Lawson’s thrilling buzzer-beater sparks men’s basketball OT win PAGE 7
VOL. 111 No. 14
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
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Trump Jr. event raised less funds than reported Students vote Revenue generated from Kuehne Series on athletic $2.2 million fee increase By Sarah Sarder and Amir Gooden Senior News Writer and Contributing Writer
The UNT Kuehne Speaker Series earned a net total of $88,319 from the Donald Trump Jr. event hosted on Oct. 24, according to documents obtained by the North Texas Daily through a public records request. However, that figure is 73.4 percent less than the $332,000 UNT publicized as the amount raised solely as a result of the Donald Trump Jr. event. In a university-wide email sent on Nov. 29, a press release claimed the series had “raised a record $332,000” due to the Trump Jr. event. UNT has also not been subtracting expenses for the Melissa Francis event scheduled for March 2018 in the announced $332,000 figure, but has included income from it. More than four years since its conception, the Kuehne Speaker Series has contributed a total of $50,000 to offset scholarships — just over two percent of the roughly $2.2 million the Kuehne Series currently has at its disposal. The $2.2 million the series now possesses is divided between a fund which acts as an endowment containing lifetime member donations and an operating account that receives all other donations and from which expenses are paid. Since the series’ expenses come from donations going into the operating account, a large portion of them come from various UNT departments. For the 2016-2017 season, over a quarter of the total income came from various UNT departments that bought tables in the form of sponsorships for either $5,000 or $10,000. The $1.6 million in the separate lifetime member endowment fund is invested to accrue interest.
“The lifetime membership funds are raised to support scholarships,” said UNT spokesperson Kelley Reese. “By investing those funds, the university earns more money in perpetuity rather than taking the money and distributing it one time.” The $50,000 towards scholarships, which was given to the President’s Excellence fund this fall, came from the operating account. According to Reese, the endowment fund had $1.6 million available as of September 2017. The endowment fund has never been used for any other purpose than investment. UNT officials did not comment on how the money was being invested by the time of print Wednesday. The series has netted an average of $61,467 per event prior to this season, 30 percent less than the amount raised by the Trump Jr. event. Costs for the Trump Jr. speech came to a total of $249,680, more than triple the $76,743 average cost for events in the series.
By Sarah Sarder Senior News Writer
ps i h rs a l ho c s rds a w o t 0 0 0 , 0 5 $
Where the money goes The money raised from lifetime members’ donations to the series goes into “a fund which acts as an endowment,” Reese said. Though the fund, which was created in 2016, is called the “Lifetime Member Endowment Fund,” it is not an actual endowment, which means Kuehne Speaker Series board members are legally able to use the money for purposes other than simply investment. The board has invested $900,000 from the fund since early 2016 and earned $9,229. The series is promoted as benefitting scholarships, and in the most recent statement from Nov. 29, is referred to in a variety of ways: that it raises money through the endowment fund for scholarships, that the
SEE TRUMP JR. ON PAGE 2
The Kuehne Speaker Series has raised over $2.2 million in total revenue since being created in December 2013. In that four-year period, they have given $50,000 to help offset the cost of UNT’s National Merit Scholars. Photo illustration by Julia Contarelli| Design Editor
Voting ended Wednesday for a referendum that would potentially raise the student athletic fee by $4.25 per credit hour. Graduate and undergraduate students began casting their ballots on Monday. If passed, the increase will go to the Board of Regents in February 2018 to take effect in Fall 2018, depending on the regents’ approval. Results of the vote are expected by 5 p.m. Thursday. The measure proposes a $6.25 increase in the intercollegiate athletic fee and a $2 decrease in the Student Service Fee. Both the Graduate Student Council and Student Government Association had to pass a resolution for the measure to make it to a student referendum. SGA passed the measure with a 24-0 vote on Nov. 15 and the GSC approved it with a 25-7 vote on Nov. 17. “I think the reason why the resolution passed the Senate unanimously is because senators think it’s important for students to vote on this,” SGA President Barrett Cole said. College of Engineering Technology Senator Jeff Gittle was the first to introduce the measure to the GSC after athletics director Wren Baker and Vice President of Student Affairs Elizabeth With approached the GSC and SGA presidents about the increase. Any increase in student fees exceeding 10 percent must pass as a resolution in both bodies before it can be put to a student vote. The student representatives did not vote on the increase itself, but on whether students should be able to vote on the increase. “Our role is to be the gatekeepers to make
UNT professor hunts down Zodiac Killer in History Channel series By Amy Roh Senior Arts & Life Writer What do Ted Cruz, the History Channel and a UNT professor all have in common? They can all be associated — in one way or another — with one of the most enigmatic serial killers in American history.
Apogee Stadium. File photo SEE FEE ON PAGE 3
Mean Green falter against FAU, fall in C-USA title game By Brady Keane Sports Editor
Ryan Garlick Sarah Schreiner| Staff Photographer Ryan Garlick, a computer science and engineering professor, was asked to join a five-member team for a special series called “The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer” on the History Channel. The show features Garlick, along with other experts, as they attempt to crack the infamous 340-character cipher sent by the killer in 1969. The show premiered on Nov. 14 and spans over five episodes. “People heard his voice, people saw him and yet it’s still a mystery,” Garlick said. “But I think on the show that we significantly advanced the problems of the case.” The San Francisco Chronicle received the cipher nearly 48 years ago. Since then, the FBI, CIA and a host of experts have tried and failed to break the code. The case was also widely publicized when the movie “Zodiac” premiered, which Garlick said rekindled his interest after he read the book. “It was the biggest unsolved serial killer case,” Garlick said. “Then the movie came out and reawakened everyone and put a big spotlight on the case.” Between the early 1960s and 1970s, the
SEE ZODIAC ON PAGE 5
When the North Texas defense held Florida Atlantic University to a field goal on the opening possession of the game, the Mean Green needed their offense to come out and answer right away. A score on the ensuing drive would have given the team confidence in the Conference USA Championship game against the Owls – something North Texas so desperately needed after getting throttled by FAU back in October. But the Mean Green did just the opposite. Sophomore quarterback Mason Fine completed a pass to Michael Lawrence for an 8-yard gain on the first play, but the offense couldn’t move the chains. FAU stuffed backto-back Nic Smith runs, forcing North Texas to punt. The Owls needed just two plays to get into the end zone, using some trickery when Kamrin Solomon found John Franklin on a 22-yard touchdown pass. That first three-and-out set the tone for the rest of the game, as the Mean Green offense sputtered in a 41-17 defeat.
North Texas freshman running back Evan Johnson (26) gets tackled against FAU in the Conference USA Championship Game. Colin Mitchell |Visuals Editor “We struggled in the first half and obviously you can tell that on the scoreboard,” Fine said. “I felt like we were a little hesitant – specifically me. I came out a little hesitant and didn’t play loose. That’s what happens.” North Texas, which entered
the game with the No. 2 ranked offense in C-USA, was unable to get anything going consistently against the FAU defense. The Mean Green finished with 437 yards, but they were outgained 382-141 in the first half as FAU pulled away. The struggles started up
IN THIS ISSUE
NEWS
ARTS & LIFE
Confederate committee hosts first meeting last Thursday pg 3 The Confederate Solider Memorial Advisory Committee held their first meeting last Thursday and will continue to meet until Dec. 21.
Denton startup helps comic book industry thrive pg 5 Illustrator and owner of local startup Dusk Comics is proving that the comic book community is still going strong.
front with the offensive line as North Texas had no answer for the pressure the Owls brought throughout the game. FAU sacked Fine nine times and had eight different players record a sack in the win. “They’ve dominated a lot,” head coach Seth Littrell
SPORTS Baker, Smatresk coordinate satellite commencement in New Orleans pg 6 The administration will host a satellite commencement in NOLA for the football players, band, cheer team, dance team and any graduating students wanting to attend.
said. “They’ve won a lot of football games. They haven’t been beaten in a long time. I just think they’re a really good team – they’ve got great players.”
SEE FAU ON PAGE 6
OPINION More office hours from professors are a neccesity pg 8 Office hours are one of the most vital resources for students in their studies. Professors should consider adding time to their office hours if time permits.
NEWS Page 2
North Texas Daily Editorial Board
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
Documents show Trump Jr. event raised 88K TRUMP JR. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 fund supports scholarships and that the fund has given money to offset the university’s investment in national merit scholarships. In fact, the fund — which is not an endowment — made its first ever contribution to the President’s Excellence Fund in September in order to offset the university’s cost in supporting national merit scholars. The money will benefit five of 55 national merit scholars currently enrolled at UNT, all of whom receive full-ride scholarships. Each four-year scholarship costs between $118,000 and $170,000 depending on residency.
