North Texas Daily - 1/19/17

Celebrating 100 years of journalism excellence VOL. 109 No.1

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

NTDAILY.COM

MLK day celebration unifies community

The bar on Fry Street formerly known as The Library Bar was the scene of a fatal shooting this past December. The bar is currently undergoing renovations. Jake King

By Sadia Saeed

Library Bar changes name, involved in suit over slaying of Deandre Wilson

By Julia Falcon & Kyle Martin DeAndre Wilson’s mother, Stephanie Coleman, is taking the Library Bar, which is now under new ownership, to court. According to documents from the Witherspoon Law Group, Coleman claims gross negligence and lack of security at the bar among other things.

As of Jan. 10, Coleman filed an

Election Day issues create change in Denton

By James Norman Despite several changes made in Denton County’s Elections Administration following a litany of issues with voting during the 2016 general election, the administration still has some self-proclaimed work to do.

“We learned a lot about what we were doing and how we were doing it, and where we need to shore up certain things,” Deputy Elections Administrator Kerry Martin said.

Denton County voters turned up to polling booths on Nov. 8 with faulty ballot scanners delivered in “test mode.” After polls closed, many paper ballots were delivered to the wrong location and voters were left confused at old voter I.D. signage in a few polling places.

Elections Administrator Lannie Noble retired and two other officials were fired after election day, and more changes are to come.

Former Tarrant County elections administrator Frank Phillips has been brought in to replace Noble. Phillips worked for Denton County for 18 years prior to working for Tarrant County.

“I would put [Phillips] up against just about anybody in the state in terms of his knowledge of law,” County Judge Mary Horn said. “And I know he’s a very organized man. Frank will get to the bottom of it.”

Martin said several changes were already in progress on the “process” side as well. This includes purchasing an inventory tracking system and an elections administration software that helps define processes and keep track of how they’re doing.

Horn also launched an external investigation with the ethics division of the Secretary of State’s office “to see what we needed to look at.” “[We reached out] to see what we did right and what we did wrong and how we can correct all these things so they don’t happen again,” Horn said.

The office is also reaching out to those who worked or were involved with the election to ask for input on how they can improve. Horn said these workers are a

SEE ELECTIONS ON PAGE 2

“original petition and request for disclosure against Library Bar Inc., also known as The Local 109.” The claims on the document assert that the Library Bar did not have proper security measures to prevent the murder of Wilson. The document states that the Library failed to provide “adequate security including but not limited to video cameras,

mirrors, licensed security guards, bouncers, and metal detectors.”

“Library Bar is commonly known as a place where students and other locals go to get drunk. Based on such information, Library Bar through its agents knew or should have known that adequate security measures were necessary to prevent the types of incidents made the basis of this

lawsuit,” the document says. “Library Bar is the legal owner of the premises and had a duty to provide security at the premises to prevent harm to invitees, namely DeAndre Wilson.”

It also claimed that an unnamed bartender working that night

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his last speech at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968, hours before his death. The congregation hung on to King’s every word as he spoke about equality, boycotts and the ideal future. Pouring out his speech, King assured the crowd and all people of color that he has seen the future and it looks bright.

“Well, I don’t know what will happen now,” King said. “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I’ve looked over.

And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”

That day, King addressed both the present and future. His message still stands strong 49 years later amongst citizens as they pay tribute and reflect on Martin Luther King Jr. Day across the globe on Jan. 17, including Denton.

Denton’s annual MLK Day and march brought the community together as they celebrated the life and legacy that Martin Luther King Jr. left behind. This year’s theme, “Our Past Will Shape Our Future,” included a variety of events, ranging from a MLK march, organized by UNT’s Eta Epsilon Chapter, to programs for the whole family at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.

Although this is an annual event for the Eta Epsilon Chapter, the organization’s president, Durel E. Dolford, said this year’s program was meant to be different than the past years.

“Since my freshman year here at UNT, the

SEE FRY STREET ON PAGE 2

SEE MLK DAY ON PAGE 5

From both angles

Once homeless, Myles Wood is now giving back to Our Daily Bread

By Amy Roh Myles Wood, 29, arrives at the Our Daily Bread soup kitchen by 8 a.m. on West Oak Street to cook, chat and comfort. As usual, the day is expected to be fast-paced, even at this early of an hour.

As senior program coordinator at ODB, Wood reviews upcoming tasks depending on what services are being offered that day. The center offers medical visits, agency visits, and fundraising efforts for the homeless, so there’s a lot for Wood to keep track of.

When 11 a.m. rolls around, the vast stream of clients start to arrive. The ODB kitchen serves an average of 200 meals a day to the homeless, Monday through Saturday. Sometimes, there is barely any room for people to stand. But those

who are still hungry are welcome to have seconds.

After that Wood answers emails, catches up on client intakes and works with anyone that might show up late. To him, he just cares that these people are cared for.

He inputs data, files paperwork and meets with other staff members.

By 2 p.m., his day begins to wind down, but his mind continues to race. Although his days are booked and dedicated to ODB, he’s still happy.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Wood said. “I enjoy the people that I work with, I enjoy the people that I work for and I truly believe in the mission of Our Daily Bread and anything I can do to help them out.

I’m more than happy.”

It wasn’t always like this. Within the small staff that mans ODB in Denton,

Volunteer Nancy Chumbly (left), Myles Wood (center), and volunteer Michele Burton (right) look through the database of clients they use to organize forms and stir records. Ruben Paquian Wood is the only member who has been on the other side of the soup kitchen.

Wood used to rely on organizations like OBD. He was once homeless and looked for help from others. Now, he truly understands struggles and challenges people who come through ODB face

Mean Green softball eager to get back on track

By Clay Massey When the Conference-USA softball tournament came to Denton at the end of the 2016 season, four teams missed the cut. North Texas joined Marshall University, Western Kentucky University and Middle Tennessee State University sitting on the sidelines, aimlessly watching.

As the rest of the conference battled for the trophy inside of Lovelace

Stadium, North Texas players stood outside, working the tournament in their own backyard.

It was a tough pill to swallow.

“There wasn’t a kid on our team who could stomach what they had to do last year,” head coach Tracey Kee said. “They had to sit there and work a conference tournament they should have been competing in.”

During the four-day tournament, Kee hoped her players used it as a time

North Texas senior infielder Kelly Schkade throws a ball to first base during an infielding drill in a practice on Jan. 16. Dylan Nadwodny

of reflection. The young squad had to learn to grow up. Fast.

“All we asked them to do was take a life lesson,” Kee said. “I’m a firm believer in understanding that if you want change, then you have to make change. I think a lot of that was a huge learning curve for that team. I’m hoping they took that to heart.”

Last year’s class of eight freshmen now have a year of experience under their belts, and Kee only lost four players, two to graduation and two to transfers.

With the Mean Green returning its entire pitching staff from last season and key senior figures, like infielder Kelli Schkade, the key cogs of last year’s machine are back. Schkade hit .393 with 13 home runs in 2016, making her a force at the top or middle of the order.

What Kee needed to work on were her pitchers – so she completely overhauled how they work. Instead of pitching every day, each pitcher has a more game-like and intense workout.

“I think our pitching numbers last year were not impressive,” Kee said. “I

SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 8

every day instead of just attempting to understand.

“It’s actually one of the reasons I don’t want to leave [because] I don’t know who

SEE DAILY BREAD ON PAGE 5

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS

UNT president’s fourth year pg 3 President Neal Smatresk gives perspective on topics concerning students, such as construction and creating a sanctuary campus.

ARTS & LIFE

Service animals and PTSD pg 6 Veteran and UNT student Tawan Throngkompyla was told by UNT that he is no longer allowed to have his service dog on campus.

SPORTS

Fire Tony Benford pg 9 Reece Waddell explains why he thinks UNT’s basketball coach Tony Benford should be fired from his position.

OPINION

Sugar babies at UNT pg 11 Columnist Morgan Sullivan explains why college students seek sugar daddies to pay for college.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

NTDAILY.COM

City Council and UNT team up in I-35 project

Iraq announces it has “liberated” east Mosul Iraqi forces have retaken control of east Mosul from ISIS, army commanders said Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reported. The news comes three months after a massive offensive against ISIS in the region. Elite Iraqi military troops have entered the last neighborhoods on the eastern side of Mosul, on the left bank of the Tigris River that runs through the city. Staff General Talib al-Sherghati said work remains to be done to flush out the last holdout jihadists.

Death tolls increases to 70 in bombing of Nigerian refugee camp An accidental military bombing of a Nigerian refugee camp on Jan. 17 killed 70, reports from humanitarian workers say, according to the New York Times. The mistaken attack came after a military plane targeted a crowded area of people fleeing Boko Haram militant. Medical workers scrambled Wednesday to assemble equipment and treat dozens of severely injured people in the camp.

Senegal troops mobilize at Gambian border as Jammeh faces ultimatum Senegal has moved troops to its border with Gambia after President Yahya Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup, refused to step down, BBC World News reported. Senegal has said Jammeh has to accept his electoral defeat in last month’s Gambian election and step down. He was supposed to leave office by the end of Wednesday and hand over the post to Adama Barrow, who is currently in Senegal. U.K. and Dutch tourists have been evacuated in fear of military escalation.

South Korean media: North Korea may soon test-launch an ICBM South Korean media reported Thursday North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile, citing military sources, Reuters reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year’s speech the country was close to test the weapon. South Korean sources said the test is imminent and may coincide with Donald Trump’s inauguration Friday.

North Texas Daily Editorial Board Hannah Lauritzen | Editor-In-Chief Linda Kessler | Associate Editor Adalberto Toledo | News Editor Kayleigh Bywater | Arts & Life Editor Reece Waddell | Sports Editor Preston Mitchell | Opinion Editor Colin Mitchell | Visuals Editor

Production Team

By James Norman The Denton City Council met on Jan. 10 and approved an ordinance between UNT and Denton for funding the expansion of I-35, a new fire station and voted for a tax freeze on elderly and disabled citizens to appear on the ballot later this year.

The ordinance adopted between UNT and the city of Denton is an agreement in which UNT will provide a fixed contribution of $303,914 and Denton will provide $396,372 for “aesthetic upgrades to North Texas Boulevard to include bent cap logos, bridge identification logos, medallion signs, landscaping, decorative sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting.”

Another item on the agenda was the approval of funds for the construction of a new fire station at the corner of Sherman Drive and King’s Row for $4.8 million.

Denton mayor Chris Watts was the lone opposing vote.

“We fought about $100,000 at the budget discussions,” Watts said. “And we’re not even wanting to see if we could save $750,000 or half a million or a million doing something different. It’s just ironic to me.”

City council member Kathleen Wazny of District 3,

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

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PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

ELECTIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “valuable source of infor mation” for what has worked and what hasn’t.

She added that there were a few instances where Denton officials working the polls had experience but their polling workers were new, and maybe did not have an “adequate amount of training.”

“I had one person contact me and say her training was fast and she was str uggling,” Hor n said. “She took it on herself to take a second training course.”

But training isn’t the only issue. The administration is understaffed by about four people. Mar tin said par t of

the plan included bringing in additional employees, as well as provide training software for judges. Mar tin also mentioned potentially working with UNT to have them look into the processes.

The age of the machines is also a problem.

“From what I understand the money is there and in my personal opinion this money needs to be spent,” said Lisa Hendrickson, county chair man of the Denton Republican Par ty.

“The machines are over 12 years old. In today’s technology, that’s old.”

Mar tin said that while the life expectancy on the machines is 12-15 years old, there is a plan to upgrade

frozen, there is no answer for the deficit that would be created.

“I don’t consider [paying taxes] a burden. I consider it a privilege,” Gregory said.

Wazny argued that seniors aren’t asking for a free pass, saying most elders who are retired living with fixed incomes, their taxes continue to go up.

