collegian.tccd.edu
Say his name PG. 2
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 – Volume 34 • Issue 3 DISTRICT
9/11
Canvas brings growing pains for students, staff, faculty JOSE ROMERO editor-in-chief
20 YEARS LATER
LOGAN EVANS
managing editor
Settled in the heartland of North Texas, Tarrant County sits some 1,600 miles from New York City — a world of difference in terms of culture, landscape and attitude. But on the morning of Sep. 11, 2001, that distance was folded in on itself as the country came together to grieve. SE associate professor of history Kristan Foust was a student attending NE Campus when news of the attack broke. Classes were immediately canceled for the rest of the day. Foust and her roommate began packing their bags, planning to drive to a family farm in West Texas, where they’d be safe in the event of additional attacks. “We were all so scared,” she said. NE instructor of history Samantha Elkins was only in sixth grade. She remembers teachers whispering to one another outside her classroom at J.B. Little Elementary in Arlington. There was a tension choking the air, she said. Something was happening, but her classmates didn’t know what. Then came rumblings that a group of students down the hall was getting to watch TV during music class. By the time Elkins went to music class, the TV was turned off. “When the first plane hit, everyone kind of assumed it was an accident,” she said. “When it became apparent it wasn’t, the school didn’t want to scare any of the students who might have family traveling on planes.” Two decades later, Elkins looks back at that day as a turning point, both historically and personally. New fears began sprouting up in the U.S. over national security and terrorism, things that everyday citizens were hardly thinking of before. Fear was rampant. “In many ways, 9/11 was the end of my childhood,” she said. But above all else, Elkins looks back and admires the people who did good when times were the hardest.
TCC made the transition from Blackboard to Canvas this semester, and experiences have varied. “Canvas gives the faculty members more freedom than Blackboard in some aspects, and less in others,” said Chase Jowell, learning management systems specialist. “For the most part, reception has been positive despite the huge adjustment to workflows.” TCC began the project in December 2020. Jowell said multiple teams throughout the district worked on the transition. “IT, IILE, Learning Commons, CTL and more,” he said. “Name an acronym, it was likely involved.” Currently, it’s a team of two people responsible for Canvas technical support. He said the department isn’t equipped enough to deal with all the tickets. “We are responsible for every technical change, maintenance task, system update and helpdesk ticket related to Canvas or Blackboard,” he said. “We deal with everything from coordination with vendors and installation of publisher integrations to student login issues, all of it.” The week of Sept. 2 had an average of 150-200 tickets when the usual amount ranges from 40-70, which is all they are equipped to handle, he said. NE student development associate Michelle Taylor said it’s been fun but challenging getting to learn the platform. One of the primary challenges Taylor said is Canvas’ lack of options for student organizations. “It is meant more for classes with modules,” she said. “In Blackboard, students were able to self-enroll in any club they are interested in. In Canvas, a teacher for the course page needs to add students interested in joining.” She said students are unsure how to enroll in clubs, and TCC didn’t provide specific instructions for club advisers, leaders or staff. But, she enjoys its ease of use because it’s simple and allows graphics and video. NE student Frances Jamnik said navigating the website was difficult, causing confusion among students and the professor. “I think the main problem is that Canvas has specific opening dates for the main course and assignments,” he said. “For example, lecture videos and quizzes opened two days after the course began.” He said Canvas works well, but it takes a bit of getting used to. The availability of assignments was the biggest problem for Jamnik. Assignments sometimes wouldn’t pop up, almost causing him to miss a submission entirely. Jowell said another common issue he’s run into is enrollment not properly updating. He attributed growing pains as the primary reason for complications and said it’ll be difficult to determine the issues with Canvas since it’s still new. Fortunately, Jowell is also confident to transition to virtual if need be. “ We ’ r e w e l l - p r e p a r e d f r o m o u r experience during the initial phase of the pandemic, so LMS support can go virtual at any time,” he said. “Thankfully, all of our resources can be accessed remotely.” Taylor said student development plans on training organization leaders how to use Canvas during Unplugged, an event on Sept. 17. “It’s been very difficult because we understand how time-sensitive and frustrating these issues are for faculty and students, but currently we just don’t have the resources to handle them at this volume,” Jowell said.
