Abbott praises adult high school
FOUSIA ABDULLAHI editor-in-chief fousia.abdullahi@my.tccd.edu
Gov. Greg Abbott paid a visit to New Heights Adult High School to celebrate the opening of the first-of-its-kind adult high school in Fort Worth.
The dual enrollment program is located at TCC’s Opportunity Center in east Fort Worth.
During the visit, Abbott met with students in one of the mechanical workshop classrooms that had equipment to help students get the hands-on experience they need for jobs.
“Today, here we’re putting the marker in the ground of Fort Worth, Texas,” Abbott said. “That we as a state are going to give all of those adults across the state a new opportunity to advance their lives, their careers and their families.”
Abbott also said that a new report ranked Texas number one in new jobs added this month.
New Heights student Crystal Mora is a mom of five kids and was on her way to getting her GED when her sister told her about the new adult high school.
“I was accepted, and I was just so excited,” Mora said. “I was like, I got a second chance to do
what I wanted to do for the longest. So, for that, I’m grateful.”
CEO and Superintendent of New Heights Traci Berry, TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc, Mayor of Fort Worth Maddie Parker and others took to the stage to celebrate the opening.
“Preparing a talent-strong workforce to fill a high-demand career is an honor, not an option,” LeBlanc said.
Berry said the school planned for an enrollment of 360, yet they received 1,400 applicants.
Parker said this is a dream for many people but that it all started with Berry advocating for adult students.
“I have confidence you’re going to see New Heights high schools across the state of Texas, as you should absolutely,” Parker said. “Because we can do hard things as Fort Worthians. We certainly can do hard things as Texans.”
Aric Dunmore, a New Heights student, said just a year ago he was experiencing homelessness with his wife and two young daughters.
“Now being a part of meeting the governor, New Heights, being able to have a degree, a diploma, to change my life, change my kids’ life, it’s an amazing experience,” Dunmore said.
FRED NGUYEN campus editor collegian.editor@tccd.edu
A newly rediscovered piece of music by Mozart was performed by the TCC string faculty at a concert on Sept. 24 at NE.
“This might be the first time in Texas, maybe in America, that this piece has been heard,” said Kourtney Newton, a cellist at the concert and a music instructor at NE.
“Serenade in C” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a 12-minute piece written for two violins and one cello. It was unplayed for an estimated 250 years before its rediscovery in a library in Germany.
After its world premiere at the Leipzig Opera in Germany on Sept. 21, Hsinyi Wang, a music professor at NE, got access to the piece and the performers made the last-minute decision to change the program for their first string faculty showcase.
The performance was a short movement from the piece played by Cassandra Lin, Iris Messinger and Wang. Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the Mozarteum, a foundation dedicated to Mozart’s work, said the piece was likely written by Mozart between the ages of 10 to 13 years old as Mozart no longer created music like this after his late teens.
Wang said the string faculty was inspired by the piano faculty’s concert in the spring semester.
“I asked my string colleague if they would be interested to do something together,” Wang said. “It is more fun to do a string faculty showcase concert because once we put all the violin, viola, cello and bass together, we actually form a string orchestra.”
The orchestra is comprised of 10 instructors playing various string instruments, making TCC the home of one of the largest string faculties in northeast Texas.
The free concert was attended by a packed audience and included not only pieces from classical musicians like Mozart but also modern music like “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones.
LAUREN HARPER campus editor lauren.harper@my.tccd.edu
TCC commemorated half a century of childcare and development on Sept. 24 at the NE Children’s Center’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The event showcased speakers with decades of teaching experience, child growth specialists and recent child development program graduates.
Lisa Self, NE Campus department chair for child development and education, cited TCC Children’s Center’s low children to teacher ratios and innovative, individualized curriculum as advantages over local daycares.
“We try to be what [other daycares] need to be, what they should be,” Self said. “We are developmentally appropriate. We are child-
centered. We’re not telling [the children] what they need to learn. They tell us what they’re interested in, and we give them learning op-
portunities around that.”
Recent NW and South Campus renovation plans include the addition of similar childcare or-
ganizations. However, unlike NE Campus, these will not be lab schools.
