TCC Collegian November 11, 2020

Happy Veterans Day!

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Wednesday, November 11, 2020 – Volume 33 • Issue 11 Entertainment

Opinion

Feature

GRANDE STRIKES BACK Pop princess Ariana Grande releases sixth studio album. PG. 6

SPEAK UP FOR MENTAL HEALTH Why it’s important to stay aware and informed. PG. 7

NEXT GEN CONSOLES DEBUT Sony and Microsoft have released their flagship hardware. PG. 5

Editorial

Feature

YOU ARE NOT SAFE ONLINE Major websites aren’t as trustworthy as you think. PG. 7

CLAYFULLY DELIGHTFUL TCC students find an escape through art. PG. 3

That’s all folks

Students react to Joe Biden becoming president-elect. PG 2

Illustration by Amber Davis/The Collegian

News

Page 2 • November 11, 2020

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Biden defeated Trump in 2020 election

Maddy Remington/The Collegian

Crowds gather to celebrate President-elect Biden’s win over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Many have said that this election was the most divisive in recent history.

TCC students react to the news of Biden’s projected victory and what it means for Americans MADDY REMINGTON managing editor

Former Vice President Joe Biden was projected as the president-elect Saturday morning, causing many to celebrate but leaving many outraged as well.

In the days following Election Day, Americans waited anxiously for a winner to emerge. Due to delays in mail-in ballot counting, it took over three days for a winner to be called by major news outlets.

This led many to be tense over the course of the week as each state’s electoral votes were gradually projected.

“Election Day was nerve-wracking,” TR student Maria Del Carmen said. “I stayed up watching the electoral map, reading the percentages and hearing what the news anchors had to say.”

Some TCC students had an overwhelmingly positive response to the results of the race.

“I am happy and relieved that president-elect Biden won,” NE stu-

dent Daniel Prado said. “The fact that Republicans won House seats in key states that President Trump lost was surprising, but I think that is proof that the elections were not fraudulent.”

A number of TCC students noted that it has been a long time coming. They are thankful to see Trump on his way out of office after four long years.

“The election outcome was no surprise,” SE student Rosa Denton said. ”Our current leader was not, in my opinion, the best candidate

to represent our country. He was not for the people only for a select few.”

As division has been at the forefront of the nation’s problems over the past four years, TCC students are concerned as to how Biden will address it.

“My concern with the present state of our country is the division,” Denton said. “We as a country have worked so hard to set aside our differences and unite.”

The results of the election will be certified by each of the respec-

tive states starting the first week of December. Then the new president will be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021.

Some students said they are excited to see what will come of this transition period. Since Biden’s campaign slogan was to “restore the soul of the nation,” students are also interested to see how Biden will begin to heal the nation.

“I want a president who does not see red or blue states but citizens and people of the United States of America,” Prado said.

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Libraries adapt their services during TCC shutdown Staff are committed to helping students succeed whether they are on campus or learning online ALYSON AL YSON OLIVER campus editor

TCC’s on-campus libraries are providing their services in a new contactless form in response to the COVID-19 shutdown.

Making changes to adapt to the pandemic was not an effortless task.

Closures earlier this year left library staff in a rush to adjust their operations accordingly.

But a strong and adaptable team made the process easier, said South director of library services Laura McKinnon and NW director of library services Alex Potemkin.

“It’s just reassuring when you see how strong the staff is and how able they are to adapt,” Potemkin said. “You go, ‘Yeah, there’s pretty much nothing that we can’t do.’”

The first step was to move their services online quickly and effectively, Potemkin said. Part of this process involved expanding their online chat feature and advertising it to students.

Providing access to technology was another vital task during the transition.

Many students relied on computers on campus to do their work, according to NW library technology director Brandon Wineman. Now, the libraries are still available to give students materials they need for their classes, such as laptops and tablets.

“Having any device in the student’s hand was significantly better than having no device in the student’s hand and them having to drop classes,” Wineman said.

The staff operate their new curbside pickup service in rotations to minimize contact with one another. Students can order a variety of materials including books, DVDs and board games. Items are sanitized and quarantined between uses to ensure safety.

Although TCC libraries are still just as dedicated to service as before, the loss of face-to-face interaction during the shutdown has had an impact.

The all-online format can sometimes make things difficult, TR student Stayce Petties said. She used the library to order books and search for materials she needed for her classes. Now, being off-campus

Adrienne/Adobe Stock

On campus libraries are offering an online chat, curbside pickup services and tech support. makes things different.