“Budgets are budgets,” Wazny said. “And when you are on a fixed income, a budget is paramount, knowing from month to month, the money going in and the money going out.”

Mayor Watt mentioned that there will be data on this issue on the Denton website for the public, urging citizens to read and interpret the data for themselves, no matter what side they are on.

The board voted unanimously to have the issue on the May 2017 ballot.

@jamestnorman_wl

them.

Phyllis Wolper, the Denton County Democratic Par ty’s chair person, echoed the same sentiments about the age of the machines, saying they were old and outdated.

“As a county, we have grown tremendously over the past 10 years,” Wolper said.

“We did not have the proper planning to deal with it.”

Hor n understands the issues with the equipment, but said the situation isn’t so simple. While she did acknowledge they are tr ying to replace the equipment, to accommodate a county the size of Denton would take “millions of dollars.”

Mar tin however, is confident in the funding for

knew the shooter and was aware of his violent propensities.”

The document also claims damages for “lost earnings and net accumulations,” “funeral and burial expenses,” “mental anguish,” “the past and future loss of companionship,” “the past and future mental anguish suffered by the Plaintiff as a consequence of the decedent’s injuries and death,” “punitive and exemplary damages,” and “all recoverable survival and wrongful death damages on behalf of the Plaintiff and the Decedent’s estate.”

Coleman’s attorney could not be reached for comment at the time of this report and a court date has not yet been established.

The current owner of Local 109 said he did not know about the lawsuit, and that it should be handled with the previous owner.

William Kuhn, the previous owner, could not be reached for comment.

The shooting Rewind to the wee hours of Dec. 20, 2016 on Fry Street. Shots were

A new name Local 109 will open around Feb. 28 in time for Mardi Gras.

Mitchell Wilson, one of the owners of Shots and Crafts, Tom’s Daiquiri, Public House and now Local 109, said that the acquired the space that the Library Bar was

in before the shooting occurred.

“We took over and had the desire to change things up, it had nothing to do with past issues,” Wilson said. “It is a different concept cocktail bar, with a more trendy name in a new direction.”

Wilson said that the shooting of DeAndre Wilson had nothing to do with the name change and facelift.

“We were planning on taking over before. It was a terrible situation, but at the end of it, it was the direction we were already going,” Wilson said. “It will be good for Fry Street, will be different. There is not too much like this.”

The vibe at Local 109, Wilson said, is to make it a place where people can either start or end their nights at and have conversations over a nicer drink.

Wilson said that he and his partners bought the Library Bar in early December, and officially took over the bar Jan. 1.

Named after the address, 109 Ave. A, Local 109 will feature up to 50 new cocktails crafted by by the owners who will be handson during the first few weeks of

whatever changes are needed.

“It’s going to take some money to do it,” Mar tin said.

“I think because of how public it was, I think they see the need [for money].”

Despite the issues that persisted, Hor n, Wolper and Hendrickson all shared confidence in Phillips’ ability to right the ship.

“I am ver y confident we have a stellar team in Denton County,” Hendrickson said.

“We will set the standard.”

@jamestnorman_wl

#ADogsPurpose

Footage recently surfaced of a dog on the set of the upcoming film being forced to shoot a scene. The dog appeared to be frightened but was forced into rushing water.

#Russia

Russia has been making headlines after multiple accusations of interfering with the US presidential election. Vice President Biden expressed his concern in his last major speech.

#Gambia

Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh is refusing to step down after losing a December election.

His refusal is met with opposition and threats from other African countries.

As he enters his fourth year in office, UNT President Neal Smatresk faces a changing campus and a politically active student body.

Following a protest calling for the university to become a sanctuary campus, Smatresk said he would not “support designating [UNT] as a sanctuary campus.” He said, though, he will hold a town hall meeting that will allow discussion on the issue.

“For those who are deeply concerned,” Smatresk said. we want to make sure we are listening and paying attention.”

Sanctuary campus town hall Over 1,000 people have already signed a petition to add UNT to the list of sanctuary university campuses, which

work to protect undocumented immigrant students from being arrested and deported by refusing to help the police.

The meeting, set for Jan. 31, will cover what protections the university already offers, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DOCA and the legal elements that go into how UNT is a law abiding school. Smatresk said the meeting will be held so students who are concerned can all be on the same fact base as to why UNT will not be a sanctuary campus.

“It’s going to be pretty straight forward but it may not diffuse the emotional content of the topic, which I think is significant,” Smatresk said.

Tier One Following UNT’s recent tierone status, Smatresk said the university has added 100 new

doctoral lines, such as teaching fellowships and teaching assistant positions, to bring in more doctoral students. He said it could cost the university about $3 million, but UNT’s academic budget has been growing. ”When I first got here we were shaky budget wise. We’re not anymore; we’re rock solid,” Smatresk said. “We’ve done very well financially.”

Construction and new programs Smatresk noted the many construction projects happening on campus right now, including more to come. Among them are the new classroom facility UNT was approved for, as well as the decisions that come along with deciding where to put it, the demolition of Fouts Field to build more parking, the new residence hall behind Kerr Hall and a new dining hall that will be “nation leading in its concept and development,” Smatresk said.

Continuing from last year,

Sage Hall is still undergoing its revamp to become the Student Success Center, a one-stop shop for students looking to change majors, address career concerns and receive learning support.

The program has been a goal for the provost and president for the past two years.

The new College of Visual Arts and Design building is about to break ground and the Science Research Building, which has been under renovation since 2015, will open in February.

Restructuring colleges More changes coming to UNT soon includes the split of the College of Arts and Sciences. The two colleges will be separated to better focus and invest in each college differently.

The College of Public Affairs and Community Service will also be changing. The college will not be splitting up, but instead it will be adding two

schools within the college: health and community service.

Smatresk said he wants to increase degree plans within these two schools and hopes to expand the health program to include things like nursing and optometry.

“Most of these professions I’m referring to have virtually 100 percent employment and there aren’t enough people in the market and producing more can’t hurt the state, or the region,” Smatresk said.

Other things to look forward to Big events happening at the university this year will include a concert put on by the Eli Young Band March 25 at 9:45 p.m. The band will play for students at Apogee stadium, with ticket information and more details to come.

Smatresk will also unveil a new project he is trying to get up and running and said it is a big game changer for how we operate as a campus. He hopes

to announce his big project by spring break.

“I think it will put us at the forefront of innovative campus, not just in the state but in the nation,” Smatresk said.

Other projects include a data reservoir, something Smatresk has been working on since before arriving at UNT. The data project influences many aspects of UNT, from better tracking of the school’s budget, understanding enrollment numbers and course demands to optimizing graduation pathways for current students.

“When I first got here, we didn’t have a single data warehouse,” Smatresk said.

“This doesn’t sound very exciting, but data is incredibly important and we’re in the era of big data and higher education is stunningly important.”

@kaylajeann19

From a student’s point of view opening.

Wilson said the cocktail bar will have a catch to it, it is trendier sounding with specifically local ties to Denton and the college town. Wilson wants college students to drink local and spend their dime local, as well as find entertainment local.

Although the bar has been closed down, Wilson said that all employees are eligible for rehire and they will be taking applications until the end of the month.

“We have been in contact with those employees, and our desire to fix the place up. It will be tough for us, because we do things differently than previous owner, he may have done things differently,” Wilson said. “It will be fun stuff that isn’t readily available on Fry Street. The fun part is trying new drinks.”

@falconjulia22 @Kyle_Martin35

TRENDING @ntdaily @thedose_ntdaily @ntd_sports

President Neal Smatresk sits in his office in the Hurley Administration Building. Tom Gonzalez

By Kayla Davis

Mother of DeAndre Wilson sues Library Bar fired, and 2009 Denton Guyer grad DeAndre Wilson was shot in the head just outside the Library Bar. An altercation between Deandre Wilson, his friend and three other men early that morning lead Hanyel Leon Gomez to pull out his handgun and shoot him, police said. Gomez fled the scene in a silver car but was arrested later that afternoon by Denton police.

Hanyel Leon Gomez, 21, was identified after police spoke with multiple witnesses. He is charged with murder and awaits arraignment at Denton County jail.

Since then, the bar has remained closed. The marquee sign has been taken down, and construction crews come in-and-out doing work. Students and Fry Street regulars began to wonder what will happen with the space.

Smatresk’s fourth year: no sanctuary campus, more construction, new programs

Sara Bagheri speaks at a city council meeting. Tomas Gonzalez

Election day mishaps force Denton administration to make changes

FRY STREET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Chelsea Watkins | Design Editor Morgan Sullivan | Designer/Copy Editor Evan McAlister | Designer/Copy Editor Circe Marez | Designer/Copy Editor Amelia Mueller | Designer/Copy Editor Antonio Mercado | Staff Illustrator Samuel Wiggins | Senior Staff Illustrator

cited a report that shows the money Denton would spend on a fire station is on par with other cities building similar projects.

Mayor Watts disagreed with the report, saying he believes there are other ways to save the tax payers’ money on this project.

The most time-consuming issue of the meeting was a petition about whether to provide tax freezes to elderly or disabled citizens. A public hearing was also held on the issue, where several citizens came out to vocalize their opinion on the issue.

A big issue some took with the petition was that it wasn’t needed, and it created a rather large issue only to benefit a small portion of the population.

Some commented it would be an unnecessary tax giveaway to those who may not need that tax relief.

One citizen argued for the petition, saying that Robson Ranch, a retirement community in Denton, was already paying “the lions-share” of the city’s budget, and that several elders were assisting their children and grandchildren with paying off student debt.

Dalton Gregory, city council member at large, said it came down to fairness, saying if taxes for this group of people are

#MLB

The 2017 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees were announced this week. Inductees include Jeff Bagwell, Time Rianes, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, John Schuerholz and Bud Selig.

Students share their thoughts on recents events in the new year

By Sarah Sarder On having a Sanctuary Campus: Skyler Winfrey, marketing senior: I thought that the protest that they were doing was going to help, I’m just sad that it didn’t.

There will be more protests to get the sanctuary established at the university. I think the administration will probably respond well to it because there’s protests going on on this campus and there really hasn’t been any major stopping to any protest.

Alex Sparks, speech pathology junior: If the president says it’s not going to happen, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Obviously this is a more liberal campus, but Texas is pretty conservative so I don’t know how that’s going to work out. I think the students will push it farther. We have a big student population so I think they’ll try to take advantage of that.

Kendall Haight, jazz studies freshman: I feel like President Smatresk is maybe speaking more to protect donations rather than protecting the student body. I don’t think there’ll be too many effects (of the protests) but it certainly says something about the administration.

Cayman Pipes, history junior: There are cons to being a sanctuary school in the state

of Texas. We could possibly lose funding from the governor so a lot of people who have financial aid here will lose it.

I’m glad but not surprised that Smatresk denied it. I do believe that there’s going to be more protests because there was more than just one issue involved in that protest march. There will be more demonstrations, more protests, but I can’t say whether it’s going to be a direct effect or not.

On the Fry Street Shooting:

Cour tesy photo of DeAndre Wilson, victim of The Library shooting Skyler Winfrey, marketing senior: It makes me feel really scared because I go to Fry Street, and it makes me feel like I have to keep my guard up at all times and know the exits everywhere. I feel like there will be changes, because everybody goes to Fry Street and I know when I go there they don’t really do that much security checks, which I feel like they will implement it more after this event happened. The only thing they do is check your ID,

they don’t pat you down, there’s no metal detectors. I don’t want them to single people out who look suspicious but I feel like there should be a metal detector so an event like this wouldn’t happen again.

Darcie Mason, history freshman: We do get warnings about Fry Street so my opinion of Fry Street is kind of crazy.

It’s a little dangerous. Be careful when you’re around there. I guess it kind of strengthens that opinion.