Editor-in-Chief Reece Waddell @ReeceWaddell15 ReeceWaddell@my.unt.edu News Editor James Norman @JamesTNorman_WL JamesNorman@my.unt.edu Arts & Life Editor Abby Jones @abbyfjones28 AbigailJones3@my.unt.edu
Cost of attendance and exclusivity The majority of students were not able to attend the Trump Jr. event because of the lack of individual tickets and the price per table, which were reserved for sponsors only. “I’m frustrated with the idea that anybody that isn’t a sponsor isn’t allowed to go,” said Alexia Johnson, a public relations junior at UNT. “If it’s affiliated with UNT, why aren’t students and student organizations or news outlets able to be there to write about what’s taking place?” Entry to the Kuehne Series event was only available as sponsorships, with the lowest cost being a $5,000 annual sponsorship for an eight-person table. Sponsors could also pay up to a maximum of $100,000 with various benefits for sponsoring the event. Premier-seating tables, invitations to a VIP breakfast with the featured speaker and VIP reception invitations including photos with the speaker were among the perks provided for more expensive sponsorships. There were also $10,000 and $20,000 sponsorship options. “The Kuehne Speaker Series is not designed as a speaker series for students, it’s designed to raise money for student scholarships,” UNT spokesperson Deborah Leliaert said as previously reported by the North Texas Daily in October. “It is funded and attended by the donors and table sponsors.”
Sports Editor Brady Keane @BradyKeane BradyKeane@my.unt.edu Visuals Editor Colin Mitchell @CJHMitchell ColinMitchell@myunt.edu Opinion Editor Alec Spicer @Spicer_Alec AlecSpicer@my.unt.edu
Production Team Design Editor Julia Contarelli @ContarelliJ JuliaPaschoal@my.unt.edu Copy Chief Kayleigh Bywater @kayleighnic0le KayleighBywater@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Circe Marez @CirceMarez CirceMarez@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Kayla Davis @kaylajeann19 KaylaDavis@my.unt.edu
Event background and reception from students The Kuehne Series is named after UNT alumnus Ernie Kuehne and has a history of inviting conservative speakers. Other speakers include Charles Gasparino, senior correspondent for FOX Business Network, Andrea Tantaros, former cohost of “Outnumbered” and “The Five”
Designer/Copy Editor Kelly Fox @kellythefox1 KellyFox2@my.unt.edu Social Media Manager Alec Spicer @Spicer_Alec AlecSpicer@my.unt.edu
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on FOX and former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. FOX Business Network host Melissa Francis will be speaking in the Spring semester. The initial outcry from the Trump Jr. event took place on social media when the Daily broke the news he would be a speaker in the 2017 Kuehne Speaker Series. Current students and alumni alike were vocal about the decision, with some supporting it and others confused as to how or why Trump Jr. was selected to be a speaker in the series. “I think people from all points of view, including conservative speakers, should be invited to speak on campus to help spark a discussion,” said Daniela Ibarra, interim president for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. “Considering how diverse and liberal-leaning UNT’s student body is, I think most people saw Trump Jr.’s invitation to speak at a UNT-related event was kind of a slap in the face. I think the announcement brought up a lot of the same feelings felt the days after the 2016 election anger and resentment.” Opposition from UNT faculty and president Students were not the only people who criticized the decision to have Donald Trump Jr. invited to speak as part of the Kuehne Speaker Series. In September, UNT faculty members signed an open letter denouncing the event and calling for the UNT Board of Regents to rescind Trump Jr.’s invitation. The letter states Trump Jr. does not represent the values of UNT and the community. Over 100 faculty members signed the letter. Shortly before the event, The Dallas Morning News reported UNT President Neal Smatresk had opposed Trump Jr. based on emails they obtained via public information requests. However, with only conservative speakers, the Kuehne Speaker Series has not yet cultivated the diverse facets that UNT has actively aimed to represent. In the original invitation from the university, it was detailed Donald Trump Jr. would be allowed to have a VIP breakfast with “like-minded individuals,” as part of the paid sponsorships. These individuals would also be allowed to take photos and ask questions with Trump Jr., made up of mostly Kuehne Speaker Series Lifetime members. Aside from the $100,000 cost to have
Trump Jr. speak at the event, UNT paid $125,000 to host the event at AT&T Stadium. The university also paid $4,000 for hotel rooms and overnight parking and $2,000 for Trump’s airfare. Security was also $1,000, although it was not made clear if secret service would be accommodated for as well. UNT spent nearly $250,000 on the event. Lack of media access Donald Trump Jr. addressed media, higher education and free speech during his speech, but no press passes were given to any media outlets for the event. Any coverage of the story came from media that were able to actually
get into the event due to sponsoring. A copy of the executed contract between the university and Giuliani for the 2016-2017 season shows the contract permitted local media to report on the event but not to record audio. “The Kuehne Speaker Series has historically been open only to the guests of table sponsors,” Reese said in an email to the Daily in October. “This year’s series events will be no different.”
@sarderrr @offonfri
New Sex Offender Registration Deputy hired for Denton County By Sean Riedel Staff Writer
Illustrator Max Raign @maxothelioma MaxRaign@my.unt.edu
Business Director Adam Reese 940-565-4265 Adam.Reese@unt.edu
Faculty Adviser Gary Ghioto 940-891-6722 Gary.Ghioto@unt.edu
To pitch a story, or contact the Editor-in-Chief, please email northtexasdaily@gmail.com
The Denton County Sheriff’s Office recently created a new position that will be responsible for registering and tracking sex offenders in Denton County. According to the Nov. 6 press release that announced the Sex Offender Deputy position, the deputy will act as a liaison between the Denton County Sheriff’s Office and the Sex Offender Registration Program, which is run by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The deputy, Officer John Goble, will also work with other agencies within the county to make sure the offenders are in full compliance with the law. Previously, sex offender registration was handled by the Denton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, with the majority of duties falling upon the administrative assistants. In the prepared statement, Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree expressed that sex offender registration is too important not to have a full-time deputy handling the duties. “I’m very pleased to now have a deputy whose only job will be to register, track and hold accountable registered sex offenders,” Murphree said. “This position enhances our ability to protect our most vulnerable citizens, our kids.” Goble will serve as the first Sex Offender Registration Deputy. Goble has worked as a deputy for Denton County since 1988, a Denton County
School Resource Officer and served as a Denton County constable from 1994 to 2006. In Denton County there are currently over 140 registered sex offenders, most of them are males over the age of 30. Sex offenders in Denton County who reside outside of a city are required by law to register with the Denton County Sheriff’s Office. Sex offenders who reside within cities are required to register with the police department within that jurisdiction. Captain Orlando Hinojosa, spokesperson for Denton police, said the position has been a goal of Sheriff Murphree’s since he took office on Jan. 1 of this year. “It’s important for us to be on the toes of sex offenders and make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to,” Hinojosa said. “One of [Sheriff Murphree’s] goals was to have a new position of Sex Offender Deputy.” Hinojosa added he does not know why the position had not previously been created and Goble was one of several candidates for the job. “Deputy Goble was chosen from several other applicants for this new position,” Hinojosa said. “This position is permanent.” Kinesiology junior Natalia Longway said she supports the creation of this new position. “It makes me feel safer knowing that if there are any sex offenders in the local area that are noncompliant, a deputy will be put in charge of the issue and have a resolution,” Longway said. “I haven’t regularly worried about running into a sex offender,
but it puts any doubts that would have arisen out of my mind with the creation of this new position.”
@SeanRiedel
John Goble | Denton County Sheriff’s Office
CONSTRUCTION AROUND CAMPUS Eagle infrastructure improvement
Hickory Street capital improvement
Coliseum
New residence hall and Welcome Center
Track and Field Complex
Pedestrian and vehicle traffic along the north side of Eagle Drive between Central Avenue and Avenue C will be impaired until Jan. 30, 2018. The infrastructure improvement consists of a contractor burying overhead power lines.
Streets between Hickory Street, Bonnie Brae Street and Carroll Boulevard are obstructed until Jan. 30, 2019 due to an infrastructure improvement and road reconstruction, which began in late March of this year. Various streets and sidewalks will be closed until the project is completed.
Both the east and west sides of the Coliseum, located on 600 Ave D, are closed due to construction. The Coliseum has been under construction since late July of this year due to the renovation and the addition of ticket booths, office space and restroom areas. The project is scheduled to be completed on April 28, 2018.
The grounds east of Kerr Hall will be blocked due to the new residence hall and the Campus Welcome Center being built southeast of the Kerr Hall block, located on 1413 W. Maple St. in parking lot 1. The project is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 26, 2018.
The sidewalks near the south of the Waranch Tennis Complex, located on 1499 S. Bonnie Brae St. will be obstructed until July 30, 2018. Pedestrian traffic adjacent will be blocked due to the building of the new Track and Field Complex.
