North Texas Daily - 09/08/2016

Celebrating 100 Years of Journalism Excellence VOL. 108 No. 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Confederate on campus A ‘Neo-Confederate’ protester on campus riles up passing students

Hallie Barnard hugs her dog Linus outside of her home in Denton. Hallie has a disease called Diamond-Blackfan anemia, which is a disorder of the bone marrow. Hannah Brelund

By Cierra Edmonson and Kyle Martin A man started a verbal dispute with students Tuesday afternoon outside the Business Leadership Building when he brought a Confederate flag to speak about his personal beliefs.

Hank Yoo, 23, is not a UNT student and UNT police said he didn’t do anything wrong despite flaring the tempers of students who stopped by to debate with him.

Yoo told students his intention was to rile up “as many liberals as possible.”

“He’s just exercising his First Amendment rights, that’s pretty much it,” police detective Shawn Keohen said. “And so is everybody else.”

The officer said Yoo was using his freedom of speech to speak as he wanted. The officer said that nothing violent happened during the time of protest.

“I’m proud to be prejudiced. I was made in America,” Yoo said, standing on a stone bench, addressing onlookers.

Yoo appears to have a YouTube channel, “Lone Star To Arms.” In one video, Yoo delivers a rant about Black Lives Matter, an activist group which calls for justice and freedom for black people.

Yoo, who was reluctant to give his full name for personal protection reasons, said he was on campus Tuesday as a First Amendment activist, not as a Confederate rights activist.

“They’re trying to ban freedom of speech, everywhere. UNT is the college I’m not banned from, actually,” Yoo said. “I’m all for drugs, guns, gay marriage--everything. As long as you’re not physically hurting someone

Hallie’s Heroes still swabbing, still waiting

T

he story of eight-year-old Hallie Barnard and Hallie’s Heroes continues. Now, at 8 years old, “Hallie Bea” will be making more speeches and attending more “swab drives” all while making her way through the third-grade at W.S. Ryan Elementary.

Life doesn’t slow down for Hallie Bea or her Heroes, and so they swab.

Hallie has a rare blood disorder called Diamond-Blackfan anemia, which means her body produces less red blood cells than a typical 8-year-old’s. Because of this, Hallie is more prone to illnesses and

By Kyle Martin cancer.

After being diagnosed with DBA, Hallie made it her goal to help others, like herself, push through. Even after seven years of blood transfusions, medications and steroids, Hallie has made steps that have surpassed many elementary school children’s ambitions at such a young age.

“I go out and do speeches--nice speeches,” Hallie said. “ Speeches that make you want to go out and swab.”

Hallie loves talking to people so much that she created Hallie’s Heroes, an organization that looks to find bone

marrow or stem cell matches for the more than 14,000 patients diagnosed with DBA. Since Hallie’s Heroes conception as a nonprofit in July 2015, they have conducted 80 swab drives, and registered over 2,200 possible matches to the international database for bone marrow and stem cell donors.

Working in tandem with the nonprofit organization DKMS, which looks to find matches for patients with DMA, Hallie’s Heroes works day and night to register and swab as many people into the database as possible. So far, Hallie’s

Heroes’ efforts have led to eight matches in the span of one year.

Hallie, who has a passion for public speaking, gives speeches to college campuses, in coffee shops and in front of community members, all the while representing Hallie’s Heroes and DKMS. After being diagnosed with DBA when she was just an infant, she has become an unofficial kid-spokesperson for her cause, spreading her story as far as she can. She has spoken to audiences as vast as 5,000

SEE NONPROFIT ON PAGE 4

By Clay Massey

Terian Goree, Mean Green sophomore wide receiver (3), leads the team into battle against the Southern Methodist Mustangs. Katie Jenkins

Last season in a game against Western Kentucky University, North Texas quarterback DaMarcus Smith heaved a prayer to the end zone. Upon first glance, it looked as though it would fall incomplete.

Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, wide receiver Tee Goree took flight over a Hilltopper defender, and hauled in the pass for the score. It was the first touchdown catch of his career.

Now a sophomore, Goree is the team’s No. 1 receiver. He caught a career-high eight passes for 64 yards in the season opener against Southern Methodist University, and quickly

Denton to address predatory housing concerns

By Adalberto Toledo

Receiver talks name change, football New name, new role: the receiver formerly known as Tee

SEE PROTEST ON PAGE 2

became a go-to target.

Indeed, a lot has changed for Goree since that night in October almost one year ago, including his name. He now goes by his birth name, Terian, instead of his nickname, Tee. But he doesn’t care what you call him “I was just playing really,” Goree said of his name change. “[The sports information director] came in and said, ‘hey Tee.’ I said, ‘nah that ain’t my name,’ and he just changed it.

It doesn’t matter. I’ve been Tee my whole life, I ain’t tripping. It doesn’t matter. It’s one of the two.”

The change in name is fitting for Goree, who has had to step into a leadership role. For the first game of the season against SMU, the Mean Green’s leading receiver from 2015, junior Turner Smiley, was suspended.

But Goree was not worried about having his number called.

Following the outcry against Scott Brown Properties, the Denton City Council is taking steps toward addressing regulation of the Denton housing market, city council member Kevin Roden said.

Roden is looking into how Denton can be modeled after other cities in North Texas that have ordinances and regulations to prevent predatory housing. Though no formal meeting has been set to discuss the issues tenants have had with their properties, Roden hopes to have a conversation that’s fair to all parties.

“To me this is just another example of our lack of [regulation],” Roden said.

“What I asked for, specifically asked for, is to identify what tools Denton does have and what we don’t have in order to be able to address these kinds of problems when they come up.”

Roden does, however, expect pushback from Denton property owners.

Previous discussions on regulating property owners have fallen on deaf ears, or just outright stopped by the property owners themselves. The debate is ultimately between more or less regulation; more or less government.

SEE TEE GOREE ON PAGE 6

SEE HOUSING ON PAGE 2

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS

Texas Attorney General Dines With Local Family pg 2

Amber and Adam Briggle invited Ken Paxton to eat dinner with their

transgender son. And he agreed.

ARTS & LIFE

Missing Movies pg 4 For The Dose, Preston Mitchell writes about the movies in 2016 that you might have missed. This year may be bad, but it’s never too late for a movie.

SPORTS

TWU Volleyball Health Scandal pg 6 UNT researchers discuss how Texas Woman’s University’s head volleyball coach stepped down after eight student athletes were diagnosed with a muscular-breakdown condition.

OPINION

Access Codes Are A Ripoff pg 9

Columnist Morgan Sullivan breaks down why those online homework access codes nickel and dime

students for no logical reason.

NEWS Page 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

‘Neo-Confederate’ campus protester riles up passing students PROTEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, top left, and his wife Angela, bottom right, join the Briggle family for dinner. Adam, Amber and their children Lulu, next to Paxton, and MG for dinner Thursday night in Denton. Sept. 1. Courtesy photo

How two Denton parents got Ken Paxton to meet their transgender son

By Bina Perino Two local parents wanted to put a face to the issues transgender people encounter, so they invited Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to join them for dinner in their Denton home.

And he accepted.

Amber and her husband, Adam Briggle, hosted Paxton on Sept. 1 after many efforts to reach out to him over the past few months. The Briggles have a transgender son and worry about legislature in place that affects the transgender community. The community needs resources and protection that the Briggle family said they feel is missing in the state of Texas, so they decided to reach out to the office of the Attorney General of Texas about their concerns.

“We specifically asked [Paxton] to not forget the trans-community,” Adam said in regards to the dinner with Paxton. “We’re real people who are affected by his position and legislation.”

Their goal for the evening was not to debate legislature or ideologies, but rather to show him a real American family he can connect with. Adam felt that prejudice is rooted in misunderstanding, and that the best way to understand is to make a personal connection.

“We didn’t want it to be a PR thing,” Amber said.

Public impressions were made, however, and some reduced the evening to being a PR stunt for Paxton. But the dinner had more to do with humanity than politics; Paxton doing magic tricks with the children and his wife, Angela,

telling them jokes, Amber said. She felt positive about the experience and seeing people with different ideologies from different backgrounds laughing and talking in the same room.

Amber noticed a rainbow in the sky that day, taking it as a good omen for the evening.

She took the opportunity to meet with Paxton as a way to inspire other people in the LGBTQ community to reach out to their local representatives.

If representatives are supposed to be a voice for the wellbeing of of their citizens, then the citizens should have their voices be heard.

“We want other families to do this,” Amber said.

It was an opportunity to talk about family, get to know each other on an intimate level and

make an impression, she said.

It was a chance for them to voice their concerns, whether they are heeded or not. The purpose was to be remembered and to inspire others to do the same.

The Briggle family wanted to add something human to an issue that is deeply political and controversial. Although they made no requests to withdraw or change any current legislation that does not fulfill the protection and resources for the transcommunity, they did request that they not be forgotten.

In regards to his moments with Paxton, Adam said, “Now you have to think about us.”

else, you have a right to do whatever you want.”

Ethan Bissort, a kinesiology senior, said he had been on the scene for almost two hours arguing back and forth with Yoo. “I want to be sure that nobody here is even remotely close to being persuaded by what he has to say,” Bissort said. “The things that he has to say are so extreme and so anachronistic and they don’t belong in today’s society.”

Yoo admitted to being banned from four universities for his beliefs and for “disagreeing and calling a feminist professor a “fat fuck,” he said.

Yoo also claims to be a Trump supporter, stating that, “Trump is a nationalist and will work for our American interests, above everyone else’s.”

Students were live tweeting the encounter with the hashtag, #RacistAsian, posting pictures and live videos during the confrontation.

Yoo said he was carrying a concealed weapon on campus.

In August, it became legal for licensed citizens to carry their weapons on public university campuses. He did not display his weapon. An officer at the

scene scanned his I.D. and confirmed he was a licensed gun owner.

Chloe Rogger, an applied behavioral science freshman, was counter-protesting Yoo and his message. She said she was there debating Yoo for longer than an hour and was apprehensive of his firearm that he was carrying with him.

“He told us that he had a gun, but didn’t tell us that he had a license to carry the gun, so we had to get the cops,” Rogger said. “I feel threatened, and I shouldn’t.”

Yoo’s outburst led several other groups of students to share their opinions and beliefs together, and had many in attendance engaging in conversation about what was happening around them.

“We have to take our country back,” Yoo, a self-proclaimed ‘Neo-Confederate’ said. “The only rule of government is to keep people from killing each other and securing our borders and invading other countries.”

@Kyle_Martin35 @Edmondson_C2017

@binaperino

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police reported with a crime alert.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, was walking near the University Union about 8:50 p.m., when two suspects entered the victim’s car, and pulled out a handgun, according to the university crime alert.

