Many projects and discussions have taken place at SXSW Festival 2023. Among them, ACCENT Reporter Marisela Perez Maita was able to cover the uprising innovation showcase that offered a glimpse into the transformative state of our future.
by Marisela Perez Maita
On March 11, 2023, 55 finalists across 14 categories presented their innovative projects at the JW Marriott Downtown conference rooms. These categories included health, design, tech, audio and AI. Here are five of the numerous stands that were present:
Musichealth is an AI that uses music therapy to help patients with dementia and their caregivers. The software —called Vera— creates a playlist that brings nostalgia and reminiscence of the patient’s past to their present. Once the patient starts listening to a song they enjoy and remember, their mood and behaviors change, relaxing the patient’s body and mind and making it much easier for caregivers to carry them through different activities. Combining neuroscience, technology and music, Musichealth helps dementia patients reconnect with emotions and caring memories
Founded in Brazil, Edubank is a bank that provides credits to schools in Latin America. The founder, Daniel Costa, started this project after realizing how the lack of financial support retains Brazilian schools for improvement. Traditional banks don’t like to give credit nor provide access to capital for education because “It’s too complicated” according to Costa. For this reason, institutions have a hard time finding resources to improve their facilities and quality of education. Edubank has helped over 400 schools in Brazilian states. They hope to reach 1 million students by 2026.
How a profile looks like in Chptr – Photos courtesy of Claudia Hinojos
Chptr is an app for those who want to remember relatives and friends who have passed away. The way it works is very simple. People join a “profile” which is the space created for that person, and anyone invited to that profile can add a memory or a moment. A memory is either a video or audio where the user expresses their emotions or thoughts. A moment are pictures, videos, conversations or any media that shows how that person was for those who loved them. Chptr embraces memory, grief and love through the timeless space of technology.
The app is completely free and can be downloaded from the App Store or Play Store.
Reporter Marisela Perez Maita testing Neuralight technology; The Neuralight stand and demonstration data – Photos courtesy of Claudia Hinojo
Neuralight is an AI that, by capturing oculometric movements, diagnoses neuronal disorders, measures sickness progression, and allows doctors to find the best treatment for the patient. Neuralight presenters pointed out that neurological disorders are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, nd many of them share similar symptoms, so the risk of being misdiagnosed is high. Some of the most common are Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s Disease (HD), and Major Depressive Disorder (MD). Neuralight’s technology uses oculometric data to diagnose and predict these disorders accurately. Following a dot on a screen, gives information such as reaction time and many other complex neurological data that are useful for medical diagnosis.
The Shrimpbox stand – Photos courtesy of Claudia Hinojos
The company Atarraya presented Shrimpbox—the first AI-powered aquaculture farm designed to allow the production of shrimp sustainably. Traditional shrimp production pollutes oceans, destroys habitats, and contributes to overfishing. For this reason, Atarraya built the technology to cultivate shrimps in a “box” that replicates the breeding environment of the shrimps, be it in urban, hot or cold areas. The box can be built anywhere in the world, making it a sustainable farm that significantly decreases the environmental impact.
From the presented stands, Neuralight won in the category of Health and MedTech. The Finalists Showcase emboldens the importance of festivals like South by South West, where people with brilliant ideas get the opportunity to showcase their passions and innovations to others and inspire more ideas to come.
Mental safety, as is dealing with trauma, is vital to creating a healthy workplace. Katharine Manning guides these topics for employees in the workforce.
by Foster Milburn
As students, we often question what to expect once we enter the workforce, particularly internships. The classes we take in undergrad help us contextualize topics in which we major, but extracurriculars can only prepare us so much for the workforce once we enter it. How can we know what we value in a workplace when we don’t know what it means to be part of a corporate environment?
You have probably seen some of her books regarding empathy in the workplace. She is an advocate for unheard voices, including those affected by the Pulse nightclub and SouthCarolina AME church shootings, and an attorney who guides the Justice Department through responding to trauma victims. She is Katharine Manning, and she is an author, professor, and attorney.
Through what she refers to as “The LASER Technique,” Manning offers a five-step process for a compassionate response to employees with trauma for managers and anyone overseeing a group of people in the workplace.
The LASER Technique as presented by Katharine Manning at SXSW
The first step is Listening, Manning advises, “don’t interrupt and don’t problem solve; just let [the employee] speak. Make room for that.”
The second step is Acknowledge – “it is straightforward: ‘I’m sorry,’ or, ‘that sounds difficult.’ It lets [the employee] know you heard them, and they are likely to listen to what you share next,” Manning said.
The third is Sharing information, “John F. Kennedy said in times of turbulence it is more accurate than ever that knowledge is power,” Manning said. “When we share, we get a little of that power back.”
Step four is Empower. This step is about recognizing that the person in trauma has their own journey to walk. She advises, “you must set boundaries for yourself, but within that, you can give [the employee] tools to take with them on that journey.”
For example, if the company offers mental health resources, share those with the cohort. Affirming boundaries while offering resources – such as 988– the U.S. new national hotline for suicide and mental health crises –creates a comfortable space for the individual while you guide them in the proper direction.
Step five – Return. By setting boundaries, you’re caring for your mental health while helping the individual facing trauma. It would help if you watched for yourself, and Manning’s advice for that is investing in self-care. “I do a little bit of yoga and meditation every morning. Just do something every day that gives back to yourself,” she said.
