TCC The Collegian April 6, 2022

@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu Sweet is one of them.

PG. 6

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 – Volume 35 • Issue 20

Termination in progress Lawsuit leads board to act against chancellor

The board voted to begin the termination process of Chancellor Eugene Giovannini’s contract March 17.

Vice chancellor and provost Elva LeBlanc was chosen as acting chancellor during a board meeting Feb. 17. LeBlanc will receive a monthly $7,500 stipend.

Board unanimously agrees to begin Giovannini’s termination

Provost, former student LeBlanc chosen as acting chancellor

Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian

JOSÉ ROMERO

editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu

The board of trustees unanimously voted to begin the termination process of Chancellor Eugene Giovannini’s contract March 17.

The decision was made during a specially called board meeting and is in the wake of a lawsuit filed against TCC Feb. 7. Executive vice chancellor and provost Elva LeBlanc will continue serving as acting chancellor for the time being.

“We believe this action is in the college’s best long-term interest and that it is both appropriate and necessary in light of the information recently made available to the board through the independent third-party investigation,” board president Teresa Ayala read from a statement. “As this process gets underway, we

are confident that the operations of the college are in good hands under the strong, capable leadership of Acting Chancellor Dr. Elva LeBlanc.”

Board members Gwen Morrison and Kenneth Barr declined to comment. The other trustees did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Associate general counsel Carol Bracken could not respond to requests seeking comment about the status of Giovannini’s termination, the status of the investigation by the Locke Lord law firm, LeBlanc’s acting chancellor term length or the lawsuit because it falls under ongoing personnel matters, pending or threatened litigation.

Giovannini has served as chancellor since 2016 and would’ve served until 2024 since his contract was amended, extending his term by a year.

See Chancellor, page 2

JOSÉ ROMERO

editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu

Elva LeBlanc began her time with TCC sitting in chairs on NE Campus as a student, but now she finds herself running the whole thing.

LeBlanc was chosen to serve as acting chancellor while the termination process for Chancellor Eugene Giovannini is underway during a board meeting Feb. 17. In the meeting, board vice president Kenneth Barr expressed his confidence in her, saying she’s “strong, respected in the community.”

“As the executive vice chancellor and provost, I was already the second in command and already had a lot of the big picture information which you garner as you move up,“ LeBlanc said.

“This next step, I am learning a lot. I would be exaggerating if

I suggested that I knew everything.”

During the duration of her appointment, she will receive a monthly $7,500 stipend and will have the authority and responsibilities of chancellor.

While she serves, some of her main priorities are focusing on running the college and ensuring student needs are met.

Student retention and recruitment are at the forefront of her current work.

Once the termination process for Giovannini is over, she’s undecided about applying for the permanent chancellor position and said it’s not something she’s prepared to answer just yet.

Giovannini’s contract has due process clauses, allowing him 30 days to request a hearing.

LeBlanc referred questions about the status of Giovannini’s termination, the status of the investigation by the Locke Lord See LeBlanc, page 2

TCC ending its COVID-related protocols amid declining cases

was made due to the decrease in demand and the Health Resources and Services administration's decision to no longer fund COVID-19 testing or vaccinations, according to the TCC COVID-19 update webpage.

“Closing the vaccine and testing sites may be problematic for some students, but there are still widely available community resources,” TR assistant dean of nursing Virginia Covington said.

Despite that initial concern, Covington agrees with discontinuing self-reporting.

“Prevention protocols have always been optional at TCC, and many faculty, staff and students continue to choose that precaution,” Covington said. “The North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council and the Tarrant County Public Health have determined that new Tarrant County

COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people are steadily decreasing at this time with a community classification level of low.”

Covington said it is a personal choice to take COVID precautions.

“Mask or no mask can be up to individuals,” she said. “However, we need to ensure that those with a positive case of COVID-19 stay away from others.

TR instructor Varnessa Dorsey said the public should still be cautious of COVID because the future is still uncertain.

“I understand that we want to get things back to normal, but See Protocols, page 2

News

Women’s History

Opinion

Editorial

OSCARS SLAP Students react to infamous moment. PG. 3

FEMINISM’S STRENGTHS Event educates TCC on women’s history. PG. 4

LACK OF EMPATHY Arguments have lost their human connection. PG. 7

STANDING STRONG Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson will hopefully make history. PG. 7

TCC sent out an email March 24 informing students, staff and faculty that it's ending COVID-19 related protocols, and the faculty’s response has been mixed.

According to the email, this decision was made “in response to current [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance and declining cases across Tarrant County.” The protocols it’s ending are reporting, tracking and college notifications.

Previously, it was required that students and faculty that test positive for COVID submit a diagnosis and exposure form on TCC’s website.

“The TCC community has successfully adapted throughout the pandemic to circumstances as they change,” Chief Operating Officer Susan Alanis said.

