Author: Web Content Editor

Photo Story: Yellow Bike Project

Photo and Text by Antonio Cueto Gonzalez

It started as a garage project in 1997. The idea was to release fixed-up yellow bicycles around town for anyone who needed free and convenient transportation. Twenty-two years later, Austin’s Yellow Bike Project has evolved into a story of success that has earned the non-profit organization its iconic place in the city’s celebrated culture. The Yellow Bike Project is a 501c(3) non-profit organization with a simple yet ambitious mission: to get people on bikes in Austin.

 

  • Dawn Horton
    Austin’s Yellow Bike Project volunteer, Dawn Horton, examines the tightness of bicycle wheel spokes by using a turning stand. May 2, 2019.
  • Double-duties
    A customer and a volunteer coordinator, who double-duties as a shop clerk, inspect a restored bike one last time before taking it home. Austin, Texas. April 25, 2019.
  • Hardware and Pieces
    A volunteer scrambles through an assortment of hardware and pieces, looking for a pair of matching handlebar mirrors. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019.
  • Stephen Piyor
    Volunteer, Stephen Piyor, struggles to find where to put a misplaced airhorn among the crates full of strayed bicycle accessories. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019.
  • Rob Greenfield Teaching
    Volunteer coordinator Rob Greenfield teaches volunteer Kalina Guerra, 8-years-old, how to use a wheel turning stand. Austin, Texas. April 25, 2019.
  • Enrique Mejarada
    Enrique Mejarada works on his earn-a-bike, using a chain tool to attach links to fit correctly. Austin, Texas, May 2, 2019.
  • Customer
    A customer of the Yellow Bike Project searches for a replacement for his wheels among repurposed rims. Austin, Texas. April 25, 2019.
  • Sprockets
    New sprockets are added to a cogset by a coordinator who teaches a volunteer how to repair a freewheel cluster. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019.
  • Garret Man
    Volunteer Garrett Man raises his hand to call for a coordinator’s assistance; Juan Padilla unseats a tire bead from its rim. Austin, Texas. May 9, 2019
  • Yellow Bike Project Shop
    Volunteers, workshop attendants and coordinators work in their respective bike stands at the Yellow Bike Project during open workshop hours on a Thursday eventing. Austin, Texas. April 25 , 2019.

SXSW Film Review- Running With Beto

Written by Nathaniel Torres

Running With Beto is a film that “started with baseball like so many other great things,” says director David Modigliani.  Speaking to the audience at the SXSW 2019 premiere of his film, Modigliani shares with the crowd how he met now 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke while playing for the Texas Playboys baseball team. He says it was the opportunity to witness a positive campaign in the current political climate that convinced him to capture it on film. Modigliani continually asked himself “What is the story here?” all the while amassing over 700 hours of footage. When speaking with several audience members at the premiere, the descriptor I most commonly heard was “genuine.”  Modigliani’s film iterates the positive message that the congressman spread throughout his campaign run, but rather than being an hour and half platform recap, it exposes the man behind the message.

 

Before the film, the audience chats. Small talk inevitably leads to reflections on the outcome of the 2018 election. Audience members recount their memories at election parties, being gathered around the TV with high hopes. Their tones take woeful dips as they come to the part about the seat being announced for Cruz, except that’s not where their stories end. Sounds of hope and determination resurface.  Discussions conclude with adjusted outlooks both for a brighter future and O’Rourke’s chances at attaining office. For many, it is one and the same.

 

The lights go dim and several figures rush to the middle rows, faintly illuminated by the glow of the screen. The audience gives a stifled cheer. There’s no fooling this crowd; they know their hero and O’Rourke’s family is here to watch with them.

The film opens with a montage of sound bites and headlines that pick the scabs of slow-healing wounds for democratic Texans. Immediately apprehension and unease hushes the crowd.  Anyone who followed the midterms recognizes the mix of media playing out on the screen. Yet the mood lightens up just as quickly with the first scene. Video shot from a phone shows the O’Rourke family load into the car. Beto’s son Henry O’Rourke asks, “What’s a sucker?” in response to hearing his dad use the term seconds before. The exchange between O’Rourke and his wife Amy is brief but says so much. It’s a moment that parents around the country know well.  The split second of how best to describe an idiom and who will take the responsibility of glossing it over is a scene reminiscent of a family sitcom.

