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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.