Lab schools provide childcare to the community while supporting students working on an associate degree in child development by supplying hands-on experience with the children enrolled.
It gives education students real-world training not found in a traditional classroom, as recent children’s development graduate Natalie Collins, who previously worked at a private local daycare, said.
“It reminded me of the joy that I felt of being in the classroom. Going into the classroom, participating with children, interacting with all the activities,” she said. “Having a lasting impression on a child is the best reward you could get.”
This learning style also weeds
See Children’s, Page 2
Wang said there is nothing wrong with a musician having a diverse selection of contemporary music along with classical pieces.
“This is very similar to what Mozart did when he wrote music,” Wang said. “We take those music [pieces] seriously because they are See Strings, Page 2
College districts sign partnership
area’s growing workforce.
FOUSIA ABDULLAHI editor-in-chief fousia.abdullahi@my.tccd.edu
TCC and Dallas College have signed an agreement that will allow students to get degrees and certificates at each college through their partnership.
The memorandum of un derstanding will provide students with degrees and certifications available at both schools, so students can work toward their bachelor’s and associate degrees as well as certifications. The signing was held at a TCC board of trustees meeting on Sept. 26, and Dallas College guests included Chancellor Justin Lonon, board members and other staff.
“We know that the problems don’t stop at the county line,” Lonon said. “So, our commitment to serving our students, serving our community and making sure that those that want to follow their dreams can do so, whichever direc-
Both chancellors believe that this agreement will help students at both colleges to more easily join the
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to students about the growing need for an educated workforce during his stop at New Heights.
Lauren Harper/The Collegian Ted Sunge, a 4-year-old enrolled in the Children’s Center program, celebrates the 50th anniversary on Sept. 24.
Alex Hoben/The Collegian TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc and Dallas College Chancellor Justin Lonon shake hands after signing the agreement.
Alex Hoben/The Collegian NE adjunct music instructor Stephen Beall performs during the string faculty concert.
Rehearsals ramp up for Fort Worth Festival
Movers Unlimited NE Touring Dance Company is perfecting its pirouettes before its performance at the Fort Worth Dance Festival on Oct. 4.
The choreography is a contemporary fusion of Korean and Western moves. When first introduced to the song, they collaborated on the dance’s significance and how that would translate into their work.
“Everything that comes together to make the piece what it is, we sat, and we made it ourselves. We built the piece from the ground up with the concept that we were given,” long-time dancer Malik Arevai said.
Kihyoung Choi, a NE dance professor and director of Movers Unlimited, said her inspiration for the performance was the moon, a source of comfort when she moved from South Korea to the U.S.
“I didn’t have anybody, no family or friends, and the moon was actually the only friend that I talked to,” she said. “I have that memory of what I felt when I look at the moon. I felt loneliness, but I felt like ‘OK, I have to just stick to it, I have to hang on, there’s a reason I’m here.”
Rehearsals, which began last year, run nearly ten hours a day, twice a week. They cover multiple forms of dance, theory and mirror the performance's theme of dedication and persistence, Movers Unlimited member Nairopi Canchola said.
“It’s pretty hard on your body, but with time, you build resilience both physically and mentally,”
She also said the passion for improvement doesn’t stop with the dancers.
“It’s tough love,” she said. “You’re always learning. The way that our director specifically was raised and taught when she was a student was a lot tougher. It forces us and pushes us to be the best we could possibly be, and possibly go beyond that.”
For many dancers, with less than one week to prepare, emotions are running high.
“In that environment, it’s what I’m used to. Yes, I get anxiety, I get nervous before the stage, but everything just comes out during the performance,” Emily Reyes said. “I give it everything - 100%, and everyone else gives it 100%. It feels really nice that we accomplished the performance and that we did it together.”
The theme of family was reiterated throughout. Second-year member Hope Gro-
matzay-Peck explained how the relationships and support systems built between the dancers influence the final result.
“We, as a whole, especially this year, have been so connected. We really focus on bonding because the connection helps with the piece itself,” she said. “It makes it so much more powerful than if you were dancing with people you don’t like. It looks different.”