By Jackie Guerrero
NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 3
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
Confederate monument committee to decide future of statue on Square By Devin Rardin Staff Writer The Confederate Soldier Memorial Advisiory Committee set a goal to have a recommendation for the Denton County Commissioner’s Court by the end of January. The decision was made via a vote during their meeting on Nov. 30 in the county courthouse. The commissioner’s court appointed 10 members to discuss the future of the Confederate monument on the Denton Square. Chairman John Baines owns a bookkeeping and accounting service in Denton. Vice chairwoman Ronnie Cade was previously a Lewisville City Council member. Five additional women were appointed to the committee on Tuesday. Charlotte Mooneyham, Donna Hernandez, Kay Copeland, Zenobia Hutton and Judy Flowers will now participate in future meetings. Baines said the date will give the committee a deadline that will encourage productivity during the meetings. “The date gives us a goal to shoot for,” Baines said during the meeting. “I personally can’t sign on for an open-ended conversation that will go on forever.” Committee members Willie Hudspeth and Paul Meltzer voted against the deadline because they don’t want the decision to be rushed. “It is critical, in my view, that we have a process that is very visibly fair and thorough,” Meltzer said. “That is more
important than doing this quickly.” The commissioners asked if the committee will have a recommendation by Dec. 21, and Baines said no. In response, the committee voted on the January deadline. Baines stated the final decision will be from the committee as a whole with their main objective being to establish a consensus. Nov. 30 marked the committee’s third meeting, which was the first time it was observable by the public. The observers were asked not to comment during the proceedings but noted there are meetings planned for public input. Flowers is connected to the Daughters of the Confederacy, an organization that erected the statue in 1918. Other members include Mark Bowlin, Mike Cochran, Alfredo Sanchez, Meltzer, Howard Watt, Fred Rogers, Hudspeth and Tim Trylovich. “It is my civil duty to participate, and that is why I am here,” Trylovich said. Trylovich mentioned creating a survey for citizens to share their opinions on the monument so they can hear from people who do not attend the commissioner court meetings. Hudspeth has been protesting the statue for 18 years and has urged the commissioners court to put it on the agenda. In response, a plaque was placed next to the statue in 2010 to add context to the monument. The commissioners court heard several citizen’s views on the monument during their weekly meetings on Tuesdays after a
Members of the Confederate monument committee meet on Nov. 30 in the Denton County Courthouse. The Denton county commissioners created this committee in late October 2017 to discuss the future of the monument. Sara Carpenter| Senior Staff Photographer white nationalist protest in Charlottesville turned violent. Some citizens want the statue to remain, saying it is a part of history and it is a monument to soldiers in the Civil War. Others want the statue to be removed because they believe it signifies racism.
The number of citizens speaking at the commissioner’s court caused Judge Mary Horn to limit their time to two minutes. The UNT Student Government Association responded as well by passing a resolution in support of removing the monument. The court voted 4-1 in favor of the
monument committee in October. The meetings are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursdays in the 1896 room of the County Courthouse.
@DevinRardin
Results of proposed athletic increase expected Thursday FEE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
County Judge Mary Horn has been the sitting judge for 15 years. Horn has endorsed Andy Eads for the November 2018 elections. Cameron Roe| Staff Photographer
Long-time Denton County judge resigns, endorses a county commissioner By Julia Falcon Senior News Writer At a Denton County Commissioners Court meeting on Nov. 14, County Judge Mary Horn announced she will not seek reelection for the 2018 election. Horn has spent 25 years working for Denton County government as the first female tax assessor, first female county judge and the longest-serving judge. With grandchildren in Austin and Houston, Horn said she and her husband want to spend time with them without worrying about rushing back to Denton for the commissioners court meetings on Tuesdays. “After a while, it is somebody else’s turn,” Horn said. “I’m 72 years old, it’s time someone else did this. I want to enjoy my good health while I have it.” Horn was chosen as the Republican candidate for county judge in the March 2002 primary. When then-judge Scott Armey resigned in June 2002 to take a federal job in Fort Worth, Horn fulfilled the rest of his term before beginning hers in Jan. 2003. Armey served from 1996 to 2002. In the four-and-a-half terms Horn has served, her focus in the county was transportation, facilities and getting Denton County to a AAA credit rating. Funding for Interstate-35 and other roadways, expanding government facilities and establishing policies are some of the things Horn has accomplished as promised during her original campaign. With Horn, Denton County became one of the four counties in North Texas that have AAA ratings. There are 254 counties in Texas. Horn said the growth of Denton County is something she has kept her attention on as the county has kept expanding. “Since I took office, [we’ve grown] 65 percent by population,” Horn said. “When you have a population like that, you need to provide more services to the citizens.” When she announced she wouldn’t
be seeking re-election, she revealed her endorsement for county judge in Precinct 4, Andy Eads. Eads officially announced he would be running for county judge on Dec. 2 and filed with the Denton County GOP on Dec. 4. Eads has served on the commissioners court since 2007 and has been a part of many boards throughout the county. “I am humbled by the incredible amount of encouragement I have received,” Eads said on his Facebook page. “It has been an honor to serve my community on the Denton County Commissioners Court and I hope I can continue to serve them as Denton County judge.” Currently, there is no Democratic nominee, and the Denton County Democrats could not be reached for comment. At a commissioner court meeting on Aug. 15, Denton County NAACP president and active member of the community Willie Hudspeth announced he intends to run for the county judge position in 2018 but recently hasn’t said anything about the run. The final day to file for candidacy is Dec. 11, according to a Denton County Elections Administration employee. Candidates first file with their respective parties then file with the election administration to begin campaigning. “Andy has been in office for 11 years,” Horn said. “He has worked really hard in his precinct and has good communication skills. He’s got a relationship with a lot of people in the region, which can be very helpful.” Not only will Horn be leaving the county, but she said there will be a lot more internal change for the government. The county auditor will be retiring as well as some other employees. Denton County will still be her home, where her and her husband, former State Representative Jim Horn, reside in Sanger. “Change is good and healthy,” Horn said. “State law changes and you’ve always got to address those things. I feel confident I’m leaving those things in great hands.”
@falconjulia22
sure some crazy referendum isn’t going through,” GSC President Lynze Jones said. “It’s our senators’ jobs to consider, ‘Is this something my constituents would benefit from voting on?’ I believe this is the kind of vote that should be sent to the student body for their opinions on it.” Baker said the conversation about raising the athletic fee began in September 2017 with the support of President Neal Smatresk and was brought to student representatives in late October. He said the amount for the increase came from balancing what the department needs and what students would be willing to pay. For full-time students, the increase would mean a $51, or $63.75 total increase, in student fees for 12 or 15-hour students, respectively. The resolution states the increase is necessary to improve quality of life for student-athletes, to continue to provide free student tickets to football games and for the university
to stay competitive in state and national sports. “We know we can do more with less,” Baker said. “We’ve done that this semester. But we have student-athletes who still don’t have access to the best equipment [and] the best facilities. Our facilities are pretty dilapidated, and we want to provide the best experience we can.” Baker presented his case for the larger fee to both GSC and SGA members in separate senate meetings, with the help of a few student-athletes who gave their personal viewpoints on why they feel the increase is necessary. “Being able to reward student-athletes and give them an opportunity to actually have an adequate practice and to be able to host meets here, it’s a big deal,” said Hailey Sutton, current graduate student and former North Texas soccer player. “I think this fee is going to be very substantial for the entire university.” Baker said fees would also go toward buying marching band members new uniforms and shoes,
along with contributions to spirit squads. The athletic director said he believes that part of the role his department can play is ensuring people are aware of UNT’s academic profile, which ranks favorably among many area universities. “I think one of the reasons it isn’t perceived that way is because at this institution [athletics] haven’t represented like we want to,” Baker said. Baker said his ultimate goal is to make sure all UNT’s athletic teams rank in the top third of Conference USA teams in terms of budget and facilities. He said about half of the teams are currently in these spots, and the increase would allow nearly all of them to be in the top third. The reason for the $2 decrease in the student service fee is because the athletic department currently takes approximately the equivalent of $2 from the student service fee, which it will no longer do if the new increase is passed. The 62.5 percent increase
in the athletic fee would translate to about a $3.5 million increase in funding for athletics over the course of an academic year, Baker said. The largest portions of the new funds are expected to go to athlete wellness, facilities enhancements and marketing. The exact figure for what athletics received from the student service fee is $2.13, meaning the change would also free the 13 cents per credit hour for other uses. The amount would total approximately $70,000 to $100,000 if enrollment stays constant, which the Student Services Fee committee would decide how to allocate based on semesterly presentations from organizations on how they benefit UNT. “Our job is to make sure people know the importance of voting,” Cole said. “Students will have to pay the increased fee if the referendum passes, whether they voted or not.” Senior Sports Writer Matt Brune contributed to this report.
@sarderrr
City of Denton continues to avoid increased homelessness as city grows By Julia Falcon Senior News Writer As the weather gets colder and homes become festive, homeless shelters in Denton continue to fill up. On the Jan. 26 Point-in-Time homelessness count, which counts the number of homeless people per year for Denton County, 67 out of 176 people counted were homeless in the city of Denton. The highest reason for homelessness was due to unemployment at 17.9 percent. The homeless shelters around town are located primarily off of Woodrow Lane and McKinney Street and remain open longer with more beds available as the weather gets colder, or hotter. Dani Shaw, human services coordinator for the city of Denton, said some homeless encampments are a danger to the health of the people who live in them and the environment. “The city did clean up an encampment that existed off of Loop 288 and McKinney Street,” Shaw said. “There were chemicals, people were lighting fires, there was a significant amount of refuge and other things that made it really a health and safety hazard for the people staying there.”
