North Texas Daily 2/22/2018

UNT to spend $10 million on visitor center featuring mock bedrooms NEWS: PAGE 2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

VOL. 112 No. 6

NTDAILY.COM

UNT-Cowboys partnership increasing student involvement

By Jordan James @JordanJamesTV When UNT announced it would be partnering with the Dallas Cowboys in 2016, students, faculty and alumni were excited about the possibility. The thought of “America’s Team” being associated with North Texas caused many to feel optimistic about the partnership.

Shortly after the deal came to fruition, UNT banners and advertisements started making

their way to AT&T stadium and the Star in Frisco. This lucrative deal allows UNT to call itself the “exclusive higher education partner of the Dallas Cowboys.” Although the goal of the partnership is to enhance the brand of the university, what sold president Neal Smatresk on this deal was the opportunity for students to benefit. “[The Dallas Cowboys] have a huge presence, and I would argue perhaps more built-in views and customers for its products

than virtually any other sports franchise, and from a marketing perspective, maybe more than all of the rest of the football programs put together,” Smatresk said in an interview with the Dallas Business Journal. “We think that it’ll be good for us. It’ll help attract students. It’ll serve our students in unique ways and it’ll give us a real national footprint and reputation.”

According to the contract agreement, each year the Cowboys will supply four event speakers to UNT events. Students are also

given the opportunity to tour AT&T stadium and the Cowboys headquarters in Frisco for free if the students go with a UNT sponsor.

Most importantly, the contract requires the Cowboys to take four student interns from UNT during each year of the eight-year contract.

While different students groups have visited the Cowboys facility and guest speakers have come to the university, only one Mayborn

SEE COWBOYS ON PAGE 5

Something scrump(diliump)tious

By Sadia Saeed @sadiasaeed97

UNT employee under fire for comment about ‘reverse racism’

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez

Nestled deep in the heart of Denton on Carroll Street next to Ashes Smoke Shop lies a hidden gem that seems to only be known to people by word-of-mouth. In fact, if you blink, you might miss it.

Known for its quality of food and friendly atmosphere, Scrumpdiliumptious is probably a good fit for those with an interest in generational recipes and classic spins on traditional Cajun foods. Some may call it soul food, but the owners leave that up to their customers to decide.

“We cook the food that we like, and we put it out there,” owner Rose Randolph said. “We want you to leave with an experience.”

With the help of her husband Lanel Randolph, Rose has morphed Scrumpdiliumptious from an idea to a fullfledged venture.

“I was sitting in front of the computer and I was like, ‘Scrumpdiliumptious!’” Rose said. “It popped in my head, and we went with that.”

“Everything is made from scratch — nothing is boxed,” Lanel added.

The Randolph’s goal to bring quality food started off when Rose was just 14 years old.

As high school sweethearts, Rose used to bring an assortment of cakes for Lanel to try, which sparked the idea of Scrumpdiliumptious. As her cakes started to gain attention, Lanel began to realize just how much culinary potential Rose had.

“My friends all liked her cakes,” Lanel said. “We would literally be fighting over her cakes.”

It wasn’t until college when they both made the jump

SEE LOUISIANA ON PAGE 4

Scrumpdiliumptious serves a variety of cakes, including a delicious 7UP-flavored cake. You can choose to add icing to any cake. Josh Jamison

Courtesy UNT

Rose pours warm icing onto a 7UP cake. You can choose to add icing to any cake. Josh Jamison

UNT spokesperson Nancy Kolsti called a petition to name the new residence hall after a person of color and/or a woman “a form of reverse racism,” according to an email Kolsti sent last week to Student Government Association Senator Misaki Collins.

Collins made the petition public via Twitter on Feb. 6. As of Wednesday night, the petition had about 1,000 signatures.

“We were touting diversity on our campus, but then I started Misaki Collins realizing through the [campus] tours that none of the buildings are really named after a person of color or a woman,” Collins said. “I knew there had to be a change.”

Collins created the petition because none of the buildings that make up UNT in Denton are named after a person of color. The only buildings on campus named after women are the Murchison Performing Arts Center and residence hall Clark Hall.

In her email to Collins, Kolsti said insisting the new residence hall be named after a woman or person of color “[imposes] a quota system, and, to me, that is a form of reverse racism.”

Kolsti said there could be Nancy Kolsti other individuals deserving of having a hall named after them and “not individuals who are chosen to fill a quota system that you think the university should have because you feel that it is important ‘to promote diversity in every aspect of the student experience.’”

Kolsti said it is “very possible that the new residence hall will not be named after any person, like Victory Hall, Legends Hall and Honors Hall.”

It is also possible it will be named after a donor. Kolsti told Collins she “must realize that there are many longtime UNT administrators who are deserving of the honor.”

SEE RACISM ON PAGE 2

Students approve athletic fee DFW artist Zarina Kay finds her niche in nature

By Sadia Saeed increase, regents vote next @sadiasaeed97

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez

UNT’s Student Government Association Election Board announced Monday night the referendum to increase the university athletic fee passed.

The vote passed with 55.24 percent of students supporting the increase. A total of 2,366 students voted.

The referendum results were supposed to be released Friday but were delayed after two students submitted formal complaints to the SGA Election Board.

SGA did not find any violations based on the complaints after holding separate hearings Monday night. The published decisions referenced Bylaws Article V: Rules on Elections and UNT Policy Chapter 4 as justification for the complaints being unfounded.

The measure proposed a $6.25-per-credit-hour increase in

the Intercollegiate Athletics Fee and a $2-per-credit-hour decrease in the Student Service Fee. Students were able to vote from Feb. 13 to 15.

“The referendum is a reminder of the vital role student representation makes on our campus,” SGA President Barrett Cole said. “As with any election, it is crucial for students to vote and I hope that we continue to see the number of students who interact with SGA increase.”

The election results showed seven percent of the UNT student population voted in the referendum. Cole and Graduate Student Council President Lynze Jones said they appreciate that students took initiative in learning about the referendum and then voting.

“It would be ideal to see a larger percent of the student population that expresses themselves through voting to better show us the kinds

NEWS

SEE REFERENDUM ON PAGE 3

Denton rent rates are rising, now more than San Antonio, Lubbock, Waco pg 3 A year-over-year analysis from Rent Cafe shows the city’s rents rose by 2.9 percent in 2017. Denton rent is near that of College Station and Austin.

