The Living Literature event changed Rebecca Balcarcel’s life forever. Before she was an associate professor of English on NE Campus, Balcarcel was a student at TCC interested in science. She initially attended the Living Literature event featuring Linda Pastan in 1991 for extra credit but left with a completely new path in life as a writer.
“I had never met a living poet before,” she said. “I thought all poets were dead. I was only 21, so seeing a poet standing there was very mind-blowing to me. I understood for the first time that one could have a creative life, that a person could build their life around writing, creating stuff and that was very exciting to me.”
On March 25, award-winning poet Chen Chen will be coming to NE Campus to speak to students about his work. His poems explore navigating the world as a queer Asian American and the various complexities that come with maintaining relationships.
Balcarcel said Chen’s work is raw and honest as he tells the truth about his life experiences.
“That takes courage,” she said. “I relate to it even though I’m not a man. I’m not Asian. There’s a lot of differences between us, but because his works are something human, I feel like I’m learning about myself, reading his work.”
Shewanda Riley, English department chair, said she enjoys Chen’s work because it challenges readers to have critical conversations with themselves and the people around them. She sees the event as opening audience members up to incorporating poetry in their everyday lives.
“So many people do not like poetry because they think, ‘Oh, it’s so hard, I don’t get it,’” she said. “I think if they come to his presentation, they will, number one, find another great poet that they can love, but then they can also realize that poetry is engaging, and it is not these kinds of distant, abstract ideas that don’t make sense.”
Balcarcel experienced this first-hand as a student when her
LinkedIn Learning services have returned to TCC students and staff as of March 4 after they lost access five months ago.
The removal of access was due to the platform’s diversity, equity and inclusion related courses, which are banned in Texas under Senate Bill 17.
According to TCC General Counsel, LinkedIn was not able to accommodate restricting access to DEI content for TCC at the
time of shutdown, which has since changed.
All access to DEI content was removed by LinkedIn Learning for TCC in order to keep the college compliant with the ban. LinkedIn Learning provides on-demand online learning and certifications to help users learn new skills.
Vice Chancellor for Communications and External Affairs Reginald Gates said TCC conducted an audit to ensure all learning materials and outlets are SB17 compliant, with a report to be presented to the board soon.
“You log in the same way as previously. We worked with Linke-
dIn to remove any SB17 violation content, and that’s what we were doing while the site was down,” Gates said. “So we’ve successfully done that, and now the site’s back
up.”
During the disruption, TCC staff were advised to use the internal TCC LearnCenter created by the Organizational Excellence and Development. According to the TCC website, they provide professional development opportunities and continuous learning for all college employees.
In a statement released before LinkedIn Learning was removed, TCC trustee Laura Pritchett, who ran on a platform lowering taxes for homeowners and removing DEI practices, posted on Facebook that
CEATL celebrates 10 years of growth
Community gathers to honor aviation education progress
DIEGO COLLAZO campus editor diego.collazo@my.tccd.edu
Faculty, staff and students gathered on Feb. 28 to commemorate the work CEATL has done at Perot Field Alliance Airport.
The event took place in the Erma C. Johnson Hadley NW Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics hangar, where TCC leaders, program alumni and industry experts discussed the program’s impact on the college, the aviation industry and the Fort Worth community.
CEATL alumnus Isaiah Eliander shared his journey, recalling how he enrolled in the program four months into his first semester after he and his wife welcomed their daughter—a moment he said brought new responsibilities.
“I was lacking direction, responsibility and commitment,” Eliander said. “There were times my fortitude was tested … but when my beautiful daughter was born, I knew I had to follow the path TCC provided me.”
Eliander spoke of overcoming obstacles, recalling nights when exhaustion nearly overtook him.
“It was difficult to balance work, school and being a dad. I had days where I nearly fell asleep standing against the wall in the dark room,” Eliander said. “Yet I remained devoted, and I’m proud of my achievements.”
Eliander credited his classmates, instructors and the program’s engaging curriculum for his success. Now a non-destructive
testing inspector for Mayday Alliance, he said the program gave him a fulfilling career.
“When the weekends come to an end, I don’t dread Mondays. For the first time in my life, I can say I have a career… a career I’m committed to,” Eliander said. “If I’m having a bad day, I still have high regard for what I do, and to me, that is success.”
Michael Esquivel, dean of aviation, business and logistics, said the program went from a twoyear wait time to a one-year wait
time with 255 students in the program. He said the seats are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration with a limit of 25 students per cohort.
“We were able to add 50 students this semester and hope to graduate 50 people with degrees and their FAA license.”
Esquival said starting in the fall, dual credit will be offered at the Opportunity Center with Dunbar High School in Fort Worth ISD to give students interested in the program a head start.
“A potential 18-20 students will take what we call the general aviation maintenance courses to pretty much eliminate a semester,” he said. “Once they finish those six courses, we can put them in a rotation up here where they can fit in and join the students.” NW President Zarina Blankenbaker also spoke on CEATL’s commitment to strengthening partnerships, developing cutting-edge programs and ensuring CEATL
Amid Tarrant County’s rapid growth, the NW horticulture program and Grow North Texas are collaborating to educate the metroplex on urban farming.
Grow North Texas, a nonprofit aimed at creating sustainable food systems, will curate curriculum for NW on how to farm in industrialized areas, a division of agriculture that the nonprofit’s farm success manager, Helen Dulac, said is increasingly needed.
“The pandemic showed us that our local food systems need to be more resilient, and that starts with growing food and growing food at a larger scale,” she said. “[Grow North Texas] wants to increase the number of urban farmers and help them be successful. In order to do that, we need partnerships across Dallas and Tarrant County.”
The monthly, two-hour classes are expected to begin later in the spring. Dulac said the first four classes will focus on water and ir-
rigation.
“Growing in North Texas is very challenging with our soil and climate,” she said. “To grow enough produce to sell or market, you need good irrigation.” Dulac said they eventually
hope to teach the mechanical skills necessary for urban farming, such as electrical work, small engine repair, greenhouse and truck trailer classes.