Shelters in Denton, such as the Salvation Army and Monsignor King Outreach Center, are constantly overflowing, often requiring to turn people away when at capacity. Monsignor King Outreach Center is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, serves dinner on Tuesday nights and recently added a few more beds. Lieutenant Linda Choi of the Denton Salvation Army said the annual Red Kettle Campaign money helps raise funds for the shelter and is always looking for volunteers to help. “We are helping them find a house, refer them to our agencies and housing programs,” Choi said. “Right now we have an extended program for 30 days , and we have our emergency shelter program for 30 days.” The 30-day program is a larger step than the five-day program, which offers those staying there a life skills class, a Bible study and Drug Addicts Anonymous (DAA) meetings to name a few. “Our caseworker helps them to get a job and refers them to Giving Hope for the Rapid Housing Program in order them to have a house through the case management,” Choi said. The homeless population is tracked by a street outreach team, who goes
out and leads a group of people in the fire department, EMS and other nonprofits who help people struggling or with mental health issues. Another group goes out to where it is known people are staying and visit with them. Their goal is to make relationships with people and try to refer them to existing services to get them off the street. “Our main priority is to get them to a shelter, and the ultimate priority is to get them permanent housing,” Shaw said. “There are places in which people stay but it is pretty transient. There is a lot of movement.” The city of Denton is continuously growing and although the population is getting larger, the homeless population is staying consistent. “Our numbers stay relatively consistent though, which I think means we are managing the situation,” Shaw said. “We have several goals we are trying to achieve, obviously we are trying to reduce the number of homeless and reduce the amount of time someone is homeless.”
@falconjulia22
ARTS & LIFE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
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Chill’n-n-Denton’s inaugural year hints at promising future for Parker Plantation By Austin Wagner Staff Writer Concert-goers approach the gravel driveway and see small, slightly worn buildings down the way. The site of a brand-new musical extravaganza — best known as the home of the haunted Parker House attraction — welcomed a new group of patrons. The Parker Plantation hosted an all-day concert Saturday called Chill’n-n-Denton, an event featuring seven bands, a “special video appearance” by Snoop Dogg and an array of vendors. “I emailed our press release to every city around us,” said Parker Plantation coowner Ashley East. “I emailed everybody that might get the word out.” The concert was the first of its kind for the Denton staple, which is popular for its already established presence as a haunted house. “The haunted house we do six weeks out of the year, but other than that, we do this,” East said. “We promoted this on social media and emailed our press release around.” While Chill’n-n-Denton is a new venture for East and her co-owner husband Mark, the pair is not unfamiliar with running events and hosting musical performances. “He used to own a sound and lighting company in his 20s,” East said. “He also ran a club in Louisiana, so he likes this kind of stuff.” With the property’s haunted house success and their extended venue background, the two thought to expand on the uses of the Parker Plantation. “Why don’t we do the haunted house for those six weeks, but then do shows throughout the year?” East said. They are also open to renting it out for private events such as parties, gatherings and other kinds of get-togethers. “The Dallas Film Institute has actually rented out the haunted house to film scenes sometimes,” East said. “We started renting
The first Chill’n-N-Denton Festival included musical acts, food trucks and vendors of all kinds. LoveSick Mary was one of the seven musicians that performed. Victoria Nguyen | Staff Photographer out different areas and then thought of this. We hope to get it to be a three-day festival eventually.” East was hopeful for the event and expected to nearly fill their capacity. As the day went on, however, it seemed many Denton residents weren’t aware of the event. “We heard about this on Facebook and saw that Snoop Dog was appearing, so we just came out,” kinesiology senior Nash Bayoud said. “They could have maybe used more advertising though. I’m not sure most people know about this.” With a small crowd and carrying nothing but their yoga mat and personal items, Bayoud and her friend Alex Denham weren’t letting anything ruin their time. “We didn’t even really look at the lineup to be honest,” Denham said. “Today was just a great day, and the weather was nice, so we figured, ‘Hell yeah, why not enjoy it?’” Bands were happy to play on such a beautifully crafted stage, rocking a
powerful 100,000 watts and featuring a dazzling light show. “The outdoor environment is cool, and there’s a great lineup as well,” Azuline lead singer Chris Koliba said. “It’s a pretty big stage too.” Koliba enjoyed the family-friendly nature of the concert, which allowed his 6-year-old daughter to watch him perform for the first time. “It really helped out a lot,” Koliba said. “It’s the first time my kid has been able to see me since we usually play at 21-and-up bars.” As the band following Azuline began setting up on stage, some of the audience members made their way over to the different food trucks such as The Dumpling Bros and Coochie’s BBQ. There was also the option of a small cabana setup housing Mrs. Lively’s Southern Cuisine. “They reached out to me on Facebook, and I figured I might as well try,” Coochie’s BBQ owner Thomas Couture said. “I usually set up at [the bar] East Side.
Business is really good there, and I have a good following there, but coming here is a good change of scenery too.” Husband and wife duo Richard and Laura Barnett brought their music production company, ODTSDnB Entertainment, to the event as well. Based out of Denton, the two were happy to play a part in the festival. “My crew and our production company isn’t represented here, but we’ve been
helping a bit behind the scenes as much as possible,” Richard said. The pair commonly have shows at Backyard on Bell and on the Square. They also have high hopes for the Parker Plantation. “I think this situation right here could really be a cool spot for Denton once people know what’s going on here,” Richard said. The Barnetts also did their part in trying to help promote the concert and get the word out. “I put the owners in touch with the Denton Record-Chronicle and the Dentonite,” Laura said. The couple did more than promote — Richard and Mark collaborated on building the physical setup of the venue, including the eye-catching stage. “If you had been out here two weeks ago, you wouldn’t believe it,” Richard said. “None of this was here, and there was s--t everywhere.” As the festival geared towards its multimedia finale, the memorable performances hinted at a hopeful future for the Parker Plantation, despite a limited crowd during the inaugural year. “I really think it’s cool to see all of these musical influences coming together,” Richard said.
@austintwags
Festival attendees gather to watch artist Anchors perform. Victoria Nguyen | Staff Photographer
Denton Event Radar December 8, 2017
December 11, 2017
December 11, 2017
December 12, 2017
Denton Community Theatre: A Christmas Story Where: Campus Theater When: 8 p.m. $15 for students, $22 for adults
Study BREAKfast Where: Union Chat When: 9-11 p.m. Free
Snow Globe Pictures Where: Discovery Park When: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Free
Tuesday, December 12 Tacky Ornament Swap Where: Denton County Brewing Company When: 7-9 p.m. Free
2 North Texas Daily
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
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Short Film Club premiere showcases stellar student talent By Camila Gonzalez Staff Writer
After deliberate writing, shooting and editing processes over the past few months, student filmmakers were finally able to showcase their work to an audience last weekend. UNT’s Short Film Club held their Fall 2017 Official Premiere on Dec. 2 in the Lyceum. Each film was followed by a Q&A with its cast and crew. “One More Night,” directed by Peyton Fowler and written by Mary Chavez, was the first film of the evening. It told the story of a girl with anxiety who falls for her friend who, in turn, is emotionally manipulative. In the Q&A that followed the screening, Chavez admitted the story was inspired by a personal experience, and she wrote the script as a way to give herself closure. The second film of the night was “Pumpkin Police,” directed by Haley Harmon and written by Connor Copeland. The mockumentary is centered on two cops who are on a mission to get rid of all pumpkins that people have left out after Halloween. While the absurdity of destroying pumpkins in the middle of fall is a running theme of the film, the friendship between the two cops is the heart of the story.