Karina Irias, integrative studies freshman: I think security will definitely be more strict. I feel like students will still go to Fry because it’s easily accessible. I think they’re trying to not be involved and trying to kind of save their butts because they don’t want the bad image for their school. They don’t want their name tied with that.

Brent Piehler, chemistry sophomore: Shootings happen everywhere, it’s just a fact of life.

I feel like the difference between it being right on the edge of campus or it being literally on campus, there’s not really much of a difference.

On Sugar Babies: Francisco Bustos, international studies freshman: That’s extremely shocking to me. That just shows that people don’t have enough money, they’re freaking out about money issues I guess. Maybe [UNT has more sugar babies] because a higher percentage of low income people come here. We’re also next to a big city, with big suburbs, big rich people.

Gicela Lechuga, media arts freshman: Honestly, I’ve thought about it. I’m like, you know what, I could be a sugar baby, so I’m not surprised. It’s college, we need money. I mean we could get jobs but sometimes that isn’t enough. If you can get the money, I say go for it.

Andrea Gonzalez, freshman, biomedical engineering: Fry was already kind of sketchy to me but I don’t really go out there a lot. I feel like they might up their security so more people can come up there. Business might go down for a little while but I think after awhile people will let it go and it will go back to normal.

On parking:

Gicela Lechuga, media arts freshman: I feel like they might try to make an improvement but I don’t know if it would actually work. I could see them trying to enforce more security but it’s hard to know who’s carrying a gun.

Jose Meza, criminal justice freshman: I’m a freshman so it’s kind of ridiculous how we can only get the resident parking pass while upperclassmen can get the eagle and better passes.

So maybe they could balance that out.

Karina Irias, integrative studies freshman: That just shows that tuition is expensive.

Students walk around the Denton Square holding signs and chanting in solidarity to peacefully protest Trump’s decision to end the DACA program. Paulina De Alva Sanchez Murray, criminal justice senior: It’s pretty bad but it’s a pretty big university.

They’re building more Greek life houses in the parking lot over there, I don’t know how much that would cost but I imagine it’s pretty expensive so that’s money that could be geared toward parking or other resources.

Darcie Mason, history freshman: It’s a little ridiculous.

I pay $450 to park in a parking garage. I don’t think they’re going to make any changes that are going to help the students.

It’s been a problem for a while.

Gicela Lechuga, media arts freshman: I don’t drive a car here because if the parking situation. I think it sucks.

They’re cutting off parking for other things. I feel like nothing’s going to happen unless we demand that they do something about it because a lot of us are annoyed with it but if we don’t really say something they’re not going to listen. It’s good for us to get their attention.

Andrea Gonzalez, biomedical engineering freshman: I think it’s ridiculous how residents can’t park by their halls. I feel like they’ll just make more parking places and charge the same or more because I think for them it’s about making more money, it’s not about our comfort.

Brent Piehler, chemistry sophomore: I’m kind of upset that they’re getting rid of an entire parking lot, especially the largest one that people actually use a lot (Kerr lot), so now I feel like parking is going to be a problem again. All of the parking lots will probably be full, there’ll be people complaining, wanting more parking. The administration isprobably not going to do anything. They think that bussing from near Victory is going to be a solution, but I can see that not going well.

@sarderrr

ARTS & LIFE

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

NTDAILY.COM

Once homeless, Miles Wood is now giving back to Our Daily Bread DAILY BREAD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 After struggling with homelessness, Wood now serves the people in the same situation, while working toward his own growth.

“He’s getting exposed to a new arena and he’s embracing it,” ODB executive director Brenda Jackson said.

Left: The parking lot behind Kerr Hall is currently under construction for a new residence hall. Kelsey Shoemaker Construction has begun in Lot 50 to expand the College of Visual Arts and Design department. Kelsey Shoemaker

UNT removes more parking to build more buildings

By Adalberto Toledo Here’s what you need to know about construction for

Spring 2017: The UNT campus will continue to take away parking in preparation for new construction projects this semester. Some current projects will finish by the time seniors walk across the stage, and others will begin this year.

From renovating buildings, to building new residence halls, UNT’s growth continues to fuel its most recent five-year master plan, revised in 2013.

Residence hall takes away more parking Construction for a new residence hall on campus will begin this month, bringing 500 new beds to campus. The new hall, currently unnamed, will be built on Parking Lot 31 behind Kerr Hall, Avenue A and Eagle

Drive.

The hall will be designated specifically for freshmen students, according to assistant director of housing Joshua Gordon. David Reynolds, vicepresident of UNT facilities, said the construction of this hall is in compliance with the UNT master plan.

“This is the first of potentially a couple [of residence halls] that could go along this street behind Kerr,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds also stated that a visitation center will be built adjacent to the hall, designed as an area for prospective students to easily access tours and more information regarding the campus.

A groundbreaking ceremony is still in the works, with no specific date available yet.

Construction is set to finish and be ready for the fall semester of 2018.

New College of Visual Arts and Design building coming soon Another construction project on campus set to begin this month is the brand new building for the College of Visual Arts and Design, which is also set to be finished by late 2018.

Renovation will take place in the middle of Parking Lot 50, obstructing that parking lot from public access. “[The building is] going to provide a number of teaching spaces for the College of Visual Arts and Design,” Reynolds said. “It is going to allow them to consolidate some of their functions that are currently in other buildings around the campus. It will allow them to provide a more situated, educational experience for their students.”

There will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new

building at 1 p.m. on Jan. 24 in the Lightwell Gallery inside the current Art Building, a UNT press release stated. The associate dean of academic affairs for CVAD hopes students come to the groundbreaking.

Science Research Building gets new face The ongoing renovation of the existing Science Research Building will wrap up within the next 30 to 60 days, Reynolds said.

The previous exterior of the building, completed in the 1970s, was deteriorating and some bricks were falling off. With this renovation, the building has a whole new brick finish, along with façade changes to make the building more compatible with the rest of campus.

Inside, more laboratory space was added on the first floor, primarily dedicated to UNT

research programs. Reynolds said the exterior renovation of the project is taking a bit longer than expected due to inclement weather.

Language Building gets new courtyard Construction around the Language Building is set to finish by next month. UNT Facilities are waiting on a contractor to finish concrete and landscape work outside the building. “[This project was] primarily a drainage project to improve drainage around the building and prevent water from getting into the lower levels of the building,” Reynolds said.

Clark Park pathway to finish this term Construction located on Clark park that removed some parking on lot 27 is set to finish this semester. A final opening

date is not yet available as UNT facilities are still coordinating with the city to receive final approval in the last steps of the project, which is the pedestrian pathway.

This pathway is expected to be a leveled surface across Maple Street, meaning vehicles will have to drive over a small slope, serving as a way to control traffic and make an easier route for students going to class.

For more information, UNT facilities releases a monthly report regarding expected construction projects on campus on its website available for public use.

Changing times Wood was born in Louisiana and grew up in the Woodlands, just north of Houston. He lived in Lewisville in 2010 until the end of the summer of 2012, when his situation changed. Towards the end of 2012, Wood became homeless due to poorly handled mental health issues and PTSD. “The 2004-2005 year, when I was a junior, I had gotten in wreck with my father and he was nearly killed by it,” Woods said. “What I saw scarred me and I’ve been dealing with PTSD ever since. I’d been doing a lot of couch surfing and not really living anywhere for numerous years.”

Because most of his family lived in Houston at the time, Wood did not have anyone around him that was able to help him out. After dropping out of the University of Texas at Dallas, Wood was left with no financial

support and turned to various organizations, like the Salvation Army, for help. The Salvation Army in Lewisville did not offer shelter for visitors, so Wood made his way to ODB in Denton.

“I just kind of followed the crowd when we had to leave [the center], because they told me that it would be the place to get something to eat and get out of the heat,” Wood said.

The few years before Wood finally reached ODB were the worst years of his life. During that time, Wood had become legally blind. His contacts, which became “ancient,” had degraded and ruined his eyesight.

Years of battling at the helm of his PTSD and physical health issues led Wood’s heart to stop three different times.

“They always reached out and tried to help me,” Wood said.

“That’s when I started seeing the love of Our Daily Bread.”

Through ODB, Wood applied for a housing program, called Connections, with the Denton County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center. The center, which serves people with a mental health condition or developmental disability diagnosis, advised Wood and a few others to volunteer in local areas. For Wood, ODB was his obvious choice.

“Once my health started getting better and I felt like I could do more, I thought, ‘I need to give back to the people who helped get me to this point,’” Wood said.

Giving back After a steady growth from volunteer to assistant, Wood now serves as the senior program coordinator for ODB. He said ODB has given him a family here in Denton as well as a sense of true fulfillment that comes with interacting with clients. “[A great part] is seeing a person actually succeed with whatever difficulty that person comes to me with,” Wood said.

“It’s amazing to see that problem being resolved and knowing these people are better than when they first came to me.”

According to those he works alongside, ODB is proud to see the progress that Wood has cultivated over the years.

“ODB is so very proud of Myles,” communications admin Sharon Kremer said. “We wouldn’t be what we are without his spirit.”

Wood currently goes home every night to the housing provided by the program that urged him to utilize his skills and volunteer at ODB. He’s able to see whose lives he’s impacting now

The UNT Student Government Association will enter the new year with big goals for the student body, including hopes to increase their outreach and strengthen ties with student media.

“There’s really no set agenda that we’ve really come up with, it’s basically based on what type of legislation the senators submit,” SGA president Grant Hale said. “It’s very much driven by them and what they want to do for the students.“ Hale said he felt SGA remained a mild presence among the student body and an unconnected information resource for the North Texas Daily. He’s not alone.

College of Business Senator Teresa Aguayo feels that communication with the student body, particularly the Daily, has previously been difficult to manage. She believes building a better relationship with the Daily would also better address the student body’s concerns.

Other top members of SGA

also feel they have a broken relationship with the university’s student newspaper that they aim to address this year. It is Hale’s top priority.

“In the past, SGA has not done a very good job of reaching out to the student body and have been perceived as not having a good relationship with the Daily,” Hale said. “Since my freshman year, I have wanted to move the organization away from that, become more professional and provide more opportunities for students to get involved.”

While the rest of the executive branch have policy ideas prepared for the campus and students this semester, the group agrees to focus on the organization’s transparency.

“I think having a great relationship with the student body is very important,” College of Arts and Sciences Senator Peyton Paige-Sennet said.

“Without them our job would be really hard because we are here simply to serve them and be their voice.”

SGA’s relationship-building

initiative stems from its need to build further reliability on campus and gather more student participation in voting and legislation practices. The senators feel that by reforming their relationship with the press, the student body will participate more.

“Something not too many people know is that any student can draft and come up with a piece of legislation or bring an issue up to SGA that they want us to look into more or help work to remedy,” Hale said. “We don’t see that too much.”

According to Hale, SGA would like to see continued improvement in its upcoming election as the organization hit a record high of over 10 percent undergraduate voting.

To keep the numbers up, the senators plan to strengthen their outreach to the students, making sure they know what is going on behind Senate doors.

“I try to help achieve this goal by inviting friends and many UNT students to our meetings and events so they can see first

hand what we’re doing to make UNT an even better place,“ College of Arts and Sciences Senator Jesse Hawkins said.

Hale has similar goals, and wants to see more people at meetings.

“I am open to meet with the Daily, have open town meetings and reemphasize that our senate meetings are open to everybody on Wednesdays if they want to see what’s going on in SGA,” Hale said.

Besides transparency for SGA as a whole, the senators have individual goals that they will press for in this legislative session. Priorities for senators are security, parking and new program opportunities.