Each drop of color and each speck of paint creates its own story like the autumn leaves, drifting in and out but always here to stay. The colors ebb and flow together in an elliptical as they pass each other by. The texture heightens the galaxy and creates an almost infinitely finite space.

“I was inspired by Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’ — I use the same color palette, but instead of flowers, I did a galaxy,” artist Zarina Kay said.

“I’ve always wanted to do a galaxy painting, so I was glad to do it.”

The mural, entitled “Impression of Andromeda” at LSA Burger, was created by Kay, an up-and-coming artist whose love of art has been embedded in her since she was a child.

The LSA Mural Art Project was exhibited last year as a joint venture between LSA Burger and the Greater Denton Art Council where six to seven artists got together to create art in less than 48 hours.

“It’s gorgeous,” Denton resident Mike Casper said of Kay’s work at LSA Burger. “The colors are very vivid and makes you think.”

Just like the Andromeda galaxy brightness

IN THIS ISSUE

ARTS & LIFE

Best Buddies fosters friendships in North Texas pg 4 UNT’s chapter of the national organization partners with Infinite Capabilities to provide buddies to locals with disabilities in hopes of creating friendships.

can be seen with a naked eye, Kay’s talent is bright in any limelight. “[Art has been] my priority since I was 13,” Kay said. “I spend every dollar I can on it. I’ve spent a thousand hours on it to grow and be stronger. That’s my only goal in life — to be in that state.”

Born in Armenia, Kay moved to Texas when she was 1 year old. Realizing her talent at a young age, her mom then enrolled her at the Ermitage Art Academy at 13 years old, working under Mikhail Dimov, a classically trained teacher.

SEE ZARINA ON PAGE 4

Zarina Kay works on a painting of a light bulb in her home studio. Will Baldwin

SPORTS

Buckner has emerged as dominant force for women’s basketball pg 5 The junior post is one of two players to have started every game and continues to improve on both ends as the team pushes for a higher seed in Conference USA.

OPINION

The Snapchat update: everyone’s freaking out pg 6 With the newest Snapchat update comes angry users who turn to Twitter threatening to delete the app in response to the new layout, design and purpose.

NEWS Page 2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

North Texas Daily Visitor Center to cost nearly $10 million Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Kayleigh Bywater @kayleighbywater Kayleigh.Bywater@unt.edu Managing Editor Kayla Davis @kaylajeann19 KaylaDavis@my.unt.edu News Editor Sarah Sarder @sarderrr Sarah.Sarder@unt.edu Arts & Life Editor Alec Spicer @Spicer_Alec AlecSpicer@my.unt.edu Sports Editor Matthew Brune @mattbrune25 MatthewBrune@my.unt.edu Opinion Editor Nina Quatrino @ninaquatrino NinaQuatrino@my.unt.edu Visuals Editor Jake King @King_Jake1st JakeKing@my.unt.edu

Production Team Design Editor Kelly Fox @kellythefox1 KellyFox2@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Marshall Cearfoss @JustMarshalling MarshallCearfoss@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Kaitlin Pennell @k_itlinn KaitlinPennell@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Kiera Geils @KieraGeils KieraGeils@my.unt.edu Copy Intern Becca Stetson @beccastetson rebeccastetson@my.unt.edu Social Media Manager Kenli Gunter @kenliiiii KenliGunter@my.unt.edu Senior Staff Illustrator Austin Banzon @Austinbanzon99 austintroybanzon@my.unt.edu

Business Director Adam Reese 940-565-4265 Adam.Reese@unt.edu

Faculty Adviser Gary Ghioto 940-891-6722 Gary.Ghioto@unt.edu

To pitch a story, or contact the Editor-in-Chief, please email northtexasdaily@gmail.com

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel UNT’s new Visitor Center will cost $9.6 million, according to documents obtained through a public information request. The Visitor Center is intended for people wishing to tour or learn about UNT. The Visitor Center is part of the New Residence Hall Project commissioned last summer, which includes a 500-bed residence hall.

UNT spokesperson Kelley Reese shed some light on why UNT is spending this amount to benefit students who do not attend the university.

“As a university, we have a need to balance and work on multiple demands simultaneously,” Reese said. “This is not a case where one item is a greater priority, rather that the solutions are different. So, while we are pursuing an answer to the question of recruitment and visitor experience, we are also working on solutions for increased student housing, dining, parking and academic and research space needs.”

Education sophomore Gaby Lara said she thinks the money being spent on the Visitor Center could have been better spent elsewhere.

“I pay so much toward tuition ... and for my parking pass and, I still have to pay more if I want to park somewhere that’s conveniently close to my class,” Lara said. “I know they’re trying to reel people in to stay here but I just feel like the money could have been put elsewhere because we know that money is coming from, essentially, our tuition. It could be put elsewhere to where it would be more beneficial to the people who are already here instead of prospective students.”

The cost The New Residence Hall Project is ongoing and is set to be completed by 2020. Initially proposed as a two-phase project with a budget of over $100 million, the university will seek to cancel phase two at the Board of Regents meeting this week, Reese said.

The New Residence Hall Project would then have just one phase involving completing the residence hall and the Visitor Center for $58.9 million.

A document from the university’s Finance and Facilities Committee meeting on July 24, 2017, includes an amendment which states the intention to “increase the project budget for New Residence Hall Phase one by $9.6 million to incorporate the design and construction of a campus tour center for prospective students.”

“The new visitors center is being built with flexibility in mind so that the space will be able to serve multiple purposes,” Reese said. “Certainly, one of its main functions will be to serve as a gateway to our campus for prospective students and their families, as well as any other individual who may be interested in learning more about what makes UNT unique and a leader in North Texas.”

The amenities UNT System spokesperson Paul Corliss provided some detail as to what the Visitor Center will entail.

“The layout of the building will organize tour center functions and some housing functions on the first floor, with the main housing administration functions on the second floor,” Corliss said. “The

Aerial photo of the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. Courtesy DRC

UNT Health Science Center to repay US government $13 million

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez

By Sean Riedel

building will contain a presentation room, welcome area, huddle room [for families and advisors to meet], mock bedroom and staff offices.”

Corliss said the Visitor Center will be part of a 26,000 gross square-foot Visitor, Housing and Dining Administration building and will be located between the new residence hall and Kerr Hall.

Currently, UNT uses the Eagle Student Services Center to conduct campus tours. Reese said that while the ESSC is a key building for UNT’s enrolled students, it does not have enough space to sufficiently host prospective students and their families as interest grows in the university.