Affirming boundaries while offering resources – such as 988– the U.S. new national hotline for suicide and mental health crises –creates a comfortable space for the individual while you guide them in the proper direction.
This is how we respond, but next is making sure that the people that come to us in the first place are encouraged to do so. “People underestimate how valuable it is to check in on the people in our lives,” Manning said.
From highlighting common incidents such as workplace violence and employee safety, to recognizing needs and developing resources such as miscarriage leave, gender-affirming medical care, or domestic violence, sharing resources is vital. “Do you have these policies within your organization? If not, think about that,” Manning said.
This is the second pillar of trauma-informed workplaces. Manning advises, “make sure you’re getting input from those affected – don’t create a phenomenal gender-affirming care policy without first talking to transgender individuals.” The dormant items will not do anyone any good if they’re sitting on a shelf with no one discussing them.Her book, “The Empathetic Workplace,” describes other pillars in responding to trauma and distress amongst our coworkers and supervisors. Next month, she is launching a course diving deeper into making workplaces more empathetic, thus creating a healthier work environment for all employees. You can check out the website for more details.
As art and technology accelerate Austin’s growth, the city’s large number of artists as well as its under-represented communities have struggled to match pace.
by Nathan Adam Spear
The surplus of creative events in the city paired with the increasing presence of several large tech company headquarters like Dell (1984), Apple (2019), and most recently Tesla (2021) has made the once quiet capital’s cost of living increase, displacing the historical communities and the artists that make it attractive.
Celina Zisman, the chair of the City of Austin’s Commission for the Arts, says that the commission has been facing this increasing loss of culture with the implementation of an equity lens on its funding model inspired by the strategic direction that city council adopted in March of 2018.
In June of this year, the arts commission along with the city’s cultural arts division released their review process, which details how the city will support the preservation of its culture with three new funding programs.
The newly applied equity lens on these funding programs places the commission’s funding priorities on local artists and creative organizations that take action to accommodate and uplift under-represented communities.
Zisman has been involved with the arts commission since 2019. The organization, composed entirely of volunteers, faced its share of funding difficulties after the year’s pandemic.
Austin’s arts and culture funding, which is sourced from a fraction of the city’s hotel occupancy tax, dropped significantly after traveling restrictions during the pandemic caused hotel revenue to drop. The city was met with a long period of no events, and the artist’s struggle worsened.
“I’m honestly just proud we were able to keep our s**t together,” said Zisman, who moved to Austin from the Bay Area in 2008 and has since been closely involved with the city’s developed creative community. Like many local artists, Zisman remembers having her start renting space on Austin’s previously more affordable east side.
“I had a few friends who lived over there, but I didn’t really have any guides or context when I moved,” says Zisman about her experience moving to Austin as a low-income artist. “It was just the affordable place to live.”
The low costs of the neighborhood, before it garnered its more recent attention, was in large part due to Austin’s history of segregation. In 1928, the segregation plan that the city adopted aimed to relocate the African American community to the homes and neighborhoods east of I-35.
For years the neighborhood developed as a prominent African American community, the highway physically separating the under-represented Austinites on the east side from the more expensive and white parts of the city.
When artists wanting to live in the culturally vibrant urban area discovered the large number of affordable homes and renting options to the east, the historically segregated neighborhood’s reputation as a creative hotbed began to form and the originally segregated communities faced displacement again.
“Do artists play a role in gentrification? Hard stop yes. Artists are notorious for being brave and living where other people might not want to,” said Zisman, elaborating on the trend of artistic communities transforming the low-income areas they settle in and displacing the neighborhood’s preceding residents as more attraction for the once-undesirable location is created.
The population in the city has continued to grow rapidly, even reaching as high as 2.2 million in the latest report from the 2021 United States Census Bureau, a 22% increase in the last decade alone. The white, non-Hispanic population leads this charge contributing nearly 40% of the population’s total growth according to the same report.
The American Growth project, led by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, listed Austin as 2022’s second fastest growing U.S city. The project points out how the city developments that were made in response to the area’s growing popularity continue to increase expenses as well, reporting that the average rent for multifamily housing has increased around 10% every year.
The notoriously low-income artists, especially those on the east side, are facing the consequences as well after the influx of attention and development. The east side, after years of neglect, is seeing the presence of rapid high-income focused development like Waterloo Central – which boasts 39,000 square feet of Class A office space – outpaces the city’s opportunities for artists.
Pump Project Art Complex, previously located on 20,000 square feet of Shady Lane, was a longtime participant in the East Austin Studio tour and an active creative space for 13 years in this location. Now, after the building’s owner put the space on the market for $2.4 million, Pump Project lacks a physical shop and hosts pop-ups under the name ArtUs at the Arboretum in Northwest Austin.
“It was organically grown with all these little incubator spaces, and it became this thing that grew, and we kind of gentrified ourselves,” said Joshua Green, the co-founder of Pump Project, to Texas Monthly in 2021.
Pump Project was one of the city’s many art hubs that felt pressure as inflation increased. In the Economic Development Department’s (EDD) 2017 Creative Spaces survey, 51% of the participants had even admitted to considering leaving Austin for another city or state.
In the most recent Austin Studio Tour, previously known as the East Austin Studio Tour before joining the western side with a name change in 2021, the concentration of artists that once occupied the east side has largely dispersed.
Hoping to unite the efforts of artists trying to live sustainably and the city wanting to keep its culture, the arts commission worked with EDD’s Cultural Arts Division to prioritize funding with an equity lens that looks at an organization/individual artist’s diversity and potential impact.
