The Collegian collegian.tccd.edu
Students shelter-in-place with their pets Page 6
S E RV I N G T H E TA R R A N T C O U N T Y C O L L E G E D I S T R I C T
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – Volume 32 • Issue 25 News
Entertainment
Viewpoint
Editorial
PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM The dance and theater programs cope with virus situation. PG. 2
“PRAY FOR PARIS” Westside Gunn makes a strong comeback with third album. PG. 3
PROTESTING WON’T HELP The situation is frustrating, but protests only make it worse. PG. 5
Viewpoint
THE U.S. IS NOT READY TO OPEN Opening the country right now is too risky. PG. 5
TRUMP COULD’VE DONE MORE The president fails to act appropriately. PG. 5
DISTRICT
Deportation concerns local organization
Screenshot from TCC board meeting video
Board member Kenneth Barr, like most of the other board members, attended the meeting virtually. JILL BOLD
editor-in-chief
Photos coutesy of Roots & Reflections
“Night Sky,” by Karla Hernandez, won the painting category for the TR literary and art magazine, “Roots & Reflections.”
TRINITY RIVER
Publication resurrected with contributions from students Campus magazine debuts on ISSUU after four-year collaboration DANG LE
managing editor
Four years after releasing the last copy of TR literary magazine, TCC Writes, two professors and an editorial board of students planned to revive the project even if the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the rerelease date. Instead of hosting a publication launch, “Roots & Reflections,” the new version of TR literary and art magazine, will be released digitally on ISSUU April 27. While it’s unfortunate that the release was not as planned, she’s happy that they could still showcase the TR students’ artistic and creative abilities, TR associate English professor Jerrica Jordan said. Jordan is in charge of the literary content of the magazine. Initially, Jordan and TR associate art professor Janae Corrado got the approval from TR academic affairs vice president Thomas Mills and dean of humanities Scott Robinson to print 500 copies of the magazines. Their current plan is to release a print copy in the fall, once the campuses begin operating again and with a release party to
TR student Casey Allen designs the cover, using a photo from Ronaldo Galvan. come, Jordan said. The categories vary from fiction, nonfiction, poetry, personal essays, scripts, digital art, photography, painting and drawing. Jordan and Corrado compiled the students’ work for them to edit and put together
the magazine. The students were in an eightweek literary magazine production class, which was responsible for all aspects of the magazine, including the title. “As a group, we decided our theme of ‘Roots and Reflections’ was evident in all the works published in these pages, and the magazine as a whole showcase our students’ growth and resilience in the face of adversity,” Jordan said. “We will come together stronger and handle the problems the world throws at us, and we will carry on.” Students in the class voted anonymously on the winners. They read and looked at all the submissions then gave a grade from one to four to select the pieces to be included in the magazine. The winners were then chosen from a poll of works with the highest average scores. “There were a lot of varying opinions throughout the class, and still students were able to work collaboratively as a group even if their choices weren’t the ones that were made,” Corrado said. TR student Rebecca Smith, one of the students on the editorial board, said that she had some trouble getting used to working with the design software and the deadline at See Literary, Page 4
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s effect on the undocumented community at TCC was the focus of the public statement presented at the board of trustees meeting April 16. District associate general counsel Carol Bracken read aloud two consecutive statements from ICE Out of Tarrant, a coalition banded together by a common goal of protecting undocumented students in Tarrant County by limiting ICE activity on campus. The group asked that TCC keep ICE officers without a warrant off campuses to protect its undocumented students. In addition, they requested the college maintain their standard of privacy by not revealing a student, faculty or staff member’s legal status to ICE officers. This organization said in their submitted statements that their concern begins with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on whether President Donald Trump has the authority to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protected immigrant students from deportation. ICE Out of Tarrant’s statement also cited Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act, which specifically functions to seek out undocumented aliens and deport them, as a major problem they want to be addressed by TCC’s board of trustees. The group said this policy causes a breakdown in trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement and harms students by resulting in family separations. “It leads to irreversible damage to immigrant individuals, families and communities,” Bracken said. The statement asked for the board of trustees’ influence to help further their cause. “We believe that TCC board of trustees ought to adopt a resolution that would extend additional protective measures for their undocumented students and staff community,” Bracken read from the written statement. The organization acknowledges the difficult challenge TCC is facing to combat the negative effects of the spread of COVID-19, which led to the full closing of all campuses. “ICE Out of Tarrant understand the mountains of work the TCC board of trustees must be undertaking in response to the neverending obstacles that our communities are facing,” Bracken said. Despite this, the group is seeking help from the board of trustees in these hard times. “The coalition demands that TCC take further action for protecting their undocumented students and staff,” Bracken said. Board member Kenneth Barr requested that the board be given both written versions of ICE Out of Tarrant’s statements to all board members for further consideration.