Cost comparison A 2014 Center for Profitable Agriculture document from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture concludes that a single square acre (43,560-square-feet) of land can hold approximately 162 angled parking spaces. By this estimate, about 90 parking spaces could fit in the area the Visitor Center will occupy, if arranged as a single-level parking lot.

By contrast, the seven-floor Highland Street Parking Garage contains 950 parking spaces. The garage cost about $20 million to construct, according to documents from a 2009 Board of Regents meeting.

Adjusted for inflation, it would cost just under $23.5 million in 2017.

The university could not provide documents containing costs for constructing the parking lots behind Maple Hall and across from Rawlins Hall.

“Parking is always a priority,” Reese said. “The university always seeks to balance its parking needs with the need to accommodate its growth and demand for educational and student life facilities.”

The UNT Health Science Center (UNTHSC) agreed Friday to pay more than $13 million to the United States government to settle claims related to federal grants, according to a news release from the United States Department of Justice.

The Fort Worth medical school and research center violated rules regarding the use of federal research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“Integrity is one of our core values, and that means owning, correcting and learning from our mistakes,” UNTHSC President Michael Williams said in a news release.

UNTHSC self-reported the discrepancies in 2015.

Internal revenue data from January 2011 to February 2016 showed issues with how the center compensated workers for time and effort spent in pursuing projects sponsored by the NIH. The $13 million will cover the errors made.

As a recipient of NIH grant funds, UNTHSC is required to accurately report time and effort spent on the grants given to them “through records that accurately reflect the work performed and an appropriate system of internal controls,” the DOJ said.

Because this was not reported accurately, the center received inaccurate payments that did not correspond to the time and effort reports. The center reviewed about 120 NIH-funded projects from the six-year period for the investigation.

The center has since announced that they have “extensively revamped [their] system of tracking federally funded research projects” by restructuring its Division of Research and Innovation.

“We are improving and sustaining a culture of compliance and accountability through better training, tools, education and administrative support,” Vice President of Research Anuja Ghorpade said in a news release from UNTHSC. “We now have a plan in place that solidifies the infrastructure for a high-functioning research administration compliance program.”

UNT spokesperson says petition is ‘reverse racism’ RACISM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In a statement released by Collins on Friday via Twitter, she said “the argument of reverse racism, is in itself, racist” and that Kolsti’s email shows why she believes it is important for the UNT community to promote representation.

“The university believes that the naming of our buildings and how our campus appears are very much a part of the student experience and should reflect the core values we hold dear,” UNT spokesperson Kelley Reese said regarding Kolsti’s email.

Reese said Kolsti was “expressing her views as a private citizen and not speaking in her capacity as a UNT employee” and that honoring diversity is one of UNT’s most important values. ”We encourage our students to take an active role in helping to shape the university and applaud the actions of our Student Government to petition for values in which they believe,” Reese said.

In the petition, Collins stated “there are over 160 buildings that make up the University of North Texas,” however she said she changed that number in the resolution to 87 so it would only include buildings students go to frequently and not sheds and storage buildings associated with UNT. Of those buildings 27 are named after people.

“The intention of this petition is to help honor people who otherwise maybe would not be even considered,” Collins said in an interview on Tuesday.

English sophomore Gianna English said she does not believe Collins’ petition is a form of reverse racism.

“When one culture has already been represented plenty in past years, it’s not reverse racism to include other people in that representation.”

While the petition did not begin as an SGA matter,

Collins submitted a resolution supported by about 103other senators to submit to university stakeholders such as the Board of Regents, President Neal Smatresk and Vice President of Student Affairs Elizabeth With.

The resolution was read to the Senateat their meeting Wednesday night. The Senate will vote on the petition Feb. 28.

“This is the most [amount of] cosponsors we’ve had in a long time [for a resolution],” Collins said. “It’s good to see that there’s more senators in favor.”

If the Senate votes to pass it, the resolution will be sent to the university stakeholders along with the names of people who signed the petition.

Senator Luis Avila said he supports the resolution because if the new residence hall is named after a person of color and/or woman, it would begin a new path to the diversity UNT claims.

“Names do matter,” Avila said. “Names of buildings encourage our spirit.”

Senator Marcel Akhame hopes the university will take this petition into consideration.

“UNT is a diverse institution and it’s important that our buildings represent that,” Akhame said.

Sociology sophomore Tariq Otuemhobe said this petition is about empowering each other.

“Once we help everybody get on the same wavelength, then we will be light-years ahead of where we are now,” Otuemhobe said.

The petition also asks for names of people that should be honored with the new residence hall. Some suggested figures from the UNT community include the first black undergraduate student Irma E.L., Joe Atkins who helped desegregate UNT by filing a lawsuit with the NAACP and the first and Gretchen M. Bataille, the only female president of UNT. “I can’t even name them all because there’s been

so many suggestions,” Collins said. “It’s been really inspiring to just read about the history because you never hear about these people.”

Another suggestion Collins brought up is Beulah Harriss, the first female hired into the UNT athletics department.

A previous building called the Harriss Gym was named after Harriss. It was the site of women’s athletic events and many on-campus social events from the 1920s to mid-1950s. It was torn down in 1956 to make room for the Hurley Administration Building (named after UNT’s longest-serving president Alfred H. Hurley), according to the plaque commemorating the Harriss Gym. “Her legacy being applied and the change [in name] shows our tendency to forget legendary people of color and women who have done amazing things in our community,” Avila said.

The plaque was unveiled on March 14, 2017 and sits at the southwest corner of the Hurley Administration Building.

Criminal justice sophomore Cristian Jimenez said buildings should be named after people who have made a positive impact to the UNT community, regardless of race or gender.

“I think UNT does an excellent job of not discriminating against race [and] ethnicity and just being super inclusive in general,” Ripley said. “[It’s] one of the reasons I decided to come here, so it’s kind of pointless to make a big deal out of that request in my opinion.”

However, the petition and resolution do not have final say on the name of the building.

“This [petition] is just for them to consider,” Collins said. “We just really want to influence the decision.”

Collins’ petition closes Feb. 28.

NEWS AROUND TEXAS Dallas Mavericks subject of sexual harassment scandal

Sports Illustrated revealed the existence of a misogynistic culture of sexual harassment and misconduct among the Dallas Mavericks organization in an investigative story released Tuesday night. The Mavericks responded with a statement Wednesday night saying they were unaware of the issues until the past few days. The organization said they have launched an independent investigation using outside counsel and said it plans to provide employees with resources and training to create a safe workplace.

