubs represented at the event. They had club members on hand painting faces and hosting traditional Korean games. Guests could play a traditional folk game from Korea called “Tuho” or pitch-pot. Tuho is a game of accuracy where the goal is to throw arrows which are called “hwa sal” into a pot called “tuho tong.” The different holes in the pot will earn the player certain points. There was a costume contest held for different categories including students, children and staff. Winners walked away with a swag bag prepared by Student Activities. There were multiple craft tables offering pumpkin painting and picture making. UTA was hosting a game of plinko and giving out prizes. The Jenkins Garrett Library had a bean bag toss. The Photo Bus of DFW was there, and guests could take a few pictures complete with props and a personalized background. Sarah Janke, the photographer with Photo Bus, said “People can pick their own backgrounds and dress up however they like and I make their gif. It’s totally customizable and fun.” Along with challenging themselves to games, guests could collect candy and prizes from every table. Karina Calderon is South Campus’s SGA president and works at the office of student activities. She was part of the staff on hand keeping the party going. “Even if you didn’t want to be in the costume contest you could hang out and do the arts and crafts,” she said. “The coolest thing I saw was the horror
club here. They had their mystery box where the kids were digging for toys and creepy things. It was just spaghetti but I was kinda creeped out,” Calderon said. South Campus’ horror club is a newer club and they are dedicated to sharing all things mysterious, macabre and horror with other students. Among those that participated in the costume contest were TCC teachers and staff. Some notable costumes among the professors were a jedi from “Star Wars” and Goku from “Dragon Ball Z.” “You see the professors in class and they are so strict but to see them dressed up, it lightens the mood. A lot of college students don’t get to see that side of them,” Calderon said. South Campus student Leslie Rivera was there helping with the event as well. She took some time to enjoy herself and see what was going on at every table. “We had a table here with cookie decorating,” Rivera said. “I helped out for a while, it was fun. I tried the games as well. The one where you have to throw the arrows in the bucket was kind of hard.”
“
You see the professors in class and they are so strict but to see them dressed up, it lightens the mood.
Karina Calderon
South Campus SGA president
“
IRENE DOMINGUEZ
Rivera said her favorite part was watching the kids enjoy themselves. “Meeting the little kids and looking at all of their costumes and seeing them act out was cute.” She was dressed as a minion herself. There was some uncertainty whether people would come to the event due to the weather that night. There were intermittent showers all day but the rain did not drown out the fun “Even with the weather there was a good turnout. There was something to do for everybody here,” Calderon said.
4 • Wednesday, November 9, 2022 MUSIC REVIEW
‘Midnights’ album good enough to stay up for HOPE SMITH
campus editor hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu
The peak hour of the night has been bottled into a little album, shaken up and tastefully served in a cocktail called “Midnights” by Taylor Swift. There is something to be said about an artist coming out with an album of songs written during sleepless nights. Vulnerability, honesty and authenticity comes to mind when listening to the album. Swift’s brand seems to be about keeping it real. “Midnights” explores “real” in terms of all the things time does not allow during the day. At night, you can’t help but think about it. The album is organized, and the pace makes it digestible. Which it seems Swift wants, because it’s 13 tracks for 13 nights of her life that she spent awake. It’s nothing revolutionary that she hasn’t made, reminding me a little of her album “Evermore.” For an album like this, a slow pace and stormy emotion was an expected mood. While not so stormy, Swift’s pacing was right on the ball throughout the album. There is nothing worse than inconsistent, rocky mountain tracklists. “Midnights” had a theme, and by God did the theme remain true. Take “Midnight Rain,” or “Question…?” for example, with imagery of the night and the moon, all attributes to the fated hour midnight. Something does need to be said about the almost oddball outlier song that is “Vigilante Shit.” Good grief. While saying the song is just bad in general would be wrong, it’s wrong to lie. The song’s likeness was that of turning on a sink faucet and sticking your hand right under, not realizing it was already set to the hottest temperature. The theme of the song just didn’t fit with the rest of the album, it was so much more of a “Reputation” album song. A million more shocking comparisons could be made about it, but leaving it at that is the honorable thing. Growing up means choosing to take albums for the good, bad and the ugly. “Bejeweled” following immediately after the trainwreck really made up for it. “You’re On Your Own, Kid” also significantly brought the album’s value up, something about “I didn’t choose this town, I dream of getting out, there’s just one who could make me stay all my days,” as a lyric is so potently sad. With those songs included, the vigilante
Photo Courtesy of Republic Records
Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ album cover featuring songs such as “Bejeweled” and “Anti-Hero,” released on Oct. 21 at midnight. song wasn’t so much of a problem. Though a discordant song, it was pleasant having the rest of the tracklist support the album. The content itself was full of Swift’s own doubts, love and remorse. It is an album you need to sit and really listen to. If you listen, the songs have small notes of flavor, like hints of cinnamon or orange. The chorus of
“Sweet Nothing” is one of the best, and how couldn’t it be with lyrics like, “They said the end is coming, everyone’s up to something, I find myself running home to your sweet nothings.” Midnights’ bottle is nice to sip from and enjoy. A weird aftertaste, definitely, but the content and smooth sound make for an easy
ride through. Like walking down memory lane, or driving along those certain roads with purple lamp lights, this album is beautifully wistful.