Choi said the age differences and varying levels of experience across the dancers was a characteristic she took pride in. She said how the team shares their emotions and love for the art can’t be found in a professional dance team.
“You can feel the connection as the audience. They’re support for each other, they’re love for each other, even when they’re not dancing, the energy that they’re giving,” she said. “It’s heartwarming, it’s really beautiful, especially when you see them dancing.”
Children’s
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Lauren HarperThe Collegian
Ted Sunge, 4-years-old, Roman Acosta, 4-years-old, Rafael Acosta, 6-years old, and Thomas Acosta, 1-year-old playing with toys provided by the ceremony.
out those who realize this career path is not something they wish to pursue. It gives them time to start in a different direction without investing thousands in tuition, Karen Kallas, a high school education and training teacher, said.
“They’re four-year universities that don’t have lab schools that offer child redevelopment resources, so to go to a college where you can just get right into it your first year instead of having to wait for your junior or senior year, that’s really great,” Karen Kallas said.
Barbra Smith, a retired educator who worked at the Children’s Center for 45 years, said the program’s approach to development has remained consistent.
“The teachers that teach the young children are previous students of ours, and so the philosophy carries over that our children come first, safety comes first, family and community come first,” she said.
Lola Hamlett, a Collegiate Academy senior and former Children’s Center enrollee, said her time at the Children’s Center fueled her goal of becoming a child advocacy lawyer.
“It was so influential being able to be part of such an innovative program that cared so deeply for the children involved,” she said.
Strings
“Having that individual care really shapes a child and sets them up for success.”
Her mom, Tiffany Hamlett, works for the child development program and passed along her understanding of the importance of quality education at a young age and building a solid foundation for youth to grow into. For student-parents, having this resource on campus at a discounted rate means keeping in close contact with their child while advancing their education and career.
Breanna Clark, a psychology student and parent of a child currently enrolled in the Children’s Center, said the center helped resolve the stress of balancing school while being a mother.
“They used to go to a part-time mothersday-out program, so I was nervous about the transition,” she said. “But they were so caring and attentive. And it being so close gave me more time with my kid.”
Meredith Konland, a TCC graduate and mother of three children previously enrolled in the Children’s Center, said the quality of education offered trumped a long commute.
“You need to know that you can trust the people that you’re leaving your children with,” she said. “It wasn’t accessible ... It was out of my way, but we drove here because we knew how great it was.”
(continued from page 1)
so pretty. ... But originally, many of the pieces are background music for social occasions.”
Jerry Ringe, NE department chair and professor of music, said it was important for the music faculty to do things like this as many people in the TCC community don’t know about the resources available to them through the music department.
“I often [say] that we have an embarrassment of riches, both with the faculty and with the students,” Ringe said.
TCC has a symphony orchestra compris-
ing music students and community musicians that performs two concerts every semester. The next concert will be Oct. 27 at NE.
“If we’re having concerts, don’t miss us,” Ringe said.
Bailey Zemanek, a psychology student at NE, is a fan of classical music and was excited to go to a free concert at TCC.
“I was really excited to see faculty and just be a part of the musical moment,” Zemanek said.
Photos by Lauren Harper/The Collegian
NE Movers Unlimited finish their peformance with drums as they rehearse for the Fort Worth Dance Festival.
Dancers finish off with a group huddle before each rehersal to layout the day’s goals and motivations.
(continued from page 1)
reciprocal tuition for degree and certification pathways.
Dallas College provides degrees in education as well as nursing while TCC offers associate degrees, career certifications and skills certifications.
“Together we are reimagining how we operate, educate and problem solve,” TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc noted that House Bill 8, which is a new state funding model that ties dollars for community colleges to their students’ success rates, is helping colleges work to make sure students graduate and join the workforce.
“It’s certain to help us teach more students and award more credentials of value that align with workforce needs,” LeBlanc said.
Both LeBlanc and Lonon said they are working together to support students in achieving academic and career success.
“In prioritizing student success, we also prioritize the success of business and industry in Texas.” LeBlanc said.
This partnership was in the works for a few years and was brought to fruition with the efforts of board members from both colleges to serve the needs in both Tarrant County and Dallas County.
