Monday, December 13, 2021 • Vol. 47, Special Edition • HCCEgalitarian.com
The official student publication of the Houston Community College System
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Parking will be available in the Blue Lot (utilize Gate 9) on the corner of Kirby and Westridge. Type in the address: 8825 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77054 for specific driving directions. The parking fee is $15 per vehicle.
Egal•i•tar•i•an (adjective) aiming for equal wealth, status, etc., for all people 3517 Austin; 303 Fine Arts Center; Houston TX 77004 Phone: 713.718.6016 Adviser: Fredrick Batiste
FALL 2021 EGALITARIAN STAFF Staff Writer.......................... Diep Chau Staff Writer.....................Marie Dakouri Staff Writer................. Florencia Garcia Staff Writer............. Bermet Kalys Kyzy Staff Writer...................Charis Latunde Staff Writer................Chonte Crewsaw Staff Writer....................... Josué Perez Staff Writer................... Hunter Weaver Staff Writer.............. Franceska Militzer Staff Writer............ Michellette Yeggins
The Egalitarian has been the official student newspaper of the Houston Community College System since September 1974. The Egalitarian is published electronically at HCCEgalitarian.com. The Egalitarian/HCCEgalitarian.com serves the entire HCC community. Comments and contributions are always welcome. The Egalitarian is written and edited by students of Houston Community College. This publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, interests, attitudes and tastes of the Board of Trustees, HCC administration, faculty, staff or students. Opinions and editorial content of The Egalitarian that are unsigned do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Egalitarian staff or adviser. The Egalitarian reserves the right to edit any submitted material for grammatical errors, offensive language, libelous materials and space constraints. It may also refuse any advertising that does not adhere to the HCC mission.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The Egalitarian staff consists of HCC students who must complete all tasks required to produce the newspaper, which serves all campuses of the HCC System. We want all students from all majors to contribute. However, we must follow our submissions policy in order to operate under our limitations of time, energy and staff. All staff and contributing writers must be currently enrolled students at Houston Community College. The Egalitarian interacts with contributing writers
via email, phone or videoconference. Visiting The Egalitarian will not help contributors get published, only quality work will. Publication priority is given to staff members and assigned articles, and verbal commitments for assignments will not be accepted or recognized. Press releases, story ideas, news tips and suggestions are always welcomed. Any student interested in joining The Egalitarian staff may request more detailed information regarding story length, topics, style, etc., by emailing The Egalitarian Faculty Adviser Fredrick Batiste at Fredrick.Batiste@hccs.edu. —Images featured in this issue are courtesy of Houston Community College unless otherwise denoted.
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Congratulations to the graduates!
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Determination leads Devlin to graduation day Josué Perez
The Egalitarian
Conor Devlin, a 22-yearold Houston Community College student, is scheduled to graduate in December with an associate of arts in studio art. Devlin previously attended another Texas 2-year college, Kilgore College, before deciding to move back home and attend HCC.
“Your brain is like a muscle, keep working it out and it’s going to get stronger.” The road to reaching graduation was never easy. The loss of his mother Kelly Devlin to inflammatory breast cancer in 2014 negatively impacted his studies and his focus which manifested itself with low grades in high
school. He learned he had a processing disorder once he was in his senior year of high school. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication, learning and behavior. Once Conor realized what was affecting him, he understood why things like standardized testing were difficult for him. Disorders and disabilities can cause some people to quit on their goals and dreams. Conor decided to push through and tackle the disorder straight on instead of letting it derail him. The results of doing so have led to him graduating this winter. He advises people with disorders to not let others dictate how they feel and never let anyone bring them down. People with disorders cannot be afraid of rejection or failure because they will make you stronger. “Your brain is like a muscle, keep working it out and it’s going to get stronger,” Conor said. He also credits the ability services at HCC. “I think HCC has a great program,” Conor said when he was
Image courtesy of Conor Devlin Houston Community College student Conor Devlin, left, poses for a picture with his mother, Kelly Devlin, who succummbed to breast cancer in 2014. The death of his mother negatively impacted him in high school. He also learned he had autism spectrum disorder in high school before going to Kilgore College and ultimately coming home to attend HCC. He credits HCC’s Ability Services Department for helping him in his studies. Devlin graduates with an associate of arts degree with a focus in studio art, and plans to attend The University of Texas in Austin.
talking about the ability services at HCC. They were a tremendous help to him, and they helped him when it came to his processing disorder. He also credits the advisor that helped him through this journey, Jette Lott. “I don’t think I would be where I am today without her help”. Conor would recom-
mend the ability services at HCC to those that need help. Conor also advices for everyone to get in contact with their advisors. “If they helped me then they can help anybody,” he said. He plans to transfer to The University of Texas at Austin in a few weeks. He heard that the university has
a great art program but with life being full of surprises, Conor believes that anything is possible especially when it comes to choosing a university to attend to. He hopes to eventually work in the art field either teaching, creating or supervising as long as the job is comfortable.