Page 2 • April 22, 2020
News
Screenshot from online SE dance class
SE associate dance professor Brandy Niccolai-Belfi films herself going over choreography for the video project in her online class.
The Collegian
Screenshot from NW theater online session
NW student Raul Gonzales plays his role as Peter Pan during the online rehearsal.
DISTRICT
Virus sparks changes for performing arts ELYSSA GIDEON reporter
Performing arts instructors districtwide found ways to continue teaching in a new format after COVID-19 pandemic closed campuses for the remainder of the semester. “Our classes are meeting live during our scheduled course times,” SE associate dance professor Brandy Niccolai-Belfi said. “We are dancing together and creating together, students are only missing out if they choose not to participate.” NE adjunct drama instructor Susan Polster said that the eight-week rehearsal time
prior to the COVID-19 outbreak had allowed the cast members to create the family connections. “The emotional upheaval we as a cast are currently experiencing has as much to do with not being able to be together and enjoy each other as it does with the cancellation of our production,” she said. The creativity of the faculty is key to keep the classes “dynamic and on track,” NW theater director J. Brent Alford said. “Since virtually everyone has access to a smartphone, camera, and basic editing software, ‘live’ performances can easily be shared between students and faculty for the purpos-
es of maintaining academic integrity in the course,” Alford said. Some of the classes are hoping to put together compilations as a fill-in for canceled in-person performances. “It is our intent to create a video showcase of our ‘Shrek’ experience,” Polster said. “Not only does this allow us to remain engaged in our study of musical theatre, but also gives us the opportunity to interact and provides a performance outlet for my extremely talented cast.” Not just the drama classes, SE dance classes are also working on video performances where students record themselves perform-
ing choreography and then submit online. “The faculty will put together a video dance to present in our virtual dance concert at the end of the semester,” Niccolai-Belfi said. NE dance professor Kihyoung Choi and NE associate dance professor Hyun Jung Chang agree that it’s hard being away from the dance students and other faculty members. They miss putting in work together in the dance studio. The virus created an unprecedented situation, but TCC has handled it “decisively and professionally with the students’ best interest front and center,” Alford said.
TRINITY RIVER
ASL program switches to online during pandemic JACOB WILLAMS reporter
The shelter-in-place order due to COVID19 forced all TCC courses to transition online, but one course that had never before been offered this way is American Sign Language. TR ASL student Devin Jones says the course experience helped him become more interested in the culture of sign language rather than just taking the class for credit. “At first, I was taking ASL as a required language for my degree plan, but I’ve learned it is so much more than a language, it’s a culture,” Jones said. “The tutors are friendly and patient with us even though we aren’t face-toface anymore, which is helpful in practicing signing outside of class.” Zoom meetings with the sound turned off replicate the quiet classroom environment. Colten Taylor, a tutor and interpreter, says learning sign language is a unique experience
because of TCC having deaf and hearing instructors who are high-level professionals. “The deaf instructors and tutors help give students a cultural understanding of the deaf community, with also having hearing instructors that have been teaching students for longer than 20 years,” he said. Whether it is in the classroom or online, students taking the course can be able not just to learn to sign, but also have a whole new perspective and respect for people that are deaf. TR ASL student Mercedes Chavez said ASL has helped her appreciate the language more and has been a great class to take. “ASL has taught me new manners,” Chavez said. “Before taking this class, I did not find myself around deaf people often, so it has taught me new behaviors that are appropriate for different situations of being in class, working in person with tutors, or online in Zoom meetings. ASL is just a great class to take.”
Screenshot from ASL class
TR ASL instructor Cheryl Sohns signs to her students during one of the Zoom sections. The sound is turned off to imitate the quiet classroom.