 

Clips of the O’Rourke family such as this one effectively reign in the audience to recognize the human aspect of the congressman. That’s the authentic tone that Modigliani captures in this film.  He pulls back the curtain on the polished message and shows a man in full sprint to convince Texans he’s worth their vote. Though O’Rourke is the main character in this narrative he is not the only one.  He is the face of change, but his team and his followers are the movement.  The film follows three outspoken citizens doing their part to usher in the blue wave.  One in particular, Shannon Gay, almost steals the show. She is a rough speaking woman with a sic ‘em attitude.  The audience loves her audacity. If liberals are snowflakes, she is a blizzard.

 

Amanda Salas and Marcel McClinton are shown doing their part to address two of the state’s most pressing issues: gun laws and voter turnout.  Both of them have firsthand experience with the consequences that can result from inaction. McClinton is a survivor of a school shooting. Salas is a resident of Hidalgo county, a county with one of the lowest voter turnouts in the state.  Modigliani’s inclusion of their voices in his film allows for a fuller picture of the voter base O’Rourke has united.

 

Through its editing, Running With Beto  also highlights the uniqueness of O’Rourke’s campaign. Modigliani interjects several clips from Facebook Live. Reaction emoticons and comments pop up on the big screen as if it were a giant cellphone. The scenes not only bring the audience into the spirit of the moment but also exemplify a modern campaign approach; perhaps a necessary one since O’Rourke relied mostly on small, individual donations from his supporters. There is a certain trust that’s built when broadcasting live for the upcoming generation, combining immediate gratification with on the spot reality coming from their candidate. Modigliani fills the screen with up close shots of facial expressions that range between relief, joy, and frustration. Shots of O’Rourke’s wife Amy and the children truly relay their sentiment throughout.  

 

Viewers of Running With Beto should expect to relive their experiences with the midterm elections and more. Along with the inspiration, exasperation, and the dismay audiences will also see the sacrifices the O’Rourke family has made. O’Rourke’s children’s heartache when the last ring goes to voicemail, Beto’s early mornings in hotel lobbies and airplanes, and the miles of Texas roads travelled. Drama is not drummed up or caught the way that is common for reality media today.  Instead, it unfolds steadily and naturally with the midterm timeline. The pace of the film quickens as election day draws nearer. Dialogue becomes more urgent and direct, especially from the Congressman. It is a glimpse of O’Rourke’s leadership and willfulness to deliver his message his own way. Though the audience knows how the story ends, the energy in the theater somehow still mounts to palpable levels.

Running With Beto is not a film about why Beto should have won the election or why his point of view is right. It is the story of how the Democratic population of Texas found their drive. Combining O’Rourke’s persistence with that of active citizens’, the film reflects the people’s thirst for an antidote to the hardlined, negative platforms that run on being against new ideas. Modigliani showed a base rallying around the belief that it doesn’t take big money to run a successful campaign in Texas. A base that believes that there is power in refusing to roll in the mud.  A base that believes that they have a chance to make themselves heard. ‘Running With Beto’ leaves its audience feeling proud of a man willing to be the underdog and go against the grain in the most bonafide way. Many believe Beto’s race was exemplary, despite his loss, simply because it sets a precedent for bigger opportunities. Beto was asked about his 2020 plans after the screening but pivoted from the subject. He held off revealing his decision for nearly another week. On March 14, 2019, O’Rourke relieved his anxious supporters by finally announcing his 2020 presidential run saying, “at this moment of maximum peril and maximum potential let’s show ourselves, and those who will succeed us in this great country, just who we are and what we can do”.

 

Running with Beto is to be released on HBO May 28 according to IMDB.

Fashion Incubator Celebrates Grand Opening

Story and Photos by – Ruben Hernandez

The ACC Fashion Incubator recently celebrated its grand opening at ACC Highland, drawing in many students, faculty, and community members. The Fashion Incubator gives students an opportunity to learn skills utilized within the fashion industry, and work with local designers and businesses to help create a thriving fashion community in Austin. The grand opening was lead by its Director, Nina Means, on Tuesday, April 30.

