January 31st, TCC The Collegian

Medusa - South Campus gallery showcases Grecian mythos-influenced art Page 3

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 – Volume 37 • Issue 13

@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu

NORTHEAST

NE Campus interim president optimistic Future plan developments underway, says campus leadership team HOPE SMITH

editor-in-chief hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu

Jan Clayton, the new interim president for NE Campus, is excited for the goals and progress set in place for campus developments being pushed forward through her and the leadership team’s efforts.

Clayton explained that she has three main campus goals related to mission alignment. She hopes to expand communication engagement.

During president listening session set up in December for students to meet and interact with Clayton, she has realized that students want to be heard.

“What I get from those meetings is that there’s a need for even more communication,” she said.

“So, I think there was communication in the past, but what I’m picking up on is people are hungry for more.”

To maintain transparency, Clayton began sending weekly emails in December called the “President’s Blog.” There, she details her week to NE employees about her activities.

“I just want to let them [NE employees] know this is what your leadership is doing on behalf of you and students and the campus every day, and just to give them some insight into that,” she said.

Clayton accepts that balancing the needs of the campus is all part of the president’s job. She says addressing the problems in keeping communication open with students helps support the campus.

“I look at it as if we’re creating space where people feel like they can be transparent and open and speak their needs and their priorities,” she said. “My job is to hear all of that, synthesize that, talk about that with all the stakeholders and then figure out how we can respond.”

Since joining in November, she

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

NE interim President Jan Clayton addresses students at president listening session as an introduction to her new role. Clayton became NE Campus’ interim president in December last year due to the dismissal of previous president Kenya Ayers-Palmore. explains that she has felt nothing but welcomed by NE. “I really enjoy the opportunity to be back here at Northeast again.

The faculty, the staff, the administrators, the students – everybody has been gracious and welcoming,” she said.

Terri Ford, assistant to the president at NE, has explained that the transition into Clayton’s leadership was smooth.

“Dr. Clayton is a very good, excellent leader,” she said. “What I do is just keep continuing to forge those relationships and share governance to make sure that the institution’s goals are just steady as we go.”

Prior to becoming interim president, she served as the vice presi-

dent of student affairs both at NW and NE Campus.

“I feel like the campus is either expanded or I just missed it,” she said. “I’m in buildings now that have floors that I never got a chance to walk down. I’m meeting even more people, and it’s probably the role that’s afforded me this opportunity.”

Ford’s job requires that she be prepared for problem solving and management skills, and she said she always comes prepared on campus for what the day may bring her.

“I just take each day as it comes and as it unfolds,” she said.

“My expectation is at the end of the day we’re going to be successful, regardless of what that may look like. We had situations that come

up, and I’ve managed through those situations as assistant to the president.”

Clayton and Ford are looking forward to new developments on campus and ways to celebrate the programs offered, including the future science labs.

The leadership team on NE have been working with Perkins and Will, a Dallas based architectural group, to develop the foundational plans for a new science building that would expand the amount of lab space on campus.

Clayton explained that a while ago, they began assessing the trends of the campus based on the growth of student numbers, which told them there would be growth of 3,400 students in the next five

years, estimated.

“There’s just excitement around that idea of a new building on campus, and what that will do for the student experience and how it also allows us to continue to focus on growth of enrollment of students by having more spaces to teach them,” Clayton said.

Ford is most looking forward to seeing students grow into the spaces and enjoying the opportunities for them following the establishment of the labs.

“What I look forward to is students graduating because that’s success, [and] students coming back because we want them to return,” she said. “The college has a cadence and so on, and I look forward to that.”

DISTRICT

HEALTH

Get Back on Track aims for students’ academic success FOUSIA ABDULLAHI campus editor

fousia.abdullahi@my.tccd.edu

File Photo/The Collegian

Students can chose to wear masks to protect their health during cold and flu season.

