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Wednesday, December 8, 2021 – Volume 34 • Issue 13 DISTRICT

DISTRICT

Reactions to Rittenhouse verdict Community weighs in on a controversial jury decision JUAN SALINAS II campus editor

Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of five charges Nov. 19. Two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide and two counts of recklessly endangering safety. The verdict has sparked a conversation across the country. Rittenhouse was walking around with an AR-15 during a racial injustice protest Aug. 25, 2020. He was chased by Joseph Rosenbaum into a car lot. Rittenhouse shot and killed him and ran away from the scene, causing members of the crowd to chase him. Rittenhouse shot two members of the crowd, injuring one. Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted “Rittenhouse -- NOT GUILTY!” Nov. 19 at 12:18 p.m. after the verdict. NE student Jacqueline Gonzales feels baffled by these types of reactions to the verdict. “This trial proves white privilege exists and is strong amid the court system,” she said. “If Rittenhouse was a Black boy holding an

AR-15, he would’ve been shot.” In a survey done by Pew Research Center, 87% of Black Americans and 61% of white Americans think the U.S. criminal justice system treats Black people less fairly. “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken,” President Joe Biden said in a press release Nov. 19. “I ran on a promise to bring Americans together because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.” Wisconsin doesn't currently have a stand your ground law, which justifies the use of deadly force if necessary. But the state does have self-defense that is defined by federal law. According to the law, if a person feels there is unlawful interference by someone else, they can threaten or use force to stop or kill them. “I think this trial says more about our justice system than society,” South student Sophia Rodriguez said. “I’m not surprised, but still disappointed and angry about

the outcome.” The protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Aug. 25, 2020, was due to the aftermath of Jacob Blake, a young Black man that was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop Aug. 23, 2020. “The justice system works for those it was meant to protect,” SE student Jamea Johnson said. “I am not one of those people.” Rittenhouse has stated he will destroy the AR-15 he used during the events of the night, and support the Black Lives Matter Movement in recent interviews. “Did the prosecution rush to charge Kyle Rittenhouse before reviewing all evidence?” board of trustees member Shannon Wood said. Rittenhouse was arrested Aug. 26, 2020, at his home in Antioch, Illinois, which is 33 minutes away from Kenosha, Wisconsin — the place of the protest. “The prosecution has a duty to only prosecute cases after considering all evidence, and the prosecutor is required to review all evidence prior to requesting or pursuing

Video in Arbery case discussed LOGAN EVANS

managing editor

Henry C. Jorgenson/Shutterstock

Demonstrators outside of the courthouse during the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.

charges against a defendant,'' Wood said. “The state has endless resources to prosecute, and defendants are often without financial means to defend. The state must take time to review all evidence and provide all evidence to a grand jury, and the grand jury must be provided with all evidence to make a decision upon whether to allow a felony to be filed against a defendant.” Wood said the prosecution charged Kyle Rittenhouse with murder within 24 hours, before reviewing all evidence, and when a jury was presented with all the evidence in the case, the jury unanimously acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse.

YEE-HAW, COWGIRL

A jury recently found the three men charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery guilty on several counts of murder. The verdict came after eight days of testimony, much of which centered around a video of the incident taken by defendant William Bryan. The trial has sparked discussion about the role of video evidence in the justice system. “Video has leveled the playing field,” NE paralegal studies professor Karen Silverberg said. “Eyewitnesses are notoriously bad, just not accurate in a lot of cases. But video doesn’t lie.” Witnesses are often called to testify weeks or months after the event they’re being asked to recount, Silverberg said. With video, a witness must compare their memory with a visual truth. Juries spend less time determining how credible they find a witness to be. “It’s a whole lot harder to claim motivations that are not visible,” Silverberg said.

“Eyewitnesses are notoriously bad, just not accurate in a lot of cases. But video doesn’t lie.”