MOVIE REVIEW
Selena Gomez documentary sheds light on mental health RABBIA MOLAI
managing editor rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu
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Selena Gomez’s new documentary sheds light on the internal struggles the nation’s sweetheart has been facing for years. In a new Apple TV original documentary, released Nov. 4, Gomez brings cameras into her life starting as early as 2016 while she was beginning her world tour. Although, she put on a brave face for her fans internally – she was crumbling. Through the first half of the documentary, the audience sees the struggles the pop star went through while trying to balance her physical and mental health, along with her job and the constant rumors created by the paparazzi. At the time from an outside perspective, it looked like Selena had it all. She was going out with friends and touring, but internally you could see that she was hitting a breaking point. The documentary was filmed in a very natural way. There were very few confessional-type setups throughout it. Instead, there were strategically placed journal entries that gave the viewers a very interesting new insight into Gomez’s feelings when the cameras weren’t rolling. She also went and visited key places from her childhood in Grand Prairie. Going to her childhood home, elementary school and visiting her old neighbors showed a softer side of her. The trip also shed light on her relationship with her family and the bond that she shares with them. The main premise of the documentary was to focus on Gomez’s mental health. We learn quite early on about her bipolar diagnosis and the way she internalized the news of it. She spoke of her childhood and the relationship she has with her parents and the way her upbringing affected her. In a strange way, this project really shed a light on how the industry and fame have jaded Gomez. Throughout the whole documentary, the only time she seemed to truly be at peace was during her time in
Kenya. From the outside, it really felt like she seemed done with the idea of fame and music and TV. Throughout the documentary, she seemed agitated. Whether she was dealing with the press or in rehearsals her overall demeanor and attitude made it seem like she wanted nothing more than to be done with the whole process. In a way, it was quite sad to see. Gomez has always outwardly appeared to be a happy-go-lucky personality so seeing a side of her that was in such a low place was eyeopening, to say the least. The release of the project was also surrounded by controversy stemming from a lack of inclusion when it came to certain friends of Gomez. Most notably missing from the project was Francia Raísa, who donated her kidney to Gomez in 2017. Since the release, there has been tension between the two in social media with Gomez stating in a TikTok comment, “sorry I didn’t mention every person I know.” Overall, the whole project seemed pretty similar to most celebrity documentaries. It definitely sheds light on her life and the issues she was and is still dealing with, but there was nothing that made the project stand out in a sea of others. The ending was quite nice, showing the work Gomez has done to help begin the implementation of mental health curriculum in the US and the money she has raised through the Rare Impact Fund, as well as providing helpline information for anyone struggling with mental health issues. At the very end was also the debut of a new single that Gomez wrote for the documentary also titled “Me and My Mind.” All together the documentary was ok. Not horrible but not all that memorable either.
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 • 5 EDITORIAL
Diversity goes up against Supreme Court The Supreme Court is on the verge of making a horrible mistake by eradicating affirmative action from college admissions. For years, universities have had the struggle of finding ways to increase diversity on college campuses, and in recent years the implementation of affirmative action has looked to be the best solution. The issue of diversity in schools can be traced back well before the 1950s, and the solution of affirmative action was introduced in the early ‘60s. The concept is that people of color and women would be given equal opportunities in education and employment settings where they might have previously been overlooked, basically having a quota dedicated to them that needed to be filled for an institution to be considered “diverse.” The concept of affirmative action has many pros and cons, but the root of it is based on a need created by a rotting system. For many people of color all over the country, and the world for that matter, the opportunity to create a shining college application is just not a reality. There will always be people who believe that hard work and determination alone will cut it, but that just isn’t the truth of the matter. In communities where the cycle of poverty is all that is seen and known, the thought of padding a resume with extracurriculars and AP classes isn’t a concept that is common. Affirmative action ensured
Tj Favela/The Collegian
there was a way to end the cycle and give everyone a chance. But many people have come to look at affirmative action as a temporary solution to an ever-growing problem. Creating diversity in educational spaces is incredibly
important but for some, the idea of filling a quota in the name of diversity can feel artificial in a sense. But within that perspective, we have to think about fixing the system that created that need. Truthfully, if there was room for
people of color and women in every institution, the need for affirmative action wouldn’t exist. The only reason it does is that historically the sole reason of being a person of color was enough to be overlooked. When there is a situation
of years and years of no diversity and then all of a sudden there’s a certain percentage of it that must be reached, of course, in a sense it will feel forced or for show. It’s practically impossible at this point to go onto a college website without seeing a quintessentially staged photo of a diverse group of students sitting together in a courtyard. As frustrating as it can seem sometimes, the sad reality is that the state of the world won’t allow diversity to occur naturally at the moment. To try and create diversity in a more “natural” way requires rebuilding a broken system from the ground up. And while working on that, it is more important than ever to have opportunities available nonetheless for people who would otherwise not have them at all. Affirmative action, even with its issues, is the only solution that ensures that diversity of some form be a part of professional institutions. Giving opportunities to those who need them, and providing an environment with students from all backgrounds and walks of life to come together. Every person regardless of their background, upbringing and ethnicity deserves to have access to higher education. Does that begin with the rebuilding of a centuries-old social structure in our communities? Yes, it does. But it also begins with creating space for everyone. The Supreme Court should not take that away.