“One of the reasons that the city of Austin approached us to start this program is because of the benefit that ACC has,” Means said. “We are really good at workforce development. We know how to prepare people to go back into the workforce. The city said, ‘How many different ways can you help people monetize their skills?’ If you come in with no knowledge, this is your opportunity to dip your toes in the continuing education classes to find out if this is something you really want to do.”

The Incubator is to serve as not only a way for students to learn new skills regarding fashion, but also as a medium for local businesses to grow.

“We’re also creating the most viable environment for a new start-up businesses to get housed,” Means said. “We do this so that they can get over what a lot of small businesses have a hard time with, like product development, which is an expensive experience.”

While fashion has its own style, it is essential that components of the fashion industry, like the Incubator, collaborates with other fields in order for it to truly flourish.

“Fashion is for everybody and is inclusive,” Means said. “That’s the message we want to promote from the Incubator. We’re devoted to being inclusive as an incubator and as a student experience. We also want to be collaborative and interdisciplinary with all the other departments of the college. How many different ways can we engage computer science? How can we engage the marketing team? If I could leave you with anything, that’s really core to how we operate. It’s an art.”

Both Gerber technology and the city of Austin have made investments in this incubator, hoping that it would grow to be a successful venue and resource for those using it. They have both invested a total of 13.1 million dollars towards equipment in software and hardware.

“We help small businesses by leveraging the Gerber technology system we have here,” Means said. “Gerber has really invested in giving us a high-tech solution to be able to help businesses grow. Not only are we going to give you the scholastic tools to succeed, but also the tactical tools as well.”

The Incubator was also made to appeal to local businesses in Austin, not only by teaching students the skills that employers are looking for, but also by giving the employers a chance to teach the students themselves.

“The local industry component is huge for us,” Means said. “One of the things we are striving to do with our sample working space is mirroring a lot of the equipment that is in a lot of local manufacturers here. This is so that you have a chance to train on the equipment that you would utilize in a manufacturing facility somewhere here in Austin. We train you here, and a local Austin business hires you, ready to go.”

Hands-on experience is something that many employers value, regardless of field. Attaining this experience as a student is valuable.

“Something like the Incubator allows the students to not only gain the academic knowledge, but to have hands-on experience with the software and hardware,” ACC President Richard Rhodes said. “The purpose is to actually take that concept and do something with it. It doesn’t stop there. There are other small start-up businesses that are using this space, so they have exposure and access to those entrepreneurs who are developing product. They get all of those skill sets wrapped together.”

Starting through the Fashion Incubator isn’t hard, either. Means and her team of educators are making sure students have what they need to succeed.

“Through the Incubator, you can take a group of fashion design classes through continuing education, and know enough to intern or even be a design assistant depending on how proficient you were before you started,” Means said. “If you’re interested in continuing your skills, we’re offering more advanced courses geared towards industry professionals who may not be working in the industry currently, but would like to be.”

Connections that the Incubator has with other businesses and groups has played a part in putting the whole project together, and ultimately, has the potential to help it reach success through sustainability and scalability.

“One of the great things about having good partners is that really creates the sustainability for the future and the scalability is in the outreach,” Rhodes said. “That is, outreach to schools, community, and community groups. The question is, ‘How do we bring those who have that passion to understand that we have a place for them right here at ACC?’”

The Incubator will also introduce The Vault, an opportunity for fashion design students to connect with local professionals and businesses.

“The Vault is an advisor network of local industry professionals that are in the woodwork and have raised their hands as being interested in what we’re doing here,” Means said. Those people are going to be available to advise our students and start-up businesses along the way.”

As one would expect, the classes here start with an Introduction to Fashion Design class. From there, it expands.

“I’m already designing stuff at home,” Callin said. “I’ve got eight or nine designs I’ve done already. I make mockups out of muslin, a cheap fabric, and then I have someone come and try those on. From there, seeing how it fits the model, I refine my design. Then, I can make it out of the nice and expensive fabric.”

Many different elements need to be taken into consideration when it comes to seeing how a design fits a person.

“For a garment to look good, it has to hang well on a person,” Callin said. “It has to compliment them, otherwise it looks like they are wearing an oversized trash bag. You have to have some idea of human anatomy to be able to make the clothes that go on that body, and do it in a way that’s going to be flattering.”