In June of 2022, the Cultural Arts division released their cultural funding review process, detailing the new programs in place after reaching out to the needs of the arts community and evaluating the equity of previous funding programs.
“You may not be a person of color but does the work you’re doing serve communities of color?” explaining the priorities of some of the new programs, “If you’re a non-profit, does your board represent a spectrum of the community?”
The division’s entry-level funding or Nexus Program has the lowest award amount of $5,000 and the easiest application process. Nexus focuses on the support of new talent in and out of the city.
The Thrive program, which has the highest grant amounts, intends to correct the city’s past participation in gentrification and its history of funding biases by focusing support on non-profit organizations that are reflective of Austin’s culture by, for example, possessing a 5-year or more history with the city. Looking primarily for non-institutions as well, the Thrive program has award amounts going as high as $80-150k a year.
Despite the development of these new programs and the recovery of funds from the hotel occupancy tax, the artistic community still struggles as inflation rises. According to a 2022 survey by the EDD, only 30% of respondents have access to an affordable creative space.
Finding awareness of these opportunities and a lack of business experience to be recurring problems for the creative community, Zisman or as they like to be known, The Craft Advocate, offers insight and financial advice to local creatives.
Zisman finds the preservation of what’s left of the Austin culture through direct collaboration with artists, generating more local creative opportunities and placing a high priority on a more affordable renting market for artists.
“I mean we got to have some spice, we got to have flavor and I think without our creatives feeding this culture, we’re just another spot on the map.”
“They want us to be like our mascot and sleep under bridges.” The administration’s lack of support enables housing insecurity to persist, student government members say.
by Daniel Sadjadi
Last August, ACC’s Student Government Association (SGA) members presented a recommendation proposal to the Board of Trustees to address the shortage of affordable housing for students.
The solutions included immediate steps such as creating a housing message board for students to connect with roommates, medium-term solutions such as creating a housing committee and increasing resources for affordable housing initiatives and programs, and long-term solutions such as working with the SGA and community partners to create more affordable housing options.
The SGA also surveyed ACC students on their financial and living conditions. They received 533 responses and found the following:
71% of students worry about paying rent
61% have faced housing insecurity
12% of students reported facing homelessness
30% of students spend more than 60% of their income on rent
31% report struggling to pay their bills after rent
20% have received rental assistance
80% say COVID-19 has drastically impacted their ability to work and pay rent
40% of students have been behind on rent
11.3% of students have faced eviction
7 current students surveyed were homeless
According to SGA Senator, Julia Cloudt, upon being presented with this information, ACC’s Board of Trustees asked SGA to return with more data on students’ housing situations. SGA members, who have already volunteered dozens of hours of unpaid time to gather data through surveys distributed in tabling events, classes, and through word of mouth, felt frustrated according to Cloudt.
The main issue for ACC students finding affordable housing is the lack of support from the administration, Cloudt said.
“We provided them with short, medium, and long-term solutions and there has been a lot of red tape with them not making it easy for us to even get solutions out to students,” she said. “I think one of the main issues is that we brought a lot of evidence to the administration and I think they see it as ‘it’s housing, it’s too big of an issue.’”
Some of the main solutions proposed by the student government included providing information on affordable housing within a ten-mile radius of each campus and creating an app to connect students looking for housing. However, the administration has not taken any significant actions to address this issue, leaving SGA to deal with it themselves, Cloudt said.
“We provided them with short, medium, and long-term solutions and there has been a lot of red tape with them not making it easy for us to even get solutions out to students”
Cloudt says that there is a misconception that students are looking for a huge solution to the housing issue, but they are only asking for help to help themselves. Cloudt also expressed that the lack of guidance and support provided by ACC to the Student Government is discouraging. Cloudt believes that the excuses given by ACC might be both legitimate and illegitimate, as there is data that ACC already knows that students are struggling with housing and even homelessness.
Rent in Austin has increased 93% since 2010 and the majority of students reported struggling to afford housing. Cloudt experienced housing insecurity herself during her senior year in high school and was forced to stay with friends after facing homelessness. She struggled to find work and save up to get her own apartment. Struggling to find housing and a job while homeless made a significant impact on her education as she was unable to attend school regularly during that time.
“I didn’t know where to go. I had no savings. I had no job. No support… I just had to stay with friends while I was looking into getting a job so I could save up and get my own apartment. That was like three or four weeks after me having to just go struggle by myself. I didn’t go to school that entire time. I had teachers reach out to me and call me because they were like, you haven’t been to class. I was using an old iPod Touch, so I didn’t even get the messages until after I was back home. I was real-life struggling. I almost slept at a bus stop one night, but I was so scared for my safety that I walked four miles to my friend’s house, it’s either that or maybe getting raped or assaulted.”
The lack of affordable housing affects students’ ability to focus on school and their overall well-being, as their basic needs are not being met. The transportation system is also a significant problem for people who do not have stable housing, as many are forced to rely on public transport, which takes away time and energy from their studies.
During a meeting with a trustee, they confirmed that the city fined ACC $1 million for not keeping apartments at Highland campus affordable, said Kay Trent, SGA’s president. At Highland, the Ella Parkside apartment building features 300 units but only 30 of which are reserved for affordable housing. A one-bedroom apartment would set you back $1,400 a month. “You need three or four times the rent to be able to sign off on it… my own teachers don’t make four times that amount. It was beyond affordable housing,” Cloudt said.