Under the partnership, Grow North Texas will also sponsor 10 beginner farmers from across Tarrant County to attend the new classes. However, a federal funding freeze in January restricted grant money Grow North Texas intended to use to cover their tuition, delay-
ing the initial start date. Dulac said despite the setback, they’re still committed to their mission of educating local farmers and are looking for alternative funding avenues.
“If we’re not able to access federal funding for agriculture, I think that’s just going to strengthen the grassroots support for agriculture and emphasize that there is a need for locally grown foods,” she said. “We hope we can tap into other groups or organizations, or people will be willing to provide funding or scholarships for people to attend these courses.”
Horticulture program coordinator David Cole said that through the partnership, he hopes to address a steady decrease in family farms by attracting those not raised in the agricultural industry.
“Usually, farmers are incredibly well-rounded in their handson skills, whether it’s fixing their vehicles, equipment, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, because that’s usually not economically feasible to contract out,” he said.
“Some of those hands-on skills are missing in a larger portion of
NW horticulture student Natalie Stenger (left) and NW instructional assistant Morgan Bibbs (right) fill the back of a pickup truck with plants to take to the greenhouses across campus.
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
Kailey Raley/The Collegian NW aviation students sit in the hanger and listen to industry professionals and TCC staff about the future of the aviation industry, workforce readiness and the role of the NW CEATL program.
Photo courtesy of AP/Tim Post
Finding roots through genealogy research
Fort Worth History Center librarian teaches about free resources
Students and faculty gathered to learn more about genealogy research during the Tracing Your Roots event held Feb. 25 in the Fish Tank on TR Campus.
A student-led genealogy research club, Discover Your Roots, has recently been reestablishing themselves to offer students a chance to explore their family histories and connect to their roots.
The TR library alongside the Fort Worth Public Library History Center talked about the multiple types of genealogy research resources available for free. The guest speaker, Fort Worth History Center genealogy librarian Suzanne Fritz, talked about how to get started on building a family tree. Fritz listed the ways one can get started. People can begin with themselves and work
their way backward in time, gathering information from family scrapbooks, Bibles and photographs. She said people should be looking for dates when looking for place of birth, marriages, death, children’s name and military service.
Tracing roots involves exploring family history through researching historical records. This can help build a family tree by uncovering details about past relatives and their relationships.
“When I first heard about it, I didn’t know much about the topic or what exactly the event was,” TR student Ronaldo Salazer said. “After sitting down and listening, I realized it was an event to help you trace back your lineage and all the resources they provide.”
The Fort Worth History Center provides several resources, including over 18,000 volumes with emphasis on Texas, other Southern states, international collections from Mexico,
Canada and Ancestry Library Edition. Fritz mentioned how Mexico is wonderful for genealogical research because they were very detailed record keepers.
“As a first-generation Mexican American, I have no roots here,” Salazer said. “I figured it would be harder for me to research and look back into my roots since I don’t know much about my family history, and my mother is an only child.”
TR librarian Mandrell Bufford helped create the event to offer students and other attendees a chance to develop valuable research and technical skills by exploring genealogical databases and resources available through the Fort Worth Library.
“I had no idea that so much of this was free, to be able to go into the library and use their resources there,” TR library student worker Alia Maynard said. “I just assumed that all of this would be paid service since we have 23andMe and Ancestry.com.”
TR Campus offers a weekly yoga class that is geared towards helping military-connected students better navigate their academic journeys by alleviating life’s stressors.
TR student Ana Perez has been coming to the Steady Warrior Yoga class for the past two semesters with a friend. When she first picked up a flyer for the class, she was overwhelmed by her academic obligations and was looking for a way to decompress before upcoming tests. She had never practiced yoga before but noticed its immediate benefits.
“I came very stressed,” she said. “I suffered from a lot of anxiety, and [after] the first class, I felt relief.”
After introducing it to Dallas College, where she previously worked, TR career adviser Vanessa Duran decided to bring Steady Warrior Yoga to TCC. TCC’s version of the
Partnership
project has been around for three semesters, and Duran believes that it has helped students gain community and develop a better relation-
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urban raised generation. They didn’t grow up in that environment, and it’s more likely they don’t have any experience doing that stuff.”
For Cole, Grow North Texas’s focus on smaller, local farmers made the partnership an obvious choice.
“I think [Grow North Texas] would share my opinion that smaller, more diversified farms are the best way to go,” he said. “The market is wide-open, as far as demand for locally grown, organic, fresh produce, particularly in North Texas.”
The classes will also be open to community members outside the horticulture program, said Janetta Kruse, divisional dean for lifestyle and community learning.
“This is just the start of many partnerships with community members,” she said. “A lot of families don’t have any idea what all we do other than our general academic programs. It’s a great way for us to recruit and spread awareness about TCC and the resources that we offer, not only at NW Campus, but all through the district.”
Kruse said the partnership goes beyond the additional education offered to students but could help them with employment after graduation.
“By having Grow North Texas be out in the community, there’s a lot of contacts that they’re aware of to share with our students
that we may not be aware of, but that they are because they’re in that industry every day,” she said.
Horticulture student Ben Beagles said he believes that bringing in third-party partners means potentially connecting with future employers.
“Whenever we graduate, where do you think we’re going to work?” he said. “We’re going to work for foundations, nonprofit organizations, different places that are in support of the next generation of horticulturists.”
Beagles said having experienced farmers teaching a younger generation means much-needed growth for the industry.
“Concentrating on food crops is important because it’s kind of where we’re going,” he said. “With groceries as expensive as they are, being able to grow some of our own will save people in the long run.”
Horticulture student Monica Villalobos said she’s excited to see a higher focus on urban farming, a topic she used to teach lowincome elementary school students through a different nonprofit.
“[DFW] is only getting more and more urban,” she said. “We’re running out of space. We need to teach people how to grow things, and we can show people how to do this in the space that they have.”
