TCC The Collegian February 16, 2022

@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu The gang starts a podcast PG. 4

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 – Volume 35 • Issue 17 DISTRICT

TCC sued for alleged wrongful termination Former vice president reports she dealt with toxic office conditions JOSÉ ROMERO

editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu

In a lawsuit filed against TCC Feb. 7, former executive vice president for advancement Kristen Bennett alleged she was wrongfully terminated for disciplining a female employee with whom Chancellor Eugene Giovannini was having an “inappropriate, personal relationship.”

Bennett is seeking monetary damages for the abuse she said she endured, lost income and attorney’s fees.

Bennett’s attorney Frank Hill declined to comment on the suit, which was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Feb. 8.

“Neither our law firm nor our client have any comment regarding this matter at this time,” Hill’s legal assistant Christian Johnsen wrote in an email.

Board of trustees president Teresa Ayala read from a statement about the lawsuit during the board meeting Feb. 11.

“The Tarrant County College District does not normally comment on pending litigation or personnel matters,” she said. “However, due to the serious nature of the allegations made in the recently filed lawsuit, TCCD believes that it is important to convey that it immediately hired an independent third party to investigate the allegations when they were first

brought to TCCD’s attention.”

TCC will respond to the lawsuit in court, according to Ayala.

Bennett was employed Oct. 1, 2020, and the lawsuit says she was terminated Jan. 31.

According to the lawsuit, she was chosen by Giovannini, and he initially had nothing but praise for her team’s work. The chancellor’s change in attitude toward her didn’t occur until Bennett was asked July 13 to discipline an unnamed female employee, who is described in the suit as Giovannini’s “girlfriend.”

Another employee reported that the woman told a co-worker she wanted to “choke her until her tongue comes out.” Bennett asked her to apologize and informed her she had to get along with others on the team.

After doing so, Bennett was called to Giovannini’s office Aug. 17, in which he said he was concerned about her boastful behavior in a prior meeting, the lawsuit said. She was called into his office again Aug. 30 and was told by the chancellor her contract wouldn’t be renewed. He cited “issues” as the reason but didn’t give specifics, according to the suit.

Instead, he placed her on an executive development plan, another name for a personal improvement plan. In a meeting the day after, Giovannini told Bennett to only give him written reports in person to avoid having any kind of paper trail.

In September, another incident occurred

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

Chancellor Eugene Giovannini attends a board of trustees meeting Nov. 18.

with the unnamed female employee, so Bennett disciplined her again, resulting in another meeting with Giovannini. In that meeting, he was allegedly “even more hostile” toward her.

A TCC attorney approached Bennett Oct. 28 to ask if Bennett had heard rumors of an inappropriate relationship between the chancellor and Bennett’s employee. Bennett told the attorney that the employee “boasted to several people on her staff over a period of several years” about her time with Giovannini,

including playing golf and going to a cigar lounge together.

The lawsuit also said TCC’s associate internal general counsel told Bennett that then board of trustees president Conrad Heede warned Giovannini about this relationship.

In November, Bennett submitted her resignation, citing the emotional toll as the reason for her wanting to leave. When news of her resignation was shared with others Nov. 19, Heede asked to meet with her Nov. 24. During this meeting, Bennett told Heede everything that was happening between her and Giovannini. Heede supported her decision to file a grievance and supported her decision to share it with Teresa Ayala and Kenneth Barr, the board of trustees’ current president and vice president.

During Thanksgiving break, Bennett changed her mind. She rescinded her resignation and submitted a grievance against Giovannini Dec. 2. During an event Dec. 8, Heede told Bennett that Ayala and Barr would meet with her to help, but that didn’t happen.

The day after, Bennett was put on paid leave, which was thought to be recommended by the TCC Foundation board and board of trustees.

However, the lawsuit said both boards didn’t know about this and were told Bennett left on her own. The boards were also unaware of her rescinding her resignation.

Bennett has not yet been allowed to grab her items from her desk, the lawsuit said.

“The cesspool of events described above are the direct product of the breach of trust owed by Giovannini to the District and its employees and to the tax-paying public,” the lawsuit said.

A black vulture expands its wings as it perches on top of a lamppost near SE Campus in Arlington after the snowstorm had passed Feb. 4.

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

DISTRICT

Winter storm experience more positive than last JUAN SALINAS II

campus editor juan.salinas465@my.tccd.edu

NW student Connor Stockman felt that this year’s storm was completely underwhelming and uninteresting compared to last year’s, which he compared to a storm in the apocalypse film “The Day After Tomorrow.”