Early voting ongoing in Denton County

Denton Mini Maker Faire to take place Saturday

Film festival to showcase Latin talent

Early voting began Tuesday for primaries for the midterm elections. Voters in Denton County can find their polling places online at votedenton.com and can cast their ballot between now and March 2 for early voting or on March 6, which is election day. Voters may only vote in either Democratic or Republican primaries and must vote in the same party’s runoff elections. Coty, school district and local political subdivision elections will occur on May 5.

Polling places are based off voters’ precinct numbers.

Denton will host the third annual Mini Maker Faire from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Denton Civic Center located at 321 E. McKinney St. The event is a gathering of engineers, artists, scientists, crafters and more, according to its website. Exhibits include ‘maker’ activities from Shibori silk dyeing, coding robots, crocheting, filming and editing videos and more. The event if free for those 18 and under. Adult tickets are $7 at the door. Find out more at denton.makerfaire.com.

UNT will host Festival de Cine Latino Americano Friday through Sunday in an effort to bring Latin filmmakers under the spotlight. The event is hosted by the UNT Media Arts department and an organization with the same name as the festival. Thirty-four films will be screened across various UNT locations and will include an award ceremony with special guest actor Jesse Borrego, most known for his roles in “Fame” and “Dexter.”

By Sarah Sarder

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

Denton rent increased by 2.9 percent in 2017

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel Rental rates for two-bedroom apartments in Denton rose 2.9 percent in 2017, according to a report by Rent Cafe.

The average two-bedroom apartment in Denton now costs $1,154 per month. While that is more than the cost in previous years, it is still below the national average of $1,361 per month. However, the national average includes cities like New York and San Francisco, which are statistical outliers at over $4,000 and $3,400, respectively.

The national rent average saw a 2.8 percent increase over last year’s rates.

Rent Cafe used data from Yardi Matrix, a private company that collects a variety of commercial real estate data, to conduct its own analysis.

According to Rent Cafe, rental rates are rising the fastest in smaller cities, which is in line with findings from previous years. Demand is cited as the main reason for increasing rent rates.

An attendee observes a scroll from the UNT Libraries’ catalog: the Portal to Texas History. The Portal has reached its millionth item, and there was a celebratory event on Feb. 15. Paige Bruneman

UNT’s Portal to Texas History reaches 1 million item milestone

By Nicole Hooi-Rodriguez @N2_Hooi The Portal to Texas History, a university-maintained online database of Texas-related materials, reached 1 million items on Feb. 9. UNT Libraries celebrated the milestone Feb. 15 in Willis Library’s Special Collections unit.

The millionth item was the “De Cust Van Westindien Van La Desconoscida Tot C. Escondido,” a map that dates back to 1680.

“It’s about creating accessible information, to build unique opportunities for students at the university and to not assume the portal is only for history students,” said Mark Phillips, associate dean for Digital Libraries.

Since the Portal’s site launched in 2002, the UNT Libraries Special Collections department has been using it to catalog items related to Texas,

from historical information and research to sports and rare artifacts. More than half a million users visit the portal every month.

The Portal is free and accessible to anyone who wishes to use it.

UNT has collaborated with more than 375 partners to create a catalog that has 1,011,000 items at the time of time of the celebration. UNT Libraries created the Cathy Nelson Hartman Portal to Texas History Endowment in 2012. The endowment is used to provide funds in order to add content, develop research and add collections to the Portal.

“We want students to use the Portal and take advantage of the available rich resources and services,” said Daniel Alemneh, supervisor for the Digital Curation Unit.

English literature student Kendall Martin said it’s her job to upload each item upon request from the Digital

Attendees observe one of the artifacts from the UNT Libraries’ catalog: the Portal to Texas History. Paige Bruneman Libraries department and make sure that the items cataloged are easily searchable for anyone choosing to access anything through the Portal.

UNT Libraries partners with Reserving Texas History, which works on preserving pieces of history that are deteriorating due to age, to make the items digitally

available to the public through the Portal.

“Transparency is key,” Alemneh said. “Like how our guiding principles say, provide unified digital access to resources of value to the UNT community.

It’s important to provide more information that is print format, it’s about evolving as time goes on.”

Athletic fee increase passes student referendum ATHLETIC FEE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of issues that interest them,” Jones said.

“That way, when referendums such as this one are taken to the Board of Regents, it shows just how supportive the students are of university-wide increases and changes.”

The proposed increase will go to the Board of Regents this month, school officials said.

“I felt like we had a lot of positive conversations and a lot of positive dialogue with students, and the understanding and the education was good, but you’re asking students to increase the cost so you never know how that is going to turn out,” athletic director Wren Baker said. “I was certainly really pleased and also humbled that it passed. I think that says a lot of the work our coaches and student-athletes have done and how that’s resonating with our campus community.”

The approximately $3.5 million annual increase in the athletic department’s

budget will go toward general public relations, spirit, student organizations and the travel budget, according to the athletics website.

The referendum was postponed last semester after a student used SGA’s logo without authorization to pass out f lyers encouraging students to vote no, which gave the impression that SGA was endorsing that decision. It was put to a revote after a closed hearing on Jan. 16.

“You just feel a new energy, a new commitment and, honestly, a new responsibility,” Baker said. “When you know that the majority of students voted to increase their fees because they believe in what you’re doing, you carry a greater sense of responsibility to make sure you keep that momentum going. We’ll work tirelessly, as will our coaches and studentathletes, to deliver our students a return on that investment.”

Athletics Director Wren Baker speaks at a press conference at UNT on Monday, Aug. 1, 2016 at Apogee Stadium in Denton. Courtesy DRC

College students increase the demand for apartments, allowing higher rent rates Denton Housing Authority CEO Sherri McDaid has spent much of her career working on addressing the housing needs of low-income families in the city of Denton.

“This trend has been happening in Denton for quite a while,” McDaid said.

“The rents are high in Denton, but the demand is also very high, so that’s why they can kind of get away with those high rents.”

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average income of a student while in college is over $14,000, but that includes both full- and part-time students. Part-time students are likely to skew the data upward.

“Traditionally, [the average income of a college student] isn’t going to be very high, so I would think that $1,000 plus for a unit is going to be pretty high,” McDaid said.

Computer science junior Eric Fox said rising rent rates are not a good sign for the average college student because most have not begun earning 2.9 percent more money in the last year.