Frustrated by the lack of action, a group of SGA members organized a peaceful protest on campus by putting sticky notes onto advertisement posters for the Highland campus, containing quotes about the high cost of housing and living expenses. The sticky notes were taken down the next day but the group plans to continue protesting and keeping the pressure on the board to address the housing issue.
“The SGA hopes to find solutions within ACC but is also looking to reach out to other sources for help if they continue to be ignored,” Cloudt said. The protest was successful, with the group receiving coverage in a local newspaper.
Trent said that ACC has the money to buy or build student housing, but is choosing not to. She suggested the closed ACC Pinnacle building could be used for student housing instead of converting it into a vineyard for the culinary department. Trent stated that ACC has displayed a lack of care for their students that is reflected in the budget, which is close to a billion dollars but not being used to build affordable housing.
At one of the Board’s meetings, the topic of the administration’s frivolous spending while ignoring basic issues came up. In 2019, ACC Chancellor Richard Rhodes received a 5% raise which brought his salary to $360,000. SGA members say this money should have been used for student housing instead. Trent also noted that the administration rejected a $20 living wage proposal for ACC employees.
Trent said that the investments made by the college are not always in the best interest of the students, like offering food services but making them prohibitively expensive to students, such as in the case of $9 ‘grab-and-go’ snack options at Highland.
Trent says that the college should invest more in resources that would benefit students, such as affordable housing for those without families and single mothers. Trent believes that providing a safe and stable housing environment for students would allow them to focus on their academics without being in “survival mode.”
Trent said that the city’s efforts to combat homelessness have not been effective and that the issue has only gotten worse without any permanent solutions. She stated that the city council needs to be more active and work together to find a solution, ‘as everyone is talking in circles about housing but nothing is actually being done to address the issue.’
“I just think that it’s selfish that a city can continue to go on this way. Or they try to push you out of the city, because the surrounding areas – Round Rock, Leander, Georgetown, all of that they still consider that to be Austin. But to live in Austin, you have to give up two legs and a half a year to afford it… Everybody’s sacrificing, like I sold my car because I was like, ‘Well, I can walk to school, I really don’t need a car per se,’ but also I couldn’t afford the gas, and insurance and gas are a big killer, especially if you’re already barely making rent.”
Providing a safe and stable housing environment for students would allow them to focus on their academics without being in “survival mode.”
For ACC students struggling with housing insecurity or looking for a place to live, the college has a student emergency aid program that gives out a maximum of $500 to help with temporary housing, but there is no one on staff to talk to for more permanent solutions.
Trent has been working since April to address the issue of students not having their housing and other basic needs met. She has been reaching out to different departments for help and working to build bridges between them. She believes the ball is in the Board of Trustees’ court to find a real solution.
“Nobody’s asking them to build an arcade, a gym, or anything. All those things would be lovely to have, but we just want housing right now… and so it’s just a lot of holding them accountable, a lot of physically going up to the Board of Trustees meetings, being in there, having interviews with people across the city. It’s a very challenging task, but it’s not impossible.”
She plans to continue the fight, even after she graduates from ACC, to hold the Board of Trustees accountable for not addressing the issue of housing. She is also looking to partner with other organizations to help find a solution.
SGA (Student Government Association) at Austin Community College is a group that helps students with various issues, including housing. They represent 72,000 students on campus. The best form of contact is to reach out to the ACC SGA email address listed below.
SGA tries to help students who are being redirected endlessly by other organizations on campus. SGA is a group of people who are tirelessly fighting for students and trying to help them. Change can only happen when people become involved, so the SGA encourages students to become involved and reach out to them. You can find more information and volunteer to get involved with SGA here.
The Health Sciences department at ACC has a profound reputation in Austin.
by Foster Milburn
Graphic by Claudia Hinojos
Health science students at Austin Community College are prepared for the fast-growing healthcare industry as the college offers a flexible education pathway, realistic hospital settings, and a high state pass rate.
A career as a registered nurse might be ideal for students who are driven to help others and are passionate about science.
Post COVID, the supply and demand for nurses has resulted in a shortage of nurses globally. With the high demand, the pay remains an appealing incentive for entering the work field.
According to Indeed, the average yearly salary for a registered nurse (RN) in Texas is $89,905; a well-paying salary in the field results from the long hours and the emotional pressure of being a nurse.
At ACC, students have a wide range of options in picking their major or starting a trade-specific program.
Professional nursing is different from other areas of study as it requires the student to apply and be accepted into the program, whereas other studies are open to students at any time. To be registered in this program, students are also expected to complete a series of prerequisites.
If a student is interested in nursing, they should go to the ACC website. Professor Abraham, an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) level two professor, advises: “Definitely, the Health Sciences page is the best place to start.”
One thing to think about prior to considering nursing school is the complexity and dedication required. “What helps is having a realistic goal when starting nursing school,” Professor Abraham said.“Nursing school is a full-time job.”
That might raise the question of whether you can work outside the classroom to provide income for your living expenses beyond what you receive from loans. “Yes, you can. It will not be easy, but it is possible.” Christina Berger, a level II ADN Student at ACC and a mother of two, points out.
For many students, having a job while in school is necessary. An outside income is a requirement as some live independently or have children. Christina Knighton discussed working while being in the program. “I understand that it is reality, and we can’t not all work. Students have scaled back their hours to ensure they have more time for the program,” she said.
