North Texas Daily 2/1/18

Discover Denton Welcome Center brings the Frank Buck Zoo to you ARTS & LIFE: PAGE 4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

VOL. 112 No. 3

NTDAILY.COM

House show venues planning to prevent sexual misconduct

By Katharine Beal @katharine_anne4 Denton’s house show venues are taking a short break from hosting DIY music events as they form new ways to lessen sexual misconduct at venues, organizers said. The hiatus came about following local favorite Jagoe House closing in early January due to allegations of sexual assault on the premises.

“Keeping an open dialogue about assault and a clear stance on the intolerance of it makes people more

aware of their behavior,” said Jacob “Cub” Moore of Liber-DIY Records, former house show venue and one of the hosts of last year’s Band Together Denton.

Some of the ways Denton venues plan to make their environments safer are by increasing the number of hosts at each venue and making them more easily identifiable and accessible, as well as by manning the door and checking IDs for visible alcohol. Denton venues urge guests to come to them with any concerns and to respect each other and the houses.

More regular shows will resume in

February, venue operators said, but in the meantime, the local music scene is seeing some changes.

“We didn’t consider shutting down because we didn’t see [Jagoe] as the destruction of Denton DIY and house shows like so many others saw it,” said UNT alumnus Dan Ceske, 27, of Denton house show venue Casa de Monstros. “We saw it as an opportunity to examine what we do for the safety of our audience to promote a healthier DIY community.”

Organizers at local venue House of God said they have been spacing out events

and looking for ways to be more cautious.

Matt Snoddy, biomedical engineering senior and singer in Denton band Prefontaine, of House of God created an anonymous board on Facebook for members of the DIY music community to share and offer ways the venues can improve. He also created a private page for house show venue owners to communicate with each other and share information about problematic people who often hop from show to show.

Organizers from venues around Denton shared their advice for other local

DEFYING CANCER WITH STYLE

venues with the Daily.

“Don’t be afraid to speak up and be proactive,” said Maritza Vega, UNT alumna and Casa de Monstros manager.

Another former host for Band Together Denton 2017, Chandler Dunn of The Yellow Sub, said, “My advice as a [former] host would be to stay alert and not just enjoy the show because you’ve got a responsibility to make sure everyone in your venue is safe.”

Dylan Tarver UNT marketing junior

SEE MUSIC ON PAGE 3

What a DFW HQ2 would mean for UNT

By Devin Rardin @DevinRardin

Beating cancer with confidence on the catwalk Photos by Tate Owen Typical catwalks feature exotic models clad in clothes most could never hope to afford. But the Denton chapter of the American Cancer Society’s annual “You’re Beautiful!” Luncheon and Style Show is anything but typical.

Discarding the archetypal standard of beauty models, this fashion show favors something a little more grounded in reality: All models featured are cancer survivors.

Fourteen cancer survivors, ranging from first-year teenagers to first-year senior citizens, donned stylish outfits and took to the stage Friday to show the world — and cancer — they were here and could not be stopped. What resulted was a teary-eyed crowd and a celebration of the strength the survivors show every day.

Survivors danced up and down the catwalk to their favorite songs like “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars and “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang, celebrating their triumph over cancer. The luncheon, previously held at UNT, moved to the new Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center.

SEE RUNWAY ON PAGE 5

The Dallas area made it to Amazon’s shortlist of 20 possible locations for their second headquarters, released on Jan. 18. Denton is among the sites the Dallas Regional Chamber pitched to the company last year.

“Denton actually participated in the Dallas Fort Worth regional response for the headquarters location, so we submitted several different sites as part of the regional proposal,” said Caroline Booth, Denton’s director of economic development.

The possible Denton sites are confidential, but other sites include the old Valley View Mall in North Dallas, Victory Park in downtown Dallas and Panther Island in downtown Fort Worth, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

Amazon announced in September 2017 they had outgrown their headquarters in Seattle and were looking for a location in North America to place a second campus.

Following their call for proposals, 238 cities submitted their pitches to be HQ2, of which 20 made it to Amazon’s shortlist.

A final decision is expected in 2018.

Amazon is expecting to invest $5 billion in construction for the new headquarters, and the new campus will create 50,000 high paying jobs, according to their website.

Michael Rondelli, associate vice president of innovation and commercialization at UNT, thinks Amazon HQ2 is an “incredible opportunity” for UNT. “The entire region would have a boom and of course, as the largest university in

SEE HQ2 ON PAGE 2

Denton Pagan covenant encourages diversity

Tope Arikawe is a junior forward for the men’s basketball team.

Arikawe is originally from Lagos, Nigeria.

TJ Webb

By Slade Meadows @SladeSe7ens A poem was read, four candles were lit and an anvil was drummed on Saturday night in the chic hall of the Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

The Pagan parishioners shouted in unison, “Hail, and welcome,” to the four directional elements represented by candles on the walls. The guest being welcomed was Brigid, the Celtic goddess of poetry, music, smithcraft and most importantly, the coming of spring.