Family motivation spurs Johnson to finish Josué Perez
“They brought me down, when I got those failing F’s, I told myself ‘Oh boy I can’t do this anymore’, but I never gave up. I kept on going.”
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Marcus C. Johnson currently attends Houston Community College and is scheduled to graduate this winter. His journey to graduation started in 2011. During that time, he faced obstacles that would have caused some people to quit on their goals and dreams, but Marcus was determined to see things trough even if it meant graduating 11 years later. One of those obstacles was living with multiple disabilities. He found himself being excluded and bullied because of his disabilities, which include schizophrenia, clinical depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. After graduating high school in 2000, Johnson said his brother Theodore told him to attend a 2-year institution before he passed way in 2013. His brother’s advice led him Marcus to attend HCC. His original degree goal when he started attending HCC was journalism, but he saw that the road to becoming one meant taking math classes, a subject that came with its own challenges. He then changed his degree goal to become a pediatrician but due to the length of the degree he stopped pursuing it. In 2016, he decided to start taking education courses in hopes of becoming a teacher assistant.
Image courtesy of Marcus Johnson Houston Community College student Marcus Johnson’s road to graduation was spurred by advice and encouragement of family members like his brother and his mother.
Some of the biggest obstacles that Marcus has faced during his journey included low grades and dealing with his disabilities. “They brought me down, when I got those failing F’s, I told myself ‘Oh boy I can’t do this anymore’, but I never gave up. I kept on going.” Johnson said.
He recorded some lectures to go over them and he decided to study more to grasp the concept of what was being taught. His advice to others that might find themselves with learning disabilities is to read more. “Reading brings healing,” Johnson said. He also advises to keep persevering and to not get mixed in with the wrong type of people because “they will set you in the wrong way”. Marcus credits the VAST program. A support service for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For the first couple of years at HCC, Marcus was taking courses from the VAST program. However, that changed after his mother Anitra Johnson passed away in 2013. Before
his mother passed away, she told him to attempt a more challenging education, so he transferred to regular classes. He also accredits Ronald Walker in the ability services at the Central Campus who retired this year in September and Jette Lott an advisor who works in HCC’s Ability Services Department. Marcus advice that everyone should work hard for their goals. He will miss the college experience at HCC and after graduation, he plans to work at a school as a teacher’s assistant or at M.D. Anderson preferably in the children’s department due to him working and volunteering at the Texas Children’s Hospital for four years. After working for a little while, Marcus plans to go back and attend a university where he plans to achieve a bachelor’s degree.
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Why inflation is so high, and when it may ease Paul Wiseman
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON — Inflation is starting to look like that unexpected — and unwanted — houseguest who just won’t leave. For months, many economists had sounded a reassuring message that a spike in consumer prices, something that had been missing in action in the U.S. for a generation, wouldn’t stay long. It would prove “transitory,’’ in the soothing words of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and White House officials, as the economy shifted from virusrelated chaos to something closer to normalcy. Yet as any American who has bought a carton of milk, a gallon of gas or a used car could tell you, inflation has settled in. And economists are now voicing a more discouraging message: Higher prices will likely last well into next year, if not beyond. On Friday, the government reinforced that message with its report that the consumer price index soared 6.8% last month from a year earlier — the biggest 12-month jump since 1982. And the sticker shock is hitting where families tend to feel it most. At the breakfast table, for instance: Bacon prices are up 21% over the past year, egg prices 8%. Gasoline has surged 58%. Furnishing your living room, dining room or kitchen will set you back 14% more than it would have a year ago. Used cars? Up 31%. And though pay is up sharply for many workers, it isn’t nearly enough to keep up with prices. Last month, average hourly wages in the United States, after accounting for inflation, actually fell 2.4% compared with November 2020. Economists at Wells Fargo have joked grimly that the Labor Department’s CPI —
the Consumer Price Index — should stand for “Consumer Pain Index.’’ Unfortunately for consumers, especially lower-wage households, it’s all coinciding with their higher spending needs right before the holiday season. The price squeeze is escalating pressure on the Fed to shift more quickly away from years of easymoney policies. And it poses a threat to President Joe Biden, congressional Democrats and their ambitious spending plans. ———
People look at televisions during a Black Friday sale at a Best Buy store in Overland Park, Kan. Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.8% in November compared with a year earlier as surging costs for food, energy, housing and other items left Americans enduring their highest annual inflation rate since 1982.