Harmon felt it was important to have that realistic, emotional focus. “No matter what, no matter how absurd a movie is, you want to feel like it’s real in some way,” Harmon said. Harmon was excited about this film as soon as Copeland pitched it. Out of this semester’s official productions, she felt this one best fit her style. “I’m definitely more of a lighthearted comedy kind of girl,” Harmon said. “All of the other [official productions] were dramas or drama-comedies, and while I do like touching on dramatic aspects, it wasn’t something that I could fully invest myself in and feel confident in what I was doing.” Her work with Short Film Club has helped her gain this confidence. It also helped her meet people and make connections, which is how local comedians Mike “Mikey B.” Benavides and Joey Johnson ended up being the leads in the film. She felt that including actors who were not students seemed to add to the absurdity. More preposterous humor was found in the third film “Tipless.” The film, which was directed by Ciara Boniface and written by Truman Kohler-Katz, depicted a pizza delivery man being tormented by a group of friends until he was driven into a state of murderous
UNT professor hunts down Zodiac Killer in History Channel series ZODIAC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Zodiac Killer was confirmed to have killed five people but claimed killing 37 people via letters to the local newspapers. Despite his continued communication, the Zodiac Killer was never found. To help crack the case, the “Zodiac Killer” team employed “high-tech AI” Carmel, a supercomputer that can search through trillions of letter sequences and can operate to think like the killer himself. Along with its high-tech software, the team includes experts like York College math professor and cryptographer Craig Bauer, Google computer engineer Sujith Ravi, longtime Zodiac expert David Oranchak and code team leader Kevin Knight, who previously solved the Copiale Cipher. Garlick initially appeared in National Geographic’s documentary “Code Breakers,” which helped him land a seat on the “Zodiac Killer” team. “The main advantage of forming a team is the diverse viewpoints that it brings to the problem,” Bauer said. “While this can lead to some disagreements, it also makes finding a solution far more likely. If we all had the exact same backgrounds and thought alike, our team wouldn’t be any better than a single person.” The process involves a number of solutions and methods, each conducted through computer programs and human evaluation. The series will also show team members going out into the field to visit labs, talk to other experts and survey the sites of the murders. “It could be something really simple, like maybe we read it right to left instead of left to right,” Garlick said. “It can be top to bottom, it can bottom to top. It can be that you zig-zag back and forth. It could be that you spiral. Computers are good at trying all of those things and give us guidance to say, ‘Here are some patterns to trace through.’” Throughout the process, Garlick also had help from UNT students. TAMS student Julian Laneve and Ph.D. candidate Jacob Hochstetler assisted in developing potential methods and types of software for the cipher. “Garlick said he basically had this unsolved cipher and [said], ‘Solve it,’” Laneve said. “It was interesting to have that much freedom, especially on such an important project.”
Hochstetler, who has known Garlick for years, said working with the machine to run tests was both a blessing and a curse. “We were given some loose guidelines from the History Channel, especially because we were mostly dealing with mechanical manipulation,” Hochstetler said. “But expecting something to work, running a bunch of tests and getting zero results [was challenging].” Together, they pored over potential patterns within the code. They searched for bigrams, which are English-like parings of letters like “th” and “es.” They also looked for Zodiac-specific language like the words “kill,” “psycho” or “slaves” among other countless methods. “We didn’t have much to go on,” Laneve said. “We had 300 to 400 characters, and that was it. There were so many dead ends and so many methods we would try. The whole idea of not knowing how close you are or how far you are was really frustrating.” Especially during these projects, the act of staring at symbols and letters for hours on end can take a toll. After years of analyzing the 340 cipher, Garlick said it can be easy to grow desensitized to the Zodiac Killer’s true nature. “When you look at this, it brings you away from the idea that this guy killed at least five people and claimed 37, and it’s just terrible,” Garlick said. “He was a really horrible guy, and he may still be alive. He could still be alive, just sitting in a rocking chair somewhere.” The cipher is yet to be completely solved, but Garlick believes there is still power in the smaller breakthroughs. “If you could run a machine long enough to say with confidence that it’s very likely that [it doesn’t read] right to left, you didn’t solve it, but you contributed something to where other people don’t have to spend their efforts doing that,” Garlick said. “One thing we’ve been trying to do is to get a database of what we know, so that helps future people say, ‘OK, this hasn’t been looked at.’”
@rohmyboat
Cast and crew answer questions at the fall premiere of UNT’s Short Film Club. Four films were shown, each accompanied by a Q&A. Paige Bruneman | Staff Photographer insanity. It exemplified the distinct genre of horror comedy. One of the friends — Toby — was played by Gage Tijerina, who also played a stoner in “Pumpkin Police.” Being in Short Film Club has allowed him to explore several different aspects of filmmaking. “I’d have to say that 90 percent of my experience and my growth as a filmmaker has been through Short Film Club,” Tijerina said. “What [the club puts] out is so crazy — like you wouldn’t even imagine it was just students doing it.” This high quality was seen throughout the premiere, which ended with “I Stand Alone.” The film told the story of a girl pursuing
stand up comedy against the wishes of her girlfriend and father. Writer Tony Casillas wanted to tell an uplifting but realistic story. “It’s a ‘follow your dreams’ kind of movie, but we’re not trying to do the whole cliché of, ‘You can do it,’” Casillas said. “Even if you follow your dreams, it’s gonna be freaking tough. You might not make it, but if you love it that much, it’s worth it to fail at it.” Writer and director Kenny Severson wanted to incorporate elements of Denton because the protagonist is finding herself in the city, just as he did. There were several scenes shot on the Square, a stand-up show at Killer’s Tacos and
music by local band Pearl Earl. “This is about starting out and not being very good but trying to find your voice,” Severson said. “It’s a movie about stand-up in Denton, and I think it’s a really great place to find who you are.” Finding one’s voice in Denton is an idea that can tie all these filmmakers together. Short Film Club is giving just under 200 students the opportunity to experience real filmmaking on real sets with real equipment. The club helps these students learn about their art not only because they can gain this experience, but also because they can be inspired by other student
filmmakers and learn from each other. This is an important aspect for Casillas. “It’s made me want to become better because I see so many talented people,” Casillas said. “You can learn more about filmmaking in Short Film Club than you learn taking classes. Unlike classes where you have a week to do a project and you just want to get it done for the grade, here you take your time and want to learn about filmmaking. You want to become a better filmmaker and try different aspects of filmmaking.”
@camila_deville
Denton startup helps comic book industry thrive By Slade Meadows Staff Writer
“He writes exactly what people are always videos, Vine videos, whatever news is happening, complaining is lacking in so much mainstream memes — and you can’t put that personal spin on comic media — apart from Wonder Woman — so it. You can’t talk to a person.” his content is very timely.” For Doub, conventions are just another step Doub also sees deeper meaning in his comics. towards sharing ideas, theories and interests. “It’s more of a play on, you know, people’s flaws “It’s funny because at conventions you can and all that to where she’s staying purposely in say, ‘Hey, here we are, we are meeting face to a bad situation because it seems like it’s the best face, I’m going to explain it to you and kind of out of what she has had so far, with very gothic you know, open up about the book,’” Doub said. trappings around it,” Doub said. “On a comic book shelf, you still don’t get that The author attends many conventions and across. It’s harder to sell them that way, one-byfeels they are an important aspect to the comic one by hand, but I do find that that seems to have book community. He is helping with the Women the best results.” of Wonder Con, which is an event that exists However, Doub does not just believe in face to support women in creative industries of all to face communication as a way to sell comics, types and to encourage new generations. He also he also believes it is good for the publishing helped to create the Texas Latino Comic Con, community as a whole. which aims to highlight Latino artists, writers “I’ve noticed the metroplex is so huge and and creators in the comic book community. we have so many different nerd organizations,” “We’ve been involved with conventions,” Doub said. “But since the metroplex is so huge Doub said. “We found that it’s kind of silly to it’s like we don’t notice each other. We end up leave out a big part of the creators involved. It’s re-duplicating efforts rather than leverage each not only about celebrating the current creators other’s help, or you know, just camaraderie and but to show the next generations, ‘No, you can do all that. It’s all just about getting together and it too.’ You know anyone can do it if they really networking.” want to, so we do a lot of those types of events because we feel it just makes for better stories @SladeSe7ens ultimately. Honestly, anyone who does comics loves comics, and you would want to see good books, so you want good people to make those books.” Doub is also able to advertise Dusk Comics at the conventions. There are many different avenues in which one can sell comics, such as online or through stores, but Doub finds success through a more personal touch. “It sounds a little old school, but I find conventions work best,” Doub said. “If you are online, you are fighting Dusk Comics founder David Doub helps indie writers publish their own comics with every other bit of and graphic novels. Dusk Comics is entering its 12th year as an independent content — not even just startup. Rachel Walters | Staff Photographer comics, but YouTube
A long-haired man with a graying beard sits patiently in The Multiverse Comics, Collectibles, and Games. He is surrounded by many colorful comics, posters and figurines — both artifacts of the characters he grew up with and new stories he has yet to discover. He arrived early for the Texas Creative Community Mixer, a networking event he created to bring together writers, artists and creatives from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. David Doub is the founder, publisher and head writer of Dusk Comics, a local independent startup that aims to help other independent writers publish their work. Doub began drawing his own comics as a kid, a passion which he pursued into adulthood. He flirted with the idea of starting his own publishing company for a while and finally decided to take a chance in 2006. “I’m like, ‘You need to do it,’” Doub said. “‘You need to pull the trigger and do it,’ and for some reason that jump is hard because I know there is the classic fear of failure. If you don’t do it, you can’t fail, but you can’t succeed either. It’s really a mind thing — the rest is just putting in the time and the work. Once you get it going it becomes easier — not easy, but easier.” Doub will be celebrating Dusk Comics’ 12year anniversary this coming year, a feat that many independent comic book developers never see. “Dusk Comics is pretty awesome,” said Terry Parr, who works as an artist for Shonuff Studio, which he and his wife run. “They have been around for a while and have a good selection of books and comics. Most indie publishers don’t last as long as Dusk. David understands the culture of vampires, goth culture and the music. I think most writers never really think about that.” Dusk Comics publishes a variety of comics and graphic novels, including superhero pulps, sci-fi adventure and supernatural thrillers. The company was named after Doub’s first work, which was a vampire series. “At its simplest, [Dusk] is a supernatural vampire story,” Doub said. “But it’s more about a young lady who gets pulled into the supernatural, and at first, she’s kind of traumatized. When she is finally freed, she has such a Stockholm syndrome or battered woman syndrome that she doesn’t want to leave. The things that go bump in the night that do work with her realize that she is an adult, and they are not going to exploit her, but they’re not going to force her to go where she doesn’t want to go.” People who have worked with Doub believe his writing works on a deeper level than the average supernatural, gothic vampire story. “His biggest strength is that his preferred focus comic-wise is strong, capable female characters,” said Beth Dobbs, who works on Dusk Comics founder David Doub flips through a comic in The Multiverse Comics, Collectibles, and Games. Doub is very involved in the the planning committee of Women of Wonder Con. comic book community. Rachel Walters | Staff Photographer
SPORTS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
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CONFERENCE USA BOWL GAMES
UNT vs. Troy Dec. 16, 2017 Noon New Orleans, Louisiana
Marshall vs. Colorado State Dec. 16, 2017 3:30 p.m. Albuquerque, New Mexico
WKU vs. Georgia State Dec. 16, 2017 2:30 p.m. Orlando, Florida
MTSU vs. Arkansas State Dec. 16, 2017 7 p.m. Montgomery, Alabama
North Texas football fans celebrate the 46-43 win over the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Sept. 23 at Apogee Stadium. Sara Carpenter | Senior Staff Photographer
Baker, Smatresk bring graduation to NOLA By Matthew Brune Senior Sports Writer
Florida Atlantic vs. Akron Dec. 19, 2017 6 p.m. Boca Raton, Florida
La. Tech vs. SMU Dec. 20, 2017 7 p.m. Frisco, Texas
After a 9-4 regular season, the North Texas football team earned the opportunity to play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16 at MercedesBenz Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The excitement surrounding the program has built throughout the year as fans have awaited an opportunity to attend another bowl game — and this is their chance. It seems like a no-brainer to make the 7 1/2 hour trip to New Orleans. Well, unless you are graduating this semester. This was a reality many students faced when they saw the date of the game, as the New Orleans Bowl falls on one of UNT’s commencement days this semester. Many students panicked when facing that choice, but President Neal Smatresk and Athletic Director Wren Baker developed a makeshift solution.
