North Texas Daily 4-21-16

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

VOL. 106 No. 13

PAGE 7

NTDAILY.COM

MONEY

SAFETY

Harriet Tubman replaces President Andrew Jackson on $20 bill

Report confirms Ryan McMillan was highly intoxicated on night of death

By Evan McAlister Staff Writer @evan_McAlister Harriet Tubman will be featured on the $20 bill, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced Wednesday. Other civil rights leaders, including Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth, will be added to bills in a redesign planned for the $5, $10 and $20 notes.

Lew wrote a letter announcing the $20 bill will have Tubman on the front, and Andrew Jackson will be moved to the back. On the $10 bill, Lew said Anthony and Truth will join Alice Paul and Elizabeth Cady Stanton on the reverse side. Alexander Hamilton will stay on the front of the $10.

The back of the $5 will depict the Lincoln Memorial, and will honor Martin Luther King Jr., Marian Anderson, Eleanor Roosevelt and others who made history there.

The public was invited to send names and ideas to the treasury department since Lew announced plans for the $10 bill redesign in June. Citizens called for the $5 and $20 to be redesigned, too.

“Since we began this process, we have heard overwhelming encouragement from Americans to look at notes beyond the $10,” Lew said Wednesday. “This process has been much bigger than one square inch on one bill.”

Under the currency redesign page on the treasury department website, it’s goals are listed for the redesign process. Among the

SEE MONEY ON PAGE 2 WEATHER

FEMALES OF FANDOM

A superhero waits to be assembled at Freaks and Geeks.

Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer

Making a name for Denton women in nerd culture

By Kayleigh Bywater Senior Staff Writer @kayleighbywater Local comic shop Freaks and Geeks is usually open at 10 p.m. on Mondays, but once a month the doors are closed and locked, and only the Mad Maidens remain.

Inside the shop, a group of women fill the room, talking about the newest “Saga” comic book and the upcoming

“Captain America: Civil War” movie while creating action figures unique to their favorite powers and strengths. Freaks and Geeks co-owner Beth Baalman looks around at this group she had a part in creating and cannot help but smile.

“It’s hard to be a woman and be super nerdy,” Baalman said.

“With two colleges in Denton, Mad Maidens offers this special dynamic to allow that culture to move forward. I wanted to fill this hole in Denton’s nerd

community.”

Although this is only the second meeting of the Mad Maidens, an all-female nerd culture group, it’s beginning to gain momentum.

Breaking barriers Baalman, along with a group of friends, got the idea to create Mad Maidens out of the need for a “nerd culture” outlet for women. The group, based out of Freaks and Geeks, gives them the opportunity to come

together and celebrate their love of comics, games, movies – all keystones in nerd culture.

“Basically, as a lady, I talk to a lot of other women that come through the shop,” Baalman said. “A lot of them honestly wanted more nerdy lady friends, so I wanted a way for us girls in Denton to meet other likeminded people in this maledominated culture.”

Member Katelyn Neff is one of Baalman’s friends who

SEE FANDOM ON PAGE 4

Authorities released Ryan McMillan’s autopsy report Monday, and it shows the 21-yearold was highly intoxicated by alcohol and had traces of THC, the main component of marijuana, in his system when he died, according to the document from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Since McMillan was shot and killed by a UNT police officer in December, it has been widely speculated he was intoxicated by a mind-altering drug other than alcohol. This toxicology screening dispels that belief, but McMillan’s blood-alcohol level was about .2 percent, well over the .08 percent legal limit.

Authorities report McMillan was shot twice in the chest and once in the left forearm, which McMillan’s legal team said is an indication that McMillan had his hands up when he was shot.

“The results of this autopsy report do not change our approach to this investigation,” criminologist Dexter Simpson, who is working with the McMillan family’s legal team, said Monday. “This autopsy report is very disturbing to us, and we think the results show why it was withheld by the police for so long.”

Simpson, with attorney Renee

SEE SAFETY ON PAGE 2

ADMINISTRATION

UNT Local artists paint one big canvas of a city president gets raise

ART

Today H: 76°F L: 54°F 7-Day Forecast Friday H: 80°F L: 55°F Saturday Sunday

By Dalton LaFerney News Editor @daltonlaferney

H: 81°F L: 60°F H: 77°F L: 64°F

Monday H: 85°F L: 68°F Tuesday H: 86°F L: 68°F Wednesday H: 82°F L: 66°F TRENDING

@ntdaily @thedose_ntdaily @ntd_sports

#NewYorkPrimary

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won their party’s respective primaries on Tuesday night as New York polls closed.

#HarrietTubman

Officials announced Wednesday that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill.

Jackson will still remain on the $20, though, just on the back. Alexander Hamilton will remain on the $10 bill.

By Victoria Baghaei Staff Writer @Chorizotacoss

Denton is filled with all kinds of talent, whether it be music that flows from the Square or the art surrounding it, and local artist Mick Burson has forever bonded with Denton through the murals he has painted across town.

His colorful murals cover the walls around Denton, giving the city a comfortable, bright and artistic vibe. Many of these murals are done by local artists and UNT students looking for ways to get their work out into the world, or even just to get the chance to paint at large scale.

Burson’s passion began in his home town of Waco, where he would sometimes express his artistic brightness by doing

things he knew could get him in trouble.

“I used to paint freight trains and I did that for a long time. I would do graffiti work on them because it was such a large canvas. It made them look better,” Burson said. “I’ve gotten in trouble a few times where they’ve made me pay fines to have the work painted over. It was good practice.”

Even though he started painting public venues against the law, Burson is more than an criminal with an eye for art. He is a UNT alumnus who graduated with a degree in painting and drawing. Burson now plans to attend graduate school to get his masters at the University of New Mexico.

He has also started painting legally in Waco for small

Mick Burson’s murals can be seen all over the city of Denton. The houses mural can be seen on Oak Street. Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer businesses.

“I painted for a while in Waco, and I would tell them that I have this drawing and idea and I also have the paint, so they would just

let me paint for free,” Burson said. “There were a few paid jobs here and there in Waco, but I didn’t really start getting paid for

SEE ART ON PAGE 5

COACH

Head football coach Littrell hoping to turn Mean Green around

By Reece Waddell Senior Staff Writer @ReeceWaddell15 It did not take long for Mean Green students, fans and even football players to begin

drawing comparisons between fictional football coach Eric Taylor from the television series “Friday Night Lights” and new Mean Green head coach Seth Littrell.

In a state where football might

#CurtSchilling

ESPN drops Curt Schilling after he shared a meme about not allowing transgender individuals into respective restrooms.

EDITORIAL ON PAGE 10

TUBMAN TO THE $20

By Adalberto Toledo Senior Staff Writer @adaltoledo29

Head coach Seth Littrell came to North Texas after former coach McCarney’s departure. Colin Mitchell | Senior Staff Photographer

as well be a religion in some towns, like fictitious Dillon, Texas, Littrell and his imaginary counterpart share many of the same coaching experiences, like turning around programs some had lost hope for.

Before arriving at North Texas, Littrell helped orchestrate the revival of football at schools like Indiana University and the University of North Carolina – both more known for their basketball prowess.

Like Littrell, Taylor is familiar with getting programs back on track, leading his underdog team to a state championship in the series finale.

And although Littrell and Taylor are similar in more ways than one, some find their physical likeness even more remarkable – except Littrell.

“I don’t really look at myself that much so I don’t know,”

Littrell said when asked if he has heard of the comparisons to Taylor. “I’ve heard that a bunch since I’ve been here. Hopefully he’s a really good looking fella and a good football coach, too.”

Littrell’s offensive coordinator Graham Harrell on the other hand, finds their resemblance uncanny.

“The other day in a staff meeting, he actually brought it up because someone asked him about it,” Harrell said. “He was like, ‘Y’all don’t see it do you?’

And everyone was just like ‘Uh, I don’t know about that coach.’”

A native of Muskogee, Oklahoma, Littrell was a team captain on the University of Oklahoma squad that won a national championship in 2000.

During his tenure with the Sooners, Littrell received a year

SEE COACH ON PAGE 7

UNT President Neal Smatresk will get about a $3,000 raise next year, according to university reports.

He received high marks from UNT System Chancellor Lee Jackson in an evaluation of his first two years at UNT. His annual salary will rise to $508,120 from $505,000, documents show.

University of Houston president Renu Khator is paid 700,000 according to the Texas Tribune, University of Texas at Austin president Gregory Fenves is paid $750,000 and Michael Young of Texas A&M is paid $1 million. While many students believe that Smatresk is fairly compensated when compared to other Texas institutions, they feel he needs to do more about communicating with the student body.

Since arriving at UNT in 2014, Smatresk has overseen the university’s move into a more nationally prominent role as a research institution. Nearly two years to the day after Smatresk was hired, the university was named a top tier school in research output by the Carnegie Classifications.

“I think he should focus on helping faculty communicate better with students,” Spanish and international studies senior Hannah Miller said. “I always hear that a lot of departments have scholarships that people don’t apply for.”

Miller added that with high tuition prices that are only getting higher, Smatresk should focus on making sure every opportunity

SEE ADMINISTRATION ON PAGE 2

NEWS Page 2

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Smatresk gets raise, students reflect on his first two years North Texas Boulevard bridge to be torn down April 29, officials said CONSTRUCTION

ADMINISTRATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

opportunity to help students pay for college is taken advantage of.

She said Smatresk’s pay is adequate and that he should be comfortable so he can take care of university business.

“His pay sounds good to me,” Miller said. “I wouldn’t mind $500,000 a year. He should focus all his time on better communication and better accessibility to resources on campus.”

The resources on campus are especially important to transfer students marketing sophomore Taylor Smith and journalism junior Meghan McDermott. They agreed with Miller that all the opportunities for help at UNT

are not communicated well to the student body.

