@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu Anything for peace PG. 2
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 – Volume 35 • Issue 16
Illustration by Abbas Ghor
The 2022 Super Bowl will have the Los Angeles Rams face off against the Cincinnati Bengals at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
NORTHEAST
Lofty expectations set for Super Bowl AUSTIN FOLKERTSMA
campus editor austin.folkertsma@my.tccd.edu
As the 2022 Super Bowl approaches Feb.13, students are excited to see how it plays out between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams. “The best part of the Super Bowl is the hype,” NE student Justin Rohm said. “Both teams deserve the victory.” Rohm is excited that for once, the Super Bowl won’t consist of
Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. “[Matthew] Stafford was on a shit team for many seasons, but now, he’s on a solid team and finally he’s getting the recognition he deserves. The Bengals haven’t won anything since 1988, until now, hopefully. ‘Who dey,’” Rohm said, repeating the Bengals’ chant. NE student Angel de la Cruz said he is excited to watch Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige in the halftime show. All five performers combined have 43 Grammys.
“I am mostly looking forward to the Bengals knocking off the Rams because the Rams beat my 49ers on Championship Sunday,” NE student Kaden Welch said. Welch is also anticipating the face-off between Bengals and Rams’ quarterbacks, Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford. NE student Jason Holly is a Detroit Lions fan but is proud of the Bengals. He said it’s their time to win because it’s been 30 years since they made it to a Super Bowl. Holly is hoping former Lions quarterback and current Rams
quarterback Matthew Stafford gets his Super Bowl ring because former Lions player Ndamukong Suh got his last year. “I personally don’t have a favorite team, but I did grow up in a big family where football was a staple in our household,” NE student Toni Gonzales said. “I’m most excited for the inevitable Super Bowl party and being surrounded by family and close friends.” Gonzales loves watching the halftime show and is looking forward to having a good time. “I am optimistic about the
Super Bowl because I am able to see friends and spend some time with them,” NE student Richard Colón Rivera said. Rivera expressed that although he doesn’t like parties, he likes Super Bowl parties and watching people from opposing sides root for their respective teams while sharing laughs. “I am excited for the Rams to play at their home stadium and the Bengals to win,” NE student Ashley Ryan said.
DISTRICT
High school students feel mixed about digital SAT JUAN SALINAS II
campus editor juan.salinas465@my.tccd.edu
The College Board announced that the SAT will be fully digital by 2024, and opinions are somewhat mixed. “If doing class in quarantine has taught me anything, it's that the world is evolving into a technologyfocused society and that at this point it's not about how I feel, but instead, how I can adapt,” said Makayla Johnson, Marine Creek Collegiate High School junior. The test will be shortened to two hours instead of three, and results will be released in a couple of days rather than weeks, according to a statement on the College Board website. A growing number of four-year
universities are making the SAT an optional part of the admission process. Seventy-five percent of fouryear colleges and universities will not require it from Fall 2022 applicants, according to the educationfocused organization Fair Test. MCCHS college and career readiness coach Kierney Buchanan hopes the SAT going digital will make the test more relevant and more easily accessible to every student. “I don’t think SAT scores should be the only thing universities look at when accepting or denying a student admission,” Buchanan said. “Office of admissions should take a look at the student as a whole. Do a more holistic approach to their acceptances.” MCCHS sophomore Jeffrey Munoz is relieved the SAT is going digital but has concerns that it will
make it more difficult for colleges to pick qualified students. “Putting it in an online state can cause exploits and maybe fraudulent scores,” Munoz said. MCCHS junior Jazmine Gonzalez prefers taking tests on pencil and paper. “It gives me a sense of relief knowing that I can jot down my thought process on paper,” she said. “I’ve done tests before online, however, I never got the same satisfaction like I do on paper. I feel, for me, that online it’s more tiring because you stare at a screen for hours, and it can be a distraction. From what I’ve heard from friends and other students in general, not many of them enjoy taking tests as well online either.” Eighty percent of students found the digital SAT to be less stressful, according to the College
Joel Solis/The Collegian
Students taking a test at the SE testing center Feb. 1. Board. MCCHS senior Klarrisa Orozco thinks it will be a positive thing but has questions about how the College Board will deal with several variables that come with online testtaking. “I think it would be best to get rid of the tests so students won't be
so stressed all the time and judged based on test scores,” Orozco said. MCCHS junior Evelyn Vasquez isn’t entirely convinced by the digital transition but isn’t opposed to it. She said it will take away unnecessary anxiety from her while taking the test, but it loses some of its legitimacy.
