North Texas Daily - 09/01/2016

Celebrating 100 years of journalism excellence THURSDAY, SEPT 1, 2016

VOL. 108 .... No. 1

OFF TO THE RACES

NTDAILY.COM

Business freshman Kiana Charles and her mother embrace before the family left her at college. Tomas Gonzalez

Freshmen Hannah and Kayla are excited to move into their new dorm room together at Rawlins Hall. Rawlins Hall features personalized “UNT” bed frames. Kristina Uresti

Students and families line up outside of Kerr Hall while waiting to check in for UNT move-in day. Kristina Uresti

Controlled chaos: move-in day

Another semester begins, another tuition increase

By Jynn Schubert Tuition for traditional undergraduate students is increasing for the 2016-17 school year as part of a plan approved by the university’s Board of Regents in 2014, to better the competitive pay for Academic Affairs.

This, combined with an increased enrollment and an increase in credit hours, totals to an additional $31.1 million in tuition and fee

revenue for the university, according to information provided to the board.

The plan allows for an increase of $2.17 million for faculty salaries, $2 million for UNT’s New College at Frisco’s operational and instructional expenses, and $1.48 million for academic support staff such as academic advisors, among other things.

The salary increase is part of a competitive pay initiative to ensure faculty

Sky McClure is the hall director at Rawlins Hall. On move-in day he had a welcome station for new residents and helped student navigate through the halls. Kristina Uresti

members stay with UNT rather than leaving to join other, competing universities, said Bob Brown, the vice president for finance and administration.

“I do know that two major strategies for the university going forward are to increase reputation of the university, which is a value to everybody who has a transcript here, and the other is to increase

SEE TUITION ON PAGE 2

By Bina Perino New chapters in many students’ lives began this week as they carried minifridges into dorms, explored the campus with family and friends, and met people they’ll live with for the next nine months.

Although move-in day is normally synonymous with stress, clutter and chaos, last Sunday turned out to be surprisingly smooth

according to many volunteers, students and parents who were a part of the madness.

As Bruce Hall director Virnin Bonner said, the whole day was “smooth as butter.”

It’s a sight many students can relate to. It’s move-in week. Parents were trying to have every minor detail in control. Freshmen were rushing to feel that ever-craved sense of freedom. Resident assistants and volunteers were keeping themselves busy trying to help every confused

or overwhelmed person they come in contact with.

Making changes This year, Student Housing developed a more efficient way of moving students into the dorms that would ease the process.

For the move-in process, the scheduled times were staggered at hour intervals so that the hallways would not crowd up. The intervals also

SEE MOVE IN ON PAGE 2

Alabama transfer QB ready to lead North Texas

By Clay Massey For the first time since 2012, graduate transfer Alec Morris will start a game at quarterback in his home state of Texas.

It was a long and frustrating road back to the lone star state for the Allen High School product.

A four­star recruit out of high school, Morris took his talents to Nick Saban’s football empire at the University of Alabama ­­where he barely played.

“For four years I worked my tail off,” Morris said. “Obviously it takes a little bit of a toll on you mentally. I’m having to re­ adjust my mindset coming back here.”

Morris became a two­ time national champion with the Crimson Tide, but threw only one pass in his time at Alabama – a six yard completion against Charleston Southern University.

He was never higher than second on the depth chart in Tuscaloosa.

Despite this, Morris managed to stay game-ready throughout

his tenure with the Crimson Tide, a characteristic paying dividends as he becomes the new man under center at North Texas.

“He better always be ready no matter where he is, because you’re one snap away from being the guy,” Littrell said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s been game

SEE QUARTERBACK ON PAGE 8

Senior quarterback Alec Morris (5) drops back after the snap during practice.

Colin Mitchell

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS

Law School Faces Doubts pg 3 University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law might not earn its accreditation. And that could jeopardize student’s future careers in the field of law.

ARTS & LIFE

Dispatch From Baton Rouge pg 6 & 7 Three of our journalists travelled to Louisiana to observe the devastation that visited the state this summer. Read about a North Texas couple’s journey to help.

SPORTS

Don’t Fall For The Hype pg 8 With a new head football coach and athletic director, it’s easy to think this season will be a big hit. But Clay Massey breaks down why UNT still has big problems.

OPINION

Stand Up And Save The Music pg 11 It is no secret Denton’s live music scene is at risk. And UNT students, faculty and administrators alike need to help save it.

The Editorial Board details why.

NEWS Page 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

UNT tuition increases for 2016-17, students weigh in

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

TUITION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

U.S. targets, kills Islamic State strategist Multiple news outlets in the United States reported this week that Islamic State strategist Abu Muhammad al-Adnani was killed in northern Syria by a U.S. drone strike According to The New York Times, Adnani was a “Key ISIS Officer...” Pentagon officials say the 39-year-old Islamist’s death is a big win for western forces fighting against the terror organization.

That is largely because Adnani was the chief spokesman and propogandist for the Islamic State, The Times reported.

The Islamic State terror group uses social media to recruit westerners.

Men dressed as clowns luring children into the woods in South Carolina Authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, are stepping up efforts to investigate claims that men have been “displaying large amounts of money” to children, apparently an attempt to draw them in the woods near an apartment building.

According to ABC News, children told police, “the clowns stay in a house located near a pond at the end of a man-made trail in the woods.

A parent cited likened the situation to “IT,” by Stephen King.

First female president of Brazil impeached Wednesday by Senate Dilma Rousseff was ousted as Brazil’s president Wednesday. Vice President Michel Temer will likely serve as the Latin American’s country’s president until 2018, when the pair’s term ends.

Rousseff frames the impeachment as a coup, but lawmakers in the country accused her of corruption, saying she misused federal funds.

This brings to an end 13 years of rule by the country’s Worker’s Party. And comes just after the Olympics and before the U.S. presidential election that could set its first female president.

Ireland ordered to force Apple to pay $14.5 billion in unpaid taxes After more than a decade of operating in Ireland, the European Union’s antitrust regulator ruled this week, Apple must return $14.5 billion in taxes it was not forced to pay.

This move, according to The Wall Street Journal, “intensifies a feud between the EU and the U.S. over the bloc’s tax probes into American companies.”

Reports the Journal, “The sum is the highest ever demanded under the EU’s longstanding rules that forbid comapnies from gaining advantages over competitors because of government help.”

U.S. commercial drone use takes off after new laws take effect

student success,” Brown said.

Undergraduate students not on the Eagle Express tuition plan will pay about $10,878 in tuition and fees this year — a 3.9 percent increase from last year. The traditional tuition plan approved in 2014 included a 3.9 percent tuition increase every year until after the 201718 school year. Eagle Express students continue to pay a flat rate of about $10,673.

One of the university’s main concerns is staying on par with its competitors, like the University of Houston, Texas A&M University, University of Texas Austin, Texas Tech University, and University of Texas Dallas.

“Our evaluation this time says that our tuition puts us on a level with the other large universities in Texas,” Brown said. “We’re still competitive with those large comprehensive institutions that have research and large diverse programs.”

Students walk past the Business Leadership Building. | Tristan Miller All traditional students will be paying more per class hours.

Any applicable student taking seven or more credit hours this semester will be paying at least $200 more compared to the 2015-16 school year, and

‘Willy Wonka’ actor dead at 83 The entertainment world was hurt this week after news broke that Gene Wilder, who played famous roles in the 1970s and ‘80s, had died at the age of 83.

He’s most known for his role as Willy Wonk in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” but also played in the 1967 film “The Producers,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles.”

Wilder’s death adds to a list of notable deaths in 2016. Prince died this year, as did author Harper Lee. David Bowie died, too.

And boxer Muhammad Ali died, too. CNN called 2016 the year of celebrity deaths after Wilder died.

MOVE IN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 kept the parking lots from overcrowding, compared to past move-in days.

To transport large numbers of boxes, electronics, and clothes into the dorms, volunteers and resident assistants checked out orange bins and dollies to parents and students.

The improved systems saved time wasted on finding parking, squeezing crowds of families through narrow halls and making several trips back and forth to the car.

“It’s been a little bit hectic getting all of [my] stuff out and

into the room,”Angel Jaramillo computer science freshman said. “I’m excited to be here, though.”

Move-in days in previous years have been haunted with dense clouds that rained down on the parade of televisions, microwaves, and bedding.

Sunday surprised everyone with enough sunshine to keep everyone’s belongings dry.

Chi Alpha intern Haley Gardner and other volunteers braved the heat to lend a hand.

“We’re out here so [freshmen] feel better,” she said. “It helps make the transition easier.”

A sense of community During move-in, strangers also became friends. Music education freshman Brass Burpa and engineering freshman Matt Nguyen were excited to be moving into Rawlins Hall together despite only meeting once several months back.

Burpa said he looked forward to diving into college culture, while Nguyen was excited to have a change of scenery.

“I felt so welcomed,” Burpa said. “The people here are so lively.”

Biology freshman Allison Taylor said the volunteers and move-in day as a whole,

@JynnWasHere

exceeded her expectations.

She said although she was as nervous and anxious, as any freshman taking the leap into college would be, she was glad that move-in day was swift, exciting and not too emotional or difficult.

“Everybody was very helpful.

I look forward to being away from where I grew up,” said Taylor, who is originally from Lubbock. “And, as every freshman, I’m excited to finally have a taste of freedom.”

@binaperino

Cellphone cyber lab to open at UNT After receiving a donation of $350,000 from UNT alumnus Steven Holmes, the criminal justice department will open a new cellphone cyber security lab at the UNT Frisco campus by late September.

The cyber laboratory, the first of its kind for Dallas-Fort Worth, will be dedicated to assisting police department and federal agency investigations by analyzing data from cellular devices used in criminal activities.

“One of the issues we have

found with law enforcement is the analysis of cellphones and cellphone data,” cyber lab director Scott Belshaw said.

Holmes funded the new lab through connections with the UNT Kuehne Speaker Series. He wanted to fund the project for the impact it will have on all of North Texas.

Holmes also wanted to facilitate the investigative need to help solve crimes. The new cyber crime lab will allow students in the College of Criminal Justice to attain experience with law enforcement and the justice system, as well

as offer them training with more advanced technology.

“Right now, the research department has already begun,” Belshaw said. “They’ll develop new technologies, as well as examine in two, three, five years from now, what the technology will be like in cyber-forensics.

We’re also working with other entities such as the North Texas Crime Commission, which is the consortium of law enforcement agencies in North Texas.”

Students who wish to become a part of the new crime lab will be selected after applying.

Undergraduate and graduate

Mexican president reportedly told Donald Trump Mexico’s not paying for wall Donald Trump, who is the Republican nominee for U.S. president, visited with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto Wednesday. And Trump told the press that talk about his famous wall on the U.S.-Mexico border was not discussed. But, as National Public Radio reported, the Mexican president tweeted otherwise.

The two discussed a future of strengthening ties between the two neighboring countries.

said. “This isn’t shocking to me that UNT raised tuition, but it does hurt me financially which really sucks.”

Move-in day ‘smooth as butter’

By Steven Payne

On Monday, a new era in drone flights began in the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration ruled earlier this summer that drones under 55 pounds could fly commercially when driven by a pilot, at least 16 years old, who passed a test.

But companies looking to deliver products with drones didn’t get that lucky; the FAA says the drone must always be seen by the pilot while flying.

students taking 12 or more hours will be paying over $400 more.

“I was barely able to cover my tuition last year and now my student debt is going to increase,” kinesiology sophomore Isaiah Gutierrez

UNT’s campus in Frisco. | Colin Mitchell

students will be assisting the senior analysts, Belshaw and the law enforcement.