Designs are specific, as designing for a broad range of people can lead to problems. Narrowing down who you’re designing for seems to be most efficient.

“Certain companies market to certain body sizes and shapes, and as a designer you have to go down those paths,” Callin said. “You have to really pick the person you are designing for,. It can’t be everybody, otherwise you won’t have a consistent theme and you aren’t going to be successful. But, whatever path you go down, in my mind what you need to do is make sure that whatever you’re making is high quality. That will bring people back.”

Designing specifically for one group will also help you develop ideas further ahead when it comes to how you will approach your next design. Observing how your audience wears their clothes and what they do afterward is also key to your next step.

“Fashion is how we interact with clothing, and is more than a runway or modeling,” Means said. “Our trends that we operate from is driven just as much from the customer as it is from the retailer. Often times, it is observing how you like putting your pant with your top. From there, it’s generating what we think will be your next best option, that way it spurs your next purchase. In a broad space, it is a conversation.”

ACC offers many different programs ranging from a vast variety of fields, from video game design to culinary skills. Fashion will be another field that ACC will hold under its belt.

“It’s important to keep a diverse set of programs at ACC because we have students with so many different passions,” Rhodes said. “How do we provide, for those students, the opportunity to be successful? Not only that, but to be able to earn a living as a result of that. That’s a critical component.”

South by South West – Music, Film, and Innovation

Video, Photos, and Story by – Ruben Hernandez

South by South West is a well-known major convention that takes place in Austin, Texas. It is comprised of many events, including a music festival, and film premieres, and even a Gaming Expo. Big names and celebrities, such as Taylor Bennett, and Olivia Wilde, make their way to Austin to enjoy a week of showcases and interactions.

One of SXSW’s main attraction is all of the sessions that are held that cover a wide variety of areas. Topics can range between things like SoundCloud usage in the music industry to the use of artificial intelligence by official publications to write news stories. If you want any sort of insight to trends in a variety of fields, SXSW is the convention to look in to.

The music festival is one of the highlights of this convention. This year, well-established artists like Khalid and Billie Eilish came to perform their music. Artists originating from all over the world, from countries like Korea and Costa Rica, take the stage to show Austin and people in the music industry what they have to offer.

Film is another unique aspect, with many showings and screenings of soon-to-come movies. Directors, filmmakers, and actors come in support of titles that are soon to hit theatres, generating buzz and anticipation. Movies like The Highwaymen and Villains were some of this year’s featured films.

Wrapping up the convention itself, SXSW hosts a Gaming Expo, where creators and companies come and showcase their developing games, software, and other merchandise to give gamers a taste of what is to come. Competitive tournaments were also held, featuring leading game titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Tekken 7.

While many people from all over the country come to Austin to enjoy this festival, most Austinites are concerned with one thing: the chaos that ensues during the week of SXSW. Because so many people are coming in such a short period of time, the streets of Austin become congested as thousands of people make their way through. Getting around, or even simply just driving down the street can be a hassle.

This year, SXSW took place from March 8 – 17, the week before Spring Break for Austin schools. Most years, Spring Break and SXSW fall in the same week, but that was not the case this time around. This added to the somewhat controlled chaos as tourists, students, and Austin natives mixed together to form a busy city.

Next year, SXSW will be held on March 13 – 22. Austin will once again become a hub for those who wish to experience the latest and coming trends of varying industries.

 

The Meal Gap: Food Insecurity

Story and photos – Marissa Greene

ACC students and student life members shed light on the silent issue of food insecurity amongst the school.

Have you ever tried focusing in a class while your stomach was rumbling? 20-30% of students in the United States have reported eating less due to food insecurity. For 22-year-old ACC student, Damienn Alcala, this is more than just a statistic; it’s a reality. Making the choice between paying for books, tuition, and transportation, housing can often appear more vital for students than a month’s  worth of groceries.

“College is so expensive, and it’s an investment,” Alcala said. “The average college debt is $37,123, so where does that leave money for students to buy their own groceries?”

He isn’t alone. According to an ACC financial study done in 2018, 34% of students reported having food insecurity, while 61% were worried that they won’t have enough money to pay for school. About half of that number was said to run out of money at least three times in the year prior.

