Cultural celebration abandoned
Bandan Koro member Terrance Thomas and students dance during the 2024 International Festival. This year the
International Festival committee surrenders to SB-17, professor plans to be proactive next year
ASH PETRIE feature editor ashleigh.petrie@my.tccd.edu
The NE Campus International Festival was canceled this spring due to the organizer’s difficulty in planning the event and getting approvals due to Texas Senate Bill 17 regulations.
“The International Festival will not happen this year,” said World Language Department Chair and International Festival Committee’s Department Chair Humberto Rodriguez.
He was on faculty development leave in the fall and couldn’t meet with other organization members to begin planning the event until the spring semester.
“It was at this time that I discovered that a new process was in place districtwide to ensure compliance with SB-17,” Rodriguez said. “I felt like my campus administration was very supportive of the festival, but due to this new process, we lost time planning.”
SB-17 restricts certain diversity, equity, and inclusion activities
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in public institutions of higher education. TCC’s website states cultural heritage events are allowed, but any faculty or staff involvement in planning or presenting these events should be evaluated.
“District policy requires that we go through a checklist to make sure our event is SB-17 compliant,” Rodriguez said. “In the end, there was not enough time to plan the festival like we wanted to, and we decided to try again next year.”
Rafael Thompson has been a student at NE for two years and said he was always eager to take part in the International Festival’s activities.
“It was a day everyone can come together, eat food, talk about different cultures and just enjoy the vibes,” Thompson said. “It’s not really fair to new students who didn’t get to experience the things before.”
Miles Deleon started at TCC last fall and said he has attended a few events on NE Campus but nothing similar to how the International Festival was described.
“I’m not gonna sugarcoat it — it’s ridiculous,” Deleon said. “I’ve
noticed since the whole DEI thing they’ve [TCC] had to pull back.”
Deleon said he hoped the event can be planned for next year after some time passes and SB-17 is better understood.
“When I attend something like that, I end up getting to be more sociable [by] getting to know more people,” Deleon said. “Shocker, when you talk to normal people, it opens up your horizons. It makes you a lot more open-minded.”
The International Festival has featured performances and presentations highlighting different cultures across the globe.
“The committee goes through great efforts to bring performers that are engaging, fun and educate the students on the cultural significance of their performance,” Rodriguez said.
Last year, students could celebrate the colorful Hindu holiday of Holi, watch the JK Wong Academy perform kung fu and dance with the Bandan Koro West African Drum
and Dance Ensemble.
“It is unfortunate that the school was not allowed to have the festival,” Director of Bandan Koro Tony Browne said. “It removes the opportunities for people of different cultural backgrounds to connect and share with another.”
Bandan Koro has attended many of NE Campus’ International Festivals in the past, and Browne said he’d seen how their production positively impacted students.
“Our performances teach the values of community, collective participation, communication, active listening, pride and teamwork,” Browne said. “While building a community in the very space that we are performing, [we’re] bringing people of different backgrounds and belief systems together to share in a celebratory and energizing presentation.”
NE dance group Movers Unlimited also participated in the festival. Christopher Garcia, a Movers Unlimited member, recalled last
You can’t separate culture from dance.
Joshua Garcia Movers Unlimited dancer
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New audit reviews college’s compliance with DEI ban
FOUSIA ABDULLAHI editor-in-chief fousia.abdullahi@my.tccd.edu
An external auditing firm hired by TCC found old content on its website that was not in compliance with the law that bans Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in higher education. The Collegian obtained a copy of the audit through an open records request.
Whittley Penn, a Texas-based
accounting and auditing firm, gave a presentation during the March 13 monthly board meeting on the areas where the college was compliant and areas that still had DEI material that predated the SB-17 ban. The audit focused on DEI terminology in several areas on the website and internal and external hiring pages.
“We reviewed several areas of the college, including the chart of accounts, job positions, the organizational chart, department services and activities. They did not find that there was any inclusion of DEI
verbiage or activities in those items said Public Sector Audit Partner Lupe Garcia. According to the audit, DEI terminology or activities were not found in job descriptions, the faculty handbook, student enrollment and registration applications, or the college’s annual report to the Texas State Legislature and the coordinating board. However, the auditors found verbiage and activities
year’s drum dance they demonstrated.
“It comes from Korean culture, but just looking at it, you wouldn’t really see that it’s Korean,” Garcia said.
He said this is why the International Festival was important because it gave students an opportunity to see where the inspiration of today’s culture originated.
Dancer Vanessa Lamas agreed with Garcia, stating she was frustrated with SB-17’s restrictions and how it was limiting students’ opportunities.
“A lot of people don’t know, but a lot of hip-hop comes from everywhere, it’s a lot of Black community and it’s a lot of Hispanic community,” Lamas said. “If you take that away, then what are you left with?” Garcia and Lamas were joined by two other members Alan Guitierrez and Joshua Garcia. All of them said they were looking forward to performing this year and were shocked to learn it was no longer planned.
“The International Cultural Festival gave me a really good opportunity to learn about different African dances, dances from Asia, and as a dancer, that’s really valuable to me,” Joshua Garcia said. “You can’t separate culture from dance.”