“If you want to get anything done, get an education and build an economy,” said Paul Mayer, board chair of Dallas College.
CAMPUS VOICES
Axel Rangel NE Campus
“The homelessness issue.
It’s been a lot, even with abandoned buildings. If they can have enough money to tear down forests and build homes, why should they not have enough money to turn these abandoned buildings into homeless shelters?”
Kobe Hagan SE Campus
“I heard both points about inflation and how they will address it in their first year, I want to hear more about that from each candidate.”
Jayda Dickson NE Campus
“How will they fix the school shooting issue and gun control? Because I feel like these things are happening when we know we can prevent it, but the steps aren’t being taken to do so.”
Michael
“I kind of want to see less money to Israel and their conflicts and more money here.”
CAMPUS EVENTS
Patrick Longoria NW Campus
“Transparency and detail in terms of policy. I feel that both sides fail to acknowledge the full effect of what policy they have. They just say, ‘I have a plan,’ but nobody is detailing those plans [And] giving those important facts of how they are going to address those things.”
Jairo Trejo South Campus
“How immigration laws will be handled. If there’s not enough security, and they are letting criminals enter the country, they are pretty much endangering American people.”
“The biggest one is the economy. Food is still too expensive for everyone. It’s a big deal especially for our generation right now, us being young, it’s important that we’re able to keep up with [the economy].”
DISTRICT CRIME LOG
Sept. 23
Unlawful carry of a weapon in prohibited buildings was reported on South Campus.
Sept. 24
An unattended vehicle was hit on NW Campus causing damage less than $200.
Theft of property valued over $100 was reported on NW Campus.
For more details about these and other events visit: https://calendar.tccd.edu/
to 7:30 p.m.
An incident of intentional arson was reported on TR Campus.
A threat causing fear of imminent serious bodily harm was reported on SE Campus. Sept. 25
Amelio SE Campus
River Watters NW Campus
Jurnee Velasquez South Campus
Hoben/The Collegian Members of both TCC and Dallas College board of trustees gather for the signing of the collaboration agreement.
Vaccine hesitancy has repercussions
In recent years, a growing number of childhood illnesses have returned as more and more children’s parents choose not to vaccinate them.
Illnesses like measles, mumps, chickenpox, and whooping cough are all making a comeback because families are choosing not to vaccinate.
The rise in cases is attributed to several factors. One of the main reasons parents are afraid is that some vaccine critics are incorrectly teaching the public that vaccine ingredients cause autism.
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield published a fraudulent study in the Lancet which said there was a link between vaccines and autism. It was debunked and his medical license was taken away. Yet, politicians and celebrities still cite this study as proof.
The Covid-19 crisis has led to more children being unvaccinated. During this time, the average person was getting information from politicians instead of listening to virologists, immunologists and epidemiologists. Not everyone can understand scientific research and googling doesn’t count as “doing research.”
Terms like anti-vaxxer, antivax and “the jab” feel like a political statement and the issue of public health is being hijacked by them.
The early part of the pandemic had so much misinformation, especially from then president Donald Trump.
“I see the disinfectant knocks it out in a minute,” Trump said. “One minute. Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? ... so, it’d be interesting to check that.”
People listened to him because he held a position of power that people looked up to. They assumed what he was saying was correct.
According to a 2023 Lancet study, the anti-vaccine movement found foothold in the conservative political identity.
“Antivaccine activists’ prepandemic messaging increasingly shifted from expressions of concern about health impacts and safety (e.g. claims that vaccines cause autism) to a philosophical focus on liberty evidenced in arguments about health and medical freedom and parental rights.”
Two pivotal things that contributed to this were California getting rid of personal belief exemptions for school vaccination and the formation of political action committees like Texans for Vaccine Choice, which lobbied the legislature and backed conservative political candidates who were antivaccine.
These movements spread like wildfire on social media, especially amongst the crunchy moms and chiropractic community.
The American Pediatric Association said there is a long history of chiropractors being anti-vaccine.