A plan was put in place to hold a commencement ceremony in New Orleans for football players, band members, the cheer squad and any graduating student who wants to attend the game. “UNT is proud of our Mean Green football team and the great season that is allowing us to participate in the bowl game in New Orleans next week,” Smatresk said. “We also want to make sure our students have the commencement experience they deserve after years of hard work and perseverance. We will continue our commencement traditions on campus as planned. And for those who are participating in the bowl game or those students who choose to travel to New Orleans, a change in location isn’t going to keep us from celebrating our graduates and sending them out into the world in style!” Many students have expressed an interest and seem eager to head to New Orleans, especially on social media.
For Baker, he’s seen this exact situation play out before and was sure to put in the effort to create the same opportunity for everyone involved at North Texas. “We knew it was a possibility that we could be at a bowl game [on that day],” Baker said. “I’ve been at an institution before that has played on commencement day, and we did an on-site ceremony which was really nice for the players, the band and the spirit squad members there. When the bowl was announced an I saw some students were struggling with the decision and if they wanted to go to the bowl game, I didn’t want them to miss out on commencement. So we decided we would invite them as well.” In an attempt to accommodate even more people, Baker and the athletic department have put together a $60 package which includes a bus ride to New Orleans, one night at a hotel and a ticket to the game. This will be the third time in the past two years the athletic department will have
North Texas’ offense sputters in loss to Owls FIU vs. Temple Dec. 21, 2017 7 p.m. St. Petersburg, Florida
FAU CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 FAU’s offensive domination doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, especially when taking into account the overwhelming success the Owls have had scoring throughout the year. The bigger storyline was FAU’s ability to shut down an equally explosive North Texas offense.
UAB vs. Ohio Dec. 22, 2017 11:30 a.m. Nassau, Bahamas
Southern Miss vs. FSU Dec. 27, 2017 12:30 p.m. Shreveport, Louisiana
North Texas sophomore quarterback Mason Fine (6) throws against FAU in the Conference USA Championship game. Colin Mitchell | Visuals Editor
FAU held the Mean Green to just 81 yards rushing on 35 carries – an average of just 2.3 per touch. The absence of star running back Jeffery Wilson hurt and North Texas finished with less than 100 yards on the ground for the first time since losing to Iowa. “I think I can attribute that to our defensive staff,” FAU head coach Lane Kiffin said. “Our players played really well. That’s what they did – they had a good scheme. You always talk about running the ball and stopping the run. You’re going to win a lot of games if you don’t turn the ball over.” The Mean Green fell short of the C-USA title after struggling in the first half, but Littrell and company managed to stay positive when discussing bouncing back for the bowl game later this month. For now, the Owls gave North Texas something to work toward. “Now we have a measuring stick for where we need to be in the future,” Littrell said. “Hopefully we get the opportunity next year and play much better. Sometimes it takes learning to play in these games in this environment with a championship on the line. That’s all of us – players and coaches alike.”
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a service like this, with this trek being by far the longest. North Texas had packages allowing students to travel to the Heart of Dallas Bowl last season and the Southern Methodist University game earlier this year. “We worked with the president’s office and athletics, [along with others], to subsidize some of the student travel, so we could get that to where it was a relatively cheap fee for our students,” Baker said. “We want students to be able to go and hopefully we fill all of the buses up. We’re basically offsetting the cost of this trip by about 65 or 70 percent of it, so it’s a great deal for our students but also a great deal for our team and our university if we have a big crowd there.” More information on the student travel package and the commencement ceremony in New Orleans can be found at www. meangreensports.com.
@mattbrune25
C-USA Superlatives By Matthew Brune Senior Sports Writer
North Texas finished the regular season as the West Division champions and had one player earn first-team honors in quarterback Mason Fine. The sophomore sensation was also awarded Offensive Player of the Year after Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary won the MVP award. Fine passed for 3,749 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing over 64 percent of his passes. His yardage and touchdown totals broke the singleseason school records
at North Texas, and his yardage ranks No. 9 in the FBS. Three players earned second-team honors, including running back Jeffery Wilson, wide receiver Jalen Guyton and kicker Trevor Moore. Guyton also was awarded Offensive Newcomer of the Year after breaking onto the scene in his first season in Conference USA. Guyton ranks No. 6 in C-USA in receiving yards (764), No. 2 in receiving touchdowns (9) and No. 6 in both yards per catch (15.9) and yards per game (63.7).
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SMART MOVE
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
Sophomore paying dividends for men’s basketball after transfer By Matthew Brune Senior Sports Writer Chicago, Illinois is known for producing great basketball players, and that is no secret. In the 2017 ESPN Top 100, three players were from Chicago and the surrounding area while two more were from other cities in Illinois. It’s the same area sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart was born and raised. A high level of competition always surrounded Smart whenever he wanted to play basketball growing up. And not one day passed where he did not want to play. “I’d wake up and the first thing on my mind was, ‘Where am I going to play today?’” Smart said. “I was always trying to go play basketball somewhere. Wherever I could find a basketball and a rim, that’s where I was going.” Outside of basketball, Chicago was not the easiest place for Smart and his family to live. His mother and basketball helped him get through tough times, and, as a result, he has grown closer to those important to him. “I went through a lot of stuff, especially with my family,” Smart said. “[After the] tough times, [family] was all we had left, so it made me have a better relationship with my mom especially.” Whether it was in school or outside at one of the countless courts at nearby parks, Chicago ended up shaping Smart’s game from a young age. His talent has already shown in his first season at North Texas as he is averaging more than 17 points per game. However, Denton is not where his collegiate basketball career began. Out of high school, Smart was ineligible to play at the Division I level, so he was forced to go the junior college route instead.