The Collegian
Entertainment
April 22, 2020 • Page 3
MUSIC REVIEW
Gambino gambles on production, it pays off perfectly MALIK GILES
campus editor
Pray for Paris, Westside Gunn
Westside Gunn finds inspiration for his third album “Pray for Paris,” in which he layers ‘90s hiphop sound with distinctive ad-libs, during his Paris Fashion Week trip back in January.
MUSIC REVIEW
From his debut rap album “Camp” to the Grammy-nominated R&B album “Awaken, My Love!” Childish Gambino releases his fourth studio album. Titled “3.15.20,” the album is a mixture of rap, pop and R&B proving yet again another Grammy-worthy record. Donald Glover, better known as Childish Gambino, is an artist who can paint a picture whether it’s on a TV screen or with music. The album was played as a continuous loop on March 15 and was taken down on the same day. A timer appeared on his website later that week, which ended on March 22, the official release date of the album. Each song was a love song, and the mood of the album could transition from joyful to sad, but most of the album is feel-good music to dance to. “Algorhythm” starts off a little weird with the dark tone instruments, but as the track plays out it makes one’s body move and groove.
The album seems like one big song the way it moves seamlessly to the next track like a loop. “Time,” featuring Ariana Grande’s vibrant harmonies, has an 80s retro vibe with the booming drums in the instrumental. The track “19.10” also exudes the same retro sounds that listeners grew to love from Glover’s old songs like “Retro” and “Sober.” The production of this album is outstanding, and every song is perfectly placed in the right places of the tracklist. The track “47.48” has the same message as his top political rap track, “This is America.” Instead of being aggressive and painting imagery of drugs and violence, he calmly explains that the Internet is teaching children either how to better or how to worsen themselves. This album is another classic hit. Whether it’s the beat, the lyrics or the features, each song has something to like in it. This is the perfect music to listen to with friends when everything goes back to normal.
Rap meets fashion with Gunn’s “Pray for Paris” MICHAEL FOSTER-SANDERS feature editor
Great artists can find inspiration at the drop of a dime to fuel their creative genius. For the mastermind of Griselda Records’ Westside Gunn, it took a trip to Paris during fashion week being a socialite to give birth to the idea behind his latest album “Pray for Paris.” Gunn uses this album to further fuel his descent in becoming a savant into the worlds of wrestling, hip-hop, high-end fashion and art. He brings his sensibilities of being an underdog from Buffalo, NY to blend up something creative and not playing it safe. The album starts with an art auction for the song “400 Million Plus Tax” to bring the listener into Gunn’s mentality to let them know they’re dealing with someone who is playing for high stakes, and for keeps. “No Vacancy” is the next track, and Gunn sounds at home in his world where excess and violence are celebrated without fail. He rhymes over a piano lead
track with lush strings and a simple kick-snare drum combo that paints a vivid picture of a crime boss who is celebrating his success in a Scorsese movie-esque fashion. The other two heads of the three-headed dragon that Griselda consists of are Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine, rearing its head on the song “George Bondo.” The collective descended on the track like a Kaiju monster in Tokyo with destruction and death on its agenda and lays waste to the beat effortlessly. Critics claim that the Griselda sound leaned too much on trying to restore the feeling of the 90’s boom-bap hip-hop, and the song “327” isn’t going to change the naysayers’ minds. Joey Badass, Tyler the Creator and Billie Essco make guest appearances here, and although the track is being lyrical, it’s just average at best. The album throws the listener a curveball when Gunn decides to break out the Griselda formula with the simple but fly track “French Toast,” which is upbeat with a simple piano roll and a
light-hearted sing-a-long hook that goes, “But I’m out here in Paris crushing on you.” Wale makes a guest appearance on this track, and his poet rap style weaves in and out of the beat effortlessly. This should’ve been the lead single for the album, but it will be a summertime anthem at parties. The highlights of the album are the tracks “Versace” and “Party wit Pop Smoke,” which are led by two heavy samples that force Gunn to go into autopilot as the listener is exposed to wordplay that invoked the imagination of pain and celebration. Will this album make Gunn gain new fans? No, because he is an acquired taste that’s appreciated more and more with each replay of his music. That doesn’t mesh in with this fickle music landscape of today. Besides a few missteps, Gunn gives an extraordinary effort that w him closer to the formula for his magnum opus before his retirement.