Aviation (continued from page 1)
continues to be a model for workforce education.
“This facility is not just a building but a launch pad for careers, innovation and economic growth,” Blankenbaker said.
“Industry experts, educational partners and students all view CEATL as one of the top facilities at any higher education institution in the nation.”
Blankenbaker attributed CEATL’s reputation to its combination of foundational knowledge, hands-on experience and business connections. She noted that employers consistently praise CEATL graduates for their readiness to meet industry demands from day one.
Chris Ash, senior vice president of aviation business development for the Alliance Aviation companies at Hillwood, emphasized how stories like Eliander’s highlight the program’s significance.
“Hillwood has had the privilege of having several CEATL students on our team… Historically, CEATL graduates are some of
our top performers,” he said. “I can’t tell you the number of meetings where senior leadership sits in to help sell not just Fort Worth but TCC and the program, and for that, we are truly thankful.”
Fort Worth council member Carlos Flores said the workforce has a way of throwing surprises at students, but programs like CEATL are doing great work in ensuring students are ready to apply what they learned to the real world.
“I could only rely on the textbook education, so I knew the particulars but not the application,” Flores said. “I envy you [the students] because you will be better prepared than many college graduates with the advantage you have in the application of the technology.”
Flores presented CEATL with a certificate of recognition for its achievements on behalf of Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, who couldn’t attend the event but sent a prerecorded video expressing her gratitude for the program.
ship with their bodies.
While Steady Warrior Yoga is similar to the traditional practice, it is trauma informed. Students are guided through a series of stretches and breathing exercises specifically designed to combat stress triggers and practice mindfulness.
“Before you have an anxiety attack, your body gives you cues,” Duran said. “So it’s about teaching students to listen to their bodies. It’s really a safe place for students to come and be with their peers and enjoy this type of practice.”
Though Duran never served in the military, she holds a strong connection to those who have. Not only did her father serve in the army, but she has also spent a decade working with veterans and understanding their needs.
After noticing so many cases of posttraumatic stress disorder and how difficult it can be for veterans to transition back into civilian life, Duran teamed up with the nonprofit organization, The Warrior Spirit Project, where she met the program’s yoga teach-
Poet
er, Margaret Grado.
Grado, a veteran herself, has been practicing yoga for 12 years and has taught it for seven years. She credits the practice for sorting out various physical injuries, especially her knees, which she said were in awful shape before.
“I am a totally different person both physically and mentally,” Grado said. “If you do it consistently, it can change your life.”
Though only a handful of students attend the class each week, both Duran and Grado have hopes of a greater turnout and actively seek to get the word out through flyers and networking. Once Steady Warrior Yoga draws more interest, Duran plans to expand the project to other TCC campuses.
While the class is geared towards veterans and military-connected individuals, all students are welcome to join.
“We don’t turn anyone away because if they’re coming, they’re coming for a reason,” Duran said.
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instructor had her class read over some of Pastan’s work.
“I thought I was going to feel stupid reading poetry, like maybe I’m not smart enough to understand poetry,” she said. “But no, I understand these poems, especially with a little help from the teacher. I was able to enter these poems.”
She hopes the same will apply for students who attend Chen’s poetry reading and talks. Even if audience members end up not liking the poetry, they can gain a new perspective, she said.
“Maybe you walk away and say, ‘You know what? I didn’t like that. I don’t want to do that with language, but I want to do
Rodger Tadajewski, executive director for the National Coalition of Certification Centers, expressed his hope that they will continue to be part of CEATL’s future, highlighting the program’s growing national influence.
In addition to praising TCC for its hard work and commitment, the NC3 presented Blankenbaker and CEATL with a NC3 Center of excellence plaque to commemorate all the work they have done.
CEATL student Mariangela Basset-Lupovici, who is enrolled in the welding program, expressed gratitude for the program, saying she rarely sees real efforts to increase women’s representation in fields like welding
“Having first-hand experience has brought to light how hard [welding] actually is and how difficult it is for women,” she said. “I see people talk about women in fields like this on the internet, but they never actually do anything about it.”
Clint Grant, former dean of aviation, business and logistics, also attended the cel-
something else,’” she said. “I’m going to try my own experiment. I’m going to write a song. I’m going to write a story.”
Annette Cole, associate professor of English, said the pursuit of new experiences is what the Living Literature event aims to provide.
“A lot of students fancy themselves to be writers, to be poets, and I think that it would be great for them to see the process that they go through,” she said.
Riley said previous events have impacted students to write and engage with poetry. Her personal favorite was when Sonia Sanchez came in 2013.
“It was kind of a fan girl moment,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m so excited. This is one of my icons.’ And to meet her, and then to see how students were impressed by her, I was just like, ‘Wow, this is the life.’”
The Living Literature events will consist of a reading and Q&A in NCAB 1111 at 6:30 p.m. on March 25. There will also be two writing seminars with Chen in Center Corner on March 26 at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Balcarcel encourages students to come to events to experience the impact of Living Literature themselves.
“It made me sit up taller,” she said. “It made me feel like something was ignited, and I could tell that it was special.”
ebration, reflecting on his role in establishing CEATL, credited ongoing collaboration between TCC’s aviation advisory committee and industry leaders for ensuring CEATL stays aligned with workforce needs.
“There’s a sense of accomplishment, but so many people and fine folks worked hard to make this happen, and I’m just glad I was a part of it,” Grant said. “TCC is now a fundamental part of the aviation community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”
NW student Kaden Williamson, who is set to complete the aviation program this semester, described his transformative experience in the program.
“The program takes you from zero to hero,” Williamson said. “The hands-on learning and connections have been so valuable. Being a part of this program has been a blessing. I just want to say thank you to the faculty and alumni for pushing this program forward.”
Cheyenne Shawn/The Collegian
Alex Hoben/The Collegian Army veteran Margaret Grado, who leads the Steady Warrior Yoga events on TR Campus, stretches before class.