“Students are already having to work, sometimes more than one job, and college is already so expensive,” Fox said. “It definitely isn’t good. I honestly don’t know what all we’re paying more for, either. Services aren’t going to get better.”

Fox lives in a two-bedroom apartment at Oaks of Denton, where he and his roommate pay about $1,160 per month, almost on par with the new average.

Denton’s average rent is higher than San Antonio, Lubbock, Waco In Lubbock, home of Texas Tech University, the average two-bedroom apartment costs $897, well below Denton’s average and down 6.3 percent year-to-year.

In Waco, home of Baylor University, the average two-bedroom apartment costs $958, which is up .4 percent year-to-year.

San Antonio, home to universities and colleges such as the University of the Incarnate Word, St. Mary’s University and University of Texas-San Antonio, has an average cost of $980 for a 2-bedroom apartment. That is up two percent year-to-year.

In Austin, where the University of Texas is located, a two-bedroom apartment averages $1,299, a number that is up .9 percent year-to-year.

However, Austin is also the state capital and a much larger city than Denton, which may be part of the reason for higher prices.

In College Station, home of Texas A&M University, a two-bedroom apartment can be rented for an average of $1,205, which is down .9 percent year-to-year.

Renting an apartment is less costly than living on campus UNT on-campus housing costs more than the average Denton twobedroom apartment. According to the UNT Housing rates for 2018-2019, a standard double occupancy room at Bruce, Kerr, Crumley, Maple, Clark or McConnell will cost $5,830 per occupant for the nine-month school year.

That equals $647.78 per occupant per month or $1,295.56 combined.

Josh Gosdin, assistant director for housing services at UNT said Denton apartment rates are not a factor in setting university housing rates.

“Our housing rates for on-campus are figured out based on multi-year projections,” Gosdin said. “We started off this 2018-2019 year with a threeyear set, so it’s factored into what our freshmen enrollment projections are looking like going forward.”

Gosdin provided some reasons for the higher cost of on-campus living compared to the average two-bedroom apartment.

“In addition to paying for the space and the room, that cost includes utilities,” Gosdin said. “That cost includes laundry facilities, it includes cable and Wi-Fi...and it includes mail. And probably the biggest area of value that we see in the housing department is the on-campus living experience... living on campus and the convenience of that.”

The Quarter Apartments is located at the corner of Eagle Drive and Welch Street. Behind is 33° North Apartments on Eagle Drive. Jacob Ostermann

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ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Best Buddies program leads to Infinite Capabilites

By Rachel Linch @rachel_linch A movie plays loudly over the large room of Infinite Capabilities, a day center for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The 20 clients of the program sit around in plastic chairs with tennis balls covering the ends of the legs. Some speak loudly and freely, others are quiet as they look around.

Wearing high-waisted jeans and a Hawaiian shirt, 30-year-old Jacob Mills sweeps the floor repeatedly. 32-year-old Chris Sheffield, who likes to go by the name “Legacy,” makes jokes as he colors a picture of a koala bear. Jordyn Flores, the youngest of the group at 15 years old, smiles as she silently walks around the room.

It’s just a normal day for the clients of Infinite Capabilities.

“We have lessons in the morning, and we go on lots of outings to help them learn how to function in day-to-day life,” said Amberly McNabb, a 27-year-old day habilitation technician at Infinite Capabilities.

The day program started in October 2009 as a place for adults and teens with disabilities to come for communal and social interaction. The program serves more than 100 clients and is open to adults and teens of all ages. In fact, a typical room of clients has people ranging from 15 years old to 80 years old.

Infinite Capabilities also acts as the host site for Best Buddies of UNT, which is a chapter of Best Buddies International, an organization with the mission of creating one-on-one friendships between students on campus and adults with disabilities Denton.

“The founder and CEO of Best Buddies designed it so that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have someone to make them feel valued so that they don’t feel neglected,” said Susana Vitctor, 22-year-old president of Best Buddies at UNT. Victor decided to transition from Best Buddies’ old host site to Infinite Capabilities this semester. The host site is where members of Best Buddies go to hang out with their designated “buddies” who have intellectual disabilities.

“Our host sites were out in Lewisville and Flower Mound, but that’s really far,” Victor said. “We transitioned to Infinite Capabilities so that way [members] can have more of a bond, and it’s more easily accessible.”

Although the organization is in the beginning stages of its relationship with Infinite Capabilities, the presence of UNT

students has already made an impact on the lives of the clients.

“They came and made Valentine’s cards with us — they loved that,” McNabb said.

“It just brightens their day that people are taking time out of their lives for them specifically.”

Seeing past differences Not many people come to hang out with adults who have disabilities, so every intentional interaction they have with their friends from Best Buddies ais important to them.

The members of Best Buddies hope to create real friendships with the clients of Infinite Capabilities who make them feel accepted because they believe that’s how everyone deserves to be treated.

“They don’t get treated equally,” McNabb said. “I think it’s really important they have people who do treat them like they’re just another person.”

Taking a sip from her black water bottle, 38-year-old Amber Ethridge looks at her Bible-themed word search through the lenses of her purple glasses. She laughs as her Best Buddies friend, Ivalis Guajardo, 19, helps her search for the next set of letters focused on the Book of Deuteronomy.

“Whenever I see Amber, she always lights up, and she’s super excited to talk to anyone,” Guajardo said.

Spending time with Ethridge and the other clients of Infinite Capabilities is something Guajardo is passionate about.

For her, it’s not just charity work as she enjoys spending time with other people, like Amber, despite their differences.

“You should just want to be friends with somebody because you want to be friends with them,” Guajardo said. “I think it’s important that we remember these people are people, too, so hanging out with them doesn’t make you a better person.”

The buddy relationship between Guajardo and Ethridge is just one example of a genuine friendship between an adult with disabilities and member of Best Buddies.

“I just think everyone needs a friend, and I feel like it’s good for them to have that friend — that ‘best buddy,’” McNabb said. “Just because they don’t act the same way you act, doesn’t mean they don’t still have the same feelings you have.”

Friendship futures As Best Buddies’ relationship with Infinite Capabilities continues, they hope to pair more student members with buddies. The end-goal is to help create more friendships that look beyond disability and differences.

Ivalis Guajardo talks to Amber Ethridge at Infinite Capabilities in Denton. Guajardo is a recruitment officer and member at UNT Best Buddies. Omar Gonzalez “It’s one thing knowing the challenges people who are different have, but it’s another thing seeing past them,” Victor said. “It’s OK to see them as a person and not as someone who has a disability.”