Entertainment
Opinion
Opinion
Editorial
RETRO GARBAGE Some games don’t need to be played again. PG. 2
NEW CALIFORNIA It’s not that serious, Texans. PG. 3
LOST CONNECTION Internet has been a curse in disguise. PG. 3
PERSONAL DATA AT RISK? We’ve given too much to corporations. PG. 3
2•
ENTERTAINMENT
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
VIDEO GAME RETROSPECTIVE
Not every old game should be remembered
Photos courtesy of G-MODE Corporation
Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja was made by Data East, a now defunct company, in 1988. It released in arcades and the Nintendo Entertainment System. MICHAEL FOSTER-SANDERS
senior producer michael.foster-sanders@my.tccd.edu
Nostalgia is a tricky slope to navigate through. On one hand, a person will have rosetinted glasses on and tend to omit the bad in something, due to it giving a person a period in life that was joyful. The other side of the coin is realizing how dumpster truck juice something is. Data East’s Dude franchise, consisting of Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja, which is trash, and Two Crude, which is dog feces set on fire in a bag, show what was wrong with arcade game design in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It also showed why to avoid picking up these games on modern systems. Bad Dudes debuted in 1988 in arcades across America. It has a straightforward premise in its design. Hit everything on the
stage, don’t get hit and look badass while doing it. Sounds simple enough, but the execution was flawed. Gameplay is more akin to a run n’ gun instead of a beat ‘em up — a genre in which Taito’s Double Dragon set the industry standard for in 1987. Enemy ninjas will come at the player relentlessly from all corners, and that would be fine if you had some kind of projectile like in Sega’s Shinobi or Namco’s Rolling Thunder, which Bad Dudes takes cues from at times. But here, the player only has two weapons besides their fist to fight with: nunchucks and a small knife, so say goodbye to a chunk of your life quickly. Character animations are sluggish and unpredictable, so again, say goodbye to your precious life bar. Also, the bosses, besides the first one, are cheap as hell and will drain your life bar with three hits. Notice the emphasis on the player’s life bar. This game was made to drain players of their parent’s money and is known in arcade terminology
Become a Pioneer with a degree from Texas Woman’s
as a “quarter muncher.” Not everything is bad about Bad Dudes, though. The urban background setting in the game influenced one of the greatest beat em’ ups of all time, Capcom’s Final Fight, which was released the next year. The game’s action movie plot, which has players saving former president Ronnie from ninjas, will give the most stone-faced person a great chuckle. 1991 brought the spiritual sequel to Bad Dudes in the form of Two Crude, and it somehow takes everything bad about the first game and makes it worse. The premise this time around is that New York City is a waste zone filled with gangs, and the new commander in chief wants the Dudes to clean up the city and make it livable for law-abiding citizens. The graphics are improved with the two-year jump between the games, but the sprites are big and clunky. This causes the player to take unnecessary damage by
SHOW REVIEW
DC doesn’t hold back with ‘Peacemaker’ JOSE ROMERO
Schedule a visit with TWU Admissions staff at TCC Feb. 14 South Campus, SSTU Dining Area Feb. 15 Trinity River Campus, Riverfront Cafe Feb. 16 Northeast Campus, Transfer Center Hallway Feb. 17 Northwest Campus, Theater Hallway Meetings available 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Register at:
enemies since they have limited movement. A gimmick the game plays up to is that your characters can lift anything and throw it, but it gets repetitive quickly. The bosses are a unique bunch. Some turn into mutants, cyborgs or just throw snakes at the player, but the problem is, just like the first game, these bosses will hit the player twice, resulting in a quick loss of life. During a playthrough at the arcade, it took $19.75 to beat. Even in the quarter muncher era, this was unacceptable, but arcade owners loved it since it was profitable for them. Long story short, play Bad Dudes to see how far beat ‘em ups evolved so we could get the perfect Streets of Rage 4 and avoid Two Crude like COVID.