After he finished one year at New Mexico Junior College, assistant coach James Miller began calling current North Texas head coach Grant McCasland when he was still at Arkansas State. McCasland had three coaches on staff who spent time as head coaches in the same conference as NMJC, so there was little chance Smart would fly under their radar. “We know the coaches and the players from that league well,” McCasland said. “[While we were] recruiting out there, we went and saw him in the first practice, and the first thing that stood out to you was his aggressiveness. He has a nose for scoring. I loved the way he competed, then once you get to know him you love his personality. He loved basketball and wanted to get better.” Once Smart made the decision to play for McCasland and that staff, he did not care whether it was for the Red Wolves or the Mean Green. McCasland accepted the job at North Texas shortly after Smart committed, and the sophomore followed suit to Denton. Now, he’s leading the Mean Green in scoring at 17.1 points per game and shooting a lights-out .459 percent from the 3-point range in his first nine games. He is second on the team in average minutes played (29) and he also is shooting nearly 92 percent from the free throw line (34-of-37). “Rose being on the floor affects the game tremendously,” sophomore guard A.J. Lawson said. “Everybody knows they have to guard him and know where he’s at on the floor, and that opens up the paint for us to get layups. He helps everybody on the floor because he’s a huge threat.” His offensive skillset is something North Texas desperately missed last year, as Smart is a dynamic player by being able to hit a spot-up three while also
North Texas sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart dribbles the ball down the court in a game against Grambling State on Nov. 27 at the Super Pit. Smart is a transfer from New Mexico Junior College and is a starter for the Mean Green. Sara Carpenter | Senior Staff Photographer having the ability to create his own shot. In JuCo, the offense was not nearly as complex as it is at the DI level, and the talent level around him has increased as well. Smart is transforming his game from an isolation scorer to more of an off-ball shooter who can create his own shot as well, which has been a tough transition. “Last year it was a lot of me going to make a play on my own,” Smart said. “Now that I’m playing at a higher level and possessions matter, I’m still figuring out [this offense]. I’m coming along a little bit, but it’s just me learning and getting better each day.” While his offensive numbers leap off the page, it is his defensive improvement which means the most to McCasland. “He’s made the biggest improvement defensively on our team,” McCasland said. “When we first got him, he had a tough time guarding the basketball,
but he keeps taking steps in the right direction defensively, and that’s what you want [to see].” His offensive and defensive progress this year have shown up as measurable statistics, his personality is important to the team as well — even if it doesn’t show up in the boxscore. Despite being one of the new players on the squad, Smart hasn’t missed a beat on or off the court. His upbeat attitude is one the coaches value in the locker room, and Smart’s teammates enjoy playing beside him and hanging out with him. “Rose is amazing — I’ve never met anybody with a personality like him,” Lawson said. “If you don’t like Rose then there’s a problem with you because he doesn’t have a problem with anybody. Rose is a great person, and I’m glad to have him as a brother.” McCasland loved his personality when he first met him, and months later, he
enjoys it even more. It was part of what attracted the coach to Smart on the recruiting trail. “He’s always smiling and having fun,” McCasland said. “It’s hard to find that combination of someone who is aggressive [on the court] but also a great teammate and someone people want to play with.” Smart has displayed his value across the board to the team, but he is nowhere near satisfied. As he continues to play with the passion he has had since he was a kid in Chicago, he will always prioritize his team’s success as he does whatever he can to get wins. “We just have to come together as a team, get a little win streak going and get ready for conference,” Smart said. “I love playing this game, so I just try to get better every day.”
@mattbrune25
North Texas storms back, wins OT thriller By Matthew Brune Senior Sports Writer
Senior forward Shane Temara (50) looks to pass the ball around the arc against Indiana State University on Dec. 6. Madison Gore | Staff Photographer
As sophomore Roosevelt Smart went up for the gametying 3-pointer, he felt some contact. As a result, he tried to get a foul call on a tough shot — but was not granted his wish. The ball f lew over the rim and it seemed as though the last drop of hope hit the ground in the Super Pit. But senior forward Shane Temara rose above several Indiana State defenders and snagged the rebound — and eventually the win — from the grip of Indiana State. Temara kicked it out to sophomore A.J. Lawson for a contested wing 3-pointer, and the seasoned guard drained it just as the backboard f lashed red and the buzzer rang. His clutch basket sent the game to overtime and kept the Mean Green alive. With the momentum, North Texas (5-5) pulled out a much needed win over the Sycamores 79-76 Wednesday night.
“These guys have worked extremely hard,” head coach Grant McCasland said. “For us to find a way was so great to see. For Shane to get the offensive rebound and have the sense to kick it out, that’s a huge play. Then for A.J. to make that shot, I’m so proud of him because they put hard work in.” The Mean Green trailed 4434 with about 15 minutes left in regulation, and the offense seemed stagnant while Indiana State got open shots at the rim and in the paint. Smart was 0-of-5 from three and the team was an abysmal 1-of-7 from long range. Junior Jorden Duffy was ruled out with a bruised knee which further shrunk the team’s rotations. “We didn’t execute well early,” McCasland said. “[We were] just trying to rotate guys and play different positions and honestly with Duffy out and us moving people around, we’re playing a little bit different so tonight it took us a little bit to
get in that rhythm.” In the second half and overtime, Smart scored 20 points and Temara pitched in 13 of his own. The Mean Green also found a groove from the free throw line, converting 18-of-25 attempts. The offense as a whole just looked and felt different as the pace picked up down the stretch which played into the hands of Smart and the other shooters. North Texas also outrebounded Indiana State 36-30, with Smart leading the team with nine boards. “[We’ve] boxed out and been more aggressive,” Lawson said. “We don’t want anyone to be more aggressive than us, especially at home. We don’t want anyone to punk us, and we just want to be stronger than anyone we play.” Down the stretch, North Texas outscored Indiana State 17-11 in the final 4:47 of the win. With 30 seconds left, a Sycamore guard drove to the
hoop with a chance to tie the game, but then freshman forward Zach Simmons made a game-clinching block and Smart sunk the two ensuing free throws, essentially putting the game out of reach. “We hit adversity when we got down double digits but we kept fighting,” Smart said. “Zach made a really big play for us, and we were able to capitalize on that.” After their last loss to the University of Texas at Arlington in the final seconds, this win feels like turning point to McCasland and the team. “This is one of those games where maybe you finally start to get over the hump and see all the hard work paying off,” McCasland said. “I was really proud of just the way we were able to finish and find a way to win.” Next up: The Mean Green take on McNeese State at 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 in the Super Pit.
@mattbrune25
COLUMN
Mean Green volleyball will be remembered as the best team in program history
By Matthew Brune Senior Sports Writer You could tell from the opening match that something was different. The way the North Texas volleyball team carried itself just seemed to ooze confidence from day one, despite having no real reason to do so. In the year prior, the Mean Green went 13-19 overall and were ousted in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. Sure, they returned all but three players who played more than 80 sets from 2016, but on paper, there was no substantial difference in this year’s team. That was almost everyone’s belief. Before they watched them play. Now that the season is over, the whole campus and most of the college volleyball circuit has heard of this team in Denton that went 29-4, including a 3-1 record against NCAA Tournament teams.
It was the best season in program history. After I saw the Mean Green in their season-opener, I interviewed some players and then left the always freezing-cold North Texas Volleyball Center to go talk with head coach Andrew Palileo. He was in a meeting, so I waited and talked to associate head coach Vinh Nguyen. His first words to me were, “So, what did you think?” Now, I’m no volleyball expert by any means. But one thing about this team easily caught my eye after the first match – the team’s sheer athleticism. So that’s what I said, and boy was I right. And it started with the seniors. Middle blockers Amanda Chamberlain and Holly Milam and outside hitter Alexis Wright were all athletic, big hitters and each had an attack percentage over .250. Their ability to place the ball with power or finesse anywhere on the court forced defenses to constantly be on its heels. Defensively, these three led the team in blocks and combined for 265 in 33 matches. The distributor and captain of this team was junior setter Karley York, though. Always poised, she had a plethora of weapons at her disposal and even put away shots herself when needed. She finished
with a .316 attack percentage. Junior setter Alex Janak and freshman libero Henrianna Ibarra both had an explosive serving ability and played significant time, especially late in the season. Finally, freshman sensations Barbara Teakell and Valerie Valerian surged onto the Mean Green volleyball scene and provided even more athleticism and refreshing youth. The two added versatility for Palileo and performed well on the biggest stages. Perhaps the biggest testament to Palileo and this team is its chemistry on and off the court. On the court, York spread the wealth depending on where the defense was playing. This is the first team since 2008 not to have a player with over 1,000 total attacks, and the closest was Valerian at 873. Also, that 2008 team went 6-25, quite a difference in talent level. The number of records this team broke is too long to attempt at a listing, but there are a few I want to mention because they show just how good North Texas was. First off, the 29-win mark is the most by a team in school history and the most since 1983 by six victories. Chamberlain had the highest attack percentage in school history at .436 which is .62 higher than
No. 2 on the list. Milam became the first player ever to total 900 kills, 600 digs and 250 blocks in a career. Milam, Chamberlain and Wright all finished their careers in the top 15 all-time on the career kills list. The Mean Green had the highest attack percentage in school history at .293. The previous record was .245 and their 268 blocks as a team is No. 2 all time. We all know their accomplishments now. But one thing was stressed by the team throughout the season whenever I asked why they thought this year was going so much better than the last. The word that kept popping up was sisterhood. “We’re definitely like a sisterhood,” Teakell said earlier this year. “We mess around with each other, and no one gets [upset] when we’re talking trash. [The court] is our safe space.” The older players and Palileo really stressed bonding and creating a family atmosphere, starting over the offseason. That did not appear to be a traditional procedure in years past. As a result, they stuck together through thick and thin and it showed in their monumental win over Western Kentucky University. That game is easily one of the best sporting moments I’ve seen in
person. And in my opinion, the team’s tighter bond is the primary reason why the same players went from 13 wins to 29 in just one year. It’s what made the end of the season such a hard pill to swallow for everyone involved. The loss to Texas Christian University was somewhat unexpected, but they know they didn’t play their best game. Even so, the Mean Green gave their all on every single point – especially at home, where they went 15-2. After that match, York gave a tremendous quote on how fast this season went by and why it was so
special to her. “Last year, once we lost we were kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh this has been the longest season,’” York said. “But this season blinked because we were having so much fun together. It’s hard to have a season go when you love the people.” The season may have blinked by for the team, but it’s one they will never forget. Their mark has been made and their legacy has been etched – this was the best volleyball team in North Texas history.
