August 23, 2023 - TCC The Collegian

From Google to Microsoft 365

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

The newly proposed TCC 2023-24 fiscal year budget will raise tuition for students another $5 per credit hour.

Approved by the Board of Trustees during the Aug. 17 meeting, this increase will begin in the spring of 2024 and take tuition from $64 to $69 per semester hour.

TCC ranked number two among community college districts in 2022, according to the tuition rate and revenue analysis presented by Chief Operating Officer Susan Alanis. Along with this decision, dual credit students will receive free tuition.

College prepares for digital platform change that occurs Sept. 30

HOPE SMITH editor-in-chief hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu

Effective Sept. 30, TCC will transition from Google Workspace applications to Microsoft 365 applications.

Students, staff and faculty will not be able to access their TCC Google applications, emails or files after.

They are encouraged to start saving their Google files beforehand. Resources are available in the TCC Student Hub Canvas through the “myTCC Resources” page under News and Information. There, instructionals are provided.

Lisa Self, NE professor in Child Development and Education, emphasized the importance of in-

forming students on the switch so they are prepared.

“However TCC wants to use our resources, great. And it sounds like it’s something that really helps us financially, so we’re not having to support two different platforms,” she said. “So I just want to make sure that all the students understand that the email is going to have a little bit of a change.”

As faculty, she feels it’s important to communicate with the students so as not to confuse them.

“I thought this was important, too: In our training, it was like, that doesn’t mean Google things will be blocked like Google Translate, for example, is still available.”

The decision goes back to choosing an application that would best suit TCC’s needs, director of administrative systems, Martin

Patrick said.

Microsoft was an application of interest because of its email system, however before it was more “business centric” and did not meet TCC’s educational needs, Google did.

After Microsoft 365 had a rebrand and rename, TCC IT began moving towards Microsoft applications.

“It became a major focus of our technology initiatives as we’ve gone through the years because it aligns with what we want to do,” Patrick said.

The problem: managing both Microsoft and Google, two different systems, led to more management and security concerns. The solution and current move was making a full transition to Microsoft.

Elva LeBlanc TCC Chancellor

“The primary focus was manageability and security, and we believe it will be an easier experience for students and faculty because faculty use this also as part of their education,” Patrick said.

Lead IT Project Manager

Mita Saha explained that as part of their communication plan, they are making multiple outreach efforts with TCC to ensure everyone is informed about this coming change.

“[At] the New Student Orientation, there will be slides that will be shown and they will be discussing this so that the new students will know during their classes in the fall,” she said. “New Student group Advisement and Directors of Counseling are all made aware of that, so the students will have different avenues to learn about it as well.”

Paired with the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer program that will offer $55 per credit hour to TCC for economically disadvantaged students enrolled in dual credit, Alanis said waiving all dual credit tuition would be beneficial for two reasons.

“We think it’s good policy in terms of encouraging early completion and progress of students and gaining credentials that will make them productive members of our workforce,” she said. “Also, just the administrative challenge and communication challenge of trying to parse through students who may have different points when you See Board, page 2

Intercultural Network discusses possible effects of state DEI legislation

KEYLA HOLMES campus editor keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu

Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17 (SB 17) on June 14, banning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) offices at public colleges and universities.

The bill impacts the way public universities allocate money for programs that promote diversity among students and staff.

SB 17 also bans mandatory diversity training and affects current hiring practices. It is unknown as to how the bill will be implemented at this time.

NE Intercultural Network student engagement and academic success sitter Janjura Williams is hopeful for the future of the Network.

“At this time we’ve been told that it’s [The Intercultural Network] not going to be impacted,” Williams said. “Now as they delineate, and look at what the law really says, that may change in the future.”

According to the TCC website, “The Intercultural Network’s goal is to encourage intercultural aware-

ness, inclusiveness and academic achievement on and off campus.”

SE part-time Intercultural Network employee God Favor said TCC has yet to make an official statement.

“Our department has been preparing for whatever changes may occur,” he said.

Not knowing what direction The Network may be headed in, if any changes are to be made, can be difficult.