For many of the Infinite Capabilities clients, coming to the day habilitation center is their favorite way to spend their day. At the day program, they are accepted and get to socialize comfortably, which isn’t always the case when they go somewhere else in public.

“I’ve personally seen with my clients that when you go out in public, people don’t look at you like you’re another normal person,” McNabb said. “I’m hoping that’s how Best Buddies will be with them — that they’re not just coming here to be with adults with disabilities, but to form actual relationships as friends.”

As the organization continues to aim to pair students with buddies, they also hope to have a positive impact on their clients’ lives and continue to achieve their mission of inclusion on and off campus.

“It’s really important we have a club like this because it isn’t natural yet,” Guajardo said. “When it stops having to become a club is when it will be fully successful,because you shouldn’t have to

Amberly Mcnabb, a day habilitation technician at Infinite Possiblities, helps Okey write his name. Okey is a client of Infinite Capabilities located in Denton. Omar Gonzalez have a club to hang out with people who have disabilities.”

Until naturally socializing with people like Amber and all of the other clients at Infinite Capabilities becomes normal, Best Buddies will continue to focus on genuine, intentional buddy relationships.

“This is beneficial for both parts in the aspect of you’re both gaining friends,” Guajardo said. “We want this to be a nonincentivized, intrinsically motivated thing because everybody wants a friend, and everybody deserves a friend.”

Young artist makes waves in North Texas ZARINA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Scrumpdiliumptious recognizes the importance of family as the Randloph’s recruit their little ones to help out around the establishment. Josh Jamison

Bringing Louisiana to Denton LOUISIANA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and started to make that dream into a reality after a professor commented on their business plan. “[Lanel] was taking a class for his master’s, and he put together this business plan for a project,” Rose said. “The professor commented on Lanel’s and said, ‘You should take this seriously,’ [which] gave us confirmation to do this.”

From there, the Randolph’s business started off in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A city known for its flavor, Scrumpdiliumptious had to up its game.

With connections in Baton Rouge, Lanel was able to get retail stores to carry Rose’s cakes, and within hours, the sweets would sell out.

“The owners would call us and say, ‘Send us some more cakes,’” Lanel said. ” [Rose] was pregnant at that time, but she kept hustling and making cakes, and I kept husting and got them into the stores.”

It was their passion combined with a clear demand for their cakes that led the Randolphs one step closer to the dream they always had.

“This made me believe she had something special — I told her years ago she would have her own restaurant.” Lanel said.

Nine years later and in a new town, Rose and Lanel officially opened Scrumpdiliumptious in Denton. Constructed from generations of family recipes, Rose decided to stay true to her roots while also branching out into other types

of food. From chicken to jambalaya and gumbo, the Randolph’s have kept the spirit of the family recipes intact.

Run solely on tasty food and customer service, the Randolphs’ aim to continue to bring people in by word-of-mouth.

“We intentionally put no sign outside the building except the banner right above the door because we want people to hear about Scrumpdiliumptious due to its food,” Lanel said.

Ever since its opening, the restaurant has created a tight-knit community that has been expanding, especially on Twitter where Denton students have been spreading the word.

“It is such a great place to eat at,” biology major Ashley Mghlanga said. “The food is good and so is the service. I definitely support this family business.”

And family business it is, as the Randolphs’ have used it to remind their children that through hard work and effort, anything is possible.

“We homeschool our children,” Rose said. “We teach them how to be leaders. It’s teaching them life skills – how to be good people in the world and how to provide.”

Juggling six kids and running a small business can be a recipe for chaos on its own, but the Randolphs are no strangers to hard work.

After all, it’s hard work built on a simple idea that got them here.

“It all started off as [just] an idea,” Rose said.

“She was 3 or 4 years old when I realized her talent,” Kay’s mother Milena Karatetyam said. “She spent lot of time drawing and had a reason for her shapes and colors. After she started, it was all about art.”

Since then, Kay has been experimenting with every possible medium from acrylics to charcoal.

While the influence of Dimov made her more disciplined as an artist, it also allowed her to discover exactly what channel of art she liked.

Preferring classical techniques, Kay has worked with Dimov to fine-tune her skill to this day and now teaches classes at Ermitage. “[Ermitage] is an old-school classical Russian academy — my teacher studied in Petersburg and is a very classical painter,” Kay said. “He’s like, ‘You wanna sculpt?

Okay let’s do it.’ I grew up with that opportunity and it has helped me break creative roadblocks.”

From expressive brushstrokes to more refined pencil work, Kay has tackled it all and yearns for the opportunity to grow. As an artist, it is not her goal to stop when she is the best, but rather keep chasing after her insatiable hunger for creativity.

Although Kay knew from a young age she wanted to pursue art, she had to face hurdles and discover the type of art she wanted to create.

“I went to UNT for a little while, but I realized I wanted to study more classical techniques, so I started to focus on my own creative path,” Kay said. “I didn’t enjoy the large classroom settings, [so I] went to my own private lessons.”

Her journey eventually landed her in Aubrey, Texas, where she settled in a creative dwelling encompassed by nature. Deep in the heart of the forest, Kay surrendered herself to the peace of nature for a year in which she painted and observed the surroundings: nothing yet

everything at the same time.

“I learned a lot about life,” Kay said. “If you want to learn about life, go watch a tree in every season. I would just sit there and watch a tree change.”

The air, the trees, the plants and the very ground she stood on all allowed her to breathe in the art that has been part of Earth even before the term “art” was even coined.

Now residing in Dallas, Kay keeps those memories alive by hanging a piece she did during her time of making art in nature, out in the woods.

The piece exhibits the beauty of a tree. The texture and gray-blue hues perfectly mold themselves, creating an almost picturesque dreamy quality to life.

“That’s the kind of stuff we miss,” Kay said. “We separate ourselves too much. I felt connected out there.

I explored a lot in Aubrey, and now I am taking that freedom and I’m cultivating it into a different body of work.”

Kay’s work, more defined now, has morphed into something new.

Currently working on an Edison light bulb piece that requires a more

structured and clean style than her previous pieces, Kay has seemingly bonded the two together.

And at 24 years old, Kay has had considerable success. From exhibiting art in shows at the age of 13 to commissioning pieces for others, Kay believes she owes her luck to how she was raised.

“I think it doesn’t matter who you are,” Kay said. “ If you want to make art, be humble, truly. I’ve been humbled by great teachers and great friends.”