The Feast of Saint Brigid is Feb. 2, which coincides with Imbolc on the holiday calendar of the ancient Celts.

Cynthia Talbot, treasurer at Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (DCUUPS), said Imbolc is the Celtic fire festival that celebrates the transition point away from winter toward spring, and Brigid is a Celtic goddess as well as the patron saint of Ireland who heralds the returning of spring. These dates mark the first of eight seasonal celebrations of the Pagan year, which are organized by Denton CUUPS. “Imbolc is especially important to us,”

SEE PAGANISM ON PAGE 4

NEWS

The Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship gathered on Saturday night to celebrate the Feast of Saint Brigid, the Ancient Celtic goddess of poetry and the coming of spring. This is one of the first seasonal celebrations on the pagan holiday calendar that is organized by Denton CUUPS. Kelsey Shoemaker

Lewisville police chief to teach policing classes at UNT pg 3 The soon-to-be retired chief will teach UNT students about 21st century policing based on practices from his award-winning department.

A 14-year-old Tope Arikawe only ever knew one position in his life. That was at striker on the soccer field, the same position his idol, Thierry Henry, played when he watched Arsenal matches as a kid.

“I was fast. I was big. I was unstoppable,” Arikawe said with a laugh.

Arikawe was so physically imposing that one coach could not keep his eyes off of him and his potential. Lagos, Nigeria

IN THIS ISSUE

ARTS & LIFE

UNT spotlights Texas fashion pg 4 The College of Visual Art and Design has curated thousands of fashion archives open to the public. The collection includes pieces from Stanley and Edward Marcus of the iconic Neiman Marcus.

By Devin Rardin @DevinRardin

was home to the Pepsi Football Academy, and coaches were always courting the talented young players.

A coach approached Arikawe about honing his skills and using his huge frame to his advantage — but not on the soccer pitch. Instead, he wanted to transition Arikawe into basketball. “[He said], ‘Hey you have the height, why don’t you try playing basketball?’”

Arikawe said. “I’m like, ‘Uh, I don’t really like basketball, it kinda looks stupid. I’ll just stick to soccer.’”

The Democratic candidates for the District 64 congressional seat, Andrew Morris and Mat Pruneda, debated sanctuary cities, marijuana and abortion among other topics on Jan. 25.

The debate, which took place in the UNT Lyceum, was moderated by Rantt Media’s Matthew Reyna and hosted by UNT’s College Democrats.

The candidates are competing for a nomination to run against Lynn Stucky, the Republican incumbent. The Democratic party is seen as the minority party in Denton, but Morris thinks it will become a majority.

“We have seen in places like Virginia, Oklahoma and, just last week, in Wisconsin, that districts that have been notoriously red can flip and flip quickly,” Morris said. “It’s going to take a whole lot of work and a whole lot of effort but by no means is it impossible.”

Pruneda urged the audience to look at the number of voters instead of the percentages. Stucky won the election with 62 percent of the vote in 2016.

SEE ARIKAWE ON PAGE 7

SEE DEBATE ON PAGE 2

Nigeria native Tope Arikawe blossoming under McCasland

By Matthew Brune @mattbrune25

Democrats debate sanctuary cities, marijuana, abortion

SPORTS

Woolridge stars as full-time point guard for men’s basketball pg 6 Sophomore point guard Ryan Woolridge is one of the most exciting players on the men’s basketball team. His consistency continues to solidify Grant McCasland’s backcourt.

OPINION

Aziz Ansari: Assault or harassment? pg 8 With sexual assault allegations following the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, Aziz Ansari’s incident challenges the idea of verbal vs. nonverbal consent and brings light to the question of how we view celebrities in the media.

NEWS Page 2

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

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

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

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

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Democrats debate in bid for nomination to compete for state representative for HD-64 DEBATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “If you look at the percentages then you think that is an insurmountable task,” Pruneda said. “If you look at the numbers, it’s doable. Think about all the friends you have that don’t vote but feel the way you do. If everyone that voted came out and brought one friend we would have a landslide.”

Both candidates were against Senate Bill 4, which looks to ban sanctuary cities. Morris saw the bill as racial profiling and encouraged empathy and compassion for all people.

Pruneda urged people to call out racism and said civility will not help.

“The civil rights movement wasn’t always civil,” he said.

When discussing marijuana, both candidates agreed that Texas should have been the first to legalize it.

“We have seen in the west coast, in Colorado and in Massachusetts, that the tax revenues have been raised from this relatively harmless drug,” Morris said. “We can do so much with those revenues. We can fund education.

We can start investing in mass public transportation systems.”

Pruneda discussed other benefits of legalizing medical and recreational marijuana.