Fort Worth History Center genealogy research librarian Suzanne Fritz shows a family group sheet.
Photo Courtesy of Blue Flower Arts
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practices, posted on Facebook that taxpayers and elected officials informed her that TCC was still mandating DEI training for its staff and faculty.
“Armed with solid evidence, the Chancellor was informed by both Trustee Wood and me that this was unacceptable,” she said. “Furthermore, I communicated to the Chancellor that this behavior by her administration jeopardizes state funding and could possibly have negatively affected enrollment and the College’s standing in the community.”
TCC’s initial statement said that faculty would provide alternate methods of supplemental student instruction if LinkedIn Learning were to be used in class while it was unavailable.
NE student Cohen Hopson, who used LinkedIn Learning for classwork and future professional development through certifications, said it was an important tool for students.
“I feel like the more platforms we have, the better it is,” Hopson said. “And once something, like an issue like that, arrives, I feel like it needs to be resolved immediately.”
Adjunct instructor for radio, television and film Seth Small said the resource helped provide flexible course plans for students learning at different speeds.
“It offers courses that are chaptered and organized. They’ve got sections where it tells you exactly what’s going on with highly trained professionals that are in the industry,” he said. “If a student was struggling with a section, they could always use [LinkedIn Learning] as a reference.”
However, Small said he felt the initial restriction was unnecessary.
“It was just an external resource students could use, so it doesn’t seem to be a good way of keeping in compliance with SB17,” he said.
Associate professor of photography Ting Huang said along with professional development, she assigned LinkedIn Learning so her students could continue learning off campus.
“I used LinkedIn Learning for my advanced classes, like storytelling, where we talk about it in the classroom, but they needed reinforcement, and be able to see actual examples,” she said. “When that was taken away, students were upset. They were in the middle of watching a course, but then they couldn’t finish and there was nothing that we could do.”
“I feel like the more platforms we have, the better it is,” Hopson said. “And once something, like an issue like that, arrives, I feel like it needs to be resolved immediately.”
CAMPUS VOICES
Q: “How confident are you in getting a job after college?”
NE Campus
“I want to be a diagnostic sonographer, where you do cardiograms and stuff like that. I have always wanted to go into the medical field and was looking at all my options and landed on this. It’s not an easy job to find but...I’m very confident in my ability to get a job, but I do think it would take a while just due to the state of the job market right now.”
Fuentes NW Campus
“The education program is very wide. There’s a teacher shortage, so I believe I can find a job easily. I’m already observing, so I’m already getting insight and preparing for the future. I’ve seen a lot of different ways that teachers handle students. From that, I can pick up those ways and use it as my own.”
Rylee Salyer NE Campus
“Health care is always something you need work in, so I think I will find a job after college. I want to work with kids who have cystic fibrosis and possibly work in a nonprofit, and there’s always nonprofit work to be done or work at a hospital.”
Joe Cisneros South Campus
“[I’m] not really confident, but I think it depends ... I’m in the dual credit program, so it’s more classes I have to take in order to get my associates, rather than me choosing them. So, I feel like I don’t have much choice on what classes to take. But the classes I’m taking, I’m learning new information and stuff, so they kind of opened me up to knowing what major I’ll actually decide.”
Chris Stewart NW Campus
“I’m going into cybersecurity. There was a talk they had at [NW] about cybersecurity, and they were saying they’re a lot of positions open, but there’s not enough training. Most stuff in the tech sector require certifications, which improve your chances of getting a job. I think if I could get some certifications, I could probably find something.”
“At the moment, not that confident ... But it’s 50/50. Because the classes that we’re taking right now are preparing me to take the courses I need for my career that I want to take. So, at the same time, it’s preparing me to deal with the courses that [I] would take later.”
Melanie
Natalie Salinas South Campus
Laiya Onyenegecha
Taste
Students gather, rake and remove for their community
by Ash Petrie
SE students started the wintry morning’s work bundled in sweaters, but as the sun rose above the city skyline, the first hour of raking, uprooting and mulching had students removing layers.
“Whew, it’s getting hot,” said SE student Kornelious Washington as he dug up tree roots. “I didn’t know I was going to be working out.”
Washington gathered with other students and faculty from his campus to landscape for a new restaurant opening in Arlington whose menu offers more than just food to its city.
Taste Project is a nonprofit whose dining experience prepares a rotation of meals made with healthy, seasonal ingredients collected from the community. What makes their restaurant’s experience unique is their menus don’t have prices.
“We simply ask to pay what you can afford, pay what you typically pay or pay a little extra to help a neighbor in need,” said Julie Williams, board member and wife to the project’s founder. Williams directed students around the exterior of the building, designating groups of four to do different landscaping tasks together.
The students shoveled rocks into wheelbarrels and uprooted trees, clearing outdoor plots for the others to come and fill with mulch.
Tatiana Humphries smiled as she wiped sweat from her brow after tossing aside a bundle of branches. As a hospitality student, she said she hopes to one day manage her own nonprofit similar to the Taste Project.
At 17, Humphries was home-
Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian
SE SGA members Marissa Sanchez (left) and Asia Barfield (right) dig and rip up tree roots on the side of the new community restaurant.
SE international student from Vietnam Nguyen Ton and UTA student Elina Win work together to rake mulch onto the front plots of the establishment.
SE SGA senate chair Leslie Zacarias shovels rocks into a wheelbarrow to move offsite.
SE student David Morales dumps out stones collected from the plots onto a separate plot.
less. While her experience was difficult, she said she credits her ability to overcome adversity to establishments like this and the kindness of others. It’s what inspired her to join SE Campus in volunteering for the day.
“It’s important to tithe with our time,” Humphries said. “I just try to stop and make people smile.”
Located in the heart of Arlington, the building is near other nonprofits working to help those financially struggling in the area.
According to Taste Project’s website, a little over 18% of Tarrant County’s population is food insecure, 3% higher than the national average and their project aims to lower that number.