“I’m looking forward to working on legislation involving UNT’s facilities, security and parking this semester,” Hawkins said. “I believe these are some of the contentions UNT faces as we continue to build towards being a prominent university.“ For the new majors that were added to the catalog this year, SGA hopes to give them as many opportunities as more established degree plans.

“This semester I will be communicating with the college of education about new program opportunities for our new interdisciplinary studies majors,” said Belokin. “I want to ensure our students are learning high quality techniques that are applicable to their fields.”

@newzjunkie21

File Photo

with the help of glasses provided

by ODB’s medical services. In the future, Wood hopes to go back to school in order to earn a degree in social work.

It’s not a place he thought he would be in, but Wood is excited

for what’s to come.

“I never thought I would go for a degree like that, but I’ve found that I love this job,” Wood said.

“There are times that make me want to beat my head against the wall because I’m so frustrated,

but I go home feeling good, motivated and happy to go to work every single day.”

@rohmyboat

Community memebers reflect on MLK Day

MLK DAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

brothers and I wanted it to be better than the previous years. I really wanted our guys to be more

involved within the program and utilize the talents they possess, so we do have a few curve balls for everyone.”

The Eta Epsilon Chapter, which has been around since

1970, has deep roots in this event.

Preparation for such large events starts early on.

“We started [in] November on the actual programming, but [ideas have been in works since]

@aldot27

SGA enters the new year with no agenda but big goals

By Keoni Holoman

Myles Wood eats his lunch while answering phone calls Ruben Paquian

The attendees of the Martin Luther King Jr. day march start moving out of UNT campus. Celebration in Denton started with a youth flag football tournament, then a rally and march from University Union to the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center. Jennyfer Rodriguez

late September,” Dolford said. “A lot of work has been done by us and the staff over at the MLK Jr. Rec Center. We wanted to make this year’s event different and have a unique feel to it, and I feel like our plan will come into fruition.”

The Martin Luther King Jr. March extends from the University Union and proceeds to Fred Moore Park, ending at the MLK Jr. Recreation Center.

Through the years, those involved in the MLK celebration have tried listening to the community to see what more should be integrated into this unifying event.

“The ideas come from people in the community, [the] people who’ve lived in the community for years,” said Bobbi Givens, the center supervisor for the MLK Jr. Recreation Center.

The event brings in members throughout the community, including members of churches and various individual organizations.

In addition, sororities and fraternities from UNT and Texas Woman’s

University participate.

As Denton has grown, so has its community, resulting in the expansion of the event, said Givens. More people become involved year after year.

“The more we spread the word, the more people will come out,” Dolford said.

After 49 years, the issues that Martin Luther King Jr. fought for are still being fought today in modern day America, and Dolford said MLK Day allows for a time of reflection.

“It will most definitely feel more empowering to the community because we are marching with more pride,” Dolford said. “The recent activities with Black Lives Matter has enhanced black pride and I also feel like we will be more aware of our culture, our surroundings and of what it truly means to be black in America.”

Givens said that although his speeches were delivered almost half a century ago, King’s legacy is still important throughout the country.

Especially during this time, Givens said, it is important for

people to stick together rather than pull apart.

“We want to make it something where Martin Luther King would be proud to know that we have people from all nationalities, all different cultures and all different backgrounds that are part of this celebration,” Givens said. “For the march, signs were made, songs were sung, [and] togetherness will make our community feel more comfortable and unified throughout that day and will probably carry most people for the rest of the year.”

As Martin Luther King Jr. stood upon that mountaintop during his memorable speech, he reflected on the future and created waves of change for all mankind. Now, as he rests in his grave, the inscribed words still ring out.

“Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.”

@sadiasaeed87

New year renovations provide new look for Denton’s Juice Lab

By Kyle Martin

Police crowd the parking lot next to Fouts Field after a stolen car was found with flat tires.

Jynn Schubert

Owner of stolen car finds with flat tires next to fouts field

By Jynn Schubert A car stolen from the parking garage at 33 Degrees North Apartments over Thanksgiving break was found Saturday evening with two flat tires in the parking lot next to Fouts Field.

Car owner and chemistry sophomore Jason Smith said he last saw his car over Thanksgiving break, and identified it from the road.

Police were notified and the owner found the 2002 Toyota Camry just before 5 p.m. but identified no suspects.

Nothing was stolen from inside the car, and there is no exterior damage other than the two flat tires in the front. Smith was unsure as to how the thief got into his car in the first place.

“I don’t know [what happened], it was just stolen,” Smith said. “I had my keys and stuff the whole time.”

@jynnwashere

After a recent expansion, the Juice Lab, located off of Elm Street, will become one of Denton’s newest music venues.

The Juice Lab will begin to host live music, art, comedy and open-mics on the weekends.

The expansion, which took over part of what used to be the Twisted Bodies Pilates and Yoga building, has added roughly an extra 1,000 squarefeet and will house more seats, a new menu, local art installations and a stage for open mic nights, featured artists and acts. Apart from these additions, a full-size kitchen adds more opportunity for more organic, vegetarian and vegan food and juice options.

Within the past year, J&J’s Basement, Rubber Gloves and Hailey’s have closed down as music venues. Denton’s music community has come together recently to discuss concerns related to the closures, and the Juice Lab owners Loni Puckett, 33, and Brandon Williams, 39, were listening.

Puckett and Williams said that with several recent venue closures around town last year, they wanted their restaurant

to become a “melting pot” of creative space.

“We’re not just wanting to be a stage, but a place for all kinds of art for people to show their creative sides,” Williams said.

“From time to time we’ve had a lot of different friends who are artists, so we want to put different peoples’ art up and change it up every so often.”

The Juice Lab got its start at the Denton Community Market selling their homemade, healthy products to locals on the weekends.

“She’s got the brains and I know how to paint,” Williams said of their startup.

After finding both success and people interested in their juice and healthy products, they decided to open the Juice Lab, which debuted Feb. 5, 2016.

“We kind of saw our following grow there, so we just wanted to kind of do the same thing, really,” Puckett said. “[We wanted to] open the space up to the community and let other people have their chance.”

Live music became an option for the restaurant after Puckett and Williams previously hosted “block parties.” During these events, the duo invited live

bands and artists to perform in the parking lot of their business on stages and in front of a crowd. The block parties had live artists painting along to the music as well as a community board where anyone could add to the art.

“It’s always been so much fun, and it’s got bigger every time,” Puckett said. “We just kind of employ local musicians, so that can range from jazz to DJ’s to hip-hop.”

Puckett, who started school at Texas Woman’s University in 2009, received her undergraduate degree in biology and is currently finishing her master’s degree in molecular biology. She began juicing after realizing a remarkable connection between what she was studying and her interest in delicious, healthy food.

“The plus side for having juice in the first place is that you get condensed nutrients, [like] minerals and vitamins,” Puckett said. “Trace elements fall into those categories like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and all those things you hear about all the time that you need more of in your diet.

Well, the reason we need those

The overview of Juice Lab’s ordering area. Amber Nasser in our diet is because of certain molecular processes called nucleotide excision repair. What that actually is is a process that our body goes through to repair damage that’s accumulated to our DNA from exposure to chemicals, UV radiation, and everything you are exposed to on a daily basis.”

Puckett and Williams said

they are excited to begin the new phase of their business and to provide a place within the music scene that can accommodate kids and teenagers under 21 years old.

Though the renovations are

not complete yet, they will soon be finished and ready for crowds sometime next month, around time to celebrate their

one-year anniversary as the Juice Lab.

@Kyle_Martin35

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 6

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 7

Tawan Throngkumpola sits with his service dog, Cali, Sunday morning in Legends Hall where he lives. Throngkumpola wears a 22 kill honor ring on his right index finger as a “silent salute” to all veterans, past and present. Hannah Breland

A NEW WAR TO WIN

By Austin Jackson He was cast adrift in a hotel parking lot, staring straight in front of him into an area of nothing.

The whine of the rottweiler riding shotgun suddenly focuses Tawan Throngkompyla’s thousand yard stare back to reality, snapping him out of this trance.

For 12 years, he bled for his country. In 2015 he retired, returning to civilian life and eventually the to became a psychology senior at UNT. But like many soldiers, the fog of war followed.

Three roadside bombs left his skin discolored and his brain charred by the embers of war.

His service and sacrifice is written all over his face. When he enters a room, he plans his escape.

It’s not paranoia, he said, just “situational awareness.”

But Tawan, the 41-year-old psychology senior living in Legends Hall, never saw the ambush coming.

On Nov. 14, three days after Veterans Day, Throngkumpola received a letter from the UNT Office of Disability Accommodations informing him his service dog, Cali, was no longer

allowed on campus.

“I got blindsided,” he said. “No notice, no nothing.”

It started with a bet and ended with a dog On Jan. 29 2003, Tawan, a University of Texas at Austin student at the time, was living in Jester Hall. An innocent bet at the university resulted in a lifetime of impact.

“I lost a bet and I joined the Navy,” he said.

As a hospital corpsman, Throngkumpola’s job was to take care of Marines on the battle field.

To the Marines, he was known as “Doc.” The Navy transformed the listless college kid, more interested in the bar scene than the academics at UT, into the man he is today.

A man burdened by PTSD, night terrors, seizures and anterograde amnesia.

But they also made him a man who makes up his bed every morning. A man of regiment and routine. A man he’s proud of, a man who wants to give back.

But before he shipped off to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom, tragedy struck at home.

Throngkumpola suffered most of

his wounds during his first tours in Fallujah. But his first real tragedy struck close to the heart.

In 2004, after receiving his training for battlefield medicine in North Carolina and Illinois, his wife was killed in a car accident.

When his commander asked him to stay and grieve, Tawan refused.

“I needed to get away,” Throngkumpola said. “I had to just get away from it. If I stayed I would do is sit and think about her.”

He buried his grief under adrenaline and guerrilla warfare in Fallujah, Iraq.

The second battle of Falluajah, also known as Operation Phantom Fury, was both the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War, and where Tawan proved to his platoon that he had the ability to cover their backs. The camaraderie, purpose and routine was a welcome escape from his grief.

“It wasn’t a typical war,” he said.

“It was guerrilla warfare. It was compared to Vietnam. They were expecting 80 percent loss. Eight out of 10 people was an acceptable loss.”

Man’s best friend For Tawan, Cali is his everything.

The 80-pound rottweiller in a camouflage vest has been by his side 24/7 for the past four years.

She watches his back during the day and lays on his stomach to keep

him from sleep walking at night.

She guides him through the crowds that trigger his PTSD and lifts her paw to his thigh to remind him to take his seizure medicine. She

serves.

“She’s my battle buddy, we’ve been through everything together,” he said. “I told them if Cali goes, I go too.”

Exibition showcases artists within 125 miles of Denton

By Cierra Edmondson The Visual Arts Society of Texas is holding its 11th annual 125-Mile Visual Arts Exhibition from Jan. 14 to Feb. 25 at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center to showcase local artists and their work.

The 125-Mile Exhibition was initiated in 2006 to establish a regional high quality and juried art exhibition for artists living within 125-mile radius of Denton.

By limiting the eligible artists to a 125-mile radius, it allows artists close to Denton County the opportunity to present their work.

Artists are able to compete and show their work, which includes any 2D or 3D artwork falling under specified VAST categories, at the Gough Gallery in the PattersonAppleton Center.

Jurors act as a reviewer of each piece of work. This year’s jurors included Linda Ridgway and John Alexander Taylor. Both are recipients of Master of Fine Arts

degrees. This year, a total number of 30 artists, all Texas natives, are participating in the exhibition.

Many come from the D-FW area, but others arrived from cities as far as Sanger, Justin and Paris, Texas.

Ernie Benton, a Justin native, believes that he was born an artist.

Growing up in Chicago, Benton found art to be a great and creative distraction amongst the things that went on around him. His exhibition piece, titled Inner Vision, speaks to a need of having and exuding inner peace.