Current surge of respiratory illnesses create concern as semester starts While students are returning to campus for the spring semester, there is a surge of respiratory illnesses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory disease in the U.S. is elevated as of Jan. 22.

As students and staff return to school, they expressed their concerns and desire to stay healthy.

For NE student Evan Marks, getting sick and missing more than one class in a row is a big point of anxiety.

“It’s going to hinder your performance,” Marks said.

“Imagine you have to take a pop quiz or it’s a test day and you’re on Sudafed, or nothing at all just feeling sick and gross.”

Marks has family members who have recently been sick.

His mom had a bad cough after Thanksgiving break and spent about a week on the couch. His stepdad had the flu.

According to the American Red Cross website, 7.1 million in the U.S. have been sick with the flu this season.

NE history assistant professor Cynthia Lewis and her daughter caught a respiratory illness over Christmas break. Though it has been a few weeks, they’re till recovering.

“We all want a strong start to any semester, and getting sick can really hinder that,” she said.

Marks feels that COVID, the flu or even preexisting conditions

Clubs after COVID Club members learn to adapt after social changes Page 2

‘True Detective’ Newest season was truly chilling to watch Page 4

‘Lift’ Find love – and wealth – stealing works of art Page 4

KEYLA HOLMES

campus editor keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu

See Respiratory Page 2

S t u d e n t s f a c e d i ff e r e n t barriers. For some, it is work. For others, it’s family, their devices or study skills.

Every two weeks, a workshop called Get Back on Track and Finish the Race is held by speakers from different departments such as Student Success and Advising, Career Advising, the Transfer Center and others.

The next Get Back on Track events are on Thursday, February 8 at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 26 at noon in NBSS 1103 The Community Room, these events will be held until May. Ronda Isaac, assistant director of student success and advising at the NE Campus, recalls being discouraged from attending college as a teenager.

“My high school guidance counselor actually said the words, ‘I just don’t think you’re college material. I would hate to see you do that to yourself,’” Isaac said.

“But I knew that going to college was very important to my mom and dad.”

She went to college and went through periods when her GPA was on academic good standing. Other times, she fell short.

Carolyn Choate prepares to teach her end-of-spring course.

Social madness Doomscrolling and internet third places are ruining society Page 5

Hobbies meant for fun Having hobbies doesn’t need to be a chore Page 5

Rama Ajlouni/The Collegian

“I took a counseling class and my whole world changed because all of a sudden, I found my calling,” she said. “I had found what I was supposed to do, and the classes did not feel like studying anymore.”

During the presentation there were PowerPoints about academic success being a combination of goal setting, study technique and grit.

“One of the things that can help with being successful at TCC See On track Page 2

NEWS

2 • Wednesday, January 31, 2024 NORTHEAST

Club advisers discuss COVID challenges Members reminisce on complications following pandemic outbreak XAVIER BOATNER

campus editor xavier.boatner@my.tccd.edu

Following NE Club Rush, some TCC clubs have explained how they adapted and evolved over years following the pandemic.

Club Rush, organized by NE student activities, was held on Jan. 25 from 12:30 to 2 as a method of presenting students with an opportunity to take a dive into the diverse range of clubs and organizations found across campus.

Some clubs, namely Phi Theta Kappa and the Neurodiversity Club, have explained how they managed to evolve over the years, while others, namely the Fellowship Of Christian University Students, shared how they persevered over the years with little alteration.

Phi Theta Kappa adviser Peter Martinez believed that students’ desire to develop relationships with other students had only grown stronger over time, especially in recent years following COVID-19 lockdowns and social isolation. “[Students want] to build their interpersonal skills,” Martinez said. “This has made it important for club advisors to be approachable, positive and genuine.”

Neurodiversity Club adviser Amber Meyers shared a similar desire to help students grow their social relationships.

“We weren’t around during COVID, but the pandemic was especially difficult for the neurodiverse student,” Meyers said. “Autistic folks have a limited social circle, and the social isolation of COVID was difficult to manage. ADHD members really missed the interactions. The return to campus after COVID helped everyone in the club get back into the rhythm of school.”