Much of it is the flipside of very good news. Slammed by COVID-19, the U.S. economy collapsed in the spring of 2020 as lockdowns took effect, businesses closed or cut hours and consumers stayed home as a health precaution. Employers slashed 22 million jobs. Economic output plunged at a recordshattering 31% annual rate in last year’s April-June quarter. Everyone braced for more misery. Companies cut investment. Restocking was put off. And a brutal recession ensued. Yet instead of sinking into a prolonged downturn, the economy staged an unexpectedly rousing recovery, fueled by massive government spending and a bevy of emergency moves by the Fed. By spring, the rollout of vaccines had emboldened consumers to return to restaurants, bars and shops. Suddenly, businesses had to scramble to meet demand. They couldn’t hire fast enough to plug job openings — a near record 11 million in October — or buy enough supplies to fill customer orders. As business roared back, ports and freight yards couldn’t handle the traffic. Global supply chains became snarled. Costs rose. And companies
found that they could pass along those higher costs in the form of higher prices to consumers, many of whom had managed to sock away a ton of savings during the pandemic. “A sizeable chunk of the inflation we’re seeing is the inevitable result of coming out of the pandemic,’’ said Jason Furman, an economic adviser in the Obama White House now at the Harvard Kennedy School. Furman suggested, though, that misguided policy played a role, too. Policymakers were so intent on staving off an economic collapse that they “systematically underestimated inflation,” he said. “They poured kerosene on the fire.’’ A flood of government spending — including President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, with its $1,400 checks to most households in March — overstimulated the economy, Furman said. “Inflation is a lot higher in the United States than it is in Europe,’’ he noted. “Europe is going through the same supply shocks as the United States is, the same supply chain issues. But they didn’t do nearly as much stimulus.’’
WHAT CAUSED THE PRICE SPIKES?
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Biden has acknowledged that inflation hurts Americans’ pocketbooks and said that containing inflation is a priority. But he said his $1 trillion infrastructure package, including spending on roads, bridges and ports, will help ease supply bottlenecks and therefore inflationary pressures. ———
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
Consumer price inflation will likely endure as long as companies struggle to keep up with consumers’ prodigious demand for goods and services. A resurgent job market — employers have added 6.1 million jobs this year — means that Americans can continue to splurge on everything from lawn furniture to new cars. “The demand side of the U.S. economy will continue to be something to behold,’’ says Rick Rieder, chief investment officer for global fixed income at Blackrock, “and companies will continue to have the luxury of passing through prices.” Megan Greene, chief economist at the Kroll Institute, suggested that inflation and the overall economy will eventually return to something closer to normal. “I think it will be ‘transitory’,’’
she said of inflation. “But economists have to be very honest about defining transitory, and I think this could last another year easily.’’ “We need a lot of humility talking about how long this lasts,” Furman said. “I think it’s with us for a while. The inflation rate is going to come down from this year’s blistering pace, but it’s still going to be very, very high compared to the historical norms we have been used to.’’ ———
WILL WE SUFFER A RETURN OF 1970’S-STYLE ‘STAGFLATION’?
The run-up in consumer prices has raised the specter of a return to the “stagflation’’ of the 1970s. That was when higher prices coincided with high unemployment in defiance of what conventional economists thought was possible. Yet today’s situation looks very different. Unemployment is relatively low, and households overall are in good shape financially. The Conference Board, a business research group, found that consumers’ inflation expectations last month were the highest they’d been since July 2008. But their overall confidence remains at high levels.