“They forced the victim to drive a short distance to UNT Lot 50 [300 S. Welch St.], where they demanded and took the victim’s cell phones (sic), wallet and car keys,” the crime alert reads.

A third suspect then drove to the victim’s car and scooped

up the other two suspects, then fleeing, the police say.

The suspects are described as 18-22 years old. One of the first two suspects, the police say, was “tall, muscular and wearing a black tank top and shorts. He had black, ‘box’ cut hair and was shaven. The other suspect was skinny with a plain white T-shirt, and was clean shaven.”

The getaway car is described in the crime alert as an “older, late 90s model Toyota Camry that was dark gray in color, with several dents.”

UNT spokeswoman Margarita Venegas told the Daily there were no updates as of 9 a.m. Wednesday.

“That’s as much as we know since it happened last night,” Venegas said. “I guess the only thing we would like to emphasize is that if anybody knows who did it to please contact UNTPD.” This story will be updated as the story develops.

@ntdaily

“Neo-Confederate” Hank Yoo, 23, protests his ideals Tuesday in front of the Business Leadership Building. Tomas Gonzalez

Denton to address predatory housing concerns HOUSING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “I will say that the folks in town who own significant amount of rental properties, over the years have become pretty organized against such rules,” Roden said. “[They feel] that it would get too expensive, or that the government would have more oversight and what not. I would imagine that a lot of the people that manage property do a good job of it and there’s probably a way to create an ordinance that doesn’t penalize them but gives us the tools to deal with and step in when there are problems.”

Roden identified one tool that would be beneficial for tenants: registration. He said he would like all businesses that manage rental properties to register and give the city of Denton a gauge on where each rent property is. He added registration would make it easier for city inspectors to do

their jobs.

“Anytime a tenant or an owner invites someone from code enforcement into their property they can come in,” Roden said. “But it really sets up a strange dynamic between the tenant and the landlord.

The system in place right now is that if we get a complaint and we get permission from the tenant we can conduct an inspection. That’s not good enough.”

Roden said the way a rental property should be treated is like a commercial building in a neighborhood, because it is a commercial operation. The current regulations in place for commercial properties are more comprehensive than residential properties.

Denton’s code says that if an office is being set up, it must go through steps like inspections and a submission of certificates of occupancy to allow work to take place in that office. The code for residential properties

is not as strict. Roden noticed this discrepancy between office buildings and residential properties. Currently, the city doesn’t have to know where rental properties are, or have to inspect them.

“If we’re interested so much in the health and safety of people in business locations and we have all these rules and regulations, yet I can move a family with little kids into a house and the city’s got no interest in inspecting that property?” Roden said. “That seems a little odd to me. I would think we would probably have more of an interest in the safety of a family than we would in the safety of someone who works at an office.”

@aldot29

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 3

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD Fox News Settles With Gretchen Carlson For $20 Million

SLEEPING SOUND

Art education freshman, Mia Elizondo, falls asleep while watching movies on her laptop Sept. 2 on the fourth floor of the Union. Antonio Soresh

Study suggests more sleep can improve your physical, mental and emotional health

By Jonathan Lichtenwalter Many students equate college life with sleepless life. One attitude is that only grandpas go to bed early, while others think that staying up late makes you more creative or interesting.

Getting a good night’s sleep often comes last on the to-do list, so two UNT students are studying how skipping on sleep could have long-term negative effects on our health. Their study shows maybe grandpa knew what he was talking about.

UNT’s Insomnia Research laboratory conducted a sleep study that showed students who lack sleep have increased glucose levels, which can lead to health problems.

Brett Messman and Bella Scott, two undergraduate psychology students, evaluated glucose levels

of 146 UNT students who kept sleep logs. The results showed students who slept fewer hours “had higher serum glucose levels than other college students, putting them at risk for possible medical problems.” Messman said that over time, high glucose levels can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other health complications.

Scott said students with insomnia may spend their nights trying to fall asleep, while students without insomnia usually stay awake by choice.

Students who stayed up late by choice had high levels of glucose, while the students with insomnia did not.

This was because insomniac’s bodies were adjusted to a lack of sleep and no longer produced higher levels of glucose when waking up as a stress response.

The person who lacks sleep by choice has a larger stress response when they wake up, creating higher glucose levels. Additionally, high glucose levels are connected with late-night munchies that go handin-hand with sleeping in.

Lack of sleep can give you physical problems, but it can also be harmful to one’s emotional or mental state.

“Many people who have depression or other emotional disorders have also reported having problems with their sleep,” Scott said. “Sleep dives into almost everything in your health.”

Getting the right amount of sleep can not only lower glucose levels, but will increase cognitive function, consolidation of memory, motor skills, eating habits and help with mood.

Messman says the next time students want to cram for that test,

they would be better off getting much needed sleep. Without sleep, he says, it’s hard to retain what was learned, and the stress response of waking up makes it harder to focus.

The key is not to just sleep a long time but to get the right amount of sleep.

Scott said the right amount of sleep is around 8.4 hours, but it can vary from person to person. At younger ages, before being a fullgrown adult, the need for more sleep is actually higher.

“Sleeping a long time, like nine to ten hours or more, is just as bad as sleeping too little, and is a condition called hypersomnia,” Scott said. “That’s just as bad for you as insomnia.”

@jlicballin23

New Report: 2 cases of West Nile and 1 case of Zika in Denton County

By Sadia Saeed

Dallas Police Chief David Brown speaks at a vigil held for the five dead and 11 injured police office who were ambushed on Thursday evening. He spoke words each officer and gave memories of each. Hundreds of citizens were in attendance for the event. Tomas Gonzalez

Dallas Police Chief Resigns from force

By Tiffany Ditto Dallas Police Chief David Brown will retire from the department next month, just three months after the Dallas shootings. Brown announced his decision to retire on Sept. 1, saying that the last day of his 33-year career at the Dallas Police Department will be Oct. 22.

“Serving the citizens of Dallas in this noble profession has been both a true honor and a humbling experience,” Brown said in a statement.

Brown gained national attention when 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson shot and killed five Dallas officers, and wounded nine others at the end of what was a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest. The downtown protest against police brutality was responding to the killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, which both occurred just days before.

Officers trapped Johnson inside of El Centro College where he falsely claimed he had planted bombs all over the city, and told police that he was reacting to the recent string of police brutality cases.

After a two-hour standoff, police halted negotiations and deployed a robot carrying a bomb into the garage, which killed Johnson upon detonation.

Brown would later go on to say

that the department’s decision to use the robot shouldn’t be criticized, because citizens should trust those whose lives are in danger.

“We saw no other option than to use our bomb robot,” Brown said at a press conference the morning of July 8. “Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger.”

Denton Police Officer Ryan Grelle said that the Denton police assisted Dallas after the July 7 shootings. He added that losing a chief is an emotional time for any department.

“For the chief it’s good because they’re moving on, but it’s sad because your leadership is leaving,” Grelle said.

Brown said he became a Dallas police officer in 1983 because of the crack cocaine epidemic’s impact in his Oak Cliff neighborhood. He said he wanted to be part of the efforts to fix the growing drug problem.

Brown’s replacement has not yet been announced, but his time with the Dallas Police Department is not something he will forget.

“Officers, your extraordinary service will forever be etched in my heart and will serve as a guidepost for me in the next phase of my life,” he said. “You will always be in my prayers.”

@tiffanyditto

Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer, but does not rule out the end of concern for the mosquitoborne viruses of West Nile and Zika.

Last week, three more cases of these illnesses were reported in Denton County.

A Denton resident tested positive for Zika and the patient contracted the virus while traveling to Puerto Rico, according to the Denton County Health Department.

Two human cases of the West Nile Virus were reported in Denton County last week. This marks the eighth and ninth cases in Denton and leads to further provisions to ensure the safety of citizens. The city has continued to spray areas where officials have found West Nile positive mosquitoes.

Denton has been placed on Risk Level 4 for West Nile since this summer and will remain there for the time being.

Though both viruses are transmitted through mosquito bites, the mosquitoes that carry each virus behave differently.

Mosquitoes carrying Zika stay close to the area where it was brought back, whereas the mosquitoes that carry West Nile are most common to North Texas.

“Briefly, we moved into Risk Level 4 based on the trigger of multiple mosquito traps separated in space and time testing positive for West Nile virus,” said Kenneth Banks, director of environmental services for the City of Denton. “We will remain at Risk Level 4 until the trigger condition of human cases occurs.”

Issued as a public health emergency, Risk Level 4 includes extensive epidemiological investigations, led by Juan Rodriguez, the chief epidemiologist at the Denton County Public Health Department.

“Individuals can help prevent mosquito bites by draining standing water around their homes [and] dressing appropriately,” said Rodriguez.

Not much information can be

released regarding the two patients with West Nile, but one resident lives near Ponder, while the other is from Highland Village, according to the Denton County Public Health press release.

There has been no spread of the virus by mosquitoes and city officials will be taking extra precautions, which will aide to lessen the effect of Zika. Firefighters have been placing flyers on neighborhood doorsteps about the spraying procedure and its benefits.

At the moment there is no reason for students to be concerned, but they should lessen the time they spend outside and cover up to minimize the possible contact with potential virus carrying mosquitoes, said Kerry Stanhope, assistant director of outreach at the University of North Texas Student Health and Wellness Center Signs of Zika and West Nile vary from mild to severe symptoms with almost little to no indication of Zika affects. West Nile has stronger symptoms from swollen throats to paralysis.

“If a student experiences any symptoms of either [West Nile or Zika], we strongly encourage them to seek treatment at the Student Health and Wellness Center or their own physician,” Stanhope said.

Pregnant women, as those who have recently traveled or plan to travel across country, should take particular care to follow the precautions for preventing mosquito bites.

City officials have outlined detailed information for residents on the best way to deal with such viruses and also has combined all their resources to ensure communication is clear.

The city of Denton, the Student Health and Wellness Center and Denton County’s website lists precautionary measure to be taken for the safety of all residents. This includes in-depth information about West Nile and Zika, the best way to avoid getting the virus and symptoms associated.

Virtually every media outlet reported this week Fox News’ settlement with former anchor Gretchen Carlson for $20 million.

Carlson alleged sexual harassment against Roger Ailes, the network’s chairman.

To make matters worse for Fox News’ public relations crisis, Greta Van Susteren, a long-time host, quit the network.

The New York Times reported the moves “underscored the continuing tumult inside Fox News, whose newsroom, once proudly defiant, has been besieged this summer by allegations of harassment and persistent rumors about turn-over in the on-air and executive ranks.”

Man Who Helped Lead Protests In Ferguson Found Dead Police in St. Louis say Daren Seals, 29, was shot and found in a burned car early Tuesday morning.