When discussing the ways, he and his peers processed this information, he explained how the club has gone out of its

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

NE chemistry instructor Steven Rooney and president of the Chemistry Club Juan Segura demonstrate a chemical reaction at the club’s booth during Club Rush. Segura invited various students from the crowd to participate in the experiment. way to increase the number of options in which students can communicate with each other.

“We more actively use online resources like GroupMe and Canvas messaging to communicate with our members,” he said.

“We also hold frequent meetings that provide updated information, promote collaboration, and maintain a welcoming environment.

Our Canvas page also provides pertinent information for our members.”

Similarly to the Phi Theta Kappa’s approach, Meyers and the neurodiversity club

found new ways of communicating with one other using various online resources.

“We have a Discord channel as well as the Canvas page,” she said. “Discord is used by more members. Additionally, committee members have text chains for communication. We are improving our YouTube channel, have our own dedicated website and are making content to share with people who have similar interests but may or may not be TCC students.”

Trying to encourage members to start taking advantage of the additional club

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(continued from page 1)

can cause students to miss a lot of classes.

He thinks this could lead to students wanting to drop their courses, he said.

“It takes so much more out of you to catch up,” Marks said.

Lewis encourages students to communicate with their instructors while battling an illness. In her experience, instructors are more than willing to help students get caught up in class, she said.

“TCC faculty understands how challenging it is to juggle responsibilities while battling an illness,” Lewis said.

To stay safe, NE biology associate professor Lara Kingeter knows washing hands, avoiding touching the face and wearing a mask can keep students healthy.

Respiratory illnesses can spread by what is known as droplet transmission.

“Every time you breathe out, you are exhaling moisture,” Kingeter said. “So that’s how those viruses are spreading, they’re hitching a ride on those respiratory droplets.”

While she knows people have strong feelings about masks, they prevent students from inhaling other peoples’ respiratory droplets, she said.

On track

resources worked to the club’s benefit, Martinez said.

“I think it has been easier to get students interested [in Phi Theta Kappa], however TCC’s enrollment dropped tremendously during the pandemic, so the number of members does not necessarily reflect the level of interest” he said.

Despite the club being relatively new, the neurodiversity club has managed to find success in a post-pandemic world and grown a lot, Meyers said.

See more at https://collegian.tccd.edu

When COVID-19 began, Marks was living in New York. He realized he’d experienced a very different pandemic than from those in Texas after moving here in August 2020, he said.

“It felt dire,” Marks said. “People were afraid to hang out because they thought that might kill their friend - or like driving past field hospitals. It was crazy.”

When he got to Texas, he was shocked.

“No one was masking,” Marks said.

“No one was double-masking, and people in New York double-masked.”

In Texas, Marks feels like wearing a mask isn’t a part of people’s daily habits like in New York.

“It’s like wearing a mask has certain connotations,” he said.

For students who’d like to wear a mask, they can be found in the NSTU building outside of the health services door.

Marks thinks having masks around is helpful.

“Sometimes I show up and I forget my mask, and it’s right there if I want one, especially because I live with my parents, both over 55, and they have heart health issues,” he said.

(continued from page 1)

and any higher-level education program is a good grade point average, a good GPA,” said NE career adviser Russ Cave. “A semester GPA of at least 2.0 is equivalent to a 70.”

A handout provided at the workshop breaks down how to calculate a GPA. “What kept me going on the times when I really wanted to give up was at both universities there was a teacher that made sure that they poured into me,” Isaac said.

“And then [there were] the connections through the different social clubs.”

Another piece of advice is to find out which learning style works best. Students are taught the different ways to learn through a video as well as a writing exercise. There are visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners who learn by doing.

Another resource for students is the tutoring center, and learning labs for math, science writing and other subjects. These resources are available in-person and virtually using the learning commons in Canvas.