Alanis ensured TCC would continue to monitor the prevalence of community spread in Tarrant County and make changes if necessary.

TCC has also decided to close all district vaccination and testing sites March 31. This decision

Entertainment WORTH THE WAIT “Atlanta” returns with a vengeance. PG. 6

JUAN SALINAS II

senior editor juan.salinas465@my.tccd.edu

“I understand that we want to get things back to normal, but define normal.”

Varnessa Dorsey

TR instructor

NEWS

2 • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

A lawsuit was filed against TCC Feb. 7 by former executive vice president for advancement Kristen Bennett. Her attorney Frank Hill declined to comment.

Chancellor

(continued from page 1)

The Locke Lord law firm is currently investigating the allegations made by the former executive vice president for advancement Kristen Bennett. She alleges that Giovannini wrongfully terminated her for disciplining a female employee with whom he was having an “inappropriate, personal relationship.”

Her attorney Frank Hill declined to comment.

The investigation incurred over $50,000

in December and January, according to a TCC memo. The board voted March 24 to allocate $200,000 to Locke Lord’s services.

TCC filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit March 17, saying it’s not valid because Bennett willfully resigned.

In November, she submitted her resignation, citing the emotional toll as the reason for wanting to leave, according to the lawsuit. But, she rescinded it Dec. 2.

When news of her resignation was

shared with others, former board president Conrad Heede asked to meet with her. During their meeting, Heede supported her decision to file a grievance against Giovannini. Heede also allegedly knew about the chancellor’s relationship with the unnamed female employee, according to the lawsuit.

Bennett shared her intention to file a grievance with Ayala and the board vice president Kenneth Barr, and they also supported the decision. Heede told Bennett dur-

Protocols

ing an event Dec. 8 that he, Ayala and Barr would have a meeting with her to help, but that never occurred. The day after, Bennett was put on paid leave.

Initially, the decision was thought to be recommended by the TCC Foundation board and board of trustees, but according to the lawsuit, both boards were unaware and were told she left on her own. The boards were also unaware of her rescinding her resignation.

(continued from page 1)

define normal,” Dorsey said. “In nursing, we should not use ‘normal’ in our documentation. Normal can mean different things to different people.”

NE professor of English Debra Frances has mixed feelings about the announcement.

“I would advise them to take precautions, but students are adults and can make their own informed, science-based decisions,” Fran-

ces said. “Emotions and politics have no place in health-based decisions.”

She said TCC brought back in-person classes too soon, but overall, it worked out. She has noticed fewer students reporting COVID-19 this semester.

But, when it comes to faculty, she feels TCC is throwing them under the bus by ending paid emergency leave and remote work

associated with COVID-related quarantine, which ended March 11.

“Who exactly, name and rank, is responsible for that decision,” she said. “It would be nice to be in on that kind of decision-making as a faculty member. After all, I am on the front line, and the person making that decision probably is not in a classroom and has not been, either ever or maybe for years.”

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

Elva LeBlanc was NW Campus president for 11 years and attended NE Campus as a student.

LeBlanc

(continued from page 1)

law firm, LeBlanc’s acting chancellor term length and the lawsuit filed Feb. 7 to associate general counsel Carol Bracken.

“The beauty of being acting chancellor is that I can just focus on the college and let the attorneys manage the other piece,” LeBlanc said. “I can do the fun part, which is working with students, the campus leadership.”

Bracken said she could not comment because it falls under ongoing personnel matters, pending or threatened litigation.

LeBlanc’s history with TCC is expansive. She used to be an NE student before becoming a faculty member. She was NW Campus president for 11 years, and she would frequently host focus groups where students could go and give feedback. This is something she said she wants to do more of.

“I never dreamed I would come back as faculty,” LeBlanc said. “A few years later, however, the opportunity was there.”

Initially, she was hesitant to get into administration because she enjoyed teaching. But, once she transitioned over to administrative

work, she learned to appreciate the work that goes into it.

Board member Bill Greenhill, similar to Barr, expressed his confidence in LeBlanc as a leader.

“Dr. LeBlanc truly gives 100% in everything she attempts,” he wrote in an email. “She seeks input from others and is not afraid of change. In fact, she embraces it!

In discussing the role of community colleges with Dr. LeBlanc, she advised me she is passionate about the community college model because it is an American concept rooted in access to education for all.”

Since LeBlanc is still serving as provost, she’s ensured that her team is there to help with her workload. As she continues in the acting chancellor position, she will determine if she needs to add more staff to lighten the load.

“I will bring support,” LeBlanc said. “I don’t want to appear as if I’m Superwoman.”

Currently, she said all the provost action items requiring attention have been worked through.

“I’m working long hours, but I’ve got a lot of energy,” she said.

Ariel Desantiago/The Collegian

TR student Ashleigh Wood studies and does schoolwork in the TR East building.