SE Intercultural Network coordinator Frank Sheets said, “It’s kind of like an elephant in the room.”

Despite the uncertainty, Williams feels hopeful that TCC will continue to do its best to serve its students.

“Our programs are set up for success,” she said. “That reaches across all ages, genders, socioeconomics, as well as race and ethnicity. We’re Intercultural Network, so we provide resources for everyone.”

This Fall is NE Kim Okoroafor’s first semester at TCC. Not always having felt comfortable being on other campuses, she appreciates the diversity at NE.

“Walking around TCC, seeing so many people who look like me, who feel comfortable on this campus, is really amazing,” she said. “I feel a lot more comfortable here than other universities where that’s not a priority.”

Okoroafor feels DEI is important and helpful for everyone.

“We all benefit from it, even if we all aren’t people of color,” she said.

“Diversity is so important for everyone to feel included, but also have them feeling like they know about everyone in their environment.”

The value in being in a diverse space was also a sentiment NE student Chelsea Sandoval shared.

“People should have the opportunity to learn about different cultures,” she said.

For Okoroafor, DEI has contributed to her feeling a sense of belonging.

“It’s extremely important because as a Black girl myself I know that it’s so amazing to step onto a university that prioritizes making me feel like I’m a part of something.”

Tuition rate increases, dual credit fees waived

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

A computer displays the OneDrive login screen in the SE Judith J. Carrier Library. OneDrive is Microsoft’s file storage system.

Ariel DeSantiago/The Collegian

NE student worker Julian Herrera works in the Intercultural Network office located on the bottom floor of NLIB.

[SE President] Bill Coppola is smiling, because he and I have been wanting to waive dual enrollment tuition for a decade,

New students prepare for the fall semester

work life balance in order to complete their goals.

For many, the start of the new school year can be anxiety inducing. For incoming freshmen, these fears are increased tenfold.

TCC’s academic school year starts Aug. 21, but preparations start even earlier for freshman.

Throughout the end of July till the beginning of school, freshmen attend new student orientation as introduction to campus.

NE Vice President of Student Affairs Terese Craig spoke to incoming students at NE Campus’ orientation.

Craig acknowledged the attitude shift she has observed from students in recent years.

“Freshman today at community colleges understand the value,” Craig said. “And I think when I first started in higher ed, people almost felt disappointed that they were going to a two year college. Now I think the value and the rigor and the affordability and just the common sense of starting here is what I would say is most different than I’ve noticed.”

SE students Sydney Clay and Kennedie English both attended new student orientation on SE Campus on Aug. 16. Clay noted how

“Not isolated like I am the only one who’s going through this and maybe I am not meant or cut out for college,” Craig said. “The danger becomes those first couple of classes up until 12 credits when you’re still like, you want to be there, but still trying to navigate and balance everything.”

English and Clay set their schedules to be identical. For the two, it gives them peace of mind to have someone to tackle the school year with.

“Definitely,” English said. “You have somebody to come to.”

During new student orientation, clubs and programs are advertised to students. For English, TCC’s music opportunities sparked her interest.

“I sing and I am trying to learn how to play the piano, so I am looking into that,” English said.

To incoming students, Craig had a message she wished she received when she was in college.

“People always ask you guys what do you want to be,” Craig said. “We switched that question now to what problems do you want to solve. If students can get involved in one something that interests them outside of the classroom, it’s going to still help them answer about what their career path or journey starts off like.”

Leading or loving: Disney’s form of feminism

From “Barbie” to “The Little Mermaid,” this summer has offered traditionally feminine entertainment that sparked a conversation into what women should want: to lead or to love. This is a trick question, because it forces women into thinking they can only choose one when this is definitely not the case. Society teaches that women aren’t multifaceted enough to want both things, thus constraining them.

On the one hand, a woman can be like “Mulan,” a warrior. On the other hand, a woman can be like “Snow White,” dainty, kind and loving. But because this is what traditional feminists think they should veer away from, it is not received as well.