VIEWPOINTS
Creative minds and their struggle to achieve respect
“The other woman” how society justifies cheating
NINA BANKS
campus editor
nina.banks@my.tccd.edu
I remember exactly where I was when it happened, a normal Tuesday morning like any other. After getting out of the shower, I opened my phone to discover the most heart wrenching news – Ned Fulmer had cheated on his wife. Granted, I hadn’t watched the “Try Guys” since my Buzzfeed phase during middle school and had only seen the occasional video since. The 12 year old inside of me was absolutely shocked. The Try Guys are a YouTube channel based on four men who try different things. Each of the men have distinct personalities that often make their interactions with one another so entertaining. Although, the rest of the members are either married or in a relationship – Ned has made a conscious effort to base his personality on being a family man. Don’t believe me? There are compilations of Ned saying “my wife.” So when everyone discovered that the man who made his entire personality about being a family man and loving his wife cheated on said wife – the internet blew up. Articles, news outlets, tea channels and investigative Tik Tok accounts began reporting right away. But this seems to be a phenomenon becoming all too familiar these days. Celebrities cheating or celebrities being
caught cheating per se. There has never been a shortage of cheating scandals in history. But it seems the 2000s have brought a renaissance of cheating. Prior to Ned’s scandal, another seemingly wholesome wife lover was outed: Comedian John Mulaney. Whether he cheated or not is alleged, however, his scandal is eerily similar to Ned’s. Mulaney’s style of relatable jokes and PG-13 topics made him a popular comic for young audiences. The topics of his jokes featured a wide variety, from his childhood, and you guessed it, loving his wife. Mulaney’s routines were littered with adorable anecdotes between himself and his wife. So when news released they had separated and Mulaney started dating actress Olivia Munn, of course fans were upset. The intrigue of these scandals, however, shield a very real issue. In both affairs, the women involved received loads of hate messages. Though “home wrecking” is not justifiable, the ramifications for women cheating or being the “other woman” are far harsher than men. For one, there isn’t a male equivalency to the “other woman.” Time and again, we have seen women held responsible for cheating, regardless of a power or age imbalance. Monica Lewinsky is a classic example. The former president engaged in a relationship with Lewinsky, despite being her boss and 27 years older. Lewinsky was subjected to extensive amounts of hate and immediately being associated with the scandal. Cheating isn’t going away anytime soon. Observing our reactions to these scandals and understanding why we feel the way we do towards these people can uncover a lot about our biases towards groups of people, Though. Hopefully, the next time a scandal happens – society can act accordingly.
XAVIER BOATNER campus editor
xavier.boatner@my.tccd.edu
Despite helping breathe life into various forms of entertainment, creatives and their work continue to be treated like they don’t matter. Creatives, such as showrunners and VFX artists, are visionaries. They’re important components in creating stunning locales, expressive characters and aweinspiring imagery. They help bridge the gap between an audience and a different world and turn viewings into experiences. With that being said, they’re usually the first to get thrown under the bus in the event that a company needs a tax write-off. It’s unfortunate and far too common. Over the last few months, Warner Bros. has been collapsing and nearly everything Warner Bros. related was being wiped off the face of the Earth. The higher-ups figured the most logical decision was to cancel nearly every upcoming project on the HBO Max platform and cancel anticipated films like “Batgirl” and “Scoob: Holiday Haunt.” People may not be fussed about losing “Scooby-Doo Movie #567” or another superhero movie and that’s fair. However, it’s sad that so many people worked like mad putting those projects together just to have them never see the light of day. They were used as a tax write-off and nothing more. It’s a slap in the face to fans
and a bigger slap in the face to the creators who get laid off and left in the dust. Even existing shows and films were erased from the platform for tax purposes. Popular HBO productions like “Close Enough” and “Final Space” are inaccessible across most platforms and many are running the risk of becoming lost media. Marvel Studios has been in hot water regarding the treatment of its VFX artists. They’ve gone underappreciated across many of the MCU outings, and some employees have opened up about their poor experiences working with Marvel to media websites like CNET. Some Marvel VFX artists have talked about stressful work environments and excessively long weeks where they worked anywhere from 60-80 hours. Some have talked about how they cried at their desks and wanted to avoid working on similar projects. Some have said they worked long, unpaid days for months on end to wrap up projects. The same projects that make billions of dollars. The same projects the VFX artists get very little recognition for. Creatives are in high demand across various industries, and yet they’re not given the respect they deserve. They get the short end of the stick in many situations. It’s terrible, insulting and worrying. Big corporations shouldn’t be so content with writing off artistic minds and treating them with such a small amount of dignity. Regardless of their skill set, people shouldn’t have to sleep in their offices and get chump change to keep the lights on. People shouldn’t have to worry about their hard work being snapped out of existence. And people shouldn’t have to suffer as much as they do for expressing themselves through their work.