“All tutoring services are free as long as you are a student, and if you are a transfer student, the writing center can help you with your essay or academic resume,” said Alicia Thomas, NE coordinator I of the transfer center.

She also added that students need to know their prospective institution’s transfer requirements because some will not accept below a C grade.

Building relationships on campus is

essential to success, and one of the most important is that of a student and adviser.

“All 50,000 students, will be assigned to an adviser and that adviser will be the person that they see on a regular basis,” Isaac said.

Each student has their own unique set of life circumstances. During career training for advisers and success coaches, Isaac likes to ask, “What does this particular student need at this particular time?”

One fear for students on academic probation or suspension is how their financial aid or grants will be affected. When a student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher students get on academic probation. A suspension happens when a student who fails to maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher while on Academic Probation. Student may opt for Academic Recovery program or sit out one long semester (including summer). Students can fill out an appeal process to explain their circumstances.

“The financial aid office, working with our senior career advisers here in the advising office, will help that student create an academic success plan that goes over semester by semester exactly,” Isaac said.

Which comes with strict guidelines students must follow during the process.

“Remember that you do not have to know it all,” Isaac said. “It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It is a sign of strength to recognize, ‘I need help.’”

FEATURE

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • 3

Photos by Alex Hoben

Guest artist Pavlina Vagioni explains that the inspiration behind her works of the “Gorgon” collection was in her interest in the ancient Grecian mythos of Medusa. She gave an artist talk on the day of the gallery’s opening on South Campus.

Greek artist Pavlina Vagioni displays her exhibition on South Campus.

NINA BANKS

managing editor nina.banks@my.tccd.edu

Medusa has sunk her fangs into South Campus.

Greek multimedia artist Pavlina Vagioni held an opening reception for her exhibit “Gorgon” at the Carillon Gallery Jan. 25.

Vagioni’s art is centered around Greek mythology. Her previous art has included pieces titled “The Sirens” and “Eros & Valentine.”

“Gorgon” takes inspiration from the story of Medusa.

"I like female themes, and I like misinterpreted female themes,” Vagioni said. “The Medusa myth — there are so many versions of it, and it is so confusing. So, I tried to shed some light in the earliest versions of that which was a protective symbol.”

During the opening reception, Vagioni addressed attendees in an artist talk. She discussed her research process.

“With Medusa, what I was interested in was first of all, why the snake?” Vagioni said. “I was researching the meaning of fear.

Why is it when you look at this monster, you will turn into stone?

Why is it a feminine archetype that is supposed to kill you and scare you?”

Vagioni used several different mediums for the exhibit, from conventional to unconventional.

I like female themes, and I like misinterpreted female themes.

Pavlina Vagioni Guest Artist

“The Gorgon’s Cave” utilized oil paint on marble circles with synthetic hair surrounding it. South instructional assistant Danielle Carr helped install the exhibition over three days.

“The install was really fun,” Carr said. “We had three, really tall ladders — like a 15- foot one — and we were kind of weaving the snakes. And most of my day was spent with a snake above my head which is awesome.”

South student Nathalie Mejia is currently enrolled in Art Appreciation. The exhibition piqued her interest in art.

“It’s beautiful,” Mejia said.

“When [Vagioni] started explaining, it all just made sense. At first you just look at like and you’re like ‘Oh, it’s nice.’ But when she explained everything, it all pieced together.

Now I really do want to go look at more art.”

Phil Ford attended South Campus from 1997 to 1998.

Though he is no longer a student, he has visited shows at The Carillon Gallery since the pandemic.

“I originally started as a painter and then I became a musician, but I still have a love for art,” Ford said. “I go to all the TCU shows, some SMU shows, if I have the opportunity to travel.”

Carr is delighted that The Carillon Gallery has received so much attention from the local community.

“We love it,” Carr said. “That’s what we are trying to foster here, art for the entire community, make it accessible, make it free. Especially when we have international artists, from Greece or last semester we had someone from Brussels. We want people to come in and see these artists, as many as possible while they are here.”