“It’s no different than if you went down and did an internship at a police agency. It’s the same thing,” Belshaw said. “It won’t be where anyone can come, [though] because of the sensitivity of the information and what we’re gathering. We’re handling very sensitive cases when dealing with cellphones.”

The Frisco location was chosen for the new crime lab since it acts as a technology hub for UNT. It also offered UNT a close proximity to the future partners and companies that will work with the crime lab.

“The president’s goal has always been to have technology down in Frisco, and he has this vision to be able to grow Frisco as UNT’s technology hub,” Belshaw said. “I saw it as a perfect marriage. We could put our facility down there and we had the space for it. Space here in Denton is very hard to get when it comes to on campus, but down in Frisco, it was great because we have that space.”

The lab will also receive additional funding from the classes it will offer for UNT students, as well as from law enforcement and federal agencies who pay the lab for its service in assisting in criminal investigations in the years to come.

TRENDING #VideoMusicAwards2016 @ntdaily @thedose_ntdaily

Kanye West, Beyonce, Britney Spears: the music industry gathered this week for MTV’s annual celebration.

#iPhone7

Apple will release a new phone next week, likely to be called the iPhone 7.

#Weiner

Anthony Weiner, the troubled New York politican found himself in the national spotlight once again.

#Kaepernick7

Colin Kaepernick, San Franciso’s star quarterback, stood up for black Americans - and the internet reacted as expected.

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 3

American Bar Association Doubts UNT Dallas College of Law

By Cierra Edmondson The UNT Dallas College of Law was struggling without accreditation from the American Bar Association in June, and law students can’t take the bar exam unless the law school takes it to the Supreme Court of Texas.

The school will file a petition with the court if the American Bar Association denies the College of Law’s request for provisional approval in October. There have been two times where the Supreme Court of Texas has waived the accreditation requirement for students taking the bar exam, UNT’s law school officials said.

The school’s main mission is to provide a less-costly and more hands-on curriculum to a diverse student body. This, however, is a key reason why the young law school is facing headwinds.

The American Bar Association reviewed the school in late June and noted the students’ comparatively low LSAT scores in its recommendation letter.

The UNT Board of Regents set a goal for the law school

in its first year — to have an LSAT score of 150 for the 50th percentile of its entering class.

The UNTD College of Law has not achieved that goal and “does not appear to have conducted any meaningful study or examination” of why this is other than “reviewing the success of the students admitted,” the ABA wrote in the letter.

While the ABA is concerned about the school’s lower test scores and overall academic standards, the law school still has support from the Dallas Bar Association, as well as the federal, state, county and state judiciary in North Texas, Tricia Magel, UNTD law school’s director of marketing and communications said.

The college responded to the failed recommendation by providing additional documentation to the ABA. Only the ABA Accreditation Council has the authority to deny or grant accreditation status. The council will make a decision later this year, after a meeting with school leaders in late October 2016.

“Our faculty and administration has many wellknown and highly respected attorneys, legal scholars and former judges,” Magel said.

“City and county leadership stand firmly behind the mission of the school.”

Despite the ABA’s indifference to the law school’s mission, the ABA also expressed interested in creating a more diverse law field. According to the State Bar of Texas Attorney Statistical Profile, a 2016 data chart shows that 83.9 percent of attorneys are white, that leaves only 16.1 percent to minorities.

The law school attracts students who share the commitment to making legal services available to more citizens, to middle class families, small businesses, nonprofit organizations and wealthy corporations.

“I would tell students applying to law school to come visit us, and learn about the advantages of attending UNT Dallas College of Law, as part of making a decision,” said Dean Royal Furgeson. “It doesn’t mean every student will find

our law school to be a good fit, but we are a good fit for the many students who have chosen to entrust us with their law school education.”

UNTD College of Law has the lowest law tuition in Texas at $15,133 per year compared to almost twice that price at Texas A&M University School of Law. “Legal services are just unaffordable for the very poor, and pretty much at all for middle income individuals,” Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht told The Texas Lawbook. “I spoke at the UNT’s convocation, so I’ve already made up my mind. I’m for them.”

@Edmondson_C2017

Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

Fry Street Bouncers: Soldiers of Misfortune

By Austin Jackson Posted on the frontlines of Fry Street, a bouncer in a black “STAFF” t-shirt and iconic backwards fitted baseball cap breathes in the humid soup of cigarettes, whiskey breath and sweet perfume as Wednesday night boils into the hot-mess of Thirsty Thursday morning.

Mac, who asked for his last name not to be included, said working security six nights a week at Public House over the past 18 months has left him jaded by the grind, the drunks, the tired routine and the drama that makes it interesting.

But worst of all, he said, was losing faith in people.

“I don’t really give a flying shit,” Mac said. “I’ve been called every damn name under the sun.

Been punched, kicked, spit on.

It’s not exactly a position to make friends.”

But Mac’s experience is the exception, not the rule. Each bar on Fry has it’s own culture that legislates their drink specials to bar security.

Bouncers at Lucky Lou’s, Rip Rocks, the Garage, the Library, the Tavern and Tom’s Daiquiri all said they very rarely, if ever, have confrontational customers who resort to violence against the staff.

“The guys from Public House, they get in fights every two weeks,” Tom’s Daiquiri bartender Drew Kee said. “It gets bad over there. They’re the real MVPs.” Kee, who’s worked on both sides of the bar, said physicality is overrated for the job, and what separates good bouncers from the pack is patience. According to Kee, “killing people with kindness” works more often than the alternative.

The bouncers at Public House try playing nice, but Mac hasn’t seen it be very effective. He said you have to be either physically or verbally assertive, and for Mac, sometimes you have to be both.

“If you’re a drunk asshole, you’re a drunk asshole,” Mac said.

“I just tell ‘em, ‘hey you’re drunk, asshole, you need to leave.’ If they get violent, I get to have fun” The only time Mac gets to “have fun” is to defend himself from attacking customers. But he isn’t allowed to punch, kick, tackle or put customers in a chokehold. Instead he is only allowed to “restrain” customers, not explaining what that involves.

He said the key to bouncing is staying productive until something “pops off.”

Mac said the reason there are more fights at Public House was due to the amount of people they house. There’s more people, so the odds increase.

But if possible, he avoids putting his hands on customers because bars sell themselves most effectively with word-of-mouth marketing and return customers.

A dress code and angry customers Denton residents Anita Narbaez, 23, and Cory Dowe, 26, said the bouncers at Public House

treated them unfairly because they were black. Narbaez said it was her first and worst negative experience with a bouncer.

Anita’s boyfriend, who declined to comment, started the initial conversation with Mac. “Hey, is there a charge to get in?” Narbaez’s boyfriend asked.

“Yeah, 200,000 Dollars,” Mac sarcastically replied.

“Ahhh, you being serious?”

Narbaez’s boyfriend questioned.

“Who the fuck walks around here with 200,000,” Mac said, laughing.

Narbaez proceeded to say they had friends inside, prompting Mac to ask what their friends looked like.

“damage control.”

Bloomquist said it’s fun doing what he does and has met a lot of good people, but the biggest thing that’s changed since he started working at a bar is his alcohol intake.

“Bouncing gave me perspective on control. I actually started drinking less than before I

girl or a dude, if you’re too drunk, you become a liability to us if we let you in here,” Duran said. “They put our liquor license on the line.

The [bouncer’s] job on the line. It can even get a bartender arrested.

There are a lot of risk factors.”

Duran said Fry Street bouncers, bartenders, owners and police officers are all cogs that

make Fry Street work.

“If there’s a problem for one bar, we got a problem for all the bars,” Duran said.

@a_jack17

Welcome to the new academic year.

No one answered.

After a few moments, Mac said the blank white t-shirts they were wearing was against the bar’s dress code. Mac said if they had another shirt to wear, they’d be welcome to come inside.

Narbaez then walked to the window to confirm what she already knew.

“What about all this people in blank shirts right there? And there? And there?” she said.

“Where?” Mac said, walking to look at the window.

“Right there, the white boy in the blue shirt playing pool!”

Narbaez said.

After seeing the shirts first hand, Mac said, “You called me on my bullshit, so I got to [let y’all in] now.”

Though Narbaez said she was angry, she decided to not let the bouncer waste anymore of her time and energy. She said she couldn’t know for sure why he didn’t stop the others for being in violation, but she did notice that more than three of the blank shirts she saw in the window were worn by white men.

“There’s no way in hell that they didn’t see all these people in those shirts,” Narbaez said. “It was the first thing I noticed.”

Mac said it’s common for people to take dress code violations personally, but he said color doesn’t factor into his decision.

“Normally [people think] it’s a race thing. They said, ‘oh, it’s because I’m black, it’s ‘cause I’m Mexican,’” Mac said. “Which is complete horseshit, I don’t give a fuck what color you are. If you look clean we’ll let you in. If you don’t look clean, we won’t.”

Working hard Chris Bloomquist has worked at Library Bar as a bouncer since it opened in February. He said bouncers can be victims of prejudice, too. He goes out of his way to show people he’s not just another bully in a “black t-shirt.”

“I don’t want to compare bouncers to officers, but just like an officer, we’re a person in a t-shirt,” Bloomquist said.

Bloomquist, a interdisciplinary arts sophomore, tries to connect with customers on a personal level, laughing and dancing outside to lure more customers. He said if a situation arises, though, he flips the switch and uses his body as

worked here,” Bloomquist said.”I began asking myself, ‘when I’m messed up, do I look like that?’

Man—people lose a lot when they’re drunk.”

Adam Duran, owner of Fry Street Tavern, said bouncers carry a large responsibility on their shoulders.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a pretty

Your time as a college student is one of the biggest milestones in your life. With a college education, you’ll have more fulfilling careers, earn more money and lead healthy, productive lives. With a degree from UNT, you’ll go farther, faster!

It’s a great time to be part of the UNT family. We’re continually recognized as an America’s Top College by Forbes, The Princeton Review annually names us a Best in the West university, and we’re repeatedly recognized as one of America’s Best College Buys®. We’re also ranked among the nation’s 115 Tier One research universities, according to the Carnegie Classification.

You’re also part of a caring campus community — one of the best I’ve experienced. We’re family.

We’re here for each other. And we have so much to be proud of.

We promise to give you the best education in Texas. We’ve got outstanding faculty and staff, a great support network and career-focused resources to help you stay on track and succeed.

Make sure to get involved and take advantage of being at a university with a Division I athletics program. We’ve got a new football coach who is ambitious, experienced and is ready to let it fly this season!

Good luck this year and have fun! If you see me on campus, stop, and say hi and take a selfie.

I love talking to students.

UNT Proud,

AA/EOE/ADA © 2016 UNT URCM 8/16 (16-271)

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 4

Denton petition for new skate park a success, planning underway

By Kyle Martin A small crew of skaters at Denton Skate Supply is looking beyond selling skateboards and more toward benefitting Denton’s skateboarding community. The crew, dedicated to all things “skate” in Denton, have petitioned the city to build a new skate park.

Their petition convinced the city of their cause and plans for a new park are now underway.

“We drink here, we eat here, we party here, we spend our money here, we live here [and] we work here,” Denton Skate employee Derek Vitiello said.

“The only thing we don’t do is skate here.”

Vitiello, 23, is one of less than 10 employees at Denton Skate Supply and specializes in longboarding and used car sales.

He also helped to petition the city. The petition put together by the skate shop crew received just around 1,200 signatures, according to Vitiello.