“Even still TCC has great staff and tech support,” Petties said, adding that they can help students find great resources.

The staff has felt the impact of this change as well. Libraries act as customer-based support systems between students and staff, Potemkin said. It is easier to tell in person than it is online if someone has found the materials they need.

They are a place for interaction and discovery as much as they are

a place for quiet study time. Being unable to help students with their research in person has been difficult for some of the staff, McKinnon said.

But even still, the libraries are making a continuous effort to provide their services virtually to the best of their abilities.

Students can join the chat on the TCC library webpage, where librarians from every campus are present to help them find what they need. They can receive tech sup-

port by chatting with a tech expert, search the TCC database or request to pick up a laptop or tablet for internet access.

The libraries’ expanded online presence is expected to last beyond the pandemic, McKinnon said.

The staff’s drive to aid students in their success certainly will.

“The libraries are open, and we’re here to serve,” Potemkin said.

The nature of how they are able to help has changed, he continued, but the level of help and dedication has not.

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Feature

The Collegian

November 11, 2020 • Page 3

NORTHEAST

Photos by Azul Sordo/The Collegian

Rhonda Ackley (right) adds details to her piece. (Left) Professor Karmien Bowman.

Students find ceramics to be therapeutic AZUL SORDO photo editor

With only a bit of clay, glaze and a massive kiln set to 2,345 degrees Fahrenheit, these TCC students are shaping their own academic experience.

NE art professor Karmien Bowman held an optional on-campus ceramics workshop on Nov. 6 in which participating students could glaze and fire their clay creations. Students worked at their stations for an allotted amount of time, their pieces ranging from

tiny teacups to life-like warthog busts.

The event allowed many students to complete pieces they had left behind after classes transitioned online.

“It’s a lot of hard work to set all this up and maintain it, but it makes us stick together,” Bowman said. “It makes it better for everybody there.”

However, there is still plenty to learn outside of the studio, Bowman said. Prosthetic bones, NASA’s space shuttles, toilets— ceramics are everywhere.

Bowman tapped the brick wall next to her.

“Practically everything we’re standing in right now is ceramic,” Bowman said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

NE student Rhonda Ackley finds solace behind the pottery wheel. After a nearly fatal car accident, Ackley said she immersed herself in the world of ceramics.

“It’s something that I can do that I can see the results of,” Ackley said. “I’ve made something, I've done something— that's helpful and important, especially in times now.”

NE student and experienced ceramicist Ruth Calhoun described the feeling of de-

spair that set upon her in March when she found herself unable to continue her craft.

“At that point, I gave up on all of this because there was simply no way I could get it done,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun previously worked at Feats of Clay Pottery in Austin. Amid nation-wide closures, she is grateful for this opportunity.

“We left things completely as though we’d just disappeared off the face of the earth,” Calhoun said. “So this post-class firing has been a blessing because all of this would have just disappeared.”

Professor Karmien Bowman assists NE student with her clap piece.

Rhonda Ackley presents her hands, covered in clay and glaze.

Unglazed student artwork.

NE student (Unidentified) glazes her warthog head.

News

Page 4 • November 11 , 2020

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Find a TCC love story with WebAdvisor

Prostock/Adobe Stock

NE faculty and students developed a dating app feature to be released in June 2021 on WebAdvisor that will allow students to find matches amongst the TCC community.

TOMMY KIMBROUGH reporter

Tommy Kimbrough NE faculty and students created a dating app for TCC students looking to find the perfect match on campus, virtually.

The app is called Cupid Campus of Love.

It is scheduled to launch June 2021, and info about how to use the app will show up when students register for courses on WebAd-

visor.

The app is free for all TCC-registered students to access and use. NE student Trent Blake said the app was very tasteful to students with many different personalities.

“It’s like a pot of gumbo except with many different personalities mixed up and stirred,” Blake said.

Some students who are currently in relationships are taken back by how many students are already active on the site.

“I thought the idea of a dating app for students on campus would be a desperate

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look attempt for a relationship,” Ashley Morales said.

The app allows students to go to different profiles and select a person. If they like what they see then they would leave a heart on the page.

The number of hearts given on a profile page determine a match. The app will then automatically scan personalities from both profiles to detect if it’s a match or not a match.

Once a match is found, the app will alert both profiles. From there, the two matches can set up a date.

At the end of the semester, TCC faculty and students from the design program will see how the results went and how many reviews were good and bad to determine whether the dating app could be used in the future.