Critics can have the best interests at heart but go so far off the point of feminism they forget the true meaning of it. Being physically strong, brave and grounded in oneself is a beautiful thing but so is being able to love, be vulnerable and feel.

Being “saved by the prince,” on a surface level at least, translates to depending on a man, which again, most traditional feminists are trying to get away from because of how that turned out in the past in hetero relationships. From emotional to physical violence, hyper-dependence and confinement, relying on a man constricted women’s ability to manage their freedom, but this is old news.

The character gets saved by the prince, and in real life, it translates to relying on a man. In a series of interviews, Rachel Zegler, the new

VIEWPOINTS

Snow White in the 2024 live action movie, emphasizes the fact that this time around her character “won’t be saved by the prince.” But what Zegler didn’t realize was that she was pushing demands of patriarchal standards. It demands for

women to be exactly this or exactly that. At first, it was Cinderella-like and now it’s Mulan-like. Either way it prevents women from truly living. In society’s eyes, a leader can’t be vulnerable, but women are given more slack for it due to being “more

emotional.” This is why misogynists think women can’t be leaders. It’s a stereotype that needs to be constantly challenged. Take Rapunzel, who escaped the wrath of the witch who raised her and was brave enough to go into a world

she didn’t know. However, she still had the happily ever after with Flynn. If a balance on screen is possible, then why can’t it be possible in real life too?

Not all women want to be leaders. Some want to be homemakers and housewives. Women don’t need to be strong and leader-like to be a “girlboss.”

What some fail to understand is that the screen and reality are not always intertwined. Women can be hopeless romantics and dream of being “saved” while also knowing the realities of how they are treated by the opposite sex. It all boils down to allowing women to live. Loving and leading are not polar opposites, nor are they mutually exclusive.

Undermining what love should be, whether in theater or reality, doesn’t do women any good either. While the stereotypical definition of being “saved” can be daunting, healthy forms of love exist. Those where both partners, in a sense, save each other from any or all societal pressures and simply love one another. Because norms hurt women just as they hurt men as well.

Women are multifaceted. Wanting one and not the other is fine. Wanting both is fine. But women deserve to exist outside of the confined lines of societal pressure, Disney princess or not. Being a girlboss is a woman doing what she wants.

Rest assured, there is more than one way to be a “girlboss,” and there is more than one way to exist as a woman.

The WGA strike is a game of tense Hollywood tug-of-war

children and 850 people are still missing.

Though the loss of human life is incomparable, the reactions to both events would make you think otherwise. The Oceangate submersible was met with international efforts to find the vehicle. Yet, little effort outside of Maui has been done to aid the people.

Summer seems to be getting progressively more unhinged. My bingo card is chock full of events I would’ve never dreamed or wished upon anyone — and yet, humanity finds a way.

Ariana Grande’s divorce and subsequent cheating scandal, the Montgomery Brawl and how could anyone forget YouTube star Colleen Ballinger’s child grooming ukulele apology. Certainly not me.

We had no shortage of blockbuster movies. With Marvel and Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and the highly anticipated “Barbenheimer” movie weekend. Letterboxd solicitors and people running out of their “cute things to do this summer” checklist alike were rushing to the theaters.

This summer has also been home to several tragedies. On June 18, the Oceangate submersible deployed to view the Titanic, but lost communication with the world shortly thereafter. Approximately four days later, it was announced the submersible imploded, killing its five passengers.

Earlier this month, several wildfires in Maui broke out, primarily impacting the town and people of Lahaina. As of Aug. 21, the death toll has reached 114 people and

The prioritization of the powerful over marginalized communities is nothing new. Four days prior to the Oceangate implosion, a boat of migrants seeking refuge capsized, killing 82 and around 500 missing. But little to none media coverage was dedicated to covering this humanitarian disaster.

The victims of each event are great indicators of why the response to each disaster was as big or small as they were. On board the submersible were all incredibly wealthy men, who each paid $250,000 to have a seat in the vehicle.

Hawaiian locals have urged people in the contiguous United States to rectify the problems caused by the hotel and tourism services. Even before, when we look at how Hawaii was “annexed,” the mistreatment of Hawaiians has been implemented since their acquisition.