“ P e o p l e c a m e t o g e t h e r, they gave,” she said. “The first responders were incredible for what they did at ground zero.” TCC coordinator of fire services Bill Pearson was a Fort Worth firefighter in 2001, but on the day of the attacks, he was off-duty meeting a friend for coffee. Watching NYC firefighters disappear into clouds of smoke, he thought to himself, “There’s a good chance some of those guys aren’t going to go home.” Twenty years later, Pearson and his department use the memory of that day and the 343 firefighters who were killed in action to teach their students — many of whom weren’t yet born — of the danger inherent to their career path. “With the job, there’s risk,” he said. “There’s going to be some tough days. It’s what those guys experienced.” All told, around 3,000 people were killed by the attacks in 2001. In addition, over 6,000 were injured and reports of hate crimes against Muslims spiked. During this time, NE intercultural network coordinator Marjeanna Burge decided to visit a mosque with a non profit she was working for. Muslims in the area had been receiving death threats, and Burge’s organization wanted to show solidarity. “I’ll never forget the smiles, the hugs,” she said. Burge said she recognizes a pattern in how we sometimes respond to tragedy, comparing the stigma that followed Muslims after 9/11 to the reported rise in antiAsian hate crimes in the wake of COVID-19. She believes there are lessons to be learned. “There’s a bigger picture somewhere than just us,” she said. “These experiences we go through are an opportunity for us to learn and do better.” Two decades later, Americans remember the lives lost, sacrifices made and the compassion that can bridge any distance — physical, spiritual, or otherwise.
Entertainment
Opinion
Opinion
Editorial
Feature
DRAKE DROPS NEW ALBUM Canadian loverboy strikes again. PG. 2
HOLSTER YOUR WEAPON Constitutional carry is going to yield bad results. PG. 3
SPEAK UP Communication is important in all aspects of life. PG. 3
TCC IS FAILING Lack of precautions has made for dangerous campuses. PG. 3
MUSIC TO OUR EARS NE orchestra resumes in-person practice after shut down. PG. 4
ENTERTAINMENT
2 • Wednesday, September 8, 2021 MOVIE REVIEW
New generation experiences urban horror
Courtesy of Monkeypaw Productions
Anthony, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, reaches for a mirror, but his reflection shows a hook hand similar to the one described in the Candyman legend. LOGAN EVANS
managing editor
Set 30 years after the original film, “Candyman” is a sequel with purpose. Ya h y a A b d u l - M a t e e n I I stars as Anthony, a visual artist struggling through the Chicago art scene. At a loss for inspiration with an upcoming piece, he visits the Cabrini-Green housing projects — the central location of the events in the first movie — and finds himself stalked by a timeless evil. On a technical level, the filmmaking of “Candyman” is superb. The colors are deep, the sound design is gritty and visceral. Early on, the film uses an animated sequence to relay the events of the original film, and this sets the tone for a near-storybook quality that persists until the end credits. Visual beauty seeps into thematic terror. The biggest departure
“Candyman” makes from the original film is the absence of a strong lead villain. In the 1992 film, Tony Todd’s Candyman was a looming presence over the narrative. His gravelly voice and towering frame made him a horror icon. A lesser filmmaker might have tried to replicate this presence with a new actor stepping into Todd’s shoes. Instead, director Nia DaCosta and writers Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld choose to focus on the generational horror of the Candyman legend. Here, Candyman is an idea — not a single entity, but something far greater that lurks in cosmic space, waiting for its next host. It infects victim after victim over time, who each go on to commit their own acts of carnage as Candyman. “ C a n d y m a n i s n ’t a h e , ” a character says to Anthony. “Candyman’s the whole damn hive.” That’s not to say the lack of a singular slasher villain deprives the film of the gory touches of the
Pieces of the Candyman legend are told through shadow art, explaining how he came to be known in Cabrini-Green. original. The kills here are expertly crafted. DaCosta makes use of the visual calling cards of Candyman lore — bees, candy, mirrors. Playing with the latter in particular gives the film some of its most visually inventive moments, with Candyman seen through reflections only as its
grisly violence is acted out on the real world. While the original film dealt with the violence of white supremacy in the past and its effects on the present, the sequel explores how this original violence is still happening in a very direct way, and how that violence can change
course. How it goes about conveying this — specifically, the ending — lacks the subtlety that made the original effective, but still packs a heavy punch. In some ways, the storyline of the sequel surpasses that of the original. Candyman is based on a Clive Barker short story, and like 1987’s “Hellraiser” — another Barker adaptation —the original film suffers from a distracted execution of a great idea. Here, however, the idea is fully realized, even subverted. By telling the story from the perspective of a Black man, the effects of the Candyman legend feel more direct and focused. Anthony begins as another person caught in the snare of the Candyman legend. By the time the film ends, he’s become something else entirely.