The storm came through Texas from Feb. 3 through Feb. 5, resulting in all TCC campuses shutting down.

“I think TCC’s response was very reasonable, given that there was so much uncertainty with this storm and how deadly it was last year,” NW student Zoe Gomersal said.

TCC posted that all campuses will be closed Feb. 3 at 3:41 p.m., then extended the closures to the rest of the week at 9:17 a.m. the next day.

“Our neighborhood normally experiences power outages during storms, thankfully, that did not happen this time,” TR professor of kinesiology Jason Wooten said.

Wooten was in quarantine due to COVID during this year’s storm. He was grateful that he and his students didn’t lose power so his hybrid class could stay on schedule.

“I can guarantee the lights will stay on,” Gov. Greg Abbott said during an interview with Fox 7 Austin discussing a potential winter storm Nov. 26.

TR adjunct kinesiology instructor for TCC Connect Karrie Curry was glad that express lanes were closed this year because last year’s 150 car pile-up resulted in six deaths.

“A lot of people complained that schools, businesses and other organizations were blowing things out of proportion by closing too early, but I was glad many people were able to stay in and safe,” she said. “I loved sitting by the window watching the ice and snowfall while sipping hot cocoa with my pooches.”

Curry wishes she was able to play in the snow and go sledding with her kids but couldn’t due to having COVID. TR student development associate Elizabeth Velez didn’t experience last year’s winter storm.

“My husband and I moved from Florida to Texas last June,” she said. “This was the first time that I have lived in a state where it snowed, and my second time seeing and playing in it. My husband and I bundled up during the peak of the snowstorm to go outside and capture memories on our phones. We enjoyed the company of each other and the small memories we were able to create.”

Marine Creek Collegiate High School student Julie Carrasco spent the extra time at home working on her art and playing outside in the snow with her brother. She said it was a different experience compared to last year’s storm.

“Last year, I experienced multiple blackouts,” she said. “Our water pipes almost bursted because of how frozen the water was, and it was freezing in our house all the time since our house isn’t those fancy ones with the built-in AC or heater. We need heaters and covers to keep warm during the winter.”

Joel Solis/The Collegian

A mom and son walk on Fish Creek trail in Arlington during the storm Feb. 3.

News

Entertainment

Opinion

Opinion

Editorial

RISING PRICES Things are getting too expensive. PG. 2

ALBUM DON’T SELL ITSELF 2 Chainz’s latest album is a miss. PG. 4

CONSOLE WARS Xbox leads the decade-long battle. PG. 5

POLITICS OVER EDUCATION Nationwide book bans are too high. PG. 5

STORM DIDN’T PREVAIL Snow didn’t punch as hard this time. PG. 5

NEWS

2 • Wednesday, February 16, 2022 DISTRICT

COVID consequences continue to linger ALEX HOBEN

photo editor alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu

The social repercussions of COVID-19 will be felt for years to come.

While living through this event, with new variants and sub-variants appearing around the world, it’s difficult to objectively analyze the effect COVID will have had on society. Especially when not everyone is convinced the pandemic will be resolved.

“I honestly feel like it might start looping,” NE student Noah Sessom said.”The pandemic will never really end.”

Sessom attributes his feelings to the constant pushpull of cases to new variants.

“If you’re constantly thinking about the pandemic and your potential end all the time and the what-ifs of everything, it’s constantly draining,” Sessom said.

NW department chair of behavioral sciences Jay Green explained the isolation period, while necessary, went against the fundamentals of human nature.

“Humans are social animals, we’re pack animals,” Green said. “We are not wired to be alone for that length of time. That’s why you saw the rise of mental health problems that you did. That will be long lasting too.”

Green worries about the remaining effects COVID will have on the mental health of the population. He estimates researchers will see increased cases of both anxiety and depression, and they will be met with inaction and indifference.

“We do a terrible job in this country with mental health,” Green said. “An awful job.”

As the pandemic continues, many have begun questioning when things will return to normal. But for some students, the definition of normal has been changed.

“I don’t think we will revert, as a society, to how we once were,” NE student

Nicholas Lolin said. “Not completely.”

He said as long as there are generations of people who have gone through COVID, things can’t go back to exactly how they used to be.

He went on to say how in perhaps 100 years when the generation who went through this pandemic in its entirety has died, then those in the future will talk about COVID with the same sense of relief that generations have about previous pandemics.

While it will take years to truly understand the full ramifications that this pandemic has had, there are still settings where major consequences can be seen already. NE child center interim director Barbara Smith said she has already seen changes in the next generation of children she works with.

“We found that the children could not acknowledge that there was someone else in the room with them,” Smith said.