NEW DENTON

LOCATION

Inner Vison is a cool-colored piece, featuring a young man gazing softly into the distance.

Although it seems to be a simpler piece, Benton said it packs a punch and makes a strong statement through the eyes, which are the focal point of the piece. Benton’s play on shadows and a pop of a rusty-orange color are meant to draw the viewer in.

“I try to do work that is positive, something that has a voice and meaning,” Benton said. “If you look at Inner Vision, it’s like you can see his thoughts. He is inviting you into the peace and serenity.”

Among other techniques, Benton also likes to incorporate music and musical instruments into his work, sometimes weaving them into the faces of his subjects.

Benton draws much of his inspiration from music, beauty and color.

He also plans to teach a few art classes at UNT in the coming months in order to share his experiences with others.

Drawing and painting sophomore Robert Sparks was also among the 30 artists chosen to showcase their pieces in the exhibition.

His acrylic piece, titled Kitchen, is a large canvas exploding with pops of contrasting color.

“Art was something that I had always done as a kid and never grew out of,” Sparks said. “Kitchen is a play on words and color. My paintings tend to be a little darker, so I tried to use lighter colors. The piece is inspired by my routine of getting to work every day.”

Sparks shares that anyone who is considering art as a career or hobby should keep going and exploring the craft, even when they feel they can no longer produce work.

Kimberly Schaefer, a Texas Woman’s University student currently pursuing a masters degree in painting, follows Sparks’ idea of thinking as she always tries to keep herself involved in the arts.

Her piece, called Union II, is part of a series of works involving the exploration of the body, tangibility and identity.

Schaefer believes that many artists take things through a filter that comes through their work and through that filter, they are able to interpret and create what they see in their own, unique way.

“I take a lot of abstract backgrounds and layer figures and colors on top to where figures

merge in and out of each other,” Schaefer said. “The main point is to give people the space or idea to think about those boundaries and your identity as a result of those boundaries.”

Although the exhibition will close on Feb. 25, these artists are looking forward to the future opportunities they have in Denton.

While art might not mean much to many people, Benton said artists’ pieces represent who they are.

“As an artist, you need to know who you are, what your voice is and where you draw your power,” Benton said. “Your work is how people will see you as an artist.”

@EdmondsonC_2017

The 125-Mile Visuals Art Exhibition showcases artists’ work within a 125 mile radius of Denton. Tom Gonzalez

lil’ d

2 Offices: Chestnut Hall 313 & EESC 110 1 Mission: START, STAY, and FINISH money strong.

assistant and a first hand account from Ron Venable, the ODA director at the time, said Cali was a “direct threat” to the UNT population and had to be removed immediately.

Sisters strive to promote health and wellness

By Nina Quatrino For Heather Plassman, the day starts early. The idea of waking up before 6 a.m. every morning in addition to teaching a pilates class and completing a kickboxing workout before 10 a.m. is daunting, but she pushes on.

Heather lives her life through spin-cycling, kickboxing, pilates, yoga and kombucha tea on tap.

Instead of grabbing Whataburger for lunch, Plassman tends to stray away from genetically modified foods. For most, this extreme health-first lifestyle may seem impossible. For Heather and her sister, Madison, this is their life.

“It’s all about balance,” Heather said while making lettuce tacos and drinking her ginger smoothie after an intense kickboxing workout. “You only have one body, and you have to take care of it. Find what works for your body personally. Everybody is different.

What works for someone might not work for someone else.”

Just after her first orientation at UNT, Heather scored a job as a full-time nanny in Los Angeles.

It was in LA that she truly discovered her passion for this lifestyle.

“I lived in LA,” Heather said.

“Everyone works out [for fun] in LA You’re like [uncool] if you don’t. I had no choice but to work out.”

Heather said she’s been obsessed with health and fitness from an early age, but really got into it when she moved to LA

She loved reading books, and educating herself on fitness and clean eating.

“I was obsessed with working out, I was obsessed with books about working out,” Heather said.

“I was [also] obsessed with books about eating disorders.”

Heather said that when she was younger, she struggled with a slight eating disorder. With images of skinny models surrounding her on television, in magazines and all over the internet, it was hard to stay away from these images.

Instead of letting these temptations get the best of her, she found a better, and healthier, way to help out her body. Heather believes that by teaching herself to eat healthier and work out safely, it has helped her become more confident in her body, both physically and emotionally.

By doing this, her head is in a different space than it was just a few years ago.

“We live in 2017, we have access to every social media thing ever,” Heather said. “Look around you, everyone is being healthy on social media. There’s like eightmillion food blogs with recipes and about changing lifestyles.

Follow them.”

The 28-year-old is always up and moving. Heather, a certified pilates teacher, now works at local 9Round kickboxing gym during the week for fun.

“I’m just a little pilates teacher and I think I can keep up with the big trainers,” said Richard Rose, fitness trainer at 9Round

Kickboxing in Frisco, mocking Heather. “She really has a lot of energy and is an inspiration to all.”

Heather practices yoga daily and is a nanny to multiple children in the area. Though she keeps busy and is always on the go, she never breaks her habit of eating clean and working out, knowing that it will help her and not hurt her.

While this sort of lifestyle is one that Heather is used to, her goal is to try and get other people, especially college students, to realize how important it is to be safe and healthy.

“There are so many toxins in the world and nobody realizes it,” Heather said. “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t put it in your body. If you can’t read it, don’t put it on your [skin].”

Though she’s faced some skeptics, Heather argues that it is easy to start living the “healthfirst” mindset that both she and her 22-year-old sister have developed.

“It’s as easy as going to Sprouts,” Heather said. “Everyone says Whole Foods is expensive.

It’s not. I spend about $30 on groceries a week. You know what is expensive? Going through the drive-thru every week.”

Madison, an integrative studies junior, quickly started getting into this healthy lifestyle alongside her sister. Although she does not stick to the same restrictions as Heather, Madison said it’s important to remember what you’re doing to your body.

“She’s very strict and way more intense about health than me,” Madison said. “No dairy, no gluten, no GMOs in the pantry, but I let myself eat something bad every now and then.”

Madison, who is a full-time student and also a nanny five days a week, also follows in her sister’s footsteps by being busy. She said she thinks a lot of people might not try to be as healthy because they think they don’t have the time.

Even though she’s usually booked, she makes time for working out when she can.

Madison believes people need to focus on working on cardio and lifting weights rather than focusing on their core, like her sister. Instead of just running or kickboxing, she finds unique ways to stay active.

“I prefer Fly-wheel,” Madison said. “It’s really fun, you ride along to the beat of the music at your own pace and you don’t really feel like you’re working out.”

The sister joked about how she began partying a lot more frequently during the beginning of her junior year at UNT but quickly realized it provided no benefit.

“After all the dollar doubles and late night Crooked Crust, it really got to me,” Madison said.

“I started feeling so gross. I hate drinking now. Mid-semester last year I started realizing that I was getting sick of Fry Street.”

She also said she could not have

started going down this healthier path if it wasn’t for Heather.

“I learned a lot from her,” Madison said.

Heather moved back to Texas about a year ago to be closer to her sister Madison, and the two have been inseparable ever since. The girls plan on creating a fitnessbased Instagram account where they will sample new products and try new recipes.

The idea behind the Instagram is to encourage others to join in on their duo and all the fun that comes along with being fit and healthy. Often referred to as

“the twins,” both Heather and Madison can be found together at local events such as the Denton Community Farmers’ Market as well as on Fry Street every now and again but always make sure that maintaining their health is key.

“It’s not that hard,” Heather said. “It’s so easy. Time and effort is key. You have to really want to do it.”

@ninaquatrino

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But some at UNT have found Cali’s service to be a threat.

Citing complaints from two professors, a student, his residence

treatment or cures for his injuries and disorders, it’s likely he will have to treat the traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, anterograde amnesia, crippling depresssion, narcoloepsy and epilepsy through time.

In order to function properly, Tawan douses his brain with a cocktail of psychoactive drugs, each at max dose.

In the morning he gets on the chemical treadmill, starting with stimulants to wind him up in the day and sedatives to coax his brain into three to four hours of turbulent sleep at night.

In between, he takes anti-seizure medication and antidepressants to keep him “happy, smiling or emotionally [right] throughout the day.”

“They say things get better with time,” Tawan said. “I like to be an optimist, and I’ve dealt with medicine and miracles happening Tawan Throngkumpola’s service dog, Cali, lies with him in Legends Hall. Hannah Breland everyday, but it’s like, where do I fit into this?”

Throngkumpola said DeWein The letter reported Cali bit the semester wasn’t difficult. Boarding Until then, he’ll continue to go reached out and welcomed him and to class, looking over his shoulder hand of a student in his residence Cali was never an option for him.

To Tawan, she’s not just his best Cali back to campus with conditions. whenever he hears the faintest of hall, growled and intimdated Now in addition to the vest, Cali noises. He’ll keep on tensing up a classmate’s service dog and friend, she’s his lifeline.

“Cali is not a normal dog,” he wears a muzzle and is undergoing when someone whizzes past him on scratched his RA. Tawan disputes and denies said. “She was prescribed to me refresher courses from her trainer. their bike. He’ll keep looking to Cali He’s happy things have worked for support. these claims. He said he doesn’t by two board-certified doctors. It remember Cali biting or scratching would be like if you have a kid that out, but Tawan said the fight seems “When does it end?” Tawan said. anyone and described the other has asthma and taking their inhaler endless at times.

“I’m a fighter. I don’t quit. I don’t student’s “service” dog with air away.” retreat. I might fall back, regroup After CBS 11 reported the story, Just a civilian quotes. and come back at you. But when Tawan, a self described “old war does the drama just end so we’re able Tawan said the ODA was only Matthieu DeWein was promoted to dog,” carries his ornery pride and to do what we’re meant to do?” trying to do their job and acted interim director of the ODA. DeWein said he couldn’t the posture he learned in bootcamp out of concern for the greater UNT population but what he didn’t comment on any student’s specific with a leash and a lamp.

The adjustment to civilian life has understand was Venable’s unilateral case or why he was promoted, but @a_jack17 he did say he took over the interim been relatively gradual he said. reflexive decision.

Tawan said though he hopes He said choosing Cali, potential postion vacated by Veneable in medicine can uncover a new homelesness and risking an entire “recent weeks.”

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SPORTS

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 9 COLUMN

Page 8

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

NTDAILY.COM

It’s time for North Texas to fire Tony Bedford

A HOMECOMING OF SORTS Tyara Warren starting to mesh with women’s basketball team

By Matt Brune Throughout the hall that runs underneath the Super Pit, a familiar name reverberates off the empty seats and hard concrete floor.

“Ty!” they yell.

No one on the women’s basketball team is named Ty, but everyone knows who they’re referring to.

It’s sophomore guard Tyara Warren.

Warren was a highly touted guard from Plano, Texas, coming out of high school. As a result, she had plenty of Division I schools at her disposal. The original choice for California-born Warren was West Virginia University.

“They recruited me pretty hard,” Warren said. “[And] I wanted to get out

of Texas, so I chose West Virginia.”

Her freshman year in Morgantown looked to be a good fit on paper. Out of the three freshmen on the team, she played the second-most minutes. With six upperclassmen on the roster, she was slated for even more action in the years to come.

Something just didn’t feel right.

“I was really homesick,” Warren said. “I needed to come back home and have a better support system.”

In addition, the basketball progress was not sufficient for her during her stint at West Virginia. And while she struggled to improve on the court, she grew to be tougher mentally during her time away from home.

“It definitely helped me grow as a person, get myself together a little

bit,” Warren said. “I didn’t really grow much as a basketball player, but as a person.”

As a result, she transferred to UNT. There was just once catch.