“He should have a bigger presence on campus,” Smith said.

“Coming from a community college I knew what my resources were. I wish there was a clearer voice in finding resources, and the president should encourage that.”

McDermott said more students should know more about what Smatresk does for the school on a daily basis.

International studies senior Bo Kim said she feels the university is trying too hard to have a campus environment like the A&M and UT, when it should be focusing on what it already has, like its low prices.

“If I wanted the environment of

a huge university I would’ve gone to A&M or [Ohio University],” Kim said. “They should hone in on the cheapness of UNT and not on making tradition.”

Kim said if she could talk to the president she would tell him to know the university’s strengths and to not try to make the university something it isn’t. She wishes UNT would help more students financially, and not come up with fees like the ones for the University Union and the football team.

“I just wish I knew more about him,” Kim said. “I don’t care about making UNT my home, I just want to get a good education and president Smatresk should focus on that.”

Harriet Tubman to replace President Andrew Jackson on the front of the new $20 bill MONEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

process. Among the reasons for technical redesign are maintaining public confidence, accessibility and usability, facilitating the public’s use and authentication and ensuring U.S. currency employs unique and technologically advanced features to deter counterfeiting.

The Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence program monitors and communicates counterfeit deterrence issues to the secretary of the treasury. ACD recommended the $10 note be the next redesigned note after analyzing and assessing counterfeit threats such as reproduction capabilities and complexities, relative use of other notes in transactions and the impact on consumers and banknote equipment manufacturers.

“It’s the evolution of our American consciousness,” UNT history professor Constance Hilliard said. “Tubman was extraordinary and I feel as though moving from the American revolutions to this is

progress. It’s a sort of metaphor for the direction that our country is headed for.”

Thousands of responses were received by the Treasury Department that drove the decision to to put Tubman on the new $20.

Lew said concept designs for the new notes are set to be unveiled in 2020 in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the 19th

Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

“I’m really celebrating, I think to have such an extraordinary individual on our currency is so important and brings our consumeristic culture closer together,” Hilliard said. “Harriet Tubman did so much despite her personal afflictions.”

Courtesy | womenon20s.org

By Alejandro Medellin Staff Writer @skinny_fats The North Texas Boulevard. bridge will be demolished Friday, April 29, so traffic on Interstate 35E will be diverted to surrounding service roads.

The area is being squeezed by construction. Just off North Texas Blvd. runs Eagle Drive, a road also under construction with closures causing some frustration for students commuting. Traffic flow in the area is already slowed because of the 35Express Project, and officials said the bridge will reopen May 2.

“The road was really bumpy and I think they may have changed it to where it was one lane going and one lane coming,” said Ashley Okorie, who works at Zack’s Shaved Ice. “There was a little bit of traffic and they’re

Higgenbotham-Brooks, holds McMillan was celebrating his birthday on Fry Street, where he became highly intoxicated. They said friends of McMillan took him to his apartment, at U Centre, where he found the hatchet he was carrying when he was shot.

He then went downstairs to the parking garage, where he smashed

cars with the hatchet, according to a police report. Police were dispatched to the garage, and UNT police Cpl. Stephen Bean met McMillan on the corner of Oak and Fry streets. McMillan walked toward Bean, who told him multiple times to stop. McMillan did not, instead yelling, “Shoot me, just shoot me.”

Police released footage of the McMillan’s death a day after the shooting. McMillan carried the hatchet in his right arm.

Simpson said the autopsy report, which authorities withheld from the public because of the Texas Ranger investigation, will offer the public more clues into UNT’s police training.

The UNT police have not disclosed their training procedures or policies to the public in the months following the Dec. 13 death of McMillan. A Denton County grand jury did not indict Bean for shooting and killing McMillan.

“We’re going to dive deeper into this,” Simpson said.

Courtesy | Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office CITY COUNCIL

Joey Hawkins faces recall election

By Jynn Schubert and Julia Falcon Staff Writers

A special election will take place on May 7 for residents to decide if current District 4 seat holder Joey Hawkins should be recalled or not.

Residents and local activists were not happy when Hawkins voted to overturn the fracking ban in Denton, and petitioned the city for him to resign. There have also been complaints by his constituents of a lack in communication.

“I don’t agree with the reasoning, but it’s on the books for a reason,” Hawkins said. “We will see what will happen on May 7.”

The petition began when Theron Palmer and his wife Elida Temez tried to meet with Hawkins late last year to discuss a list of grievances and were later ignored, they said.

“We contacted Joey and wanted to share with him a list of grievances we had,” Temez said. “He said he wasn’t good at responding to emails, and it was obvious to us he wasn’t going to do anything about it after waiting for a response for a few weeks. Recall was our only course.”

Though he might not agree with the reasoning, Hawkins has expressed support for his constituents exercising their civil rights, and even voted in favor of the recall to be on the ballot.

Other Denton citizens are happy to see the people doing what they can for what they believe in.

“I’m all for checks on power and I’m happy to see people participating in providing oversight for their elected officials,” said Michael Leza, who lives in District 2. “It’s good for his district either way, if they don’t want him they can toss him out and if they do and he survives the election then it should

closing whole sections of road or making a four-lane road into a two-lane.

“Honestly I don’t think it will necessarily affect the business because the slower the traffic I feel more people will come in and want to stop and get off the roads for a little bit,” E-Z Chek employee Cory Dowe said.

Dowe continued to say that although the partial closure of Eagle Drive in the coming months might be good for business, he still wasn’t sure how it would pan out.

“I mainly commute on my bike to school so I will really appreciate that, it’s a lot easier than dodging people,” Hegger said. “There’s no way they’ll finish it in that amount of time, but if by some miracle they manage to do it won’t really affect anybody too, too badly because it’s through the summer and only partially into the semester.”

The 35 Express project is expected to be completed in mid-2017. Dylan Nadwodny | Staff Photgrapher

Report confirms Ryan McMillan was highly intoxicated on night of death SAFETY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

doing all of this construction but I don’t see what the difference is. It was really hard and really inconvenient.”

This May, Eagle Drive will be repaved and re-striped into a three-lane road with bike lanes running on both sides of the street. The work, if on schedule, is expected to last until October.

The project budget is $1.8 million.

The proposed project will extend from Carroll Drive to North Texas Boulevard. During the construction phase Eagle Drive will be reduced to two lanes.

“I live in the apartments right here,” hospitality management major Makayla Hegger said.

“I drive up this road, I ride my bike up this road and it’s already hard enough to turn on this road anyway. It’s pretty much a major street so making it into two lanes is going to suck.”

Last summer when students went home, the city replaced clay pipes underneath the road, often

give him a mandate to quiet his critics with.”

District 3 councilwoman Kathleen Wazny said that if Hawkins is recalled, the city council would continue with six people until the next election in November.

“We live in a democratic society, and our charter allows for a recall,” Wazny said “It is Denton’s constitution. It is the democratic right of the people if they want to recall a city council member.

I am a strong believer in freedom of speech and the democracy.”

If the seat for District 4 remains vacant until November, council’s operations generally won’t change.

“Joey can run for the seat again, but others could run as well,” Wazny said.

“All of the city council members take care of the city and represent the city of Denton. We may be elected from our certain districts, but we represent the whole city.”

A group of residents in District 4 met up and compiled a petition, which was sent to city hall in November. The petition had a total of 125 signatures on it.

“I hope we recall Joey Hawkins and establish some standards for what we expect from representation.” Cindy Spoon, a UNT alum who worked closely with Temez and Palmer, said.

One of the biggest concerns raised by his constituents was the apparent lack of communication.

“He never responded to any of our emails until after the recall process was initiated,” Spoon said.

Temez said she hopes this recall election will open the eyes of her neighbors and benefit them in the end.

If he survives the recall, Hawkins said he’ll continue to focus on small business in Denton.

GOVERNMENT

Texas House District 64 candidates debate

By Jynn Schubert Staff Writer @JynnWasHere Lynn Stucky and Read King were met with generic political questions at a candidate forum hosted by the Denton Republican Women’s Club Wednesday, about a month away from the runoff election to decide who will win Texas House District 64 for the Republicans.

About 50 people showed up to hear candidates answer questions about term limits, campaign funding and community engagement. Neither of the candidates have legislative experience, and one person there asked about the learning curve Stucky and King face should they win this runoff election and beat Democratic candidate Connor Flanagan.

“I’d say my experience uniquely qualifies me to do that,” King said. “I love hearing people say, ‘as a freshman legislator, you’re not going to get something done.’ I’ve got seven years of experience down there.”

Stucky answered along the same lines.

“There’s no ‘I’ in team,” she said. “It is extremely important in every team I’ve been apart of, you don’t have an ‘I’, you have a team. How can I be effective right off the bat?”

The DRWC got the candidates together to debate and clarify their campaign aspirations.

Stucky and King were each given two minutes to respond to questions from people at El Guapo’s following a buffet lunch. The candidates answered six of the attendees’ questions during the 30-minute forum.

“They really need to be longer, so that you can really get more detailed information instead of just glossing over to the highlights,” DRWC member

Jayne Howell said. “There are so many topics and facts that we really need to learn about the candidates that you can’t learn in fifteen or twenty minutes.”

DRWC group president Michelle French said she hopes more people will participate in future forums. French is also the Denton County tax assessor and collector.

“It’s an important position, and we wanted to give our attendees every option to learn more, ask some questions and hear more from their candidates,” French said.

Both candidates recommended voters check the Texas Ethics Commission website to see who is funding the state’s politicians.

According to campaign finance reports, King received money from political organizations and interest groups outside District 64.

“I have to admit, I have not run the numbers since the primary, but when I ran the numbers and looked at all three of us who were in the race, I had almost as many individual donations – not the corporate or the associations but the individual donations as the other two candidates combined,” King said.

