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Run the streets PG. 4
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 – Volume 34 • Issue 9 Entertainment
Opinion
Opinion
Editorial
CAN’T MOVE ON New season of “You” shows consequences of past PG. 4
NOT JUST A GENRE Real humans are at the heart of true crime. PG. 5
CUBICLES AREN’T THAT BAD The pros and cons of in-person work after COVID. PG. 5
EDUCATE YOURSELF Critical race theory is the right move . PG. 5
SOUTHEAST
Actors prepare for upcoming production JOSE ROMERO editor-in-chief
Director Drew Hampton instructed Lily Clouse and Zachary Donelson to change up a scene so it reads better for the audience. It’s a common practice in theater, but this was the first time in over a year that a physical audience would be present. SE’s theater production “Almost, Maine” will be the return of in-person performance for the department Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, and admission is “Pay What You Can.” All proceeds will go to the drama scholarship fund. The performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the C.A. Roberson Theater, but the box office will open one hour before. The production is about the residents of a fictional place called Almost, Maine. Each one finds themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected, humorous ways. The cast is made up of eight actors playing multiple roles. Donelson will play Randy, Dave and East while Clouse plays Glory and Marci. “Honestly, it feels natural and quite wonderful to get back to the intended state of live theater,” Hampton said. He said he has prioritized the safety of the cast and crew. For example, he reimagined some scenes to be socially distanced. “With that said, the heart and humor of the play are both as robust as ever,” he said. Clouse has been doing theater since she was 10 years old. She said she took a break from it in high school, so this is the first time she’s back in a show in several years. The last time she was in a production was in the eighth grade, and she said it’s nerve wracking. “Starting to do it again, I was scared I lost my touch or something, but it’s also been really comforting,” she said. “I feel like I’m back where I’m supposed to be.” Donelson was a theater tech in high school, but this is his first production as an actor. He used similar
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
East, played by SE student Zachary Donelson, snatches a pouch with broken pieces from Glory, played by SE student Lily Clouse. vocabulary to describe his time acting in “Almost, Maine” as Clouse did. He said it’s been amazing, and he has genuinely enjoyed working with everyone. “Lily, for example, is a really great scene partner,” he said. Donelson shares the nervous feeling Clouse described. It’s all been a learning experience for him, but one of the best he’s had, he said. Hampton said planning is key for a production like this. “Part of live theater is that there’s a hard deadline,” he said. “Opening night is going to happen. The audience will be there, so
things have to be ready, and each element of the production gets ready at a different point.” The production has a lot of elements, and he said there’s a detailed process to ensure everything is ready promptly. Actors need to memorize lines, costumes have to be prepared, the furniture has to be selected and all the technical hurdles have to be overcome like the projection system. The sense of community within the theater is something Clouse loves about it. She said in every show she’s been in, she always gets close to the cast. Donelson agreed
with her and said he loves being a character. “I love making others laugh, cry and other things like that in a way that other people don’t really get the chance to do,” Donelson said. Donelson and Clouse both nervously laughed when discussing how close opening night is. “Pressure is definitely there,” Donelson said. He stared at Clouse, chuckling, awaiting her input, then Clouse said she’s been thinking about it as being weeks away. But now that she realizes it’s closer, she’s nervous
but excited. “I have a lot of people that I know and care about that are coming to see it,” Clouse said. “My mom is also really excited. She never shuts up about it.” Donelson said it’s surreal how close opening night is. They began planning and training for the production in September. However, the closer it gets, the more confident he feels about it. “For those that come to the show, thank you in advance for supporting live theatre and the drama department at Southeast,” Hampton said.