Karen Silverberg

NE paralegal studies professor

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

Student activities employee Jeni Green yells cheerfully as she tries to hold onto a mechanical bull brought in for the Western-themed day of SE Campus’ spirit week.

The increased prevalence of video in cases like Arbery’s has led to a greater investment of the public across social media. Silverberg believes this is because the public can now watch something, be affected by it and make more directly informed decisions. “With George Floyd, you could count the seconds and minutes,” Silverberg said. “It was a very clear set of circumstances.” South education professor Jeffrey Herr said he is thankful for the rise of smartphones and social media in bringing awareness to issues of racial injustice through video, but he doesn’t believe the guilty Arbery verdict points toward active change. “I’m happy with the verdict, but I am skeptical that progress has been attained,” he said. “What if in 1955, there was video evidence of what happened to Emmett Till when the white mob showed up to his relative’s house to kidnap and kill him? That might’ve turned out a lot differently, too.” NE student Caleb Thompson believes the fact the video was taken and released by one of the killers proves his arrogance in committing a racially-motivated crime. “It’s a great example of how certain people with not-so-good racial views can be so comfortable upon seeing a video of them unequivocally doing a lynching,” Thompson said. “Saying ‘This makes us look good.’” Thompson believes while social awareness spurred by video evidence is a good thing, no amount of public opinion can make up for systemic issues. “If you’re relying on social media to bring about what the justice system should be doing or what the police should be doing, that proves we’re not at a spot we should be,” he said. “Once these institutions are working as they should, social change will follow suit.”

News

Entertainment

Opinion

Editorial

BURNTOUT End of semester has students and faculty tired. PG. 2

JILL SANDWICH “Resident Evil” gets a good film adaptation. PG. 4

LISTEN TO TEACHERS Recent tragedy revives discussion. PG. 5

SLOW DOWN Texas drivers need to chill out. PG. 5

BLOODY HANDS Kyle Rittenhouse is guilty of something. PG. 5

NEWS

2 • Wednesday, December 8, 2021 DISTRICT

NORTHEAST

Students, faculty are burned out from work Stress, fatigue beginning to pile up AUSTIN FOLKERTSMA campus editor

One in four students said their depression increased due to the pandemic, according to the mental health awareness nonprofit organization Active Minds. This is NE student Ariana McKinney’s first semester of college, and she’s already feeling burnt out. “I feel mentally exhausted,” she said. “In a college course, there is a lot more information that you have to obtain in a shorter amount of time, and there are some of the same aspects that community college and high school share, but it’s definitely a lot more work.” NE student Emely Rivera said it’s also her first semester in college, and she feels tired but overall OK. “I feel like the transition from high school to college is so different because, in college, it’s on you if you want to pass or not because you’re paying for the class and the professors are getting paid regardless, whereas, in high school, I feel like you don’t have to try so hard because you don’t pay for the coursework,” she said. NE associate professor of English Rebecca Balcarcel said she feels tired because there are a lot of extra things that she worries about and things to do because of COVID. “I love seeing students and I love teaching, but I’m finding myself feeling tired, needing more sleep and trying to find more ways to stay positive because there’s a lot to feel worried and scared about,” she said. “I try to talk to my colleagues, and we support each other, share stories and find out what’s working for us, and the students help me by bringing their energy, and that just adds to my energy.”