“Evidence-based chiropractors have embraced the concept of vaccination, the rejection of it by conservative chiropractors continues to have a negative influence on both public acceptance of vaccination and acceptance of the chiropractic profession by orthodox medicine.”
One of the reasons that herd immunity is important is because there are people within our communities who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. The more people in the community who get vacci-
nated, the less unmitigated spread of illness occurs.
With the flu season coming up, people who get the flu vaccine protect babies and those with compromised immune systems who cannot get the shot. It has become such a hot-topic that parents, children, and extended family relationships have been
damaged. As unvaccinated children turn 18, they are starting to get their missing childhood vaccines now that their parents can no longer make health decisions for them.
We need better public health cam paigns through social media, print, and in-person presentations. Mostly, people do not want to get sick or make others sick. The more we unite and prevent diseases f rom spreading, the more schools and workplaces can stay open and the less overwhelmed clinics and hospitals will be.
Women with chronic illnesses face hurdles
Some things in life come out of nowhere and shift the trajectory of a person’s life. Developing a chronic illness is one of those things.
I was not sick much when I was growing up other than the usual colds and seasonal allergies. Later, after having my youngest child nine years ago, I developed my first autoimmune disease.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a common thyroid disease that occurs when your immune system attacks your thyroid gland.
This creates a low thyroid hormone. Graves, its sister disease, is where the immune system attacks the thyroid to overproduce the hormone. The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidneys said “Hashimoto’s disease is 4 to 10 times more common in women than men.”
Although the disease may occur in teens or young women, it often develops in women ages 30 to 50.”
I developed it right after giving birth, which is a time when a woman’s body becomes heavily dysregulated from pregnancy and childbirth.
The symptoms are extreme fatigue, weight gain, temperature dysregulation, heavy or irregular menstrual periods, slowed heart rate
FOUSIA ABDULLAHI editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu
and more.
One of the biggest problems I faced in the beginning was getting a diagnosis. Most of these symptoms could very well be postpartum symptoms.
The hard part was trying to get doctors to listen when I was telling them I knew my body, and something was wrong. It took me many months to get a doctor to run tests.
I was one of the lucky ones. Other women faced years of doctors’ appointments until someone listened to them.
There is still so much medical bias when it comes to women. Most times, the doctors will tell women that they are depressed, anxious or hypochondriacs.
The truth of the matter is, if your body is sick and you are tired all the time, of course you’ll be depressed and anxious. Those are the
symptoms of having a chronic illness.
A study by the National Institute of Health found that “Across datasets, women consistently experience a longer time to get diagnoses than men. After matching patients based on the set of algorithmically generated relevant symptoms, women with any given relevant symptom are more likely to experience a longer time to diagnosis than men with the same symptom.”
This is a pain point for women who are struggling to be heard and feel seen by medical professionals, especially male doctors.
It presents a problem when women are waiting long years for a diagnosis. Once a person has one autoimmune disease, there is a 25% chance of developing another.
That was the case for me. Years later, I developed another autoimmune disease. This time, it was Sjogren’s syndrome.
This disease’s symptoms also create extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, eye and mouth dryness, swelling between the jaw and ears, and ultraviolet sensitivity.
I credit finding a black female family doctor who listened to me, my list of symptoms and referred me to a rheumatolo gist who was
also a woman of color. She then promptly ran tests and was able to diagnose me within a week.
It was such a relief to have doctors listen and not make me feel crazy. Early diagnosis means that I learned the tools to help myself and explore the treatments available before the disease progresses.
Many women are not given that chance and are diagnosed when they are at a point of needing extreme medical intervention.
Over the years, I have added more doctors to my medical team and can take quick action during flare-ups.
One of the significant triggers of flare-ups is stress. By getting diagnosed early, I was able to incorporate strategies and communicate with my family about how they could help me avoid stress and over-exertion.
That does not mean that flareups are few and far between. It means that I can plan for events in my life knowing that I will need every tool in my autoimmune tool kit to stay out of the hospital.
If you are a woman struggling with health issues, please find a doctor who will listen. Lean into your support system and create a healthy lifestyle plan so that you have an opportunity to live through the pain.