Currently, Kay has a piece being showcased in Fort Worth at the First Come, First Serve exhibit and has a workshop planned at UNT in April, in which she will be teaching watercolor techniques.

“I’m very proud of her,” Karatetyam said. “It’s her hard work — she is constantly working on herself — trying to do different stuff.

Always searching for herself. I am a proud mama.”

Kay has established herself as an artist who aims to overcome every obstacle just to relish in her passion. No matter how hard it is, she continues work toward her shine, just like Andromeda does.

Zarina Kay is a local artist whose artistic inspiration comes from nature. Will Baldwin

SPORTS Page 5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Buckner is powerful two-way presence for Mitchell

By Asher Feltman @asherfeltman Initially, head coach Jalie Mitchell and her coaching staff were not quite sure what they would get from Micayla Buckner.

Buckner, a transfer from Collin College who began at Baylor University, showed up to North Texas with all of the potential of an elite post player, but it was a challenge for her to fit in early.

In the 2016-2017 season, her first for North Texas, she began as a starter but fell out of the rotation with issues of performance and conditioning. This season, there has been no such struggle as she is one of two players to start every game for Mitchell.

“I think [last season] put me through some adversity, and I’ve bounced back from it,” Buckner said. “Battling with my knees and stuff like that, the tendinitis has made me stronger. I’m in better shape now. I knew I wanted to become more of a team player and have more of an effect.”

An off-season of hard work has paid off with f lying Mean Green colors. She plays nearly 24 minutes and is averaging 7.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, shooting 50 percent and has blocked 29 shots this season. Though she does not shoot enough to qualify, 50 percent shooting would tie her for third-best in Conference USA. “This season has definitely been lightyears ahead of last for her, just from a consistency standpoint, being a presence in the paint and somebody other teams actually have to game plan for,” Mitchell said. “It started with her mindset and with her mentality. I think she’s always known what she’s capable of, but I don’t know that she necessarily believed in it as much at this level until she really just made a decision, made a choice to get after it.”

The 1.2 blocks per game place her sixth in the conference, proving a stabilizing force on both offense and defense. The North Texas game plan is beginning to revolve around her at both ends.

“I feel like when I’m low in the paint, it opens up the outside more,” Buckner said. “As long as I’m handling my business inside, the guards have more freedom to

Mean Green basketball players Micayla Buckner (34) and Trena Mims (24) Guard Texas A&M International in a game on Nov. 14. Madison Gore

Micayla Buckner Games played: 24 Points per game: 7.5 Field goal percent: 50 Rebounds per game: 5.6 Blocks per game: 1.2 do their thing.”

Associate head coach Bobby Brasel has been a driving force in the development of Buckner and identifies the end of last season as the turning point.

“I think it started last year in the conference tournament,” Brasel said.

“She really made a concentrated effort to increase her minutes and increase her contributions to the team and just became a little more invested. She had a great summer, and she’s done a great job. When she’s not in foul trouble, she’s as good a post as there is in the league.”

Though the 2017-2018 season has been a bit of a renaissance for the Garland native,

she’s had her difficulties staying on the floor for a reason outside of performance or conditioning.

She’s fouling too much.

In 24 games, she has committed 77 personal fouls, averaging 3.2 a game of the five limit. Not an outrageous number, but as her coach said, sometimes they add up at the worst possible times.

“She gets one, it seems like she tries to make up for it and ends up getting another,” Brasel said. “Sometimes it’s just her trying to make too big of a play [or] trying to do too much instead of staying disciplined and staying within the confines of the game plan. Some of it is just

North Texas junior post Micayla Buckner (34) shoots the ball against Texas-El Paso. Jake King/DRC hustle plays, but they’re not smart plays.

And sometimes fatigue can cause poor decisions on defense like a reach.”

Buckner works diligently with her coaches on various drills to combat her foul propensities, attempting to keep her on the court in pivotal stretches and not on the bench.

“Me being on the floor is very important,” Buckner said. “Coaches break down film for me, and we watch it together and look for things I can do to stay out of

foul trouble like being active on defense, moving my feet, keeping my hands out of the play and being straight up.”

At the end of the day, the team will need their talented, imposing post player on the floor to reach their potential. Whether it’s conditioning, foul trouble or anything else in the basketball dictionary, North Texas will need her and her coaches know it.

“Getting in shape and having the right mentality,” Mitchell said. “Those two things make us so much better as a team.”

UNT improves internship opportunities with Cowboys COWBOYS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 School of Journalism student has been confirmed as interning with the Cowboys as a result of the deal, according to Mayborn School of Journalism Dean Dorothy Bland.

The agreement was signed July 2016, and the university confirmed the deal Aug. 9, 2016. The contract explicitly states there will be four interns per contract year.

Both the parties agreed students will have the opportunity to intern within different departments of the organization, from broadcast to marketing to stadium operations. Although those were the designated focus areas, many students were not aware of the extent of the partnership outside of the promotions during the Cowboys games. Bland believes she has a solution to the problem.

“I think communication is key,” Bland said. “I think it’s important that students know about the opportunities for starters. Students should apply for the opportunities but also keep in mind just because someone applies doesn’t mean that he or she gets the assignment or job. It’s in our student’s best interest to continue to look for a multitude of opportunities.”

The Cowboys’ internship program is managed by the University Relations, Communications & Marketing department at UNT. Previously, students would receive a recommendation from a professor and go through a screening process, and then the URCM would reach out to the Cowboys. That process generally took a couple months before receiving confirmation.

On Jan. 24, The North Texas Daily reached out to University Relations and Planning Vice President Deborah Leliaert for an interview regarding the partnership. Two weeks later, she replied saying email is the most effective way to communicate with her. Leliaert was very instrumental in the relationship with the Cowboys and the development of the contract along with Smatresk.

On Wednesday, Leliaert replied on behalf of the URCM with answers to questions asked via email.

“Four students will experience internships with the Cowboys annually, in keeping with our partnership agreement,” Leliaert said. “The Cowboys organization doesn’t track, by university, the number of interns it employs at any given time. However, I believe it’s fair to say that more than the required number of UNT interns are participating annually.

Currently, three UNT students are participating in internships with the Cowboys, and the organization is accepting applications for more interns.”

The university has spent $1.5 million through the first two years of the agreement, and Smatresk has spoken numerous times about how students would reap the benefits of this partnership.

Considering the deal was signed back in 2016, it took the university nearly two years to post an opportunity for students to apply.

Nearly 18 months after signing this deal, the university has still not released the names of those students who interned with the Cowboys.