King also mentioned that just because he may get donations from certain groups, does not mean he agrees with all of their stances on popular issues.

“Will I answer the call when they call?” King said.

“Absolutely, I’ll answer the phone when anybody calls while I’m representing District 64. Endorsements are more of a one way than a two way street that say [corporations] support the candidates not that the candidates support them all the time.”

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 3

A week to celebrate

Andrew McNulty seizing starting quarterback spot with quiet confidence Courtesy | Junebug Clark

#UNT125

Students, faculty, staff and alumni join for WingSpan Week

By Adalberto Toledo Senior Staff Writer @adaltoledo29 The university community celebrated UNT’s 125th anniversar y last week as the University Union officially opened.

Crews put the finishing touches to the exterior of the Union hours before festivities began, and students received giveaways, ate BBQ and free ice cream.

Students said they not only enjoyed the festivities but are happy the constr uction crews are leaving the middle of campus and the green spaces are back.

“I was here when there were tents and bar ricades ever ywhere,” biology senior Skylar White said.

“I transfer red last year and thought the campus looked dir ty. Now it’s a lot more open and the union is really big and nice. I still get lost in it.”

The Union was transfor med, ador ned with green balloons and filled with alumni and students. A historical exhibit of mascot Scrappy was displayed in the ar t galler y inside the Union, and culminated in a

table filled with Scrappy ice cream, UNT’s brand of ice cream. The exhibit told the histor y of the mascot, had an old costume displayed and a large, mechanical eagle bike rode around campus.

Education junior Gabby Estringel mentioned she did not attend the Wingspan Week functions but likes that the university went all out for it.

“I think it’s really cool they did show much for the anniversar y,” Estringel said.

“They finished the new park really quickly and I love that campus is cleaner and greener now. Now all that’s left is to tear down Willis [librar y].”

Other students were excited to see the gazebo outside the Union. It used to be outside the old union, which was tor n down to ma ke way for the newly-lain south lawn along Highland Street.

Accounting senior Zach Cunningham is happy his walks are shor ter now.

“I love the new park in front of the union,” Cunningham said. “I’m in the [Business Leadership Building] all the time and now it’s a straight shot through the union to

the BLB from the other side of campus. I used to have to walk around constr uction all the time.”

Cunningham said it was the worst when Highland Street was being repaved. He said the fence around the street often forced him to walk all the way down Highland Street to get to the BLB from Librar y Mall, something he does not miss anymore.

Histor y freshman James Ross said he didn’t experience a lot of the constr uction around campus, but feels that the university looks way better than it did when he star ted last semester.

“It doesn’t even look like the same campus,” Ross said.

“It looks so much smaller than it did when I first star ted here. I like that you don’t have to ta ke detours and stuff.”

Ross also said the celebrations left him prouder of the university, he saw many organizations he didn’t even know existed on university day and lear ned a lot about the histor y of UNT.

Members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity pose for a photo during WingSpan Week. Courtesy | Junebug Clark / Mayborn School of Journalism

Faculty members dance during WingSpan Week. Courtesy | Junebug Clark / Mayborn School of Journalism

#UNT125

A giant eagle bike and other events for UNT125

By Jesus Sustaita Staff Writer That giant roaming eagle you saw last week outside the University Union flew in from Austin to help UNT celebrate University Day. The mechanical beast with moving head, neck, beak, tongue, legs and talons was the creation of an Austin group, Bike Zoo, which specializes in hand-built animal creations used in events around the country.

The group’s newest bike, the bald eagle, was not originally made for UNT, but Bike Zoo founder Jeremy Rosen saw a partnership opportunity in the university’s 125th anniversary celebrations.

“WingSpan Week” served

faculty, students, alumni and donors will celebrate UNT’s 125th anniversary with events devoted to the university community.

Events began Monday and lasted until Sunday.

“The reason Wingspan week is so important is because it’s a cultivation of events celebrating UNT’s 125th anniversary and a time to really bring those who are a part of the university together in celebrating all things UNT, and the excellence of UNT,” director of special events Laura Irving said.

In Discovery Park, participants got the chance to build their own eagle to personalize their WingSpan Week.

“The events are really all levels and angles of what makes UNT so great,” Irving said. “There’s fun to be had by all.”

There were special UNT senior’s reception on the rooftop garden of the University Union.

The UNT Alumni Association and the Orientation and Transition Programs Office had give away prizes, including a UNT class ring.

Thursday was UNT’s Union Fest, events took place all day at the Union.

Many other celebratory events commencedThursday, including: Meet & Greet Breakfast hosted by the Student Government Council and Graduate Student Council, in the Union. Several jazz lab band performances started at noon in the Syndicate; and a historical Scrappy exhibit was on displayed in the Union Art Gallery..

There was also Mayborn Media Mania, an opportunity to see the ins and outs of North Texas

Daily and other university media facilities. Participants heard firsthand, from the students, the story behind the Mayborn School of Journalism. Participants will be given a special pre-published front page takeaway, with photos taken exclusively during their Mayborn experience.

“The week was just all these nuances that help celebrate who we are,” Irving said. “Not only now, but looking to the future and celebrating all we will become.” Friday was devoted to celebrating when UNT changed its name from North Texas State College in 1961. “University Day” began with a flag parade at the Library Mall, followed by UNT President Neal Smatresk treats the giant eagle bike to a cupcake in a program including the mayor’s Library Mall. Jesus Sustaita | Staff Writer proclamation, time capsule presentation, food and live music.

ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Making a name for Denton women in nerd culture FANDOM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

helped start the group. Neff said it’s hard being a woman who appreciates nerd culture because it always seems as though she is being interrogated.

“It’s fun hanging with the guys, but it’s like you’re always under pressure,” Neff said.

“You’re supposed to know every single thing about nerd culture, or else you’re not considered a ‘fan.’”

To Baalman, women should not have to be quizzed over what they know in order to make a name in the nerd community.

Instead, she said they should just be able to enjoy themselves.

“We like what we like and

we shouldn’t be questioned for that,” Baalman said. “Whether we know every single detail about a certain fandom or just like to skim the surface.”

Starting small Baalman, who enjoys comics such as “Fables” and “East of West,” felt she could include references and activities from various fandoms in order to show there is more to nerds than meets the eye.

Her goal is to structure each meeting around a different fandom.

“We want everyone to feel welcome each time we get

The Mad Maidens met up to make their own comic book heros. After putting them together they painted them and added glitter if they wished.

Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer

together,” Baalman said. “We don’t want anyone to feel excluded or left out. Whether it’s a superhero movie night or just us reading and talking about our favorite comics.

There’s this whole universe of possibilities.”

In Mad Maidens’ first meeting on March 21, Baalman planned a group meet-andgreet with a game of Cards Against Humanity to break the ice. During the meeting this past Monday, the group created its own custom action figures to reflect the personal preferences of its members.

Baalman said she doesn’t want to stop at just monthly meetings, or remain exclusive to women.

“It isn’t like we are anti-dude or anything,” Baalman said. “I’m hoping that maybe, eventually, we can do something like a coop Mad Maidens Ball or group movie nights. But, at the heart of the group, it is about us girls.”

For Freaks and Geeks coowner Alec Featherstone, starting this group out of the shop was a no-brainer. Although Mad Maidens is separate from Freaks and Geeks, Featherstone was excited to see what the group had to bring, especially with Baalman leading.

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Freaks and Geeks owner Beth Baalman, middle right, paints super heros with the Mad Maidens on Monday night.

Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer “I personally feel that [women] are associated with nerd culture more so than men, but in the wrong light,” Featherstone said. “When Beth approached me with the idea, I was beyond excited for this group to take shape because I felt Mad Maidens [could] change that around.”

Whatever the group decides to do in the future, Neff said she is excited to finally have a place and group of women she can go to talk to, whether it be related to nerd culture or not.

“I feel like there has been this mutual want for a place for us girls to hang out,” Neff said. “It is just easier to meet other women who have the same interests as you without feeling out of place.

It is kind of a relief.”

The group’s next meeting will be May 16, and Baalman is already hard at work planning it. But at the end of the day, she said she’s just excited to provide an outlet for Denton’s nerd community.

“It’s kind of magical, really,” Baalman said. “Just seeing the enthusiasm at our meetings has pushed me to keep going because I feel it’s something that us girls really needed, like a breath of fresh air.”

Two action figure heads wait to be painted at Freaks and Geeks in Denton, Texas.

Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 5

Mick Burson’s Greetings From Denton mural is painted on the wall facing Oak Street Draft House’s open patio. Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer

Local artists paint one big canvas of a city ART CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

my work until I started working in Denton.”

Burson’s style falls in the geometric side of art, grabbing inspiration from the fact that he is freely allowed to paint his own designs and do what he wants to do.

“Sometimes I have to get stuff approved, but that’s okay,” Burson said. “It’s usually never a problem.”

His first mural was done

on a greenhouse near The Forum in 2010. A stack of paper transforming into leaves blowing away used to occupy the wall until the paint peeled off. Burson has also done multiple works for 35 Denton as well as for the city of Denton, sign work for local businesses and works with other artists.

The College of Visual Arts and Design has a nationally acclaimed art program. Because of that, Denton is filled with

people excited to get their work exposed. When asked about the competitiveness in getting painting jobs here, Burson had expressed little worry.

“The first few years that I was here, I didn’t really know anyone who was painting walls.

Now it’s blown up; there’s more diversity and it’s great,” Burson said. “There’s plenty of walls around, so it’s great to see other people’s work coming out.”

Fellow local artist Shane

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out and paint it,” Newson said.

“No. The art is done with love, with true passion.”