Van’s Warped Tour festival returns for encore
CHEYENNE SHAWN campus editor collegian.editor@tccd.edu
These programs would educate people with timely and correct information from people who can knowledgeably address misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda.
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.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Fousia Abdullahi
MANAGING EDITOR
Huda Qureshi
ILLUSTRATOR TJ Favela
DESIGNERS Jerry Swinney Elliot McWilliams
PHOTOGRAPHERS Kailey Raley
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Dominick Martinez
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Lauren Harper
DIGITAL EDITOR Alex Hoben
CAMPUS EDITORS Rebecca Champlin Fred Nguyen Ash Petrie Cheyenne Shawn
There’s been a spark of hope.
Rumors have started to circulate about the possibility of it returning.
Bringing back the Vans Warped Tour is no longer just a rumor. It really will happen. The music festival brought music lovers of all ages together to spend a day seeing as many of their favorite bands as they could. This American music festival was full of rock, alternative, poppunk, indie rock and other similar genres. I had the chance to go several times growing up before it ended. It was one of the things I looked forward to for summer break. Music has always been a huge part of my life. I loved being able to spend all day seeing a lot of my favorite bands as well as finding new ones to listen to. The Warped Tour began in 1995 and traveled around the United States and Canada for 24 years. It helped jump-start careers for a lot of punk and emo acts through the years, including Fall Out Boy, Blink-182, Katy Perry, Paramore and many more. It ended in 2019 because founder Kevin Lyman thought it lost the sense of community. He added that playing the Warped Tour also came with its own stigma, revealing that some bands turned down-playing the festival because they didn’t want to be known as “a Warped act.”
Lyman hinted at its return while doing an interview with Pollstar in September.
“We have something cooking for 2025,” Lyman told the online magazine. “Details should be ready in a few weeks.”
Fans will have to wait for details about the lineup, dates and locations. But man, am I excited that Vans Warped Tour could really be returning.
It’s become clear that bringing back a music festival like this still has a market and demand. This was shown with the success of the When We Were Young festival that took place in Vegas in 2022. It had a similar setup to the Warped Tour, featuring many artists over a weekend in a huge arena, the Las Vegas Festival grounds.
The first year was said to be a blast and a great throwback party for the festival-missing millennials. As someone who grew up
going to the Warped Tour, I really wanted to go to ‘When We Were Young’. But due to the cost of concert tickets, travel and hotel, I couldn’t make it. Bringing back how Warped Tour traveled throughout the States would help relieve a lot of that stress for many fans.
I’ve talked to some people and read online how a lot of those who went to a Warped Tour show enjoyed it and now look at it in a nostalgic way. For those who couldn’t go when they were younger, they now have adult money to spend on tickets. The Warped Tour had an immense cultural effect on punk, emo and alternative kids in those 24 years. The bands that played in their early days had illustrious careers in the genre. If the reports of a comeback of Warped Tour are true, you can count me in.
TJ Favela/The Collegian
‘The Substance’ is gory, thrilling, tragic
Use of body horror represents oppressive beauty standards
HUDA
A substance that can make people the most beautiful versions of themselves is handed out with an imagined warning sign that reads: “You can’t escape from yourself.”
Demi Moore’s character, Elisabeth Sparkle, learns this lesson in the most violent of ways in “The Substance.” It’s painful, bizarre and all kinds of tragic as she fights tooth and nail to maintain beauty standards manufactured to profit off inescapable insecurities, especially those of women.
As a celebrity losing her charm and influence with the public due to simply existing as an aging woman, desperation is fierce. The appeal of a substance that claims to restore beauty to its maximum potential is irresistible, regardless of the consequences.
At first, it’s magical. She is reborn as Sue, the most beautiful girl in the world. Sue gets the TV deal. Sue is loved without question. Everyone just treats her better.
But Elisabeth still exists. Sue can only exist for seven days at a time before it’s back to being Elisabeth, and the balance must be respected, as they are one and the same. Sue is pretty. Elisabeth doesn’t think she is. She finds a dangerous loophole to extend her time as Sue, ultimately leading to their joint gory downfall.