editor-in-chief collegian.editor@tccd.edu
DC has thrown its hat into the ring that is the Disney-dominated, high-budget superhero show with “Peacemaker,” and it’s done a pretty good job at it. The story begins about five months after the events of 2021’s “The Suicide Squad.” Peacemaker, played by America’s favorite wrestler John Cena, is in the hospital after sustaining damage in the climax of the film. In the show, he initially believes that he’s a free man, no longer under the chokehold of the government, but he’s quickly slapped with a reality check. When he arrives home, he’s approached by an agent named Clemson Murn, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. He says Peacemaker showed his loyalty in the last mission since he killed one of his team members that was going to expose the government. So, Peacemaker is recruited for Project Butterfly — a discrete government operation. Not like he has much of a choice since it’s either helping on the mission or finishing his 30-year prison sentence. Writer/director James Gunn brings his Marvel pedigree to the show, so it may feel familiar to some. It has a mixed bag of characters with questionable motives and a CG animal. Sound familiar? Fortunately, because of his experience, he’s become pretty good at fleshing out an entire group of characters. But his involvement also brings along his sense of humor, which can be hit or miss at times. Leota Adebayo, played by Danielle Brooks, is the standout character of the group. She’s brought into the mission through means unknown by the others, making them question her purpose. She’s not as well-trained or notorious as the rest of the team, so she’s constantly having to prove herself. Sometimes, proving herself means having to do something she’s not
entirely comfortable with, such as taking a life. She brings a nice beating heart to a group of cynical government employees that want nothing to do with Project Butterfly. Especially because it means having to work with Peacemaker. Adebayo fittingly describes him. He’s sexist, probably racist, but above all else, sad. In “The Suicide Squad,” he’s shown to be a no-nonsense mercenary that’s willing to do anything for peace, no matter “how many men, women and children” he has to kill for it. Now, he has more reservations about the targets he’s willing to take out. He still is an absolute murderous maniac, but there’s something different about him. He constantly reflects on the words he was told by the man he killed in the film. “Peacemaker, what a joke.” Those words are embedded into his brain, making him realize he may not be the hero he hopes he is. Cena’s portrayal of Peacemaker is surprisingly complex, turning a despicable assassin into a charming, relatable human with a conscience. This show isn’t for anybody with a weak stomach. Guts and blood shower the screen as the fantastic glam-rock soundtrack reverberates in the background. The CG is noticeable at times during these sequences, but what’s happening on-screen is more interesting than nitpicking it. “Peacemaker” doesn’t break the mold from what’s expected from a superhero show, nor does it need to. It’s fun, chaotic and surprisingly has heart. At the time of writing, five episodes have been released out of eight. If it remains consistent, then it’s worth watching. Even if just for Eagly, Peacemaker’s bald eagle sidekick.
OPINION
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 • 3
EDITORIAL
We’ve given away too much to corporations The internet is a necessary service, like running water or plumbing for a home. The U.S infrastructure heavily relies on it, but so many dilemmas haven’t been solved yet — from the government overstepping its bounds to society’s overtrust of faceless corporations with data. This double-edged sword is something that needs to be discussed before it is too late. Technology has advanced so fast over the last 21 years that now information gathered from data is more important than the individual. Just 14 years ago, the first generation iPhone was released to the public. It seems like in the blink of an eye, everyone’s data became the property of a handful of corporations. Meta — previously known as Facebook — has been caught in multiple scandals such as knowing the harm of social media on kids but still targeting them to having users’ data legally obtained by a political party data-analytics firm. It would be easy to put everything on Meta, but it is only the face of the problem. Too much faith is put into faceless corporations to protect personal information. Millions of people have their banking information or other sensitive information saved on phones and desktops. Apple has made strides to protect personal information, but what is stopping it from doing what Meta did? A for-profit business is usually not going to do the right thing over making more money. That is just a fact in a capitalist society.