Food insecurity is when someone able to afford a suitable amount of nutritious food. This can cause a practice of skipping meals and/or sacrificing food quality leading to unhealthy options that don’t provide the basic nutrients needed for a college student.

The gravity of food insecurity amongst students is often compared to issues such as homelessness, or not having enough funds to pay for education such as tuition and books. Similar to these struggles, food insecurity is not always easy to identify.

“Sometimes you can’t even tell,” Student Life coordinator Jennifer Flowers said. “Food insecurity does not look like anything, and it does not discriminate.”  

Flowers, who has been a part of Student Life for 14 years, oversees the food pantries located in the student life lounge of each ACC campus. At these food pantries, students who face food insecurity have the ability to get canned goods and other non-perishable items without a dollar sign associated with it.

In 2018, Flowers was asked to take on a project. At the beginning of October, ACC student life created a partnership with Central Texas Food Bank in order to encourage food distribution for ACC students on the first Friday of every month.  

“I looked up the logistics of how the setup would be and as I started to immerse myself more by reading articles and percentages of food insecurity,” Flowers said. “It really did open up my eyes.”

Before the food distribution event, Flowers didn’t realize that food insecurity existed. Not only are many non-college students unaware of this prevalent issue, but also the students themselves. Alcala states that he found out about student life and through word of mouth.

“I bring others [to student life] as well they’re like, ‘I never knew about this!’ Alcala said. “It’s surprising how many students aren’t aware of their opportunities.

Alcala believes that in order to combat these daily challenges, students must first get the conversation started about food insecurity.

“When talking to students even more, when they use the food pantry, when we wheel in the carts of food at the food distribution, the students are thankful that they don’t have to worry about groceries for that months,” Flowers said. “This is something that is just not talked about at all. Once you start talking about it and you’re in it, you get it.”

Unlike the food pantry, food distribution provides a greater variety of groceries. On the first Friday of every month starting at 9 a.m., students are able to walk into the student life lounge at the Riverside Campus and receive a ticket. That ticket will tell them when to come out into the parking lot, where they are greeted by volunteers, reusable bags, and a line of tables with an abundance of food choices.

As the student walks through the line,  they receive two reusable bags for their items and can pick anywhere from chicken, canned goods, fresh produce, and even bread. After their selections, these students are able to receive assistance carrying these groceries back to their car or the bus stop.

In the 2017-2018 school year, 960 students were served by the SL food pantry, along with 700 pounds of donated food. In just this fall semester for the 2018-2019 school year, SL food pantry and food distribution served over one thousand students.

   With all that the food pantry and distribution has to offer, Flowers recognizes how these ways to combat food insecurity also creates a bond between students in the community.

“This is when conversations start to open up about their own struggles,” Flowers said. “Every single staff member in our department is all about student success.”

Flowers hopes that talking about food insecurity causes all departments of ACC to want to get to know their students more beyond the ACCeID.

One of the Student Life staff members you might meet at the food distribution is Carrie Cooper. She also stresses the importance of students who are food secure to volunteer.

“It’s the main thing I look forward to every month,”  Cooper said. “Volunteering makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself, and is also a way to give back to your school.”

For students like Alcala, these statistics are more than just a couple of numbers; it is their life.

“For someone who is like me, just know that it’s okay, that is why we are here at ACC,” Alcala said. “To come together and say, ‘Hey, we don’t have that much money, but we have each other to help out.’ That’s what I feel is the real message of ACC.”

If you are someone you know could benefit from the Student Life food pantry or monthly food distribution, visit your campus’ Student Life lounge to learn more, or visit austincc.edu/[email protected]

Hopscotch Light & Sound Helps Give HOPE Outdoor Gallery a Second Chance

Written By – Marissa Greene
Photos by – Alexa Smith

Following the closing of HOPE Outdoor gallery, Hopscotch Light & Sound partners with HOPE Campaign in the rise of controversy and popularity of immersive art.

You are scrolling down your timeline on Instagram, and then you see it: a photo of one of your friends posing in a room with vibrant colors, interesting shapes, and props. When clicking on the location of their post, you might be surprised that the photo was taken at a museum.