She said she was excited to be back, but she was liking her new routine. She didn’t have to commute and felt more creative online. “In terms of burning out, especially toward the end of the semester, it really goes two ways depending on the student,” NE student Sean McDonald said. “Some students, they get in that hyper-focused state, like, ‘We’re right at the end, let’s just do this last push and get it done,’ and other students are just like looking back on the semester thinking ‘What did I do with my time?’” He said because of COVID, he took time off from school, but coming back into this environment, he feels like he hit a brick wall because not only was he having to deal with coming back after being gone for so long, but also figuring out Canvas. He said he feels like TCC didn’t do a very good job in transitioning students from Blackboard to Canvas, and it was more of a “figure this out on your own” type of situation. “I retired from the Navy, and I had a lot of baby-time, so coming back into an environment where I got to see a lot of adults was really nice, so I was really excited to be back in school,” NE student employee Arely Martinez Romero said. She said about the second month into the semester, it was really hard for her, and she was feeling really stressed out from the school work and studying all the time. “I suffer from PTSD, anxiety and depression, but being a student worker, it’s really helped me feel proud of what I do and interacting with other students has really been a great experience for me,” she said. “The more people know that they aren’t alone, the better,” She said she wants students to know that if a single mom that suffers from PTSD, anxiety and depression is doing it, then they can do it too.

“I feel mentally exhausted. In a college course, there is a lot more information that you have to obtain in a shorter amount of time, and there are some of the same aspects that community college and high school share, but it’s definitely a lot more work.”

Ariana McKinney NE Student

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

A child plays with a toy police car at the NE Children’s Center. Because of COVID-19, the number of children and students per class was reduced.

Children’s center aims to help teach students VANESSA JOHNSON reporter

NE Campus’ Children’s Center provides education to both kids and TCC students. While the children are the top priority at the center, it’s also a laboratory for students majoring in early childhood education. “We want students to learn quality child care to share with the world,” child center teacher Michelle Lee said. Lee mentors and teaches students about how they should work with 4-year-old and 5-year-old children. She said the center is a place for students to train and get the help they need from teachers. The center is there for students to intern, following their program instead of finding internships off campus. “My journey started with observing and taking classes,” child center kitchen manager Maricela Negrete said. “Then I was offered a part-time class.” Negrete fell in love with her work at the center and wanted a full-time position, which led her to become the kitchen manager. Negrete made her way through the education program, and now she plays a vital role as the chef and nutritionist. “Students come here to prove the theories that they are learning work,” center director and master teacher Barbara Smith said. Students go through three phases at the center: guidance, curriculum and internship. Guidance allows students to just observe the teachers’ interactions with the children. The

curriculum stage is where students work with the teachers and children on their curriculum and activities. Then the internship stage allows students to take the place of the teacher and show what they have learned. “The students need to practice, and the tools that they have to practice with are children,” Smith said. The center has three age groups: 2, 3 and 4 years old. Implemented in all classes is a curriculum based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills as well as Highscope. Along with the curriculum, the teachers work with students on their social and emotional behavior. The center is open for students and staff of TCC as well as the surrounding community, which is where most of the children come from. “We have to make sure children are healthy, safe and that they know someone is there to protect and love them,” Smith said. Safety is a top priority at the center. Smith said the staff is always on high alert for the children and the families. Due to COVID, the number of children per class and the laboratory hours for students was both cut to better accommodate everyone. Smith said some of the parents went to the center when they were children themselves. Most of the staff have worked at the center for years and see the effect their work has on families. “It is rewarding if you are willing to go all the way through and respect the children, parents and community,” Smith said.

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FEATURE

Wednesday, December 8, 2021 • 3

Photos by Joel Solis/The Collegian

Music director H.P. Benson Lee conducting the NW Jazz Ensemble Nov. 30 in the WTLO theater. The concert also featured the NW Chamber Singers

NW Jazz Ensemble performs during orchestra concert Nov. 30 in the WTLO theater on NW Campus

Lee takes his students through one final rehearsal before their performance later that night.

Nelson Acosta preparing his tuba for the orchestra concert during warm-ups and practice.

Tamia Obando playing the violin in the NW Jazz Ensemble.

Lee conducts the NW Jazz Ensemble during the orchestra concert.