Warren was forced to sit out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer regulations, a penalty that only helped in the end as she did not lose a year of eligibility.

“It was definitely hard, but I think I grew basketball-wise,” Warren said.

“I got to see where I fit in on the team, how I can help and what I need to do to help them.”

Now, she has certainly helped this year’s team, starting 10 of the 16 games she’s played in so far. She averages 6.9 points per game in 23.5 minutes, while also disrupting opposing wings on the

defensive side of the ball.

With injuries popping up in the backcourt, Warren has proven to be an essential piece, especially in conference play.

“Her being consistent on both ends of the floor is very important [for us],” head coach Jalie Mitchell said. “She is getting more comfortable being back in the fold and understanding what this grind is like after being out last season.”

Warren’s defensive prowess has been vital for the Mean Green, perhaps more important than her offensive game — which is fine by Mitchell.

She is a constant spark on defense for a team that forces nearly 20 turnovers per game.

Warren has received praise from

North Texas sophomore guard Tyara Warren looks to pass to the paint against Rice. Colin Mitchell

UPCOMING GAMES Thursday •Men’s basketball @ Southern Miss.

Tipoff at 7 p.m.

•Women’s basketball vs. Southern Miss. Tipoff at 7 p.m.

Saturday •Men’s basketball @ Louisiana Tech. Tipoff at 6 p.m.

MEAN GREEN QUICK HITS Men’s basketball The men’s basketball team takes a six-game losing skid into Southern Miss. North Texas is 6-11, 0-5 and has yet to win a game on the road or on Conference USA Women’s Basketball At 5-11, 2-3, the women’s basketball team is currently in ninth place in C-USA. The Mean Green are led in scoring by sophomore guard Terriell Bradley, who is averaging 12.8 points per game.

By Reece Waddell

the coaches for her defense, and her teammates love it even more.

“She’s a huge defensive threat,” freshman post Madii Townley said.

“And when she shows it [we’re] like, that’s the Ty we know.”

Offensively, however, is a different story.

Warren admits that offense is a weaker part of her game, and is something she is working to improve.

Fortunately for Warren, she is a gym rat with a high work ethic — an intangible her coach has taken full notice of.

“Her motor [is impressive],” Mitchell said. “Ty doesn’t give herself enough credit for the shape that she’s in. She has a natural motor, she can go and she’s played a lot of minutes for us so that gift is very healthy.”

With 13 games left in Warren’s sophomore season, she is already an essential piece to Mitchell and the team as they attempt to right the ship and be in a position to make a run in the C-USA tournament in March.

“I think she’s huge,” Mitchell said.

“There are some things she’s able to do on the defensive end. We really count on her and Kelsey [Criner] to wreak some havoc for us. Offensively, I think [we need] her continuing being a threat from three and putting the ball on the floor. I want her to finish better.”

With the rare pairing of motor and abilities, Warren is set to contribute often throughout this season and in her final two years at North Texas.

Now that she’s back home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the 5-9 guard known as ‘Ty’ looks forward to where she and this team are headed, but also appreciates how far they’ve come over the past months.

“I’ve enjoyed the growth of our team [this season],” Warren said. “[I’m looking forward to] growing as a basketball player and seeing where my career takes me.”

Some of us have had relationships that carry on far too long.

Whether it’s the doomed high school romance that drags on until graduation, or the college courtship you think will last but ends in heartbreak, it’s a familiar feeling.

Something similar is happening with the North Texas men’s basketball program.

For five years, head coach Tony Benford has been in a relationship with UNT. It has endured one athletic director, with former A.D. Rick Villarreal resigning last May, and one university president, with Veldon Rawlins retiring in 2014.

Now, with a new athletic director in Wren Baker, the pressure to win and right the ship is at an all-time high. But that isn’t happening.

With the Mean Green sitting at 6-11, 0-5 and on a six-game losing streak, it’s time for, like most failed relationships, it to come to an end.

It is time to fire Tony Benford.

Yes, I know he’s in the fifth and final year of his contract and a buyout isn’t an ideal. This isn’t about the money. This is about getting the basketball program back on track as quickly as possible.

It’s not all Benford’s fault.

Some things were out of Benford’s control, like injuries and the recruiting budget. Yet much like marriages that end in divorce, both parties are to blame for a tumultuous tenure that has resulted in only one conference tournament victory since 2012.

In a report issued by Dallas-Fort Worth consultants Trip Kuehne and Michael Sicuro in September, it was revealed North Texas has the lowest recruiting budget in C-USA. The Mean Green are also second to last in total scholarship expenditures in the conference.

Benford cannot control that.

He also cannot keep players from getting banged up.

Especially this season, during which, the Mean Green have dealt with a bevy of blows to key players. Junior forward Jeremy Combs, who was named to the preseason all-C-USA team, is still recovering from the lingering effects of offseason ankle surgery.

McDonald’s All-American and Southern Methodist University transfer Keith Frazier has been sidelined as well with knee soreness, and has contributed minimally in his limited time in a North Texas uniform. Even last

Men’s basketball searching for answers and wins midway through season

By Clay Massey

@mattbrune27

Softball hoping for a comeback after working hard to improve and expand skills SOFTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 think the pink elephant in the room was that we would struggle getting deep in games. After a lot of studying, we approached this fall in a completely different manner.”

Kee studied every single pitch her three pitchers threw in 2016, keeping track of which ones left which ballparks and what pitches they got behind in the count with. Kee then worked with her staff one-onone to improve their game.

Kee said she has seen all three pitchers take serious strides in the more personalized work out system. Last year’s 4.31 ERA

Student Service Fee Advisory Committee/Group Proposal Presentations Date: Friday, January 27, 2017 Location: Union, Room 412 Time: 8:00 AM

was third worst in C-USA. With a conference-worst 146 strikeouts in 2016, Kee asked her pitchers to add pitches to their arsenals. With a focus on off-speed, North Texas is hoping to keep the opposition on their toes.

Last season, senior southpaw Jessica Elder was the only one with consistent off-speed stuff. Sophomore right-hander Lauren Craine expanded her repertoire in the new program along with Underwood, who was primarily a power pitcher.

“Mentally and physically the workouts have helped a lot,” Underwood said. “I saw improvements in Lauren and Jess. Instead of just going out there and throwing, it’s a more game-type situation.”

Behind the plate will be a pair of freshman in Nicole Ochotnicki and Lindsay Gregory. The duo are a part of the just four freshmen who signed with North Texas.

Outfielder Camille Grahmann and Lindsay’s twin sister, Lacy round out the class.

Gregory and Ochotnicki will manage the game from behind the plate as freshmen, but Kee is not worried – and neither is Ochotnicki. The 2016 freshman class is widely regarded as a softball smart class throughout the program.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” Ochotnicki said. “But it’s definitely manageable.

I think we are very focused in practice and have the bats for the game. Last year was last year. This is a team who

is ready to compete and ready to work together for a common goal.”

Kee also added a walkon player in junior outfielder Victoria Blagg, who previously played at North Central Texas College. Grahmann is the planned lead-off hitter, moving Schkade out of that role.

With Schkade’s power and production, Kee wants to give her more chances with runners on in front of her.

“I think [Schkade] likes having the freshmen in front of her,” Kee said. “Kelli does Kelli. I never doubt her. She’s one of those kids that when

she steps in the box I feel that she’s going to get a hit every time. She’s earned a lot of confidence.”

North Texas will hope to get the taste of a 5-19 conference meltdown in the midst of a 22-33 season last year out of its mouth with a tough schedule. The 2017 campaign features five Big-12 schools and two SEC foes, highlighted by a match up with Florida University, who were back-toback national champions in 2014 and 2015.

The Mean Green open the season at home with the North Texas Invitational beginning

Friday, Feb. 10 with a contest against the University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

And Kee is ready for her team to hit the field.

“I think a lot of people underestimate the talent that is sitting on this squad,” Kee said.

“I’d like to see this team play with a chip on their shoulder.

I think these kids will shock some people.”

@Clay_FC

The North Texas softball team gathers around head coach Tracy Kee as she recaps the first drill of practice and goes over the next.

Dylan Nadwodny

year, the Mean Green dealt with injuries that hurt them down the stretch.

Those are the things out of Benford’s hands.

What Benford can control, however, is wins and losses and the culture of the program.

Since he arrived in 2012, none of Benford’s teams have finished above .500. The best any squad did was 2013, when the Mean Green won their only conference tournament game of the Benford era and finished 16-16.

Benford’s overall record at North Texas is 60-84. That’s a win percentage of .417. Worse, Benford’s teams are 12-45 on the road and 28-49 in conference play.

If you’re keeping score at home, those are win percentages of .211 and .364, respectively.

This year, North Texas’ offense Head basketball coach Tony Benford gives directions during a game against Florida International University. Colin Mitchell has floundered. Despite 80 percent Benford is a good man with That is not a recipe for winning cannot win the games that matter, of their scoring returning in good intentions. He has acted like basketball. especially in conference play.

2016, the Mean Green’s offensive As a result, fans aren’t showing a father figure for many players in As far as culture goes, Benford production has dipped from 74.6 says all the right things. He talks up to games, which hurts the the program and those who have points to 67.2 points per game. left. about his players going to class, bottom line.

That’s a 7.4-point difference, which But sometimes things just don’t The Mean Green are 10th being role models and getting gives North Texas the illustrious their degrees. For the most part, among 14 teams in C-USA in work out. honor of being the 297th-ranked In sports, especially at the Benford and his players have revenue, according to the report offense in Division I. Teams with issued by Kuehne and Sicuro. The collegiate level, you are judged delivered in the classroom. a better offense than the Mean Unfortunately, the aura of the average attendance this season on your ability to put wins in the Green? Sacramento State and the team doesn’t back up the culture through 11 games is 1,834. With win column and trophies in the University of Maryland – Eastern of a winning program. Too many a six-game losing skid in hand, showcase. It just hasn’t happened Shore. times after huge losses I’ve seen North Texas is tied for dead last for Benford.

For a team with a McDonald’s It’s time to break up. players walk into press conferences in the C-USA standings at the All-American and preseason alland out of the arena laughing and midway point of the season.

C-USA selection, that isn’t exactly It’s time for Benford to move joking around. Before games, preferred company. @ReeceWaddell15 some – not all – don’t seem 100 on. And it’s time for Baker to show Not only has the offense him the door. percent focused. deteriorated, but Benford also

North Texas senior guard Deckie Johnson (10) drives the lane against the University of Texas at Arlington. Johnson finished with 2 points on 1-12 shooting. Colin Mitchell

Entering the fifth and final year of his contract with the University of North Texas men’s basketball team, head coach Tony Benford knew he had to do one thing – win.

He and his squad adopted a win-now mentality around its group of core seniors. As the season rages on, so do the issues surrounding the team. Currently, the Mean Green are on a six-game losing skid.

Hindered by injuries, North Texas is tied with Florida International University for dead last in Conference-USA, and have yet to win a game against a conference foe. With two key contributors in senior guards Deckie Johnson and Keith Frazier battling injuries that have sidelined them, Benford knows they have not lived up to their potential.

This is especially true with junior forward Jeremy Combs, who is still feeling the effects of an offseason ankle surgery. Combs has not been his explosive self this year after averaging a doubledouble in 2016 and being named to the preseason all-C-USA team.

“I can’t control injuries,” Benford said. “That’s why we’re in the position we’re in. Injuries have really hurt us, especially

with the team we have this year.

We’ve been having to rely on a lot of young players.”

Combs averaged 14.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last year while playing in every game except one. This season, Combs has played in just 13 games, with his scoring and rebounding dipping to an average of 10.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Despite the decrease in production, Combs believes he is almost at 100 percent.

“I’m feeling good,” Combs said. “I’m rehabbing twice a day everyday.”