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
While there are basic ways of protecting personal information on the internet, such as a VPN, it isn’t enough. We live in a society that heavily relies on technology, so buying a log house in the middle of the woods wouldn’t be an appealing solution. This is where the government should step in and have more
regulations that restrict data tracking so those big corporations will have to be more transparent with people’s data. But, there is a pretty major issue. The average age in the Senate is 62.9 years old. The people in Congress are too old to understand the importance of this issue or even how social media works. Every day Silicon Valley is
growing more and more powerful without proper regulations. A modern-day Franklin D. Roosevelt is needed. Someone that will be willing to break these companies up. While the government does need to act, in the same vein, it needs to take a step back. It’s no secret that our generation does not have the same privacy as other generations
did. But, with the implementation of the Patriot Act, a policy passed six weeks after 9/11 that grants law enforcement more power to “prevent terrorist attacks,” the U.S. has been abusing this power for 21 years now. These kinds of laws have given the U.S. the ability to record phone calls and collect data from the internet from normal citizens under the pretext of looking for terrorist activity. The only reason this information is publicly known is because of Edward Snowden — who leaked it to the press in 2013. The Patriot Act did expire in 2020 due to congress’ inaction to reauthorize it, but the most harmful provisions are still in effect. Now the U.S. government is using the Jan. 6 Capital riots as an excuse to expand that power. Joe Biden released the “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism” in June 2021. Instead of the false pretext being a foreign enemy as the reason to spy on citizens, it will be whatever the current administration determines is domestic terrorism. This could be a slippery slope. These over-reaching measures have been abused for far too long. It will give bloated government agencies more funds and power to problems that they are already capable of solving. The remaining Patriot Act provisions should be removed and be remembered as a bad policy that overstayed its welcome. The government doesn’t have the right to spy on people, and corporations shouldn’t have the right to sell user data without permission.
VIEWPOINTS
Humans were unprepared for expansion of internet
ALEX HOBEN
photo editor alexander.hoben@my.tccd.edu
Our society wasn’t ready to experience the abruptness of technology’s accessibility and volatile nature and it shows. When the world was overcome with a pandemic and sent us inside, we turned to online platforms for a connection with others. With that increase in use during a terrible time, we were flooded with panic-driven content and no way to sort through it. It’s almost like we couldn’t take the information overload because we suddenly had the world at our fingertips but no way to comprehend its scope. The World Wide Web caught the public and has us trapped in a cycle of eliciting extreme emotions to promote content. It has turned into a setting where corporations profit from the data that they collect, then turn around and fuel it back into campaigns and ads to make it worse. It’s a constantly moving stream where an important crisis or issue can be buried by layer after layer of argumentative posts, death threats or even memes, and we as the users are starting to drown. The main regulatory code for the net is a nine-page document made by the Federal Communications Commission in October 2015. The purpose of the document is “to protect and promote the Internet as an open platform enabling consumer choice, freedom
Texans need to calm down. Cultural changes can be good.
of expression, end-user control, competition, and the freedom to innovate without permission,” but the innovation that this outdated document refers to has grown into a beast of its own. Now we’re in the middle of not quite chaos, but definitely unrest. Social platforms thrive on the turnover of extreme responses with shock value viewership. These responses are then collected as data to do it all again. Pop-ups bring you to obviously agendadriven news sources that, more than likely, aren’t factually driven if you care to look — and that’s the problem. Because we’ve become impatient with this sudden influx of everything we can dream of, a lot of users don’t take the time to verify the truth. And because you can respond immediately to the post through the platforms, that’s incredibly dangerous. We need to all take a step back and think maybe an extra three minutes when posting online, myself included. Just because the new “Space Jam” movie made me cry since Bugs Bunny was killed doesn’t mean I need to tell that to a large audience, especially the web. I love the internet and how it has brought me entertainment and knowledge throughout my entire life. It’s grown at the same time I did, and I’m worried about what I see now. That love has to be tempered with the realization that for the benefits the information highway provides in all fields: scientific, humanitarian and even political — it is just as detrimental as a poison for our society when the content is taken without whole bags of salt. It’s like a beautiful knife that we can use to help us build our future, but it can also stab us in the process.