“The thought process going into this idea was much easier than people would have expected,” Cooper said. “The hardest part was seeing if the students would buy into the idea and give the app a chance to see if it would be a success or fail.” NorthEast Campus Assiant Professor Amy Copper created the app.

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North Texas universities Federal grants program offers Latino inclusion partake in transfer fair KRISTAL BLANKINSHIP web coordinator

Students had a chance to speak virtually with university representatives at the North Texas Transfer Fair Nov. 5.

“There were a total number of 25 students who attended the transfer fair,” said Laura Escamilla, who is coordinator of the TR Campus transfer center.

“If the fair was held in person, there would have been about 100 students who would have attended.”

The fair allows students to learn about admissions requirements, scholarships and degrees offered at a university, Escamilla said.

“We had about 15 schools attend including the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas, Texas Christan Univsertity and Midwestern State University,” she said.

Each university representative gave an individual presentation about transfer requirements and scholarships.

They also talked about applying early, so students would not have to worry about application deadlines.

A concern for some TCC students transferring to four-year institutions is something commonly referred to as “transfer shock” in higher education circles.

Transfer shock refers to the tendency of students who transfer from one school to

another to experience a temporary GPA dip in their first or second semester at the new school.

“Your success is important to us, and we will do everything we can to support you as you navigate these uncertain times,” said UNT transfer adviser Lupita Montoya.

A good way to get to know a new school is to attend its transfer student orientation.

“By attending transfer student orientation, you will learn about the infrastructure of the college as well as meet key people who can help you,” TCC academic adviser Sharinlya Everly said.

Some students may not have a high enough GPA at graduation to move directly into the university.

Students will take the first year or two of classes at community college until their GPA is high enough for a successful transfer.

“When students apply to transfer to UNT, you must have a minimum GPA of 2.25 out of 4.0,” Montoya said.

Anyone transferring with more than 30 credits is automatically considered for the UNT Excellence Transfer Scholarship. “The amount you are rewarded varies, so it is important to apply early,” Montoya said.

After attending a transfer fair, Students can sort through and organize the information they gathered and any notes you took at the fair. After going through all of the notes, that’s the best time for studetns to choose thier new school.

VANESSA MENDEZ reporter

Hispanic students said they are glad the underrepresented community is getting the resources they need thanks to a $600,000 federal grant awarded to TCC by the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program.

This grant was awarded in early September to several Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and will be maintained for five years.

TCC and other institutions were able to meet the guidelines as Hispanic-serving institutions, which require at least 25% of full-time students to be Hispanic.

TCC’s enrollment is almost 34% Hispanic.

The grant may be used for activities such as the purchase of educational materials, faculty development, academic tutoring, distance learning academic instruction and student support services among other things, according to the department’s website.

This grant will be used toward improving college, career and life readiness and professional development at TCC. The grants provided by the DHSI program help assist in the expansion of academic opportunities for the Hispanic student population.

For NE student Alma Govea, this grant brings her pride. Govea is proud to know

that she and other Hispanics are being represented in her community.

“As a Hispanic student myself, I’m proud to know that we are being represented well,” she said. “This grant is definitely going to help so many Hispanic students.”

Govea said she feels the grant will help show that the Hispanic community is cared for.

“I’m proud that I chose to go to TCC,” she said.

“Never have I felt underrepresented and if other Hispanic students have felt the opposite, this grant will demonstrate that Hispanic students are cared for.”

NE student Alan Mendez shared his experience of feeling judged in his community solely because he is Hispanic.

“I do feel like I’ve been underrepresented,” Mendez said. “There have been times when people just judge me because I’m Hispanic and just don’t care about what I have to say.”

Mendez said he thinks the grant is a positive resource for Hispanics.

“I think it’s good for the Hispanic community, having that sort of resource is a positive outcome,” he said.

NE student Christian Romo has not felt underrepresented but does think this grant will help in improving his career.

“I have personally never felt underrepresented, but we work hard for our living and we want to further our career from what it is right now, so this will definitely help,” he said.

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The Collegian

Feature

November 11, 2020 • Page 5

Photos by Azul Sordo/The Collegian

Engineering student Dariana Jimenez studies at the dining room table of her Fort Worth home. Due to TCC transitioning to learning online for social distancing concerns.

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TCC adapts to living during a pandemic

A look into the aftermath how COVID-19 has shaped student and faculty life since March 2020

NE faculty sanitizes a model skeleton with an electrostatic sprayer, which works by charging liquids as they pass through the nozzle.