@mattbrune25
Mean Green volleyball celebrates winning the first of five sets against Texas Christian University. Mean Green fell short in the fifth set, finishing their season 29-4. Madison Gore | Staff Photographer
OPINION THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
Page 8
Letter from the Editor
One final thank you By Reece Waddell Editor-in-Chief
Back in April when I was named Editor-in-Chief, I had an exact plan for how the next seven months would go. Everything was precisely laid out. From the production of the newspaper to re-thinking our digital presence, I was determined to not let anything stop my vision of bringing you the news in an exciting way. But much like life, not everything went according to plan. There were obstacles along the way we had to overcome. We made mistakes and learned from them. When we were presented with a problem, it was up to me and about 10 other people to figure out how to solve it. Which wasn’t always the easiest thing when you consider we’re all students and still learning not only how to be professional journalists, but how to be adults, as well. It took trial and error. Now seven months later, with graduation looming, I just have one thing to say. Thank you. Thank you to our readers for picking up a copy of the Daily, interacting with stories on social media or going to our website. When we broke the story on how much Donald Trump Jr. would get paid to speak through the UNT Kuehne Series, we did it with you in mind. When we covered Mean Green athletics, our goal was to provide you with live, thorough coverage of your favorite teams. And our editorials, whether you agreed with them or not, were written to spark a conversation and engage the community. You see, what we do as journalists is directly tied to our readers. We would not exist if it weren’t for you. We’re told in school our job is to be watchdogs, but if no one reads our content, just exactly who are we serving? We’re told in school to consider our audience, and as the student newspaper of UNT, our audience is one that is tight-knit. To the students, faculty, UNT and Denton community and anyone else who may have been with me and my staff on this journey over the past seven months, thank you. As I get ready to graduate and move on to the next chapter in my life, I hope you will continue to rely on the North Texas Daily as your source for all things UNT and Denton news. I know I will.
@ReeceWaddell15
NTDAILY.COM
More office hours from professors are a necessity By Spencer Kain Staff Writer Professors’ office hours are a saving grace for students. They are incredibly beneficial to a student’s learning and their mental state when they start stressing out, especially during finals week. The office hours themselves are not the issue though. They are undoubtedly great resources every student should utilize as many times they are able to. I just wish professors would hold more of them. I completely understand professors are people too and have lives outside of the classroom, but some professors only have maybe one or two times a week they are able to meet with students for this extra help. Do not get me wrong, I am sure there are a number of professors who have multiple times a day they are open for office hours or even multiple days a week. Yet in my experience, the majority of professors have a very limited number of office hours available.
For example, I attended my statistics teacher’s office hours to get some extra help on one of my assignments recently. Out of the two she had, this one was the only time I was able to attend. When I walked in, she immediately asked if I had attended one of the SI sessions the previous day, which I then told her I had not. She proceeded to tell me I should have gone to the SI session to get the help I needed because she had to leave her office hours early. I asked her if she would have anymore the same week and she replied simply with a, “No.” Obviously, not all professors are like this, but I was certainly caught off guard because I made sure I attended the only office hour she had left to get the help I needed on the assignment I needed to finish. The assignment was due in the next couple of days when there were no more office hours and no more SI sessions for me to attend, so there I was, having to figure it out on my own. If professors held just one more time a day, or even just one
extra day dedicated to staying a little longer than they already do on campus, I think it would not only help students feel more comfortable with the subject matter but would also result in more students actually attending office hours. I have heard from a number of professors that the main reason they do not have many office hours is that not nearly enough students show up to them. Inversely, professors feel as if the students already understand the material enough and do not need extra help, or, students just view office hours as unnecessary. But what some don’t always know is that most students have other classes all throughout the day or other obligations they have to attend to, so most of the time they are unable to go to office hours because of time restrictions. Having more readily available for students would increase the overall attendance of them. Professors already spend a majority of their time on campus dedicated to helping their students
Illustrations by Max Raign
out, and I am so grateful to all of them, even the ones I do not have. If professors were to just add a couple more times for their office hours, I think students would certainly be ready to attend them
to get the extra help they need and thus find an improvement in grades. It’s a win-win.
@spencer_kain
Just keep on biking, UNT Stop separating the artists from their art By Spencer Kain Staff Writer
By Rachel Herzer Staff Writer Maybe it’s my anxiety, or maybe I’m scarred from that one time when I was little and my brother accidentally ran me over with his bike. Either way, it seems like every other day on campus I find myself coming within inches of losing my life to a cyclist speeding by. Maybe I’m just being dramatic. Once, a guy hit me with the handle of his bike, and I apologized. While savage cyclists are concerning and definitely something to be vigilant about, above all, UNT’s affinity for bikes is inspiring. On Nov. 8, The League of American Bicyclists recognized UNT as a bronze level Bicycle Friendly University. This is a testament to UNT’s efforts in being a health-conscious and eco-friendly university. If other universities, businesses, hospitals, towns, etc., followed suit, we might be in a different place in terms of global warming. Most cars run on gas and are essentially bad for the earth. Bikes run on your legs. Legs don’t use fossil fuels. If you decide to become more environmental, biking is one of the easiest transitions you can make, assuming you are already familiar with riding a bike (and that you don’t have to ride, like, 30 miles). Not to mention bikes are so
accelerateyourmba.unt.edu
much faster than walking. I seethe with envy when I see cyclists just zipping around the sidewalks while I walk around on my feet like a chump. How bleak is it when you’re on foot and you have ten minutes to get to the complete opposite side of campus? And uphill? Forget about it. It’s no secret that the parking on campus is a nightmare, even if you have a pass. The most expensive parking passes go for $1200. But bike racks are everywhere on campus. Riding a bike means guaranteed “parking,” fewer car crashes, and yes, less parking tickets. It’s a win-win-win. Even if parking or saving on gas is the biggest reason you bike, you’re still helping the earth, whether you care or not. So way to go. I would ride a bike if I had the confidence or if I didn’t use the bus ride to campus to do homework. I would also need a greater understanding of how bikes work because honestly, how are you not falling off? It’s a bunch of metal sticks and two wheels. I don’t know how you do it, but I’m glad you do. The only downside to biking I can think of is the sweating, but I encourage all of you to keep the pedal up. Meanwhile, I’ll try to save the environment in other ways. I only buy cruelty-free makeup, if that helps?
@coolrachdoritos
With the recent influx of accusations regarding sexual misconduct flowing in by actors, musicians and entertainers, Hollywood is shrouded in a shadow of shame and embarrassment. As a result of these reports, we all need to face the truth: it is time to stop separating the artists from their art. Even to my own personal dismay, some of my favorite actors have come under fire for sexual misconduct including Kevin Spacey and comic Louis C.K. Spacey is someone I have watched consistently throughput his old filmography and kept up with his new releases after I first discovered his talents in films like “The Usual Suspects” and “Se7en”. I discovered Louis C.K. after binging his autobiographical show ‘Louie’ on Netflix and have watched many of his standup specials due to my appreciation for his humor. But, after the despicable claims of sexual misconduct have come to light about them, I can no longer continue to watch any of their work or support any of their future endeavors.
As much of a fan as I was of many of these individuals, I will never be able to look at any of them the same way again. That applies to any artist in any form of any entertainment medium. And frankly any medium is a direct representation of their artist. Because not only are they sexual predators first and foremost, but they are also deviant citizens who have done disgusting things, and they should all be viewed as such. Their actions are inexcusable and their careers should not be able to continue to prosper because of the longtime fans they have accumulated. However, if we begin boycotting any specific entertainer and their work, we are also directly affecting the other members who also worked on said project. But it is important to remember that the intention is not to sabotage the individuals who are innocent. The best way we can prevent this in the future is to start holding entertainers, and really anyone who commits sexual misconduct, accountable. If one of your favorite actors, directors or musicians has been accused of sexual misconduct lately it is understandable if your initial reaction was
disappointment. I felt the same way. Then I came to my senses and considered how much the women and men who were attacked must have felt, and I quickly felt disgust towards the individuals I once religiously watched or listened to. As it may be hard at first to completely stop watching or listening to someone you once did all the time, you must remember their despicable actions and stop separating the artist from their art because ultimately, they go hand in hand.
@spencer_kain
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