DISTRICT
DISTRICT
Chancellor contract amended
Students express fatigue from continuous COVID-19 coverage
JOSE ROMERO editor-in-chief
A recent amendment to Chancellor Eugene Giovannini’s employment agreement extended his term by a year to 2024 and raised his base salary to $437,836 — a $25,000 increase. The amendment was made during a board meeting Oct. 28. All action items in the agenda were approved, including renovations across the district and a software functionality improvement. A total of $1,902,300 will be allocated into master planning — a process that will provide direction for the development and improvement of facilities. “Master planning — particularly for large campuses like ours in the 4 million square feet of facilities that we own and operate — is something that we ought to do every 10 years or so to be planning how we make our capital investments,” chief operating officer Susan Alanis said. “It’s been more than 10 years since we did this.” A facility condition assessment was recently approved, which will inform the master planning about the longevity of buildings, the future of buildings and how they can be improved and maintained, Alanis said. Master planning will also inform TCC’s five-year capital plan. The goal is to have it completed by next June. She said the schedule is
six weeks behind, but the lost time can be regained. If the schedule does get delayed, it will not incur additional costs. “This is a significant amount of money — $1,900,000,” board vice president Kenneth Barr said. Barr asked if the contract would complete all the master planning needed, to which Alanis answered yes. Corgan Architects, the company responsible for the master planning, has worked with TCC before on NE Campus’ science buildings and set the standard for science labs across the district. The current product students use to set up payment plans and pay tuition got a five-year renewal. The total fee is $1,259,981, but there was also a one-time implementation fee of $54,367 because the functionality is going to be expanded. It will now allow third-party partners to use it as well, simplifying the process for
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
Board of Trustee member Gwendolyn Morrison asks questions about an action item.
them to pay anything they may owe to TCC. SE Campus will have $772,877 allocated toward renovations and expansion. Alanis said getting commissioning services to participate in the design, construction and implementation of systems like HVAC, alarm systems and so on has been a common practice in the district for a while. She said the goal is to aim for a silver in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system — a certification program determining how green a building is. Giovannini clarified that the school isn’t going to get the certification because it’s an expensive process, but it will go through the checklist to ensure efficiency. South and NE Campus was given $699,250 for renovations. On South, buildings B and D will be renovated, and on NE, the technology and arts buildings will be renovated. This is a part of a multi-year plan to upgrade classrooms across the college, Alanis said. NW Campus’ construction will continue. The redevelopment project had $584,473 approved for it. It’s a project that is estimated to cost $311 million, according to TCC. Back in 2019, former editor-in-chief Juan Ibarra wrote an article detailing the complications NW was having, leading to years of construction. The current timeline goes up until 2026. The recording of the board meeting can be found on TCC’s website.
MEGHAN SCHILLING campus editor
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly two years ago, TCC students have faced a series of changes. From the abrupt transition to virtual learning during spring 2020 to the return to in-person this fall, students have had to keep a close eye on the state of the pandemic. Now, students share their viewpoints on the current state of COVID-19 coverage. NE student Nathen Brenner said although he believes COVID19 to be a serious illness, it was politicized by both major parties and the news. He said his issue lies in hypocrisy.
“The media always has to talk about some type of disease or virus,” he said. “It will never end.”
Riley Timmons NE student
“I am tired of hearing how COVID is the most dangerous illness and to be safe and social distance while those telling me that aren’t even following that,” he said. “Because of that, I am very tired of hearing it in the news.”
NE student Grace Kadia said she feels fatigued by the handling of COVID-19 information and that it’s repetitive. “It doesn’t offer any more than the standard ‘wear a mask,’” she said. Masks and COVID vaccinations are not mandated at any TCC campus. NE student Riley Timmons said after getting vaccinated, he’s no longer concerned about mask mandates but appreciates staying informed. “It's nice to hear updates but also grim,” he said. “After 1-2 years of COVID, I’ve honestly gotten used to it always presenting itself in conversation.” Timmons said he believes the disease will become commonplace like the flu, and will be talked about much less when everyone is vaccinated. “The media always has to talk about some type of disease or virus,” he said. “It will never end.” President Joe Biden is implementing a six-pronged national strategy that is a science-based approach that was used to successfully combat previous variants of COVID-19 earlier this year. “It's standard to hear about COVID-19 in the news and I highly doubt that it will ever change,” said NE student Brandon Knight.