Frustration and complacency are two of the main amenities found in the old skate park, which is home to outdated skate ramps, lack of energy and overall downtrodden hopes and dreams of big air and runs. The skate shop could no longer take the “eyesore,” and put together a

petition, circa September 2014, for something more tailored to the talent of skaters in the Denton community.

“Of course when you tell skaters and people that come in all the time, ‘Hey, we’re starting a petition!’ you know, they’re like, ‘Cool, where do I sign?’” Vitiello said.

Crit Kiley and his older brother, Josh, are co-owners of the skate shop and have been skating since they were just kids.

Dedicated to the cause, Crit is excited for the project and where it is headed. However, because it is such a grand endeavor, set with a price tag of roughly $1.52 million, there isn’t always smooth sailing and often times momentum is halted.

“They do seem pretty understanding about the whole thing though,” Crit said. “We’ve just got to keep on them.”

Since gaining the signatures, the Denton Skate crew has attended city council meetings, put together presentations and worked closely with city representatives from Parks and Recreation to expedite the process.

Jim Mays, Superintendent of Planning and Construction with the city of Denton Parks and Recreation Department, says he

is excited to get the project going.

“Before we go … to design, what I always like to do is make sure we’re doing things the safest way possible,” Mays said.

So far, Mays has delegated an engineer to work with several focus groups, put together by Denton Skate Supply, to come up with plans to redesign and rearrange the old skate park.

Sam O’Donnell of Denton Skate Supply is chair and spokesperson for a skate park committee that has been put together to get the kinks worked out for this project. Another one of O’Donnell’s jobs is to make sure open communication is maintained between the city and those involved with the project. The committee is made up of a chair, subchair, secretary and roughly 12 other members.

They work closely with the city and the focus groups to make sure that plans for the skatepark run smoothly and that the final product is everything they want it to be.

“We’ve expressed our desire to have it as center to Denton as possible - as close to the Square or in between the two major campuses to be more accessible,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell and the committee has put together three focus

Denton sprays for mosquitoes after resident tests positive for Zika virus

By Brittney Tabor Denton Record-Chronicle Workers were out Monday in the 1600 block of Buena Vista Drive in southwest Denton spraying to reduce mosquito populations in the area.

The spraying came only two days after officials with the city went door to door asking residents in the area for permission to spray on their property. City officials say a Denton resident tested positive for Zika after traveling to Puerto Rico recently.

The spraying is a precautionary measure to reduce mosquito populations that may come in contact with infected patients and spread the virus to other people.

Shortly after 9 a.m. and through noon Monday, workers in long-sleeved, neon green shirts, tan pants and protective gear sprayed an estimated two dozen homes. Three types of sprays were used to kill adult mosquitoes and prevent existing larvae and any future eggs from maturing to adulthood, according to city officials.

“This morning, it looked like hazmat city out there,” said Mara Mills, a Buena Vista resident who had areas around her home sprayed Monday.

Residents at 24 homes were asked Saturday for permission to spray around their homes between Sunday and Wednesday, and of those, the city got permission to spray at 22, said Kenneth Banks, director of environmental services for the city of Denton.

He said the city used a contracted service, Municipal Mosquito, to spray around the homes.

“It was just a precautionary measure to make sure that we eliminate mosquito populations in close proximity to the human case,” Banks said. “We’re taking many, many levels of precautions here.

“I know that it’s a bit of an inconvenience and some [concern] about this … but I really appreciate everyone’s cooperation.”

Mills, who has lived on Buena Vista more than seven years, said she and her neighbors received a notice Saturday that a Denton resident had been diagnosed with Zika and there would be spraying done on her street. She said not much is known about the patient.

“The firemen explained to us that the mosquitoes don’t travel

Mara Mills stands in the backyard of her home in the 1600 block of Buena Vista Drive that was sprayed to kill mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus Monday in Denton. Barron Ludlum| Denton Record-Chronicle very far,” she said. “They stay very close to where they breed.

That’s why they’re not doing the whole neighborhood.”

Learning her block would be sprayed didn’t concern her much, Mills said, because she felt pregnant women and others are more at risk than her. She said workers spent about 10 minutes spaying at her home Monday.

“I’m glad the city is doing something,” Mills said.

Rebeckah Martin, a resident who moved onto Buena Vista last month, said she and her roommates were mostly concerned about whether the spraying would affect the four dogs in their home, but firefighters who came by homes Saturday with permission slips said there was nothing to fear.

Martin said she researched Zika online and was not too concerned someone nearby had been diagnosed with it, and she saw little chance she might become infected.

“We were wondering what are the odds that not only is it [Zika] in Denton but it was on our street,” Martin said. “They assured us that it’s nothing to be worried about. They just wanted to take extra precaution.”

Matt Richardson, Denton County public health director, said that in an effort to prevent the Denton resident diagnosed with Zika from being bitten by another mosquito, his department prepared a kit with information about the virus, insect repellent and condoms just as it has for other county residents who’ve tested positive for Zika. It also recommended that Denton as well as previous municipalities affected conduct ground spraying.

The Denton resident, who was not identified for privacy reasons, is the fifth in Denton County to test positive for Zika, according to public health officials.

Since April, residents from

Carrollton, Lewisville, Pilot Point, Denton and an area of the county not identified by public health officials have tested positive for Zika after traveling abroad to countries with active transmission.

To date, there’s been no local transmission of Zika in Denton County, and people infected with Zika all were diagnosed after traveling.

Zika virus, which is spread through mosquito bites and sometimes sexual transmission, is typically mild and lasts no more than a week, public health officials say.

Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.

Pregnant women infected with Zika can transmit the virus to their fetus, and the virus could cause birth defects.

As of Aug. 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported there were 2,517 Zika-related cases in the United States and 9,011 in U.S. territories.

In Texas, 125 people have been infected with Zika, according to the CDC. Of those in the United States with Zika, 2,487 were infected while traveling, 29 acquired Zika locally, most of which were in the MiamiDade County area of Florida.

One person testing positive for Zika in the United States was a laboratory-acquired case.

More than anything, the recent cases of Zika in Denton County “highlights the risk of travel to Zika-associated regions,” Richardson said.

“We recommend that people are aware when traveling abroad … and we emphasize bite prevention to them,” he said. “We haven’t seen any local transmission besides Miami so we’re encouraged by that.”

Sam O’Donnell and the co-owners of Denton Skate Supply have worked together to create a new skate park. O’Donnell is the spokesperson to bridge the gap between the needs of the skatepark and the City of Denton Parks and Recreation Department. Tomas Gonzalez groups to get accurate representation from the skate community on what should be in the designs of the project.

O’Donnell says the focus groups have been anywhere from larger groups with public input, to smaller, more intimate groups wherein private consultants would lend expertise and insight for the new park. The advantage of having these focus groups is having access to people with a passion for their project who will come up with creative concepts for the new park that skaters and community members could all

enjoy.

“I know there’s a big trails, or ‘mobility plan’ is what they’re calling it, coming up here soon that’s going to get built,” O’Donnell said. “There’s supposed to be trails all around Denton, like walking and hiking trails. You know, if you could throw in one little skate obstacle every five miles, ten miles, something like that, just to kind of have something for each neighborhood to skate. Not a huge skate park, but even one little obstacle that’s allowed to be skated without getting stopped

by the police. It would be a huge benefit to the neighborhood surrounding it.”

Mays, spirited about getting Denton a new park, said he wants to make sure he is doing right by the community.

“I fully agree that this is something that we need,” Mays said. “It’s a signature element that we want in our community and I’m 100 percent behind it.”

@Kyle_Martin35

Denton musicians and locals take a stance on music venue closures

By Victoria Monteros The crowd at the Denton music town hall was large, loud and ready for their voices to be heard.

After key music venues in Denton closed this year, more locals and musicians worry for the future of the city’s vibrant music and entertainment sector that has been a part of Denton’s brand for decades.

At the music town hall meeting, panelist and audience member topics included music venue closures, a lack of funding and the need to help the Denton music community.

So, what’s next for Denton’s music scene?

“People just don’t want to pay and go see shows,” said Sarah Button, the Dentonite founder and music town hall panelist. “It’s hard for a business to pay bands, pay overheads to open their venues, pay their employees to be there and then have 10 or 15 people to attend a show. You can only take so many losses like that.”

Angry mobs Although Button said businesses are not profiting much from shows, the people who attend them have been expressing concern over the changes being made.

According to locals, some of the biggest issues the Denton music scene is facing are a lack of space and an increasingly smaller amount of venues for musicians to utilize.

Venues have closed because they can no longer sustain themselves with shrinking crowds.

Midlake lead singer Eric Pulido said he has personally been affected by the venue closures. Pulido has not only played in venues all over Denton, but he also attends other shows and concerts of local artists.

“To watch iconic venues close their doors in Denton has been a tough thing to see happening, especially Rubber Gloves,” Pulido said.

The first venue Midlake ever performed at was The Rib Shack, which was located on Avenue B before the building became Oriental Garden. They eventually performed at Rubber Gloves, which was near the A-Train station downtown.

“Although personal reasons have

played a role in the demise of these venues, the lack of support from the community to get out and see and pay for shows has lessened,” Pulido said. “You just have to dig in, get to work, and connect with the many out there that are willing to jump in with you.”

But with two universities full of students looking for musical entertainment, the lack of spaces providing this medium of expression is dwindling.

At the music town hall meeting, UNT President Neal Smatresk chimed in and told the crowd that he wanted UNT to help in any way that it could, since the music community is such a large part in Denton.

“What I hope for is the fusion and creativity of technology,” he said. “[Sack N Save is] another place that will make a really good place for very free expression for some of the bands and groups and creative energy that I see here tonight. I wish you all the great luck and if UNT can help, let me know.”

Bringing in business Many people still feel steps need to be taken to liven Denton’s music spirit and Button said in some ways, local businesses can pitch in to help.

There are many opportunities for places around Denton to be utilized as music venues, she said.

“I feel like there’s more of an urge right now in the community for people to find these creative spaces for people to play in the wake of having all the venue closings,” Button said.

The closings of these venues are making restaurants and other Denton hot spots the ideal place for shows.

“We just have to think about the ‘where else?’ ” Button said.

An idea brought up by members at the Music Town Hall was the creation of a “DIY” music space, which members at the meeting explained as an accessible, low cost venue that is run by the community.

1919 Hemphill, an all-ages DIY space located in Fort Worth, was brought up as an example. 1919 Hemphill provides an alcohol and smoke-free environment for people ages six to 60 to see shows for $6 or less. The 1919 Hemphill space

survives off of small donations and money earned from shows.

The establishment of a space like this, however, would be a huge economic undertaking for Denton because it would require donations, or some form of financial support.

Some are in favor of establishing a GoFundMe for the project.

Another debate that coincides with opening a DIY music venue is whether alcohol would be sold.

Some are not in favor of alcohol being served to create an all-ages environment.

Others, like Rubber Gloves owner Josh Baish, believe that not serving alcohol leaves out a huge group of people who would otherwise want to attend shows at the DIY space. Not serving alcohol would also to make it difficult to sustain the community music space.

“To become a legitimate venue, you have to make money. You have to pay your taxes. You have to pay your employees,” Baish said. “The expense is just tremendous, and the sure fire way is to sell alcohol.”

Another issue surrounding the possible establishment of a community space is whether to involve the city of Denton.

Michael Seman, a panelist and UNT Economic Research Group member, said that without even a little involvement from the city, finding new places to establish venues and a community space would be extremely difficult.