The Mean Green have adjusted to the personnel available by using a small-ball style approach with mostly guards on the floor. North Texas tries to move the ball around to get easy looks, which chews up a majority of the shot clock. As a result, they are often forced into bad shots late in possessions.

Ball movement should lead to assists, but for the Mean Green, most of the time ball movement leads to turnovers. North Texas sports a conference worst 0.77 assist-turnover ratio. They turn the ball over, on average, 14.3 times a game, which is the 253rd worst average in the nation among DI schools.

“We’re not getting any easy

baskets,” Benford said. “Our turnovers are coming from guys trying to do too much at times.

We’re capable of getting assists if we move the ball and make simple plays, but then we have to make shots.”

At the head of the offense is a rotation of point guards that includes senior J-Mychal Reese and freshman Ryan Woolridge.

Woolridge transferred to North Texas after not playing a minute for the University of San Diego.

While Woolridge is averaging 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, Benford thinks he needs to slow the tempo at times. As a point guard, Woolridge has more turnovers, 22, than assists, 17.

“Ryan’s doing a good job for us,” Benford said. “But at times he needs to slow down. I think he’s got good speed and quickness, but he’s got to make simple plays when guys are open. He’s going to be fine moving forward.”

Woolridge feels as if he’s adjusted to the new system, and just needs to shake off a little rust.

“I’m still trying to work it off,” Woolrdige said. “I’m not 100 percent playing as well as I can.

I’m getting there.”

The Mean Green’s struggles are due in large part to the 296thranked offense in the country

among 347 DI schools. North Texas averages just 67.2 points per game after averaging 74.6 points per game last season.

And even though the Mean Green returned 82 percent of its scoring from last season, North Texas’ scoring average per game has fallen 7.4 points per game.

In an injury ridden season, plans have to change. Now, the Mean Green find themselves squarely behind the eight-ball with a road contest against the University of Southern Mississippi looming on Thursday.

Because if the C-USA tournament started today, North Texas would be at home, watching on the couch.

“Hopefully we get all those guys back,” Benford said. “I think if all our guys were healthy, we’d have a different record right now.

We’ve struggled on the road in the last two years. Hopefully we can play well and get a W.”

@Clay_FC

OPINION

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 10

Page 11

NTDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

Before taking to the streets, protesters should consider this

By Preston Mitchell

HEARTBREAK IN DALLAS

Lackluster defense dooms North Texas in Heart of Dallas Bowl loss to Army

By Reece Waddell Oh the dichotomy of college football.

In a game that featured old school vs. new school, triple option vs. air raid, the tried and true method eventually won out. Behind 480 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, Army wore down the North Texas defense time and time again.

And in a rematch from October, where the Mean Green (5-8, 3-5) pummeled the Black Knights (8-5) in West Point, Army knocked off North Texas 38-31 in overtime to win the Heart of Dallas Bowl and get the last laugh.

“It’s not an easy offense to defend,”

head coach Seth Littrell said. “I thought we prepared for it. They’re really good at what they do.”

On fourth and goal from the threeyard line in overtime, Army elected to go for it rather than kick the field goal.

With most of the 39,117 in attendance at the Cotton Bowl on their feet, the Black Knights snapped the ball and took off for the right side on a sweep.

Seconds later, they were in the endzone holding a lead and a massive shift in momentum.

North Texas was unable to match the score.

The Mean Green went four-and-out after a broken play on fourth down resulted in a heave downfield that fell

harmlessly incomplete. When the ball hit the turf, Army rushed the field, and North Texas couldn’t wait to get off it.

“We weren’t quite disciplined enough and we weren’t quite physical enough,” junior defensive end Andy Flusche said. “We had some big plays that got us.”

The Black Knights broke off runs of 70 and 65 yards that acted as body blows to the Mean Green. Just when North Texas was able to string together a drive or get points, Army came right back and answered.

The inability to get off the field on defense ultimately made a career day by fifth-year senior Alec Morris a moot point. In his last collegiate

North Texas senior quarterback Alec Morris (5) walks off the field after losing to Army 38-31 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Colin Mitchell

football game, Morris went 26-of-36 for 304 yards and three touchdowns.

With under two minutes remaining and trailing 31-28, Morris orchestrated a drive that ended in the game-tying field goal that sent the game to overtime.

“We would have liked to put it in the endzone and not gone to overtime,” Morris said. “This year has been a lot like this game. Not exactly how you want to write it, but it’s been a great experience. I hate having to end it this way.”

Despite Morris’ career performance, it was a dreadful defense that doomed the Mean Green.

In their win over Army in October, North Texas forced seven turnovers.

On Dec. 27, 2016 the Mean Green managed only one – a muffed punt that was recovered. As a result, the Black Knights set the Heart of Dallas bowl record for rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and time of possession.

And more importantly, hoisted the Heart of Dallas Bowl trophy while North Texas trotted somberly back to the dressing room.

“I felt like we were at our best coming into this game,” Littrell said. “I have nothing not to be proud of. I had a lot of fun.”

@ReeceWaddell15

Donald Trump’s inauguration is on Friday and as expected, protests are being devised to take place across the nation.

According to the Washington Times, these protests are predicted to outdo those that occurred during Richard Nixon’s 1973 inauguration.

“More than 25,000 activists marched and dozens [of them] were arrested” that day.

Even in Denton, the UNT Sanctuary Taskforce has confirmed another protest at the Library Mall for Friday.

And if protesters are rising up here, you can only imagine the anti-authoritative seeds that are growing in the remaining D-FW.

With 4.7 seconds remaining in the game, the Mean Green women’s basketball team was down two and quickly pushed the ball up the court. Sophomore guard Terriell Bradley got the ball in the corner and hoisted a potential game winning threepointer.

But Bradley’s shot fell just short, and Rice University walked away with a 51-49 come-from-behind win over North Texas (5-11, 2-3).

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Mean Green, as the team led by as many as 13 points late in the third quarter.

The run was swift, fast and lethal as the Owls (10-6, 1-4) scored 14 unanswered points to take a 34-33 lead late in the third quarter. Bradley made a layup to give the Mean Green the lead heading to the fourth, but the damage had already been done as the Owls put pressure on North Texas while seizing control of the game’s momentum.

The dominant stretch of play helped propel them to their first Conference USA win of the year.

“They made a run where they hit three or four threes in a row,” head coach Jalie Mitchell said. “And I think that gave

them some momentum, and we didn’t take that back. We weren’t putting the ball in the hole.”

Senior guard Candice Adams came off the bench and played well, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc in 33 minutes of action.

Bradley was the team’s leading scorer with 15 points in the loss.

But despite strong performances from Adams and Bradley, the North Texas offense struggled as a whole.

The Mean Green scored less than 50 points for the first time since the Nov. 11 season opener.

North Texas had a seasonhigh 14 points in the second quarter, but shot just shot 33 percent from the field.

While the offense struggled, the Mean Green felt as though defense played a bigger role in the second half collapse.

“We let them score way too many buckets and get momentum, that’s where the problem was,” Adams said. “We weren’t talking on defense, [we] weren’t getting the necessary stops.”

Rice gave the Mean Green a pulse late in the game when the Owls were called for a technical foul after a made shot with 29 seconds left.

Freshman Madison Townley cut the deficit to one at the freethrow line and North Texas had a chance to win it. But the Mean Green were unable to overcome the dramatic shift of momentum in favor of Rice.

For the first time in conference play, Mitchell had her entire roster at full health.

But even with more depth, North Texas just could not find a rhythm.

“There were times when we moved the ball well and we got some open looks that we just didn’t knock down,” Mitchell said. “We had our chances to win, just didn’t get it done.”

@mattbrune27

Nor th Texas sophomore guard Terriell Bradley (23) shoots a corner 3-point jump shot against Rice. Colin Mitchell

By Victoria Falcon

Nor th Texas senior forward Derail Green (11) drives the baseline against University of Alabama at Birmingham. Colin Mitchell

Second half surge propels Rice past North Texas; men’s basketball losing streak at six games

By Clay Massey

The Mean Green trailed Rice make our free throws.”

Led by Kucherov, the Owls If an entire college basketball by 12 points before going on a pulled away from the Mean 15-1 run to end the first half. game ran just 20 minutes, Green with a 23-3 run to open the “I was just being aggressive Saturday would have been a good second half.

Sophomore guard like always,” Reese said. day for head coach Tony Benford But in the second half, Rice Marcus Evans added 19 points of and the North Texas men’s his own to down North Texas. took over. basketball team.

“He’s a great player,” Temara The Owls capitalized on 18 But college basketball is two said.

“He was breaking down North Texas turnovers, and 20 minute halves, and in the second half, Rice University knocked down several easy three- defenders easily.”

Next up: North Texas outscored the Mean Green (6-11, pointers in transition. The Mean continues its search for its first Green had multiple stretches of 0-5) 60-40 and went on win 101conference win on the road at over two and a half minutes of 79.

7 p.m. Saturday at Southern Rice (12-6, 2-3) eclipsed the game clock without a basket.

In those stretches, North Texas Mississippi University. century scoring mark for the “We have to stick together,” got to the charity stripe, but third time this season, and was Benford said. “We can only get failed to convert.

The team shot led by a massive double-double from forward Egor Koulechov. just 47.2 percent going 17-of-36 ourselves out of this hole we’re The 6’5 junior from Volgograd, from the line, which hindered the in.”

Russia scored 26 points and Mean Green’s chances of getting hauled in 15 rebounds, and Rice back into the game. @Clay_FC “We have to finish them,” had three other players score in Benford said.

“We didn’t do a double-digits as well. good job on that. We need to The Owls have now matched their win total from last season, while North Texas remains winless on the road and in Conference USA play. The Mean Green have lost six straight.

“We just have to put together two halves,” Benford said. “I thought we played well at spots.

We have to put 40 minutes together. We just didn’t do a good job in controlling tempo.

They beat us on the glass. That’s the recipe to get an L.” Led by strong first half performances from senior guard J-Mychal Reese and junior forward Shane Temara, the Mean Green carried a 39- Nor th Texas senior guard Deckie Johnson (10) drives the lane against 37 lead into the locker room at the University of Texas at Arlington. Johnson finished with 2 points on halftime. Reese had 15 points at 1-12 shooting. Colin Mitchell the break while Temara had 12.

involvement in the three marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama (March 7 to 25, 1965), saw numerous unarmed marchers assaulted with tear gas and billy clubs by policemen. Despite the injuries and deaths that ensued, the marches became the main catalysts for the Voting Rights of Act of 1965.

Although historians hail Martin Luther King Jr. as a peaceful icon — and rightfully so — the reverend spent his career making radical speeches and writings that public schools rarely cite.

In his book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community,” King asked, “Why does white America delude itself, and how does it rationalize the evil it retains?”

He later wrote that white Americans live in “a fantasy of self-deception and comfortable vanity” to “consider themselves sincerely committed to [black] justice.”

Of course, King couldn’t have reached success without an inspiration: Mahatma Gandhi.

On March 12, 1930, Gandhi began his 24-day Salt March, where over 60,000 Indians marched about 240 miles from his ashram to the Arabian Sea. British rule prevented them from collecting or selling salt, which was a heavily taxed commodity at the time.

In nonviolent fashion, Gandhi and his supporters collected salt from the Arabian Sea, breaking British laws and encouraging civil disobedience for over a decade. In 1947, India finally won its independence and Gandhi was murdered a year later.

Lastly, a horrific, but iconic image in protest history is the self-burning of Quang Duc on June 11, 1963, in Ho Chi Minh City. Scorched into the minds of everyone who’s seen it, the purpose of the Buddhist monk’s suicide was

to “protest alleged persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government.”

Unlike Dr. King or Gandhi, Duc literally made a political statement out of his death – an act which has inf luenced subsequent battles against government oppression.