3.15.20, Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino’s fourth album “3.15.20” showcases strong songwriting effort and displays the rapper taking risk over a challenging and odd production style.
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News
Page 4 • April 22, 2020
Literary
The Collegian
(continued from page 1)
first. “I had a couple of 2-page spreads that I was really proud of that I had to recreate into single-page spreads,” she said. “But in total, I’m really happy with how everything came out.” While she is disappointed that the magazine’s official release is being pushed back to the fall, she said she will still be as proud of it, both as a contributor and an editor. “Granted there were a handful of times we disagreed as a group, but all in all I think we made a great first edition of ‘Roots and Reflections,’” Smith said.
T T R R I I N N I I T T Y Y Root s & Reflec t ions 2020 Literary Magazine
R R I I V V E E R R
Fiction: Alexis Muhirwa for “Nyungwe Roadblock” Nonfiction: Siomara Jones for “Losing a Mother” Poetry: Rebecca M. Smith for “Sleep Paralysis” Painting: Karla Hernandez for “Night Sky” Drawing: Khyan Freelon for “I, Too, Am America” Digital Art: Erick Suarez for “Sunset Thoughts” Photography: Marco Jimenez for “El Viaje de Un Heroe”
“I, Too, Am America,” by Khyan Freelon, won the drawing category. She has five more pieces featured in the magazine.
TR student Jacob Pugh designed the back cover of “Roots and Reflection,” using the work of Marco Jimenez.
Readers can read the full version of TR Roots & Reflections at https://issuu.com/ tcctrliterarymagazine “El Viaje de Un Heroe,” by Marco Jimenez, won the photography category of the magazine. Jimenez’s art is featured in three sections of the magazine.
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Opinion
The Collegian
Viewpoints
Editorial
Trump’s actions fail to slow COVID-19
JILL BOLD
editor-in-chief
The U.S. has the most COVID-19 deaths in the world, and U.S. leadership ushered Americans down that path for most of 2020. We did not get here by accident. President Donald Trump began the year by making inaccurate assurances that this situation was under control at the same time that the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention issued travel warnings to China. Trump ignored experts who warned him how widespread it could get. He did not take this opportunity to consider the experts who told him that the country needs a plan in place to deal with a pandemic. He chose not to recognize that the growing danger of COVID-19, which spent most of the late winter devastating regions in Europe and Asia, was
heading towards American shores. It wasn’t until mid-March that Trump even hinted at acknowledging the seriousness of the spread of the coronavirus. After repeatedly announcing that he’d like to get the country up and running as soon as possible, Trump attempted to dial back those proclamations by transferring the responsibility of reopening the economy onto the shoulders of each state’s governor. This action falls in step with his political party’s desire to get the economy going again, but it’s also just another excuse for Trump not to lead. Trump has announced his latest attempt to ward off the pandemic by suspending immigration into the U.S. Locking down the borders in the interest of public health is Trump’s new way of pushing the immigration issue into dangerous territory. Both Trump’s supporters and detractors fall along party lines, but a great leader will find a way to unite those two groups in a way to benefit the nation. Trump doesn’t exhibit any of this, and his leadership skills and reputation have not been strengthened by his actions. This is the signal to citizens and voters to carefully consider who they elect at all levels of government in 2020’s upcoming elections.
In-person protesting harms public health
DANG LE
managing editor
On April 18, protesters gathered at the Texas Capitol to demand state and federal leaders lift the sheltering-in-place order amid the coronavirus pandemic. Austin was not the first city in the U.S., as Detroit and Orlando also saw people protesting in the past few days. Hundreds of people descended on the steps of the Texas Capitol, bringing kids and asking for freedom. Nobody was wearing facemasks, yet they stood closely to each other, then yelled out chants, which is the best way for the virus to spread. That is such an irresponsible act that needs to be stopped. Immediately. The sheltering-in-place order has affected many citizens in this country. Businesses have filed for bankruptcy, and people are struggling to make ends meet.