“Without city involvement, we’re not going to be able to find a space at this point,” Seman said. “It’s going to be too expensive to make something work. We need to all kind of come together.”

Regardless of the debated topics, however, many Denton residents can agree on the fact that something needs to be done regarding the music scene.

“Just email or call us. We represent everyone who has a stake in the city,” councilwoman Keely Briggs tweeted. “Citizens, businesses, students. But yes, VOTE.” Whether music town hall meetings continue, those who are passionate about the issue won’t rest until something is done. She suggested first thing the music scene should do is bring their ideas together instead of losing track of the issue by splitting into different directions.

“We could meet [altogether] so the music commission can keep the people who are deciding the future of this city up to date with what’s going on our music scene, so there’s no disconnect there,” Button said. “[In the end], building something instead of settling for nothing is progression.”

@ToriLaSuper A citizen speaks to the music town hall about the importance of going out into the community to support local artists and musicians. Antonio Soresh

ARTS & LIFE Page 5

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

A night with Charlie Daniels at the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo

By Bina Perino The smell of fried turkey legs, warm beer and sweaty mud-coated bulls lingered in the air from the past nine nights of the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo. Screams from the spinning, twinkling rides collided with the live bands on stage. The energy of excited rodeo fans radiated through the crowds.

And on the last night, a crowd of people waited in the Texas sun as the Budweiser stage lit up for its last performance of the Fair and Rodeo. The singer in the spotlight was Charlie Daniels, an American country-bluegrass-southern rock

multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and singer.

At 79, Daniels jumped out on stage and contributed to the energy of the rowdy crowd. From the first instant his bow hit the fiddle to the brief moments following his exit, he kept his audience engaged. There was variety in his setlist, from his classic hits like the “Devil Went Down to Georgia” to songs from his latest album, “Off the Grid,” released this past April. Nothing of the show fell short of familiar and fun.

The crowd shouted the lyrics and tapped their boots. People were shoulder to shoulder. Although this

made dancing carried through near impossible, the show. it didn’t stop As the show people from went on, the trying.

The crowd became pavement was so thick and radiating heat, dense that but that did not hardly anybody turn away the could move. cheering fans.

Nobody could Most had been weave their standing on way in or out their feet for an of that crowd.

Musician Charlie Daniels.

Photo by Chester L. Roberts hour or two just Everyone was to stand near the heel to toe with stage. Cell phones spied on Daniels one another, trying to get as much from the moment he stepped out. out the experience as possible.

The momentum of the crowd On the edge of the crowd, people

were still taking pictures and maneuvering their heads to see him.

Despite the large size of the crowd, Daniels did not have a hard time keeping their attention. Though there was a rodeo on one side of the fair and extreme rides on the other, the sound of his fiddle kept the crowd building until the show was over. People trickled down from the rodeo bleachers to catch the glimpse of Daniels playing. It was an entertaining show, full of nostalgia and excitement. Even mothers with teary-eyed children ready for bed stood firmly to watch Daniels until the very end.

Before long, the sound of his

By Amanda Dyeus

Two mosquitoes are examined under a microscope in a UNT laboratory on Tuesday. Hannah Ridings | Senior Staff Photographer

MTV’s Catfish host Nev Schulman speaks to crowd at UNT hop, skipped and jumped around.”

Schulman was a photographer and filmmaker in New York City prior to being subject of the documentary, according to his website biography.

First, Schulman emphasized how to be brutally honest with oneself and how to find the right group of friends to be surrounded by.

“I got really bummed, I lost my best friend, things bottomed out,” Schulman said. “That started the progression towards the Nev you know, which is the Nev I like.”

He mentioned that he still talks to some of his clients from the past, described how he met his nowpregnant fiancée (by sliding into her Instagram DM’s) and emphasized practicing safe sext.

Schulman rhetorically

@binaperino

New ‘Harry Potter’ book is a big disappointment

Nev Schulman, MTV’s Catfish host, welcomes the University of North Texas freshmen in the Coliseum. Schulman discussed the importance of social media safety and “do’s and do not’s” when posting to social media. Tomas Gonzalez

MTV’s “Catfish” host Nev Schulman spoke to an intimate crowd of UNT students and staff Monday night about being yourself and the unexpected turns of life — two lessons reiterated from the TV show about online dating.

Yaniv ‘Nev’ Schulman introduced himself at the First Flight event, showing a video of how he came to the 2010 documentary “Catfish.” The documentary showed his own experience being catfished and Schulman translated the premise into the now ever popular MTV show by the same name.

He said at 19 he wouldn’t have wanted to be the host of an MTV show.

“But this is what I’m doing. I’m loving it, and I’m having a great time,” Schulman said. “I did a lot of weird stuff, but I never pursued it — I kind of

band shrouded the sounds of the fair, stealing the attention away from other festivities. Many people had been to pop-up fairs before and seen a rodeo, but they would not miss out on the opportunity to see Daniels play.

Daniels was the perfect ending to the Texas rodeo tradition. For the duration of the fair, attendees got to enjoy livestock shows, local barbecue, carnival rides, local contests, rodeos and live music.

asked the crowd, “What is a catfish?” He explained the reasoning behind naming his show “Catfish,” noting that Texas is one of the most frequented places by he and his partner, Max Joseph.

“For me, success is nothing I really had planned. It came in a strange way,” Schulman said. “Don’t worry too much about making too many friends. I used to be the class clown and threw big parties, but it’s hard to hang out with people when you are focused on that.”

Drawing and painting senior Curtis Kimberlin said he is a huge fan of Schulman and is glad he attended the lecture.

“I felt like I was inspired by his lecture,” Kimberlin said. “I liked his talk about self-confidence, how he was in a bad state and how he learned from it. It’s awesome that he is using

his own platform to do this.”

Psychology sophomore Amber Malooly said the speech was something she wasn’t expecting.

“From watching him on TV, you have a different idea of what his personality will be,” Malooly said. “I feel like if you have common sense, you shouldn’t need to relearn all of the things he was talking about.”

Schulman told the crowd to enjoy life now.

“Don’t rush, don’t worry, you have time,” he said.

“Take your time. Enjoy it.

Make good friends. Have fun. Try new things and keep trying new things.

If you aren’t nervous or excited, ask yourself if you really want to do it. Keep talking and thinking.”

@falconjulia22

After Harry has an important conversation with Albus Dumbledore’s portrait in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” he’s given this advice from Minerva McGonagall: “Portraits don’t even represent half of their subjects.

It is supposed to be a support mechanism for the decisions I have to make. But I was advised as I took this job to not mistake the painting for the person.”

When you read “Cursed Child,” I advise you not to mistake it for a “Harry Potter” book. It doesn’t even represent half of this series. For many, it is a support mechanism, a nostalgia­ -fueled ride that eases some longings and invites new ones. For many others, it is something else. While I have no doubt that the live production is a joy to watch, and the events that occur within it are interesting, this play is not very good.

It must be acknowledged that “Cursed Child” is, indeed, a play, and not written by J.K. Rowling. Anyone looking for the next “Potter” book will definitely be disappointed. The script was written by Jack Thorne, the production directed by John Tiffany and only the storyline credited to J.K. Rowling.

This story is decently entertaining, but so absurd and cliché that it’s unfathomable how the same writer of seven brilliant books thought up this jumbled mess. It’s rife with plot holes, ridiculous time-­ traveling, random instances of magic and an altogether underwhelming villain.

The simplified version is this: Harry does not understand nor get along with his son, Albus.

Albus befriends Draco Malfoy’s son, Scorpius. The two embark on a journey to “spare the spare,” Cedric Diggory, alongside Amos Diggory’s supposed niece, Delphini. They travel back and forth in time as Albus attempts to right his annoying father’s wrongs, and Scorpius, the play’s saving grace, attempts to be a good friend.

Eventually, it’s revealed that all the time travel was pointless, Delphini is actually Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange’s illegitimate daughter and Harry Potter must travel back in time, transfigure into Voldemort and stop her from changing history. Seriously. He just transfigures into Voldemort.

Is that allowed? Why is Polyjuice Potion a thing, then? Why hasn’t anyone done that before? What is this nonsense?

The antagonist, the “cursed child” of two of the cruelest villains in recent literary history, is wholly disappointing­­as is the representation of a world many have been waiting nine years to reconnect with. Thorne tries his best to weave Rowling’s signature magic into characters new and old, but falls short too often. It’s as if he was told a synopsis of the Harry Potter series, perhaps saw the movies, and wrote this script with that limited information.

Beloved characters become one­-dimensional, participating in plot points that contradict their seven-book-arc personalities.

Within the context of this play

alone, Harry Potter is a narrow-­ minded father, Hermione Granger is surprisingly cold and Ron Weasley is completely butchered; reduced to a drunken fool for comic relief that’s rarely comic. While supporting roles like McGonagall and Draco are portrayed accurately, it’s hard to immerse oneself in a story when once familiar characters feel so unlike themselves.

It is with his original characters that Thorne finally shows potential. Albus, while flawed, is an enticing and headstrong lead.

Yet, it’s his partner-­ in-­ crime, Scorpius, that shines as the story’s true protagonist. He is endearing, hilarious and brilliant­­ ; often picking up on things that Albus cannot.

Their friendship makes “Cursed Child” more bearable than not, and likely a pleasure to watch. They reflect some of the strongest themes in the Potterverse,­ friendship and acceptance,­even when Thorne’s depraved Harry thinks they should be kept apart.

The love and support they often express through well­ -written banter is a nice reprieve from the rest of the story. In fact, the two are a more loving couple than Ron and Hermione unfortunately.

The boys spur the plot along, teaming up with Delphini to unknowingly fulfill a prophecy and ruin history. Delphini (as an accomplice) is not a bad character; she just falls flat once her evil purpose becomes clear. Perhaps it’s unfair to compare her to Voldemort and Bellatrix, with their rich backstories, but it once again pales in comparison to the “Potter” legacy.

As a passionate fan, it’s disappointing to see the ways things don’t add up, how characters react out of character or flaws present themselves in the endgame. In one scene where Scorpius and Albus disarm Cedric in the Triwizard Tournament, Ludo Bagman states that it looks as if Dark Magic was used. If so, why would the judges accept that and allow him to lose?

Would they not call interference?

How does this plan make a lick of sense and change history?

To be fair, you should read it anyway. Read it because it is, flaws and all, still a “Harry Potter” story.

Read it because it will still have the power to make you think, to feel until you burst, to laugh, to cry; sometimes from pure frustration, sometimes from nostalgia. Read it­­even though it’s not what J.K. Rowling’s classic universe deserves.

@AmandaDycus

Harry Potter World Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 6

Powering Relief North Texas organization helps out in BatonRouge

By Kyle Martin & Adalberto Toledo BATON ROUGE — There are scenes of devastation. Homes have been gutted and families have lost everything they own. This is the worst natural disaster in the United States since Hurricane Sandy.

During grief and disaster in the Louisiana capital, hope sits in a Home Depot parking lot.

The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit, dispatches relief teams to restore communication between family members as well as provide

logistical support for emergency services.

When phone lines go down and an internet connection is nowhere to be found, the job of ITDRC volunteers, like operations director Joe Hillis and administrative assistant Debbie Hillis, is to reconnect loved ones amid the chaos of a disaster event.

With 24 years of emergency service experience as a firefighter and EMT, Joe is no stranger to disaster.

“This whole concept came after [Sept. 11]. There was a technician in New York City who proposed the creation of a national cadre of volunteer tech people,” Joe said.