Jimenez holds a framed photo of her infant self in the arms of her grandmother Dolores Maria.

Nursing student Courtney Guy presents her powerpoint on tracheostomy care. All equipment is sanitized after every use.

Nursing students sit six feet apart, a paper towel and disinfectant at their side. The nursing program is one of the few programs that has been allowed to continue limited in-person classes.

NE student Ruth Calhoun carefully washes her ceramic pieces during an on-campus ceramics workshop.

Nursing professor Laurel Kendrick keeps a distance of six feet from her students whenever possible, even during hands-on practice.

In professor Karmien Bowman’s classroom, jars of ceramics materials line the shelves, no longer collecting dust in the absence of students.

Page 6 • November 11, 2020

Entertainment

DISNEY SERIES REVIEW

Mandalorian returns in glorious fashion

Photo Courtesy of Disney

The Mandalorian, played by Pedro Pascal, and The Child crash landed on a snow planet after escaping rebel forces. They are escorting Frog Lady to another planet.

JOSE ROMERO campus editor

“The Mandalorian” season one set galaxy-sized expectations for the series. Season two has delivered on those expectations so far.

The first episode of the new season follows the events of season one. Pedro Pascal’s character, Din Djarin/The Mandalorian, and the child – more commonly known as “baby Yoda” on social media – are traveling through the galaxy to find the child’s species.

Din’s relationship with the child has advanced to an almost father/son type bond.

The character development is a shining point of the series. Without having to tell the audience directly, the show uses subtle character moments to illustrate how they’re changing and what they’re feeling.

The supporting cast of characters is just as memorable. Cara Dune and Greef Karga, played by Gina Carano and Carl Weathers, help expand the ever-expanding Star Wars universe. New additions like Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth make it worth watching season two alone.

Each character’s costume is beautifully designed. They also find themselves surrounded by stunning environments brimming with unique aliens that would leave science fiction fans with their jaw agape. The show’s use of practical effects helps sell an immersive otherworldly experience. It truly has eye candy from top to bottom.

The set pieces are another highlight of the series. It’s common nowadays to direct action sequences with an abundance of CG visuals, but The Mandalorian uses well-choreographed and well-shot battles to enhance the scale.

Ludwig Göransson’s score for epic fights and lax moments factor into the show’s ability to transport the audience into a new world.

The main theme is an earworm that will repeat in a viewer’s head over and over again.

The fan service has been dialed to 11 for season two. Season one had familiar planets and characters from the films, but this new season has doubled down on bringing back iconic heroes, villains, vehicles and locations.

So far, the show has kept fan service tame rather than relying too heavily on it.

Some negative attributes of the show are that season two has a little bit of a slow start.

The pacing at the start of season one felt better. The show also wraps up sticky situations with plot conveniences too often, but it’s easily overlooked after watching a bounty hunter take down a space dragon.

Jon Favreau has created something special. The Mandalorian is the type of product made when fans of a franchise are the ones tasked with creating it. Season two is a return to form from the original trilogy. This is the exact kind of Star Wars media that fans so heavily longed for.

The Mandalorian season two episode one was premiered on Oct. 30 on Disney+.

Each Friday a new episode will be released for a total of eight episodes.

MUSIC REVIEW

Fusion of R&B and pop creates hit conceptual album LINDA PUGA

campus editor

Courtest of Public Records

Ariana Grande comes back with her sixth studio album that shows her journey of falling in love.

Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album titled “Positions” on Oct. 30, combining her pop roots with R&B influence to create a new rhythmic sound for her albums to come.

Grande collaborated with a few artists for this anticipated release, each enhancing the song and the messages they carried. They included Doja Cat on “motive,” The Weeknd on “off the table” and Ty Dolla $ign on “safety net.”

The song “off the table” is a conceptual stand out within the album with a beautiful blend of both voices and effortless vocal runs from both singers. In the song, Grande talks about a time when she wasn’t healed or ready for love and asks if her love is off the table. The second verse comes in with The Weeknd’s feature. He gives the complementary perspective of a guy saying he’ll wait even if he isn’t ready either, implying the love isn’t off the table after all.

Grande speaks to her lover on the song “love language” as she asks how she can better love him. This charming track showcased a lovey dovey side to the album compared to the more intimate, focused subject songs of the project, such as “six thirty,” “my hair” and “nasty.”