Tarrant County Commissioners push through redistricting plan
FOUSIA ABDULLAHI, FRED NGUYEN, CHEYENNE SHAWN collegian.editor@tccd.edu
Tarrant County Commissioners voted to hire a consulting firm that one commissioner said would result in a redistricting change that would disenfranchise her constituents.
The commissioners voted 3-2 at their April 2 meeting to hire the Public Interest Legal Foundation for $30,000 to provide consulting services regarding redistricting in Precincts 1 and 2. This comes as two commissioners’ seats are up for grabs in the 2026 election.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons said this was a power grab by Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare, and he wanted to remove her from her precinct.
“It is appalling that Judge Tim O’Hare, Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez voted to retain legal counsel of a foundation with a well-documented history of overt hostility to minority voting rights,” Simmons said.
“This is a clear act of intentional discrimination.”
Precinct 1 snakes through Tarrant County and touches all the
listen to the public.
other three precincts, and Precinct 2 encapsulates Arlington. According to an April 2 statement by Simmons, she and Precinct 1 Commissioner Roderick Miles Jr. represent districts with majority-minority voting age populations.
“Minority citizens in our districts have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to elect their candidates of choice,” Simmons said. “We explicitly laid out the record showing that the Public Interest Legal Foundation is not a conventional law firm but rather an ideologically driven organization committed to attacking
Commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons
Cheyenne Shawn/The Collegian
Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian
courtyard was empty since the festival was canceled.
Lupe Garcia, an auditor with Whittley Penn, addresses the board about his firm’s review of the TCC website, handbooks and other documents during the March board meeting.
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
Students get IRS certified, help file taxes
Nonprofit supports community before upcoming federal deadline
plete their online training, they receive their basic IRS certification, but VITA program manager Pennie Clayton said most progress to the advanced level.
As the 2024 tax deadline draws near, a nonprofit allowed students to help the community while getting IRS certified.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA under the United Way of Tarrant County, hosted its first VITAThon at South Campus on March 29.
Households with $67,000 or less in income could prepare and file their taxes at no cost by IRS-certified volunteers.
VITA program coordinator Tellamecus Forsythe said college students make up nearly 60% of their volunteers and are usually the most active. She said by offering this opportunity, VITA hopes to instill a desire to give back early on while giving students skills to further their careers.
“On a college campus, it’s good to have a foundation of service, a foundation of giving to the community,” she said. “It’s rewarding to make good money from a nice paying job, but there’s something to be said about the reward you get when you’re of service to the people in your community. If that’s started at a young age, it’s something that grows as they grow.”
Leon Stitt is this VITA site’s coordinator and ensures the tax return is complete before submitting it to the IRS.
Stitt said starting student volunteers are always shadowed by seasoned and certified tax preparers.
“My job is to make sure the student is comfortable and the taxpayer is comfortable,” he said. “You have to make sure you’re open and make sure they know they can come to you and ask anything.”
Once students are comfortable and com-
Make sure you have your ID and social security card. Make sure you have all your W2’s, If you have 1099’s, retirement or anything you feel might be relevant to your tax return, bring it.
Tellamecus Forsythe VITA program coordinator
SOUTH
“[Volunteers] become VITA-holics,” she said. “Once you get past that first tax return that you’ve done on your own, then it becomes you doing taxes and then you’re serving others. You become the connection with the clients that come into the site.”
And despite having newly certified volunteers, Clayton said they still prioritize accuracy through a system of checks and double checks.
“We have been probably the top five VITA programs in the U.S. for our accuracy rate,” she said. “We don’t get a lot of returns that have mistakes.”
Along with adding volunteer hours to their resume, Clayton said the experience builds a students people skills and allows them to connect the community with partnering non profits.
“A lot of our clients are transparent,” she said. “They could be here getting their taxes done and start talking about running short on groceries or having problems keeping the utilities on. So in saying things like that, it gives an opportunity for us to give those referrals.”
Clayton said this networking was what brought an elderly man to the VITAthon after he received service from Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County, a non profit that delivers free meals to those in need.
When he mentioned his concern over his taxes, the Meals on Wheels volunteers suggested VITA, and he was able to file his income tax.
Stitt said this year, he’s seen an increase in back taxes, with some participants filing for as far back as 2020.
“There’s a lot of different factors, especially for people that are starting to get older in age, they’re trying to put their life together now,” he said. “A lot of people were younger at the time, but now they want to buy a house. You can’t buy a house without a current tax return. You can’t get the Pell Grant or financial aid without having a tax return.”
Stitt said he hopes to remove the fear so many have in filing their taxes and working with the IRS, including those wanting to file for an extension.
“People think ‘Oh my gosh, they’re going to come take everything I own,’” he said. “The IRS is not that bad if you talk to them. You have to have communication, call
Lauren Harper/The Collegian
This sign, outside South Campus’ Family Enrichment Center, was put out for information during the VITAthon event on March 29. This event was geared to help prepare and file taxes before the national tax deadline on April 15.
them. If you see you owe, and it’s too much, call and ask for an extension. They will work with you, but if you just sit there and try to ignore it and think it’s going to go away, it doesn’t happen.”
However, Forsythe said while they’re ready to help anyone, they’re limited in what they can do if not all documentation is brought.
“Make sure you have your ID and social security card. Make sure you have all your W2’s,” she said. “If you have 1099’s, retirement or anything you feel might be relevant to your tax return, bring it. We can decipher if we need it or not.”