“And his vision was that it would

be a uniformed, credentialed team of volunteers just like the national guard. The vision went deeper to say that they would help America recover from telecommunications disasters.”

Founded in 2008, the organization now has hundreds of volunteers who get dispatched all over the country year-round to

natural disasters as they happen.

Joe and Debbie joined the group as their “post-retirement gig.”

“We go all over the country finding out what the community really needs, tech-wise,” Joe said.

“I know what you need, but I need you to know what you need. If the fire department doesn’t have enough phone lines, for example,

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 7

Top Left: Glenda Mora looks out over toward her neighborhood on Bluff Road Aug. 23 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Hannah Ridings Top right: Joe and Debbie Hillis map out damaged homes in the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center bus Aug. 23 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hannah Ridings Bottom right: Damaged belongings of multiple homes and businesses line the streets Aug, 23 in downtown Denham Springs, Louisiana.

Hannah Ridings we provide that for them.”

Their job doesn’t focus only on logistics. ITDRC provides what they call “mass care” for survivors, like internet access and entertainment. Although their main task is supporting relief groups like Team Rubicon, NRG Energy’s relief wing Power2Serve, ToolBank and MissionsOnWheels so they can go out into the most affected areas without worrying about internet connection or phone service.

“Everybody supports everybody,” Debbie said. “It’s a big ol’ family.”

Team Rubicon, a nongovernmental organization which specializes in “crisis cleanup,” dispatches teams of volunteers throughout disaster zones. They operate out of a a repurposed big-rig trailer, equipped with computers, desks and phones -- their “mobile command center” -- which is powered by NRG and connected to the internet via ITDRC. Teams have briefings at 8 a.m., grab tools out of the ready onsite ToolBank and head out into affected areas to work all day.

When their work day is done, they return to a hot shower in the MissionsOnWheels shower trailer.

“Teams will go out and hit every single address [in their database] and see what’s going on,” said Nick Mirzlak, a Team Rubicon volunteer. “If everybody else in the neighborhood got help, then somebody will come by and look at them. They won’t get lost.”

Team

Rubicon’s

“

You’re going to be doing 50 percent work and 50 percent hugging ...

Everybody needs a hug.”

operating base, along with the rest of the FOB, is powered 24/7 on-site by NRG’s relief group Power2Serve. This group brings a “solar farm” with them, or a system of solar panels that collects solar energy during the day, as well as batteries and gas generators. Power2Serve is run by credentialed volunteers who take time out of their normal work year to go to disaster sites and help relief efforts.

“Our role has developed into supporting the people that support everyone else. We just make sure that Team Rubicon, Joe and Debbie can help people,” said Jimmy Hill, who has been involved with NRG for nearly 40 years.

mobile

NRG Energy saw the need to deploy some sort of relief effort after the effects of Hurricane Sandy, in 2012. The hurricane caused widespread power outages throughout the Northeast so the New Jersey-based energy company wanted to do its part.

“Out of Superstorm Sandy, we decided [there] ought to be something we can do after these kinds of events, after their electrical infrastructure is gone,” said John Belk, director of training for NRG. “A lot of people do this because they want to.”

Debbie said the internet connection is usually restricted to prevent abuse, but Baton Rouge was their first unfiltered deployment.

Joe said his proudest moment was his deployment to aid firefighters in Washington state after a wildfire tore through the countryside last year. A camp of about 2,200 firefighters was set up, sleeping in one-person tents two to three weeks at a time.

The fire teams requested internet connection and called ITDRC. The most challenging aspect, they said, is finding people to help. Currently ITDRC functions as a volunteer-based organization.

Joe said it took six years to build the organization to the 15-person leadership team it is today.

“I mean, the next step is to put a core staff here,” Joe said. “We need people that can coordinate as their full-time job. Some of these deployments are great because they’re on weekends, but you can’t plan around disaster.”

For Debbie, times can get tough because the job eliminates many of the comforts of home.

She said during a deployment in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the whole town seemed to be destroyed. It was her first deployment and the damage was so much, there was not enough housing to go around for the relief or the residents.

ITDRC’s RV was jam-packed

with people for hours on end, leaving her claustrophobic. On one excursion into the rubbled remains of the town, she found a dead puppy in the house of a family that had lost everything.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell them.

Despite any obstacles she might face along the way, Debbie said she has since felt that keeping

people from suffering is her ultimate goal.

“You’re going to be doing 50 percent work and 50 percent hugging,” Debbie said. “I don’t shake people’s hands anymore, I just give a hug. Everyone needs a hug.”

@kyle_martin35 @aldot29

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

North Texas football still has a long way to go

By Clay Massey When head coach Seth Littrell and his Mean Green take the field at Apogee Stadium on Saturday against SMU, the eagerness to see this new­ look North Texas squad will reach its peak. As soon as the players file out and touch the eagle statue before sprinting onto the field, a new era for the Mean Green will begin.

It truly is an exciting time for North Texas football.

Littrell appears to be a slam dunk on paper. Everywhere he’s gone, he’s been successful. There’s a new athletic director, Wren Baker, ready to help lead the charge.

Expectations are rightfully high.

But with all this hype, it can be easy to get lost.

Sometimes, we need to take a step back, and that’s why I’m here, to deliver news most of you probably know to be true, but don’t want to believe: North Texas football will be bad again in 2016.

Let’s look at the facts.

While Littrell has added plenty of recruits from both the high school and junior college levels, depth, personnel and maturity issues will eventually rear their ugly heads.

At the wide receiver position, there are a lot of unknowns. Junior Turner Smiley is the team’s leading receiver from 2015, but is suspended for week one, making sophomore Terian Goree the leading receiver entering the showdown with SMU. Goree caught 15 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown last season.

In the new spread offense, the Mean Green must have higher production from its relatively inexperienced receiving corps, otherwise another dismal season is almost a guarantee. Between

UPCOMING GAMES Thursday •Nor th Texas cross country @ Baylor Twilight Invitational Friday •Nor th Texas soccer @ Oregon State.

•Nor th Texas volleyball @Utah Valley Saturday •Nor th Texas football vs. SMU at Apogee Stadium. 6 p.m. kickoff.

Sunday •Soccer @ Oregon.

Shelly Barberee Denton Record Chronicle

sophomore O’Keeron Rutherford, senior Kenny Buyers, Smiley, Goree and freshman Kelvin Smith, one of them must answer the bell.

Who will it be?

Indeed, uncertainty is the theme on the offensive side of the ball. Will freshman Mason Fine be redshirted? Who will be the backup quarterback?

Who is going to step up on the offensive line, and in what position will they be? In an offense that scored only 15.2 points per game last season, uncertainty has to make you uneasy. But not having a three­ m an quarterback carousel should help matters.

Littrell mentioned at media day depth along the offensive line was a concern and that many players were getting reps in different positions.

Senior Sam Rice is one of these players, and is likely to make the transition from guard to center after the team lost Kaydon Kirby in the offseason. Only time will tell how well he adjusts to his supposed new role.

On the defensive side of the ball, things should be looking up. Then again, it isn’t hard to improve upon numbers that ranked among the worst in the FBS last year.

The secondary repeatedly got torched last season, unable to maintain coverage due to a rush that never got home. The result was unforgiving numbers. North Texas’ opponents put up 41.3 points per game and threw for more than 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2015.

In short, expect more growing pains, especially if the front seven are unable to pressure the quarterback.

Don’t be surprised, however, if this is the strongest unit of the entire team. As upperclassmen Ashton Preston, James Gray and Kishawn McClain get better, so will the secondary.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a good time to be a North Texas fan. Littrell is poised to do big things with this program, and will move the needle in a positive direction this year.

Just keep your expectations in check. There’s a long way to go.

@Clay_FC

By Jenna Duncan Denton Record-Chronicle Two weeks after going on leave, Texas Woman’s University head volleyball coach Shelly Barberee resigned from her position late Friday. Her resignation was publicly announced Saturday afternoon.

The move comes almost a week after eight volleyball players were hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis, a syndrome in which muscle tissue breaks down and enters the bloodstream. One more player was discharged from the hospital Saturday, leaving one player hospitalized with the condition, according to Monica MendezGrant, TWU’s vice president for student life.

During a press conference Friday, officials said they believe the syndrome was caused by dehydration and overexertion during the first week of practice.

Officials still will not say who oversaw workouts the week of Aug. 15, but Barberee went on leave three days before practices began. Her leave was not confirmed until Friday’s press conference.

“Today, I have decided to resign from my position as head volleyball coach at TWU, which is in no way related to

Fifth-Year Quarterback

Alec Morris is a transfer from Alabama and will start this season at quarterback.

Colin Mitchell

Alabama transfer QB Alec Morris ready to lead North Texas QUARTERBACK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

finally break the starting line­up for a Football Bowl Subdivison, ready. [It’s] just the type of man but when he finally did this year, he is. He’ll have to knock off Littrell had little doubt Morris some rust.” was his man.

Littrell brought in Morris “I feel good [about Morris as knowing he could sling the ball, the No. 1 quarterback],” Littrell something required in the Mean said. “Coming in and learning Green’s new spread offense. not only a new system, but Morris also ran the spread in learning where to go to class high school, so adjusting to the and learning a lot of different new style of attack was not a things, it’s never easy. I saw his problem. leadership ability and thought With Morris in the game, he did a great job of getting our Littrell can push his offense to guys out there and holding guys near redline level like he did in accountable.” his time as offensive coordinator Last season, North Texas used at the University of North three different signal callers, as Carolina. Littrell ran 3.28 plays each one proved to be ineffective per minute at UNC. in their own way. Because of “He’s the more experienced this, Morris knew the Mean guy in the system, probably a Green needed leadership and a little bit more comfortable,” quarterback ­­before his move to Littrell said. “The other guys are Denton. starting to match his tempo.”

He was ready to step up.

Being the fifth-­ year Littrell named Morris to the quarterback on the team, and leadership council last week. having two national titles under “Regardless of if you’re the his belt, all eyes will be on starter or not you have to let guys Morris. know what they’re doing wrong It took five years for Morris to as a QB,” Morris said. “I tried

to step in and be vocal here. It wasn’t hard for me to step up.”

One of the guys he’s connected with most is sophomore wide receiver and locker neighbor, Terian Goree.

Goree will be the team’s leading receiver going into the season opener, and will most likely be one of Morris’ favorite targets of the year. The two have developed a special bond in his short time in Denton.

“Alec is my boy,” Goree said.

“We’re growing as brothers and not just quarterback and receiver.

That builds chemistry. If we’re not on the same page then really nobody is.”

Morris’ other teammates welcomed him in with open arms when he first moved back to Texas as well, making the the transition from Tuscaloosa to Denton much easier to digest.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been that tough of an adjustment,” Morris said. “When I got here in January, the guys were really welcoming and helped me make a great group of friends. The

whole team is really close in my opinion.”

Much like when he moved from Allen, Texas to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Morris is opening a new chapter in his career on Saturday against Southern Methodist University. He is excited for his family and friends to have much easier access to watch his games.

While it is a new chapter, he is not upset about the time he spent at Alabama, especially considering what he learned under Saban and his coaching staff.

And even though it will only be for one season, Morris is mentally prepared to lead the Mean Green for the next 12 games.

“I’m not necessarily putting my time at Alabama behind me,” Morris said. “I learned a lot of stuff there. But, playing quarterback is probably the most mentally challenging position.