Following the death of Michael Brown in 2014, activists in Ferguson, Missouri, protested in what became a national display of black rights and calls for justice. Seals, according to reports, was a prominent leader of that movement.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote Seals “was in Ferguson with Lezley McSpadden, Brown’s mother, on the night the prosecutors announced a grand jury had declined to indict Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot brown.”

The police are investigating Seals’ death as a homicide.

The Dallas Morning News Endorses Hillary Clinton For President As the 2016 presidential race enters its final stage, The Dallas Morning News this week published its endorsement of Democrat Hillary Clinton and denounced Donald Trump, the Republican candidate.

That is a big deal, because The News has not endorsed a Democrat since before World War II. The move by the Texas newspaper, its editorial board argues, highlights just how different Trump’s brand of conservatism is from the mainstream.

In an interview with NBC5, Kevin Ann Willey, the paper’s editorial page editor, said, “This particular candidate, who calls himself a conservative, just didn’t measure up... When you look at policy, he’s neither consistent nor conservative; when you look at temperament, he’s not presidential.”

New iPhone Unveiled; Preorders To Start Friday, In Stores Next Week Apple Inc. announced its latest iPhone Wednesday. It will be called the iPhone 7, with a bigger version, the iPhone 7 Plus, to accompany it.

Consumers can preorder the new phone beginning Friday, and the phone will hit stores next week. The price for the iPhone 7 starts at $649, while the iPhone 7 Plus starts at $769 and offers a larger screen.

As people had speculated, the headphone jack is no longer a thing, as Apple elected to remove it from its phones moving forward. The Wall Street Journal reports the phone, “includes a forcesensitive “home” button, a new two-camera system and a sharper screen, among other different features.”

Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk Resigns Tuesday Susan Hawk, the Dallas County district attorney who battled mental illness throughout her time as the county’s top legal official, said this week that she would resign. She began as district attorney in January 2015.

Hawk’s time as district attorney was marred by two lengthy leaves of absence, which, she and her staff said, were to focus on her health. She was put in the hospital twice for depression, according to NBC 5.

Her decision to leave was to devote her time to fixing her health, she said. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will appoint a replacement, Dallas news organizations reported.

Mexican Finance Minister Quits After Donald Trump Visit Last Week Luis Videgaray, Mexico’s finance minister, resigned Wednesday after facing criticism on social media and the Mexican news media, according to the BBC. The finance minister organized the meeting between Trump and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto. The BBC reported Vedegaray will be replaced by Minister of Social Development Jose Antonio.

Russian Fighter Jet Rattles U.S. Plane ABC News reported late Wednesday that a Russian fighter jet came “within 10 feet” of a Navy reconnaissance plane in the Black Sea, “the latest encounter between the two militaries that American officials have labeled ‘unsafe and unprofessional.’”

TRENDING @ntdaily @thedose_ntdaily @ntd_sports

#2016Paralympics

The 2016 Paralympics kicked off this week in Rio. Athletes from around the world will compete.

#PlayStation

New changes are coming to the Play Station, Andrew House, Sony’s president said Wednesday in New York.

#CaliforniaStateUniv

The university introduced housing this week that some argue could lead to segregation.

#PumpkinSpice

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is out and ready for autumn. The fall drink is a popular culture star.

ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

The Dose: Movies you might have missed Behind big blockbuster releases are indie movies that have faded behind the scenes.

By Preston Mitchell When people say that “2016 sucks,” they’re mostly referring to our political climate and the inexplicable number of icons that passed away. Now when I say “2016 sucks,” I’m talking about the mediocre/bad blockbusters that should’ve been good, but weren’t. You know. Movies like “Sausage Party,” “Suicide Squad” and “Batman v. Superman.”

Even “Finding Dory” paled in comparison to “Nemo.”

That said, 2016 has been a stellar year for indies and movies that no one saw coming. Pretty much everything James Wan (“Conjuring 2”) touched was a summer hit; while “10 Cloverfield Lane” took the concept of a found footage classic, applied it to a microcosmic scenario and created a spectacular sequel that improved on its predecessor. The following movies are other hidden gems you may have missed: “Hell or High Water” Imagine the Al Pacino/ Robert De Niro classic “Heat,” but with cowboys. Penned by Taylor Sheridan — the writer of the Oscar-nominated “Sicario” — this fantastic heist drama pits Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) and Ben Foster (“Lone Survivor”) against Jeff Bridges (“True Grit”), who portrays a Texas Ranger hunting down two bank-robbing brothers.

A must-see for any lover of

crime films or westerns, this is a slow burn character study that beautifully examines the cowboy ways of living for a modern day context.

This is, without a doubt, the best film I’ve seen all year. It perfectly embodies western archetypes, without actually being a western, and Sheridan’s script nails what it’s like to grow up in a small Texas town. Packed with great cinematography, snappy dialogue and career-making turns from all three leads, this movie is currently playing in Denton and deserves to be seen immediately.

“Green Room” Brought to us by the same studio behind “Ex Machina,” this dark horror film focuses on a punk band that’s trapped by neo-Nazis after they witness a nightclub murder. Starring the late Anton Yelchin, one of the finest actors of his age group, this is an enthralling backwoods thriller with some creative kills.

Not to mention the villain is Professor Xavier himself, Patrick Stewart, who’s more frightening here than he’s ever been.

“Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” If you were disappointed in “Sausage Party,” check out this funnier romp that many people missed during its theatrical run.

Written, directed and starring the Lonely Island troupe, this was a

solid piece of satire that took shots at Macklemore, Justin Bieber and the prevalent pomposity of today’s music world. Filled to the brim with cameos from DJ Khaled, A$AP Rocky and Usher, this is destined to find a cult following that will watch the Blu-Ray backto-back with “Hot Rod.” Except it’s better than “Hot Rod.” “Everybody Wants Some!!”

After garnering Oscar nods and critical acclaim with “Boyhood” and “Before Midnight,” Richard Linklater went back to his “Dazed and Confused” well in a wonderful way. We reviewed this movie months ago and it still holds up as a great companion piece to Linklater’s immortal classic.

Whereas “Dazed” is a ‘90s film about the last day of high school in 1976, “Everybody Wants Some!!” is about the first semester of college in 1980. The brilliance lies in how Linklater merged his ‘90s filmmaking techniques with everything awesome about the ‘80s, from the diversity of the American populace to the technological innovations of the music, both of which are things that we can relate to at this moment.

It’s not quite as good as “Dazed” — nothing will ever top McConaughey’s “Alright, alright, alright.” Nevertheless, it’s still a hilarious, poignant entry in the pantheon of teen comedies.

fame, this musical comedy, set in 1985 Dublin, has become of my favorite movies of recent years.

It follows the awkward teenager Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), whose parents force him into a Roman Catholic school after their finances decline. In classic teen movie fashion, Conor instantly falls for a mysterious girl and starts a New Wave-style band just to impress her.

This film is unique because it puts the viewer smack dab in the Second British Invasion, where bands like The Cure and Duran Duran came into prominence as MTV just hit its stride. In turn, Carney wrote and composed all of the characters’ original songs, which are all amazing tracks that pay respect to music of the period.

Unlike every coming-of-age tale, “Sing Street” approaches the message of finding oneself by forging an identity out of raw inspiration. It’s not only apropos of musical artistry, but how to look up to your heroes and become a stronger person. Most importantly, it’s a delightful rock-and-roll romance that acknowledges all the awkwardness we had at Conor’s age, only to confirm that we shouldn’t lose what makes us special.

All of these films come highly recommended.

@ presto_mitch

“Sing Street” Directed by John Carney of “Once” and “Begin Again”

Hallie’s Heroes still swabbing, still waiting NONPROFIT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 people and as intimate as her family in their home.

“I go to bars and I’m not even 16,” Hallie said, jokingly referring to a Hallie’s Heroes swab drive at Oak Street Draft House she spoke and swabbed at.

Her mother, Elyse Barnard, stands by her side, encouraging her every move. After her newborn child fell ill, Elyse started a nonprofit for her daughter. Since then, Elyse and her family’s lives have revolved around education and activism on the matter of DBA. Her plan of attack to find a her daughter a match is simple: swab as many people as possible.

The fight against DBA is a numbers game. A donor can only be cleared to donate bone marrow or stem cells if they are a DNA match with the recipient.

Otherwise, the recipient’s body will reject the donation, which could cause harm to rather than help the patient. “[Hallie’s Heroes] has gotten

a lot bigger,” Elyse said. “More so than we could have ever dreamed.”

Elyse spreads her wings across the community, reaching out to locals in the Denton area to spread Hallie’s message.

She and the organization plan advocacy events and swab drives to add more names to their ever-growing list of donors. Hallie’s Heroes recently teamed up with UNT Greek life and in part with UNT fraternity Phi Kappa Sigma to host a 5K Fun Run at W.S. Ryan Elementary. Their community reach keeps growing, which means a bigger possibility to find more matches.

Now her cause is reaching far beyond Denton. A year ago, Hallie had met with a group of Fort Worth Police officers, who she calls her “Z Team,” to host a swab drive. This year, they met again for their one year anniversary. Hallie and around 18 other kids were inducted as “honorary Fort Worth Police officers” and were given their own officer shirts and badges.

Hallie said they were able to

Hallie Barnard shows off her skills on the piano in her home. Hannah Breland “bust a bad guy” in a playful arrest enactment.

Because finding a match depends on finding donors, Hallie’s Heroes has many events and drives planned to get as many people in the community as they can involved in their race for a cure.

“It kind of ebbs and flows, but in October we have got a lot of events going on,” Angie Medlock, vice president of Hallie’s Heroes said. “We’ll be

UNT-Denton

Business Leadership Building, Room 015 Saturday, September 10, 2016 Check-in begins at 10:00 AM 10:30 am- 2:30 pm

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busy almost every weekend in October.”

Medlock said that Hallie’s Heroes fundraises for their cause to help alleviate financial burdens on their partner, DKMS, who pays for their swab kits. Swab kits cost around $65 each to process, and when over 2,200 individuals get swabbed, costs add up.

“It’s a significant cost, but it’s obviously very worthwhile,” Medlock said. “It’s a pretty minimum cost to save eight lives, if you think about it.”

Hallie, Elyse and Hallie’s Heroes have a lot planned for the rest of 2016 and moving forward. They won’t stop swabbing and asking for donations until they have found their matches and a cure. With over 14,000 patient’s names waiting in the DKMS database for a match, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Fundraising events and swab drives are the main weapons at their disposal. To stay up to date on Hallie’s journey and to see when upcoming events are happening, like their Facebook page and follow their website.

“Even if you only give five dollars, that’s five dollars more than we had walking into the event,” Elyse said. “You’re just giving time to somebody for a future.”