As a student journalist, observing such great devastations receive so little attention is extremely disheartening. An imporant facet of reporting is to cover the marginalized, oppressed and those without access to a platform. The suppression — whether unintentional or not — of disasters affecting US citizens that we have exploited economically and environmentally since their annexation is completely unaccpetable.

If we are so willing to devote international efforts for five wealthy individuals, then we should have intergalactic efforts to aid the people of Maui.

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Writers and actors have banded together to stand against Hollywood, but what does this mean for the future?

On May 2, the “2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) Strike” began, and with it came countless writers and actors who spoke out regarding labor disputes in the industry. This has been going on for three months, putting it on track to become among the longest-running WGA strikes in history.

This has caused mass hysteria within Hollywood and has led many to question what will become of actors and writers in the entertainment industry. Though, some may be wondering why this is happening in the first place. So, what’s the sitch? Entertainers from across the entire industry have come together in search of not only better accommodation for their work, but proper respect for their work. It is not uncommon for entertainers to tell stories about their lackluster pay, grueling work hours, poor accommodations and hostile work environments. This strike, however, is here to try and change this.

But Hollywood is not going down without a fight. There have been many strides made on Hollywood’s end to continue its work despite the resistance from writers and actors over the duration of the strike.

Not only has Hollywood already begun

experimenting with alternatives like AI body scans for background extras over the last few months, but it has gone as far as to resurrect deceased actors using AI, namely the late Christopher Reeves, to feature in films such as DC Comics’ and Warner Brothers’ “The Flash” from earlier in the year.

On top of that, writers have been on the front lines of this debacle as well (it is called the Writers Guild of America Strike after all), fighting for their livelihoods. AI writing has already started to take the industry by storm, which has put writers in fear of losing their jobs.

This has been setting a curious precedent for the future, and many wonder how this strike will affect entertainment.

Lot of projects have been delayed, put on hold indefinitely, or cancelled. Movies like Universal Pictures’ “Cleopatra” have been postponed by the strike, new seasons of NBC’s “Law and Order” have been postponed indefinitely, and Apple TV’s “Metropolis’” has been cancelled.

In addition to increasing unemployment figures and affecting the rollout of many different productions, the strike has also negatively impacted the economy.

According to Forbes, the economic fallout of the strike could potentially exceed $3 billion. For the uninitiated, this is a lot of money. Though, what does it all mean? What happens? Prices will go up, but for what?

Movie tickets? Streaming services? At this point, who’s to say for certain.

The battle between writers and actors and Hollywood is fierce, but it’s going to have to end eventually. It is hard to say when it will end, but the only hope is that entertainers walk away from this with the respect they deserve.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hope Smith

PHOTO/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Alex Hoben

Tj Favela/The Collegian

Media coverage on the rich does more harm than good

NINA BANKS campus editor nina.banks@my.tccd.edu

XAVIER BOATNER campus editor xavier.boatner@my.tccd.edu

Starting a new semester is hard. Here are some tips to make it easier:

1. Always check your building name. Some are really similar.

2. Check out the campus library. There are so many study resources to check out.

3. It’s OK to ask for help. Advising and counseling are available for all students.

4. Try to get involved around campus. Clubs and organizations are always looking for students.

5. Students park in the white lines, and the faculty members park in the yellow.

— The Collegian staff

NE music adjunct Jean Bryant gives feedback to NE student George Torres as he prepares the piece he is using to audition for the TWU band.

SE student Andrew Chavez writes calculus equations on one of the white boards in the study rooms available in ESEE.

NE Dean for community engagement Tara Frost and NE librarian Ricardo Garcia talk while waiting for their food during a Connection Week event.

Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian

New South student Reyna Del Rio walks with her friend Aubrey Macias down Main Street on TR Campus. Registration for the fall semester ended on Aug. 17. Many students, like Del Rio, travel to campuses other than their home campus, such as for events or for their degree programs.

Illustration by Tj Favela/The Collegian