So, you might be wondering what other options are available. Knighton brings up the option of saving between semesters to have extra income during semesters. “This program is a full-time job,” she said.
With the disclaimers addressed, it would be best to meet with an advisor if a student is still interested in starting the program. It can be something other than Health Sciences, too.
Christina Knighton spoke about her personal experience with her advisor, “I started by speaking to my advisor, who gave me information about the prerequisites for the ADN program. She helped me stay on track and made sure I met the deadlines for application.”
The application process can be confusing for students navigating through the steps for the first time. It is much more information than other programs of study because it is specialized and more selective.
However, that does not mean there aren’t people to help you along the way. Because of having high standards going into the program, the resources continue beyond the application process.
“Once in the program, there are retention services available that can help with financial aid, study tips, and time management,” Knighton said.
Regarding the prerequisites, one might ask if they are beneficial to the courses they are required to take. For the professional nursing program, ADN, the associate degree plan requires four prerequisites. If taken subsequently, the classes can be completed in approximately three semesters.
“Pharmacology and Anatomy & Physiology give you the foundation for going into nursing school,” Knighton said. “When you have a deeper understanding of how the body works, it is easier to understand the disease processes you learn about once in the program.”
Secondly, the other requirement for applying for admission into the program is the HESI exam. The exam is a test that covers the material learned in the prerequisites where students are “tested on knowledge and how you would apply that knowledge in a clinical setting,” Knighton said.
The HESI Admission Assessment fee is currently at $62.00. The minimum passing score is 75 percent, and the test covers anatomy, physiology, math, reading, grammar, and critical thinking.
The HEXI exam varies in complexity. “Exposure to NCLEX style questions helps a lot when preparing for the HESI or nursing school exams in general,” Knighton said.
The NCLEX is the exam taken after completion of the program. “You can find them online, and there are many apps you can download for free,” Christina Berger said.
To conclude, it is best to speak directly with an advisor if one is considering the Nursing program or any other Health Sciences program. They can give you more personable advice while understanding your circumstances.
The nursing program here at ACC has an outstanding reputation within Texas and across the country. Austin American-Statesman presented the program with the 2020 Best of the Best Award on Jan. 11 of last year – an endowment worthy of what it offers.
This article is part of the Student Welfare Series.
Students report on what it’s really like living in college town co-ops, their seldom spoken-of benefits, and the role they play in community college districts.
by Ava Vano
“Co-op.” What do you think of when you hear the word? Commune, party house, close-quarters, a billion roommates?
Aside from these misconceptions with some underlying truth to them, its residents find that co-ops provide students the opportunity for more affordable housing, a sense of community, and many other benefits. Living in a co-op myself, I interviewed ACC students living in co-ops about their experiences in an attempt to dissect its relatively unknown culture ever-present in Austin.
Student co-ops are housing cooperatives that students personally work to maintain. Most co-ops follow the system of doing labor to cut down on costs, thus making rent cheaper. Labor includes tasks ranging from cooking dinners to cleaning bathrooms.
Members receive kitchen access and meals, and utilities are included in the rent. Student co-ops typically range from about 15 housemates to upwards of 130 housemates.
From left, Ava Vano, Libby Connolly and Aiden Sharaba (Ally Stauber on top) at New Guild Co-op bake sale. The model of the bakesale was to pay what you can and all the proceeds went back into the co-op. Photo contributed by Ava Vano.
There is a co-op for everyone as there are academically focused, substance-free, plant-based, pet friendly options among many others. They are democratically run as members vote at house meetings on important house decisions such as budgeting, and the only requirement is to be a student, so tenants get the opportunity to meet many different kinds of people.
Libby Connolly (she/they) is a first-year ACC student. This is her first semester at New Guild and her first time living in a co-op. Moving out can feel isolating for many community college students who do not have the chance of living in a dorm or on some sort of campus. Co-ops seem to provide a solution to that problem, hosting a sense of community within their walls.
“I do feel a sense of community because it’s interesting to be in a space where I know everyone really well,” Connolly said. “Everyone collaborates together and mutually cares about each other and the house.”
Libby Connolly on move on the day at New Guild Co-op. Photo by Ava Vano.
Unlike the assumption that the aspect of affordability would incentivize many other community college students to live in co-ops – the opposite is true. Connolly shared her experiences living at New Guild this past semester, saying “It does feel a little weird when the majority go to UT, because my main goal is to transfer and they’re already there.” Co-ops seem to be an underlooked resource for community college students.
Foster Milburn (he/they) is another first-year ACC student who lives at a 21 St. Co-op. Foster speaks about the initial hesitance they had towards the co-op, saying “I feel at home now. At first it was a little scary, but there is something for everyone; it teaches you how to work together.”
“I’m way less isolated… I get support [from housemates] about assignments and get help with anything I might need,” Milburn said.
There appears to be a general consensus that co-op living teaches you how to find and work within a community. Isolation is a big problem for college students, especially in the post-pandemic world. Foster spoke about preferring living in a co-op rather than living in an apartment as they did in Dallas.
Reluctants Band at New Guild Co-op. Photo by Ava Vano.
“I’m way less isolated… I get support [from housemates] about assignments and get help with anything I might need,” Milburn said.
Communal living offers the skills and assets of everyone living under the same roof and provides mutual support. It is also beneficial to always have a group of people to talk to, vent to, or even just simply be around. “There’s always people around, but no one’s gonna question if you need to recharge. When you’re ready to come out, there’s always someone,” Milburn said.