According to Smith, the children were exhibiting behaviors that they learned through watching and replicating what their parents were doing during the isolation period. The children would often see their parents working, so they would work too.

“They emulated what they saw with their parents,” Smith said. “Their parents were busy, so the children became busy.”

Smith noticed that they would use hand gestures implying they were on a Zoom call when asked a question, they would play next to each other instead of together and were markedly less patient. These were some of the major changes with the children when the daycare reopened in August. But Smith is sure that these issues can be worked on in the coming years.

“The social-emotional part for them, I would say, is the weakest area,” Smith said.

“It’s possible to catch up. There’s a gap, we know about the gap.”

Smith stressed how, if these children are to get back to the level of social interaction to even out the effects of the pandemic,

DISTRICT

Joel Solis/The Collegian

South student Nadia Sigala walks in front of the SSTU building on South Campus with a mask in her hand Feb. 10. parents need to have an active role in the child’s life.

“Self-care and the concept of loving and caring for others can be shared,” Smith said.

While she said the best way to get out of the pandemic is through the sharing of love and understanding, she also said she still has to be wary of the possibility of in-

fection for the safety of herself and the children she takes care of. She emphasizes how people need to stay vigilant since COVID isn’t over just yet.

“Our lives do depend on it, and the lives of the children, and the life of this nation, of the world, depends on everyone being thoughtful,” she said.

DISTRICT

Inflation rate rises to levels not experienced since 1982 AUSTIN FOLKERTSMA

campus editor austin.folkertsma@my.tccd.edu

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

NE student Zain Birdie uses a computer with the website Rate My Professor pulled up on the web browser Feb. 9.

Review website helps students find perfect fit ASHLEY SARALI

reporter collegian.editor@tccd.edu collegian.editor@tccd.ed u

The website Rate My Professors is a tool many college students use before registering for classes.

It helps students choose professors that have been rated good, average or poor by other students who have taken them.

According to the website, its mission is to provide a safe place for students to share classroom experiences to help fellow students choose their professors.

“I do look at Rate My Professors before I choose my classes,” TR student Katherine Westfall said. “I am not the easiest student, so I do need to know beforehand if I will get along with the teacher, and if they will get along with me. I’ve had bad experiences with teachers who were not understanding of my struggles in the past, and I’m always careful about who I choose.”

Rate My Professors, which has been around since 1999, has four main categories: overall rating, level of difficulty, “would take again” and textbook use.

“I use Rate My Professors because,

not only does it give me a rating on if the professor is good or bad, but it also tells me if I am going to need a textbook or not, and that helps me plan which books I need to buy,” Connect student Caleb Robb said.

TR adjunct instructor of geology Lisa Moran said she used the website when she was a college student at the University of Texas at Arlington 10 years ago.

“My first thoughts were that it might be pretty sketchy because relying upon ‘reviews’ seems to skew toward the negative,” Moran said. “But the professors were accurately described in the classes where I used the site to help determine my schedule.”

Moran has a high rating of 4.6 out of 5 on the site. She explained she would use her reviews to better her teaching if needed.

“If I received consistently bad reviews for specific actions, I’d reassess my actions and see if I needed to change my teaching style to give the students a better chance to be successful in my class,” she said. “I would likely not change things up if a review said I was ‘too hard,’ but if the reviews said I did not answer emails fast enough, I would work on faster responses.”

Inflation has seemingly been making the cost of everyday necessities go up in price ,and the TCC community has been affected by it greatly. “[Consumer price index] has shown a 7.5% increase in the past year, which is the steepest yearly increase since 1982,” NW assistant professor of economics Julie Russell said. “Inflation is such a pervasive topic right now because of the significant rise in prices that we are observing. Just stand in the grocery store aisle and listen to the shoppers around you complain about the increase in prices.”

Russell adds that she’s had to shop at more discounted food outlets like Aldi because grocery prices are so high.

“I’ve had to cut back on how much I spend on entertainment in order to make more room for spending money on stuff like food and other necessities for me and my family,” NW management instructor Lourdes Ramboa said. “We’ve also had to readjust our budget as a result of higher gasoline prices. As we have to spend more money on necessities, food, transportation, shelter, we have less money to spend on discretionary items.”

The main program Ramboa teaches is entrepreneurship, and she said inflation is causing entrepreneurs to have to pay higher prices on inventory, packaging and shipping.

Although they may try to pass some of these additional costs to the consumer/ customers, they may not be able to pass all of the higher expenses without potentially risking losing the customer.