@Kyle_Martin35

Handmade Pokeballs crocheted by avid Pokemon lover Azure Klein rests in her arms. Cierra Edmodnson

Gotta crochet ‘em all Denton resident leaves trails of crotchet Pokemonthemed souvenirs at local PokeStops.

By Cierra Edmondson If you live in the Denton area, you may have been finding crochet Pokémon-themed souvenirs at a few local PokeStops lately.

Azure Klein, a devoted Pokémon lover since its release in 1998 and crocheter since last year, has been one of many crafters leaving her crocheted Pokéballs for Dentonites to find on their Pokémon hunts.

Her interest in creating the Pokéballs was sparked by Nichole Dunnigan of Nichole’s Nerdy Knot, who was one of the first people in the area to leave various Pokémon-themed items at Pokéstops.

“It’s just something I do while at work to keep my hands busy,” Klein said. “Because I’m literally crocheting for 8 hours a day, this leads to a lot of completed projects. I literally just make way more than I need, so when Pokémon GO! came out, I realized I found my answer. I can just make pokéballs and either hand them to random people or just drop them off at PokéStops to see what happens.”

Pokémon GO!, an augmented reality-based game, was initially released in early July and garnered up a following quickly.

Die-hard fans from all over the world took advantage of the free-to-play game’s interactive atmosphere.

According to Klein, the Pokéballs are easy to crochet, even for beginners.

Klein has mostly worked anonymously, but she occasionally posts her work to the Pokémon GO! Denton Facebook group. She would rather have the work enjoyed for its own purpose.

“I’ve been following Azure’s posts and I find it really adorable that she’s doing this,” Pokémon GO! Denton Facebook member Johanna McDaniel said. “I crochet myself, but it’s hard for me to find time while chasing my kiddos around.”

The Pokémon GO! Denton Facebook group was started

by Brooklyn Taaffe the same day that the game dropped. The central idea of the group is to hold events and activities that Pokémon lovers can partake in.

While some may say that the game is dying out, those in Denton who have been longtime fans and

continue to play the game say the Pokémon community is still strong.

“I’ve been a fan of Pokémon my whole life,” Taaffe said. “I remember playing it when I was 5 or 6 and actually learning words from it. It’s pretty much always been a part of my development.”

Although Taaffe has not found one of the creations herself, she said it has been interesting to see everyone’s take on the crocheted crafts on the Facebook group.

“I think they are so cute,” Taaffe said. “It’s starting to go all over DFW, but I’ve just really enjoyed seeing people freaking out about them.”

Other crocheters, besides Klein, are also leaving souvenirs around for players to find.

“I didn’t start [leaving the Pokéballs] until several people, literally over 10, started tagging me in news articles about a girl dropping off Pokémon at Pokéstops and hiding them for kids,” Klein said. “I looked into her further, and [found out] she designs the patterns herself and releases them into the wild for free.”

Although there are others who leave the crocheted Pokémon, Klein said the whole idea is for the benefit of the people playing the game.

Klein has completed somewhere close to 50 Pokémon themed items. These items include key chains, Pokémon, pokéballs and even Pokémonthemed hats, all crocheted and either left at PokéStops, or given to friends or family. So far, she has made one Pikachu and about 30 Magikarp.

Because Klein works a full-time job, she creates and distributes the Pokémon as a hobby, however, she would love to make them as a side job.

Until that happens, gamers will continue to have a good chance of running into a crocheted masterpiece while catching Pokémon.

“I’m sure there’s some word of mouth out there, but I don’t like to leave tags with my name on them or anything,” Klein said.

“I’m not a big fan of spotlight, so I’d rather have the work enjoyed for its own sake.”

@ Edmondson_C2017

Handmade Magikarps crocheted by avid Pokemon lover Azure Klein sit in the grass. Cierra Edmondson

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 5

A NIGHT WITH GATSBY

People dance to jazz music at Andy’s Bar during the Great Gatsby theme party on Friday. Hannah Breland

Paschall Bar and Andy’s Bars put on a show

By Cierra Edmondson Jazz music floated out of the front doors, carrying with it the smell of tobacco and alcohol. It beckoned onlookers passing by to experience a leap back in time.

Reminiscent of the 2013 movie rendition of “The Great Gatsby,” patrons threw on their best 20s-themed costumes and headed to Paschall Bar on Sunday for a night of good ol’ jazz tunes and craft cocktails.

Located on the Square, just to the left of the Recycled Bookstore, there was no shortage

of festivity at Paschall Bar. The bar usually has a themed event once every month, and this month, the crowd was pleased with its choice.

“We are the ‘speakeasy’ in town and focus most of our attention on hand crafted classic cocktails,” general manager Jeremy Dean said. “We are known as the hidden gem of Denton that nobody knows about but everyone has grown to know about.”

If the sounds and smells weren’t enough for onlookers, the costumes intrigued the minds of the curious. Most of

the people at the event arrived in style. All that was missing was a man at the door asking for a secret password.

Standing outside was just the tease, a whisper of possibility.

As soon as you stepped inside, the atmosphere transported you straight into the Roaring Twenties. Dark rooms, soft lighting, alcohol and jazz; the air inside the bar had a tangible and unmistakable element of sophistication.

Better known for its cocktails, Paschall Bar shares a space above Andy’s Bar. Although the two bars have always

Hale Baskin, John Sturino and Colin Campbell play jazz Friday at Andy’s Bar. Paschall Bar and Andy’s Bar collaborated to host a Great Gatsby theme party. Hannah Breland

UNT named Texas’ first bee campus Students head the effort to create a bee-friendly campus as bee populations decrease.

By Jonathan Lichtenwalter UNT’s sustainability efforts earned the school a golden title -- covered with fuzz and black stripes all over.

As the state’s first Bee Campus USA and 12th in the nation, students have been at the head of the effort to create a bee-friendly campus. Students are designing a community garden for the main campus and a pollinator space at Discovery Park with resources from the UNT We Mean Green Fund.

Bee Campus USA was started

by Bee City USA, a national program that encourages sustainable pollinator habitats.

This sustainability doesn’t just affect the species of focus, but nearly every species on the planet, including humans. Bee populations are declining by 30 percent or more annually, according to the Bee City USA website.

“I am proud of UNT’s Bee Campus USA Certification, because it is recognition for how passionate UNT students are about sustainability,” said Gary Cocke,

UNT sustainability director.

In recent workdays, more than 80 students renovated the Ladybird Johnson Memorial Wildflower Garden near Apogee Stadium by transplanting perennials, sowing wildflower seeds, and building a rock border.

“It’s all there to push forward.

We just gotta get students involved,” said Victoria Lau, junior ecology major and studentleader in UNT’s sustainability program.

Cocke said UNT students can be a part of workdays to support a bee-friendly campus, which include general maintenance, selling seeds, transplanting more native plants, extending the rock border and pulling weeds.

“This is a great time to meet others interested in the environment,” Cocke said. “All students have the opportunity to get involved. The program is student-focused from start to finish.”

Students interested can join the group on OrgSync, or can sign up for projects at one of the tables set up around campus.

“Every project I do, I have two

goals for the students involved in the Bee Campus USA program: to be better stewards of the environment, and to provide educational and leadership opportunities for students,” Cocke said.

Lau said she has received many educational opportunities from UNT’s sustainability program and has learned a lot for her major.

“We don’t just recycle. We take the extra step to help the earth and the extra parts that put us together,” Lau said.

The next workday is Sept. 24 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Breakfast tacos will be provided.

“I’m proud that UNT provides the opportunity to students to make our campus more environmentally friendly,” Cocke said. “Graduates and undergraduates will gain experience with the oversight of environmental initiatives. This starts here on campus with students who have taken the charge to make a more bee-friendly campus.”

@jlicballin23

worked together to help support each other, the two decided to collaborate for the first time by using Andy’s Bar as an overflow space. Patrons were able to experience the 20’s in both bars that provided the same drinks and entertainment all night.

By 8 p.m., Paschall was filled to capacity, and Andy’s Bar followed soon after.

“We decided it would be a good idea to add the downstairs venue in the mix,” Dean said.

“We all work together as a group and family, and it’s kind of fun to be able to stay in one place but experience different concepts and experiences.”

For this collaborative party, men dressed the part with slicked back hair and high-waisted dress pants, button-down shirts and sleeves rolled up to the elbow.

Women wore dresses of lace and sparkling jewels, neck beads and headbands of all types and textures adorning their heads.

“I think Paschall is really great for craft-style cocktails,” anthropology junior Kayleigh Griffith said. “This is a really great party at the start of the school year to get faces around Denton familiarized with craftstyle cocktails.”

Not all attending members of the event were from around the Denton area, however. People in surrounding cities found the event through publicity done through Paschall Bar’s Facebook

Bridget Landis, left, and Orsolya Ficsor pose for a photo in Paschall’s for the Great Gatsby Party.

Hannah Breland page.

It was their love of the 20s combined with a love of costume shopping that ultimately convinced Bradley Gorman, Megan Ashton and Alec Jones to travel to Denton from Arlington.

“We would certainly make the trip again,” Gorman said.

Although many bars and venues around the area hold themed event nights throughout the month, a Gatsby party provided an avenue for discussion, dancing and reminiscing. The event was for people 21 years old and up, allowing event goers able to let loose and enjoy the long

weekend in a stylish way.

As for future Paschall events, Dean said they are always looking for new ways to engage the community while also providing a fun and entertaining environment. “[This] just seemed fitting for the bar, and I must say it was fun and a great success,” Dean said.

“We...[just want] to help cater to everyone, and I look forward to doing more events like this where we can get people going up and down between all floors.”

@ Edmondson_C2017

SPOTTED IN DENTON

A mattress is used as a canvas and hangs on a telephone pole on Malone Street across from Mr. Chopsticks. Hannah Breland

SPORTS Page 6

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

As TWU deals with volleyball team health dilemma, UNT training staff weighs in

By Austin Jackson After eight student athletes on the Texas Woman’s University volleyball team were hospitalized with a muscular-breakdown condition called rhabdomyolysis, the university hired Buckner, a sports and education law firm, to conduct an independent and external investigation into the program.

Monica Mendez-Grant, TWU vice president of student life, said in a news release, “Buckner’s investigation will build upon the University’s ongoing internal investigation to determine what led to this happening, and what we can to do to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

The first volleyball player began treatment for rhabdomyolysis on Aug. 20. By the next day, seven more were hospitalized. One week later, the final athlete receiving treatment was released from the hospital.

“Although the investigation remains underway, Texas Woman’s University’s initial belief is that overexertion coupled with dehydration during practices last week caused these student-athletes to experience rhabdomyolysis,” Mendez-Grant said.