It’s definitely a whole lot of

@Clay_FC

Barberee resigns as TWU volleyball coach student-athletes’ hospitalization,” Barberee said in a statement released through the university. “I am working diligently to address matters in my personal life and need to place my focus there.

Due to the time demands and focus necessary to lead a college volleyball program, it is in my best interests to step away from the team at this time.”

Christian Dennie, a sports attorney hired by Barberee, said he was brought on to help handle media requests and to clarify that Barberee was not involved in the workouts leading up to the students’ hospitalizations.

In the statement released through TWU, Barberee said she took leave starting Aug. 12 to “focus on and address a personal matter,” stressing she was in no way connected to the hospitalizations. After talking with Dennie, she also released a more heartfelt statement to the Denton Record-Chronicle, which is printed below.

In her absence, assistant coach Jessica Beener will oversee the volleyball team as interim head coach. Beener said in an email she expects the Pioneers to compete and win this season while she oversees the team.

“I have mixed emotions,”

Beener said. “For the past ten years I have been invested in this school and volleyball program. I will continue to be one-hundred percent invested in the girls, their families, and the University. Right now I am focused on the health of our student-athletes, getting them ready for classes Monday, and competing in our tournament next weekend.”

Statement from Shelly Barberee To my players, their families, and the TWU Volleyball Community: In my career at Texas Woman’s University, I have had 13 successful volleyball seasons and 13 teams of outstanding young women. I have deeply and thoroughly enjoyed 13 years of influencing and guiding each student athlete, both past and present, to flourish as a productive individual, to pursue education and goals, and to live a successful and cherished life. I am forever grateful for the opportunities so many families provided to me to teach and help mold your daughters. I will cherish these opportunities for the rest of my life. Each player, parent, family member, fan, and friend has made a lasting impression and impact on my life, career, and heart.

With that said, I want each of

you to know that after thoughtful deliberation, I have decided to resign from my position as head volleyball coach at TWU effective August 24, 2016. I have been on family leave since August 12, 2016. For the last 14 days, I have not been on campus and have not had any contact with anyone associated with the TWU athletic department or the TWU volleyball team. Like many of you, I learned through social media that eight volleyball student-athletes were hospitalized. I was both shocked and concerned about the young women involved. Unfortunately, I was not provided additional details and was not involved in any of the decisions relating to the issues facing these young women. In my 19 years of collegiate coaching, I have never encountered a medical issue of this kind. Since learning of these issues, each one of you has been in my prayers and you will remain in my thoughts and prayers. I pray for your health, strength and perseverance in this difficult time.

My hope is that TWU will work diligently to determine the cause of these issues and take corrective action, if necessary.

I have so immensely enjoyed coaching at TWU and helping to develop phenomenal athletes

and even better human beings.

I love the game of volleyball.

I respect the opportunity and challenge of influencing studentathletes. Being a key component of creating team unity, structuring drive, and focusing studentathletes’ dedication to make a group of players into a team and a team into a winning program is a task I have never taken lightly and have always cherished. It has always been my honor to have the opportunity to transform studentathletes of different backgrounds into one unified team.

I ask that each of my past and present student-athletes push forward with dedication to your education, a strong determination to be successful, both on and off the court, and most of all, be true to yourself. As I move forward and focus on my family, I will take a part of each player I have coached with me in my heart. I pray that each of you enjoy and treasure the bond of our team family.

I am no longer your coach, but I am forever your friend and mentor. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your coach.

God bless each of you.

Sincerely, Coach Shelly Barberee

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 9

Sophomore keeper Bradley ready to replace Kerestine in net

By Matt Brune On Nov. 6, 2015, the Mean Green soccer team arrived in Lubbock ready to take on then­ No. 18 Texas Tech University in the opening round of the NCAA soccer tournament.

While warming up for the school’s first NCAA tournament game since 2012, the starting goalkeeper, Jackie Kerestine, broke her fibula, abruptly ending her collegiate career and beginning sophomore Brooke Bradley’s.

Despite allowing only one goal in the contest, the Mean Green were eliminated. Ten months later, Bradley is being asked to replace the most accomplished goalie in North Texas history in Kerestine, who holds the school record for wins, saves, shutouts and minutes.

“I have to step into Jackie’s shoes,” Bradley said. “Those are big shoes to fill. She did great and I just hope that I’m able to do the same thing and be a leader for my team.”

And although she has only been the full­ t ime starter for four games, Bradley has already proven to her former teammate she is capable of taking the reins.

“As far as filling my shoes, I think she’s doing really well,”

Kerestine said. “She’s really vocal out there and had a good shutout streak going. As she keeps playing these games she’s only going to keep getting better.”

Head coach John Hedlund is another person impressed with Bradley’s performance. He said her impromptu debut against the Red Raiders last fall illustrated why she is poised to step into this new role.

“We saw a glimpse of [her potential] last year in the NCAA tournament against Texas Tech,” Hedlund said. “Brooke went in there and showed her athletic ability. Her confidence level was high. You can’t get on a bigger stage than that.”

Like her coach pointed out, Bradley’s athletic ability is one of the characteristics that sets her apart.

When balls get past the last line of defense, Bradley is able to react quickly and make acrobatic saves that keep the Mean Green in games. However, being thrust into the starting role has forced her to focus on a different aspect of her game.

“I really worked on my confidence,” Bradley said.

“During the spring I wasn’t that confident, but I came in being confident and knowing that I

had to step into my role on the team.”

To prepare for the task of replacing Kerestine, Bradley put in countless hours throughout the offseason between the sticks.

Over the summer, she played semi­p ro and typically had two games every weekend.

“It made me comfortable because I was playing with older girls,” Bradley said. “They’ve all graduated college so that helped me be comfortable.”

In addition to her responsibility of stopping shots, Bradley must also coordinate the defense. This includes aligning her teammates and the wall on free kicks and corners from opponents.

“The goalkeeper sees everything,” Hedlund said. “She has to be vocal. Her play is just going to send a message to the rest of the team. We did that for four years with Jackie.

At times she’s going to have to make the big stop for us, but more importantly, she has to be in control back there.”

Even though Bradley started a game in the NCAA tournament last fall, there was still competition for the starting goalkeeper job when she returned for this season. Her counterpart, freshman Miranda

Conference USA round­up

By Clay Massey

University of North Carolina – Charlotte: The 49ers men’s soccer team got off to a spectacular start at home with a 6­0 win over Hofstra University. It also included this sick bicycle kick goal from junior forward Marco Sunol­Rojas.

Florida International University: The Panthers also open its season at home on Saturday when it faces The University of Indiana at 7:30 p.m. The Panthers went 5­7 last season, and lost to the Hoosiers by a 22­36 score line in week two.

Florida Atlantic University: Down in Boca Raton the Owls added three new staffers to the

MEAN GREEN QUICK HITS

The soccer team is undefeated as it travels to take on Oregon and Oregon State this weekend. It has won four straight games to start the year.

The football team opens its season Saturday against SMU. North Texas lost to the Mustangs 31­13 in Dallas last year.

The volleyball team hits the road for a tournament in Utah this weekend.

women’s basketball program.

Hannah McGonigal will come on as the director of women’s basketball operations, and Cindy Hilbrich and Kachine Alexander have joined as assistant coaches.

Alexander played for two years with her hometown WNBA franchise, the Minnesota Lynx, from 2011-13.

Louisiana Tech University: True freshman Madeline Davis recorded 13 blocks for the Lady Techsters in her collegiate volleyball debut. The Mount Pulaski, Illinois native set the new school record with that mark in the five set loss to the University of Illinois at Chicago.

University of Marshall: Junior goalkeeper Emily Moreland was named the C­USA Goalkeepers of the week after making four saves in a 1­0 win over Longwood University.

Moreland takes the crown from North Texas goalkeeper, Brooke Bradley who took home the honors in week one.

Middle Tennessee State University: The Raiders women’s soccer team was shellacked by #1 Florida State University 3­0 on Sunday. The squad only mustered two shots compared to FSU’s 23.

Freshman goalkeeper Sydney Chalcraft made 10 saves on the night for the Raiders.

Old Dominion University: Former star guard Trey Freeman signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Detroit Pistons after going undrafted. He is guaranteed a spot in Pistons camp this September. Freeman ranked 11th in the country in points per game in his senior season.

Rice University: Down in Houston the Owls picked a C­USA women’s soccer defender of the week award in junior Mary Claire Danilevics. Danilevics returns after a season ending injury last year to anchor the Rice backline.

She also got on the scoresheet by heading in the game winning goal for the Owls in a 2­1 win over Houston Baptist University.

Southern Mississippi University: The Southern Miss athletics department announced last week that it will be hosting Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Sept. 10 during the team’s home opener. The event will spotlight law enforcement throughout the state and will have some serve as honorary captains.

Fans may also donate tickets to officers and their families.

University of Alabama – Birmingham: The Blazers returned to the gridiron on the 29th for the first time in nearly two years after the football program was canned due to budget. The program hosted a Green and Gold scrimmage along with a ceremony. The Blazers return to C­USA play in 2017.

University of Texas at El Paso – Out west the Miners women’s soccer team powered through for a 3­2 win over Grand Canyon University with two goals from Bri Thomas and a goal from Yesenia Conteras. The three goals were scored within six minutes of each other.

University of Texas at San Antonio – The Roadrunners picked up a tournament win with at the SMU Doubletree Classic when it blanked Montana University in the title game. Senior Dajana Bosokovic was named tournament MVP. Western Kentucky University – The Hilltoppers volleyball team broke into the top 20 in the national polls this week. The team is off to a perfect 3­0 start and are ranked No. 19 in the nation heading into a midweek tilt with Austin Peay University.

@Clay_FC

Schoening, was a highly touted recruit out of Alabama.

Ultimately, however, Hedlund opted for the more experienced Bradley to man the net.

“We just felt that Brooke was a little bit more ready at this time, and we’re okay with that because we feel we have two good goalkeepers,” Hedlund said.

Although Bradley and Schoening play the same position, the two are extremely close and push each other on the

field.

“I love Brooke,” Schoening said. “I would consider her one of my best friends here. We’re competitive in practice but we’re always there to help each other too, so we have a great relationship. She’s probably one of the coolest goalkeepers I’ve ever worked with.”

Following up the most accomplished goalkeeper in school history may be daunting or overwhelming to some, but with her upbeat personality

and drive to improve, Bradley is already setting her sights on lofty aspirations.

“I have a goal of 10 shutouts,” Bradley said. “I want a conference championship, and we want to make a run in the NCAA [tournament.]”

@mattbrune25

Volleyball adjusting to life after Carnae Dillard

By Courtney Anderson

Carnae Dillard set about every volleyball record imaginable in 2015, and was the first player in North Texas history to be named Conference USA Player of the Year in consecutive years.

She holds the school record for most kills in a season, career kills and career attacks, and was the backbone of the Mean Green during her tenure.

Despite her legacy, senior setter Amy Henard remembers Dillard as not only one of the greatest players in UNT history ­­but as her best friend on the team.

“I just remember playing next to her and some of the shots she’d make ... you’d just be in awe of how great of a player she was,” Henard said. “The memories we made on the bus rides and plane trips are definitely what I’ll miss most about being with Carnae.”

With Henard now the lone senior on a team made up of eight underclassmen, she is expected now more than ever by head coach Andrew Palileo to be the role model and leader.

Henard has admitted with struggling to know when to turn on the alpha female mentality with her teammates because she has always seen herself as being too nice.

“I just can’t be aggressive all the time,” Henard said.

“It changes your character, and it also means a lot more when you do it at those seldom moments when it is much needed.”