NEWS NORTHEAST

Chance to stare at stars, planets

DISTRICT

Slap dominates awards discussion RABBIA MOLAI

ETHAN PLINSKY

reporter collegian.editor@tccd.edu Students who attend astronomy classes on NE Campus are encouraged to view the stars and galaxies through telescopes on most clear nights.

NE associate professor of physics and astronomy Raymond Benge said he occasionally sets up telescopes for public viewings, such as an eclipse or a close approach by Mars.

“The telescopes are primarily used by students in the astronomy classes,” Benge said. “The night class uses the telescopes most clear nights.”

One student said she has enjoyed using the telescopes in the class.

“I have always wanted to look at the moon through a telescope, just have never had the chance,” NE student Savannah Davis said.

On clear nights, telescopes are available for the community to allow everyone to see through them. Another student said she appreciated the lucky chance to be able to use the telescopes.

“I think it is very cool that they set up telescopes so that we can see through them,” NE student Yadira Sanchez said. “It is allowing us an opportunity some of us would like to have.”

In the past, TCC students have gone on field trips to set up telescopes in area state parks to view the sky.

“In recent years, the college has clamped down on field trips, making them harder to do,” Benge said. “Also, with the pandemic, such activities stopped and have not fully restarted.”

Before the pandemic, the campus had an active astronomy club, and the club would often use and assist in setting up the telescopes. The coronavirus has stopped student club participation in many clubs, including astronomy.

“Sometimes, the Astronomy Club would set up telescopes for public events, but there are no current student members,” Benge said. “It is difficult to set up telescopes without students from the club helping.”

Whenever there is a night that the TCCaffiliated club assembles its telescopes, it is accessible to all of the public, not just students.

“I have started working again with state parks and other institutions to occasionally help with public astronomy nights,” Benge said. “I will take telescopes when the events are open to the public. We will be doing one soon with Tarleton State University.”

Using a telescope is not highly accessible to everyone.

“The last time I used a telescope was in elementary school,” Sanchez said.

Because telescopes are rare for most people to use, a majority of people view the stars with their eyes more often than with a telescope.

“The last time I viewed the stars was two weeks ago on the way to see my friend in Lubbock,” Davis said. “There are not many lights, so I like to pull over at night to look at the stars.”

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • 3

campus editor rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu

The 2022 Oscars started like any other, but one infamous event managed to overshadow the entire evening.

During the ceremony March 27, comedian Chris Rock, who was hired to be one of the announcers, was making jokes when he turned to Jada Pinkett Smith and said, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.” The cameras then pointed to her husband Will Smith, who seemed to be laughing at the joke until he noticed Jada was not.

Smith proceeded to walk on stage and open hand slap Rock across the face before

sitting back down and shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out your f---- mouth.”

After getting over his initial shock, Rock continued with the rest of the show.

“I don’t believe he was justified in his actions, but I do still think [Smith] was qualified to accept his award,” NE student Katherine Blake said. “I believe that in the moment, the comment may have caught him off guard, and with the high stress of the event, he acted in a more extreme manner than an individual would have normally. I can see why he did it, but I don’t think that excuses the violence.”

NE student Eli Miller doesn’t share Blake’s perspective.

“I definitely think he was justified,” he said. “It looked like a way to correct Rock, not injure him. Smith’s reaction wasn’t any

more public than Rock’s comment.”

Even though Smith’s altercation became the main conversation about the event, Miller was excited to see that “CODA” won some awards.

“CODA” won the award for best picture, beating out nine other nominees. It became the first film with a predominantly deaf cast to win the best picture category.

Troy Kotsur is the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar.

Will Smith won the best actor for his performance in “King Richard.”

During his acceptance speech, Smith mentioned his actions and said, “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people.”

Joel Solis/The Collegian

A masked individual ordering something from the concession stand at an AMC in The Parks Mall at Arlington.

NORTHEAST

Associate professor of art Andrew Stalder’s pieces bloom in studio gallery

Students from asssociate professor of art Richard Parker’s class in the exhibit.

Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian

Student stares at an oil painting of an orange flower in the exhibit.

Graphic communications instructor Sean Fousheé stares at a piece in the exhibit.

4 • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

SE Campus event educates students on women’s struggles

Photos by Joel Solis/The Collegian

Presenters Tonya Blivens and Jacqui Haynes pose with the poster of the events that were hosted at SE Campus for Women’s History Month.

RABBIA MOLAI

campus editor rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu

SE Campus’ It’s a Woman’s World event March 30 shed a light on feminism, women’s history and literature by people of color.

The event was hosted by assistant speech professor Tonya Blivens and assistant English professor Jacqui Haynes.

Blivens and Haynes both spoke on the different forms of feminism and how though they may differ, they all connect on one main moral ground, the need to improve the female experience in the world.

Blivens began by walking through the many different forms of feminism, focusing specifically on the correlation between feminism and womanism. She explained that feminism is a concept that hangs off the umbrella of womanism.