TWU officials said 18 studentathletes participated in two-a-day practices Aug. 15-19. The preseason program consisted of fitnesstests, weight training, conditioning and pool stretches in the morning followed by team practice in the afternoon.

The university expects Buckner to

report its findings within 90 days.

Brian McFarlin, professor of exercise science at UNT said the condition, rhabdomyolysis, or “rhabdo,” occurs when intense exertion tears muscle apart faster than it can heal, discharging intramuscular fibers into the bloodstream and putting an excessive workload on the kidneys. He said a small amount of muscle damage is healthy but a large amount can have serious consequences.

“Rhabdomyolysis can cause death,” McFarlin said. “They’re lucky to get out of it with the few problems that they had.”

Dustin Hill, director of sports medicine at UNT, said in his 20 years working in sports medicine, he’s seen fewer than 10 cases of rhabdomyolysis. He noted once the offseason for any team concludes, it’s important to acclimate athletes from the “basement level” and build up to the season.

He and his staff work to prevent rhabdomyolysis in athletes through hydration, urinalysis and screening for pre-existing medical conditions like sickle cell anemia. At UNT, Hill uses a color coded sign placed above the urinals in locker rooms. He said it’s impossible to constantly monitor every player, but the signs remind athletes to be aware of their hydration by checking the color of their urine.

“It’s just an easy little tool, but if [the stream] comes out brown, dark brown or dark red, you’re already getting into rhabdo,“ Hill said. “If it’s gotten to that point, it’s an immediate deal that you’re sending people to get

The Texas Woman’s University volleyball team. Patrick Green |TWU seen.”

With the Texas heat, Hill said, if he “played it by the book,” the football team would never practice.

But because that is not likely to happen, he and the sports medicine staff are extra vigilant to ensure players stay healthy, keeping a nurse in-house with IVs ready in case of an emergency.

“You have to know your athlete and know certain things that might be the red flag,” Hill said. “A lot of this can be like a muscle pain or a cramping feeling in your lower extremities, but you can get that from getting tired and getting cramps.”

In a report posted to the TWU website, officials said the volleyball team altered this year’s pre-season fitness tests.

Instead of doing all the tests in one day, the screenings were spaced over a period three day period. Another change required the team to perform a specific number of repetitions within a limited time instead of attempting as many reps as possible within the time frame. Officials said

the reason for the change was to give players a different goal to reach and for every player to have the same test.

McFarlin said high volume training focused on developing a specific technique is consistent with rhabdomyolysis and, unlike Denton County Public Health officials, didn’t see the news of eight players having rhabdomyolysis as unusual or surprising.

“There really should be a compromise between how much you do for skill development versus what you do for physiological adaptation,” McFarlin said. “A lot of coaches, right, wrong or otherwise, are just not trained to do that.”

Because sore muscles are the body’s way of telling an athlete to stop, rhabdomyolysis occurs when athletes ignore those warning signs.

Therefore, it can be challenging for athletes to choose between pushing themselves to the limits and heeding biological cautions.

Although he can only speculate on the situation, McFarlin offered his thoughts on what he thinks likely

transpired at TWU. “I know athletes,” McFarlin said.

“I’ve worked with them in the past as an athletic trainer, and when they don’t feel good they aren’t usually quiet about it. They’re usually pretty vocal about it. My guess is they were probably complaining about being sore and the coach responded to those complaints.”

TWU head volleyball coach Shelly Barberee resigned, ending her 13-year career at the university.

Despite the timing, she said her decision to step down “is in no way related to student-athletes’ hospitalization.”

In her written statement posted on the university website, Barbaree said she took a leave of absence on Aug. 12, three days before the first practice.

“I took a leave of absence from my position as head volleyball coach at Texas Woman’s University to focus on and address a personal matter,” she said. “Since that date, I have not attended or been a part of any of the TWU volleyball team workouts.”

After Barbaree’s resignation, TWU athletic director Chalese Connors named assistant Jessica Beener interim head coach. The name of the coach in charge of the pre-season workouts has not been released.

Barbaree said she’s leaving the program in a good place.

“I am extremely proud of my 13

years as head volleyball coach at TWU,” Barbaree said. “I am leaving the TWU volleyball team in a strong position coming off of a 2015 NCAA tournament appearance and believe the team will have continued success.”

In a release, Mendez-Grant said Dr. Michael Auvenshine, a sports medicine specialist, will work with TWU athletic training staff to determine each individual’s risk for recurrence and determine restrictions before athletes are approved to practice or play.

Over the weekend, the TWU Pioneers kicked off the 2016 season as scheduled, hosting the Hilton Garden Inn classic at Kitty McGee Arena in Denton. The Pioneers closed out the tournament with a 2-2 mark.

Next Friday, TWU will take their improving health to Lakeview, Florida, with hopes of improving their record, facing Florida Southern University in their first road game of the season.

“All student athletes are out of the hospital and continue to improve daily,” Mendez-Grant said. “I would like to thank the university community for their support and well wishes for the student-athletes this week.”

@a_jack17

New name, new role: the receiver formerly known as Tee talks name change, football TEE GOREE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “It’s not tough for me to step up and be that leader,” Goree said.

“It’s the same person I was when I was in high school. Carlos [Harris] taught me a lot about making

UPCOMING GAMES Friday

• Women’s volleyball begins the North Texas Invitational with a doubleheader beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

• Mean Green soccer hosts Texas Southern at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Saturday

• North Texas football hosts Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m.

myself a great receiver. I appreciate him for being that mentor.”

Goree went to high school in Carthage, Texas, a small town tucked into the piney woods of the eastern Texas hill country.

He became a three-star recruit and a Dave Campbell’s All-Texas offensive first teamer, leading Carthage to a state title.

The quick and tall wide out caught the eye of plenty of college scouts. Before deciding on North Texas, Goree fielded offers from 10 other Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Lifelong friend and teammate, sophomore receiver O’Keeron Rutherford, was also offered by North Texas.

The two didn’t want to split after high school.

“That’s my brother, man,” Goree said. “We knew we were

going to school wherever both of us got offered by. I like North Texas. I like adversity. We’re going to turn it around.”

Goree was tasked with being a leader on a revamped North Texas team that felt all the frustrations of a 1-11 campaign last year. They only won one game. Their head coach got fired, and the entire system was reworked in the offseason.

But the recreational sports management major was at the front of the pack to lead a relatively young and new wide receiver corps.

New head coach Seth Littrell took notice, and Goree was named to the leadership council.

“I really like the things he’s doing,” Littrell said. “He’s worked hard. He had the most consistent fall camp. He’s not hesitant, he’s playing faster and he’s catching the

•Cross country will compete in the Gerald Richey Invitational.

• Men’s golf kicks off its season with the two-day Wolf Run Intercollegiate beginning on Saturday.

•Soccer rounds out the weekend by traveling to take on Arkansas.

MEAN GREEN QUICK HITS Football Mean Green football will look to pick up its first win of the season against FCS Bethune-Cookman. North Texas was routed 66-7 by FCS Portland St. last year.

Soccer Soccer had a rough Oregon road trip, drawing Oregon State and losing to the Ducks. North Texas will try to get back in the win column on Friday.

Volleyball Volleyball has struggled to start the season, and currently sits at 2-6.

Terian Goree, Mean Green sophomore wide reciever, (3) runs toward first down as Kevin Johnson, Mustang freshman defensive back (12) makes a tackle. Ryan Vance

football.”

However, Goree was not free of the frustrations felt from an anemic 2015 season. Because the team was almost exclusively losing, he could not buy into what the previous coaching staff was telling him, which affected his play.

Those struggles are gone, though. He feels like his game has changed from night to day under Littrell and the new staff.

“Last year, I really didn’t have that much coaching,” Goree said.

“I didn’t really trust the coaches, so I wasn’t doing the coaching. Now I trust the coaching, and what they’ve been doing. I’ve been getting a lot better.”

Goree has undergone plenty of changes since last season. His name, his role, his coaches and even his quarterback. Gone is the quarterback carousel of Andrew McNulty, Josh Greer and DaMarcus Smith, and in with graduate Alec Morris.

Morris, an Alabama transfer, has connected with Goree both on and off the field. They connected on Saturday against SMU, and have bonded in the locker room, since the two are locker neighbors.

“I think not only can he, I think he is [leading them],” Morris said.

“He’s a great play maker. He’s a guy you can throw it to and count on to make some plays for you.”

Despite all the changes, Goree has proven himself as both a capable leader and receiver.

Whether you call him Tee or

Conference USA roundup

By Clay Massey Week one of the football season is in the books, and a lot happened around Conference-USA. Let us take a look around the league at football, and the other sports at the biggest stories.

Western Kentucky University In his WKU debut, junior quarterback Mike White won C-USA Offensive Player of the Week. White went 25-for-31 in a 46-14 win over Rice. He currently leads the country in passing yards and yards per pass attempt.

University of Texas at San Antonio

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The Roadrunners blew the doors off of Texas A&M Corpus Christi 6-1 on Friday night. UTSA blasted 30 shots en route to their highest scoring game since 2011.

University of Texas at El Paso The Miners are headed down to Austin next weekend to face the University of Texas after winning 38-22 to open their season against New Mexico State University. The Longhorns are coming of a thrilling double overtime victory against No.10 Notre Dame.

University of Alabama at Birmingham A duo of top 25 finishes led the Blazer cross country team to a sixth place team finish at Memphis Twilight. Senior Hannah coffin led, finishing 17th overall.

Southern Mississippi University The Golden Eagles stunned the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday with a 44-35 win. It was the football program’s first win over a Southeastern Conference opponent.

Terian Goree is a sophomore wide receiver for the Mean Green. Colin Mitchell Terian, Goree has shown that even as a sophomore, he is growing up quickly on the football field.

“I’m ready for the leadership role,” Goree said. “I feel like I’m going to step up to the plate. That’s what I got to do. That’s what I know

Rice University The Owls women’s soccer team rolled past Sam Houston State University 5-0 on Sunday. After a weather delay, the Owls got season opening goals from five players for the win.

Old Dominion University ODU women’s field hockey upset No. 14 Delaware University 3-2 in overtime. Senior Casey Dolan tapped the game winning goal in to give No. 20 ODU the win.

Middle Tennessee State University The Blue Raider football team opened with a 55-0 win over Alabama A&M University. The squad posted 28 points in the first quarter alone.

Marshall University The men’s soccer team grabbed their second win on Sunday afternoon. The Herd blanked Eastern Illinois University and grabbed a goal from freshman Carlos DiazSalcedo for the 1-0 win.

Louisiana Tech University Senior safety Xavier Woods earned C-USA Defensive Player of

to do, and that’s what these coaches are teaching me. I got to step up to the plate and be the leader of this receiving group.”