4 • Wednesday, December 8, 2021

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Resident Evil’ franchise finally done justice Video game film adaptations are usually lazily done, but not this one MICHAEL FOSTER-SANDERS senior producer

Video games properties becoming movies is a tricky slope to navigate during the conversion process. Stay too close to the story, and you might as well just watch cutscenes from the game, but stray too far, and you have a “Super Mario Bros.” catastrophic dud that sets video game film adaptations back. “Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City” found a way to do this without getting infected with the Hollywood treatment virus. Let’s get this out the way, “Resident Evil” fans hated the RE movie series that started in 2002 and ended with “RE: The Final Chapter.” These six movies were only RE by name and zombies. It’s only right for Sony to reboot the franchise into more of a somber territory. The film introduces you to a young Clair Redfield at the Racoon City Orphanage. She is awakened by something touching her face while she sleeps, but when she awakens, it’s gone. Fast forward to adult Clair hitchhiking back to Racoon City to try to find her brother Chris Redfield, who she abandoned by running away many years ago. While in the 18-wheeler with a truck driver who picked her up, they hit a woman standing in the street. The truck driver and Clair exit the vehicle to help, but the lady is gone. Raccoon City was once a thriving city due to the Umbrella pharmaceutical company having a presence there, but something has made the company pull the majority of its workforce to relocate for some strange reason. Now it’s

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Siblings Chris and Claire Redfield, played by Robbie Amell and Kaya Scodelario, inspect a shotgun, alluding to the source material. The film is exclusive to theaters. only a former shell of itself. The Special Tactics and Rescue Services team of the Racoon City Police Department received an alert to go investigate the disappearance of the Bravo team in the Arklay Mountains while rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy is left to man the front desk. Then all hell breaks loose.

“RE: WTRC” is a love letter to fans of the series who felt burnt by the first iteration of films. The tricky thing about this movie was squeezing four games into a 107-minute runtime, and the way it was pulled off was a magnificent feat. Having combined the characters' timelines into an eight-hour window instead of the course of weeks like the games was a great

way to tell the story, even though it loses some depth with the process. CGI gore and effects have always been troubling when it comes to horror movies compared to practical effects but, in this movie, the blend of both works. The zombie designs are grotesque like rotten corpses are supposed to be, and the boss characters of the movie evolving into their final form will give fans something to talk about. All of the actors knock their parts out of the ballpark, but the stand-out actor goes to Avan Jogia — who plays Leon S. Kennedy. Here, Leon is a straight dork who has to learn to get his shit together or become zombie finger food. It’s more realistic than the stoic portrayal of the rookie cop first introduced in “RE 2.” Kudos to this movie for casting actors of a different race for two of the main characters, and not just for quota reasons either. Jogia and Hannah John-Kamen make the characters into their own and show the dorks of the world who cry over fantasy characters being a different race that fictional characters can be played by anyone as long as the story makes sense. My only gripe with the movie is that it’s too short for the magnitude of the Resident Evil story. If it was a TV series, they could’ve fleshed out the characters and story so much more and it would have been better. But director Johannes Roberts did a helluva job with this project, and now the world just has to wait for the sequel.

VIDEO GAME REVIEW

Nostalgia fuels remaster of classic RPG titles

Photos courtesy of Nintendo

“Pokémon Brilliant Diamond” and “Pokémon Shining Pearl” are remasters of “Pokémon Diamond” and “Pokémon Pearl” from 2006. The original games were released for the Nintendo DS, and the remasters are available for the Nintendo Switch. A major difference from the originals is the artsyle, going for a more chibi aesthetic. MEGHAN SCHILLING campus editor

Pokémon is back and better than ever for a nostalgic reset catered toward older fans of the franchise. When Nintendo announced the release of “Pokémon Brilliant Diamond” and “Shining Pearl,” many fans, like myself, could not wait for it. We could relive our childhood memories in better quality, and possibly, experience more of the original adventure since it’s a remaster of the titles from 2006. I was not dissatisfied with the announcement and knew I had to be a part of the adventure once again. I purchased the games Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl together, but for this review, I will only be discussing Brilliant Diamond. A cool feature I would like to mention with purchasing both games was that it gives you 200 free Poké Balls that you can use with either game. I played the original “Pokémon Diamond” when I was a kid and was hoping it would keep the elements to Pokémon just as exciting. As I started playing the game, I noticed the graphics to it were amazing and kept the old aspect of the game at hand with the same adventure, and the same element to