As a previous Arlington resident, student Rosemary Adio said she volunteered without hesitation because she knew this establishment would enrich everyone in the community.
“This Saturday morning, a lot of us would have something else to do, but we decided to give,” Adio said. “Seeing something like this being planted, it shows that there's still love, regardless of what is happening in the country.”
For SE nurse Karren Warren, food communicates love and connection, and the relationships she’s made through
sharing meals have lasted her a lifetime.
As Warren walked through the facility she was reminded of Evan, a student she says came into TCC’s health clinic years ago asking if his potassium level was low. Warren asked him routine health questions, taking note of how the student’s hands shook vigorously.
“Turned out this was finals week, his financial aid was gone. His money was out. He was trying to get through the week on a dozen eggs,” Warren said. “There's seven days in a week, and he didn't know what he was going to do on the seventh day.”
Warren shared her lunch with Evan that day, and said she still carries its important lessons with her.
“I'm surprised I'm getting emotional, but I don't think people realize that the guy sitting right next to you might really, really be struggling,” Warren said.
She said she was amazed by the charm of the facility. The inside is designed to feel like a normal sit-down restaurant to share meals with family and friends.
“You can come in here and you can anonymously look to better things, either as somebody who's providing or somebody who's receiving,” Warren said. “I'm so proud of
everybody out there. It's cold and they're hot, and they're shaky, and they're working hard, and it's beautiful. The facility is beautiful. The notion is as well.”
Asia Barfield was tugging on a massive tree root with her friend Marissa Sanchez, both laughing as they used all their strength to pull.
“It’s giving me an odd sense of purpose,” Barfield said. They worked together, hitting the deeply imbedded roots with a shovel.
“I feel empowered because these are really heavy and hard to get out,” Sanchez said.
Both felt their work was important, not only for Arlington but for SE students as well. They said opportunities such as volunteering gives students the ability to attend an off-campus event and create friendships with people they didn’t know before.
Nguyen Ton, an international student from Vietnam, said she attended the event for a new experience to help her integrate better into American life and make friends.
“This is my first event since I entered college,” Ton said. “Everything is new and strange for me. So, I love to join different activities every day, and to have more new experiences.”
It was a new experience for some volunteers, but student activities coordinator Amy Staley said she dined with Taste Project before.
“I was really intrigued about their mission and what they do,” Staley said. “When I was driving by and found out that they were open to a location here in Arlington, I thought, ‘We've got to get out there and see how we can participate.’”
Staley reached out to the Taste Project, and Williams set up the event for SE and UTA. Staley said she hopes TCC can continue volunteering for the Taste Project, allowing students and faculty to extend their hands and help the community more often.
“They have a seat at the table for everyone,” Staley said, “to help bridge the gap between those who maybe have a little bit more and those who maybe don't have enough and inspire them.”
Illustration by Rena Aquino/The Collegian
SE student Marissa Sanchez (left) shakes her head to get rid of dirt from pulling up tree roots with Asia Barfield (center) and Leslie Zacarias (right).
SE student Tatiana Humphries pushes down branches in a wheelbarrow to be moved offsite. The plots that were cleared were covered in mulch afterwards.
Workforce readiness can’t ensure career
As the purge of American workers heightens, the scraps of what little optimism college students had left for their career-ready future diminish.
U.S.-based employers announce Southwest Airlines and Chevron are just a few companies to name who said they anticipate cutting 15% or more of their corporate staff.
The unsettling rise in massive terminations has left college students disturbed as they prepare for the corporate world. Universities can continue allocating funds toward graduates’ readiness for work, but if there are no readily available jobs, what will students be prepared for?
While watching President Donald Trump conduct mass firings of federal workers, the dependency on the country’s capacity to provide the next generation with subsequent recourses for success has diminished.
As the job market weakens, prices on consumer goods continue to rise without any foreseeable resolution to inflation as tariffs begin to roll out. This, along with Trump’s threats to freeze financial aid, has disparaged what little faith students had left toward a promising future.
The increasing anxiety for what opportunities lie in store for soon-tobe graduates makes the laborious task of completing college seem pointless.
Less than half of recent four-year college graduates reported obtaining a job within their first year out of school, while only 45% of 2014 graduates hold a job requiring their college degree, according to a 2024 study by Strada, an education foundation.
VIEWPOINTS
The job market is too competitive for graduates to flourish, and employers demanding three to five years of relevant experience for entry-level positions is driving the workforceready alumni straight into unemployment.
Colleges recommend soon-tobe graduates apply for internships to give them the necessary skills for future employment. However, internships rarely provide a sustainable income to their time-consuming jobs, making the overworked intern acquire another source of income.
Most students work while attending college, and the argument they must add an internship on top of their already busy schedule to be triumphant is daunting.
Roughly 98% of companies said they’re struggling to find talent in their application pools, according to a report released from the Hult International Business School last month. However, the same report said 89% of those employers also admitted to avoiding applications from recent college graduates.
It is contradictory for an employer to criticize the aptitude of their applicant pool while actively limiting its size to exclude fresh, new minds from consideration.
Corporations insist ingenuity brings growth and is a valued skill. But if innovative ideas are wanted, then hiring a recent graduate would be ideal. However, employers from the Hult report said these applicants are not prepared for the workforce and complained it’s too much of a
time-consuming cost needed to train them.
Another issue employers are said to have with recent graduates is they lack work ethic, are entitled, offended easily and don’t respond well to feedback, according to a survey by Intelligent, an online magazine focused on higher education.
While the misconduct from the younger generation of new workers is inexcusable, it isn’t unexplainable. Many of us grew up with the debated participation trophy, and we’re told we could be anything we wanted to so long as we worked hard enough.
Not to mention, almost two years
America’s literacy problem worse than you can imagine
Literacy is the foundation of success, yet millions of Americans lack the reading and writing skills needed to navigate everyday life.
Nearly 43% of adults in the United States have low literacy skills, severely impacting their ability to secure stable employment, manage finances and even understand basic medical instructions, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
This staggering data paints a bleak picture of the nation’s future.