Burson has been one of many to leave a lasting mark on Denton, being a part of something that makes the town truly special. And that sentiment is shared among several local talents.

“That’s what these artists do for the city,” Newson said.

“They make it bright.”

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the vibrant and diverse local art scene that really makes the city unique.”

Thomas Newson, another local artist and UNT drawing and painting graduate, was eager to express what the art means to him.

“The fact that we see real artists painting our walls with their original designs, not some hired paint company who just generated a design and had three unhappy workers come

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McAnally, 34, has painted some murals in Denton, including the sloped wall on Scripture and Bonnie Brae. McAnally is also enthusiastic about the rising artwork that is flowing around Denton.

“I’m excited that Denton is embracing this art and culture and giving local artists a chance to interact with their town,” McAnally said. “I think the murals that have gone up recently around Denton reflect

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NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 6 DALLAS

UNT vocalist sails into historical ‘Show Boat’ musical with the Dallas

By Victoria Monteros Staff Writer @ToriLaSuper The Dallas Opera presented its first musical this past Friday at the Winspear Opera House.

“Show Boat,” a 1927 American combination of both musical and opera elements.

The production’s combination of several elements is unlike anything the Dallas Opera has done before, and features vocal and flute senior Malcom Payne Jr. “It’s really cool how they’re mixing the two mediums,” Payne Jr. said about the Dallas Opera’s rendition of “Show Boat.”

Payne Jr. said the production put into this musical has been extensive with a variety of staging and scenery, a 40-foot prop container and costumes that ended up filling half of a 53-foot semi-trailer truck.

The stage for “Show Boat” has been meticulously designed with every prop designated for a specific part of the scene.

The Dallas Opera has also teamed up with Dallas Black Dance Theatre to bring dance components that assist in bringing the show to life.

“My biggest goal is to make sure I put my bell in the right spot every time,” Payne Jr. said.

“Chorus has a lot of duty to make sure that the stage is set up the exact same way so the principles can have something consistent to work off of with their acting.”

Not only is “Show Boat”

elaborate in terms of dancing, casting and staging, but the show itself offers many lessons in history, covering about four decades of modern American history through the transition from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.

“It’s definitely a grand operatic experience, even though technically speaking it’s an American musical,” said Dallas Opera director of media and public relations Suzanne Calvin.

“Show Boat” was also one of the first major musicals on Broadway to unite black and white artists on stage, leaving an impression on the nation at the time. It also contributed widely to pop culture, with instantly recognizable songs like “Ol’ Man River,” and heavily influenced musicals afterward.

“Dance is also one of the means by which we show progression of time in this musical,” Calvin said. “People start out doing nice little 19th century waltzes and by the end of it, they’re doing the Charleston.”

The Dallas Opera prides itself in not having a narrow focus on one particular specialty. It aims to offer a wide range of repertoire to appeal to everyone in the community.

“We try to give something to music lovers in the community every season that will attract them,” Calvin said. “It helps to keep us fresh as well, and to keep us engaged, because each time we do something that’s new for us, it challenges us on a

“Show Boat” features a club in Chicago called Trocadero where characters attend a New Year’s party. Courtesy | Karen Almond slightly different level.”

So far, the show has proven a success with audience members.

Vocal performance senior Amanda Jacobsen has been anticipating the show all year, and was not disappointed.

“I loved the show. So many good things happened with this production,” Jacobsen said. “My eyes were glued to the stage and I really felt involved in the story.”

She also appreciated its historical significance.

“While it’s a fun show

REVIEW

to watch, there were also comments about the treatment of African Americans during that time, which I think makes this an important piece to show audiences,” Jacobson said. “It’s not just a ‘feel good’ musical, but also a musical that discusses inequalities and social issues.”

Performing in this major production has also been a valuable and unforgettable experience for Payne Jr. and all the cast members.

“Opening night was exhilarating,” Payne Jr. said.

“Making that first entrance onstage to a full house was such an inspirational moment that gave the entire cast a special energy throughout the performance.”

It has also challenged him on bettering his skills during interaction with the audience.

“The biggest challenge in opening night was adjusting to the feedback we were receiving from the audience.” Payne Jr. said. “Holding the intensity through pauses for applause, taking time for laughter

and making sure to remain consistent in regard to the rehearsal performance to make sure the show runs smoothly.”

The Dallas Opera hopes to provide the opportunity to experience opera to people who may not be able to attend the show. They will be providing a free simulcast of the show on the big screen at AT&T Stadium 7:30 p.m. on April 23rd Saturday in addition to holding traditional performances at Winspear Opera House.

HEALTH

The Dose: ‘The Jungle Book’ delivers Health clinic advocates for acceptance of mental health and disability more than the bare necessities

By Kyle Martin Staff Writer @Kyle_Martin35

By Kayleigh Bywater Senior Staff Writer @kayleighbywater In all honesty, waiting to see realistic reboots of classic Disney movies can be nerve-wracking.

Growing up watching Disney’s best on a VCR brings about a certain reminiscence that not all reboots can match.

Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book,” however, has a way of making the audience feel as though they’re sitting on their living room couch, watching the tale of the man-cub for the first time all over again.

This gorgeous, dark twist on Rudyard Kipling’s story has a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication, and for good reason.

Following the animated version’s storyline in most aspects, while incorporating new age technology and CGI, makes for a roller coaster of emotions, even for a 20-year-old college student.

The story’s premise, at heart, is spot on. Mowgli, a man-cub raised by wolves and played by Neel Sethi, is forced to leave his home in the jungle after the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) comes after him.

With the help of his guardian, a panther named Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), and his lovable, humorous bear friend Baloo (Bill Murray), Mowgli makes it through a serpent’s spell, an angry orangutan’s desires and more on a journey to become a man, not a wolf.

Favreau did not hold back on making this version darker than the original, and it was a safe bet coming from the director who reinvigorated comic book movies (see: “Iron Man.”) Although there was comic relief throughout and the classic happy ending, the team behind “The Jungle Book” did not pull any punches ripping out the heartstrings.

Courtesy | Walt Disney Pictures It seems as though Favreau’s intention was to take that audience who grew up watching the animated version and present them with a darker, more muscled up version of the tale. While this is not a bad thing, it did make for quite a shock when animals died and creatures jumpscared us out of nowhere. It did, though, provide a unique, new twist on the lighthearted classic.

But things like Baloo floating down the river with Mowgli singing “The Bare Necessities,” Mowgli venturing through the woods with Bagheera and the hypnotizing eyes of the sneaky serpent Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) brought the movie home.

The movie as a whole, however, had gorgeous scenery and images so realistic that, in some parts, you might forget it’s all CGI. It was as if you could reach out and touch Baloo’s fur or pick a flower off the screen. But for almost the entire movie, the only real aspect was Mowgli.

At the same time, this did present some complications. While the animals looked as though they were real, the movement when they spoke did not.

It was as if they were speaking through human mouths. While it is

hard to make it seem natural that an animal is talking, their expressions sometimes reeled in more focus than what they were actually saying.

In addition, “The Jungle Book” made feisty orangutan King Louie (Christopher Walken) look more like King Kong and made Kaa appear to be as long as the jungle itself, weaving through trees dozens of feet away from each other. While the exaggeration of elements in a movie can be a plus, the mark fell short in some aspects.

Overall, the film provided a sense of wonder not many live-action remakes can touch. Not only was it visually beautiful, but the underlying messages were too.

You sympathize with the fact that Mowgli, this somewhat awkward boy trying to find his true self in a jungle, stands up to the fears getting in his way. You want to run and give Mowgli’s wolf mother Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) a hug as she watches the “son” she raised leave her behind to go to the man’s village.

You understand the struggles and hardships that come with unlikely friendships by looking at Baloo and Mowgli. You feel like a kid again.

And reboot or not, that sense of nostalgia is what Disney’s all about.

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The Denton Community Health Clinic hosted a fashion show and benefit luncheon this past Thursday, April 14 in Hubbard Hall at Texas Woman’s University to promote empowerment of people with disabilities.

“We need money to pay for supplies for many patients, so we try and incorporate everything that we do and involve as many of the community’s physicians as we can,” Denton Community Health Clinic co-founder Dr. Fillipo said.

“We wanted to give back to the community, and so this is our way of doing it.”

Dr. Fillipo is chief medical officer for the health clinic and sees patients every day who can’t pay for healthcare and fellow clinic co-founder Dr. Alice Masciarelli is the executive director of the Denton Community Health Clinic who handles much of the organization part of running the hospital. Its mission is to “strive to provide affordable, comprehensive, quality care to all, regardless of ability to pay,” according to its website.

“Whether you’re low income, whether you’re homeless, whether you have insurance and you’re well off – we see everybody,” Dr. Alice said. “Our goal is to see the patients over time, primary care, and we want these patients to come back over and over again. And, for the most part, that’s exactly what happens.”

The clinic aspires to reach out and engage the Denton community by welcoming patients who would be turned away from other facilities because of liability, lack of income or mental health issues. The Healthy Steps for a Healthy Mind, Heart and Soul Luncheon and Fashion Show was put on to benefit and raise money for Prosumers International, an advocacy and support organization founded by keynote speaker Janet Paleo that aims to empower individuals affected by several disabilities.

“We can, and do, recover,” Paleo said during her speech at the event.

Models were featured patients who are empowered, despite having to overcome disabilities such as addiction, partial paralysis because of stroke or other conditions.

Paleo spoke on behalf of mental health patients and those both in recovery, and in need of it.

Her speech detailed her experiences and the life trials many people with mental health issues go through. She spoke about how since she was 5-years-old she hated

life and had a plan to end it.

Paleo’s concern lied within hospitals that would either turn patients away or dehumanize them and hold them hostage because of their mental illness. Paleo escaped a two-year stint in a mental hospital in the mid ‘90s after being diagnosed with schizophrenia by lying her way out and telling the physicians what they wanted to hear.