@Clay_FC

the Week honors. Woods notched 10 tackles and an interception in the season opener, a 21-20 loss over Arkansas University.

Florida Atlantic University The soccer Owls scored a goal with just a minute left in regulation to salvage a 1-1 tie with Wisconsin on Sunday. Senior Elijah McDonald scored the equalizer, it was his first of the season.

Florida International University The Golden Panthers were downed by Indiana University to open the football season 34-13 on Thursday night at home. FIU allowed 22 unanswered points to open the season with a loss.

University of North Carolina Charlotte The honors continue to roll in for the Niners men’s soccer team.

Junior forward Marco Sunol-Rojas and sophomore defender Callum Montgomery were named C-USA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week respectively. The Niners are No. 9 in the country.

@Clay_FC

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 7

Disappointment on Saturday

Littrell is walked off the field Saturday at Apogee Stadium for the first time as head coach of the Mean Green. UNT lost to Southern Methodist University 34-21.Tomas Gonzalez

North Texas football not satisfied with performance in first game

By Clay Massey Disappointment was served under the lights of Apogee Stadium on Saturday night.

Head coach Seth Littrell was not pleased with his team’s performance, a 34-21 defeat at the hands of Southern Methodist University.

“I think we played awful, to be honest with you,” Littrell said.

“That’s not our standards. We have higher expectations.”

Littrell was not alone.

Sophomore wide receiver Terian Goree thought he and his teammates did not play their best.

“We played terrible and we lost 34-21,” Goree said. “We didn’t play up to our potential. Not even close. We had scrimmages that

were better than that.”

The Mean Green offense struggled with the passing game, as senior quarterback Alec Morris threw 24 for 39 for 237 yards and two touchdowns. But Morris had three interceptions and was on his back plenty, courtesy of SMU’s relentless pass rush.

Morris was later replaced by freshman quarterback Mason Fine in a somewhat unexpected decision, given the possibility Fine could be redshirted this year.

“It’s hard to get through the season with one quarterback,” Littrell said. “We wanted to get the jitters out in this first game.

You could tell he was having fun, but he’s got a ways to go.”

Fine led an 80-yard, 11-play

drive capped by an 11-yard Jeffrey Wilson touchdown run.

Wilson finished with 15 rushes for 86 yards and a touchdown.

He also caught six passes for 55 yards.

Wilson, a junior, echoed the thoughts of his coach and teammate.

“It’s the first game for everybody,” Wilson said. “We still got the rest of the season to go and a lot of improving to go.”

On the defense, the Mean Green got torched for 572 yards.

Senior SMU running back Matt Davis burned North Texas on the ground with 91 yards on 14 rushes. He was 8 for 17 for 155 yards and one touchdown.

Big plays were the Mean Green’s undoing. SMU scored on three plays that were 40 yards or

more. The longest was an 88-yard touchdown pass that sophomore Courtland Sutton took to the house off the arm of freshman SMU quarterback Ben Hicks.

“They obviously made more plays than we did,” Littrell said. “We can’t get beat in an explosive play battle like that.

I haven’t seen the film yet on defense, but those guys made some great plays down the field.

We can’t allow that to happen.

We’ve got to clean up our eyes on defense and make sure we’re playing more disciplined and together.”

One of the biggest gut punches came late in the first half, when SMU was faced with a 3rd and 45 from the North Texas 46.

After eluding the rush, Davis threw a prayer to the end zone

that Sutton hauled in. It was one of eight third down conversions by the Mustangs.

Despite the loss, morale in the locker room was not doom and gloom. Instead, they are looking

at week two as a new opportunity.

“I’m telling y’all, we’re going to win,” Goree said.

@Clay_FC

In the 4th quarter, UNT offense struggles to keep the Mustangs at bay, opening UNT senior quarterback Alec Morris up for a tackle by Justin Lawler, SMU junior defensive end.

Katie Jenkins

Youngster Torres gives Mean Green soccer experience Mexican national team, FC Dallas club alumna brings wisdom to the field.

By Matt Brune When she was younger, Taylor Torres was selfish.

“I didn’t want anyone touching my ball,” she said jokingly.

Soccer has always been Torres’ passion, so she decided to play as much of it as possible at an early age. In high school, she played for the U-17 Mexican national team for two years, FC Dallas club team and Frisco High School.

Now as a sophomore, she is one of the most seasoned North Texas players on the field.

“Those experiences have bettered me as a player,” Torres said.

“I’ve gained more knowledge about soccer. It helps me work with the whole team and builds my confidence.”

As a freshman, Torres averaged 43 minutes per game and tallied three goals. Six games into her second season, she has two goals, averages 60 minutes per game and stretches the opposition’s defense at the right wing position.

Along with playing for the Mean Green, Torres plays in the Women’s Premier Soccer League

for the FC Dallas professional team in the spring and early summer. “[Taylor’s resume] is pretty impressive,” senior forward Rachel Holden said. “A lot of people can’t juggle all of that, but she’s done well and it’s always good playing with her.

She plays well off the ball, on the ball [and] scores goals.”

Torres’ play style appeals to head coach John Hedlund, who stresses width and wide play which leads to crosses and scoring chances.

All of the practices and games for FC Dallas and the U-17 Mexican national team prepared her for the collegiate stage before she

even had her first practice with the Mean Green.

“She’s a very polished player,” Hedlund said. “She has high soccer IQ [and] she reads the game very well. A lot of those characteristics came from her playing experience. She has a lot of quality traits that transfer over to us because she had so much playing experience before she came here.”

The journey from when she was a selfish five-year-old to now being one of the smartest and most skilled players on this North Texas team has been enduring and challenging for Torres.

However, she’s always had the right people around her to keep her going.

“There have been some obstacles that I’ve faced, but I know that I have my family and my friends to support me in everything,” Torres said.

Torres #8 CAREER GOALS

5

CAREER ASSISTS

4

CAREER SHOTS ON GOAL CAREER GAME WINNING GOALS CAREER AVERAGE MINUTES

18

“To get through those obstacles I know that I just have to face them and get over them.”

In order to clear these hurdles, Torres needed to improve as much as possible.

This meant developing her shot, ball skills and other intangibles that make her a nightmare for opponents.

The jump from high school to college was her first road block.

“She’s been able to develop her game knowing that she has to make quicker decisions,” Hedlund said. “The [college] game is a lot more physical.”

Throughout her playing

career, Torres has come across coaches and players who have expanded her array of connections and opened up opportunities for her in the future. She’s played for two accomplished coaches, Hedlund at North Texsas and Ben Waldrum at FC Dallas who help her both on and off the field.

Even though she is only a sophomore, Torres has aspirations of what she wants to do once her time at North Texas is done.

“My goal is to play pro and play with the US national team,” Torres said. “I’ve

talked to [Hedlund] and some of my FC Dallas coaches about that and hopefully they can help me get there.”

Constant practices, games and tournaments have pushed Torres to her limits for years.

Despite her rigorous routine and limited time off, Torres is still infatuated with the game. “[The passion] comes from my heart,” Torres said. “I started at the age of five and ever since then my passion has just grown.”

@mattbrune25

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North Texas sophomore forward Taylor Torres (8) moves the ball up the pitch against Abilene Christian on August 28. Dylan Nadwodny

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NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 8

2016 Mean Green football predictions

By Reece Waddell, Clay Massey, Matt Brune, Courtney Anderson, Austin Jackson, Tyler Lucius Can Seth Littrell experience success in his first year?

Reece Waddell: Well, I suppose it depends on how we’re defining success. In my opinion, after sitting through every agonizing game of the 2015 season, success is simply improving on last year’s train wreck -- which shouldn’t be difficult. That said, I’m inclined to say yes, Littrell will experience success in his first year. He will win a few games, and should do enough to keep students and fans engaged.

Clay Massey: If we’re defining success as having a better record than last year, then yes, absolutely.

Littrell will put this team in position to make a bowl game with the pieces he has brought in and with his coaching philosophy.

Matt Brune: I’m sure that everyone and their mothers have heard about Littrell’s “Let it Fly” slogan for the team this year. And yes, he does have a spread quarterback in a spread offense which will mean 40+ passes a game. However, the other end of the passing connection, the receivers, are largely unknown and most likely not great. That, along with a shaky offensive live will put constant pressure on an equally shaky defense. So to answer your question, Littrell probably won’t have success.

Courtney Anderson: I think it depends on what your definition of success is for this first-time head coach, especially since he’s coming in during the first year of a rebuilding period. Do I think North Texas will be conference champions and go to a bowl game like in 2013?

Absolutely not. Do I think the Mean Green will win more than one game and not get blown out on homecoming 66-7? Yes Austin Jackson: Success is a relative concept and with the parade of tragic and historic new lows in the rear-view mirror, a season that’s just a smidge better than historically bad will put Littrell’s year-one campaign in the successful column.

That said, Littrell could go 0-12 this year and still be a success.

I think the true mark of a successful inaugural season won’t

be evidenced in wins and losses this year but by creating a culture and system that pays dividends down the road. After all, Bill Snyder led Kansas State to a McCarney-sequel 1-11 record his first year.

Tyler Lucius: The Mean Green are returning from a one-win season and will hit the gridiron with a vengeance. Seth Littrell and the crew plan to make the student body actually care about North Texas football again, since they can’t do much worse than their 1-11 mark last year. The team will also feature a new-look spread offense that should add excitement, and hopefully points, to the scoreboard.

What will be the team’s biggest strength?

RW: Without question the secondary is the group that possesses the most talent. Chad Davis, KiShawn McClain, Nate Brooks and others will man the back end of an otherwise shaky defense. If the front seven are able to get after the quarterback, look out. This unit could surprise some people.

CM: Defense. That secondary will be much better than they were last year. There will absolutely be struggles, but this team will one day pride itself on a strong defense if these guys can lay the groundwork in these first two years under Littrell.

MB: The head coach. Littrell has come off as a fresh new personality that connects with players and instills confidence. A good coach can get their players to compete regardless of situation or opponent, and I believe (somewhat blindly) that Littrell can get the team to compete on every down.

Quarterback Alec Morris will also keep the team in games as well, as he appears to be comfortable with the scheme and play style.

CA: The fresh coaching staff and multiple options for quarterback can both be seen as strengths.

We have the elder Alec Morris transferring from Alabama who started on Saturday against SMU, and freshman Mason Fine, the

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only two-time Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year.

AJ: With Alec Morris at the helm of Littrell’s high-octane offense that averaged nearly 500 yards per game for North Carolina in 2015. I think the offense, and more specifically quarterback play, will represent an exciting and much needed improvement that can keep the Mean Green competitive.