the Pokémon battles. “Pokémon Brilliant Diamond” kept classic elements, making it feel like a comfy nostalgia trip, and this helped smooth over some of the rougher-looking elements in the original. While playing the game, I noticed there was a slight change to it, but not enough to break the old game’s formula. This is where my only complaint does come in at times. It felt as if I was just playing the original game with better graphics. I know it was just supposed to be a remaster, but I feel like they could have included something different with the adventure and added to the content. They kept a more retro style to the game. When the characters talk for their monologue sections, they look so much clearer and less glitchy. However, I will say completing battles with other trainers was made a little easier because you discover more hidden moves with your Pokémon. It also includes a new feature that lets you access your Pokémon boxes from anywhere, rather than needing to head back into town and check in at a Pokémon Center. This makes it less of a hassle than the original game had made it out to be. Also, you can keep the Pokémon you started with instead of switching them out continuously. Brilliant Diamond also lets Pokémon free roam as you progress in the game, and they also are seen outside wandering by

The playable character dances, surrounded by Turtwig, Piplup, Pikachu, Chimchar and Clefairy, creatures the player can capture to put in their team. themselves. Although, I do feel the game was made a tad bit easier compared to the original DS version. I am not complaining because it helped me get through the game much quicker. For those wondering, I decided to start with Piplup — an ice-type penguin Pokémon — and nicknamed him “Pip” for short. I am

highly satisfied with the game and would recommend it to old Pokémon lovers. I also cannot wait for the newest Pokémon game to be released in 2022.

OPINION

Wednesday, December 8, 2021 • 5

EDITORIAL

Morally, Kyle Rittenhouse is absolutely guilty What the hell was a 17-year old boy doing with an AR-15 at a police brutality protest in the first place? Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of five charges filed against him. Those charges were first-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon, first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon, attempted first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with the use of a dangerous weapon when he put Richard McGinniss and another unknown male at risk. Rittenhouse killed two people, Joseph D. Rosenbaum and Anthony M. Huber, and injured one in the arm, Gaige P. Grosskreutz. A reporter for Daily Caller — a right-leaning news outlet — Richard McGinniss interviewed Rittenhouse. In the interview, Rittenhouse said his reason for being at the protest with the gun was because he was there to protect the businesses. He also said he was pepper-sprayed by someone in a nearby crowd while protecting the property. The entire case was just messed up altogether. Some would say the prosecutors closed this case before it even opened. The whole trial was rushed, not thought out well, and the prosecution doomed this case from the get-go by being absolutely negligent and lazy, listening to the opinions of the public rather than listening to what they should have been listening to, the evidence. McGinniss testified, and he took a video of the whole ordeal

Amber Davis/The Collegian

showing Rosenbaum trying to take Rittenhouse’s rifle away from him. Rittenhouse thought he was trying to attack him, so he shot Rosenbaum, but the altercation went back further when Rittenhouse was seen chasing Rosenbaum with a fire extinguisher. If this would have been a plea of self-defense, it would’ve had to follow under Wisconsin law and be

done its way. The way Wisconsin defines self-defense is if a jury is convinced that Rittenhouse feared for his life, killed or seriously injured by Joseph D. Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz, then he won’t be found guilty of anything. Kenosha County assistant district attorney Thomas Binger tried to claim the reasoning for Rittenhouse

acting in self-defense was because he played “Call of Duty” — a war simulator video game — and said that the guns used in the game are AR-15s, and for whatever reason, the prosecutor even asked Rittenhouse to describe the game in the trial. “It’s a video game where two players are playing together, I don’t really understand the meaning of the