MUSIC REVIEW
Drake makes return with comeback album MICHAEL FOSTER-SANDERS senior producer
What does a rap God do when proven to be a mere mortal? Drake had to ask himself this question after battling the cocaineinfused bars of rapper Pusha-T, who exposed Drake’s dirty laundry — including a son he kept secret — in 2018 with “The Story of Adidon.” Since then, Drake has been on a personal journey to reintroduce himself to the world and show why his spot on rap music’s Mt. Olympus was not a fluke. Three EPs and singles later, Drake decided to drop his sixth studio album “Certified Lover Boy” to quiet the naysayers and his rivals. But does Drake regain the power he once had, or become a washed rapper whose best years are behind him? Drizzy Drake is back with a vengeance to show why Lil Wayne signed him as a rookie. Someone had to tell Drake the best thing you could do is embrace your flaws and live life to the fullest. Because he embraces the ladies man label he’s earned over the years and the coy cockiness he exuded before destroying Meek Mill in their rap beef. The first track “Champagne Poetry” invokes Drake’s mixtape days. He raps over soul samples and goes crazy when the beat changes to a Southern Baptist church revival vibe where he’s testifying about his personal life, friends and family. “Papi’s Home” features a sample from former labelmate Nicki Minaj, with Drake letting the copycat pretenders of his style know that the original is back,
and they’re all his sons. Again, this is the type of track Drake excels on because he’s being himself, but that also is a detriment on this album because he tends to go into cruise control on tracks like “Girls Want Girls,” “In The Bible” and countless more that feel like filler tracks. But Drake fans are going to eat those up regardless of how critical reviewers feel. When Drake embraces his Southern rap love, that’s where he shines the brightest. “No Friends In The Industry” has him rapping over a Juicy J mixtape hook from 1993 to send shots, albeit subliminally, to fellow hip-hop stars Kayne West, Swizz Beats and others. Project Pat’s lead “Knife Talk'' shows his love for the rap group Three 6 Mafia with a beat produced by Metro Boomin. 21 Savage also gives a menacing verse to back up Drake’s thug mode. The highlight songs of the album are “TSU,” which pays tribute to Houston with its story about a woman wanting a better life than just being an exotic dancer and becoming a business owner, and “Way 2 Sexy,” which samples the 90s pop song “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred, turns into an anthem for guys with dad bods. At this point in his career, Drake has concluded that he’s one of the best that ever did it. His album sales and career longevity have shown that he’s not far off in his beliefs. He’s found his footing again and is making great music without the shenanigans, and that’s all he needs to do. Courtesy of OVO Sound
Drake’s sixth studio album “Certified Lover Boy” comes three years after his last, “Scorpion.”
OPINION
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 • 3
EDITORIAL
TCC needs to step up its COVID-19 protocols Rising COVID-19 cases should’ve been a sign to keep things remote, but TCC disagrees. At the beginning of July, the seven-day average started rising in Tarrant County from the double digits to the triple digits, according to The New York Times. By the first day of school, Aug. 23, cases were over a thousand. The rise in cases wasn’t sudden. There was an obvious trend, but campuses still planned to open for the fall. Even current trends indicate numbers will continue to rise, meaning campuses could potentially close within the coming months or weeks. It is irresponsible to put staff in a situation where they must choose work over safety. It wouldn’t be such an issue if TCC followed the proper protocol recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the CDC’s primary recommendations is masks, and the college merely suggests it because of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s no mask mandate executive orders. It’s counterintuitive to have a campus filled with some students wearing masks and others without. The virus will spread anyway. The worst part is that some classes weren’t offered online, forcing students to show up in person or miss out on a necessary credit for graduation. Also, if a student wanted to work from home, professors have been told they can’t do that. Another precaution that isn’t being followed is keeping a mandatory six-foot distance away from others. Students huddle together in classes and hallways, shoulder to
Amber Davis/The Collegian
shoulder masked and unmasked. On TCC’s website, it offers an exposure report that’s broken down by months. When the number was first reported Aug. 15, it was at 24 total students, staff and faculty with positive cases. Now, the number is at 208 positive cases, with 159 of those cases being students. Here’s the issue with that report. It’s self-reported cases meaning not all cases are
being accounted for. There is no way that there have been 208 positive cases on campuses with no masks while 30,000 students walk around. TCC demonstrated a false sense of transparency through these under reported numbers. The school received $49.7 million from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II in March, and $35 million of that went to
student grants. That’s fantastic. One would assume the rest of the money was allocated toward ensuring students’ safety by putting up safety barriers and other equivalent precautions, correct? Incorrect. There are no barriers, no air filters, no arrows on the floor guiding traffic for safety and there are no protocols. Teachers can’t even suggest a mask in their classroom. Everything is