Sara Medel, a student employee with the Family Empowerment Center on South Campus, said her primary role during VITAthon was translating.
Following a national spotlight on documentation and citizenship, Medel said she’d
noticed a shift in who was coming in for assistance.
“This year, we have a smaller percentage of Hispanic families coming in, and the ones that come in are a little bit nervous,” she said. “They will ask ‘What if I don’t have a social security card or an ID or a driver’s license?’ But I talk to them and say ‘Don’t worry, they’re going to help you.’”
As she works toward receiving her certification, she said the most rewarding part is bettering the lives of others during a stressful time.
“The best thing is at the end, you see their smile,” she said. “They’re happy to even pay because they know they’re in good hands.”
The deadline for income tax submission is April 15. Those interested in volunteering for the 2025 tax season can apply on their website.
Carillon Theatre Company performs triple comedy play
HARPER multimedia editor lauren.harper903@my.tccd.edu
The South Carillon Theatre Company flexed its comedic versatility with “ShortNFunny,” a performance comprised of three smaller plays covering relatable topics with humor.
The troupe opens with “The Scary Question,” a conversation between two romantic partners with no shortage of twists and turns.
While its dialogue is witty and realistic, the humor would fall flat if not for the skilled performances of South student Zach Zare, who plays Brian, and Haley Sutter as Linda.
The detailed facial expressions and body language are expressive enough to understand the inner feelings of each character, but subtle enough to be believable.
“It’s hard to pretend to be in love with someone that you’re not in love with,” Zare said. “That was a learning process for me and Haley. We had to hang out together to build that chemistry. We had to figure out where we could touch each other so we could show we’re in love.”
The next performance, “The Blueberry Hill Accord,” follows a similar storyline of a conflict between two characters with deep history and illustrates a transitional period that any college student could resonate with.
Again, the quality of writing is highlighted by two actors clearly experienced in turning a simple argument into something captivating and memorable.
Ariana Cole, who plays Hannah, says the similarities between her and her character made it easier to act out.
“Hannah’s very out there with her emotions, and that’s something that you have to be able to portray,” she said. “I am also very loud, I say what’s on my mind, and a lot of things go over my head, and Hannah’s kind of ditzy like that as well.”
The last play is the longest and most complex. “The Internet is Distract- Oh Look a Kitten” speaks on the dangers and disruptiveness of the internet in an outlandish way.
The audience follows a morning before school for Micah, also played by Sutter, as she’s bombarded with the constant stimuli of online entertainment while trying to complete an assignment.
It’s another scenario that most, if not all college students could relate to.
The highlight of the trio is a performance by Eduardo Ibarra, who personifies Amazon, Facebook and Wikipedia.
Ibarra said he wanted to give each site its own distinctive characteristics.
“Think of them like businessmen,” he said. “They’re not just robotic, they have their own characteristics. Some of them are businessmen, some of them are more anxious and some get a little wild.”
And while completely chaotic in nature, the play touches on today’s concerns with online privacy, intrusive ads and constant dopamine in a digestible, lighthearted way.
Each play is minimal in set design and character complexity, but what makes the entire performance unique is its complete lack of props.
“I feel like when you act without props, everything you do, no matter how small it is, has to be enough for the audience to notice, even if you’re just clicking a pen or picking up a piece of paper,” Zare said.
The play gives one final reference to the effects of the internet on the human nervous system and how it easily rewires our priorities, seemingly trapping us into a mindless loop of scrolling, all while taking the audience on tumultuous ride.
“It’s just super silly, completely ridiculous,” Sutter said. “Everything about it, the zombies and the contracts and the Internet stuff, it’s just very off the wall.”
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
LAUREN
South student Ariana Cole, playing Mom, listens to Haley Sutter, playing Micah, explain how she keeps getting distracted while trying to finish her essay.
Class project brings student filmmakers together
CHEYENNE SHAWN campus editor cheyenne.shawn@my.tccd.edu
NE Radio, Television and Film program students came together to film a new horror short film, “On a Pale Mare,” for their class project.
In the story, what starts as a way for a college student to fit in with her peers ends with her smoking something much stronger than expected. She is then faced with a strange creature with a long white face amid a spiraling nightmare.
“’On a Pale Mare’ is a film about peer pressure,” John Patterson said. “It’s something that people should be very cautious of in college.”
Pa tterson, the student director of the film, came up with the story idea and pitched it to the class. The class then paired off with whose story they were interested in.
The students who paired off with Patterson evolved their roles to further contribute their own ideas to his story
“One of the ideas I pitched was that she goes to call 911 or a dispatcher or something, but the creature was the one who hands her the phone,” student Milo Maraventano said.
They chose to work with him because
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they expressed how great he is to work with, puts out good products and has the most experience in the program. Patterson expressed how the bulk of his experience comes from being at TCC.
“I’ve been working with John for a long time now in this program,” student Devin Anderson said. “I just know he puts out good products.”
During spring break, the creators and actors used their time to start filming their project. They worked together to create a set at one of their apartments, rearranging furniture, setting up lighting and working with limited space and resources.
The RTVF program provides students with hands-on experience with high-quality equipment, including professional video cameras, specialized lighting gear and advanced editing software.
“I’m very thankful that TCC allows us to actually work with professional equipment,” Maraventano said.