“Gorgon” will be open to the public in the Carillon Gallery until Feb. 22.

One marble plate of several laid out in the piece “The Gorgon’s Cave.”

These plates were placed on top of beach pebbles on the floor.

Vagioni explains the hand positions she used in the snake sculpture with visiting South students Josh Moore and Omarion Nelson.

4 • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

ENTERTAINMENT

SHOW REVIEW

New season of ‘True Detective’ is worth it Eerie and tense is the town of Ennis where scientists go missing FOUSIA ABDULLAHI

campus editor fousia.abdullahi@my.tccd.edu

“True Detective” is back with season four: “Night Country,” and in true fashion, the first three episode were chilling.

The HBO show airs on Sunday nights and is set in Ennis, Alaska. Eight men operating the Tsalal Arctic Research Station disappear from their station appearing as if they have vanished without a trace.

Detectives Liz Danvers played by Jodie Foster and Evangeline Navarro played by Kali Reis have no idea what happened to the men or have any leads as to why they disappeared.

One of the great things about True Detective is that each season stands alone, so you can jump to whichever season grabs your attention. Season four of Night Country: Part 1 started on Jan. 14, at 8:00 p.m. CST, and will end on Feb. 25. It has been five years since season three aired.

The setting, a fictional town in northern Alaska, helps play up the eerie feeling of the crime and missing scientists.

It’s cold and the days of darkness have started, hence the season title Night Country.

You don’t know if it’s the wind howling, that everything is always dark or the references to spirits, ghosts or the symbol of the spiral from season one that has returned.

Still, you are always aware that something or someone is watching and listening to the characters.

Music is an essential part of TV shows because it invokes emotions. The theme song is Bury a Friend by Billie Eilish. The song is just as dark as the show, with the lyrics, “Step on the glass, staple your tongue,” “bury a friend try to wake up cannibal class, killin’ the son bury a friend…”

There is a lot of tension between Danvers and Navarro throughout the first and second episodes.

The flashback to their problem helps in viewing the tension and understanding why they don’t see eye to eye. Much of their scene consists of Navarro begging to work on the case and Danvers rebuffing her.

In episode three we get more of an in-

Courtesy of Michele K. Short/HBO

Characters Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro discover the bodies of the missing scientists in the fictional town Ennis. sight into what happened between Navarro and Danvers, and it’s not completely surprising because of their dynamic, but it does show that working together will bring out the worst in each other.

Danvers doesn’t get along with anyone except the youngest Detective, Peter Prior, played by Finn Bennett, who is a young father. She takes him under her wing to teach him how to solve the case.

Her character often seems angry; she frequently lashes out or has a witty comeback.

You also see her relationship dynamics with her daughter. Flashbacks in the first episode hint that the two had suffered a tragic loss and haven’t come to terms with their past.

Some people are calling the show woke because much of the focus is on the female cast, and the male cast storylines start with a wife-beater and the father-son relationship of Officer Finn Bennet and his father, Hank Benne, played by Hank Prior, who is borderline insubordinate to Danvers.

The writers develop each character with background information, helping the audience to understand why they act the way they do.

You get introduced to a lot of characters from the town: miners, the town drunk, the hockey mom, the high school science teacher and Navarro’s sister, who has mental health issues they touch on.

They are all incorporated into the story, giving you an insight into what kind of town

FROM STUDY NIGHT

Ennis is.

Each episode grabs your attention right from the start, episode three started out with a mother giving birth waiting for her baby to cry, and as a mother I was holding my breath, just like I did when my kids where born. The baby crying is the first sign a mother listens for so that she knows her baby is OK. Despite all the intertwined plots and darkness, I recommend this season. Much like seasons one through three, the audience wonders what will jump out of a dark corner.