business as usual, even after more than 3,900 people died in Tarrant County. Mandatory vaccinations are a controversial topic but, now that the Food and Drug Administration approved of the Pfizer vaccination, it’s the right time to require it. If TCC can require the meningitis shot, it can require the COVID vaccine. It would be disingenuous to say the school isn’t doing anything to combat the virus, though. It’s hosting vaccination and testing services for people that want it. These services will be given out on various campuses, even allowing people not enrolled to come and receive a test or vaccination. That’s a smart move. A dumb move is doing all of this while maintaining the same lack of precautions, which is exactly what’s happening. Students, staff and faculty are going to die because their school failed them. There need to be a lot more alternatives offered than the ones currently available. If a student is immunocompromised and can’t receive the vaccine but needs a class only offered on campus, they have two choices: Suck it up or delay their education. There is no middle ground. Older professors and students are also walking around campus hoping people will have a kind enough heart to mask up. TCC needs district wide mandates. These are real lives at stake. Fifty-eight thousand people in Texas have died because of COVID and many more are sure to follow. It isn’t safe for everybody to be back yet, no matter how much people hunger for normalcy.
VIEWPOINTS
Texas needs to put its guns Maintaining communication is away. They’re unnecessary vital for healthy relationships with a large rifle. If they’re having a bad day, everyone will know it. One argument I’ve seen for constitutional carry is that it could potentially prevent shootings because people would be armed, ready to take down an assailant. This could be true, but it wouldn’t be necessary in the first place if there were stronger gun laws. That’s the most frustrating part about it. Shooting after shooting, elected officials offer their condolences then continue to do nothing about it. They sign laws like this into place, shoving a middle finger into the face of families who’ve lost their loved ones to a gung-ho terrorist. In June, there was a shooting in Austin that left one person dead and 13 injured. Nothing changed. Just offered condolences. This isn’t just a Texas issue, though. This is a U.S. issue. Around 1,800 people have been injured or killed in mass shootings this year, according to The Washington Post. Each shooting could’ve been prevented with proper gun laws. It’s disturbing how Texas’ response toward guns is to allow people to walk around with them unlicensed. Any time I see a news headline about a shooting, I tell Google not to recommend it to me because I know there won’t be any changes. I can’t believe that some politicians will read about a shooting at a school and not even take the time to consider that maybe guns are the issue. At least now people can shut up about their freedoms being taken away. They can freely walk around with an unnecessarily large killing machine strapped to their back as they buy their weekly groceries. That’s what Texas stands for.
JOSE ROMERO editor-in-chief
Texas is now the largest state to allow open or concealed carry in public without a license. That’s freaking horrifying. Constitutional carry went into effect Sept. 1, and no matter which way I look at it, it seems like a terrible idea. I can’t think of any way this benefits Texans. The only outcome I can perceive is an increase in gun violence or gun-related crimes. The last thing Texas needs is people walking around populated areas with a lethal weapon holstered to their hip. It’s just way too dangerous. It’s shocking that it passed. We really shouldn’t be following a 200-year-old piece of writing, just saying. It doesn’t seem like a law that would prevent violence, so why did it pass? Other than pushing agendas, it seems as if it will encourage more shootings since walking around with a weapon will no longer be a reason to stop someone. It’s such a terrifying thought. Imagine going to run some errands and having someone walk in front of you
MICHAEL FOSTER-SANDERS senior producer
The art of communication is a valuable tool to acquire in life because it can save time, misunderstandings and relationships. Communication in the workforce is vital since it makes a person’s workflow seamless, especially if it’s in a team environment that relies on a set schedule to produce something. Communication also includes proper planning because it prevents poor performance. According to Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. When this happens, it’s important to inform the team so they can expect delays and adjust or help with the issue. In leadership positions being an efficient communicator can boost confidence in a team and improve the overall quality of a product. If the leader is deficient in communication with their team, it could lead to trust issues that could have the squad second-guessing. Romantic relationship communication is important because of the mental and
emotional feelings involved when dealing with another person. No one wants to feel like they’re investing time into a worthless situation, or being taken advantage of. Communication can convey how each person feels, so if it’s a problem, it can be solved and promote happiness leading to a healthier situation. No communication can often take romantic relationships into bad spaces where emotional neglect, mental or physical abuse could manifest. But before that transpires, someone should say they’re not happy in the relationship instead of letting resentment build. Once both people’s dirty laundry is out, a choice could be made to fix the issue or to leave. The best part about communicating is that if you decide to leave, an argument can be avoided because there was already a discussion about how everything will be handled. No need for a yelling match. Being able to de-escalate an argument is an art form within itself. At times, people will not hear what a person said and misinterpret what they said because of feelings. It’s important to be able to clarify what you’re saying instead of letting a misunderstanding create a giant, unnecessary argument. Instead of fighting fire with fire, use words like water to quell misunderstandings. In any aspect of life, communication doesn’t come as easily as flipping on a light switch or is a one-size-fits-all situation. No human is alike and every single one is a complex being. Varying emotions need to be taken into account. Observing and learning how to communicate in varied situations could prevent a lifetime of arguments.