April 22, 2020 • Page 5
However, there is a reason the government issued a sheltering-in-place and social distancing order, which is to protect the safety of all U.S. citizens. These people may not be exhibiting symptoms, but they may have already been infected with the virus with how close they were together. Then tomorrow, they will continue their grocery shopping and infect people with a compromised immune system. It’s understandable to be angry with everything that is going on. The virus has affected everybody’s lives, and people have the right to be angry. Americans, in particular, have a constitutionally protected right to protest. However, there are many ways to handle the situation, and going out with children in a crowded setting and shouting is definitely not one of them. The number of deaths is increasing by thousands every day. Still, somehow, some people believe that the virus is just another flu season that is overdramatized by the media, and everybody should be able to go back to work again. This is not a joke, the pandemic is still going and people are dying. So while it is frustrating to feel powerless in this pandemic situation, all citizens in the U.S. should be considerate towards all people and stay at home for everybody’s safety.
Opening states too early leads to deaths
Michael Harp/The Collegian
The question of whether or not to open a state backup is a moral one. In the wake of the COVID19 outbreak, states must decide whether to value the health of the public or the economy. A decision to reopen the dying economy comes at the expense of human lives. More than 41,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and that number continues to climb as of April 20. President Donald Trump wanted to reopen the country this week. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the lead specialists of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said the sheltering-in-place order may last until late 2021. However, a group of citizens across the U.S. has decided to ignore the numbers and is demanding to go back to work. Texas is among the states where people are protesting the closing of non-essential businesses, wanting to go back to work. Protestors are not practicing social distancing, putting the public at risk. More safety measures should be considered before each state’s governor determines what can be reopened. Masks should be essential, and the six-feetapart rule should still be the norm for all people in public. Countries, such as Turkey, require their citizens to wear a mask in public places and deliver them free of charge. Curfews should be enforced in every state because businesses that are not considered essential should not be open past a certain time, like crowded bars. There should be hand sanitation available in every public place. Even in a country where religious freedom reigns as a high priority and the right to protest is sacred and constitutionally protected, limits need to be made to ensure the safety of citizens. These rights can be exercised online in a virtual setting with the health of the public in mind. As of now, the spread of the coronavirus has caused 36 states to close their schools from grades K-12 for the academic school year.
This puts a major strain on working parents and effectively reveals the problem with keeping kids home from school until at least August while simultaneously trying to open up the rest of a state for business. Students need to stay home as any school environment is the perfect place for a highly contagious virus to spread quickly, but if there is little to no child care in the form of school, daycare or relatives, then many employees face an impossible dilemma. Gov. Greg Abbott has suggested that he is devising a plan to reopen the Texas economy, and this pressure is fueled by local businesses that have been decimated by the effects of the stay-at-home orders and the frustration of citizens who want to return to work. He must try to weigh the advice of medical experts with the pressures of trying to save a flailing Texas economy already ravaged by record unemployment and the oil industry that has tanked dramatically. And as with most states, Texas has not tested nearly enough citizens to determine a true picture of who is infected and how that affects the curve that the country’s governors are trying to flatten. Health experts declare that states would need to triple the current rate of testing before the country can safely reopen. Stimulus checks have been handed out to U.S. citizens not for the moral reason to simply help financially, but as a way to help the economy and allow people to spend some money. Opening businesses back up seems like a solution to continue that growth, but for the same reason that schools and religious gatherings have been forced online, it will only have the opposite effect: allowing for the further spread of the coronavirus and ushering in a second wave that will require another round of aggressive sheltering in place. The best thing to help our country get through this crisis is for everyone to stay put. America doesn’t need every restaurant, gym and hair salon to open back up. It’s time to hunker down and remain socially distant from each other for now.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jill Bold
MANAGING EDITOR Dang Le
CAMPUS EDITOR Malik Giles
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FEATURE EDITOR Michael Foster-Sanders
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:
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Feature
Page 6 • April 22, 2020
The Collegian
Students share photos of pet roommates who help them cope with sheltering-in-place NE student Harley Nead hunkers down with her chihuahua Vixie.
NE student Amanda Hall lives with her cat Minny in her apartment. She is playing with a shoelace to stay active during the stay-at-home orders.
NW student and former Collegian staff member Gunner Young gets through his days spending time outdoors with his best four-legged friend Cleo.
NW student Angeline Henry cuddles with her fluffy black cat Bree.
Henry the turtle keeps NW students Angeline and Adelaide Henry company.
SE student Kylie Hodges shelters in place with her toy poodle Gertie, spending time in the backyard getting fresh air and exercise.
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