While feminism targets solely female issues, womanism focuses on the issues that all people of color face.

“Womanism isn’t worried about

defining women,” Blivens said. “It recognizes the feminine spirit, and it takes the attitude that we are stronger together and that we need to work on multiple issues together.”

As a woman of color, Blivens said she hopes she can convey to younger generations that at TCC, they have a community to fall back on.

“The issues that they’re dealing with, women of color have been writing about for centuries, and so I think it’s important as they deal with microaggressions or academic stress that they know they are not alone,” Blivens said.

Haynes spoke about different forms of literature that Indigenous people have used to break down barriers such as creating cookbooks with traditional recipes. Haynes also spoke about the stages Indigenous feminists use to define the progression of writing. She explained them using the four elements earth, air, fire and water, stating that they were phases of writing, not spaces.

“Spaces create borders, whereas phases are larger and more freeing,”

Haynes said.

She said she uses these stages in her own classes to help her students connect more with their work on a spiritual level.

“If you see something that has impacted you or your race or your culture or whatever it is that may be bothering you, then you have the capabilities to go through these steps too,” Haynes said.

“It’s not just limited to women’s issues.”

Haynes also spoke on what introduced her to the feminist movement in the first place.

“I don’t speak for every Indigenous person or Latino or Chicana person, but for me, it lets you know that you do have a voice, and these people have had to do a lot of work to make sure that your voice can be heard and that you can be an advocate and learn, so it feels like a responsibility to also do it too,” Haynes said.

SE student Elmer Hernandez said he was excited about everything he was able to learn at the event and how much of it related to his life.

“There was a lot of stuff I didn’t

SE students Alexis Lozano and Ray Alizomor take notes during the event’s presentation.

know,” Hernandez said. ”When they started talking about food and people not really showing the cultural aspect of it, I kinda sidetracked and thought about how, as a Hispanic kid, you get classified as only being Mexican. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized all the differences and figured out who I really was.”

He said the seminar inspired him to research women’s history and focus on implementing his findings in the future.

Much like Hernandez, SE student Katelyn Vu felt many topics covered in the event spoke to issues she deals with in her day-to-day life.

“It goes back to your identity,” Vu said. “It feels like you’re always competing with yourself. Am I this race first? Am I a woman first? Am I a secondgeneration American first? It deals with all of that at the same time, and it can really make you feel undervalued.”

She talked about how the different works of literature and the authors Haynes and Blivens spoke about inspired her to keep researching so she can be the one defining her identity, not society.

Blivens and Haynes lead a discussion at the end of their presentation.

FEATURE

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • 5

Photos by Joel Solis/The Collegian

SE students Edward Short, Uriel Garcia and Christian Brangers looking at the work “Technically Connected” by Arthur Fields on display at SE Campus.

“Roman Series,” Loli Kanto.

SE exhibition uses photography, paint to explore personal identity CAMERON WEBSTER

campus editor cameron.webster@my.tccd.edu

The concept of self-image and personal identity are being explored through artwork on display at SE Campus.

Seven local artists created work for the Portraiture: Image and Identity art exhibition using photography and paint. Their work reflects the importance of identity within a modern society.

The idea for the gallery came to life when SE instructional assistant of fine arts Penelope Bisbee and photographer Leah Gose — friends since graduate school — got the idea to combine their artistic backgrounds into an exhibition.

During their brainstorming, they decided it made the most sense to focus on finding and featuring local artists that use the desired mediums.

“Intentionally wanting to focus on local and regional artists, I think it’s really important for students to see artists today working

“Roman Series,” Loli Kanto.

locally that they go ‘Oh, this person lives right here,’ versus, this is a picture in a book of someone who made something that lives in Paris or New York,” Gose said.

The artwork featured varies from digital photographs that tell stories of the meaning of identity to paintings designed to question social groups. Some of the artists even inserted their personal life experiences directly into their creations.

Arthur Fields is one of the artists who contributed to the gallery. He created a series of digital imagery titled “Technically Connected,” which depicts individuals using early-stage social media on their smart devices. He described his work as nostalgic. “[It’s] a glimpse of self-representation during the early years of social media,” Fields said. “I would want people to look carefully at the images and see what each subject is revealing about themselves. Social-economic status, family life, age, technology skill or level, etc.”

Fields hopes anyone who views his art can see how people choose to represent themselves.

He said that whether it is good or bad, image is everything, and people need to think about how they present to the world.

Fellow artist Lupita Murillo Tinnen chose to put a more personal touch on her series of images titled “Immigrant Laborers.”

Her creation features portraits of North Texas immigrant laborers dressed in clothing of their choosing, rather than their work outfits.

Tinnen combined her portraits with text, graphics and historical images of other workers to help shape the narratives of the portrayed. She even featured her father, Carlos.