The singer talks about the happiness she feels with the line, “Been a minute since I had something sweet,” alluding to her previously ended engagement. Towards the end of the

song, she refers to her partner as her medication when she is anxious, showcasing the bond between them. There’s a sudden pause and then an outro begins, adding additional sweet words and melodies as the track fades out.

The title track “positions” is the perfect title for the project as it sets up the tracks for the album, both sonically and thematically.

In the song, Grande expresses the process of falling for someone, hinting at her infinite love and how she would do anything for her partner.

The album concludes with the track “pov.” As the title insinuates, the track is about Grande wanting to know how her lover views her. The hook of the chorus states it all as it says, “For all of my pretty and all of my ugly too, I’d love to see me from your point of view.” The track starts off slow with subtle production that amplifies her vocals and high notes.

This song is the epitome of love songs on this album with Grande’s mentions of how her lover knows her better than she knows herself and how she finds comfort in loving him even though she’s scared with the line, “I’m getting used to receiving, still getting good at not leaving.”

The track ends the album on a lovely note with angelic runs and a heartfelt message. Grande’s project overall portrays themes of falling in love, trust and authenticity as she finds happiness in those things once more.

Opinion

The Collegian

Viewpoints

COVID-19 has no bias, just stay home

AMBER DAIVS Illustrator

Tis the season to be social distancing?

I received an invite to a family Thanksgiving gathering several weeks ago. I immediately thought that the invitees’ Facebook account must have been hacked.

There was no way he was planning the normal Thanksgiving celebration during a pandemic.

I was wrong, and as it turns out many of the people I know are planning on attending Thanksgiving celbrations per the norm this year. During a pandemic.

Bending the rules is not outside of my moral threshold by any means, but I am having a difficult time with the holiday season this year.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days. Who doesn’t love a bomb green bean casserole? But this year it

is less appealing as it may come with a side of COVID-19.

Many universities that have been meeting in person have made the executive decision to go virtual after the Thanksgiving holiday comes to an end. This seems to be a wise choice for the safety of students and faculty.

The reasoning being that the pressure to sit out on mom’s turkey this year will be too high, and the students will bring back to campus a wicked nasty COVID-19 storm.

Having a child in grade school myself, I am uneasy on the matter.

Masks seem to work, but what about her lunch buddy at school? If her buddy’s family gathers for thanskgiving, she could put my daugther at risk.

Our numbers have already doubled in less than a month and are breaking records daily. What happens when we all mix for the holiday and then go back to our schools and offices? Halloween may be over, but I feel a 28-days-later vibe rising.

It is irresponsible to go on with the holiday season “business as usual” this year. We are losing people every day to this disease, and to gather as if it isn’t happening is immoral.

If you would like to give thanks to what you have this year, then how about we remember why we are distancing. Let’s give thanks to grandma by not sending her to an early grave.

Educate yourself on mental health issues

ALYSON OLIVER campus editor

I think of mental health awareness as studenthood above all else.

It requires a commitment to education, not only about experiences that are personal, but perhaps most importantly, experiences that are not.

Mental health advocates have made lots of progress in terms of spreading knowledge and destigmatizing mental illness. The word is out that mental health is as important as physical health. Seeking help is anything but shameful, and people should be validated and supported in their struggles. But there is still work to be done.

For instance, we need more awareness for mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder. The terms “OCD” and “bipolar” have been inappropriately used as adjectives to describe

“being organized” or “having mood swings.” This strips them of their genuine meaning and gravity.

We need more awareness for illnesses that have been sensationalized, demonized and stigmatized in news and entertainment. Some examples of these are schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder.

We need more focus on how mental illness impacts people of color and the hurdles that make it more difficult for them to access treatment.

Diversifying mental health care to ensure everyone receives the most effective care possible, while also weeding out discrimination, is vital.

We need to ensure mental illness is truly being destigmatized – not just commodified for profit. While commercialization is inevitable, people must realize mental health awareness and advocacy are far more than convenient selling points for companies and influencers.

These topics, amongst many others, all deserve more attention.

We need to commit to informing ourselves and viewing mental health in a way that allows us to acknowledge nuances. We need to broaden our scope beyond the issues that impact us personally. It’s time to take action by learning, educating and enriching the ongoing conversation surrounding mental health.

November 11, 2020 • Page 7

Editorial

Don’t let companies invade your space

Amber Davis/The Collegian

The internet is right in the pocket of consumers worldwide, which means that millions of people’s private information are also right in the pocket of multi-billion dollar companies worldwide.