To try and describe the body horror in this film is to do it injustice. It’s an experience not for the squeamish. I cringed and covered my eyes, but I was still invested in what would happen next.
However, it’s not a perfect movie. It drags on longer than it needs to, relying on the same shock factor to keep it going. A lot of it could be condensed, which might make it stronger. Still, there is a lot to love. The sound design was incredibly immersive, enhanced by the striking visuals. The performances by the two lead women, Margaret Qualley and Moore, were impossible to turn away from.
The film is in-your-face with the way it lingers on the curves of the younger woman’s body, her obsessive vanity apparent. The fixation on being beautiful doesn’t let up, even as
Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance.
the characters begin rotting into something monstrous. This fixation is mirrored in the real world in many ways. There’s been a sharp uptick in eating disorder communities online, a space built on self-hatred and reaching im possible beauty standards. The community is primarily young girls without direction, rely
‘Never Let Go’ falls short of its interesting premise
The film could have been a very good survival thriller, but it leans more into the genre it is weakest in.
ing on being beautiful to feel valuable.
Substance” got it exactly right.
Alexander Aja’s survival horror feature “Never Let Go” never fully gained its footing, even with a great cast and intriguing concepts.
The film takes place in a remote cabin in a dense forest and follows a woman, referred to as Momma (Halle Berry), and her two sons, Nolan and Samuel (Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins.) The loving but tough Momma tries to protect her children from a supernatural entity only known as “The Evil” that only she can see.
The cabin is their haven, and to venture out, the family must tie themselves to the house using a long rope to keep “The Evil” from touching them. According to Momma, they are the last survivors of the destruction of humanity by the entity.
The slow-paced scenes at the beginning show a glimpse of the day-to-day life of the family. Viewers are sucked into the world through the family’s inadequate meals and evil cleansing rituals. The cinematography allows these moments to linger through a minimalistic, straightforward approach.
The film also builds on great performances from Berry, Daggs and Jenkins. They are the central focus of the story, and the internal conflict within the family is what makes this film so interesting.
Berry’s performance as the loving but fiercely protective Momma fully displays her talents. Viewers feel empathy for her struggles and can see her love for her family, not just through her explicit actions, but through the little unnoticed moments.
Daggs and Jenkins play the contrasting roles of Nolan and Samuel to fantastic heights. Young actors face unique challenges in the film industry due to their inexperience, but the duo exceeded all expectations.
Daggs especially conveys intense emotions and depth in his performance of Nolan in a way that resembles a full-fledged actor. However, all these positive aspects of the film are devalued by its glaring faults.
Most disappointingly, this horror film isn’t horrifying at all. “The Evil” isn’t given much screentime, which is a good thing as the designs and concept of the shapeshifting entities come across as silly and cliche rather than terrifying.
The story never materializes into what it promised to be. The confusing plot leads viewers from one conclusion to another and not in a good way. All this buildup and misdi rection ultimately ends on a frustrating note.
“Never Let Go” hangs on its perfor mances, but as the performances become less important, the quality of the film visibly dete riorates.
The characters and their world, which were so important in the first half of the film, become secondary in the final scenes of the film. Even the most integral questions like what “The Evil” really is, are forgotten in the rushed ending.
More time should have been given to continue the interesting world they were suc cessfully creating instead of falling to the old cliches of explosive, Hollywood-style end ings.
Photo courtesy of Mubi via AP
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Halle Berry as Momma in Never Let Go.
South campus fencing club learns the importance of perseverance
ASH PETRIE campus editor ashleigh.petrie@my.tccd.edu
The tip of her sword thrust toward her opponent as she lunged with great force, but as swiftly as she made her move, the opponent calculated his defense and blocked her attempt.
This is a normal Wednesday afternoon for members of the South Campus Fencing Club when they gear up and prepare for battle.
Every Monday and Wednesday, the club meets in the gym to line up with their dominant foot pointed toward an opponent as coach Vincent Bradford guides students through technical drills.
“It takes strategy,” Bradford said. “Like chess, but it’s physical.”
She is a former Olympic fencer who leads the club alongside president Persephone Battle.