Ramboa said if the entrepreneur or small business owner is having to pay more to produce a product or provide a service, then ultimately, their overall profit/income will decrease. The impact on their overall income may be so large that they may not be able to sustain the business.

Inflation has other effects on the economy, not just business, it also affects real estate.

NE professor of real estate Timothy Murphy said inflation is at the highest level it has ever been in 50 years.

“Inflation has caused the price for every purchase in my life to increase dramatically,” Murphy said. “The number of people requesting food from our church is the highest we’ve ever seen, and we are struggling with purchasing enough food to provide to those in need.”

Murphy said the cost of a starter home in Tarrant County one year ago was around $200,000, and now, the price of the same home is $280,000.

According to Murphy, the cost of all materials and services to construct a new home has increased at a rate never seen before in this country.

He said increasing interest rates will have a terrible effect on starter home purchases. Instead of balancing the federal budget, the federal government will continue the inflation tax.

“The amount of down payment or cash required to purchase a starter home is $200,000, the down payment is $40,000, but at $280,000, the down payment is now $56,000,” Murphy said. “The property tax on the $200,000 is $6,000 and property tax on a $280,000 home is $8,400.

Inflation is causing young people and new families to not be able to purchase a home, Murphy said.

“I have noticed inflation most in restaurant meals,” NW instructor of economics Lanie Ridlen said. “Chipotle has increased their prices three times in the past year and plans to increase them again multiple times this year.”

Ridlen said she is looking forward to teaching about inflation in the coming weeks.

“I know the students will be excited to learn about what is happening, what is causing the problem and what can we do to fix it in the future,” she said.

SE student pays at a cash register in the campus shop Feb. 9.

Joel Solis/The Collegian

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 • 3

Michael Johnson

This piece is titled “Self Medication” and is a part of Johnson’s series “Faceblackness.”

Culture inspires faculty member’s art JOSÉ ROMERO

editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu

Not only does Michael Johnson pick up the phone to help faculty with technical support issues they may have, but he also picks up a paintbrush to create intricate pieces of art on canvas.

Johnson is TCC’s campus support services coordinator and an artist whose pieces have been featured in galleries from Dallas to Europe. He grew up in Lake Jackson, a small city outside of Houston, and during high school, was primarily focused on sports. It wasn’t until his junior year that he stopped playing basketball and decided to delve deeper into art. After graduating, he went to Prairie View A&M University but hadn’t chosen a major during his first year.

After some contention and after being convinced by someone else, he landed on art.

He was hesitant at first because he was unsure he could make money doing it, but his passion surpassed his concerns.

“By the time I left Prairie View, I had done some commissions for the campus,” Johnson said. “I had done some sports pieces for them, and they paid me. It was kind of like a little mini scholarship.”

After his time in Prairie View, he went to the University of Houston for two years.

During his time there, he concluded that he was tired of creating art and being in school, so he left both to focus on working whitecollar jobs instead.

During his time away from art, however, he had a lingering itch that wouldn’t go away. After 15 years of ignoring it, he gave in.

“I started by doing some black and

white pieces, some pen and ink drawings, for a style I called ‘Faceblackness’ style,” Johnson said. “The first series that I did was basically referencing racial topics, things of that nature. The whole style was basically a caricature on Blackface imagery, minstrel show imagery, something that was kind of really sensitive topics.”

His intention with that series was to help the viewer identify with the struggles of the character portraits by showing their vulnerabilities through facial expressions and posture.

“When I created the ‘Faceblackness’ style, series, it really started with me creating one piece that I just felt like it was going to be something that had social commentary, and then from there, I began building more and more characters,” Johnson explained in a YouTube video titled “Flipping The Script.” “It essentially created a storyline that almost like created a community.”

After doing this series, he started to hone in on the style he wanted to emulate.

He also switched from painting with an airbrush to using a paintbrush.

“The style I’m doing now is basically pop-culture references of different moments in Black history,” he said.

He wanted to do something that was “dope” with a mix of hip-hop. He looked to artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Virgil Abloh to perfect his style.

During Johnson’s time away from the art world, he noticed a shift in the culture.

“Internet brought a lot of things together,” he said. “It made a lot of things more international. You started seeing movements in Paris, you started seeing movements in London, different places. The culture started to expand out.”

A piece titled School of Hardknocks from “Faceblackness.”

A piece titled “Ode to Basquiat” from “Faceblackness.”

With his newest pieces, some of which were sold to Oscar-winning director Spike Lee, Johnson tells a story “through use of imagery, dates, words, sayings” and a quote that ties to the art. For example, there is a piece with former President Barack Obama that has the word “HOPE” in bold lettering, referencing his presidential campaign. Each piece has an iconic figure in Black culture surrounded with symbolism tied to them.