MOVIE REVIEW

TO THE STOCKYARDS Learn to ‘Lift’ NFTs, steal crates of gold

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HOPE SMITH

editor-in-chief hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu hope. smith393@my.tccd.edu

“Lift” was as any action heist movie is expected to be, but a few added surprise elements seemed to elevate it beyond the typical Hollywood formula.

Queue the action scene, lead with heinously unnecessary shows of wealth, travel to some European country, include a romance that will – without a doubt – start enemies and end lovers, then wrap it up with an intense action scene that anyone with regular human strength and bones could not survive. Maybe a few more displays of money, for good measure.

I learned many things in the hour and 46 minutes it took me to watch “Lift” and was pleased with the fact that while I could predict how the story would go, I did not suspect that there would be a high-speed boat chase less than 20 minutes into the movie.

To watch boats speed after each other was rather interesting, but I could not tell if it was for the fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen that, or that there was a masked NFT artist on the boat with the heisters – that is a real word – who willingly hopped on a boat with strangers.

And then there was the fact that the heisters successfully snagged a Van Gogh portrait, sold it, bought an NFT with the money, then promptly resold it for more. You have to respect the amount of steps they took for full circle profit.

I learned a little about stealing NFTs, which was interesting, but even more was the motive of the heist group.

You don’t often get a reason behind why thieves do what they do besides profit, but this group had an interesting take on the fact that the art they sell is already stolen in some other way.

“We rescue art from undeserving owners,” is a phrase that the main character, Cyrus, says. It is a roundabout way to say they steal art and resell it, but still a motive nonetheless. There’s

an interesting art lesson embedded, as Cyrus goes on to explain that the ‘Mona Lisa’ painting was not nearly as valuable until someone stole it.

This is factual, by the way. In 1911, the ‘Mona Lisa’ was stolen from the Louvre in Paris. According to the NPR article, “The Theft That Made The 'Mona Lisa' A Masterpiece” three thieves sat in an art-closet the whole night prior before scuttling out with the painting. Again, talk about commitment to the bit.

However, I do wish the movie had leaned more into their idea that they “rescue” art. It would have given a deeper meaning to the storyline. There would have been more intention with the characters, however, I’m afraid they fell into the money-is-everything trap right after. I knew when a stack of gold bars became the movie’s central plot point.

Regardless, the heist group characters were still individual enough that they did not feel soulless or unnecessary to the storyline. My favorite was the pilot, and I enjoyed her generally relaxed nature.

And of course, the romance cannot go without mention. This enemies-tolovers story between Cyrus and Agent Gladwell had history, always a nice plot choice. There were specific elements that were interesting to see, like the brief time they spent together before the falling out – Gladwell was undercover as an art curator, and Cyrus was undercover as a not-heister – and the chemistry seemed to build back up slowly after spending time together searching for the stack of gold bars.

Though the storyline was by the book, it was still entertaining and offered a little more than mindless action thrown about. Do I think being thrashed around a spinning airplane mid-fist fight was realistically survivable like it happened to be in ‘Heist’?

Absolutely not. But that is the nature of the beast - or heist - if you are the gold bar type.

OPINION

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • 5

EDITORIAL

The internet isn’t your friend; Please log off Rizz, gigachad, pookie. If 50% of the words you text have the squiggly red line under it, you are probably chronically online and in need of a digital detox.

The advent of the world wide web has brought faster communication, accessible information and the ability to build relationships without leaving your bed. Necessary technology with unforeseen consequences.

Yes, you may now text your grandma and ask her for the delectable peach cobbler recipe. But that same messaging app can be used by a celebrity to facilitate a lengthy, sordid affair.

In sociology, third places are spaces you come to relax separate from work and home. So no, your bed does not count, nor does that corner in your break room where you have arranged all the condiment packets into neat, little, color-coordinated stacks.

When the internet was first created, there was no camaraderie. Everyone was a stranger, and it stayed like that. If something happened online, for the most part, you could log off and forget about it until the next time you hopped on.