According to Oberlo, in 2019 there were over 3.5 billion social media users worldwide. With the most active social media site being Facebook.

Facebook has been in and out of court due to privacy concerns. Google and Amazon have also had their fair share of court hearings because of their limited privacy policies. It’s easy to ignore the limitations that companies take to ensure safety because most click “accept” without reading the terms.

Google is practically synonymous with the internet. There are about 40,000 searches each second, according to Internet Live Stats. With such a large amount of users, one would hope that they could know where all their private inquiries are going, but that’s not information Google and friends are willing to divulge entirely.

Here’s the thing: people understand that their information is now accessible by these sites and will be used by the company however it sees fit. So why are there billions of active users?

There are two simple answers. The first is the convenience of sites like Google that offer up mountains of information along with devices that make doing everyday tasks easier. Also, social media has made communication with people from around the world much more accessible. It’s difficult to give up these luxuries or even think of a contemporary world without them.

The second reason there isn’t a heavy focus

on data mining is that most users know they’re not doing anything incriminating. As somebody told me, nobody walks into Walmart and focuses on all the cameras because they don’t have bad intentions. It’s a valid point, but the lack of privacy goes to such an extent that it can start affecting everyday life.

A person’s search history is sold so product recommendations and advertisements are tailored to individuals. Companies have gone so far that California passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) to prevent personal information from being sold to advertisers. Even with CCPA companies can still use other kinds of tracking like “fingerprinting,” which checks a user’s identity through the device they’re using and can go unseen.

At least one-third of the 500 sites Americans visit most often use digital fingerprinting, according to The Washington Post. There’s no way to prevent this level of tracking even by following procedures like deleting search history or turning off cookies, which are data stored by web browsers.

Even though users can’t prevent fingerprinting, that doesn’t mean other information can’t be kept to themselves. They can avoid multiple types of trackers through plug-ins and add ons.

Ad blockers, strong passwords, two-factor authorization and browsing secure sites (https) can help reduce the amount of information gathered.

Companies not on the user’s team, so taking every precaution to ensure that data isn’t drained is of the utmost importance when navigating the web.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Foster-Sanders

MANAGING EDITOR Maddy Remington

CAMPUS EDITORS Linda Puga Megan Towery Alyson Oliver Jose Romeo

LAYOUT & DESIGN Abbas Ghor Amber Davis Kristal Blankinship

PHOTO EDITOR Azul Sordo PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacy Luecker

ILLUSTRATOR Amber Davis

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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).

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The Collegian • 828 Harwood Road Hurst, TX 76054 Office: 817-515-6391 Editor: 817-515-6394 Advertising: 817-515-6619 email: collegian.editor@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 origin, veteran status or disability.

Page 8 • November 11, 2020

Feature

Microsoft and Sony release their next innovations in premium home entertainment JOSE ROMERO campus editor

The Xbox Series X/S is on the market and the PlayStation 5 will follow on Nov. 12. Faculty and students’ enthusiasm is contagious.

The consoles have no compromises to graphics or frame rate, the frequency a picture changes per second, Xbox Games general manager of marketing Aaron Greenberg said to Gaming Bolt.

“The PlayStation is good if you have a prior attachment to the titles but the Xbox offers GamePass which has some of the best value for your money,” TCC student Kevin Reyes said.

GamePass is a $10 monthly service that gives users access to over 100 games, and English associate professor Johansen Quijano said GamePass will be a console seller.

“The Xbox GamePass upgrade from PC looks like too good of a deal to pass up on,” he said.

The design of the consoles was another consideration, which was the final nail in the coffin for Quijano. The PlayStation 5 is tall and white with protruding side covers that have blue accents. The Xbox is a tall cylindrical black box with green accents on the top.

“The Series X looks like a classy tabletop box, the PS5 looks like some kind of fake toy console,” he said.

Johansen didn’t dismiss the PlayStation entirely. He said he’s excited about the PS5’s first party offerings.

His most anticipated games include, “Marvel’s Spiderman: Miles Morales,” “Horizon Forbidden West” and most of all “Final Fantasy XVI.” All of these games will only be available on PlayStation platforms.

Exclusive titles contribute to console sales, which are reflected by the units sold.

The PS4 sold 113 million units compared to Xbox, which sold 50 million units.

Microsoft stated that its acquisition of ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion was to accelerate its growth in the gaming business.