In an era where information is increasingly accessible, it’s difficult to understand why so many people are being left behind. How did we reach this point, and what can we do to reverse the trend?
Socioeconomic factors play a significant role in exacerbating the issue. The Education Trust reports that children from low-income families are particularly at risk, with many entering kindergarten already behind their peers in key literacy skills.
Limited access to books, educational resources and parental support for reading puts these children at a disadvantage. Families facing economic challenges may not have the time or resources to create a literacy-rich environment, further widening the gap.
The shortcomings of the public education system also contribute to the problem. Underfunded schools, overcrowded classrooms and a lack of individualized instruction have left many students struggling. Without a solid foundation, children fall further behind, and the problem only worsens as they grow older.
Inadequate early education programs leave children unprepared for reading at an age when brain development is most critical.
This early gap results in a growing divide between students who excel and those who struggle.
Beyond systemic issues, changing habits in the digital age have also contributed to declining literacy rates. With an increasing dependence on screens for entertainment and communication, reading habits have suffered.
According to data from Exploding Topics, the average screen time in the United States is seven hours per day. In contrast, a Gallup poll from 2021 found that U.S. adults read an average of 12.6 books per year, down from 15.6 books in 2016.
This comes out to about 20 minutes of reading per day, assuming each book takes six hours to read. The imbalance is stark, with screen time vastly outweighing time spent reading.
Additionally, a 2021 Pew Research Center study found that approximately 23% of American adults had not read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audio form. This decline in reading habits only perpetuates the cycle of low literacy.
Addressing this crisis requires systemic change. Schools must prioritize literacy through targeted interventions, such as smaller class sizes, expanded early education programs and specialized reading support.
Community-driven efforts, such as public libraries, literacy mentorship programs and accessible adult education, must also be strengthened. Programs like Reach Out and Read, which provides books to children during pediatric visits, have demonstrated how early literacy interventions can significantly improve reading outcomes.
Low literacy rates hurt not only individuals but society as a whole. A well-read population is essential for an informed democracy, a strong workforce and overall economic stability.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, low literacy rates are directly correlated with lower income levels, unemployment and poor health outcomes.
If we fail to act, we risk leaving millions behind, deepening cycles of poverty and weakening the nation’s future.
of our lives were spent locked inside, sitting behind computer screen lectures, during some of the most integral stages to developing our social skills.
Consider it an inability to receive feedback or an emotional response.
Either way our generation is the future of these corporations’ workers and consumers.
Since childhood, our generation was taught not to fit into molds and to stand out through creative expression. We had a hand to hold and guide us through every experience and were asked at the end of every task how we felt about it. Now, as adults, we’re being
told our self-expression and sensitivity don’t fit into the corporate worlds mold.
Instead of punishing us out of or wasting funds on preparing us for a workforce based on standards from the past, time should be spent on better understanding the new generation’s work ethic and meeting us in the middle.
If currently thriving corporations want to continue flourishing, then young minds must be integrated into a new mold generated through employers recognizing the strengths and unique capacities of this generation’s misunderstood individuality.
Time change can’t excuse one’s seasonal difficulties
Daylights Savings Time, a term if said out loud causes a downpour of colorful controversy having nothing to do with April showers bringing May flowers.
Clocks moved forward last weekend for the annual spring annoyance that has lasted for 100 years, and this March madness heated up yet again with the exasperated debate over losing one hour of important sleep.
I’ve listened to the list of pros and cons for the past 27 years of my life, and while politicians can promise a resolution for the torrential distress of this biannual affair, it is still in effect today, as it has been, for 100 years in this country.
Concerns about the rise in numbers of reported heart attacks, depression and carwrecks during the readjustment period of an hour change is a valid argument to the timely discussion.
One that has a fairly easy resolution: preparation.
I’d assume when a worldwide event happens yearly, affecting people in 70 countries with a deluge of harmful consequences, one would prepare accordingly to the forecast of its arrival.
Instead of dreading the inevitable Saturday, make use of the days leading up to its approach by going to bed and waking up earlier so when the time comes one has already begun to adjust.
However, like clockwork, this March bloomed with the noisy dispute over when the sun is allowed to set.
The acclimation period to a single night’s depravity of one hour’s rest is prolonged.
If there is an increase in anything misfortunate in the months following a time change, it is due to people milking the excuse of an hour’s difference to explain their issues.
To counter the concerns of an increase in car wrecks and problems with one’s mental or physical health are the same reasons why individuals argue for time to be adjusted.
Apparently having the sun out for an extra hour makes it safer for people while driving.
I don’t believe anything could alleviate the dangers of driving unless over half the people on the road have their license revoked.
Sunlight is important to human function, therefore countries not centered by the equator have chosen to spring forward and fall back to provide those energetic rays of happiness to their people.
But every year, rather than anything positive, my ears are flooded with individuals’ unwarranted monologues broadcasting personal vendettas against their country’s sunrise.
I never hear the phrase circadian rhythm unless it’s March or November.
This rhythm is described as an organism’s experiences over a 24-hour period, and people deem this 60-minute transition abhorrent to their subconscious regulation of daily life.
I’d perceive consuming caffeine in the late afternoon and sugar before bed, sitting all day and leaving the TV on all night to be considered more of an impact to one’s biological distress.
However, this is undebatable because, of course, the real interruption to our circadian rhythm is due to the biannual change of whether or not it’s dark outside at 6 A.M.
Does it save energy to have the sun shine until later in the evening?
While it’s another argument for the tumultuous change, my electricity bill doesn’t seem to be impacted by the specificities of nightfall. I just anticipate each month’s charge to be expensive, and it’s crazy how I’m never surprised.
Every pro and con to DST is contradictory, and arguing for or against to continue the tradition is pointless.
Even if countries chose to stay on Standard Time this upcoming November, the exhausting arguments would persist because people need something to blame for their restlessness.