question, to be honest,” Rittenhouse replied. The prosecution even tried to link Rittenhouse’s experience playing the game as the reason why he chose an AR-15 instead of a smaller gun like a pistol. Rittenhouse responded with the reason why he chose the AR-style gun was because it was his understanding that Wisconsin law prohibited him from carrying a pistol, but not a rifle, and said because it looked cool. When the prosecution asked him why he did what he did, he remained silent, which made the prosecution angry, but he was allowed to remain quiet under the Fifth Amendment. Bottom line is, he is guilty of something. Legally, he may not have been found guilty, but morally, he was definitely guilty. He shot three people, killing two of them for Christ’s sake, and he didn’t get any type of repercussion? Something’s not right here. He was let go without any charges against him because he is just another one of those privileged white men, and in today’s society, being white, especially a man, you got it made in America. It’s always been that way, and it probably will always be that way. The people’s reaction to him being released has been much the same as when Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd. There are protests since many think Rittenhouse was let off too easily. Some people will love him for it and give him praise, while others will hate him for it, send him death threats or even worse, but he will spend the rest of his life with blood on his hands.

VIEWPOINTS

Teachers can help prevent shootings. Listen to them.

LOGAN EVANS

managing editor

In a rare legal move, the parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley were recently charged with involuntary manslaughter for the Nov. 30 shooting that killed four and injured seven. There were clear signs their son was planning to commit his murders, and these signs were overlooked by the parents, a Michigan prosecutor says. The same can not be said for Crumbley’s teachers, who took every action to alert school officials of his behavior and were failed by their workplace. The morning of the shooting, one of Crumbley’s teachers approached school counselors with an alarming note found on the student’s desk that included drawings of a handgun aimed at the words, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.” The day before, Crumbley was caught by a teacher looking up ammunition on his phone. To the school’s credit, they did mandate that Crumbley enter counseling within 48 hours. They evaluated him and actually attempted to send him home with his parents after a meeting about his behavior, but when his parents refused to take him, Crumbley was sent back to class.

Texans need to go back to driving school for Pete’s sake

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said he believes the evidence collected by teachers before the shooting was enough for the school to have contacted law enforcement. In response, Superintendent Tim Throne issued a statement defending the school’s decision to release Crumbley and announced a third-party investigation on the morning of Nov. 30. While school counselors could not have known all of the details we know now, this behavior should have been taken more seriously. Most mass shooters do not make their plans known, so when one essentially does, how are those plans allowed to come to fruition? School officials must listen to and believe teachers when it comes to the concerning behavior of students. The exact teachers who are trained to barricade doors, evade gunmen and protect rooms full of children as a part of their career in education should have a little more influence when they sense something amiss. Teachers spend more direct time with more students than counselors, principals and school boards combined. In some cases, teachers spend more time with students than those students spend with their parents. Teachers know students. They know when something is wrong. Sending a troubling student back to class without a deeper investigation is — at best — a slap in the face to those teachers who keep an eye out. At worst, and in this case, it can be a deadly mistake Learning to predict a potential mass shooting should not have to be a part of a teacher’s job description. But if it needs to be, those teachers should be given more respect when they report a troubled student.

ALEX HOBEN photo editor

Texas drivers have damn well lost their minds, and I’m tired of it. It seems like everyone just decided when they returned onto highways, they have something to prove with how crazy they drive. Loop 12 turned into “Mad Max: Fury Road,” 360 has become a swerving storm and city driving has become a public hazard. In 2020, Tarrant County ranked third in the amount of fatal, distracted driving crashes, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. But it’s not just here in the DFW area. This motor mayhem has spread throughout the state. There was an 18.94% increase in the fatality rate on Texas roadways from 2019 to 2020. It also reported how there were no deathless days on roadways that year. As someone who is learning to drive now — because of the poor public transportation options between campuses — I am incredibly annoyed that the roads I’m contending with are a free-for-all. I am already nervous behind the wheel, and having people zoom by me going 70-75 on an access road where the speed limit is 45 does nothing to