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6 • Wednesday, November 9, 2022
BENEFITS OF GAMING Students discuss positive experiences with video games IRENE DOMINGUEZ
campus editor irene.dominguez370@my.tccd.edu
When students log on to play video games they are not just having fun. Studies have shown that they could be sharpening useful skills that could help them be more successful at life. A review of 13 different studies published in “Applied Sciences’’ May 24, 2022 contained information on the benefits of video games in cognitive function. The studies focused on attention ability and visuospatial ability. South student Cylla Neuwirth is studying to be a game designer. She has noticed playing video games regularly has made a positive difference for her. “I’m able to see things more clearly or have more instant reflexes when something moves. That helps with real life,” she said. “When I notice something out of the corner of my eye moving, I can notice more detail.” Another positive benefit of video games is increased creativity. A journal article published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” in 2020 discusses this possibility. “Creativity can be seen as one of the main traits of human capacity that is indispensable for the development of knowledge,” according to the journal by Inna Cabelkova, Wadim Strielkowski, Anna Rybakova and Alla Molchanova. “I think games give me the accessibility to be more creative and think more creatively,” Neuwirth said. “Seeing all of these worlds in all of these different ways. It drove my passion to be an artist in that way.” She wants to become a game concept designer or a character designer and watch people play a game she helped create one day. “I can tell my family and friends about it,” Neuwirth said. “Like this is what I study and this is what I’m doing, and these people are all enjoying what I’m doing. I want to share that.” Another potential benefit to gaming is problem solving skills. South student Bryce Hoffman is studying architectural drafting and design and has been playing games since he was 7 years old. His favorite game is “Factorio,” which is a construction and management simulation game. “It’s really fun for me to take this logistical challenge and find things that need to be fixed,” Hoffman said. “To make supply meet demand and just design efficient systems. It’s beautiful whenever you design a factory that you spent 20 hours building that can take a piece of iron and build a rocket ship. That’s how you win the game.” Hoffman said he is really good at identifying
Photos by KJ Means/The Collegian
South students play card game “Yu Gi Oh!” during the game tourament held on South Campus on Nov. 2. The tournament included both tabletop and video games for students to play. patterns and seeing discrepancies. Another skill students could build is cooperation. There are some multiplayer games that rely heavily on teamwork to win. “When you look at a game of ‘World of Warcraft’ or any MMO game, those have extremely challenging content that you cannot clear by yourself. You have to do it as a team,” Hoffman said. “In “World of Warcraft,” whenever they release a raid it’s 40 people on the same team all at the same time going against this really hard challenge they have to defeat.” Hoffman said that when a game relies on this many people to accomplish a goal it is important that everyone be on the same page. He said scheduling game play is also a main component of cooperation. “They go for 16 hours and they take shifts,” he said. “Any guild you join they have a raiding schedule, it could be Tuesdays at 5 p.m., we’re going to raid.” Hoffman said meeting other people and getting to know their skills is a good way to practice teamwork.
“It’s very complicated, you have to work as a team so they want people who are going to support the team in the best way possible,” he said. “You learn to work as a team and find out who’s best at what. There’s positions in the game so you learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” George Miller, the vice president of gaming club on South Campus, said the most important thing that gaming gives him is stress relief. “When you’re stressed with class, I feel like gaming can help you,” Miller said. “It helps you relax. You just concentrate on the game and just focus on other things. Your stress just goes away.” Miller said the gaming club is very important to him. He wants it to be an inclusive space where everyone is comfortable. “We’re more than a club, we’re trying to bring people together to interact and network,” he said. Miller wants everyone to know that gaming is for everyone. “Everyone’s invited. That’s what gaming is all about,” Miller said.
Students play the racing game “Mario Kart” for the Nintendo Switch at the South game tournament. The first “Mario Kart” game released in 1992. Illustration by Markus Meneses /The Collegian