Now, the internet is inescapable and has weaved itself into every aspect of life. Remember that one get ready with me you posted on TikTok where you ripped into your manager for scheduling you on Fourth of July?

Yeah, she saw that, and now you have a meeting with her and Rebecca from HR on Tuesday.

It sounds a lot scarier than it is.

Maybe baby boomers think every member of Gen Z emerges from the

Tj Favela/The Collegian

womb with an iPhone Gorilla Glued to their hands, but that is rarely the case. What boomers lack in debt, Gen Z makes up for in technological literacy.

But there is some merit to these

stereotypes. The internet is becoming Gen Z’s third place. The internet becoming a lot of things in their lives.

It has replaced the need to develop coping skills or in-person friendships.

There has even been a case or two of

AI significant others. And with stunted social skills from the pandemic, the prospect of going to a cafe and socializing with people is terrifying.

It is not even the small percent of the population who exist online who

have the internet as their third place.

For a lot of people, it is easier.

A third place that exists in your back pocket.

Need to escape the stress of a nine to five? Hop on TikTok, but do not forget to log off after a few minutes.

But this is where the problem arises. You hop on to think about something besides Excel spreadsheets and bounce rate, and suddenly you have veered onto chef TikTok where they make lewd innuendos with bell peppers and celery and suddenly you realize you have lost 45 minutes and have a complaint from HR. Doomscrolling is a very real phenomenon where someone consumes negative content for extended periods of time.

It has happened to everyone once or twice, but when you live and breathe Instagram algorithms and YouTube apologies, it becomes suffocating. Everyone lands in the hole, but Gen Z does not have the tools to get their metaphorical ladder and climb out of it. Instead, it rubs the lotion on its skin.

Boomers have a third place. It also helps that they do not have crippling social anxiety as a product of the pandemic and feel the need to rant about any social interaction on their private story. You won’t explode complimenting the Kroger cashier’s septum piercing or sparking up conversation with a classmate.

Gen Z, please step outside.

Touch the roses, smell the grass or however that silly phrase goes.

VIEWPOINTS

Dear parents: Parenthood isn’t about you, get over it

Hobbies are meant to be enjoyable, not a to-do list

KEYLA HOLMES campus editor

keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu

Hobbies are meant to be fun, not stressful.

You don’t always need to complete a plethora of tasks to be productive, and hobbies certainly shouldn’t be approached with this mindset.

For many students, school and work consume most of one’s time and energy. A lot of us are constantly on the go. In the midst of studying for that exam, and clocking in to work all evening, it’s important to remember the value of downtime.

You’re not lazy. You’re just human.

Being able to decompress is necessary for a person’s health and success. According to the website Mental Health Partners, most Americans experience moderate to high levels of stress. Forty four percent of them have said that their stress has increased over the past five years.

Cultivating time in one’s schedule to invest in things you enjoy is how students can show up to school and work feeling better about themselves, and the tasks they need to take on.

When students don’t make time to let loose and release stress, it can affect one’s health.

People can be at an increased risk for anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, high blood pressure, strokes, and other physical and mental health problems the American Psychological Association website states.

It can be difficult to create room in one’s schedule to chill. Especially because stress can cause people to have a tougher time assesing what their bodies need.

Picking a hobby can feel like another mental task to take on. However, whatever activity you choose doesn’t need to be anything costly – whether that be financially or in regards to your time.

While many students may be nodding their heads up and down, I hope they also know that hobbies aren’t meant to be performative. What you do in your downtime should feel replenishing and catered to your wants and needs.

If you like yoga, great. If you like gaming, wonderful. If you like yoga and gaming, spectacular. Just know that you don’t have to play games and do yoga everyday.

Creating time for the activities you want to partake in is important, you just have to remember that they’re meant to uplift and fulfill you.

They’re methods of restoration. They’re not chores on a to-do list.

I measure productivity as: How well did I tend to my wants and needs today? Did I read last night, so that I could clear my mind for a better night of sleep?