“

People want to figure that there’s a secret to success, but there is no secret. All you would need to do is keep working and keep getting better. As you work and work and work, it’ll take you in the direction you want to go in.

Michael Johnson

A piece titled “I AM A MAN” from “Faceblackness.”

A piece titled “Frontline” from “Faceblackness.”

”

As Johnson returned to the art world, he also had something new to balance that he didn’t have in 2000. He’s the father of a 16-year-old, so he can’t spend all of his time painting.

“In 2015, my son would’ve been 9, and I remember I was drawing so, so much,” he said. “I would literally finish a piece and start another one, finish a piece and start another one. My son was like, ‘Dad, all you’re doing is drawing now. We used to play video games,’ and I’m like ‘Son, I’m

trying to build something.’”

Johnson had difficulty trying to manage the two, but as time went on, he’s gotten better at allocating attention to both.

When trying to come up with four words to describe himself, he paused. Usually, Johnson is erudite, managing to create a conversation on a whim. But it took him a minute, even groaning in frustration because his mind was betraying him. Then, it came to him.

Pop culture, movement, psychology, conceptual and phenomenology are what came to his mind, with the latter resonating the most.

The reason Johnson is attached to the term “phenomenology” is because of an old Shepard Fairey art campaign, “Obey Giant.”

In this campaign, Fairey gave some people stickers that had the late André the Giant’s face on it with the words “ANDRE THE GIANT HAS A POSSE” written to the left of him. They would go around and put these stickers in various locations such as New York, California and eventually Paris. “[Fairey] started to recognize that there’s a phenomenology, or there’s kind of a thing that happens with people seeing imagery over and over and over again, and then that imagery becoming larger than life,” Johnson said.

That concept is what Johnson implements into his work. He said people have an immediate psychological response when they see a figure such as Michael Jordan in one of his pieces.

“People want to figure that there’s a secret to success, but there is no secret,” Johnson said. “All you would need to do is keep working and keep getting better. As you work and work and work, it’ll take you in the direction you want to go in.”

A 36” by 48” piece titled “MALCOLM X” by Johnson.

A 36” by 48” piece titled “OBAMA” by Johnson.

A piece titled “Hustlers Don’t Sleep” from “Faceblackness.”

Artwork and photos provided by Michael Johnson

4 • Wednesday, February 16, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT

PODCAST REVIEW

Podcast replicates chaotic energy of show

Photo courtesy of The Always Sunny Podcast

Stars of “It’s Always Sunny in Phladelphia” Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton sit in their studio as they record an episode for The Always Sunny Podcast.

JOSÉ ROMERO

editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” has been on the air since 2005, making it the longest-running live-action sitcom in U.S. TV history. Having such a long, rich history means there are a plethora of stories to tell about the production of the show, and “The Always Sunny Podcast” delivers on telling them.

The podcast features three of the main five actors of the show: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney. It’s, unfortunately, missing Danny DeVito and Kaitlin Olson, but it is fairly new so hopefully, they’ll guest star soon.

Each podcast episode has the gang going through the show, beginning with season one, episode one. At least that was the intention.

In the first episode of the podcast, they shared the struggles of getting the show up and running with almost no money. Because of how long they’ve been around, these stories about the show’s production have been told countless times, so, what ends up happening instead, is the magic of the podcast.

For the first few minutes, they’ll discuss an episode a bit and give some behind-thescenes tidbits. It’s pretty interesting to hear about what went on during a fan-favorite scene, but once they go on a tangent, that’s where it gets good.

Day, Howerton and McElhenney are

The Always Sunny Podcast has three of the actors from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” telling behind-the-scenes stories about the production of the show. actors, so they know how to pretend to be friends, but from hearing them banter and share each other’s stories, the listener can tell this group of three care for one another.

They throw jabs, playfully insult one

another’s work outside of Sunny and have long, heated debates about parking. It’s such a fun experience. Hearing how they differ, and don’t, from their on-screen personalities adds to it. On a side note, it’s a little creepy how

much alike Howerton and his character Dennis Reynolds are.

Arguments are the lifeblood of Sunny. It has made for some of the most iconic moments of the show. Some real-world arguments and situations have even gone to inspire episodes of it. Go watch “Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense” in season 8 to get a sample of it. In the podcast, arguments are just as prevalent. They’ll go on and on about a minuscule thing, but it never feels awkward like some arguments do. Instead, it feels like a group of friends talking over a beer, or in this case, coffee.