“I have a unique experience as an insider who comes from a working-class family of Mexican immigrants,” Tinnen said. “The occupations I chose to represent include those most commonly discussed in regards to low-skilled immigrant labor.”

She said she wants people who see her work to view immigrant laborers positively.

Angilee Wilkerson used self-portraiture in her series titled “Perform La Femme,”

“Lara (Saudi Muslim Woman),” Nathan Madrid.

where she, along with her artistic partner Jana C. Perez, emphasize their lives as women.

The two women portray themselves in different scenarios and different roles, mixing symbolism and metaphor to create a complex visual narrative.

According to Wilkerson’s artist statement, the piece deconstructs cultural ideals and empowers experiential knowledge of female identity within a predominantly patriarchal society.

“When we stepped back and looked, we were like, yeah, figurative and portraiture, but this really unpacks that broader conversation about identity,” Gose said.

“Whether its sexual identity, gender, politics, psychological identity, everything.”

She said their simple idea has turned into something that can be incredibly impactful for many different communities and groups of people.

The gallery will be open every day, except Sunday, until May 6, with visiting hours between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

“Roman Series,” Loli Kanto.

ENTERTAINMENT

6 • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Photo courtesy of FX

Alfred/Paper Boi, played by Brian Tyree Henry, sits down and has a chat with Earn, played by Donald Glover. Season Three premiered almost four years after Two.

SHOW REVIEW

‘Atlanta’ brings back star-studded cast JOSÉ ROMERO

editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu

It’s been a long wait, but Season Three of “Atlanta” is finally here, and it’s as profound as ever.

Season Two premiered in 2018, sending the main slew of characters to Europe.

The season was the culmination of Donald Glover’s character Earn. He had been trying to continuously prove to his cousin that he can be his manager, yielding no results. It wasn’t until the end of the season when he pulled a stunt that finally got his cousin to notice his worth.

So, that’s where the story begins. Four years have passed for us, but it hasn’t been too long for them. At the time of writing, there are two episodes out, and they mostly deliver.

The first episode is reminiscent of last season’s “Teddy Perkins.” It’s obscure, threading the line between reality and fiction.

It follows Loquareeous, a boy who is having behavioral issues at school. Because of the faculty’s concern, they call Child Protective Services, having them take him away to another family.

It’s an odd premise, considering the show is about rapper Paper Boi, played by Brian Tyree Henry, rising in the ranks. That’s the brilliance of “Atlanta.” It’s a curveball of a show. The tone and style are mostly consistent until it isn’t. Rather than spoonfeeding conclusions, viewers’ thoughts are left marinating, resulting in theories that are rarely answered. The ambiguity of these types of episodes makes them as memorable as they are.

Although the episode is good, it delays what most have been waiting for, and that’s finding out where the main characters are.

This episode feels as if it should’ve been saved for later in the season. Even if it had been omitted not much would’ve been lost.

Again, not to say it’s a bad episode, but Glover made it clear that the show is ending later this year with Season Four. Having episodes like this takes time away from the fantastic main crew.

Episode Two understands this and provides an update on everyone’s whereabouts.

Alfred/Paper Boi finds himself locked up in a European prison. Earn, as usual, is in a rush because he’s late for a meeting. He also needs to bail Paper Boi out. Darius and Vanessa, played by LaKeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz, go on an adventure together, ending up at some end-of-life ceremony.

Having the groups separated like this was a great choice. It makes it easier to focus on what they’ve each been up to without overwhelming the viewer with too much information.

It helps that everyone’s dialogue feels natural. Each of them has a tangible relationship, even the ones that aren’t too close

like Darius and Van. The way things are shot

by Hiro Murai beautifully compliments the quality of dialogue on screen.

Seeing Paper Boi finally getting the success he was thriving toward is great, but it does make the plot feel somewhat aimless.

Paper Boi finally accomplished what he sought to do, so what now? There’s a warm feeling to seeing all of these characters again, but as of right now, ending with Season Two might have been wise.

It’s way too early to tell, and my opinion could change with the coming episodes.

Season Three is off to a strong start but desperately needs to prove why it was made.

“Atlanta” is one of the best comedy shows ever and it deserves the praise it has received.

It deserves a worthy conclusion.

COMIC REVIEW

Even after hiatus, Saga proves why it’s great JOSÉ ROMERO

editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu

After an over three-year hiatus, Saga has returned triumphantly, continuing its intergalactic story that’s grounded by a memorable cast of characters.

When readers think of groundbreaking comics, stuff like Alan Moore’s Watchmen comes to mind, but that thought process needs some alterations. What Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have accomplished with the Saga universe deserves recognition The story manages to stay coherent, no matter how bizarre it gets. It’s a perfect balance of social commentary, humor and serious character moments, all displayed within beautifully illustrated panels by Staples.

The art and story pair together like pinot noir and Gruyere, simply delectable.

Saga is about Marko and Alana, who committed an unforgivable crime — they fell in love. They’re from different planets, planets that hate each other’s guts.