Pandemic throws wrench in Chau’s journey to degree Diep Chau
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My name is Diep Chau, I’m 25 years old, and I started attending HCC in the spring of 2018. I will be graduating from HCC at the end of 2021. I came to the United States to study, and my major is advertising. The year that I will be graduating from is also a difficult year for me due to COVID-19. Because I went to the United States to study alone, I often came back to my country every summer or winter break to visit my family. However,
COVID-19 happened, and I stuck here for more than a year by myself. The first couple of months when the COVID-19 happened, I was nervous and scared. I had to decide that if I will stay and continue my studying plan or go back to my country. However, all my friends and my family encourage me try to finish my plan at HCC. Moreover, HCC supported international students with a lot of programs such as: funds, online classes, online helping which helped me a lot. I still remember my first online classes were very difficult. Everybody
included my professors had to fade and deal with online stuffs. It was hard for all the students to connect with professors in the first couple months. However, everything was improved, and people get used with it. Online classes do not a trouble things anymore. Even though I studied and graduated during COVID-19 time, I still get a lot of support from HCC and all my professors. I were staying the United States without my family, I still get encourage and caring from all nice people around me. To improve myself
and get ready for my future, I gave myself a plan and purpose to achieve it. I checked email and announcement on canvas everyday to make sure that I do not miss any assignment. Attending online classed means students have to self-studying more. Therefore, I always read and review slices and textbook carefully. In conclusion, graduating is a big change of my journey. I am proud that I am a student of HCC. I appreciate all my professors and HCC staff for caring and helping me during this difficult time.
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Fall 2021 Graduates
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The following list was obtained from Houston Community College as of Dec. 1, 2021. if you have any questions or discrapancies, please contact the registrar. This list is not the final official listing of the Fall 2021 candidates for graduation. This list of graduates represents the most accurate information available at the time of publication. The appearance of a name in the following list and/or participation in the ceremonies is presumptive of graduation, but not conclusive.
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Eduardo Abarca Sheila Dominique Aberin Mustafa Abu-Arra Melquisha Adams
Innocent Addeh Oyesile Ade-Oni Oyindamola Adebiyi Feyisayo Adekoya
Olubola Afolabi Sharon Agree Sebina Aikaro Oluwakorede Ajayi
Ngozi Ajuogu Oluwadamilola Akamo Feyisayo Akinola Madinah Al-Beshr
Constance Albert Jasamine Alexander Juanita Alfred Omar Ali
Ibrahim Mohammad Altaani Sabrina Alvarado Yaa Amu Addie Anderson
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GRADUATES
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Amanda Anderson Carmen Anez Amber Anguiano Kearn Ardoin-Loston
Maria Argueta Yovani Argueta Najive Arias Valentina Arias
Elida Arreola Daisy Asemota Maria Avellaneda Anahy Aviles
Cansu Aydin Afolayan Ayuba Calanjanae Baker Oluremi Bamgboye
Jashua Barrera Rosa Barron Moruf Bello Ciro Benitez
Sorina Birangi Toyin Bisiriyu Oluwafeyikemi Bola Heather Bower
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Lesia Boykina Ana Bravo Sherrie Brooks Janie Brown
Mercedes Brown Alexandria Buggs Paula Calderson Vesga Erron Callis
Marisela Calzada Seth Campbell RoQuell Carr Samantha Castellano
Kimberly Castillo Diego Cavazos David Cedillos John Chao
Chidinma Chioma Tanecia Clark Jessica Cordon Alfrenika Cotton
Pie Coulibaly Esmerelda Covarrubias Arsheena Cox Christy Craft
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13 Christian Dacus Marie Dakouri Ngoc Lan Dai Dao Krystal Davis
Starr Davis Sammone Daviss-Pinkney Hadasa De La Fuente Shaquire Dean
Nardos Debere Angelica Dela Rosa Shante Delgado Joao Paulo Dias
Hang Do Nhi Do Whitney East Oluwademilade Ekundare
Chukwuemeka Eleweke Dominique Ellis Mabel Emakpose Ethel Emedem
Chibuzo Emodi Prince Enyinnaya Maria Espinales Ashley Evans
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Jonah Eze Oyinlomo Fasasi India Fernandes Michael A. Flores Jr.