Between 2015 and 2016, museums such as the Renwick Gallery and the Museum of Ice Cream started getting all the craze amongst social media users due to these exhibits’ immersive art. Immersive art or installation art, as some may say, is a type of genre that includes three-dimensional works that are created to alter the viewer’s perception of the space.

These pop-up museums of immersive art usually migrate from one location to another and are in large warehouses that are sectioned off for different pieces (installations) of art. These museums can use anything from food, shapes, lighting, and emotions to create specific art installations and encourages the audience to be a part of it.

Immersive art has become highly popular with young adults and especially those who use social media, so much so that art museums have seen a significant increase in subscriptions and ticket sales. According to an article by The Atlantic in 2017, the Renwick Gallery drew in more visitors in six weeks than compared to the year prior after exhibiting immersive art.

Now more than ever, people are being invited to see themselves within art and the only frames are the ones audiences post on social media due to this trend. Some have even began to question if the nature of art museums are being compromised to drive in consumers and produce sales. This controversy is what had started the “Instagram factory” or “Instagram trap” reputation that some museums have today.

From February 14th till March 31st, the citizens of Austin got their own taste of immersive art from a pop-up exhibit known as Hopscotch Light and Sound. Within the 10,000 sq. ft warehouse was thirteen distinctive art installations. Hopscotch obtained a significant social media presence with 1,036 posts containing the hashtag #hopscotchlightandsound on Instagram.

“One of my sister’s friends came and posted a picture of it so I bought tickets to see for it myself,” visitor Abby Rink said. “Me and my friends are really just here to see and take pictures.”

Although the museum has lured visitors through social media platforms like Instagram, Nicole Jensen, co-founder of Hopscotch Light and Sound, states that was never their plan.

“We wanted to get the message out that this was about art,” Jensen said. “Despite a lot of people taking photos, which is fine we don’t fault them for, we know that there is a lot of Instagram-type factories out there and we wanted the people to know that wasn’t our intention.”

Hopscotch chose to get this message across to their audience in numerous ways. The museum contained 13 installations, where visitors could change the colors of a neon LED wall through an electronic paintbrush, scream into a microphone and see their soundwaves light up a piece of art, or even lounge in a clear-ball pit that was illuminated from lights below. Out of the 13 installations, more than half of the artists involved were local.

“The creator of the neon screen room is a street artist we asked to make his art come to life,” Jensen said. “There is not a point of gravity for immersive artists to show their pieces, and similarly, there aren’t a lot of places for large amounts of people to go experience it.”

Not only did Hopscotch come to Austin to showcase a local artist’s work, but also to fund a cause. In 2016, the well-known HOPE outdoor gallery, also known as graffiti park, announced they were looking for a new location and closed the space from the public on January 2nd, 2019. HOPE and Hopscotch decided to partner up, with all of the sales made from Hopscotch Light & Sound would go into funding the new HOPE outdoor gallery coming later this year.

“I think a lot of people were upset when the downtown location closed,” Jensen said. “However, to me, I think the new gallery will be way better because it will be curated proper space with art shows and food and drinks.”

The once abandoned condo project that started in the mid-to-late ’80s will soon be a much larger space with restrooms, space for art classes, and more parking. HOPE also has values to preserve the art made at the gallery instead of it being tagged with other visitors names or phrases, something that has seen a lot at the outdoor gallery prior. Jensen not only sees much promise in the new gallery but also sees this as a big step for the Austin community.

“People are saying that Austin is losing it’s weird and I think that’s on us,” Jensen said. ”We can’t just say, ‘Oh a place closed that was 20 years old, Austin isn’t weird anymore.’ We have to keep cultivating the weird. The saying is ‘Keep Austin Weird and Support Local Business,’ so I think that is very important that everyone lives here continues to live that motto if they want Austin to stay the same.”

As immersive art continues to be a trend within this day and age, many look forward to the next pop-up gallery coming to their city whether it is specifically for their Instagram feed or not. The new HOPE outdoor gallery will be located in Carson Creek Ranch and plans to open up this coming fall of 2019. Hopscotch is planning on having a permanent location in San Antonio, moving from a 10,000 sq ft warehouse to a 17,000 sq ft facility in the fall as well.