This is a talented group of individuals that have managed to maintain a surprisingly consistent show. This podcast is a fantastic supplemental resource and gives fans a deeper look into what it means to make a show like Sunny. Listening to some of the things they had to do in the earlier seasons gives a deeper appreciation of the tribulations endured to make the show possible.

The podcast may lack structure and the other main cast members, but that doesn’t make it less enjoyable. If anything, it makes it stronger. It’s a great way to spend 30 to 40 minutes every Monday. Having Day’s voice blast out of headphones while taking a walk is paradise. Fingers crossed for an eventual DeVito cameo.

ALBUM REVIEW

Retirement could be approaching for 2 Chainz after this album MICHAEL FOSTER-SANDERS

senior producer michael.foster-sanders@my.tccd.edu

Legend says the rap game is a young man’s sport.

Those who don’t have a gimmick or sound dated when the brand new TikTok or Soundcloud rapper comes out end up on a random culture vulture YouTube channel in a “why did they fall off” video. But you also have rappers that defy the odds and play by their own rules.

2 Chainz is one of those rappers that can avoid the misfortune of becoming a hasbeen. Twenty years into the rap game, he has surpassed his friend Ludacris, the rapperturned-actor who gave him his first record deal. Chainz has constantly reinvented himself to stay ahead of the curve, but, at the age of 44 and with the new album “Dope Don’t Sell Itself,” does Chainz still have what it takes to compete, or does he need to call for an AARP card and retire?

The album starts with the track “Bet It Back,” and it sets the tone of the album.

An audio snippet from a friend of 2 Chainz explains that the studio used for the rise of Chainz’s rap career doubled as a drug stash.

Chainz lets the listener know that this double life is what made him who he is now with the chorus, “I have never been a zero / I worked hard to get where I’m at, look at where I’m at / That’s a bet, if I lose the bet, I’ma bet it back.”

“Pop Music” invokes the group 2 Live Crew, and it’s something that will be played in cars and clubs throughout the summer of 2022. This raunchy track features rappers Moneybagg Yo and BeatKing rapping about one thing, sex. It has repetitive lyrics, and it feels like it was made with BeatKing’s preset style since all his beats sound like it was made on a Casio keyboard from 1992.

“Kingpen Ghostwriter” pairs Chainz with rap’s newest superstar Lil Baby. Produced by Budda, the track has a Memphis vibe with dark piano keys, hi-hats and heavy bass. Lil Baby brings the best out of Chainz on this

Photo courtesy of Def Jam Recordings

“Dope Don’t Sell Itself” is 2 Chainz’s seventh studio album released Feb. 4. His last album was released in November. track because he’s rapping to let people know he will go down in Southern rap like the best that did it. But, the listener will also hear the guard changes happening, similar to when Allen Iverson crossed over Michael Jordan during his last year with the Bulls.

“Outstanding” is a pure radio grab featuring California rapper Roddy Ricch.

It’s just basic pop and sounds like it will be featured in an in-store Foot Locker soundtrack.

It’s too forced and out of place on a typical 2 Chainz album. Skip it. “Neighbors Know My Name” has Chainz reworking D4L’s hit song “Laffy Taffy” into a track filled with arrogance as he brags about his accomplishments

throughout the years. It doesn’t help that the beat is lackluster and tiring.

“10 Bracelets” features NBA Youngboy on a track that sounds like it could’ve been for Youngboy’s album instead. Chainz plays it safe by catering to Youngboy’s audience and dumbs down his lyrical ability.

The few highlights of the album like “Free B.G.,” which is an ode to locked up rapper B.G., bring out Chainz’s lyrical ability as he dances around the short track like Muhammad Ali in his prime.

An issue with this album is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be, and the songs are, on average, about 3 minutes long. That’s

fine for the most listenable tracks where he’s experimenting with his sound, trying to reach new fans, but for the die-hard fans who have championed 2 Chainz throughout his career, they know he’s better than what’s on this album.

With this album, 2 Chainz came back like Michael Jordan with the Washington Wizards.

One more record like this, and he’ll be forced to retire.

OPINION

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 • 5

EDITORIAL

Baby blizzard proves Texans were overprepared Texas was turned upside down once again for another snowstorm that progressed through the night Feb. 4.

Surprisingly, there weren’t as many power outages, with the number topping 21,000 Thursday evening, according to CBS News.

It was certainly a better outcome than last year’s winter catastrophe.

It is evident that this storm only caused minor damages, but that doesn’t mean the PTSD from last year didn’t remain.

Politicians tried to remain confident until the last minute.