These students praised the program and the program’s instructors, mentioning how the instructors know what they are doing and have industry experience.
“It’s a really good program like I can never not recommend it to people if they’re interested in film,” student Kaylie Medrano said.
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the rights and voting strength of people of color.”
Patrice Jones, founder of Southside Community Gardens and Precinct 1 resident, attended the meeting and was removed after clapping, in violation with the court decorum. She said redistricting Tarrant County is a purposeful attempt to push Simmons out because she’s a Democrat.
“With Commissioner Simmons losing her seat, we would really lose representation and the voice that Black and Brown people need,” Jones said. “Representation matters a lot in this country, and we haven’t had that here in Tarrant County.”
In 2021, the commissioners voted not to redistrict after the 2020 census data showed the districts were balanced.
In a statement posted on X, Precinct 4 Commissioner Manny Ramirez said it’s been 15 years since Tarrant County has had redistricting.
“Conservative policies and values continue to make Tarrant County the greatest and most successful county in the nation,” Ramirez said. “I believe that I have a moral obligation to do everything legally permissible to ensure that our county continues to enjoy responsible conservative leadership.”
Longtime Arlington resident Jan Tyler attended the meeting and said after 15 years, redistricting should be done in Tarrant County.
“It may have been poor judgment in 2021 that they wouldn’t have it in a normal timeline of things,” she said. “That was the normal time to do it, that they didn’t do it.”
77 people signed up to speak during public comments on the item, and the time limit was reduced to one minute per person.
Edward Spears, pastor and founder of Faith & Love Church of God in Christ in Fort Worth, took time off work to speak to the commissioners during the public comment. He had worked with the Fort Worth Independent School District for many years and was there when it redistricted.
Spears said redistricting should be an open, public process and that the agreement with PILF should have been done through a request for proposal.
“The deliberate manipulation of voters is a problem, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican,” he said. “You want to have a full and fair election. That means everybody needs to have a vote. Anytime we’re doing something like this secretly that means we’re trying to not do it with integrity.”
TCC student and the Tarrant County Democratic Party Leadership Committee member Carrington Sneed spoke during public comments, urging commissioners not to vote in favor of hiring PILF.
“Tim O’Hare is doing everything in his power to draw the lines, so he can consolidate power because deep down, he’s afraid,”
John Patterson, a NE student and director
Mare”, checks the framing of the
After hearing about the project from Patterson, NE student Madelynn Sill auditioned for her role. She plays the roommate of the main character that attends the party. She mentioned how it was her first film set to be on, her previous experience being in theater. She said it was a fun and interesting process.
The program emphasizes providing students with real-world experience with professional grade equipment.
“I feel like if I didn’t join the film program, I would definitely be missing an opportunity,” Maraventano said.
“I’m very comfortable on stage,” Sill said. “But it’s really different when there’s a camera and tech people like right in your face.”
During the April 2 meeting, 77 people signed up to make public comments to the commissioners, not all 77 spoke.
Sneed said. “Afraid of black voters, afraid of democracy, afraid of a country that doesn’t look like him, and one he can’t control. He’s not just drawing maps. He’s building walls.”
True Texas Project CEO and founder of the NE Tarrant Tea Party Julie McCarty spoke in support of hiring PILF and redistricting Tarrant County. She said she agreed with Ramirez’s statement that redistricting is needed.
“I think any conversation where there are accusations of gerrymandering must begin with the current map,” McCarty said. “No
one can honestly look at that map and say that it is pure.”
Bishop Mark Kirkland of Greater St. Mark Ministries in Fort Worth regularly attends Commissioners Court meetings. He said redistricting now without new census data would be like throwing darts in the dark.
“This is about Alisa Simmons. That’s what this is about, nothing else,” he said. “We’re about to start at $30,000 as a basement number, and we’re probably going to be well over a quarter of a million by the time this thing is done, and it’s all for one person.”
Cheyenne Shawn/The Collegian
Photo courtesy of Amanda Huerta
of the student short film “On a Pale
camera before recording.
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in some areas and made recommendations.
These areas included new hires and contract renewals. The study found that some employees didn’t sign the required SB-17 acknowledgment form. In both cases, Whittley Penn recommended that the college obtain and maintain the signed SB-17 forms.
DEI verbiage was also used in announcements, board policy and the college website on the announcements, procurement, and strategic planning pages. Both the board policy and procurement procedure manual referenced Minority Women-Owned Business Enterprises.
The announcements mentioned an invitation to a public forum and the welcoming of the chief DEI officer. Both references were from before the ban. The strategic plan mentioned an initiative called “Learning Commons: Diversity Equity and Inclusion” dated January 25, 2023.
The college administration said that during early discussions about SB-17 implementation, they determined that they didn’t need to remove anything considered historical.
“The internal audit department will perform remediation testing later this year, just to verify that the implementation has been performed,” Director of Internal Audit Tracey Shockley said. “The audit showcases the college’s effort to comply with SB-17, staff has promptly addressed low-risk findings and are committed to stronger controls.”
These included timestamped news and magazine articles, announcements and press releases that the college has archived. On the procurement page, the college officials said they missed the page in the audit when they reviewed the content, and now it has been corrected.