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4 • Wednesday, September 8, 2021
FEATURE
Sound of Music
NE orchestra steps into spotlight
Photos by Logan Evans/The Collegian
NE orchestra has returned to the NFAB building for practice after a year of doing it virtually. Its first concert is Oct. 25.
JOSE ROMERO editor-in-chief
Instruments roared through the NE orchestra room as the ensemble practiced “Pictures at an Exhibition,” preparing for their concert Oct. 25. The orchestra was created in spring 2020 and performed its first concert March 2. One week later, the school shut down. “We did not get together inperson during the pandemic, but we did meet regularly via Zoom and Blackboard,” NE orchestra director Bryan English said. “We would play music and then talk about it. Then, I would tell them about the origins of the piece or what’s cool about it.” E n g l i s h ’s h i s t o r y w i t h music goes back to childhood. H i s f a t h e r h a s b e e n Wi l l i e Nelson’s drummer since English was six years old. His first instrument was the drums, but he said it became cyclical for him to pick up new instruments. “My dad taught me,” he said. “It was drums, and then he put me in guitar lessons a couple years later in the third grade. Then, I started on trombone in band.” English said he stuck with Trombone until he got to college but then eventually picked up the bass. He laughed, then said, “Every band has a bass player, but not every band has a trombone player.” His favorite type of people to teach is beginners because they have a passion for it, and they’re a blank slate, he said. NE student and orchestra member Erica Holguin played the bass clarinet in band during middle school and high school. Initially, her major was nursing, bu t as s h e c o n tin u e d doi ng music at TCC, she changed her major to music. “Changing my major, none of the credits I had when I was a nursing major transferred over to a music major,” she said. “They’re completely different.” She said she was disappointed but she doesn’t regret switching. “The way I thought about it was I don’t want to just do something just to do it,”
Holguin said. “I want to do it because it’s what I like to d o a n d i t ’s g o i n g t o m a k e me happy, so I kind of just buckled down and was like ‘I gotta do it.’” She said she can’t put her passion for music into words. While playing, she sometimes b e g i n s t o c r y b e c a u s e i t ’s beautiful to her. NE student and cello player James Delk said what draws him to music is how it can enhance and bring out emotions in people. “The way it can make you feel s o m b e r, o r e x c i t e d just by a collection of audible tones is amazing,” he said. Like Holguin, Delk is pursuing a music major because of his experience in the orchestra. Both had only praise to share about English’s teaching. “Professor English is an amazing conductor. He is very uplifting, but he will still push you,” Delk said. “He makes you strive to play faster and really feel the music.” Once Holguin receives her degree, she plans on becoming a m u s i c t e a c h e r. S h e s a i d English’s style of teaching has rubbed off on her, giving her a model of what she aspires to be. “ H e ’s v e r y e a s y t o g e t along with,” she said. “I’ve had directors in the past who aren’t. He’s really cool and he’s very flexible with everyone’s schedule. He is always willing to help you understand the music.” The ensemble is open to everybody — even those outside the TCC community. “ I t ’s o p e n t o c u r r e n t s t u d e n t s , i t ’s o p e n t o f o r m e r s t u d e n t s a n d i t ’s o p e n t o t h e c o m m u n i t y, ” English said. “I’ve got as many non-TCC individuals that are playing in the orchestra as I do current students playing in the orchestra.”