Saying goodbye to Dillard and taking on the

new leadership role is only the beginning for Henard, who now has to adjust her offensive skills to fit the needs of the remaining hitters.

With Dillard gone, North Texas’ scheme changes completely, and Palileo would like to see multiple women step up and try to take control.

“For the last several years we have really tried to balance out our team and our offensive distribution,” Palileo said, “But it is really hard to do that when you have a player like [Dillard].”

Palileo and Henard both have mentioned they are excited to see junior middle blockers Amanda Chamberlain and Holly Milam step up and execute in Dillard’s absence.

To replicate the production Dillard gave the Mean Green, however, it must be a collective effort from the entire team.

“Several players are going to have to step in there and take some of those swings Carnae took last year,” Palileo said. “I think that responsibility falls on more of the older kids than anyone.”

Last year, Milam set a season­high 15 kills against Florida Atlantic University and earned a spot on Conference USA’s Second Team All­Conference roster.

Chamberlain, meanwhile, tallied a career b­est 14 kills against Boise State University and both women earned a spot on the C­USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Henard, Milam and Chamberlain are no stranger to game day pressure, but without the best player in

school history, the trio will all have to make plays in crunch time and down the stretch.

“To personally succeed, I just have to follow the game plan,” Chamberlain said.

“Just knowing what I have to do and what I can do and knowing I can put that ball down at crucial moments is how I’m hoping to stay alive this season. We want multiple players in double digits, not just one of us.”

Henard does not want her former teammate to be the only one that left behind a mark on this school and the team. Instead of unbelievable statistics and many broken records, when Henard leaves, she wants to be remembered by her teammates for the effort she gave day in and day out.

“I want to leave my mark as having a leadership role that others would want when they get to be a senior,” Henard said. “I want them to look back and say ‘hey, she came to practice and worked hard everyday and she had our back.’”

As for Dillard, her legacy may be the greatest volleyball player to ever grace the court at North Texas, but her teammates and coach know, and see her in a much different light.

“You may see [Carnae] jumping out there on the court and hitting balls down pretty hard,” Palileo said, “But [the team] sees her, and I see her as that funny kid on the team that just wanted to be a part of the girls.” @CPaigeA23

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 10

Volleyball holds on to beat University of T­e xas Arlington

By Matt Brune The North Texas volleyball team won a tough five­ s et match Tuesday night against a resilient University of Texas at Arlington team.

The Mean Green (2­ 3) pounced on the Mavericks (2­ 2) in the first two sets, winning them by the scores of 25­16 and 25­18. However, after the teams came out of the intermission, the Mavericks rallied and turned the tide in part due to Mean Green mistakes.

“We became tentative and a little complacent and they took advantage of that,” head coach Andrew Palileo said.

“We became predictable because we didn’t pass the ball as well, so they took advantage of it and they blocked us a lot on the pins.”

UT­ Arlington began to cut down the mistakes and forced North Texas out of their comfort zone by constantly blocking Mean Green kills.

The Mavericks took the third and fourth sets 25­1 2 and 25­19 and only made seven errors in

those two sets.

In the fifth set, the two teams traded kills with each other and North Texas pulled out the set 15­13. The taxing win may not have been pretty, but senior setter Amy Henard understands that winning is going to be a team effort every game.

“This year is going to be everyone, it’s not just going to rely on one specific person, but it’s going to be a team effort,” Henard said. “One person may be down one game and the next person will step up and vice versa in the next [game].”

Although there were challenging stretches in the game, the team used their athleticism over UT­ Arlington and capitalized on numerous Maverick mistakes. Juniors Alexis Wright and Amanda Chamberlain combined for 31 kills, and Wright understood what was working, especially early on.

“We did a really good job serve­ r eceiving the first two

sets, all of the passes were there and our setters were making good decisions, our middles were running, opening up a lot of seams for us,” Wright said. “That’s why everything was going in our favor because our setters were making the right choices.”

While Palileo was pleased with the victory, he does not want his team to become pedestrian in how they prepare for games.

“We talk a lot about the process, and making sure that we do the right things,” Palileo said. “So that when you get in those moments we’re confident in the moves and in the technique that we’re using.”

Next up: North Texas travels to play in the Utah Valley Tournament. Their first match is slated for 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2 against Utah State

@mattbrune25

File Photo. Dylan Nadwodny

Soccer picks up 300th victory in season opener

By Clay Massey The rain tried to dampen the mood, but it could only dampen the field as Mean Green soccer picked up the program’s 300th all­ t ime win with a 4­ 0 victory over the University of the Incarnate Word on Friday, Aug. 19.

All 300 wins have been under the leadership of head coach John Hedlund.

“It’s special,” Hedlund said.

“I started this program and we’ve [had] 21 consecutive winning seasons, 11 titles and we just want to keep it going.

300 is a great mark. Let’s see if we can get up to 400 next.”

Seniors Rachel Holden and Marchelle Davis and junior Tori Phillips provided the goals. The game was moved to Denton High School after the Mean Green soccer complex was deemed unplayable due to torrential rain

earlier in the day.

Holden opened the scoring early in the first half when a well­worked ball found the back of the net for her first goal of the season.

North Texas added another in the first half when Holden was dragged down in the box and Davis converted from the spot for a 2­0 lead.

“It’s really exciting for him, [a] great accomplishment,” Holden said. “Scoring goals is always a huge relief. Scoring the first one is always huge.”

Sophomore keeper Brooke Bradley made a key save late in the first half to hold the Cardinals off the board and preserve the shutout. It was Bradley’s first start since the opening round of last season’s NCAA tournament.

Shortly after halftime, Davis killed all hope for a Cardinals comeback when she scored her

second goal of the night to make it 3­0, ensuring win No. 300 for the program.

“It shows we can play together as a group,” Davis said. “We’re still working on our chemistry, but we’re getting there.”

@Clay_FC

John Hedlund, UNT soccer coach, leads the mean green women into victory Friday at Denton High Senior midfielder, Marchelle Davis, looks for an opening as she fights for the School. The game on Friday was Hedlund’s 300th win as a coach. Tomas Gonzalez ball. Tomas Gonzalez

Soccer survives Abilene Christian, remains undefeated

By Dane Fuentes The Mean Green soccer team overcame their first bout of adversity on Sunday afternoon, erasing an early deficit before downing Abilene Christian University (3­2).

The Wildcats (­ 3­ 1) started strong with five shots on goal in the first nine minutes. Of these five shots, two found the back of the net. North Texas (4­ 0) then found itself in an unfamiliar position ­­ trailing for the first time this year.

“I think we came out a little complacent,” head Coach John Hedlund said. “We put ourselves in a position that we hadn’t been in all year down two goals.”

But after the first two goals

by Abilene Christian, the Mean Green upped the pressure and started attacking. Things turned around when sophomore forward Lauryn Bruffett came off the bench and scored a goal in the 22nd minute.

“I knew we were right back in it after the first goal,” Bruffett said. “Once we got back to 2­1, we knew that were going to be able to get to 3­2 for the win.”

Shortly after the intermission, North Texas knotted things up as senior midfielder Anna Flobeck beat the Wildcats’ goalkeeper on a shot from distance. Junior defender Tori Phillips assisted on the play, making a short pass outside the box to Flobeck, who did the rest.

This energy continued down the stretch as senior midfielder Marchelle Davis scored what would be the game­w inning goal that put Mean Green ahead for good in the 55th minute. Strong defensive play then took over and carried the team to victory, as North Texas allowed just three shots and none on goal in the second half.

“There was a lot of mixed emotions,” Davis said of the comeback. “We don’t really look to any one [person]. It’s just up to anyone to step up the plate.”

@dfuentes02

Cross country athletes from New Zealand finding a home in Denton

By Tyler Lucius Nestled in the southwestern Pacific Ocean is the island of New Zealand. A popular tourist destination, the country features a picturesque landscape of rolling hills, mountains and other spectacular sights.

More than 7,500 miles from UNT, New Zealand sits on the opposite side of the world. But distance is something the Mean Green cross country team overcomes on a daily basis.

Currently, three of North Texas’ cross country runners are from New Zealand, all of whom made the global trek to compete in the lone star state.

“I’ve always looked at the states,” junior Mike Lowe said. “My high school coach used to coach here. I remember my first day of training with him very [clearly].

He told me ‘if you show up and do everything I tell you to do, I can get you a scholarship in the U.S.’” Lowe was recommended to the coach by a friend, a former runner at UNT. And while he’s gotten used to life in the United States, he said there’s one thing in particular that cannot be replicated in Denton.

“I miss being able to go up and run in the mountains back home,” Lowe said. “Other than that I don’t really miss it too much.”

Lowe has two teammates that make it

feel a little more like home, though. Junior Susannah Lynch and senior Shauna Pali are also from New Zealand, and have found homes in Texas.

A former triathlete, Lynch heard about UNT through word of mouth as well when Pali put her on the recruiting radar for head coach Stefanie Slekis.

“Shauna had gone home for the summer and we both went to the same race and she started talking about what it’s like here and how cool it was,” Lynch said. “I was like ‘hey, that sounds pretty cool, I want to get in on that’ so she got me in touch with the coach.”

Slekis knows all too well the importance of recruiting on a global scale. With the emergence of international athletes

across numerous sports, luring foreign recruits can sometimes be the difference in winning or losing.

“We get to the final round of the NCAA championship, about 40 percent of that field is actually international at the track and field level,” Slekis said. “So there is a large population of international student athletes in the NCAA in track and field.”

The native New Zealanders are among six foreigners on the North Texas roster, and Slekis is pleased with what each of them bring to the table.

“I’m big on the team chemistry we have, the culture we have,” Slekis said. “One of my favorite things about the international kids is that

they blend really well with all the kids on our team from different places, and still have that team focus of doing well academically and doing well athletically as a team.”

And even though Lowe, Pali and Lynch all have different aspirations after their collegiate careers are over, they all agree on what they hope to accomplish in 2016.

“For this year, the immediate goal is winning a conference championship and making it to nationals,” Lowe said.

@Lucius_NTDaily

The Mean Green cross country team practices early Monday morning in Denton. Tyler Lucius

OPINION Page 11

Colin Kaepernick isn’t un-American, he’s just right

By Preston Mitchell Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, made quite the statement this weekend when he sat during the National Anthem. Since then, his protest has (inevitably) become the subject of controversy and national attention from pundits of all kinds, especially after saying that he refuses to stand up for a country “that oppresses black people” in general. Kaepernick told NFL Media that police brutality and unresolved racism were further reasons for his protest.

Unfortunately, even public figures in the black community have come to Kaepernick’s offense. This is particularly the case with Rodney Harrison, former safety of the San Diego Chargers, who went as far as to say that the biracial Kaepernick “is not black,” asserting that he is unable to grasp what people of color face in everyday life.

Look, I practically abide by the words of Kendrick Lamar: “Grown men should never bite their tongue unless you eating p—y that smell like it’s a stale plum.” That said, contrary to what Harrison or anyone else may say, Kaepernick did the right thing this weekend.

As a black man in America, I can attest to the universal nature of biting our tongues whenever teachers discuss history’s greatest men in absolute reverence. Abraham Lincoln, whose presidency is heralded as one of the best, only emancipated southern states to have

more Union slaves. Also, John F. Kennedy didn’t publicly consider a civil rights act until the end of his life.

Even Martin Luther King Jr. cheated on his wife.