The characters found themselves on thin ice for attempting to run away together. To make matters worse, they conceived a child, Hazel. In doing so, they became war criminals, with elites and bounty hunters pursuing them.

If word got out about this “abomination,” its impact could be devastating, at least that’s the propaganda behind it. However, no matter what was thrown at Marko, Hazel and Alana, they persevered, mostly.

The series went on a long break in 2018 after a cliffhanger in issue 54. It wasn’t until January of this year that it finally came back, wetting the palates of readers dying to know if what happened was real or not, no matter how heartbreaking the answer was.

Right off the bat, issue 55 pulls no

punches. Hazel, the narrator of the story, confirms what happened in issue 54. A truly gut-wrenching moment in a series filled with them, and this is just the halfway point, according to Vaughan.

Saga always does a great job at reminding the reader that nobody is safe, which is scary as hell. An innocent character can go from having a good time in one issue to begging that God is real as he suffers a slow, painful death by an enormous space baby in the next.

Each death is impactful because even the most despicable of characters have some sort of sympathetic trait to them, making it hard to cheer when they meet an untimely demise. The best and worst part about these deaths is that it rarely leaves anything to the imagination. It’s all vividly illustrated, forcing you to look at the end of a character’s journey.

It makes death a much more traumatic, personal experience. Other comics have people dying left and right, ignoring the ramifications of it. Saga lets the reader see the carnage, making them question if that’s the outcome they wanted, no matter how much they hated a character.

Reflection is Saga’s most important theme. It wants the reader to sit back and consider every word in a speech bubble. It wants them to connect its fictional events to real ones. But, mostly, it wants the reader to understand how ugly the world can be. In doing so, the comic highlights how happier moments should be cherished, even if they’re few and far between.

Saga is a master class in world-building, character dynamics and art. It’ll be a couple of years before it concludes, but it will forever be ingrained in my mind.

Photo courtesy of Image Comics

The front cover art of issue 57 of the comic Saga. The series is written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples. Please buy it from a local comic shop.

OPINION

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • 7

EDITORIAL

Senate hearings spotlight blatant misogyny Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is on the cusp of making history as the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. All she needs to do is overcome centuries of misogynoir embedded into the country’s foundation.

Minority representation is lacking in nearly every facet imaginable in this nation. This fact is infinitely more valid when it comes to something as exclusive as the Supreme Court.

It was established 233 years ago.

However, it took until 1967 for there to be a Black man seated, and until 1981 for there to finally be a woman appointed to the nation’s highest court. Out of 115 members, only three have been people of color and five have been women.

On paper, Jackson is more than qualified. She is a Harvard Law School graduate. She spent time as a lawyer and has years of experience as a judge. In fact, she has more trial court judge experience than four of the current justices combined.

Typically, an individual with this many qualifications would be a no-brainer to appoint to the Supreme Court.

However, in Jackson’s case, she has been subjected to racial disparagement in the media, being called a token nomination, strictly since she is a Black woman.

During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings this past week, top Republican senators — when faced with the inability to find a legitimate reason Jackson should not be appointed — resorted to misleading questions and using conspiracy theories and buzzwords currently popular among their right-wing base.

Tj Favela/The Collegian They asked her questions regarding her definition of womanhood, critical race theory, abortion, and specifically, her past involvement in the sentencing of child pornography cases.

The most egregious line of questioning came from Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri. He made claim after claim that Jackson was lenient on

crime. He described in detail some of the more horrific cases she’d overseen as a judge, blaming her for passing sentences that he deemed too low.

The problem with this line of inquiry is what Jackson pointed out multiple times to Hawley. She is not Congress, therefore, she can only follow the guidelines that Congress has laid out.

Some Republican senators took their questioning even further into the realm of disrespect and insanity.

She was asked about her faith — completely irrelevant to the position — and one senator even resorted to using books as props while ranting about how he believed Jackson was a reverse racist.

It’s hard not to look at all of this

as evidence of a preconceived notion.

Her qualifications do not seem to matter in comparison to her race and gender.

Despite all of this, Jackson never wavered, never lost her cool, never looked weak or shook in the face of these idiotic individuals. She answered every question to perfection, remaining dignified and professional despite her questioner’s “jackassery,” according to one Democratic senator.

She clearly has legendary patience. Any lesser being would have walked out of there and never looked back. This is the type of person she is: intelligent, strong, patient and thoughtful, all with an extreme understanding of the law.

The country could not ask for a more qualified individual. Jackson has shown that if she can handle the absurdity of today’s Republican Party, then she can handle anything.

With the Supreme Court having been historically dominated by men — mostly white — having minority representation atop the pinnacle of the judicial system is paramount to the nation’s growth. Especially during a time when the racial divide feels like it’s at a fever pitch.

Too commonly in this country, individuals in positions of power — usually white men — like to plant themselves firmly in the way of change.