ACC Highland Point of Light for Take Back The Night

Written By Ruben Hernandez
Video By Nathaniel Torres

Austin Community College hosted its first ever Take Back the Night event, focused on the support of those who have undergone sexual assault or domestic violence. The event not only offered a variety of resources, but also a march through the main Highland Campus building and a speak out, where survivors were able to share their stories.

“Take Back the Night is a great event for students to get in contact with faculty, staff, and the community,“ Compliance Investigator Austin Wood said.
“It gives a platform for individuals to express themselves and share their stories. It’s also an opportunity to meet advocates and allies, connected with a population of support and passion. It’s a night of celebration and really making it through the hard and tough times.”

Take Back the Night maintained a high emphasis on the aspect of bonds and community, stating several times that those who have undergone assault or abuse aren’t alone. There are resources and people to help.
“It’s not something that anyone should have to deal with by themselves if they do feel that way,” Wood said. “It’s a really difficult thing that individuals have to go through, such trauma and such harm. But to know that there are resources such as this event and a community within the college itself, it really provides an outlet to know that they are not alone.”

Most notably during the Speak Out session, survivors were able to share their stories
and explain how far they have come since being abused or assaulted. Whoever wanted to share their story was welcome to walk up to the mic and start.
“The Speak Out began with an awesome keynote speaker,” Social and Civic Awareness and Student Life Coordinator Carrie Cooper said. “She shared her story about her leaving an abusive relationship while starting here at ACC. I think that was encouraging to other students and faculty staff members to come share their stories.”

Media has definitely played a part in spreading the message, but hearing it first-hand seems to have a different effect.
“It’s one thing to see statistics and news stories, but it’s another thing to hear someone’s actual story,” Cooper said. “It helps you put a person to the issue and realize why it’s so important for all of us to stand up against sexual and domestic violence. When you actually hear people’s stories, it spurs you on like nothing else will.”

ACC is one of the many campuses in the nation that holds a Take Back the Night event, but it is one of 10 campuses that will be featured by the Take Back the Night Foundation.
“The 10 Points of Light are 10 different campuses and locations that will be featured by the National Take Back the Night Foundation on April 25,” Cooper said. “I lead the TBTN planning committee, and after I applied, the national foundation reached out to me and asked if ACC would be interested in being featured.”

Victims of sexual assault or domestic violence can be anyone of any gender, skin color, race, or sexual identity. People are different, but the stories can be similar.
“What I learned from Take Back the Night is that everyone is different,” Riverbat Ambassador Jesse Fraga said. “These people were here sharing their stories, and expressing how they feel.”

Providing opportunities for victims is something that is widely emphasized, and resources such as counselors and the SAFE Alliance were there at Take Back the Night to emphasize that.
“What stuck out to me the most was how powerful it is to hear from other people who have been where you are,” Cooper said. “I think it is encouraging in a way that nothing else is encouraging. It’s good for students to be able to hear other peoples’ stories, and realize that they’re not alone and there’s nothing wrong with them.”

Fraga believes that support and encouragement are key to handling these types of situations.
“If that one person tells a friend about their situation, that friend needs to encourage that person to speak up,” Fraga said. “It’s really severe. That’s what Take Back the Night is about: how severe it can get and the support for those people. If you’re someone that has had a friend tell you about their tragedy, it’s our job to convince them to speak up or have them talk to a counselor because this can get very bad.”

With the recent #MeToo movement, sexual assault and domestic violence have become a more significant and serious topic. This was one of the things that started the effort to a better and more well-aware society.
“It’s a really hard and sometimes awkward thing to talk about,” Cooper said. “Obviously our culture has changed with the #MeToo movement. It still takes a lot to talk in front of a group of people in real life, which is a lot different than making a social media post. That still takes courage, but being present with people can make it healing in a way because you can see people who you see your own story in.”

People of all sorts of backgrounds have free access to these resources. No matter where you’re from or who you are, support is available for anyone in need of it.
“I think its a huge resource and shows that the college shows an emphasis on support,” Wood said. ”Everybody has a background and everyone goes through life experiences, and it’s important to know that there’s a place and an outlet for all individuals of diverse backgrounds. We all have different experiences and come from different places in life.”

The bond between community and victim is something that can make the world of a difference, and Take Back the Night was to serve as the connection between the two.
“I hear stories about how bad it can get without speaking up,” Fraga said. “I think that what the most important thing is: speak up no matter what. Whether you’re the friend or the victim, as a community we need to speak up louder and louder.”