Now for my personal experience living in a student co-op (New Guild, specifically). Moving from Fort Worth to Austin as a first-year at ACC was a jarring experience and I was initially unsure about living at New Guild. But, I could not feel more secure in my decision.
New Guild Co-op. Photo by Ava Vano.
It’s saved me a lot of money not living in an apartment and I have built-in friendships with my housemates. There’s always something to do and never a dull moment. It’s also really motivating to be surrounded by other students with similar interests and morals as me. I truly enjoy helping out the house and have learned to consider the impacts of what I do or don’t do within the co-op.
I could not recommend it more, especially to ACC students, as it can be very difficult to make friends at community college and the affordability is virtually unmatched.
Student co-ops are an extremely important resource that has proved to be a beneficial facet to community college students. Democratically run and community-based, co-ops give students the opportunity to function within a group of students all working together to maintain a home.
Spring semester is around the corner, meaning students are taking the important step of making their schedule before registration ends on Jan. 3.
What many students are not aware of is that their classes can improve significantly by enrolling in an honors course —which no, is not part of an elite society— but an academic program that encourages and celebrates curiosity.
Story by Marisela Perez-Maita
The ACC Honors Program provides a number of benefits for ACC students —from classes to internships and scholarship opportunities. Dr. Anne-Marie Thomas, Chair of the Honors Program and also an honors English professor, has seen over the years how students connect with one another and live experiences that traditional classes do not normally offer.
“Small classes allow a lot more close interaction between the students themselves and the faculty,” Dr. Thomas says. “To me, that’s a big selling point. All honors classes have a substantial discussion component which encourages and strengthens the spirit of inquiry in the students.”
In honors classes, students get the opportunity to get a deeper dive into a particular subject, Dr. Thomas says. She teaches composition with a focus on science fiction as well as a literature course on apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction.
Students still cover the same transfer requirements as a traditional class but with deeper discussions and experiences, including field trips, visits from guest lecturers and service learning.
“For example, the theme for Professor Endl’s Astronomy class is about whether there is life in the universe, and apart from studying the possibilities for life on other planets, with an instructor who has actually discovered an exoplanet, students get the opportunity to use the telescope at the Round Rock campus,” Dr. Thomas says.
Students realize the difference between traditional and honors classes right away. Aatmodhee Goswami, an ACC Computer Science student, started his academic journey in 2020 during the pandemic, “Since it was online, it was a little bit harder to get that sort of interaction with professors, especially with 30 or 40 people in a Zoom call,” Goswami says. “I learned, but it wasn’t as interactive as I would’ve liked it to be.”
ACC Computer Science student Aatmodhee Goswami shares insight on honors microeconomics and English composition classes he took during an interview with reporter Marisela Perez-Maita.
Upon finding out about the smaller class sizes that honor classes offer, Goswami decided to sign up. Since then, he shared that taking these classes provided a fun and interactive academic experience, “I personally really like the fact there is a personal connection with each of the professors. I can remember specific experiences with them,” Goswami says.
For example, Goswami explained that each one of these courses has influenced his academic journey and general interests. The Microeconomics course with Professor Croxdale prompted him to self-study AP Macro, and after his first composition class with Professor Thomas, he is now into science fiction.
Students may get the misconception that these courses are difficult, but according to Goswami, even a class like Calculus II is interactive, “I do suppose Honors classes take more work, but I for sure take more out of it and they are more fun,” Goswami says.
During an ACCENT interview on the Honors Program, Dr. Anne-Marie Thomas explains everything that the program has to offer.
There is no due date for enrolling in an honors class as they follow the regular registration timeline. However, not all courses are offered every semester and there is a maximum of 15 students per class.
It is important that students check early to make sure their plans are aligned with which courses are available.
To be part of the Honors Program, it is necessary to apply and meet only one of the listed requirements among which include having a 3.25 college GPA from at least 9 college hours or being in the top 15 percent of one’s graduating high school class.
Once accepted, students can become even more involved in the program. The paid internship opportunity to be an Honor Ambassador includes students engaging in leadership activities at ACC events, doing recruitment and classroom presentations and creating social media content.
Nora O’Halloran signed up to be an ambassador after her first honors class, “As an ambassador, everyone does what their strengths are or what they are interested in learning. For example, we have people who love editing videos and that’s what they are learning in school, so they get to edit the fun videos that we work on,” O’Halloran says.
The position has online and in-person flexibility so students can choose what works best for them.
“We have ways to make things accommodating, which is one of the many wonderful things about being an Honors Ambassador,” O’Halloran says. “The key is to get involved as much as you can; reach out to Dr. Thomas and explain your interests. You can volunteer in the Honors Student Organization as well. All of these will help you in the long run.”
Apart from Honors Ambassadors, the Honors Program has a partnership with the University of Texas at Austin called UT’s Youth and Community Studies (YCS) Fellows Program. It consists of a series of spring workshops about civic leadership, community building, social justice and restorative practices. Students who participate and complete the YCS Fellows program are eligible to become interns in another program at UT along with receiving transfer advising from the university’s advisors.
The YCS program provides a certificate upon completion, which, along with all the experience from the internship, can help students get into UT if that’s what they are aiming for.
Even more, if students need help regarding honors courses and transfer goals, they can set up an appointment with the honors advisor Jana McCarthy in the Honors Programs.