“We have taken the Senate Bill 17 seriously, and we appreciate all the work that went into reviewing everything that we do,” Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said at the meeting. “As we find things that are not in compliance, we address them immediately, and even these recommendations have been addressed.”
DISTRICT CRIME LOG
Theft of property valued at less than $100 was reported on NE.
CAMPUS LIFE
CAMPUS VOICES
Q:“How many spam text/calls have you gotten recently? Do you respond?”
Alanna Dyer NW Campus
“I've gotten several in the past, specifically ones that say I’m not getting the packages, but I’ve also gotten ones where it says my pizza won’t be delivered or something about a WIFI service I don’t even use. I’ve gotten one about my car’s extended warranty and I don’t drive. Scammers poll information from the internet, they make fake websites, and they make sure that everybody looks legit.”
NE Campus
“Recently spam calls I haven't got too much but them text ... They keep sending me right-wing media for some reason. I did not sign up for them. I don't respond and I just block the number. They get me really, really upset because I don't know who signed me up for this. It's usually a link they want me to click to sign up for things and pay for right wing propaganda.”
Nate Zrodlowski
NW Campus
“ I Sknow text scams have picked up, specifically the UPS ones, saying they have my package but there’s something wrong with our system and we need your information like your address or card. I feel a combination of pity, frustration and a bit of annoyance because this is the third time this week. How stupid do they think I am?”
Noah Bates
TR Campus
“Calls, I get a lot more. I think maybe like four a week and I answer to those just because I like to see where it leads. But also, my phone offers this kind of like AI screening that I can do ... And if they say something stupid and the transcript picks up on it, I’m like ‘Okay, I’ll have fun with this.’”
“Within the past week, I've gotten two spam texts and seven spam calls. The very few times that I [answer,] I come up with a weird little kind of thing that really throws a lot of people off and into a loop of, ‘Should I really be asking this person questions?’”
NW Campus
“There’s been a lot of calls and texts that I get from different email addresses that look fake, and most of the time it’s either Amazon or UPS or USPS. Usually, it’s like from Dallas or Arlington. That’s the strategy they use to get people, mainly older people. It’s a cheap tactic but it gets some people.”
SE Campus
“I’ve gotten a lot of spam texts, especially the toll texts, like nonstop. Sometimes it kind of makes me wonder, like, ‘Do I have tolls I need to pay for?’ ... I try not to answer them, but my little sister answers and she’ll ask some crazy questions. Like they’ll say ‘What are you up to?’ and she’s like ‘I’m walking my turtle right now.’”
SE Campus
“Oh my God, I’ve gotten so many. I’ve been getting spam calls for months. Well, not just calls but I’ve been getting a whole bunch of unwanted texts and calls for months. Maybe like 20 to 30 ... I can’t drive, so I know it’s not real.”
Ta’Ron Lucas
Ash Vadnaig
Bailey Coleman
Avery Burdick South Campus
Hunter Hendrix
Thrills, mystery come to SE Campus play
‘The Thrush and the Woodpecker’ has unexpected twists, secrets
with them before and said that familiarity has made the quick rehearsal process feel smoother.
“I told them on our first rehearsal I feel blessed to work with them,” he said. “All are experience and know what to do.”
Mystery, tension and the weight of unspoken truths take center stage as the SE drama department brings Steve Yockey’s ‘The Thrush and the Woodpecker’ to life April 23–25.
Directed by Drew Hampton, SE associate professor of drama, the play draws audiences into a quiet home of a mother and son deep in the woods where serenity fades and tension simmers when an unexpected guest arrives.
“There’s this idea that sometimes you have a decision to make, and no matter which direction you choose, you gain something, but it also cost you something,” Hampton said. “There’s also a lot built in about loving and loving family and what that means to different people.”
He describes the story as unlike anything else he’s encountered — even after a decade since first being introduced to the play he still finds the play’s twist shocking.
“I’d be very surprised if anybody had heard a story like this before,” he said. “Still, when that bomb gets dropped, I get chills of like ‘Oh my God, what if this actually happened to somebody?’ It’s a very unique story.”
The cast of four actors, Mia Jimenez, Noah Flores, Dayen Cruz and Aaya Meneihneh, brings both experience and chemistry to the stage. Hampton has worked
Cruz, who plays Roisin Danner, said this has been her most demanding role yet. Having acted since she was young, she’s used to playing lighter roles, but this time, she’s tapping into a far darker side.
“I’m not naturally mean, and you can tell she’s very aggressive,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had to be as aggressive in other shows. Normally I’m the one falling in love or the damsel in distress.”
To prepare, Cruz immersed herself in intense, unsettling media that mirrors Roisin’s complexity.
“She’s determined, knows what she wants and there is so much to her,” she said. “I don’t like watching stuff like this, but watching really sadistic, menacing, evil stuff will help find her a little.”
Flores, who plays Noah Hendricks, said he shared similar ideologies to his character despite coming into the role with little time to prepare.
“I didn’t know the full show before going into it but [after] going in to edit the script, I read the story and by the end of it I was very excited … It’s a very interesting story,” he said. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Wow this is really cool. I’m happy to be a part of it.’”
For Jimenez, who plays Brenda Hendricks, the suspense hits hardest in the
final moments of the play, when all three characters are onstage together.
“There’s a scene where all three characters are together at the end of the play and something bad is about to happen and I try to get my son out of the room,” she said.