Career Exploration – ACC Job Fair

Story By – Delondra DeFreeze

The Austin Community College Job Fair & Career Exploration Event this Spring was a success. Students from across all 11 campuses came together at the Highland campus in search of opportunities. Career Services hosted the event and brought together businesses like IBM and Amazon in the ACCelerator. It wasn’t hard for the sea of professionally dressed students to find supportive words of encouragement from staff members and volunteers at the event.

The ACCelerator housed over 100 businesses for students to network with. Grant Loveless, Student Ambassador for Career Services, values the opportunities that were made available to ACC students.

“The Job Fair was created to bring opportunity and access to Austin Community College students, as well as Austinites,” Loveless said. “It also helps connect student organizations and different opportunities out there for full-time, part-time, internships, externships, and volunteer work to students at all of ACC’s 11 campuses.”

The businesses featured at the Job Fair were organized by Area of Study with Area of Study Advisors located near each section. Students had access to LinkedIn profile headshots, onsite resume labs, and ACC resource tables. The Student Money Management Office also facilitated a free credit report station. The study rooms normally available in the ACCelerator were turned into interview rooms for onsite interviews.

K&G Fashion Superstore and the Austin Community College Fashion Incubator sponsored a work attire fashion show. Katie Johnson, a Creative Writing major, had the opportunity to model in the show.

“I had fun modeling in the fashion show,” says Johnson. “I was excited and nervous. I looked for Youth Development jobs since I used to work for the Boys & Girls Club.” 

ACC’s Job Fair gave students access to a variety of career options.

“This event can open up a lot of door for students when it comes to their aspirations and for their academic and professional journeys,” says Loveless. “It is impactful when you see a student that has an urge to get an internship with a radio station or a job working with kids like the YMCA or doing volunteer work that includes kids like the Boys & Girls Club or Boy Scouts.”

 

When it comes to equipping students with networking skills and professionalism, Career Services is here to help.

“I talk to a large amount of students about Career Services,” Loveless said. “Some people don’t know what it is and the other half don’t know how to utilize it. The one thing I want any and all students to know is that Career Services is here to help. With Career Services we help you build your resume. We help you build your cover letter. We help you build job interview skills. We help you cultivate yourself as a leader. We push you in the direction you want to go in.”

Austin Community College students are not only learning networking skills, but also applying their knowledge in real world situations like the Job Fair.

 

Film Review: “Greener Grass” SXSW 2019 Premiere

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Review & Photo by Taylor Kokas

Haven written and starred in the short film of the same name that premiered at SXSW 2016, Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe are back in 2019 as writer/director duo and once again stars of their debut feature film, Greener Grass. An absurd satire about life in suburbia where people push politeness to the extreme, especially Jill (DeBoer) and Lisa (Luebbe), two soccer moms both married with children. From the beginning we are introduced to the theme of the film, it’s a bright clear sunny day, we find Jill and Lisa sitting on the benches gossiping about one of their friends while watching their son’s soccer game. Lisa interrupts their conversation having noticed that Jill is holding her new baby (which Jill has obviously been holding since the start of the film). Lisa compliments the baby “I love her”, which Jill is taken aback by her words and replies “Lisa…do you want her?”. By the end of the scene Lisa has literally adopted Jill’s new born baby.

I think the director duo succeeded in their mission to express the idea of how far are we willing to put politeness over our own happiness. Over the course of the movie we are shown that idea through Jills relationship with Lisa, as Jill puts politeness before happiness it begins to shatter her life while improving Lisa’s. This film also does a wonderful job of world building from the weekend soccer games, big houses with white picket fences, driving golf carts instead of cars, to every adult literally wearing braces. Sure there are times in the film where it feels redundant but if you posses this sense of humor it’s a must watch. Worth mentioning that SNL’s Beck Bennet plays Jill’s husband in the film, which was definitely a perfect casting choice. Speaking of, the closest comparison is Saturday Night Live, where every scene is pretty much a skit, pushing the absurdity just a little each time while still managing to tell the larger story at the core of every scene. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”5098″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]

Dawn Luebbe (Left), Jocelyn DeBoer (Right)

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