MEGHAN SCHILLING
campus editor meghan.schilling@my.tccd.edu
There is a huge controversy going on in Texas, and it’s quite ridiculous. Many people have been comparing Texas to California, with some saying Texas is becoming it. I do not think this is the case because those are two different states with two different cultures. However, I can see why people assume such things. Texas has seen a mass amount of people moving over here, and that has to do with a multitude of things such as job opportunities, living costs and a better weather climate. Dallas is known for its vast job opportunities, as well as Fort Worth. There are also tons of oil rigs in the area as well as military bases in places such as San Antonio and Austin. Renting an apartment in Texas is on the cheaper side. Places like California can be as much as $2,000 a month just for a single bedroom. Texas offers a variety of places to live, and a one-bedroom apartment can cost $900 a month instead. That is a huge price difference, so I can understand why people decide to venture out into the Lone Star State. Texas also has a lot of attractions that tend to attract tourists. Places like the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the Boardwalk in San Antonio and 6th Street in
Austin. Texas is such a big state, it has so many things to offer for those wanting more in their lives. It’s also beautiful when the weather does decide to cooperate. However, we Texans can agree that it rarely cooperates. One way to tell Texas is growing is by simply looking around. Everywhere you look, there is either a new set of homes or apartments being built. This can be quite annoying because this causes more traffic in the surrounding areas, creating a greater inconvenience. This also makes people feel like an area is getting overcrowded and less enjoyable. Restaurants have also been picking up in popularity. Now you have to wait anywhere from one to two hours just to eat. People argue that the people here in Texas have changed, and some say it’s for the worse. This statement is false. Just because different people are coming from all over doesn’t mean anything. If anything, people coming from different states has brought a new sense of formality to the area. I love learning new things about surrounding states and how things are done differently where people come from. Texans often say that Texas is changing for the worse because of the political agenda. However, I think Texans can learn a thing or two from newcomers and help expand their knowledge. Those concerned about Texas becoming the next California just need to set their minds at ease. This will never be the case because Texas is always going to change due to the surrounding areas like Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. The changes should be welcome with open arms.
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
office (NCAB 1124A, NE Campus),or mailed to:
The Collegian 828 Harwood Road Hurst, TX 76054
LEAD DESIGNER Abbas Ghor SENIOR PRODUCER Michael Foster-Sanders
CAMPUS EDITORS Logan Evans Juan Salinas II Austin Folkertsma Meghan Schilling
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Meet EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jose Romero
@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu
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Staff
ILLUSTRATOR/DESIGNER Amber Davis WEB COORDINATOR/DESIGNER Shelby Gatewood PHOTO EDITOR Alex Hoben
Professional Staff ADVISER Chris Whitley PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacy Luecker
4 • Wednesday, February 9, 2022
FEATURE
Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian
A photograph entitled “Amen” by Nitashia Johnson displayed at the Black is Black: Invitational on SE Campus. The exhibit was curated by John Spriggins.
SE’s art exhibit celebrates Black artists “Blood in the Water” by Abi Salami. This piece is made of acrylic on canvas.
“Tears” by Jarrad Hamilton. The piece is oil on canvas.
“Untitled” by Sam Lao. This piece is made of fiber on wood.
“Bloodlines” by Sanah Brown-Bowers. This piece combines various forms of art.
“The Headdress” by John Spriggins, the curator of the exhibit.
“The Gown” by John Spriggins. It is a photo collage on paper.