To find out more, the Honors Program’s social media provides information about what they are up to as well as future ambassador openings. For example, two weeks ago was Honors week across the ACC district. Daily events were hosted across ACC campuses and remotly To mention a few were the Columbia University School of General Studies Information Session and “A Legacy Beyond Bloodline” talk with UT Austin professor Dr. Octavious Butler.
If students want additional recognition on their transcripts, they can go to the website and read how to become an Honors Scholar along with the steps to apply for the Honors Scholarship.
Be the student that takes advantage of all of these benefits and celebrate curiosity with the Honors Program by enrolling in honors Spring semester classes!
Lillian Simmons was evacuated from Cuba as a child and went on to continue her artistic passion in the U.S. After the pandemic, her piano studio struggles with recovering but that doesn’t stop the music.
Story by Daniel Sadjadi
The sun has set on Frontier Trail. The root beer starts flowing, and pencils begin marking away. It’s Friday evening at Lillian Simmons’ piano studio, which means it’s Theory & Pizza night.
The International Studio of Music is set in Simmons’ home, a quaint yet cozy space with four upright pianos positioned against the living room walls.
A few years ago, students would meet there every Friday to complete pages of music theory for prizes and to chow down homemade pizza and salad. After the height of the pandemic, attendance is still limited, and these once weekly events have become rare but more memorable.
On the studio’s wall hangs a painting of the iconic lighthouse at Havana Harbor’s Morro Castle. Simmon’s mother had the artwork commissioned in New Orleans by a retired medical doctor. Based on a black and white picture of the Spanish fort that her mother had, it offers a nostalgic glimpse into the land Simmons departed from over sixty years ago.
“Her special request to him was from memory, he should draw the blue color of the sea and the blue color of the sky, because there in New Orleans we had gray skies and gray sea,” Simmons said.
Simmons recalls fond memories from her youth in Cuba. She came from a middle-class family, and her father was a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Havana.
Photo of Simmons from her youth in Cuba with her on the left, her neighbor Danny in the middle, and her sister Giselle on the right.
“On Sundays we went to a watersports club, which was very nice… They taught swimming, rowing, water ballet, and just plain swimming… We used to have a lot of individual freedoms, then communism took over,” Simmons said.
Her introduction to music started young when Simmons was eight years old. Simmons took piano classes while attending a private school in Havana. Simmons’ musical passion would develop later on, but it was her parents who decided to get her a private piano teacher.
“All of my childhood I was learning music.”
By 1961, after the Cuban Revolution, Simmons’ family decided that she needed to leave the country for the United States. Simmons was one of more than 14,000 children who left Cuba via Operation Peter Pan, a clandestine exodus of Cuban minors to the US coordinated by the CIA and sponsored by the Cuban Catholic Church and western oil companies.
“My parents took my little sister and I to the airport. My dad said ‘well kids, goodbye and good luck. We may never see you again, but that’s alright, that does not matter. You all have had an excellent education, and there’s a lot of opportunity in the United States, and you’ll be doing alright over there, and don’t worry about us. We’ll be right over here,’” Simmons said.
A photograph of Simmons during her childhood in Cuba. Simmons was one of more than 14,000 children who left Cuba via Operation Peter Pan to the United States.
As the unaccompanied Simmons boarded the plane, she quickly noticed the fearful atmosphere in the cabin.
“Everyone in the plane was mostly scared the plane would not be able to make a full trip, and everyone was real quiet,” Simmons said.
The steward made an announcement informing passengers that the plane could be forced to land while it was in Cuban airspace. After a tense interlude, the steward announced that the aircraft had left Cuban airspace.
“Everyone cheered very loudly, raised their arms, and were overjoyed,” Simmons said.
Simmon’s parents reunited with her in the US a year after she arrived.
“We were lucky. Most Peter Pan children were not able to see their parents again during their childhood, it was pretty rough stuff,” Simmons said.
But leaving her old life in Cuba behind was still not easy.
“It’s like you’re leaving a part of your heart. It’s where you grew up, it’s where your friends are. Your favorite landscapes, buildings, activities. I missed leaving my home,” Simmons said.
In America, Simmons first lived with three generations of other refugees in her aunt’s house. Simmons’ aunt would not allow her to have a piano because of the noise.
“That was the only time when I cried… I did not cry about anything else,” Simmons said.
Simmon’s parents learned about this over the phone.
“That’s when my dad knew that I was going to be a piano teacher. I don’t know how my dad always knew everything about me. He knew things I didn’t even know about myself,” she said.
Simmons went on to become a housewife and mother and then became a legal secretary for 10 years.
“I was interested in the law because I saw my country turn from free enterprise to communism,” she said. “The way my dad used to explain this was, he said, in Cuba during communism, we had to walk with our head down in submission and our tail between our legs.”
Simmons opened the latest chapter in her life 15 years ago when she began to teach piano from her home.
“I just avoided teaching piano because I thought it was too difficult. You just remember what you went through as a student. And I was wrong about that. It’s actually very easy to teach,” Simmons said, “[the] pressure is you want your students to do well.”
Now, Simmons is president of the local Bluebonnet Music Teachers Association and takes pride and satisfaction in helping students advance and develop a love for music.
“It’s fun to see the kids develop, from nothing to good pianists. It’s just fun. And you’re actually taking a part in their lives,” Simmons said.
One father brought a student named Maro, who had no interest in practicing and learning piano, to Simmons.
“Four teachers couldn’t do anything for him, I was thinking what could I do with the kid, what makes the father think I can do anything with him,” Simmons said.