Cheryl Fontenot Niashyria Fontenot Tiffany Fountain Gwendolyn Free
Isaiah Fuqua Mary McKelvey Gainey Shecoya Galloway Benita Garcia-Villa
Jessica Garcia Samantha Garcia Selina Garcia Yuliet Garcia
Rochelle Garrett Jesse Garza Jr. Christina Gayle Hermon Gherewoldi
Carl Gite Jr. Fabrell Golden Ismael Gomez Bianca Gonçalves
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15 Abigail Granados Melanie Grant Jordyn Grimes
Jenna Marisela Guerrero
Jihoo Ha Masuma Habibi Cody Maurice Hahn Nehal Haider
Ashley Harrison Jennifer M. Harvey Chantral Heard Xyraven Hicks
Misgana Hilegebriel Deniece Holley Daquanique Hollins Marinthia Horn
Sayed Reza Hossaini Shuquin Hou Lacey Hudson Batool Hussain
Helen Temitope Idowu Oluwaseun Treasure Ihinmikaye Hope Patience Indangasi Andrew Iremhinmhen
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Savannah Izaguirre Monique Jackson Na Tasha Jackson Ruby Jenkins
Maria Jimenez Roman Jiwani Daishua Johnson Imani Johnson
Christopher Duncan Jones Marquinhas Jorge Melissa Jory Jayden Joseph
Mehul Joshi Natalie Kestenbaum Nimra Khan Rashelle King
Tequila V. King Diana Kuffour Tabitha Lambert Anthony Langcauon
Frida Lanya Guevara Wilenny Lanz Chandra Cherie Lapierre Linh Nguyen Thuy Le
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17 Jessica Lewis Leah Lewis Johanna Lopez Esther Louissaint
Veronica Lowe Thi Nhu Quynh Luu Olaseni Magreola Junaid Mahmoud
Benika Martin Francisco Martinez Govanna Mata Tiesha Maxwell
Lynelle McCardell Bonnie McLaughlin Jonathan McManus Surafel Mekonen
Chan Chakrya Menh Caroline Mgbekonye Jason Miranda Quentyn Mitchell
Salih Mohamed Hridya Mohan Maheboob Momin Irasema Montalvo
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Santiago Sebastian Montero Mora Gina Monti Ilberto Montino Garcia Aliyah Muhammad
Onyedika Muolokwu Fatimata Nabaloum Minerva Nadal Violet Ray Navarro
Eulalia Abaga Ndong Nfono Lucy Ndubuisi Patricia Nelson Quynh Nguyen
Trang Nguyen Van Tran Khanh Nguyen Danielle Nkengfak Fondjo Chibuzo Nlechi
Myiesha Nolen Portia Nwachukwu Amure Odulate Liubov Ogurtsova
Michelle Ojo Tosin Ojo Chukwuka Levi Ojugbana Ugochinyere Okeke
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19 Obianuju Okoli Onyekachi Okolie Joy Olubunmi Uchechi Onwere
Cindy Onyenze Reyna Osinulu Castelan Yimika Osinulu Emmanuel Oum
Charmel Overstreet Sharon Owens Archie Oxner Tosin Oyetunji
Nidia Ochoa Padilla Vivian Parades Kazi Parvin Olivia Patton
Ngochien Phan Yadira Pineda Amanda Poledore Yeimi Posada
Briaunnie Preston Leon Pryor Mohammad Ahmad Qasqas Laurisa Rangel
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Tamira Rashell Madeline Razo Erica Reyes Angel Reza
Pamela Richardson Lillian Riley Matha Riley Javier Rios Garcia
Liz Rios Kourtney Robicheaux Carlita Richell Rucker Carleidys Salazar
Graciela Salto Yolanda V. Sanchez Diara Sanders Oluwayemisi Abiola Shodipo
Jasmarae’ Singleton Kamil Smith Ryan T. Smith Sola Sowunmi
Joyce Sparks Cindy Spurlock Valerie Stillgess Jessica Talamantez
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21 Fadel Tankoano
Elnura Tashbekova Ju Mien Ten Elizabeth Tesfai
Reem Tesfamariam Ja’Mea Thomas Gloria Thompson Tiffany Torres
Victoria Griselda Torres Huy Tran Thi Kinh Tran Eleny Tristan
Shangralaura Turner Debby Ngozi Ukoh Edidiong Umoh De’Bruze Blessing Unumegume
Richard Uzzell Joshlyne Vallaire Terrion Valliet Charletta Van
Laura Villanueva Javan Miruka Vincent Nam Vo Larrincia Volcy
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Anh Hoang Vu Pham Minh Hang Vu Thanh Vu Thao Vuong
Amnah Raad Wajeeh Antoneisha Walker Princess Walker Destiny Denise Washington
Sharhonda Renee Watkins Lolita Westbrook Mia Whittier Margo Williams
Shaquana Williams Shemeka Williams Stephen Williams Tyireion Williams
Valerie Winkler Appifanie Yarbrough Fahrima Yeasmin Shufang Ying
Shiena Young Ibithel Zariat Barbra Zimmerman
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To the graduates: Congratulations! We’re glad to play a tiny part in your celebration. Please don’t minimize this moment — and the people that helped you along the way — as we work together to get through the pandemic. Give yourself a pat on the back. Make that TikTok video in your regalia. Give yourself a high-five. Together, let’s reflect and focus on the new horizons that lay ahead. Together, we will get through this. isn’t that what #HoustonStrong is all about?