“It’s very tense, and I mean, the audience is kind of scared of like ‘What’s going to happen next?’”
The choice to stage “The Thrush and the Woodpecker” came when a previously planned play was rescheduled, forcing Hampton to think fast and go with a smallercast production he already knew well.
“I jumped in and had to quickly figure out what would work with a small cast,” he said. “Back in 2014 I auditioned for the very first production of it, so I was familiar with it. It’s one of those moments where I’m excited to work on it, and I think it’s a good fit for the students.”
The play is suggested for mature audiences with children under 6-years-old not being admitted. It will be held in the C.A Robertson Theatre on SE Campus. Admission is pay what you can with all proceeds supporting TCC-SE Drama activities and scholarships.
To celebrate Studio Ghibli’s 40th anniversary, “Princess Mononoke” directed by Hayao Miyazaki was released in 4K IMAX.
Studio Ghibli has significantly impacted the genre of animated films through intentional visual storytelling and layered thematic elements. Ghibli films are often described as “transportive” and “whimsical,” which can be attributed to the countless hours of work put into intricate hand-drawn animation.
“Princess Mononoke” is a film that exemplifies why Studio Ghibli is so beloved. The film follows Asitaka, a prince who comes down with a curse. As he sets out on a journey for a cure, he encounters San, a human girl who has been raised by wolves.
The core elements making up the story include the impact of industrial expansion and the delicate balance between humans and the environment. It’s poignant, touching and necessary.
It’s my favorite Ghibli film because of how expansive it feels. It’s like living in another world for its runtime. The barriers between the audience and the characters blur as the runtime goes on, and we get more invested in the beautiful animation and storyline.
The audience is shown the impact of harming the environment in a visually
striking way that is lasting. CGI can’t compare to the obvious care put into each frame of a movie like “Princess Mononoke.” It’s easy to suspend disbelief when the world is so immersive through sound, color and dialogue.
Miyazaki puts extreme emphasis on the importance of putting in the effort to create meaningful art. He hand-draws all his animation and has been quoted as saying, “I will continue to use my pencil as long as I can.”
The 1997 film made $4.1 million in North America on its opening week, the biggest IMAX domestic opening for a local language title. In the past, Ghibli has won an Oscar for “Best Animated Feature” for its works like “Spirited Away” in 2003 and “Boy and the Heron” in 2024.
Recently, Studio Ghibli and ChatGPT have been in the news because of the AI software’s new ability to create personal images in the hand-drawn Studio Ghibli art style. Miyazaki called AI “an insult to life itself” in a 2016 documentary. As users mass-produce images in the style of Ghibli, the sanctity of skilled artwork dwindles. There should be a line that shouldn’t be crossed and making rapid-fire imitations of an art-style that takes real skill and time to perfect by hand should be that line.
Photos by Kailey Raley/The Collegian
During rehearsal, Dayen Cruz (top) who plays Roisin Danner and Mia Jimenez (bottom) who plays Brenda Hendricks rehearsal a fight scene for the upcoming play.
SE students Noah Flores, Mia Jimenez and Dayen Cruz rehearse a scene where Flores as Noah Hendricks introduces his mom to an old friend Roisin Danner. Danner reaches toward a cup on the table to knock it over.
Sticks and stones will further divide our nation
In recent years there has been a significant shift in societal behavior marked by increased disrespect and intolerance.
These public meltdowns and verbal attacks are often based on race, religion and appearance.
The deviation from social norms trickles down to the younger generation and impacts children’s behavior. How can we be shocked when kids become bullies, they are mirroring the behavior adults online and offline?
While each party has its own platform, there was a time when they could come together to pass important legislation.
The guiding principle was always upholding the Constitution and working for all of your constituents, not just those who voted for you.
Now, politicians only represent the viewpoints of their base voters and President Donald Trump’s hourly whims.
It’s not rude to call a Nazi a Nazi, a racist a racist or a misogynist a misogynist. Injustice should always be called out politically and socially, especially when people’s essential human rights are being taken away.
There are other times when people have spiraled into profanity, dehumanization outright harassment and physical assault of people based only on political alliances.
Did it start with bragging about grabbing women by their genitalia, or did it begin when we asked for a presidential candidate’s birth certificate? Or was it when the chants of
TJ Favela/The Collegian
Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School of Law, said it’s important to distinguish between the different types of civility.
“The first is a superficial kind of civility — being nice, refraining from insults or ad-hominem kinds of argument,” Fung said. “The second is a deeper, more important (and older, for what that’s worth) sense of civility that is about behaving in ways that are necessary for cooperative projects such as schools and democratic societies to work well.”
This is the part we are struggling with: Why can’t we cooperate with each other for the greater good of the nation?
Why are WE against THEM when, in reality, Republicans and Democrats alike need a peaceful democratic society to survive and thrive?
According to polls, American patriotism has decreased in recent years. We care less about patriotism and more about who gets the best media sound bites.
Americans must wake up from their complacency to realize strategic reform can only develop through persistent and calculated attempts at dismantling this system of political and social oppression.
The Black Panthers, Brown Berets, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Southern Christian Leadership Conference look down upon us in shame. Believe it or not, these groups worked together in a cohesive effort to fight for the Civil Rights Movement.
They were deliberate and cautious when protesting to ensure their effort would count. By playing a deadly game of chess, voices were heard and a movement spread across the country.