These cyclical shifts do affect us, and I agree there are daily adjustments needed to be made as each season blossoms.
Although, the immature protest to time’s change interfer with people’s ability to accept the sunshine and just spring forward.
TJ Favela/The Collegian
DIEGO COLLAZO campus editor diego.collazo@my.tccd.edu
Production delivers witty commentary with song, dance, Tiki god
Through snappy dialogue, odd situations and the help of a few songs, SE Campus’ production of “I Have Angered a Great God” explores etiquette and self-awareness in the modern age.
The play follows Roberta, a woman constantly on her phone with her quirky ex-bestfriend Martha, who retraces her steps with the melodramatic therapist Jones to find out how she angered a Tiki god with anger-management issues.
“I Have Angered a Great God” takes viewers through flashbacks of absurd situations and, like most of McEntire’s plays, features song and dance numbers. The play is written by SE adjunct Brad McEntire and will be his third play performed at SE Campus.
An experienced playwright, McEntire also works in non-profit theater. He originally planned to have the play take place through text messages but ultimately decided against it.
“Watching a person text is about as theatrical as watching paint dry,” he said in an email. “It is utterly boring and isolating in life to watch someone text in front of you. So, texts became spoken conversations for the sake of the play.”
SE student Emma Woodley plays therapist Jones, who is treating both Roberta and the Tiki god for their problems. Despite being a last-minute addition after a fellow actor got hurt and was unable to fill the role, Woodley said she was happy with how the show was coming together.
“It’s been pretty challenging, but also kind of rewarding,” she said. “I know it’s really hard to not have the full amount of time to fully get it, but I think it’s gonna go well.”
In the opening act, therapist Jones tries to help Roberta and the Tiki God work through their problems but often goes on tangents about her personal life.
Woodley said Jones is the only sane character in the entire play.
“She’s the one that’s connected to every single character,” she said. “She’s trying to make sure the great God doesn’t get angry. She’s trying to understand what Roberta did. She’s trying to understand Martha and her
MOVIE REVIEW
‘Mickey 17’ a lovable, romantic sci-fi satire
Robert Pattinson’s role in Bong Joon Ho’s newest film “Mickey 17” is meek Mickey Barnes, who is so lost in life that he ends up signing up for a job that kills him, literally.
In the name of science, he is subjected to a variety of experimental deaths and brought back in a new body each time, memories and emotions intact. It’s a bleak existence.
His one silver lining is Nasha, his certified soulmate he met on his first day of the space expedition led by Mark Ruffalo’s character, who suspiciously resembles a certain President of the United States.
Bong Joon Ho is no stranger to pointing out social injustices and the negative impacts of capitalism. From “Okja” calling out the vicious meat industry to Best Picturewinning “Parasite” playing out a story of class disparity, he is known for his biting commentary on current issues.
Mickey 17 is no “Parasite” but it does succeed in being in your face with what it wants to say about capitalism, the social order and Donald Trump.
It’s not subtle, and anyone going to go see the movie will pick up on it.
Yes, the genre of this film widely falls into political sci-fi, but my favorite part is being overlooked: the romance.
The central relationship between Nasha and Mickey is the saving grace for some of the hollower plot points, like Mark Ruffalo’s lackluster performance and disjointed storylines.
It’s charming to watch their opposing personality traits fit together so seamlessly. She would do anything for him, and he’s just grateful to be around her.
The 17 in “Mickey 17” refers to each time his body is “re-printed” after dying, thanks to advanced technology.
The science behind it all isn’t explained, but suspending your disbelief is a key part of enjoying science fiction. For example, when there’s suddenly two Pattinsons on screen, the audience will simply have to take it in stride.
The second Pattinson is Mickey 18, an edgier and impulsive version of Mickey 17. Their interactions add humor to the film and open the floor to a wider, maybe cheesy, romantic concept as Nasha navigates her love for every version and personality facet of Mickey.
Nasha acts as his primary motivation and guidance, and he pulls through as an unlikely hero with her help.
As much as I love tragic and turbulent
romances, a clean-cut love story can be just as appreciated.
Bong Joon Ho seemed like an unlikely candidate to make it happen, but his version of true love is satisfying.
In an interview with USA Today, Pattinson talks about the intensity of Mickey’s love for Nasha.
“He just wants to have a nice life and be a regular dude,” he said. “He doesn’t really have any higher aspirations particularly. He was fine with being tortured every day if he could just go home to Nasha.”
The main performances from Pattinson and Naomi Ackie, who plays Nasha, carry the film by investing the audience in an outlandish concept without hitch.
The chemistry between their characters is magnetic and unique. Pattison gave a pitch perfect performance in his role, but Ackie is also a star. She brought Nasha to life as a strong and captivating female lead.
For a highly entertaining sci-fi, and arguably romantic, film, “Mickey 17” fits the bill. It’s engaging off the bat, with a main character who’s easy to root for and a cartoonishly evil villain to watch fall.
The bumps are easy to overlook as there’s a good amount of charm to hold the audience through its runtime.
crazy, awesome mind. It’s like she’s the one that kind of pieces everybody together.”
“I Have Angered a Great God” will be SE student Tamia Tubbs’ first main role in a play. She plays the now-ex-best-friend Martha and said the experience of working on the play has been great.
“I go home like, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse,” she said. “I want to make sure I get my lines down. Make sure I’m very clear, make sure I got the dance right.”
McEntire wrote the play after noticing
how unaware of each other people have gotten in recent years. He said etiquette has been one of the casualties of contemporary culture.
“It helps us get along as people,” he said in an email. “I miss a certain level of empathy, decorum and politeness that used to be a part of everyday life. It might be my imagination, but people used to seem aware of each other without treating each other as, you know, other.”
For Tubbs, the play is about not being distracted by your phone all the time.
“Personally, I am on my phone a lot, but I’m very aware of my surroundings,” she said. “I wouldn’t relate to Roberta and her situation. I think I’ll make someone mad because I’m too focused on my phone.”