Because of this, the black community is often vocal about how its leaders should uphold their (literal) minority values in a whitewashed media. Colin Kaepernick obviously recognized this and wanted to take a stand on game day, much to the chagrin of overly patriotic Americans and their sort. While American pride for the flag is understandable, Kaepernick’s critics need to understand that not every American harbors their same level of nationalism. Especially us black Americans, who spend our lifetimes cognizant of the nation’s seedy past to educate generations to come.

People seem to have forgotten that history’s greatest fighter, Muhammad Ali, predicated his career on bringing societal dilemmas into the forefront. It’s hard to believe that the same kinds of people hating on Kaepernick’s protest are the same people that were probably saddened over Ali’s passing. Kaepernick is simply following in those footsteps, which is contrary to what Rodney Harrison is doing. It’s okay to disagree with someone, but vocally challenging a person’s “blackness” is senseless when our current president is also biracial.

Attacking America in its dearest tradition was bound to take place within this ongoing race debate. All Kaepernick did was tip the iceberg in a necessary way. The remaining question is what he will do from now on since he’s still active with a lot more National Anthems to face. Will he continue to sit down or ramp up his activism for stronger effects?

I’m not sure, but all I know at the moment is that Kaepernick properly exercised his right to free speech. Just for that, he deserves all the reverence he can get.

@presto_mitch

North Texas Daily Editorial Board Dalton LaFerney | Editor-In-Chief Julian Gill | Associate Editor Eline de Bruijn | Managing Editor Kayleigh Bywater | Managing Editor Reece Waddell | Managing Editor Preston Mitchell | Editorial Page Editor Thomas Gonzalez | Visuals Editor

Production team

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

DON’T STOP THE MUSIC

Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

The Editorial Board Despite its blooming research university reputation, UNT is most often celebrated as a music school.

Its proximity to Denton’s live music environment appeals to people across Texas and beyond who are looking for a small town vibe with big city talent.

Just head over to Chicken Express on Eagle Drive, and you’ll see the talent this university and this community have produced.

We have Don Henley, Meat Loaf and Norah Jones to name a few. Those folks left this place to do great things.

But today, shifting preferences of both college students and the university are trickling into a larger problem the Denton community is facing. Its live music scene, according to city leaders, is facing a crisis.

That is why UNT students and administrators alike must stop taking this Texas pearl we call Denton for granted.

Linda Kessler | Copy chief Chelsea | Designer/copy editor Evan McAlister | Designer/copy editor

Business Adam Reece 940 565 4265 Adella Francis 940 565 3989

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Faculty Advisor

Gary Ghioto 940 891 6722

Each of us must take the time nourish this place and support aspiring artists. UNT, we must not let the music stop.

During its high point, the scene was a collective circuit of independent artists, each that were afforded the opportunity to play at different venues throughout the city. In the process, these musicians singlehandedly created a subculture of young people and college students that could assemble for fun nights of live music.

Which is exactly why it’s so disheartening to find the culture in a dwindling phase.

What was once a place to look forward to every weekend has now become a cesspool for fire-and-forget businesses.

We don’t mind Pie Five going out of business, or Subway effectively being kicked out of downtown. Those are outside brands that add no meaning to Denton.

But the music venues that have shutdown recently have long carried the soul of what makes Denton so special.

They’ve shut down in part

Computers can’t raise your kids for you

Hannah Lauritzen | Design editor

Jynn Schubert | Designer/copy editor

NTDAILY.COM

By Morgan Sullivan The student stares blankly at their W-4 form, unsure of what to do. Do dogs or goldfish count as dependents? No one taught them how to fill out legal paperwork.

It’s as if they’re staring at a page written in a foreign language.

The form’s easy layout taunts them. This should take minimal effort to fill out, but it’s got the student in a panic. They unwrap themselves from the fetal position long enough to call their mom for advice.

Although millennials were practically raised by the internet,

they still don’t have all the answers. It’s a wildly confusing world out there, with all sorts of adult paperwork and questions that no one sat them down to explain. They’re expected to know it all because they can access anything with one quick search, but that’s just not realistic.

Our parents were much better prepared for real life than teenagers now are. Gone are the days of home economics, where they actually taught skills applicable past high school.

We can recite the Pythagorean theorem or tell you that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, but never learned how to iron a shirt properly. Perhaps even laundry is something our parents should have taught us, but more often than not, millennials are uninformed. It’s astounding how many freshmen come to college not knowing to separate white clothes from colored clothes.

Maybe the public school

because you — all of us, really — haven’t given them the proper attention.

We ask our Student Government Association to rally behind this issue, to draw students’ attention back toward live music.

We challenge UNT Denton President Neal Smatresk and his administration to focus more on giving to the community rather than taking.

If anything is keeping Denton music alive, it’s the Do It Yourself method. Bands and artists playing at house shows may not pay at all, but it’s become a more convenient practice for talented people to get their names out there for students like us who are willing to listen. And since there’s not as many options to do stuff like there are in Dallas, Houston or Austin, the abundance of house shows continues to fuel excitement for local music of all genres and styles.

This is why we urge you to pay attention to the city’s music scene. From here on,

system is failing this generation.

With students now having to work through high school to afford to go to college, they should at least be given basic money management skills. No one is taught how to do taxes, you must suffer the wrath of Turbo Tax. The problem is that younger generations are expected to know everything, simply because of the availability of information online. Computers aren’t parents or teachers. Previous generations weren’t expected to know it all without any help. Parents taught their children practical skills like cooking and sewing. Now, a YouTube video is expected to teach you these things, as if it’s a proper substitute. Nothing will compare to having an actual

we must realize that city officials don’t plan on getting involved anytime soon, so we encourage people to pay more attention to regional musicians.

Whenever you pass by that loud guitarist in front of Crooked Crust, chip in an extra buck or two. If you live with someone that has a gift or passion for music, encourage them to jam out live. And if you’re the type to vacate from show to show, communicate with other fans and follow good artists with them. Nothing means more to musicians than knowing that there’s people out there who appreciate what they do.

Nothing in entertainment actually dies; trends simply supersede others in the spectrum. Despite the decline of local venues and changing tastes and goals, Denton music has only fallen by the wayside, awaiting its return for another era of prominence.

When that boom happens, we just need to support it any which way that we can.

human teach you how to do these things, though.

Patience is something the internet doesn’t have. It’s not there to explain things different ways, or over and over again until you succeed. If reading the article about it doesn’t confuse you less, you’ll probably be confused forever.

It’s not that millennials aren’t capable of learning how to do things, it’s the principle of it all. A recipe online won’t teach you how to make your great grandma’s cookies the right way.

Family traditions are meant to be passed down, and that just doesn’t happen via computer.

Just because we can learn everything online, doesn’t mean that we should. There’s a reason that teachers aren’t robots, and it’s mostly because learning requires patience. We need to resume teaching our children practical skills. There’s no excuse not to.

The robot mothers just aren’t ready yet.

@ sadsquadch

Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 12

University Road work too slow; speed it up, please

By Victoria Baghaei Fall semester is almost here and to no surprise, University Drive isn’t even close to being finished.

While Denton is home to many new students looking to further their education and build their new lives, the city has undergone multiple construction projects to expand and accommodate itself for the past four years.

Recently, the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University have grown, bringing in more than 5,000 freshmen each fall and causing the small city to come to grips with the need for expansion.

UNT, while its construction seems to never end, has successfully made accommodations and completed the Union in addition to the new dorms that are able to house new residents. At the same time, while the university can successfully complete these endeavors timely, the city of Denton appears to be falling behind and has made slow progress in its journey to expand the roads and highways by reasonable means.

Many of the private projects (like Raising

Cane’s and WinCo) have finished or are on the verge of completion, with Razor Ranch expanding and growing on an annual basis.

Denton currently holds 33 projects that are predicted to be finished by the end of 2016, bringing forth the question as to why the city appears to need such a high amount of undertakings when it is struggling to finish the eyesore that is University Drive.

The construction to turn the four lane roadway into six lanes has been overwhelming for many Denton drivers, with construction falling behind from its due date of June 30 due to the weather and flooding issues.

For the last three years, Denton drivers have experienced abundant amounts of traffic from the shutdowns of the other two lanes, turning the busy road into a tentative two lanes, while also ripping up driveways to many of the shopping centers and grocery stores that line the busy street.

With the annual fair in town this weekend, along with the freshmen newcomers, traffic has become almost unbearable.

Furthermore, Denton has shut down all lanes but one on Carroll Boulevard and Fort Worth Drive. It has also shut down parts of Fulton Street, Malone Street and Teasley Lane,

overwhelming us residents with more vehicular troubles in what is obviously extraneous construction.

With all of this comes the confusion from freshmen that are unfamiliar with the roads, and seemingly don’t understand how Denton roads work. More often than not, the freshmen I see end up going the opposite way on the oneway road, which will be more problematic if these incidents continue.

The project is already months behind, with the right side of University Drive pretty ugly from the weather and the stagnant orange cones. Needless to say, the city should look at its options and decide if the upcoming prospects are more important than finishing a major road that, without completion, continues to be one giant traffic jam.

We are tired of it. Our hearts and tires can only take so much!

@chorizotacoss

Woman sends text message in her sleep. news.com.au

How not to be rude with an iPhone

By Imani Pickney It’s hard not to think about Apple’s new iPhones and iOS coming out next month, especially with all the conspiracy theories floating around.

But that’s not what this post is about. It is about key pet peeves that many Apple users can relate to that simply boil down to iPhone etiquette. Some may say this is not that serious. Here are some iPhone dilemmas and how to fix them:

Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

When your messages can only be sent through iMessage. It’s annoying.

You’re enjoying your WiFi right now, aren’t you? You don’t have a care in the world about data plans because you have unlimited, or even better, your parents pay for it! Well that’s not the case for everyone. Data isn’t exactly free and limits do exist.

Not everyone has internet all the

time and one should still be able to receive text messages when they cannot use iMessage.

Ultimately, the iPhone is still a cellphone and the basic functions are calling and texting.

I’ve heard people complain that they only send iMessages to iPhones because they don’t like to see the green bubbles displayed. Well, sorry, Susan, but not every contact of yours has an iPhone in the first place so you shouldn’t be so discriminatory when your textual aesthetics aren’t satisfied. How to fix this: Settings>Messages>Send as SMS Having your iPhone capable to send texts but…

There have been many times where I have to quickly turn my data on in an internet-less environment just to receive a message quicker. It could be easily resolved once someone notices “delivered” doesn’t appear. So send it as a text. I cannot count how many times I’ve told people that I don’t have WiFi. I’ve taught them how to send messages as normal texts without waiting a full 15 minutes for a lack-of-Internet notification. How to fix this: No way really. Just try to always have internet.

When the grey bubble pops up, it’s letting you know that your recipient is typing something.

Stop typing for that moment!

It’s similar to real conversation. Let one person speak. You speak after they finish. Having your keyboard prompts the grey ellipses, even if you aren’t typing anything. How to fix this: If you’re just reading a message and the person is still typing, keep the keyboard down.

Read receipts: Keep them on or off.

Read receipts are a touchy subject for people. Keeping them on allows people to know when you read their message. This can be good and bad. People sometimes send messages again if you don’t respond after realizing their message has been read. Keeping read receipts off can be perceived as sneaky or dishonest. Besides those annoyances, another aggravating factor is when someone has their read receipts on one day and off for the next. Keep them on or off without fluctuation. It’s simple.

Flip flopping like Mitt Romney in the 2012 election is a loser move! Most likely the person who has been flip flopping will get called out anyway. How to fix this: be consistent.

@imanisocool