TL: Graduate transfer from Alabama Alec Morris will be leading the fast-paced air raid offense. Having a quarterback with the talent to go to Alabama starting for a team that lost 11 games is always going to be an upgrade. He will be the biggest factor that plays into Littrell’s success this year.

What will be the team’s biggest weakness?

RW: There’s too many to choose from, but I’m going to go with maturity. This team has not been “there,” with the exception of Morris, who won two national titles with the Crimson Tide. I’m worried about the grind of a 12-game season, and especially worried if they get off to a slow start. Will the team respond and band together, or pack it in?

CM: Depth at offensive line and wide receiver will be a very big concern, especially down the road.

Managing downs played will be massive with both of those positions in a fast tempo offense like Littrell will want to run. If the o-line cannot be managed, this team will not succeed. They lost a big center piece in Kaydon Kirby, and it will be interesting if Sam Rice can settle in.

MB: The offensive line worries me, largely because depth is crucial in a high tempo offense and there seems to be a sparse supply of it. The receivers will need to run precise routes and get open fairly quickly to keep Morris upright. The team lost 208 yards last year on 27 sacks allowed and could have even worse numbers after this season.

CA: The unpredictability of having many transfers and freshman is

The most recent redesign of the Scrappy costume debuted in the fall of 2013 at the Homecoming bonfire.

Dylan Nadwodny what concerns me. Will they all have the maturity and intensity it takes to work as a team and win football games? Will they have a solid offensive line after a handful of guys left the team last season?

We will have to wait to find out what truly is North Texas’ biggest weakness.

AJ: With just 68 players on scholarship, a number more comparable to an FCS, depth looks to be a big hurdle this team has to clear, especially at the pace they want to play offensively.

TL: Depth will be the biggest weakness for North Texas on both sides of the ball. Many offenses in today’s college football run fast tempo, which is always a challenge for any defense when it comes to keeping guys fresh. The airraid offense runs through many receivers and running backs, and with the Mean Green struggling with depth this year, it could really cost them.

Final record prediction RW: Contrary to what some people believe, I do not sit in a dark lair playing North Texas football bloopers on a loop hoping for failure. Instead, I consider myself a realist. And after watching every game last year, sometimes against

my better judgement, I know what this team is up against. They were 1-11 in 2015, and just have not added enough talent to make a big jump record-wise. Final record: 4-8 CM: Some readers, general public and students of the University of North Texas were not pleased with my recent column. Look, I said they would be better than last year, but not good. Will they push for a bowl game? Maybe. We’ll have to see.

It is doubtful they do, but if all the pieces line up, a bowl game could be possible. Final record: 5-7 MB: In this rebuilding year, the Mean Green have a lot of unknowns, but they also have a lot of potential. They will struggle on both sides of the ball this year as Littrell was limited on what he was able to do to improve this team’s personnel. According to ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI), North Texas is only favored in one game this year -- week two against Bethune Cookman. I think they’ll win that game and defeat UTSA in week nine. Final record: 2-10 CA: I’m basing this prediction off what our scores were against teams North Texas played last season and teams North Texas didn’t play last season. I can see North Texas beating Bethune-Cookman,

Marshall, Army, UTSA and UTEP. I hope North Texas proves me wrong and dominates, but I think there is too much uncertainty to expect anything more at the moment. Final record: 5-7 AJ: After losing to SMU, I predict we see #NewDenton finish out the season with games we’re more accustomed to seeing. The depth will be an issue, especially after going down to play Florida, but the offense will #LetItFly, keeping the team competitive. Final record: 3-9 TL: The Mean Green will without question be better than what they were a year ago, especially with Littrell and Morris behind the wheel. They won’t win the conference but they’ll finish somewhere in the middle. Final record: 5-7 Editor’s Note: This is an analysis from the North Texas Daily sports staff of North Texas football, and the storylines surrounding the team.

@ReeceWaddell15, @Clay_FC, @mattbrune25, @CPaigeA23, @a_jack17,

Quick hits: Five observations from North Texas vs. SMU

By Reece Waddell 1. A lot of firsts: Seth Littrell made his head coaching debut, senior quarterback Alec Morris threw his first collegiate incompletion, touchdown and interception and the Mean Green picked up its first loss of the Littrell-era. Sophomore wide receiver Terian Goree looked as though he was Morris’ No. 1 target, catching eight passes for 64 yards. He was targeted on several other plays as well. Senior receiver Kenny Buyers, who made the jump to offense from defensive back this offseason, had no catches and was not a factor for the offense Saturday night.

2. Rejuvenated offense: Littrell promised to tee it high and let it fly, and he delivered. Gone are the days of runs out of the I formation.

The North Texas offense, while far from perfect, had a nice mix of run and pass to keep SMU looking over its shoulders. Morris looked comfortable running the hurry-up, but threw three interceptions.

3. Big plays a problem for defense: In the first half especially, the North Texas defense allowed huge plays downfield, namely 88and 45-yard touchdown receptions that really swung momentum toward the Mustangs. The Mean Green had trouble staying at home and maintaining its lanes, which left gaping holes for SMU. This

became a huge issue on play action passes when the Mustangs fooled the majority of the UNT defense and went over the top for huge gains.

4. Shaky offensive line: Way too many times, Morris was under pressure or on the ground. The lack of a clean pocket was not the only reason he threw three interceptions, but it certainly didn’t help matters.

SMU sensed a weakness in the offensive line, and started stacking the box and dialing up blitzes, particularly on third down. Morris looked far more poised in the pocket than when scrambling.

5. QB Mason Fine: In a somewhat surprise move, Littrell opted to

insert Fine into the game midway through the fourth quarter. This is a big deal, because it means Fine cannot be redshirted. He will now officially begin his four years of collegiate eligibility, and will not be allowed to gain an extra year. In his debut, Fine had his moments, and led the Mean Green to its only touchdown drive of the second half. After the game Littrell said he believes Fine can be a special player if he’s given the time and chance to develop. It was unclear whether Fine was played because of Morris’ outing, or if he was played for the experience because the game was out of hand.

@ReeceWaddell15

OPINION Page 9

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Students shouldn’t have to pay for homework

By Morgan Sullivan As a college student, extra expenses can be the difference between eating ramen all month and having an actual meal. This is why additional online access codes carry the weight of an 100 ton truck. They’re unnecessary and give professors excuses to

blur the boundaries between teaching and observing behind a computer screen.

The idea that students must buy access codes to do homework is a ridiculous notion. Unlike textbooks, access codes are unable to be purchased at lower costs. There are no “used” access codes, which means students must purchase codes that usually seem to be $100 or more on average. Students who are already struggling to buy regular textbooks and pay their rent are now burdened with another cost.

The issue is that this cost is a fairly new one – and it seems unwarranted. Turning in homework used to be easier. Although we should be environmentally conscious,

until computers can grade with intelligence and flexibility, online homework sites will do more harm than good.

Where professors can use discretion and give partial credit, computers cannot. There are very specific algorithms that the software can’t stray from, and it’s frustrating whenever you slightly deviate from the software’s answer. For example, if the software catches misspelled word in a language class assignment, it will mark an entire answer as incorrect and not give the student any indication of what went wrong. Missing an accent mark on foreign language homework is the same way. A professor could grade the work instead, correct the spelling and only take off

Where are today’s religious leaders?

By Preston Mitchell The way religion is so knit into the fabric of history makes the subject unavoidable to talk about. Whether you identify as religious, spiritual or neither, no one can deny religion’s influence on our politics, social movements and enculturation as a whole.

Even Superman was created by a writer and an artist from their passions for both science fiction and Judaism.

With that in mind, I’ve pondered for quite some time about the state of today’s religious leaders. Prior to the millennial age, it appeared that every generation had their own spiritualists to look up to.

For example, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X changed race relations forever; with their beliefs being deeply rooted in Christianity and Islam. King’s chief inspiration, Mahatma Gandhi,

created nonviolent tactics that continue to influence modern politicians. Going further back, look at Roger Williams, the Puritan that saw a need to “separate church and state,” resulting in the right to religious freedom in the Americas.

The point isn’t that the best leaders are always religious, but that history tells stories of religious men capable of connecting with people of all colors, creeds and demographics. Unlike the eras that preceded this one, millennials don’t really have that kind of leadership.

You would think with today’s Black Lives Matter hashtags and nationwide LGBT reforms that someone would step up to become a positive face. Not a face that would spearhead movements on his keyboard, but a truly great man with enough knowledge and clout to heal an entire nation.

Where are the faith leaders that I can tell my kids about one day? The heroes that champion positive causes for the betterment of mankind. The legends poised to set history in the right direction. The men and women who maintain a specific set of morals to inspire others that may or may not be religious.

Our generation has had

so much lie on our shoulders that we need someone who can fit the bill. We’re at the perfect age for one of us to take the post-9/11 attitudes of our parents, the massive diversity of our culture, and the technical awareness President Obama perfected and then identify with where millennials socially stand so this leader can bring us into the future. Ideally, in a nonviolent fashion.

I would normally say politicians are the best bet, but certainly not this year.

In fact, the closest we’ve gotten right now has been Ted Cruz, who is infamous for hiding behind Christianity to justify his ignorance toward global warming. That, and he would’ve been a bad president to begin with.

It is never too late to have a leader in the vein of MLK or Gandhi. Keep in mind that it took 27 years for Nelson Mandela to get out of prison and become the South African president. It is always possible for us to make a statement, or simply defend a helpless individual. That being the case, it’s long overdue for an icon of our era to set an example, whether that person is religious or not.

@presto_mitch

partial credit.

Math classes are even worse. The accuracy needed while inputting equations is as stressful as trying to disarm a bomb. Sometimes an extra space between numbers and letters is needed, and sometimes it’s not.

There are too many screencaps of MyMathLab where students got the equation right – and the computer counted it wrong.

College math is stressful enough.

Students shouldn’t be subjected to finicky software.

The argument could be made that moving homework online cuts down on professor’s workload, however, that is part of the reason TAs exist. For classes with hundreds of students, the task of grading papers is prone

to be daunting, but most classes still have tests the old fashioned way. If they can grade all of those tests manually, there has to be some way for them to grade homework at a mildly normal rate.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this trend is the ability of professors to depend on technology to teach for them.

Unfortunately, grading papers is a fundamental part of being a professor. Relying too heavily on online elements

might make professors lazy.

Next, students will have to pay to use Blackboard or to view documents sent by professors.

In a for-profit model, colleges hold students’ financial future in their lives.

It’s an immense power they hold, and the financial burden of institutions will only grow greater as colleges find ways to continuously nickel and dime students.

@sadsquadch

The American hypocrisy behind #FirstWorldProblems

By Victoria Baghaei “Anyone ever have a really good make-up day and then don’t want to take it off at night? #FirstWorldProbs.”