The play will run from March 12 -14. Admission is pay what you can and was done to make the play as accessible as possible. Donations will go to scholarships for students in the theater department.
Woodley said viewers should turn their phones off for this play.
“Stop scrolling it and just enjoy,” she said. “This is a show about etiquette and phone etiquette, and then just pay attention and be aware of your surroundings.”
March 12-14 at 7:30
Matinee: March 14 at 1:30 PM ESEC-1401 The Roberson Theater
Admission Pay what you can
HUDA
Alex Hoben/The Collegian
SE student Emma Woodley, playing Therapist Jones, speaks to the Tiki God, played by Noah Flores, during a rehearsal of “I Have Angered a Great God.”
Photo Courtesy of EPK.TV
campus editor collegian.editor@tccd.edu
Clothed in a ruby gown, Sophia Thacker sat in front of a Steinway piano with her hands on her lap. The 18-year-old dual credit student looked at the conductor from behind the thick lenses of her glasses, listening to the orchestra and waiting for her cue.
When the time came, her fingers glided over the ivory keys and started playing a melody.
Thacker had won the opportunity to play with the orchestra in their spring concert during a TCC concerto competition. Born with a genetic condition called optic nerve atrophy that made her legally blind, she had figured out ways to get around and overcome obstacles to get to this moment.
“I mean, it’s just my life,” she said. “This is what I know. So sometimes I’m like, ‘What do normal people see?’ and I’m like, ‘This is normal.’”
Thacker grew up in a musical household and was home-schooled her whole life. Six of her ten siblings played piano, and she first learned it through one of her sisters. Thacker officially started lessons at the age of 7 and since then, she practices the
I mean, it’s just my life. This is what I know. So sometimes I’m like, ‘What do normal people see?’ and I’m like, ‘This is normal.’
piano five times a week on average and regularly performs in competitions.
“I was brought up around music,” she said. “Some people do sports. Some people do other things. Our family mainly did piano.”
Thacker’s faith is one of the biggest influences on her music and her life. Part of the reason she learned the piano was to one day play in a church.
“Playing hymns, singing hymns to God, just praising God and otherwise, just making music to glorify God,” she said. “You can use your talents. You can just bless others with it, and that’s one way. Blessing others is one way you can glorify God.”
NE music adjunct Sarah Alexander has been Thacker’s piano teacher for five years. Alexander said Thacker has one of the strongest work ethics of all the students she has taught over the years.
“She has to do double the work, in some ways, to learn her music,” Alexander said. “It’s just not as easy for her to initially learn it and then also to perform it. There’s just different challenges that she has to navigate than a sighted person is going to be navigating.”
Thacker can’t easily see sheet music. She does most of her piano learning by ear, recording herself while also using other professional performances as reference.
“When I was younger, people taught me the notes,” she said. “And then as I grew older, I had to either blow it up under a really big magnifier or blow it up on my iPad.”
Last December, Thacker played Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 in Bflat Major in a concerto competition at TCC. The competition happens every
Legally blind piano student performs solo with orchestra
year and the winner gets to perform with the Tarrant County Orchestra for their spring concert.
She had been learning the piece since last summer and became invested in it.
“I like the musical feel of it. I liked how it went,” she said. “Then my teacher told me that the concerto was written for Mozart’s friend, who was a blind pianist. That kind of just drew me further.”
The day of the competition, Thacker arrived just in time to perform after being stuck in traffic. She said while she was nervous, she just focused on playing.
“As long as my fingers are working, the nonsense normally just goes away, and I just enjoy the piece,” she said.
The judges unanimously agreed that Thacker was the winner.
Thacker said it had been a dream of her’s to perform with an orchestra as a soloist. Now, the 18-year-old has performed at a level higher than many musicians ever can.
For weeks, Thacker rehearsed with the orchestra to prepare for the concert. NE music adjunct and Tarrant County Orchestra conductor Bryan English worked with Thacker and Alexander to merge the solo with the orchestral accompaniment.
“It is a collaboration,” English said. “When you’re young, you very much feel like, ‘I don’t want to let the orchestra down and the conductor and the crowd.’ It’s a bit of pressure, but that’s what we signed up for.”
Alexander said it was special that Thacker got to rehearse and play with a full orchestra.
“It takes a lot of guts for [the] visually impaired. She can kind of see the
conductor, but really not completely,” Alexander said. “She’s just got to rely on her ears so much and be confident in her own visual cues that she’s able to give the conductor.”
While music is a big part of her life, Thacker’s true passion lies with political science. She became interested in constitutional law after taking an American government class in 2023. She plans to pursue political science as a career but said she will continue playing the piano.
“It would be really nice to just go to hospitals and play the piano there for people,” she said. “I think it could be a blessing to others. And I’m trying to, in all the things I do, to honor God.”
In the final moments of the orchestra performance, Thacker played a series of complex melodies and scales, her fingers moving swiftly across the keys. As the last notes of her solo rang out, the orchestra ended the concerto with the drawn-out sounds of strings.
Applause started from across the room. Thacker stood up and bowed to the audience of her friends, family and strangers. From the crowd, a family member gave her a bouquet of flowers as the applause continued.
Alexander is proud of what Thacker has accomplished and said what really counted was that she will enjoy this moment for the rest of her life.
“I hope that it gives her confidence in life and just the knowledge that she can do what she wants to do,” Alexander said. “If she puts her mind to it, she can pretty much do anything she wants. I hope that that’s the overall lesson that she takes with her, but also just the sweet memory of this time.”
FRED NGUYEN
Photos by Kailey Raley/The Collegian Tarrant County Orchestra guest artist Sophia Thacker rehearses Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 18” prior to the orchestra’s latin-inspired concert.
Sophia Thacker chose Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 18” due to a theory that he wrote it for a blind friend of his.
Sophia Thacker looks to the conductor during rehearsal. Thacker is legally blind due to being born with a genetic condition called optic nerve atrophy.