“It was a bit of a challenge initially as the two organizations sought to balance the football season, when the Cowboys most need interns, and our academic semesters,” Leliaert said. “Also, UNT initially sought to obtain the best intern candidates by working through academic deans.

We now have better alignment by semester and are making the internship opportunities more widely available and increasing the candidate pool by posting available positions on the UNT Career Center’s website, Eagle Careers.”

By Jan. 24, no internships were posted on the UNT’s Handshake page in connection to the Cowboys’ contract agreement. Seven days later, positions were added to the website. Finally, students were offered an opportunity to take advantage of the multi-million

dollar contract.

The agreement provides promotional opportunities for UNT on the Cowboys radio network, television broadcasts and at football games. UNT is also featured on the Cowboys’ website, where the university are guaranteed to receive over 2 million impressions per year.

While the UNT brand is becoming more associated with the Cowboys, alumnus Alex Lilly looks back at his experience with the Cowboys as pure joy, despite not knowing how long he would be with them.

“I got different information regarding this internship,” Lilly said. “I was told it would last a year but apparently it was only supposed to last six months, yet I’m here one year later. It’s [been] extremely rewarding, I’ve followed the Cowboys my whole life, so that fact that I can come up here, and I’m paid to do it, is awesome.”

Professor John Nauright was excited about the possibility of the partnership. As a huge proponent of student involvement and maximizing university-based connections, he believes in the future. North Texas should look at ways to highlight the specific programs at the university through the Cowboys’ partnership.

“I think we did the right thing in the beginning to say UNT and the Cowboys are connected,” Nauright said. “Now if we can take that into the specific areas that we are directly tied into, it would help grow those programs. They have so many associated businesses that our students might connect more widely through their array of businesses.”

Time will tell if the partnership can be labeled as a success. In the meantime, UNT has recently announced future plans for academic learning, mentorship and internships in conjunction with the Cowboys partnership. “[UNT] has gone from being the state teacher college to the state university to the University of North Texas with a global outlook,” Nauright said. “Go big or go home — that’s what we are going for.”

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OPINION Page 6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

The Snapchat update: everyone’s freaking out

By Kenya Menjivar @kenya_menjivar When someone asks about social media, Snapchat is always one of the first mentioned.

The app allows users to share selfgenerated content, such as photos, video and even text-based images, among their circle of friends and followers. The app also allows users to hide personal content from certain friends and followers.

With Snapchat, not only are you able to enjoy the exciting events happening in your friend’s lives, but some could say

you are living through their “snaps.”

As a society, we don’t like change, and the Snapchat update is something we did not want. But it was oh-so-kindly given to us.

In the newest Snapchat update, the app released a new format, no longer two different pages, including direct chats and stories, both placed on the same page.

To navigate, you click on a user’s name and then their information — not their story. You have to click the little circle by their name in order to actually watch their story.

Snapchat claims this update was to increase user ability and make the app easier to navigate all together.

Unpopular opinion: I also think this update is quick and efficient.

Instead of having to scroll to find a story, it’s conveniently located on the same page.

Many Snapchat users disagree, seeing as we’ve easily gotten accustomed to seeing change as bad. Users took to Twitter, claiming the update was harder

to use than before.

There have even been tweets comparing the update to the time U2’s album was automatically downloaded on every iTunes account. There are conspiracies theories surrounding what else Snapchat will bring users.

Some conspirators assumed Snapchat was going to get rid of streaks on Feb. 20,

or that they would reverse the update.

However, that’s all talk and not news.

It’s already been emphasized how sad it is that millennials and Generation Z are “addicted” to their phones. Now you have people worrying about how the app impacts their personal usage.

We want things to cater to our needs.

Every time Apple has a new update for

the iPhone, you hear about it.

The fact that we make it a necessity to share the way we feel about such minor things shows our strong connection to apps and social media. We shouldn’t allow such insignificant things to affect us. Instead, we should focus on things that actually matter.

We should care to be informed. Many times we become consumed by the life on the internet. We hide behind our screen.

Snapchat will still be Snapchat, regardless of the updated format. Its purpose will remain the same.

We feel comfortable through social media. Anything that affects us automatically affects our real life.

Instead of living virtually, we should live in the moment. It’s easy to get lost on the internet and the different personalities we don when we log on there. Focus on the things that surround you.

So for now, let’s just accept the update and understand its attempt to meet our needs.

Illustration by Austin Banzon

Does reading really influence the changing of one’s empathy?

By Sean Rainey @HeldBubble What if reading a work of fiction could help you empathize with others?

Empathy is the ability to put oneself in the shoes of another.

Empathy allows you to understand someone’s burdens and how their

situation makes them feel.

A recent study shows an association of those who read fiction and their ability to discern the emotions of others. It was noted that increased empathy was not experienced by subjects who read nonfiction or pop fiction.

When we read a well-written work of fiction, we can sometimes relate to one or several characters within the story. We follow the heroine as she climbs mountains and battle dragons. We watch her rise to face her challenge, and we watch her fall.

Characters within stories who come from humble backgrounds also have an unique impact on readers.

An individual who has been

fortunate enough to have many of his needs provided for him may not be able to understand the struggles of someone the same age who works late hours to put herself through school and pay her rent on time.

However, when reading about a humble character and all of her hard work, the reader is granted a window into her life where he or she can experience and feel what the character experiences and feels.

During the experience of your favorite character’s successes, failures and plights, you are actually practicing empathy.

Being able to feel the pain and anguish of someone who doesn’t exist is excellent practice.

Some types of literary works and writing styles evoke a plethora of emotions while others may not bring much to the table at all.

For example, a sci-fi novel about aliens attacking planet earth and the human resistance is likely to stir emotions of anxiety and hope that the humans are successful in their endeavors.

On the contrary, a nonfiction work about soil composition and how it affects plant growth may not be that powerful page-turner which you can relate to on an intimate level.

It is important to note fiction is not inherently better than any other genre. Each genre, after all, brings something unique to the table. Nearly every book holds

some insight or perspective that a reader may not have encountered.

Empathy is such an important tool in today’s world. A common reoccurring issue in many parts of our society is a lack of empathy for our fellow human beings. We lack an inherent understanding of those around us, which only instigates apprehension and hinders progress toward equality.

I would argue with this in mind, we should all take a break from our fast-paced lives, our computers and

televisions. Instead, pick up a book and go on a journey with a hero and a villain.

Illustration by Gabby Evans

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