Doctors were adamant about keeping her trapped in a facility.

“This is where you’re staying.

This is where you’re going to die,” Paleo remembers them saying.

After being admitted into mental health facilities, her time there offered no signs of recovery or improvement.

She found no help where she was being held and decided the only way for her to survive was to get out – so she did.

“We need to reach people earlier. We need to stop this trend of us dying earlier. I love the theme of this conference and this event: healthy minds, heart and soul,” she said. “Because if we can start catching people earlier and start

letting them know that it’s not okay for [them] to hurt, [they] can have a life. They are worth something.”

Paleo did not find any improvement until one day her caregiving nurse made a breakthrough. What brought her back into the real world from the depths of her mind was empathy.

She gave her space and time, and because of that Paleo was able to merge back into reality and begin to love her life.

“It was the first time that I could say everything I’ve been through in my life was worth it,” she said.

The Denton Community Health Clinic is located on the second floor of 525 S. Locust St., Suite 200 and offers many nontraditional services, including several life counselors. The clinic strives to offer more than just a Band-Aid and a foot out the door so that people who fight through life like Janet Paleo can find themselves functioning, contributing members of the world again.

“Recovery happens, it does, but it usually happens on accident,” she said. “Now it’s time we started doing it on purpose.”

The Denton Community Health Clinic celebrated their five-year anniversary with a fundraiser called Healthy Steps for a Healthy Mind, Heart and Soul Luncheon and Fashion Show. Paulina De Alva | Staff Photographer

Executive Director of the Denton Community Health Clinic Alice Masciarelli poses for a photograph at the Healthy Steps for a Healthy Mind, Heart and Soul Luncheon and Fashion Show. Paulina De Alva | Staff Photographer

SPORTS Page 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Head football coach Littrell hoping to turn Mean Green around like he did in previous stops COACH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

of tutelage from, then offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Mike Leach.

But Oklahoma was not the only place Littrell and Leach

crossed paths. After graduating in 2001, Littrell had a brief coaching stint as a graduate assistant at the University of Kansas before reuniting with Leach in 2005 at Texas Tech University.

Under Leach, Littrell was given his first full-time job by the man he described as having a tremendous influence on his coaching career.

“It’s the offense we won a national championship in,” Littrell

Head coach Seth Littrell looks on as the offense runs drills. Colin Mitchell | Senior Staff Photographer

said. “I got my first full-time job in this offense. I would say he had a big role in my development and where I’m at today, that’s for sure.”

While at Texas Tech, Littrell helped manufacture some of the best seasons in school history.

The Red Raiders experienced two nine-win seasons in 2005 and 2007 and an 11-win season in 2008, including a noteworthy defeat of No. 1 University of Texas at Austin.

Littrell, however, did not rest on his laurels. From 2009-2011, he coached at the University of Arizona, eventually becoming the offensive coordinator in his final year. With the Wildcats, Littrell mentored New England Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The offensive guru did not stop there, either. During the next three years, Littrell spent time at Indiana and North Carolina, where he helped revitalize football at schools more historically known for its hoops.

The Hoosiers finished ninth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense in 2013 and just last year, Littrell helped guide the Tar

Heels to an appearance in the ACC Championship due in large part to a rejuvenated offense.

“I think everywhere I’ve been, it’s guys getting on board,” Littrell said. “It’s about keeping it simple.

It goes back to Coach Leach and this system. Make sure these guys have a lot of confidence going into games. They’ve got to be out there having fun. You have to turn them loose and go attack.”

Now five months into the job at North Texas, Littrell has experienced firsthand the jump from coordinator to head coach and all the changes associated with it. No longer just responsible for the offense, Littrell is in charge of the entire team.

This means getting to know every player on the roster something he is currently in the process of doing.

“It takes time [to] get to know 115 different guys on that personal level when you’re the head coach,” Littrell said. “I don’t have a position group or position meetings. Being able to get that time throughout the day in the lunch room, locker room or on the practice field, that’s been the hardest part.”

One of the players Littrell is trying to build a relationship with is graduate quarterback Alec Morris, a transfer from the University of Alabama. A highly touted recruit out of high school, Morris won two national championships with the Crimson Tide and is familiar with Littrell’s high-octane offensive attack from his high school days.

“I really enjoy having him as a coach,” Morris said. “Obviously, he’s involved with the offense which is pretty cool. It’s good to have his opinion on things, and the way he keeps practice going at a pretty high energy, it’s fun to be a part of.”

The up-tempo, high-flying offense has become Littrell’s mantra as he enters his first season with the Mean Green. And as for his “tee it high, let it fly” style of play, Littrell thinks that will be evident to students and fans come opening kickoff on Saturday, Sept.

3.

“It’s not going out and being scared to fail,” Littrell said. “It’s about putting up four verticals and throwing it deep.”

SOFTBALL

Softball in danger of missing hometown conference tournament next month

By Clay Massey Staff Writer @Clay_FC

With nine conference games remaining and a (3-12) record in conference play, North Texas softball sits dead last in Conference-USA. The Mean Green must jump three teams if they don’t want to watch

the conference tournament from the stands of their home ballpark – the first conference tournament being held in Denton since the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

“It would be very embarrassing,” junior shortstop Kelli Schkade said.

“Really, it wouldn’t be any more embarrassing to not make it anywhere

Freshman utility player Rhylie Makawe (21) sprints to first base after making contact with a ball against Sam Houston State. Dylan Nadwodny | Staff Photographer

else. It’s here, we don’t have to travel, and we should take advantage of that.”

Conference play has been a struggle for the Mean Green ever since it started on the wrong foot with a sweep at the hands of the University of Texas at San Antonio in its first series. North Texas has only won one conference series since, taking two of three from Western Kentucky University.

“Every series is a big series for us,” head coach Tracey Kee said. “We’ve been chasing everybody since we got swept that first outing. Each [of the] 12 series-games left is important.”

One team North Texas must jump is eighth place Louisiana Tech University (23-16, 5-7), who North Texas hosts in Denton this weekend.

This series, along with the remaining conference series has become a must win for North Texas given its current position.

But even if the Mean Green win many of its final conference games, the team will still need some outside

help, needing the teams in front of them to slip down the stretch. Kee, however, said she’s not scoreboard watching.

“I haven’t looked at who can help us,” Kee said. “It’s just a matter of us taking care of our own business.”

Right in the middle of all of the final conference series are three tough non-conference games that could cause some wear and tear to a struggling North Texas. Texas Tech University comes to town for a double-header next week, and then, before the final conference series, the Mean Green travel to Austin to play the University of Texas in a match rescheduled after the March 9 rainout.

North Texas has lost four straight going into this weekend’s series with LA Tech and has only won two of its last ten. Part of the problem is a stalling offense, as North Texas has been outscored by its opponents 51-21 over the past ten games.

The pitching staff has also had trouble holding things close, posting

a combined 6.22 ERA in those same 10 contests.

“I think our offense has carried us the whole year,” Kee said. “I think we just need to pitch a little better.”

Freshman first baseman Rhylie Makawe thinks her team is capable of finding their way into the conference tournament despite the uphill battle in front of them. After starting the season strong, Makawe is one of many North Texas hitters struggling to maintain their rhythm down the stretch.

While currently sitting as a .261 hitter, she is just 3-for-28 over the past 10 games with two RBIs. “We literally have our backs against the wall,” Makawe said. “We need to go out there and do what we know we’re capable of.”

The “backs against the wall” attitude is what Kee is using to try and get her team out of its conference funk. After not winning at the beginning of conference, the time is now for North Texas to pick

FOOTBALL

Football team changing format for annual spring game this weekend

By Reece Waddell Senior Staff Writer @ReeceWaddell15 As the month of April winds down, many college football programs across the country begin to prepare for their annual spring game – an intra-squad scrimmage that pits members of the same team against one another.

In the past, North Texas has split its roster into two teams, green and white, and played the game like any regular contest by keeping score, having a clock, and even having referees throwing flags for penalties.

That will not be the case in 2016.

First-year head coach Seth Littrell has different plans for the Mean Green’s spring game, which will be held on Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m. inside Apogee Stadium. Instead of the traditional format, Littrell intends on dividing his roster into first and second strings and scrimmaging for around 100 snaps. There will be no running clock, except for time-sensitive situational work.

“Right now we don’t have enough depth to truly play a game,” Littrell said. “It will be a good scrimmage, a lot of live work obviously. We’re not going to thin out our team. The last thing I want to do is wear them down enough to where they get injury prone. It’s not worth it to me to have a true spring game.”

With 80 players on its roster, North Texas does not have the manpower needed to fill out green and white teams. Just down the road at Southern Methodist University, the Mustangs had

over 110 players on its roster for its spring game last Saturday.

But Littrell is far from concerned with North Texas not playing a run-of-the-mill spring game. Rather, Littrell wants his team get beneficial practice time that will carry the Mean Green into the summer. “[The spring game] has the same value as any spring practice,” Littrell said. “I think spring games are – they’re fun for the fans to get out and kind of get to see everybody and what you’re doing. But for me, and I think for all coaches around the country, we’d rather do away from the spring game and have a spring practice.”

Some UNT students are not echoing Littrell’s sentiment, though. With an almost entirely new coaching staff and many new faces, there has been an anticipation around campus to see what the new-look Mean Green has to offer.

One of those students is media arts sophomore Andrew Rolf, who frequents both UNT football and basketball games. Usually donning some shade of green, Rolf is an avid athletics supporter despite the recent struggles in football and basketball. Rolf was surprised when he learned North Texas did not have the necessary depth to make up the usual green and white teams.

“It’s a little embarrassing with how big our school is,” Rolf said.