The Supreme Court needs someone like Jackson. She represents not only change but more importantly, the women who look like her. The impact she could have on minority communities is incalculable, and her legacy as a Supreme Court justice could influence the direction of the country for the next century.

VIEWPOINTS

Need to be right has become Cancel culture puts people’s more important than empathy feelings over historical icons

ALEX HOBEN photo editor

alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu

Empathy has been shunned from “intelligent” conversation, and this is detrimental to our recovery process.

It seems in so many nuanced discussions I’ve had recently that the ability to consider others has been thrown out the window, and I’m tired of it. I’ve had to stop myself from grabbing someone by the shoulders and shouting, “I don’t know how to convince you to care about other people,” as they callously address subjects without considering the impact it has on others.

I will never endorse the censoring of free speech, but I will always endeavor to consider the effect my opinions will have on others. Unfortunately, it seems this filter has been removed from so many of the people around me. I believe it is in part because of the pandemic and how we as a society haven’t quite settled. Emotional nuances have changed since we went from a flatscreen with two-dimensional interactions to in-person conversation again.

What’s especially annoying is when these arguments are presented as superior just because they’ve supposedly gotten rid of emotional bias.

The sympathy we feel for others is seen as a weakness rather than an important tool for motivation and understanding. The ability

to relate to others is what gives campaigns meaning, no matter what side you are on, but instead of highlighting the empathy in their message, they demonize it.

One of the main rationales for criticizing emotionally-driven arguments is how you “can’t save everyone,” and the ideals that are often espoused are too unrealistic to even be considered.

As if to say that it’s pointless to argue, so be happy with where we are. But I believe that without the mindset of aiding everyone, how would society be aware of the problems that need addressing? The ability to relate to and sympathize with others’ struggles is one of the most impressive traits of the human mind.

I know it’s impossible to help everyone in our society and that’s it’s completely unrealistic to never have something horrible happen. We don’t live in a perfect world after all. But I don’t think that’s an adequate reason to become complacent. Is it so wrong to hope for better while watching others suffer, especially when popular media shows us every tragic occurrence we can think of?

There is no understanding or solace in pure logic, just as there is no order and structure in pure emotions. Intelligence has become synonymous with “emotionally devoid,” which is ridiculous. Emotional intelligence, or EQ, when used productively, is the most important and impressive function of our communication abilities, and it will be the key tool going forward in this divided social landscape.

An effective EQ will be the way we can get past our knee-jerk response to opinions that differ from ours and help us come to a middle ground.

Empathy is such a powerful aid for our betterment and mistaking it with naivety is the greatest oversight.

AUSTIN FOLKERTSMA senior editor

austin.folkertsma@my.tccd.edu

Cancel culture is extremely toxic, and it needs to stop before it does any further damage.

It has taught people that if someone makes a mistake or glorifies an individual that society doesn’t inherently like, people should stop supporting them, and their career is over with a simple hashtag.

A person can lose everything they’ve worked for just because of a joke they tweeted over a decade ago. No second chances, no reset button, their social life is done unless you’re a celebrity. An average person is unlikely to come back from it, forever shunned from their social groups.

What are we doing putting people like James Charles and Shane Dawson in the same conversation as Mr. Potato Head.

People like Charles and Dawson were proven to have done heinous acts, yet society still supports them. But at the same time, people stay quiet when a plastic potato that has been around since the 1950s gets canceled because it has the prefixes “Mr.” and “Mrs.” in front of it because it “promotes gender roles.”

Another example of this toxic culture is the NFL team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. Their 87-year-old

name and logo were considered an offensive racial slur toward Native Americans, leading them to now be known as the Washington Commanders.

What about the other Indigenous mascots of these other various sports teams?

How long will it take for them to get taken down?

Cancel culture taught us that people are not allowed to make mistakes or correct their mistakes. People need to make mistakes because how else are we supposed to learn that something we do is wrong? We learn this when we’re little.

If people realized everyone has a different opinion, so many wars would be stopped. People need to realize the world doesn’t revolve around them and respect the fact that everyone has an opinion, and they have the right to the First Amendment, freedom of speech.

It’s gotten to the point where people are in constant fear and feel like they need to watch their backs. People can’t say what they want on social media because people are too sensitive.

The world has more issues to deal with, like the war in Ukraine. Why do people focus so much of their attention on Eminem because of his “angry lyrics and profanity.”

That’s who Eminem is. Are we canceling people for being who they are now?

Even NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers was canceled because he’s unvaccinated.

So, are we canceling all unvaccinated people at this point? The way I see it, we’re only canceling people because they have a platform. If an absolute nobody did something terrible, they wouldn’t get canceled. People wouldn’t even care.