Refocusing hobbies and even our responsibilities to align with a mindset of ‘how can I help myself’, can bring a new sense of purpose behind all of the little things we accomplish each day.

If building lego sets is what you need after classes or work, honor that. A good hobby is one that is right for you.

Your worth is not determined by what all you accomplished on any given day. It’s not based on whether you went to Pilates, read, crocheted, journal and scrapbooked.

If all you did after a long week was lay in bed and watch your favorite show — I think that’s more than enough.

OLLA MOKHTAR campus editor

olla.mokhtar@my.tccd.edu

Parenthood is not a television series starring the parent, it’s one that stars the child.

For context, I was born in Arlington but when I was seven years old my parents decided it was time for me and two of my sisters to visit our homeland, Sudan. They didn’t think we’d learn enough about our culture or our mother tongue, so I spent seven years of my life in another country and another continent.

When I got back, I was behind in school.

My parents thought it was a great idea to put me in AP classes when I didn’t know what it even stood for, so I fell behind.

I also didn’t understand a lot of pop culture references either. The only Marvel movies I’ve seen were that of Superman’s “Smallville” and the recent “Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse.” My mind became blank with everything in between. And so, I fell behind again.

Whenever the majority of my friends say, “I need to graduate on time,” I don’t understand it. I was always behind and now that I’m getting ready to transfer, I realized the only reason I have that idea in my head is because I was never given the chance to catch up when I first got back. Parents need to give their children a break or else their children will break.

Every set of parents is different but the only reason some children “rebel” is because their parents didn’t let them be children. Obviously screaming at your parent and saying rude

things unprecedented is unacceptable. But if one places unrealistic expectations on their children they are doomed to fail, which is the opposite of what they want their children to do.

An emotionally abusive parent is always given the greatest number of excuses as an adult. I can’t say how many times I’ve heard the phrase “but that’s your parent” coming out of someone’s mouth. But how can the child grow into a fully capable adult if they’re given no room to make mistakes?

This is especially prevalent in immigrant parents, and I saw it especially in mine.

In Sudan, parents are to be obeyed by their children – no question. It doesn’t matter if they want to major in something else or they simply don’t want to go to a relative’s house just because they don’t feel like it. The child must do what is demanded of them or it’s considered disrespectful.

The most miniscule act of defiance is seen as disrespectful and rebellious when in reality, I just don’t want to study something I’ll regret doing for the rest of my life.

In the end it backfires on the child mostly because the skills and attributes needed to be everything the parent wants, immigrant or not, aren’t taught. Confidence, for instance, can’t really be taught in a classroom setting but it can be taught when the child is getting interrupted at the dinner table when they want to discuss something that’s bothering them. The parent can either teach them how to ask for everyone’s attention or fail to by telling them it’s disrespectful.

It’s a completely normalized experience for parents to permanently scar their children, but children aren’t even allowed to say how they actually feel for fear of even more emotional scarring.

But it becomes too late to passively ask for forgiveness. Allow your kids to fall behind because that is one of the only times the children will ask for your help.

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

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

Letters may be brought to The Collegian office (NCAB 1124A, NE Campus), or mailed to: The Collegian 828 Harwood Road Hurst, TX 76054

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

Office: 817-515-6391 email: collegian.editor@tccd.edu

origin, veteran status or disability.

Meet the Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CAMPUS EDITORS

MANAGING EDITOR

NORTHEAST Xavier Boatner Fousia Abdullahi

PHOTO/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

SOUTHEAST Keyla Holmes

ILLUSTRATORS

TRINITY RIVER Olla Mokhtar

Hope Smith Nina Banks

Alex Hoben

Tj Favela Markus Meneses

DESIGNERS

Jerry Swinney Dominick Martinez

PHOTOGRAPHER Rama Ajlouni

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Abel Hailu

Professional Staff ADVISERS

Chris Whitley Lori Dann

PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacy Luecker

6 • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

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