“I think it’s kind of ridiculous.

It seems like college football tradition to have spring games.”

Despite Littrell and the coaching staff planning for an unconventional scrimmage, North Texas players are anxious to get back on the field after a

dismal 1-11 mark last year that tied for the worst record in school history.

“I’m super stoked,” senior offensive lineman Sam Rice said.

“That’s why I play the game – to hit people. We’re all good friends, and best friends hurt each other.

It will be a good time.”

After nearly a month of practice that included implementing a brand-new offense and getting acclimated to a new head coach, the Mean Green is excited to get back inside Apogee and play in front of fans – even if it won’t be an actual game.

“It’s fun having a little grudge match at the end, because you’re a little ticked off after four weeks of hitting the same person,” Rice said. “The spring game is kind of the finale where everyone can get their desserts.”

Desserts, however, may be off the table for Rice. With the new up-tempo, high-octane offense, Rice said he’s had to make a few changes to his diet this spring to accommodate the team’s new style of play.

“I don’t get to be as fat, which isn’t fun,” Rice said. “But that’s alright. It’s a good time. I think we’ll gash some good defenses with [our offense].”

One of the players hoping to do the gashing is junior quarterback Quinn Shanbour. For the past four weeks, Shanbour has competed alongside graduate Alec Morris and others for the starting quarterback job.

Although Littrell has yet to name a de-facto starter, Shanbour said one quarterback in particular has been getting the most looks with the starters.

“Alec has kind of taken the reins,” Shanbour said. “He’s been

running with the ones more.”

Even though Morris appears to be the favorite to win the job, he has made some mistakes along the way. As the team lined up for its end-of-practice scrimmage last week, Morris threw a picksix on the offense’s first play, prompting Shanbour to say one side of the ball is currently ahead of the other.

“I think defense is a little in front of [the offense],” Shanbour said. “It’s more instinctual, more natural to be doing downhill.”

Despite not playing its annual green vs. white game, Littrell is still eager to coach in front of students and fans for the first time in Denton. But when it’s all said and done, Littrell is really only focused on one thing: making it out healthy.

“I’m excited for these guys to get out in front of fans. It’s an exciting time,” Littrell said. “But at the same time, we have a lot of work to do and we have to make sure we’re smart with how we do it.”

up the slack if it wants to be playing at Lovelace Stadium in mid-May. “We’re dead last,” Kee said. “Our kids know that. It’s something they’ve knew from the beginning. We’ve kind of backed ourselves up against the wall, and we’re the only people who can get us out of it.”

UPCOMING GAMES Thursday •Tennis: C-USA Championships vs.

UAB (Murfreesboro, TN) – 12 p.m.

Friday •Tennis: C-USA Quarterfinals (If necessary) – TBD Saturday •Softball: vs. Louisiana Tech (Lovelace Stadium) – 1 p.m.

•Football: Green-White Spring Game (Apogee Stadium) – 2 p.m.

•Softball: vs. Louisiana Tech (Lovelace Stadium) – 3 p.m.

•Soccer: Alumni Game (Mean Green Soccer Complex) – 4:30 p.m.

•Tennis: C-USA Semifinals (If necessary) – TBD Sunday •Softball: vs. Louisiana Tech (Lovelace Stadium) – 1 p.m.

•M Golf: C-USA Championships (Texarkana, TX) – All Day •Track & Field: John Jacobs Invitational (Norman, OK) – All Day •Tennis: C-USA Finals (If necessary) – TBD Monday •M Golf: C-USA Championships (Texarkana, TX) – All Day Tuesday •M Golf: C-USA Championships (Texarkana, TX) – All Day Wednesday •Softball: vs. Texas Tech (Lovelace Stadium) – 1 p.m.

•Softball: vs. Texas Tech (Lovelace Stadium) – 3 p.m.

•M Golf: C-USA Championships (Texarkana, TX) – All Day

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 8 DRAG RACING

MEAN GREEN QUICK HITS

North Star Dragway provides racing outlet and entertainment opportunity to Denton

By Nealie Sanchez Staff Writer @NealieSanchez Deep in the heart of North Texas, many people enjoy going to the speedway to watch a race just as much as they enjoy cold beer and good steak.

But Denton residents don’t have to travel 15 miles down Interstate 35 to Texas Motor Speedway to soak in the adrenaline of auto-racing.

Instead, locals have a drag strip right in their own backyard: North Star Dragway.

“Most of the students at UNT are on a budget. What [other] kind of venue can you come spend $15-20 and hang out for eight hours?” North Star owner Gene Nicodemus said. “That’s what we really try to tell people.

We’re a ‘bring your own beer and own barbeque and have a good time’ [kind of place].”

Nicodemus is on a mission to rebuild the reputation of drag races and bring college kids

and families out to the strip. He purchased the dragway in 2006 and said he has tried to carry on the family tradition instilled by its previous owner.

“His biggest thing was to make it family oriented.

And I try to keep that going,” Nicodemus said. “I go around and give the kids free ice creams on big events when I have time.”

Nicodemus first did business at the drag way when his construction company, Nicodemus Construction, upgraded the facility for the second owner of the strip in 2001. Nicodemus and his employees built a new entrance, tower and concession stand, and they also laid new asphalt for the budding dragway. He didn’t purchase the track until 2012 after the strip had turned into a place for family fun.

Members of the North Texas Car Club at UNT are no strangers to the smell of burning rubber against the asphalt of the strip. These students race in the

open “RiceKiller” event with their own personal vehicles, in the name of fast and furious fun.

Anyone with an ID and a vehicle can race for $25, which includes a $10 entry fee and a $15 racing fee.

“I have a very broad group of friends who race,” aviation logistics senior Jordan Dietz said. “And even though we like to joke about each others’ cars, we are all friends through our cars and the camaraderie of working together to have fun.”

Other UNT students say the convenience and diversity of the strip is what draws them out.

“It’s the closest drag strip there is, and if I got caught street racing I’d get in trouble. So I keep it legal,” arts and sciences freshman Jacob Robertson said.

“There are students, parents with kids [and] senior citizens that have been racing since they were young - people that race for fun and people that race for a living.”

The North Star Dragway hosts races almost every weekend. Dylan Nadwodny | Staff Photographer

A Ford Mustang drives down the drag strip during a Friday evening test and tune session at North Star Dragway. Dylan Nadwodny | Staff Photographer Though the track fosters a fun environment, many students race there in the name of safe driving practices when they hit the road. Music senior Keith Meline said the racing experience makes him a better driver and gets the urge to race at stoplights out of his system.

Dietz, however, has street raced before, and can testify to how much North Star can quench any racer’s thirst for adrenaline.

“Every time you [street race], you are taking a chance,” Dietz said. “You could lose control and wreck your car, hurt yourself or hurt someone else.

The fines and tickets aren’t cheap either, which I know due to first-hand experience.

The track allows you to go and drive your car to its limits with a very low risk of damage or injury to yourself and others on the road.”

North Star Dragway doesn’t just offer the opportunity to race, but also the opportunity to watch professional racing – an improvement from years past, according to Nicodemus.

The events at the dragway are put together in October and November for the entire year.

In addition to watching professionals, every ticket is a pit pass and gives the ticket holder the ability to get in the pit and meet experienced drivers to pick up on the craft quickly.

“Drag racing is one of the few sports I know where you can walk the pits, look at all the cars, meet the drivers and just explore without anyone harassing you or paying a crazy fee for a pit pass,” Dietz said.

“It’s a good time for everyone at a place where someone interested in cars can learn a lot in a small amount of time.”

According to Nicodemus, the most troubling part of owning a dragway in North Texas is the weather. No races are allowed if the track is wet, meaning events are sometimes cancelled due to unexpected Texas rainstorms.

“It’s pretty difficult [to operate] with the weather,” Nicodemus said, “We were closed for the biggest part of the year last year from all the rain.”

Although some students have found their way out to the track, Nicodemus’ work is not done.

He said he still wants to get UNT students as involved as

Women’s basketball signs two post players Head coach Jalie Mitchell has signed two more players to letters of intent: Micayla Buckner and Mya Johnson.

Buckner originally went to Baylor out of high school before transferring to Collin College, where she averaged 11.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 32 games. Johnson will head to North Texas as a freshman after being named to the 5A All-State team at Parkway North HS in St. Louis, Missouri.

Tennis adds first commit of signing period Less than a week after the first official signing day for tennis prospects, head coach Sujay Lama signed Alexandra Heczey to a national letter of intent. The Budapest, Hungary native participated in the U-16 and U-18 Budapest Championships and reached a No. 14 doubles ranking among Hungarian women.

Heczey will join five-star recruit Kalani Soli as Mean Green newcomers next season.

Mean Green Hall of Fame induction to be held this weekend As part of a full day of events, six Mean Green alumni will be inducted into the North Texas athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 23. The list includes four former football players (John Baker, Scott Bowles, Andy Brewster and Jonas Buckles), men’s basketball player Pat Hicks and men’s golfer Dick Whetzle. The ceremony will be at 11 a.m in the Hub Club before the spring game kicks off at 2 p.m. at Apogee Stadium.

Annual soccer alumni game set for Saturday Mean Green soccer will be back on its home turf for an alumni scrimmage Saturday afternoon. The team’s current roster will face the best of the past at the Mean Green Soccer Complex at 4:30. It will be a homecoming of sorts for last year’s graduating class of eight seniors, capping off a jam-packed day on Hall of Fame Weekend. possible while convincing the general public that drag racing can be a family-friendly event.

“The nice thing about it is there’s diversity of the folks that come there,” Nicodemus said. “I think a lot of people sometimes have a negative outlook on drag racing, but what I want to try to do is change that.”

SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

Sports psychology program reaching into psyche of Denton athletes

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When evaluating how much mental strength it takes to be successful in sports, MLB Hall of Famer Yogi Berra made things simple.

“Baseball is 90 percent mental,” Berra famously said.

“The other half is physical.”

His math may have been a tad off, but his point was clear. Having the physical tools to perform at a high level is crucial for all athletes, but preparing the mind is often overlooked.

As a result, North Texas is one of over a dozen universities to offer a doctorate sport psychology program.

“Everybody has stress.

Everybody has things to handle,” sport pedagogy doctorate student Alan Chu said. “Athletes are people too.”

The program has been around since 1998 and gives students a chance to learn ways to provide consultations to athletes. Its students have done research in a variety of areas, taking their knowledge in the basics of psychology into the world of sports.

“In sport psychology, it really ranges,” North Texas sport psychology center director Matt Atkins said.

“All the way down from team cohesion [and] team dynamics to motivation, leadership and more specific clinical issues that tend to come up in athletic populations such as muscle dysmorphia, eating disorders and performance anxiety.”

Many of the program’s students arrive at North Texas with college degrees looking to gain advanced knowledge in the field. Most used to play sports as well and are seeking an opportunity to get handson experience as a consultant to both Mean Green and local athletes.

North Texas currently has a group of 15 consultants working towards sport psychology specialization.

No matter how different their

backgrounds are, they have one thing in common – a curiosity for how emotions affect an athlete’s motivation.

“During the time I was studying in high school, lots of my friends dropped out from table tennis,” Chu said.

“I really wanted to know why they lost the motivation. I was just intrigued by those psychological factors.”

Whether it’s finding a better strategy to relax before games or forming a brand new workout routine, clients can benefit from a wide range of help from sport psychologists. The specifics of what psychologists work on with athletes, however, is kept confidential to maintain the integrity of their methods.

Atkins did say one of the most common areas of need is mentally recovering from a serious injury.

“With a lot of the athletes we work with, so much of their identity and coping is really tied into their ability to play their sport,” Atkins said.

“When that’s taken away, it can take a lot of time [to recover].”

But players aren’t the only people who consultants help. Spreading awareness to coaches has been just as big of a priority.

Understanding how to communicate with players and how to reinforce training habits are just two of the many focuses that coaches are trained in, and North Texas’ sport psychology program has done extensive work with Mean Green coaches over the years.

“We’ve had an ongoing contract with Mean Green athletics,” Atkins said. “There are doctoral students paired up with the majority of the teams and all sort of there to supplement the mental health and performance enhancement issues with the athletes and coaches.”

When a student starts off in the program, they can have anywhere from one to five individual clients at once, meeting with them for an hour on a weekly or biweekly basis.

Additionally, students are paired up with a specific team

at North Texas over the span of multiple years, allowing them to establish a deeper understanding of their needs.

“Spending one year with a team, you’ll be able to develop somewhat of a good relationship. But being able to spend two or three years really forms that connection,” doctorate counseling psychology student Brian Yu said. “You get the buy-in from the coaches and atheletes, and they begin to feel safe around you as someone they can talk to.”

Research is a big part of the program’s overall mission.

While health and performance factors are evaluated the most, students have the freedom to dive into any area of interest.

Yu and Atkins will both present some of their research at a regional conference for the Association for Advanced Sport Psychology hosted at North Texas April 22-23 in room 170 of the Business Leadership Building. Yu has narrowed his focus to multicultural issues in sport psychology and will be speaking on the topic of “The Jeremy Lin Effect” at 2 p.m.

Saturday.

He said Asian-Americans sometimes don’t have as much confidence as their peers due to false stereotypes, which inspired him to look into the effects those have on consultants as well.

“We wondered a little bit if our race had something to do with maybe some difficulties building relationships with coaches and athletes, particularly with stereotypes of Asian-Americans,” Yu said.

Moving forward, Yu and the rest of the program’s doctoral students will look to continue forming relationships with North Texas athletics and youth sports in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In the meantime, Atkins said consistency is the biggest goal.

“It’s such a unique program,” Atkins said. “Simply maintaining the caliber of training we have right now is a big priority.”

OPINION Page 9

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

ELECTION

Hillary Clinton is of questionable character, and that should worry us

North Texas Daily

By Sidney Johnson Staff Writer @sidjohn87

Editor-In-Chief Nicholas Friedman nicholas.friedman1@gmail.com @NMFreed

Hillary Clinton’s political accomplishments place her at the helm of prospective leaders of the free world for the 2016 election.

The former senator has fought for LGBT rights and championed for both women and children along with a list of others for nearly four decades. For heaven’s sake, she keeps a bottle of hot sauce in her purse and played dominoes

with locals while campaigning in Harlem — she’s official. But her questionable voting record, lack of transparency and bigdonor affiliation stagnates optimism for those who are looking to make her the first female President of the Untied States Three strikes: you’re out 2001: The Patriot Act. This legislation was a violation of our 4th Amendment right, plain and simple.

2002: The Iraq War. Her vote gave President Bush

authorization to engage the phony occupation of Iraq. Over 4,000 U.S. troops died and cost the nation over six billion dollars.

2016: Trans-Pacific Partnership.

“The country would see a net loss of 448,000 jobs due to the agreement.” And yes, Hillary, we know Obama approves. Stop using him as validity for your decisions.

He can be wrong, too.

To be fair, Clinton has apologized for her “Yay” vote for the Iraq War, but was recently quoted as saying she would be more “muscular”

FUTURE

If we could live forever, would we even want to?

By Morgan Sullivan Staff Writer @sadsquadch The illusive hands of time continue to tick on, whether we humans are ready or not.

However, some scientists believe that in the next few years, we will have either the technology or medicine to extend human life to 120 years – and quite possibly, forever.

The question is, is that something we really want?

Biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey believes medicine will be able to undo years of molecular and cellular damage done to our bodies. Since infectious diseases have vastly reduced over the last century, Grey believes scientists can now base their focus on the molecular damage that ultimately kills us.

Whether done through controversial stem cell therapy, gene therapy, drugs or vaccines — with medical breakthroughs happening every day, it’s only a matter of time before the medical side of things figures it all out.

Neuroscientist Dr. Hannah Critchlow believes human brains function like a very complex circuit board. Critchlow said if a computer could be designed to recreate the 100 trillion connections in the brain, human life could exist within a program.

This may seem a bit like a crazy science-fiction movie for some, but with companies like Google hoping to develop a drug to extend human life, this “trend” gains credibility.

However, the bigger thing to ponder is whether humans are capable of living for decades or

centuries longer. We may want to live forever, but if we do, we’ve got to be more accepting of change. We excuse problematic behavior now because a lot has changed in the past 50 years, claiming that people just “grew up in a different time,” but that excuse would lose its credibility if humans didn’t die. Think about it: would we still want someone born in 1805 alive today This is all without taking into account the physical aspects of indefinite existence, and how horrendously overpopulated our world would be. As “The Lion King” explains so brilliantly, it’s the circle of life. The most beautiful part about our human lives is that we don’t live forever. We’d never feel pressured to be

better, to create, to live fearlessly and make the most of our days.

We are motivated by the fact that we are in a race with time that we will, ultimately, lose.

With no incentive to be better, we might plateau as a society. Perhaps F.

Scott Fitzgerald said it best: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer

than President Obama in regard to foreign policy if elected. Notwithstanding is the current administration’s drone program, which has tragically killed hundreds of civilians abroad. Got to appreciate her pro-war honesty, though.

Transparency (or lack thereof) An attendee at one of Clinton’s speeches to Goldman Sachs was quoted as saying the content of her dialogue at that time is “so far from what she sounds like as a candidate now,” leading many to play skeptical in regards to her current positions.

Either she is taking her sweet time in releasing these transcripts, or she knows it will destroy her campaign and is giving citizens the run-around.

This reluctance also illustrates her historically low approval ratings.

Additionally, while attending a fundraising gala at Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s frontlawn two-weeks ago, Clinton’s staff was accused of using a white noise machine to block reporters on the sidewalk from hearing her speech.

Considering transparency is key in any democracy — this is troubling to say the least.

The Takeaway Clinton is undoubtedly qualified, but one must question the lack of trustworthiness she bears. The Democratic establishment has chosen their candidate even before every vote has been counted.

This isn’t due to her superior policy but because Clinton “plays ball.” She upholds establishment procedure while cloaking herself in a selfproclaimed pragmatism that is actually pessimism: How can we afford six trillion dollars for a faux-war but not basic universal healthcare for our citizens? She is a centerright, pro-corporatist neoconservative, all traits of a sane Republican.

American voters are done choosing the lesser of two evils. They are finished with dirty political tactics. They oppose any voter suppression and demand the next POTUS (and Congress) do exactly what citizens elected them to do — reflect the progressive will of the people and bring their corporate donors to heel. If this task is too difficult, Hillary, then why do we need you?

Editorial Board

News Editor Dalton LaFerney laferneyd@gmail.com @daltonlaferney Arts & Life Editor Matt Payne mattpayne1994@gmail.com @MattePaper Sports Editor Scott Sidway s.sidway@gmail.com @ScottyWK Visuals Editor Kristen Watson kristenwatson2@my.unt.edu @kbwats Visuals Editor Meagan Sullivan meagansullivanphotography@ gmail.com @meagansullivan_ Opinion Editor Harrison Long harrisonlong@my.unt.edu @HarrisonGLong

Production Design Editor ...Hannah Lauritzen Copy Editor.....Linda Kessler Copy Editor......Chelsea Watkins

The honest truth about gang violence, and the need to discuss it

By Preston Mitchell Staff Writer @Presto_Mitch

Samuel Wiggins | Senior Staff Illustrator

Born and raised in East Texas, community division was second nature to me.