Initially, in November, Gov. Greg Abbott guaranteed Texans there would be no power outages.

However, he retracted his statement Feb. 2, which earned him some criticism by his fellow candidate Beto O’ Rourke while he was campaigning his way through North Texas. Though, after the storm hit, Abbott retracted his statement again and said there was “plenty of power available” during a briefing in Austin. Even with the reporting of the governor, no candidate ran away from the storm this time like Ted Cruz did last year. However, Rourke did think the power grid would be a big issue this year and was counting on it. It would most likely affect his chances in the governor race since it was one of the main issues for his platform.

Texans, however, made sure they were overprepared this time for the snowstorm to hit. People rushed to grocery stores and cleared the shelves, ensuring they had everything they needed. The

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

last minute shoppers, however, were very chaotic and rushed stores and lines to make sure they had everything possible to survive for the few days they would be in their homes.

Some think clearing the shelves wasn’t necessary because weather channels predicted the

storm to be minor, but the public can’t be blamed for overreacting to the news since last year’s killed 246 people, according to the Texas Tribune. Texans were scared of what this snowstorm might entail because nobody knew what to expect. People lost their homes, businesses, power and loved ones

all because Texas couldn’t provide proper knowledge and resources for a natural disaster. However, the outcome of this storm was much better than last year. Rather than having to fend for their lives, people were outside playing in the snow, not freezing to death inside.

Schools systems this year

reacted responsibly by canceling school even though the predictions weren’t as major. Districts like Arlington closed without too much hesitation. TCC, on the other hand, could have done a better job at handling the situation better. It took a long time to report its decision on closure. It wasn’t until late in the evening that it had decided to cancel classes. Students were left on campus with no decision for way too long. TCC should have closed the school sooner due to how fast the weather was escalating. Some teachers decided to either cancel class or have an online meeting to resume safely.

TCC should have been more prepared and more understanding of its students and their safety. If the storm would’ve been harsher, students and faculty could’ve ended up traveling in hazardous road conditions.

Texas, however, did prevail this year and made sure the power stayed on, for the most part. By Friday, roads were cleared for travel if necessary, which was convenient. The roads were completely clear after two days since most of the snow melted.

Te x a s w a s a b l e t o l o o k competent this time around. But that doesn’t hide the fact that it needs to update its power grid.

Since snowstorms seem to be a new normal, Texas needs to learn how to prepare for any situation thrown its way. That way, the people who are in this state can feel safe and know that the people who are running it care about their safety

VIEWPOINTS

Xbox still prevails over latest PlayStation console after all

Political agendas have taken precedent over understanding

big fan of. I do, however, love the feeling of the older PlayStation controller in my hands because of how much smaller it is compared to the Xbox controller. I have to give credit where it’s due to Sony for that, but with the release of the PlayStation 5, the controller looks similar to the Xbox controller in how it’s shaped. So, the one thing I liked about the PlayStation is thrown out of the figurative window.

The classic Xbox controller is something I’m fond of. It has had minor changes, and there is something admirable about sticking to the classics and knowing what works best.

Backward compatibility is a big thing in my book.

It’s a feature that lets the user play games from older consoles on the newer ones.

The newer Xbox consoles have a service called Game Pass, which offers the user access to an assortment of games for a monthly subscription. Game Pass allows users to play brand-new games at a hugely discounted price. Compare this to a similar service from PlayStation, Playstation Now, that only offers older games for free once they have been available for an extended period.

Virtual reality is sort of a new up-andcoming concept and I agree, the concept is cool, but it’s not for me. If a gamer likes virtual reality then, by all means, go with the PlayStation, but it doesn’t sell me on anything.

At the end of the day, to me, the important thing is what kind of games I can play on a console and how the controller feels in my hands.

few well-funded political groups — the same ones mentioned earlier — are attempting to push their unique agendas, especially within libraries on and off campuses. According to Caldwell-Stone, in the entirety of 2020, the ALA received 156 book challenges; in just the last three months of 2021, that number was 330.

Last October, Texas state Rep. Matt Krause compiled a list of 850 books he recommended be banned from schools statewide as a part of his campaign bid for attorney general. The list had the desired effect as it prompted a school district in San Antonio to pull 414 of the books for review.

Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee took things a step further when he organized a mass book burning for his congregation Feb. 2. A large group gathered and gleefully burned books like “Harry Potter’’ and “Twilight.” Locke, who has been banned from Twitter for pushing false information around COVID19 vaccines, referred to the platform as a “censorship Nazi.”

No doubt the irony was lost on him and his flock as they eagerly burned books in the same fashion as the actual Nazi Party.