Naturally, history is more than just the actions of these three men. It’s a social science predicated by war, famine, freedom and politics of all kinds. In order to change history for the better, protesters must be willing to challenge laws and authority at all costs.

Remarkable protests go beyond sacrificing class and work schedules to roam the streets.

If you’re going to do it on Friday or in the years ahead, stop tweeting about

“being woke,” go outside and turn cities upside down for your cause.

Once protesters do that again, I’m certain that more solutions will happen.

@presto_mitch

Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

Why college students have How Meryl Streep nailed journalistic ethics sugar daddies

Offensive inconsistency plagues women’s basketball in home loss to Rice

By Matt Brune

But what’s really going to come out of these protests?

Bystanders will get disrupted, plenty of protesters will be arrested and more organizations like the Sanctuary Taskforce will send letters that sit in President Smatresk’s figurative pile of requests. Lather, rinse, repeat.

While I support subliminal middle fingers to autocratic leadership, jumping on a social justice bandwagon is more of a disturbance than a protest nowadays. If protesters really want to make a change, they need to borrow from some of the greatest protests of all time.

The most relevant of them, considering MLK Day was Monday, is the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

Intended to push legislation to end Jim Crow laws once and for all, the political rally led into the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Furthermore, King’s

Actress Meryl Streep astonished many with her Golden Globes speech on Jan. 8. After accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, she used her speech to condemn President-elect Donald Trump’s stance on immigration. She also condemned his infamous reenactment of a disabled reporter.

Above all, she reinforced the need for kindness and decency, but there was another point she made that may be overlooked.

Streep asked the press to continue calling out our leaders, and asked everyone to support the Committee to Protect Journalists because “we are going to need them going forward.”

According to Reporters Without Borders, the United States is ranked 41 out of 180 countries with the most “freedom of [press] information.”

A common fear journalists have facing Trump’s presidency is that his constant distrust of the press will lower this number.

Trump has criticized several

esteemed sources numerous times, including the New York Times and CNN. During his first press conference as president-elect, a scene ensued when he refused to take a question from CNN Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta.

Trump then called CNN “fake news” and he continued to deny Acosta. When speaking with Anderson Cooper after the debacle, Acosta said, “there is something worse than fake news and that’s the denial of real news.”

Trump shoots down members of any publication that call him out or who say something he doesn’t like. If he continues to deny publications’ questions, it will lead to further censorship.

There is also the issue of actual fake news. This past November, according to Business Insider, it was revealed that fake news had outperformed real news on Facebook with the most clicks and shares of 2016.

This is an imminent issue that calls for not only journalists but all people to be media literate and check their facts.

Several of these false stories make social media daily and many people consume them without question, especially if it coincides with their political stances.

Regardless of your politics, it’s a civic duty to verify all information you read.

The most obvious thing that journalists need to do is

drown out

Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

fake news with the truth.

Reporting needs to be better and must emphasize the ethics and fairness journalism is meant to uphold.

To all reporters, use your platform to report and document all happenings.

History will tell itself. Don’t treat Trump as a character that must be taken down, because that’s when the media loses.

Similarly, BuzzFeed lost when it used unverified information in a Jan. 10 story about Russia having compromising memos on Trump. In turn, it made BuzzFeed look even more like a tabloid.

Although there is currently a race to leak such a story, it is in moments like these when journalists can learn to take more time, be thorough and be fair. Because when they don’t, it gives Trump an excuse to instill more distrust in the press and to deny any question he can about the topic.

With all of this going on, the climate for being an American journalist offers some of the worst conditions we’ve ever seen. Many citizens still don’t trust the press and will continue to deny all publications, even if it has merit.

As we move forward, journalists must reignite the reason they entered their profession, as all consumers of news need factual awareness.

Now that journalists have Hollywood on our side, we must keep expanding this base and ask for more press freedom so the press can keep checks and balances on our leaders.

We must never let those roles reverse.

@falconista_

Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

By Morgan Sullivan In a recent ranking of student sugar baby sign-ups on the SeekingArrangement website, UNT was ranked number 52 in the nation. The website allows students to put their college badges on their profiles if they use their student emails to sign up.

The website also allows students to find their own “sugar daddies,” people who exchange money for sexual favors, romantic encounters or other arrangements, in order to pay their tuition. With over 400 students now using their UNT emails for the site, this type of arrangement is becoming an increasingly popular way for students to afford their tuition and other living expenses.

Perhaps what’s most concerning about this is how cognizant it is of a bigger picture — one where students cannot afford to pay their outrageous, swelling tuition fees. Since the ‘70s, tuition has increased nearly $7,000 per year, with adjustments

for inflation.

The average sugar baby in Texas gets a monthly allowance of $2,600, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

That’s nearly double what you would make working 40 hours at a minimum wage job, prior to taxes. Full-time students don’t have that kind of freedom.

The students who choose to make these arrangements shouldn’t be looked down upon or judged for their decisions.

The system is the problem, not the people who try to make ends meet.

With looming thoughts of loans and debt constantly in students’ minds, it’s no wonder so many of them have turned to this kind of arrangement. Students aren’t allotted the means to make the kind of money necessary to put themselves through school.

As a college education is increasingly necessitated, even for entry-level jobs, something must be done to ensure students can afford this required schooling.

Many students don’t even receive enough financial aid for a single semester, as the number of students applying for that aid vastly outnumbers the money available. This leaves a lot of students in awkward and vulnerable positions.

Honestly, spending a little time with a sugar daddy seems like a pretty sweet deal, considering how your tuition is

on the line. Students turn to all kinds of activities to make ends meet — both legal and illegal.

Whether you’re selling drugs or hanging out with your sugar daddy, nothing seems too impractical when your future is at stake.

Students feel so pressured to graduate in order to be successful, yet the system often fails them in this quest. The financial aid system doesn’t work for the average student anymore, so sugar babies are only going to increase as much as tuition does.

According to a statement from UNT spokeswoman Margarita Venegas, the university “does not condone” these kinds of actions “since [the university] is committed to providing students with a safe experience.” But if colleges are so concerned with how students pay for their tuition, they should assert their power to change the system.

Until college can be affordable for everyone, students will continue to do whatever is necessary to pay for it. The sugar daddy phenomenon just happens to be a working option.

@sadsquadch

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 12

Trump nominated the wrong Secretary of Education

By The Editorial Board

Illustration by Antonio Mercado If Betsy DeVos becomes the Secretary of Education, our student debt will be even more endangered.

The president-elect’s nominee for the position has faced numerous criticisms after her confirmation hearing on Tuesday. This woman, who could potentially lead the U.S. Department of Education, attempted to defend her qualifications throughout the hearing by making several questionable answers to the inquiries of Democratic senators and avoiding to answer many of them

altogether.

Among the most peculiar of her answers was when Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut asked for her thoughts on firearms being near schools – still taking the Sandy Hook massacre into account. DeVos said, “I think probably there, I would imagine that there’s probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies.”

But possibly her most alarming response happened when Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota asked DeVos

if she believed that test scores should measure the proficiency or growth of American students. This is important for any basic understanding of education since “it [literally] affects how schools are labeled as succeeding or failing.”

“I think, if I’m understanding your question correctly around proficiency, I would also correlate it to competency and mastery,” DeVos said to Sen. Franken, “so that each student is measured according to the advancement they’re making in each subject area.”

The importance of ‘Moonlight’ for the Oscar season

By Gabriela Macias Few films have had the capacity to make me question, feel heartbreak and realize the importance of the story being told.

“Moonlight” is one of those films, which many people know as the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Picture – Drama and the frontrunner for the upcoming Academy Awards. It’s a breathtaking reminder of the importance of representation in the film industry. This is rare for a movie of color, especially since this film doesn’t have the usual Hollywood formula that would make it such an obvious pick.

Directed by Barry Jenkins, it tells the coming-of-age story of a black boy living in a rough Miami neighborhood. Based on the play “In Moonlight, Black Boys Look Blue” by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the film explores the themes of manhood, love, race, sexuality and identity.

The film is a beautiful invitation into the life of Chiron, demonstrated in the film through three different acts. As a boy (Alex Hibbert), teenager (Ashton Sanders) and adult (Trevante Rhodes), his character arc is punctuated by fright and confusion.

The first time we see Chiron is when he runs away from a group of boys. We quickly understand the vulnerability of the character. In this scene he meets a drug dealer named Juan (Mahershala Ali), who becomes the closest thing he has to a father figure. His mother Paula, played astonishingly by Naomie Harris, is an absent single parent who goes from casually smoking crack to being absolutely consumed by it.

These relationships become the markers of his life, experienced through characters who are not easily pigeonholed as “drug dealer” or “addict.” Within this complexity, we see the brilliant awareness of Barry Jenkins, not in his attempt to humanize the characters, but how he delves into the lives of fully realized people without being emotionally manipulative.

Jenkins tells this story by dropping the audience into the streets of a foreign neighborhood, but at the same time it’s all too familiar. Because of this disorienting beginning, “Moonlight” allows viewers to

grow with Chiron.

It is films like “Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Selma” – all award season favorites – that give America glances into the reality of being a minority.

While the #OscarsSoWhite campaign had its problems, the prospect of telling diverse stories allows audiences to stop and listen to one another. In times like these, when we couldn’t be more divided, “Moonlight” and its ilk ring truer than ever.

Jenkins’ specific film is an exposé into the façade of black Americans, and how many black men grow up believing masculinity lies in having a rock-solid exterior.

At the same time, it is difficult to pinpoint a single subject that this film is about, because what makes it so magnificent is how it never intends to be just one thing.

Worthy of every one of its Oscar nominations, “Moonlight” reminds viewers of the importance and value in everyone’s story. If it wins the prestigious Best Picture, the #OscarsSoWhite allegations of yesteryear can finally be satiated.

In response, Franken said that she described growth, “not proficiency.”

DeVos, whose family’s net worth is reportedly $5.1 billion, couldn’t even answer a basic proficiency or growth question, which have been the subjects of debate ever since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The reason that her answer was so alarming is because “proficiency” refers to whether or not a student can progress to the next grade level, depending on their test scores. “Growth” is how much the student has learned, regardless if the student has been held back or not.

If DeVos confuses these two concepts right now, she’s certainly not fit to be the Secretary of Education – let alone an educator.

And she was never even a college student like many of us are. In the words of Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, “the Department of Education is responsible for managing a trillion dollar student loan bank, and

distributing $30 billion in Pell Grants to students” annually.

During her grilling of DeVos, Warren made sure to mention how “the financial futures of an entire generation” would rest on her reign as Secretary of Education.

When Warren asked DeVos if she had any experience at running a bank, DeVos said no. When she was asked if she ever managed “trillion [or billion] dollar loan [programs]” before, she said no. When she was asked if she or her kids had any experiences with borrowing money for college, she responded, “Not personal experience, but certainly friends and students with whom I have worked.”

For us, Trump’s nomination of DeVos seems to be another step in a long line of businessmen festering their way in U.S. political power. Judging by her hearing alone, she failed to grasp education basics, showed irrational thoughts on gun legislation and – worst

of all – admitted a lack of connection to the issues of college students.

According to a 2016 study from MarketWatch and the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College, the total U.S. student loan debt is $1.2 trillion, which is “the second highest level of consumer debt behind mortgages.”

Since most of that money is from loans held by the federal government, putting DeVos in charge of this problem would only worsen our debt. If she won the nomination, she would be fifteenth in the line of presidential succession.

Although that number may appear small, her only superiors would include Paul Ryan, Rex Tillerson and the extremely popular Jeff Sessions. How great.

So please, U.S. Senate, act within the greater good of everyone and vote against Betsy DeVos. Us college students would really appreciate it.

“Make the seal great again”

@Gaby_Mac22

Political cartoon by Antonio Mercado

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