While I was fortunately provided with a Gifted/Talented education, growing up in the southern part of my hometown meant days spent dreaming of a life akin to the more urbanized north-side. Since my neighborhood was a hop-scotch away from actual “hoods,” my mother and I always had to go north for grocery shopping – especially because our only proximate shops were lowly supermarkets and dollar stores where criminal activity sometimes took place.

For better or worse, my hometown only receives the debris of the region’s sizable crime wave.

Comprising endless accounts of gang violence and gun crimes, it’s a nationwide epidemic that can only be remedied once we all begin cooperating on social and political

levels.

About 30,000 street, motorcycle and prison gangs operate in our country at this very moment, according to the FBI. What these statistics don’t state, however, is the number of criminals born in lower class areas. Starting in the late ‘70s, when New York and Los Angeles gangs spread throughout the country, impoverished slums became hotspots for crack cocaine and other drugs.

The price of coke cheapened nearly 80 percent by the mid ‘80s, making it easy for the poor to profit. It appealed to them to live dangerously rather than listening to educators who seemed to care less for students of low-income households.

In fact, it’s an alarming system of institutionalization that few people recognize. It’s why 94 percent of U.S. gangs are male, 47 percent of that are Hispanic, and a remaining 31 percent are Black. If someone is birthed into a socio-economic life bound by welfare checks and fast food, it staves off existing potential when their only escape is a TV portraying

American beauty as white, rich and hetero-normative.

These dilemmas are why movements like Black Lives Matter are necessary. Unfortunately, the disconnect between activism and the rest of the stratosphere is due to ignorant extremism on both sides.

For instance, young adults often get their news from social networks; all of which have users eager to voice their opinions on Twitter with trigger fingers. While the hearts of activists are generally in the right place, informal news often leads into insubstantial debates without resolve.

It’s important now, more than ever, to sweep pre-existing baggage under the rug. With the changing political climate that lies ahead, we should focus on creating strong schools and workplaces to ensure that subsequent generations can be upstanding without resorting to arms.

Gun legislation and activism aren’t the issues – it’s the politicians’ lack of regard for lowly living.

POLITICS

The art of the convenient scapegoat in politics

By Harrison Long Opinion Editor @HarrisonGLong W hat has been un for t unate to witness in recent months as the election cycle has un folded is the preva lence of one pa r ticula r practice: scapegoating.

A Biblica l concept, a scapegoat was or igina lly a n a n ima l (see: goat) that had the sins of a village placed upon it before a pr iest made it wa nder the wilder ness. T he practice has su r vived, though it has t ra nslated itself to huma ns. For a case st udy in such, Wash ington D.C. is the place to go.

Rather tha n engage in conscious politica l discou rse li ke elected off icia ls should, it has become fa r easier to simply label you r opponent a n idiot, watch the public opin ion t u r n on them, a nd then witness thei r down fa ll.

Despite th is politica l ma lpractice, the bla me is just as much on the populace

for discounting the enti re politica l platfor m of a n individua l because a nother ca ndidate sa id they were “ter r ible” a nd “needed a juice box a nd a nap,” rather tha n dissem inate thei r views a nd ma ke a n in for med decision. W hat a concept, r ight?

Even more so, ca ndidates who adopt the label of a pa r ia h of days past, th in k “McCa r thy,” “H itler” or “Nixon,” f ind it increasingly diff icult to get thei r point across once the public’s approva l has t u r ned aga inst them.

T h in k ing beyond the

debate st age, those a l ready in power a re just as guilt y of passing the bla me when it comes to policy

fa ilu re or a rcha ic belief systems on those who of ten a re unable to

defend themselves. T h in k the pa inting of a ll Syr ia n i m m igra nts, or Musli ms at la rge, as ter ror ists that occu r red when cer t a in elected off icia ls ca relessly a lluded to the possibilit y of thei r radica lism.

Not on ly will th is label preva il for yea rs to come despite its inaccu racy, it of ten embeds itself in a regions ideology a nd will still be preva lent generations later. T h is is com mon if on ly because it is easier to persuade a concer ned or sca red populace to pu rsue a rguably im mora l solutions to a problem tha n those who a re com for table.

Quite possibly the most releva nt exa mple of th is ta k ing place is

Samuel Wiggins | Senior Staff Illustrator

a lso a mong the most t ragic.

Ger ma ny, feeling slighted f rom thei r depressive econom ic sit uation a nd loss of ter r itor y following the G reat Wa r, elected Adolf H itler in 1933. T he new Cha ncellor of Ger ma ny quick ly took to the stage to pa int a n enti re race of individua ls as the ca ncer plaguing the Ger ma n people. T he Jewish race, no st ra nger to a nguish in f licted at the ha nds of those un li ke them, adopted the br unt of the bla me for Ger ma ny’s woes, a nd thus beca me the quintessentia l exa mple of the negative impact of scapegoats.

One could on ly hope that politics m ight evolve to where th is practice is done away with, though if the 2016 election cycle is what we ca n come to expect, we should brace ou rselves rather tha n breathe a sigh of relief.

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 10 CHANGE

STRINGS ATTACHED

Tubman added to $20 bill

By The Editorial Board North Texas Daily @ntdaily

The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that Harriet Tubman will be the new face of the $20 bill — the first black person to ever be present on American currency and the first woman in over a century.

The plan originally formed around updating the $10 bill, removing Alexander Hamilton with someone more modern and relatable. While there is no official comment on such, it could be well-argued that the popularity of the (mostly fictitious) musical “Hamilton” led to the conversation shifting up towards another legend of old America: Andrew Jackson.

A controversial figure in his own right, Old Hickory was a military hero, renown for his victory at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, as well as his love of cheese, made famous by frequent references throughout

the hit television series “The West Wing.”

Despite this, Jackson was and remains a controversial figure in American history — his legacy is often associated with the “Trail of Tears,” as are many of his positions on slave ownership and AfricanAmericans in general. Also, be sure to remember that despite what you might read on angry Facebook rants, he was decidedly not a Founding Father of the United States. In fact, he hadn’t even hit puberty by the time the American Revolution began.

Jackson will remain a figure in American history whether we like it or not, and is merely moving to the back of the $20 bill rather than being removed entirely. It is our position at the North Texas Daily that Harriet Tubman, in addition to being a beacon of hope in a bygone era of skewed ideals, is unequivocally the right choice for such a distinction.

Without even examining the impact of Tubman’s life on the

discourse of race relations for the past 150 years, a simple glance abroad could also tell us this is not only bold and progressive, but the correct move. The American dollar is representative of money the world over — even in countries operating with a separate form of currency. Changing the face of one of the most frequently circulated and widely recognized bills in the world is, even if subliminally, broadcasting a message to the world that despite our imperfections the United States is making attempts to grow from within. It is a display of progress and dedication to the work yet to be done.

The move will take a few years to be implemented— a design is yet to be chosen and won’t be announced until 2020, the mint it will be printed at needs to make the proper adjustments, and distribution considered. In the mean time, let’s appreciate the change, because it’s a great one.

Samuel Wiggins | Senior Staff Illustrator

SQUIRRELS ON CAMPUS

Jake Bowerman | Staff Illustrator

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Entertainment Listings UNT Spring Fashion Show Thursday, April 21 International Fair and Market - Digital Glitch - 5:30 PM @ University Union Ballroom 4:0 PM @ UNT Library Mall Open Mic 7:00 PM @ Audacity Free Roll Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament - 6:00 PM @ Brew House Jack’s Tavern The Merry Wives of Windsor Greater Denton Arts Council 7:30 PM @ UNT Department Benefit - 6:30 PM @ Pattersonof Dance and Theatre Appleton Arts Center Trivia Night - 8:00 PM @ Suit and Tie Jazz Night - 10:00 Mulberry St Cantina PM @ Paschall’s Bar American Aquarium - 9:00 PM @ Dan’s Silverleaf Monday, April 25 Open Mic - 7:00 PM @ LSA Friday, April 22 Italian Film Festival US-Denton Burger All-Day @ University of North Live Jazz - 10:00 PM @ The Greenhouse Texas RTFP Building Open Mic Night - 10:00 Room 104 PM @ Andy’s Bar Jacob Monroe Hates Clowns 8:00 PM @ POINTBank Black Tuesday, April 26 Box Theatre Musical Tuesday - 7:00 PM @ Live Music - 7:00 PM Sweetwater Grill and Tavern @ LSA Burger Friday Night Dart Tournament Real Texas Radio Live Broadcast - 7:00 PM @ LSA - 7:45 PM @ The LABB Burger Ghosts of Denton Tour 8:00PM @ Downtown Denton Boxcar Bandits - 11:00 PM @ Mulberry Street Cantina (Meet at Jupiter House) Saturday, April 23 Denton Community Market - 9:00 AM @ Historic Park of Denton County Denton Means Business 5k and Fun Run - 8:30 AM @ Apogee Saturday Yoga on the Square - 9:00 AM @ Courthouse on the Square 2016 Denton Redbud Festival - 10:00 AM @ Denton Civic Center UNT Mean Green Spring Game - 2:00 PM @ Apogee Stadium Ghosts of Denton Tour 8:00PM @ Downtown Denton (Meet at Jupiter House) Sunday, April 24

Wednesday, April 27 Meditation Class - 11:30 PM @ Seven Mile Cafe Live Music - 7:00 PM @ LSA Burger Wednesday Night Social Run - 7:00 PM @ Oak Street Drafthouse Movie Night - 10:30 PM @ II Charlie’s Bar and Grill Thursday, April 28 Wine and Whiskers - 6:00 PM @ Oakmont Country Club Twilight Tunes - Kody West - 6:30 PM @ Courthouse-onthe-Square Lawn Trivia Night - 8:00 PM @ Mulberry Street Cantina

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