help that anxiety. Now, you could make the argument that getting used to this kind of driving is a sort of trial by fire every proud Texan has to go through so they can survive the horror that is Austin city traffic, but that was before the pandemic. Before the majority of us were locked in our homes, only driving out to far destinations maybe twice a week. We are living in a world where many have forgotten how to use a turn signal, and we’re all on edge. Drivers are irritable and ready to take any risk they can just to recapture that freedom we had before COVID-19 struck. But those of us who may be learning or are more cautious when driving are being put through borderline psychological warfare when it comes to these amateur daredevils. It’s even present in more rural communities. During this past Thanksgiving break, I visited family in deep West Texas, and on the two-hour drive, we saw at least eight dead deer. Yeah, eight, and all on the same road. It was like there was a local competition to see who could kill the most local wildlife. Not only is there a car shortage due to the lack of manufactured computer chips, but by some stroke of luck, I was able to get a car that suits me incredibly well. I love that car. It’s a nice, volcanic red compact minivan that I had to fight tooth and nail to get. If I see one more person swerve in front of me without any sort of turn signal, endangering me and my lovely new car — that I have already named “Ronaldo” — this miracle on wheels with air conditioning, I’m going to lose my mind.

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FEATURE

6 • Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Various ways multiple cultures celebrate holidays in America JUAN SALINAS II campus editor

The United States is a melting pot of different cultures and beliefs, so holidays celebrated in December vary. One of the most common holidays celebrated in the U.S. is Christmas. Common traditions are gift exchanges with family and friends, setting up a festive tree, hanging ornaments on it and decorating the house with colorful lights and inflatables. Baking snickerdoodles, fudge and multiple desserts such as cheesecake and gingerbread cakes are common desserts seen during the holiday season. There are different twists to the traditional Christmas. Some families celebrate on Christmas day by opening gifts delivered by “Santa Claus” and having a dinner similar to Thanksgiving. Hispanic households will often celebrate on Christmas Eve, exchange gifts at midnight and have dinner before that. Dinners usually feature tamales, which are made of masa — maize dough — steamed in a corn or banana leaf that can be filled with various meats or beans and cheese. Another popular dish is pozole. Pozole is a stew with meats, usually pork and hominy, with different types of toppings such as shredded lettuce or cabbage, chile peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa or limes. Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights. It started Nov. 28 and ended Dec. 6. It’s celebrated by lighting up a menorah — which is a nine-branched candelabrum — and each candle represents a day out of the eight days of Hanukkah. The tallest candle that is located in the middle is called “Shamash,” and is used to light up the other eight candles. Since oil is vital to the

celebration of Hanukkah, most of the food is cooked in it. An example would be latkes, which is a type of potato pancake, and brisket. There is also a noodle casserole dish called “kugel” that can either be savory or sweet, depending on the recipe. Jewish people also exchange gifts for each day of the celebration, even though gift-giving was not a traditional part of the celebration until the late 1800s. A different religion is the not only reason why one might celebrate a different holiday. Take Kwanzaa, for example. It was created by Maulana Karenga — a professor of African studies at the California State University Long Beach — in 1966 to promote a connection with African culture for Black Americans. Its popularity peaked in the ‘80s and ‘90s but has been on the decline ever since. Only 2.6% of those who plan to celebrate winter holidays said they would celebrate Kwanzaa, according to a 2019 survey by the National Retail Federation. Kwanzaa started Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1. Each day represents a keyvalue: Unity, selfdetermination, collective

responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Kwanzaa also has candles to represent each day like Hanukkah, but Kwanzaa has different colored candles. Three green, three red and one black. The black candle represents African people, red represents the struggles that Black Americans have faced and green Symbolizes hope and the future. Each day, loved ones talk about one key value and the last day is a feast that includes traditional African or African American cuisine such as Cajun catfish.

Illustration by Abbas Ghor/The Collegian