Violent or not, everything was intentionally planned by multiple people. Where, when, who, why and how, each carefully thought out to guarantee their notion was clear, concise and not misunderstood.
Lives were lost, but individuals within the movement knew it was
“lock her up” started? Are we just paying attention since Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading,” to Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Or when Crockett retorted with, “I’m just curious, just to better understand your ruling: If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blonde, bad-built, butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?”
for the greater good and chose to fight, knowing they might not get to experience that good.
This country is in the middle of a catastrophe, one threatening to turn back the clock on decades of progress for civil rights, and the only widespread effort Americans have been able organize is boycotting Target or Starbucks.
Protest groups today exert energy into attempting change, but their endeavors lack the necessary research for how to achieve their goals, thus making the activism fall
The future for many young adults of Generation Z is an uncertain one, and while they might not be directly impacted by the current economy, something has to change.
Gen Z has lived through the events like the War on Terror, the 2007 recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Israel-Hamas war and the Trump-Biden-Trump presidencies.
So it figures some of them now look to the future with shaky confidence.
A 2024 report from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation said only 51% of Gen Zers felt prepared for their future.
The future that had been promised to their parents and grandparents of neat, steady jobs with a
401(k) and retiring with a house with its mortgage completely paid off now seems impossible to reach for many.
According to a 2024 Zillow report, the median price of a home in the United States is $360,681. With a 20% down payment, that means a
Mind you, this was at a House Oversight and Accountability Committee meeting. Ironically, this is the way those members conduct themselves.
Banks said, “Because you seem like a clown.”
This has seeped into almost all aspects of life. Kids are fighting more in classes, disrespecting teachers and administrators. Healthcare workers are being assaulted and accused of working for big pharma, customers routinely abuse employees and road rage is on the rise.
Archon Fung, a political scientist and director of The Ash Center for
Even more recently, Greene told a U.K. reporter, “Go back to your own country.” Crockett called Gov. Greg Abbott “Governor Hot Wheels.” And Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind told Mack Schroeder, a fired Department of Health and Human Services worker, that he “probably deserved it. When the man asked him why?
We need to revisit what the Founding Fathers believed when they wrote the Constitution.
“The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy.”
As a society we should take each other’s viewpoints into account, rath-
flat.
Communist groups trying to reach out to Vietnamese immigrants and pro-choice advocates rallying at city council meetings are examples of naive and poor planning.
Many Vietnamese immigrants escaped the Communist government after the fall of Saigon, so they won’t take kindly to your friendly conversation about Marxism. And city council meetings usually discuss approving budgets and tax rates, not laws. So, if you want a pro-choice rally to mean something, visit your state capitol.
If our argument lacks reasoning, it becomes laughable in the face of the oppressor.
Until a movement with people willing to turn their entire lives upside down can be assembled, nothing significant will happen.
Liking and sharing videos of people suffering won’t raise enough money to fix their situation. But we obviously can’t donate money because spring fashion is about to
prospective buyer of a home should have at least $72,000 to even start paying off their home.
For Gen Z young adults like me, that doesn’t even sound like a real amount of money one can have laying around. This is especially true in Texas, where the minimum wage has not been raised from $7.25 per hour since 2009.
I’m one of those Gen Z kids who listened to the adults around them all their life talk about the financial stresses weighed on them.
I’ve spent many hours at the dinner table listening to them estimate how much I should make per year, before and after taxes, to survive and how I can buy my first house.
I often leave these financial
drop from our favorite sweatshop factories.
Our issues only seem relevant when they are trending, and in seconds an important topic is forgotten as breaking news pings everyone’s cell phone. Glued to the screen, every problem is plastered in front of our faces, and there are too many to keep up with. Logging off is easy when we can play around with new toys and gadgets, feel the rush of a new purchase or go out and eat an overly priced meal with our friends. Is anyone actually satisfied with their mundane, materialistic and egotistical life? Does the mirror reflect the image of who you are or who you wish you were?
Does boycotting corporations get them to notice the minute-long video of some girl with her fist in the air saying, “this is for black lives and DEI.” Probably not.
In fact, I’m sure their sales will be good again once more people need to purchase toilet paper, be-
cause Target is better than Amazon, right?
If I were able to purchase toilet paper from a small business not labeled vintage or handmade with a $40 price tag, I would be more satisfied by the “grassroots” efforts. No fight has ever been trouble-free, and being complacent and silent is easier than choosing to change one’s daily routine, talk to the reporter, read the truth and act out against the ones in power. I almost feel like giving up because everyone wants to live, laugh and love, but I can’t foresee a future where that will be possible for us. Instead of achieving something great to post to your timeline or boast about at the bar, make one difference in your life each day to act out in rebellion against the oppressor.
While a simple life is the current American dream, we come from a long line of fighters, and I won’t allow myself to fall into the trap laid out for us. I suggest you
brainstorming sessions with a pit of dread in my stomach. How could I pay rent and buy groceries, let alone put in the sizable down payment for my first home?
I was also sometimes bothered by another question: Would I even have a future to worry about?
The prevalence of the internet has allowed the world to see how Gen Z sometimes darkly jokes about how humanity is doomed on TikTok or Instagram Reels. Many of them often are detached from the world around them.