It’s 2016 and the ever popular #FirstWorldProbs is still one of the biggest trending hashtags on Twitter to date. From people complaining about their soup not being hot enough to having issues with their doughnut being baked with too much icing, it appears that Americans are always searching for new ways to subliminally take shots at other cultures. While that may not be the case most of the time, it certainly seems to be the case whenever people make mountains out of molehills. This is where “first world problems” are born. #FirstWorldProbs came into fruition a few years ago, quickly catching fire as a trending topic

on social media sites before bleeding into pop culture permanently. At first, it was what it was: a meme. But soon as people turned the meme into an arrogant parade, and using the hashtag to explicitly complain about everyday issues grew into normalcy for people. These issues no longer stemmed from the origins of what the phrase meant, but how the intended message became a virtual rabbit hole for people to disregard “third world countries.” Believe it or not, they do experience hardships of their own!

The phrase “first world problems” refers to the issues in privileged nations that are not necessarily major concerns, but more superficial and minor quandaries that really don’t hold any morsels of importance.

Nations like the United States.

It’s okay to have the occasional problem that’s immaterial, and it’s totally fine to complain about it also. Each and every person has an unalienable right to express themselves, and it’s also human nature to have pet peeves in general. But where it becomes hypocritical, almost cynical, is when people find it appropriate to bookend tweets with #FirstWorldProblems as a solemn way to sound genuine grievances.

By using the hashtag as a period to end these troublesome sentences, not only are you stating how you know your problems are insignificant, you are also acknowledging that your problems are exclusively tied to the flaunting of your privileges.

Ethiopians couldn’t possibly deal with cell phones going out or stores not having their favorite Pop-Tarts. If those are the case, charge your phone or just buy some Toaster Strudels. It’s not that hard, everyone!

It’s okay to complain about your problems, and it’s reasonable to strive for your lifestyle to be better. We all deal with our personal piddling dilemmas that we feel the need to complain about every now and then. But acknowledging that they’re first world problems, and meaning it, only tells fellow web users that American hypocrisy is alive and real. So remember: when you use that hashtag, you’re implying by default that third world countrymen don’t have problems on similar magnitudes.

Because at the end of the day, your situation could still be worse.

@chorizotacoss

Calm down. The University Union isn’t that great

By Victoria Baghaei Waiting for the University Union to finish was like anticipating the Christmas present you thought you had in the bag. But then, you unwrap that present and instead of it being your much deserved Xbox, you get socks. Lots and lots of boring and scratchy socks. Nothing at all like the gift that your parents led you to believe waiting under the tree.

This is exactly what UNT did to its students with the Union.

For two years, UNT ripped up its campus with ambitious plans to renovate its old Union with one that looked seemingly massive and high-tech, filled with places like Fuzzy’s and Starbucks that students could always count on. All of these new features, however, are just disappointing.

Yes, we can all agree that the Union is beautiful; especially thanks

to its smooth, modern design and a greener-than-thou vibe. The Union boasts a 28 percent energy reduction through incorporating more natural lighting in its architecture.

Still, was it even worth it?

In 2012, students were given the option to raise student fees to $115 (starting fall 2014) for a stylistic overhaul of the classic Union. Once the majority voted “yes,” the university began preparations to change the building forever. Many of the students that voted in favor of the tuition increase were not going to be enrolled long enough to experience it, as many of them graduated by the time that our current Union finished. While there are a few students who have been present for both Unions, even they share the mindset that the original Union was much stronger.

Space. Where is it?

The old Union felt gargantuan in scope, whereas its successor doesn’t even come close. It felt like Hogwarts with its massive staircases and abundant amounts of

open space. The Piano and the One O’Clock Lounge sat in a wide area that could be heard throughout the building; the Lounge being an actual “lounge” that hosted bean bag get-togethers and seasonal parties.

The new Union is a step-down from this. Yes, it’s very tall and has its share of rooms. But it feels like a giant rectangle going upward without any character. It has no comfortable quality about it, nor does anything appear to be inviting or welcoming upon arrival. You can walk straight through today’s Union

and get to the other side of campus in a heartbeat, which is nice, but it doesn’t make up for how hundreds of people parade down the stairs for one single guard rail.

Unhealthy food. Great.

Come on, UNT. You had this huge opportunity to bring in healthier food choices, but instead, you doubled up on taco and chicken choices. Sure, the Union has a salad bar and other “healthy” options in the cafeteria… even though it closes at 3 p.m. I’m confused where UNT

expects people who don’t eat meat or dairy to get healthier options when they close their cafeteria 3 hours after lunch. And even when you eat at the Union’s food chains, they are all run by poor trainees and the food is subpar at best.

The Union was rushed to open last December so employees must have been rushed in their training because of it. Students have even experienced troubles from Fuzzy’s, with its tacos coming out cold and not-so-fresh. Needless to say, the food could be cooked a lot better.

Lines It’s almost as if the people that blueprinted the new Union didn’t take into account that making food in separate spots — all spread out like a mall food court — was probably the worst idea for student cuisine. The Union was small before, but it has shrunk down twice as much, not considering all of the new freshmen. The food lines are so ridiculous that it’s akin to walking through Disney World

on the first day of summer. It’s even worse because you have another thousand people waiting to actually get their food, after ordering 20 minutes before.

The Union of Old The Union’s existence just doesn’t justify all of its cons outweighing the pros. Even though it’s cool to have new public rooms on campus, it makes finding somewhere to be alone a lot harder.

We miss being able to go up the second floor, walk down a hallway and find random seating to eat and be alone. While there’s thousands of students walking around on the first floor, people were still able to find quiet, comfortable seats of sanctitude. The food chains were all near one another and the lounge was actually meant for relaxation.

Now, it’s all about listening to covers of Def Leppard without a concrete time and place for karaoke wailing. It just feels like the years of construction weren’t really worth it. Our school didn’t want a miniaturized business building, we wanted something of a sanctuary to bring all the students together. A true Union.

@chorizotacoss

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 10

Conservatives Must Come Out of Hiding U

The Editorial Board

ntil this summer, Bernie Sanders bumper stickers around campuses were inescapable. You couldn’t go a day without seeing Bernie art decorating a wall. Tweeting anything political and punctuating it with #FeelTheBern was a weekly occurrence. And if someone made it clear that they didn’t like Bernie, nine times out of 10, they were second fiddle to Hillary for their vote.

This newspaper knows all too well how progressively minded UNT is; the ideals on display in our opinions reflect that truth. That liberal voice shine brightly. But there are about 37,000 students here, and, we know, they aren’t all on the left.

Much of our experience with the conservatives on and around campus comes when they leave comments on our opinion columns posted to Facebook. Pointing out how “liberal” and “PC” we are does nobody any good, because, like Donald Trump, you miss the purpose of the article, and instead, elect to degrade.

And following that up with curses of profanity only makes you look (with all due respect) dim-witted.

So we ask those people, why don’t you stand up, write a thought-out response to our opinions, and stop letting Trump and Fox News speak for you? It’s time for college conservatives to stop hiding behind the computer screens. Form an opinion that is not slanderous. Say something of substance, and do not react the way your “leaders” in the Republican Party so often do. Talk about the issues, and not about how much you hate liberals, because, like it or not, we aren’t going anywhere.

If we really are such “liberal trash bags,” then why are we encouraging you to respond to us?

Regardless of any political affiliation, every UNT

Editorial Board Dalton LaFerney | Editor-In-Chief laferneyd@gmail.com Eline De Bruijn | Managing Editor Kayleigh Bywater | Managing Editor Reece Waddell | Managing Editor Preston Mitchell | Editorial Page Editor Tomas Gonzalez | Visuals Editor

student has the opportunity to send letters to the North Texas Daily or use academic organizations to make their opinions heard. Even if you’re a lifelong Republican that feels outnumbered by the masses, you’re not as alone as you think.

“Last Saturday, [my husband and I] tailgated at UNT and met a lot of Republicans that day,” said Lisa Hendrickson, who is the Denton County Republican Party chairwoman. “There’s a part of me that thinks college campuses [in Denton] have been written off as all liberal, but the Republicans we ran into congratulated us on our Trump/Pence shirts and made wonderful conversations.”

While Denton attracts a lot of left-wing citizens, Hendrickson said she is continually reminded of how Texas is traditionally conservative.

“The state has a wide Hispanic population,” Hendrickson said. “I met one Hispanic woman, who graduated from UNT, that overheard criticisms from her peers like, ‘We can’t be Republican, we’re not rich.’ In response, she praised the Republican Party for being pro-life, pro-family and encouraging hard work; which are all attributes that Hispanic culture share with us.”

Therefore, liberals need to consider that pure conservative thought has nothing to do with racial, elitist prejudices, just as liberals constantly stress how they’re not all a bunch of pot smoking hipsters who support abortion.

Practitioners of each ideology must realize if one existed without the other, the nation would suffer.

Because of this, it’s a more urgent time than ever for conservatives to rise up.

We hope you all get at least another four years of

a Democrat in office. And let it be a lesson in karma.

When all you do is talk about how terrible everything is, about how mistreated you are and how the liberal media is out to mislead you, you get what you deserve: Donald Trump acting like a fool, opening the door of the Oval Office for Hillary Clinton.

We encourage everyone to discuss politics with some level of reason, which means to avoid shouting that “Hillary killed my son” when we were actually too sheltered to remember what even happened in Benghazi. It doesn’t mean to fall into the “liberal trash bag” trap and respond to every Democratic Facebook status. It doesn’t necessarily mean to go blue in the face for the incessant defense of gun rights.

No, conservatism and liberalism are two sides of a coin that means well altogether. If that population at UNT participated more in campus-wide political discussions, we could work faster to achieve a better world.

Sure, both sides may have to bite bullets and make compromises until the end of time, but the freedom to converse such topics is what freedom is ultimately about. As much as liberalism claims to support several rights, including the freedom of speech, they’ll be ready to listen once the other side is ready to come out of hiding.

In short, we wish for all conservatives to let the student body know what’s on their minds. Social change cannot take place without another perspective to chime in, so your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

It’s okay to be a conservative, and you’re welcome in our newspaper.

North Texas Daily Production Team Hannah Lauritzen | Design editor Linda Kessler | Copy chief Chelsea Watkins | Designer/copy editor Evan McAlister | Designer/copy editor Samuel Wiggins | Staff Illustrator

Business Adam R. Reese | Director 940-565-4265 adam.reese@unt.edu Adela Francis | Advertising Director 940-565-3989 adela.francis@unt.edu

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Faculty Advisor

Gary Ghioto | 940-891-6722 gary.ghioto@unt.edu