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Staff

DESIGN & WEBSITE Hannah Seese Shelby Gatewood ILLUSTRATORS Tj Favela Jimmy Arca

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FEATURE

8 • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

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TCC graduate ready to take on vintage clothing scene JUAN SALINAS II

senior editor juan.salinas465@my.tccd.edu

Before the pandemic, TCC alumni Stephon Armstrong ran a small pop-up shop from his mom’s garage where he would sell vintage clothing that he had collected over the years. He dreamed of one day opening up a proper storefront.

“We had to be in the house for four months,” Armstrong said.

“I got bored of everything, and I didn’t want to do anything at all. I was really stagnant.”

On the rare occasion that he would go out and thrift for clothes, he wouldn’t get the same feeling as before.

“I’m here,” he said. “Let me look at a few things, like at four or five shirts, then just go home because I wasn’t in the mood for it anymore.”

It wasn’t until November that Armstrong’s spark for thrifting came back with a vengeance. He met Punch, the owner of Trap Necessities — a vintage clothing store in Arlington. Punch pushed him to come back into the scene by inviting him to pop-ups.

“As I got to the event, I realized why I do this,” he said.

“It’s fun, I meet a lot of new people and I make money.”

Now with his love rekindled, he is ready to achieve his dream.

Armstrong graduated from TCC in 2018. He is originally from San Antonio but moved to the DFW area 10 years ago.

H e c u r re n t l y w o r k s a s a manager at the trampoline park Urban Air, but he always has time for vintage clothing, a passion that started in junior high.

“My mama would take me everywhere,” Armstrong said. “I would always never look because a kid going to Goodwill won’t want to shop at an old store.”

Armstrong would consider his clothing style to fall under “streetwear.” The style is where comfort is above all else but still makes a fashion statement.

It has roots in the countercultures of the 1980s and 1990s, including graffiti, hip-hop, skating and surfing.

Armstrong

Design/Hannah Seese Illustrations/Jimmy Arca

would always try to find stylish “I would fill maybe one to two clothes at thrift stores. It got to suitcases with everything that I the point where he worked at didn’t sell at my last event.”

Goodwill just to get the “good Armstrong would watch finds” before they even hit the Youtube videos from a clothing racks. He obtained so much store in LA called Round Two, clothes that he had to start which showed the owners using a storage unit for all of bargaining with sellers. them over the years.

When one of his friends His friends were amazed invited him to tag along by the number of clothes he on their vacation to LA, he had just for himself. took the opportunity.

“His fashion sense is On average, it would only good too, not as good as take him one or two days mine, but he’s one of my bestto make the money back he dressed friends,” Xavier May said. spent traveling to LA. Armstrong has a tight-knit He tries to cater to all styles friend group. All of his friends and ages, even though he have creative talents ranging from doesn’t have many children making music, photography and c us tomers . The ma i n fashion. reason Armstrong shops “Stephon is a genuine guy,” for children’s clothes is May said. “I’ve never been for Rex’s son. around him and not had at least Not only is he three good laughs. Whether planning on opening his vintage we’re playing the game or going clothing store soon, but he has out to an event or at a party, something bigger in mind.

Stephon is always going to be “Me and my friend Dakota that same cool-ass dude.” are working on a brand Armstrong is always glad called Upset,” Armstrong to help his friends in their said. endeavors.

Dakota and “Whenever they Armstrong have need a model, I started small with always lend my face,” t-shirts and hats, Armstrong said. but once they He has modeled ha v e a s ol i d multiple times for fan base, clothing brands they will such as Kids’ Table expand to and his friend j ac k ets a nd Rex’s brand Ripe. hoodies.

Rex, like Armstrong, Stephon comes f rom humble also already beginnings. has a name They would use for his store different clothing — Sweet parts and stitch them Te a V i n t a g e . together to make The potential Alex Hoben/The Collegian u n i q u e p i e c e s . F o r Photos byStephon location could Armstrong example, making be Dallas, Fort shorts out of t-shirts from Worth or Southlake. Until then, Stephon’s collection.

Armstrong will continue operating “His drive to sell his clothing venture from the clothes, whether that comfort of his home. be reselling or making The next big move for stuff from scratch, is another Armstrong is to attend DFW’s reason I look up to him,” May Thrift Convention in Arlington said.

June 18. It is the biggest thrifting When Armstrong decided to convention in the DFW area. get serious about selling clothes, This will be his first solo booth he traded in the storage unit for run by himself since the his mom’s garage. pandemic.

He even “borrowed” a “I’m excited to mannequin from his old job get back to the at Footaction to promote his groove of things business. finally,” he said.

He uses the mannequin for his He is confident he Depop — a fashion marketplace will be able to make a p p — w h e re h e p o s t s h i s a healthy profit while collection of shirts. While Depop promoting his clothing is a part of his business, his band. primary strategy is going around “I got one of the best spaces Los Angeles and Texas with a there,” Armstrong said. “Literally pop-up shop. right by the door. So when you “They pay a lot more over walk in. you’re definitely going to there than out here,” he said. see me.”