Gen Z aren’t directly affected by things like the recent stock market or increasing prices of houses because they are just now coming into the job market and earning a
living. They don’t have skin in the game to care about the fact that S&P 500 is down 20% due to tariffs because they don’t own any stocks. It doesn’t help that in recent years, the disillusionment of the public with American politics has led many Americans, especially young people, to write off their government as ineffective and uncaring.
These financial problems that Gen Z face were not caused by them and for now, many of them adopt a fatalistic attitude about their future. Change needs to be made to show this generation that they will have a future to look forward to where they can live comfortably, be happy and be financially stable.
Captured in Oil-Painted Self-Portraits
Captured in Oil-Painted Self-Portraits
Visually exploring everyday moments of self-care
COLLAZO campus editor diego.collazo@my.tccd.edu
For NE art student Lauren Bird, selfcare and her love for art is a journey she captures in a series of oil-painted self-portraits showcased in her upcoming solo exhibit.
If art often imitates life, Bird said her journey to becoming an artist follows that same idea, getting her start when she saw her sister coloring.
“I was like 2 years old and walked up and started copying her,” she said. “I’ve always been the art kid.”
That early moment of coloring alongside her sister would eventually lead to Bird showcasing nine pieces in her own exhibit 20 years later. Bird’s exhibit opens from 12:30 to 2 p.m., Thursday, April 10, in NFAB 1308A.
Bird said the first piece in her show was never intended to be a part of a series. However, the self-portrait of Bird in the shower won “Best in Show” at the TCC NE art show in spring 2024.
The self-portrait captures a moment of Bird in the shower with her eyes closed and water streaming down her face.
NE student Noelle Runge, who’s known Bird since 2020, said Bird likes to paint what she calls intimate moments.
“She focuses on those small moments that you have to yourself every night that you don’t really think about,” Runge said. “The fact she put it on canvas is really admirable to me because that’s something I would want to keep to myself… So that’s something I really love about this show. It’s just a bunch of moments a person felt comfortable sharing.”
Runge said one of her favorite pieces of the exhibit is one of Bird with pimple patches on her face as it shows a vulnerability she doesn’t often see portrayed in art.
Bird said she kept a time log so she could track how long each painting took with pieces taking anywhere from 40 to 50 hours depending on her availability.
“I was waking up every day over the summer and just kind of cranking them out, but once school started, it’s a lot harder,” she said. “I paint for three hours in class, and then I take it home, and if I have time, I paint. It was just pretty constant trying to get it done.”
Bird puts time and dedication to her art despite chronic pain in her arms and legs.
“I’ve been dealing with nerve pain for about three years,” she said. “Some days I wake up and I have energy, and I feel like myself… And then some days I wake up and it’s just like ‘Wow, I can’t move.’”
Bird said she sometime uses her weekly sketches and paintings to reflect her chronic pain. However, this series is more about loving herself despite the pain.
“So many of my paintings have been an act of self-love,” she said. “When you genuinely hate your body, not for the way it
looks but because it’s doing this thing to you, I think it’s really good to do the self-portraits and really examine myself. You learn to love every feature because I’ve painted every feature.”
Bird credits the support of friends like Runge and mentors, like NE painting teacher Richard Parker as the driving force for the creation of the series.
“[Parker] basically changed the trajectory of my life,” she said. “I’ve got some people in class that have really helped and supported me… Above all else, Parker has been the biggest supporter and influence where my art’s concerned right now.”
Every spring, the art and photography department holds its art show at the Fort Worth Community Art Center, but due to its closure, Bird had to find a different gallery and Parker said to use his classroom.
“Parker offered me the show and then
I had a few concepts I was considering like recreating famous pieces in my self-portrait style,” she said. “Parker brought up the idea of just doing self-care and that sounded very manageable.”
Parker said Bird’s swift hands capture the visual form of self-portraits, saying she really found her voice in his Painting II class.
“Lauren’s oil paintings deal with the self-portrait as a medium for introspection and contemplation of her personal life journey,” he said. “Painters have a long history of utilizing self-portraiture and those works expressively reveal the artists’ life to us.”
Visual art major Deaja Gowans said it was important to have fellow art students have their own exhibit on campus.
“I think it’s amazing that [Bird] is having an art exhibit,” she said. “Seeing her prepare for it and how excited she is and nervous. I’m honored to see that.”
DIEGO
Lauren Bird said this piece, showing her taking off makeup is her favorite.
Before this collection, she thought she hated painting. Then she took Painting I with NE painting teacher Richard Parker, who encouraged her in her journey.
During the process, Lauren Bird says she finishes one section at a time.
In each of her paintings, Lauren Bird’s heirloom ring is featured.
The background of this piece was changed from violet to blue.
This self portrait was the start of the series of paintings.
Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian
NE Campus student Lauren Bird sits looking at her series of self-portraits. The oil paintings will be featured in a solo exhibition in the art department. Bird has been working on the collection for a year-and-a-half.
Victoria's path to her undergraduate degree was anything but straightforward. The 41-year-old mom of two started at a local community college, then transferred to UT Arlington to continue her education. Now in her senior year, she has successfully managed a full-time job, a full course load, and her family responsibilities—all while consistently making the Dean’s List. Up next? Law school. Unwavering determination—that’s Victoria’s Maverick Factor.