Governments are still trying to control the consumption of free media in a public space. These actions are solely about power, control, domination of others and refusing to understand groups that they do not identify with.

Book banning and burning feel like the tip of the iceberg, and it begs the question, how far are these groups willing to go to push their ideologies? As of now, they seem to be willing to do just about anything to accomplish their goals with no regard for the consequences.

AUSTIN FOLKERTSMA campus editor

austin.folkertsma@my.tccd.edu

There’s an age-old question in gaming, which system is better? Is it the PlayStation or is it the Xbox?

For those that are non-gamers and are thinking, “Who cares, it’s just a game system, this argument is dumb?” It’s not dumb, trust me. This argument has been one of the biggest debates in the gaming world for over a decade now.

There is no doubt that both game systems have their pros and cons, but one of them definitely has a slight advantage over the other.

I’ve been an Xbox player for the majority of my life, and I guess that’s why I like it more. That doesn’t mean I haven’t tried other consoles, though. I’ve played on PlayStation, and it’s just not as right for me.

PlayStation games are dope, and I envy PlayStation players for being able to play games like Uncharted, The Last of Us, Spider-Man and many of the Final Fantasy games. But to spend $500, or however much it is now, for just a few games doesn’t seem worth it to me at all.

Xbox reigns superior in my book because it has exclusive games such as Sea of Thieves and the Halo series, games I’m a

CAMERON WEBSTER

campus editor cameron.webster@my.tccd.edu

Dangerous political agendas seem to be more important than the future of our country.

Recently there has been a disturbing political trend sweeping the nation. Books are being banned from public and school libraries, and in at least one reported instance, there has been a mass book burning.

Conservative groups like Moms for Liberty, Parents Defending Education and No Left Turn in Education are pressing states nationwide to ban books that they have flagged as inappropriate. The vast majority of these contain stories featuring issues faced by people of color and members of the LGBTQ community. Multiple states have already pulled hundreds of books from school libraries in response.

These types of groups are attempting to turn back the empathic clock by taking away knowledge and an understanding of others from future generations — all for the sake of their political agendas.

In an interview last month with Guardian US, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom Deborah Caldwell-Stone discussed her thoughts on the current rise in attempts at having books banned. She noted that a

Letter Policy The Collegian is a weekly student publication serving the Tarrant County College District. Editorial statements and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the TCC administration.

Letters to the paper should be 150 words or less, free from libel and poor taste and include the writer’s Colleague ID or telephone number (the numbers will not be published). Letters may be brought to The Collegian

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The Collegian 828 Harwood Road Hurst, TX 76054

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6 • Wednesday, February 16, 2022

DENZEL

WASHINGTON

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

KERRY

WASHINGTON

MICHAEL B. JORDAN

BLACK

EXCELLENCE

Black actors with top billing JUAN SALINAS II

campus editor juan.salinas465@my.tccd.edu

Since the start of the Academy Awards in 1929, only about 40 Black actors have won it. This has been a point of contention for a couple of years now, with many voicing their disappointment for The Academy’s lack of diversity. But, these three actors have risen in prominence, giving the Black community more figures to look to for a glimmer of hope.

Denzel Washington started his career on the big screen in “Wilma,” playing the main character’s boyfriend.

He continued his acting career in supporting roles until his Oscar-worthy performance in “Cry Freedom."

Washington has 10 Oscar nomi-

nations, the most nominations for a Black actor in history. His most recent was for his performance in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”

Playing the corrupt Los Angeles police detective Alonzo Harris in “Training Day” is one of his most famous roles.

Michael B. Jordan was in the award-winning show “The Wire” as Wallace, and had a cameo in “The Sopranos.” He had a notable performance in “Fruitvale Station,” which is an NAACP Image Award winner for outstanding independent motion picture. The film is based on true events, and Jordan plays Oscar Grant facing his last day on earth before being murdered by the police.

He didn't become a household name until his role in “Creed,” a soft reboot to the “Rocky” franchise fo-

cused on Apollo Creed's son Adonis and his boxing career.

His success in “Creed” landed him a role in the film “Black Panther” as Erik Killmonger — a highly-skilled Mercenary that planned on getting revenge for his father's murder.

The hit series “Scandal” is what Kerry Washington is known for. She plays Olivia Pope, a role that got her an NAACP Image Award. But her other notable roles are “Django Unchained and “American Son.” She has been nominated for eight Emmy awards for her roles in “Little Fires Everywhere,” “American Son, “Confirmation” and “Scandal.”

Illustration by Abbas Ghor/The Collegian