“Being a fencer requires a union between the body and mind,” said Battle with a foil in her hand.
There are three types of fencing, and the club practices foil. A foil is the weapon used, but according to members, it is never a weapon. It is a foil.
Battle described fencing as an intellectual game that requires both physical strength and concentration working closely together. According to her, any fencer who uses one over the other is bound to lose.
“A straight lunge that is timed perfectly, on point and hits the target is beautiful,” Battle said.
Fencing is an art form, according to club member Anne Phan.
“It’s an entire head-to-toe movement,” said Phan as she practiced lunges in a corner of the gym.
Over and over, Phan lunged forward while propelling her foil into a practice target. She wanted to master the footwork needed to launch herself toward an opponent.
“I’m really short, so creating a reach is very important to me,” Phan said.
The sport does not separate fencers by weight or class, and the club values those rules.
During practice, they rotate every few minutes to ensure every member practices with each other.
“Right away, you know what you can use as your advantage,” said Keltavis Easterling, the tallest member of the club.
Easterling’s reach is further than Phan’s, but his height can also be a disadvantage. For him, it is difficult to defend an opponent’s attack when they briskly force themselves past his reach.
“Some people see it as unfair, but once you know how to understand your disadvantage it benefits you,” Easterling said.
Protecting their disadvantages is an integral part of strategy. After a match, the two fencers would discuss and work through the mistakes made to modify techniques they used.
“Fencers always have to think about what action to take to get the right of way,” Battle said.
Right of way is who holds priority in a match. When a fencer has right of way, they score the point. If a fencer hits their opponent on target but doesn’t have the right of way,
they do not score a point.
It can be difficult to determine who has right of way, but the club utilized a fencing box to help members when refereeing the match.
“It is the hub for all the electronics,” said
Isaac Senisch, former club president, as he plugged his foil into the box.
Fencers wear a LeMay that covers their entire torso. Both the LeMay and the fencers’ foils plug into the box. When the tip of a foil stabs the LeMay, it triggers the box to flash a colored
on target or not.
Battle refereed the practice. She stood on top of the bleachers, quiet and focused as she watched every movement. When the box signaled a hit, she contemplated the match and made the judgment call.
There were rivalries between members.
But after every match, both fencers walked up the fencing strip toward one another and shook each other’s hands.
“The sport teaches us how to be humble and respectful of each other,” Easterling said.
Every member discussed the importance
way of thinking. Right-of-way rules are implemented into their everyday tasks. They act strategically by approaching situations analytically and taking time to think about their response.
Emerald Barragan, a new club member, said fencing is academic. It has driven her to perform better in school and work.
“My thought process is easier when making decisions because fencing is a lot of quick thinking,” said Barragan, waiting for her one-on-one with their coach.
Bradford called over students who compete in fencing competitions to stand facing her. With their foils in hand, she demanded good posture and confidence before beginIn these sessions, Bradford trained the students with the techniques best suited to
“She is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met,” Battle said.
While the fencing club credits their success to Bradford, she declined to accept it.
“They are responsible for the momentum of this club,” said Bradford. “I just show up and coach. They do the rest of it.”
After completing personal training, Bradford left for the club to continue for another hour. She trusts the students to be alone with equipment and expects them to properly put everything away.
“What I see here in the student-run club is it’s all on them,” said Bradford, “and they’re doing a fabulous job.” Students have joined the Fencing Club for many reasons. Either they needed a kinesiology credit or found it intriguing. And while the foil is never a weapon, they all admitted wanting to play a part in their favorite
“It makes me feel like a pirate,” Phan
The club showed great appreciation for one and other. There was never discourse or frustration between members. Everyone spoke highly of their fellow club members and were grateful for the friendships they have made.
“They’re the reason why I’ve stayed in college,” Easterling said. “This club is helpful, and I lean on all of them for support.”
Photos by Kailey Raley/The Collegian South Campus student Isaac Senisch and dual-credit student Persephone Battle practice a bout, a single fencing match.
South Campus Student Anne Phan works on her reach during her lunges at a fencing practice.
South Campus Student Anne Phan works on her reach during her lunges at a fencing practice.