Simmons recalls playing one of her favorite pieces at a Christmas party, Chopin’s Tristesse Étude, a sentimental and sad yet sweet piece about the composer’s love life.
“The next week Maro said he wanted to learn it. He played the first line perfectly, and from then on…” Simmons said.
Maro developed a passion for piano and went on to become Simmons’ best student. Her reaction?
“Oh gee, I didn’t know I could do this!” Simmons said, “I think motivation is very important. I usually don’t try to push the kids too much. I try to get them interested any way I can.”
Before the pandemic, the biggest challenge for Simmons’ studio was getting students to practice. Simmons suggested that electric keyboards have made finding the motivation to practice for young students even harder than usual.
“The parents resist buying an acoustic piano. The acoustic sound blends with the molecules in your body in a way that the electronic sound does not do,” she said.
Today, Simmon’s biggest challenge is dealing with the impact of the pandemic. Simmons lost over half of her students during the pandemic as piano lessons went to being done virtually.
“We need to go back to in-person because the online and in-home classes do not work well,” Simmons said, “When you see your kid face to face, it’s more pressure to practice. Since online they don’t advance, they get discouraged, and then they quit. I discuss these things with teacher groups on Facebook and even colleagues in person and everybody is having these problems.”
Before the pandemic, Simmons encouraged students to take music theory tests at Texas State University.
“It is a magnificent building, and it is an institution of higher learning. The kids get the impression, ‘gee, this theory must be important,’” Simmons said, “When we have been doing it in homes [during the pandemic], the kids are not getting this impression that theory is important.”
As coronavirus restrictions have been lifted, Simmons hopes for a return to normal as the studio gradually transitions more lessons and events to being back in person.
A modern photograph of Simmons with her relatives as she poses in the bottom middle.
“I’m just trying to keep abreast of the present,” she said.
One piece of wisdom Simmons wishes to share?
“You just have to navigate this life, see what the situation is, and adjust as best you can.”
Students discuss the benefits of the ACC Green Pass and public transportation.
Story by Jacob Tacdol
Graphics by Marisela Perez-Maita
For students living in the Austin area, commuting to and from school can be a stressful and time consuming task. This year, the Austin Community College District is once again offering the Capital Metro Green Pass to its students, faculty and staff.
Green Pass holders are allowed an unlimited amount of free rides to anywhere using the CapMetro transit system, including buses and the rail line, for one semester.
“The Green Pass has helped me a lot,” ACC student Elijah Williams said. “It allows me to manage my time more effectively and stay productive throughout my day. I’m able to get to point A, B, C and wherever else I want to go and save money.”
CapMetro services 542 square miles and offers nine modes of transportation to the general public, which includes 83 bus routes and nine train stations along a 32 mile track from downtown Austin to the northwest suburb of Leander.
Photo by Jacob Tacdol featuring a CapMetro railway station.
“Being able to utilize the bus and the train is a great skillset to have,” Williams said. “It changes a lot of people’s foundations. I don’t have to wait in traffic. That’s why I’m able to go to the Domain in less than 15 minutes from [Highland]. For most people, it takes 30 or 45 minutes on a good day.”
Without a Green Pass, CapMetro fare costs range from 60 cents to $96.25 depending on which service and length of time riders choose. ACC funds the Green Pass program using the ACC sustainability fund and revenue from parking permit fees.
“The pass is useful no matter which type of public transportation you choose,” ACC student Dierdre Gormley said. “I don’t have to worry about paying for it, because I’ve already put my money into the school. I might as well take advantage of it.”
Students enrolled in ACC credit classes, Adult Education students and ACC faculty and staff can apply for a Green Pass through ACC’s Green Pass webpage. CapMetro offers both a digital and physical option.
“I ordered the physical pass and I received it in about five to seven days,” ACC student Aster Fohl said. “They made it easy to navigate the website. It really is a doable option and you just have to look up how the system works. It’s a legitimate form of transportation for so many people.”
Of the many reasons why students and other members of the ACC community may opt for public transportation, the costs and anxiety associated with driving a car in Austin is a large contributor.
“I am 30 minutes out from the Highland Campus and I don’t want to spend a lot of money on gas to get to school four days a week,” Fohl said. “It’s made me a lot less anxious coming to school, because driving, especially with the growth of the greater Austin area and the city itself, has made things very difficult.”
One of the main arguments for increasing the usage of public transportation in cities is the lighter impact that mass transit has on the environment compared to personal vehicles.
“I’m someone who is very big on trying to eliminate my personal carbon footprint,” Fohl said. “There’s so many organizations and corporations who need to cut down on their emissions and I personally do it by giving more attention to public services. It’s a personal choice that I’m glad I’ve made.”
In their Sustainability Vision Plan, CapMetro outlines their initiatives to reach a carbon neutral state by 2040. Methods including reducing carbon emissions and using renewable energy will go into their efforts.
A MetroRail shuttle at a standstill during a station layover. Photo by Jacob Tacdol.
“ACC is ahead of the curve,” Williams said. “This is what it’s shifting towards: cleaner, more efficient and faster travel. If you get this going now and start using public transportation, you’re getting ready for the future.”
In this podcast, ACCENT’s Morris Haywood sits down with Brandon Wolf, an LQBTQ+ advocate and survivor of the Orlando Nightclub shooting, to talk about humanizing marginalized experiences, gun safety reform, and recent Florida legislature prohibiting instruction of sexual orientation.