“It’s not just about the revenue,” Pruneda said. “We know that by legalizing marijuana we will reduce the number of disproportionate prosecutions for minorities for minor offenses.”

An audience member asked if women can trust the two candidates, turning the discussion toward abortion.

“I defend a woman’s right to her reproductive freedom,” Pruneda said. “I’m not hedging on anything.

I’m not saying I’m going to lean more toward prevention.

I support a women’s right to abortion and that’s a controversial thing to say right now.”

Morris said the Democrats are allowing women to be the most productive members of society.

“Texas has the worst maternal mortality rate in the world overall,” Morris said. “The reason for that is this GOP attack on abortion.”

Former candidate Matt Farmer dropped out of the race on Tuesday. In a Facebook video he said family issues have taken up his time.

Matt Farmer withdraws candidacy for House District 64

By Jake King @King_Jake1st In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Matt Farmer announced he is withdrawing his candidacy for the Texas House District 64 seat that State Rep. Lynn Stucky currently holds.

Farmer was running against Mat Pruneda and Andrew Morris for the Democratic nomination to be put to a vote in the March primary elections.

In the two-minute video, Farmer reveals that family issues are the biggest inf luence on his decision to withdraw from the race. He said his decision to run for office, though a passionate one, was made prematurely.

“Unfortunately, my name is still going to be on the ballot when you go to vote on March 6,” Farmer said.

“There are two other candidates running in this Democratic primary, and I’m throwing my support behind Andrew Morris because I genuinely think he is better suited for the job.”

Farmer continued to say he is proud of the work that he and his campaign have accomplished, but that he feels it is no longer his place to continue his candidacy.

To hear his full statement, watch the official video directly from Farmer’s Facebook page.

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

Mat Pruneda, left, and Andrew Morris, right, debate each other for the Democratic nomination for the candidacy for Texas House District 64. Julian Esparza Farmer will be throwing his support for Andrew Morris.

“Ultimately my decision to run for office was a bit premature, which is so hard to see when you are fired up in the moment, ready to take on the man,” Farmer said.

“After meditating on it for the past couple of weeks I have decided to withdraw from the race. Not because I want to but because I think that I should.”

Pruneda thinks the endorsement will not have an impact on the campaign and Morris thanked Farmer for his support.

Laura Haines, House District 63 candidate, was in the audience. She thought they both did a great job and did not want to declare a winner.

“I think Mat Prenuda showed a lot of passion,” Haines said. “That’s him and that’s his personality. I think that Andrew Morris showed his personality too. They share the same positions. They share the same platform, but he is more moderate in his tone, not quite as antagonistic.”

Early voting starts on Feb. 20 and ends on March 2.

The primary election is March 6.

Andrew Morris (above) and Mat Pruneda (left) respond to questions at the Democratic debate.

Julian Esparza

What Amazon HQ2 could bring to UNT, North Texas HQ2 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 this region, that means there is a greater and greater demand for our 221 degree programs here at the University of North Texas,” Rondelli said.

Rondelli said the university would be a good feeder for employees for Amazon. Degree programs such as data analytics, communications, digital retailing, engineering, interactive design, marketing, music and linguistics offer skills Amazon is looking for. “[Amazon HQ2] would lead to a greater demand for expertise areas from UNT and spur on and increase our innovation economy both for the university and the region,” Rondelli said.

Jeffrey Rous, associate professor of economics at UNT, thinks most of the jobs will be taken from employees flying in from out of state.

“I don’t think UNT students are going to see anything significantly different,” Rous said. “It’s not like they will be looking to hire a ton of people from UNT. Probably 70 percent of the people they hire will come from other cities.”

He does think Amazon will bring a number of other jobs.

“There will be other jobs created by this influx of Amazon people,” Rous said. “There will probably be another job for every job Amazon brings.”

Rondelli said another benefit would be faculty and collaborative research with Amazon and other companies they bring in.

Deborah Leliaert, vice president of university relations and planning, said Amazon HQ2 would be an “enormous opportunity” for the 274,000 alumni that live in the region. She sees other benefits for UNT’s current students as well.

“There would be, perhaps, some remarkable experiences for our students in terms of internships or class projects or employment,” Leliaert said.

Both Leliaert and Rondelli agreed Amazon HQ2 would attract more students to UNT and said they did not see any downsides to the project.

Booth said she is excited Dallas

made the list but sees some negatives to the project as well.

“If anyone would pretend like there wouldn’t be headaches to come along with the benefits then I don’t think that’s being honest,” Booth said.

The project may cause traffic congestion. Booth said house and apartment prices will be impacted as well.

“There are many benefits to developments of any kind but there are also challenges that come along with it too,” Booth said. “As communities develop and redevelop, it definitely affects the market prices for things like housing. I don’t think there is any question that there would be an effect.”

She hopes community leaders and elected officials, wherever Amazon HQ2 ends up, will take steps to minimize any negative impacts the project could bring. She said the second headquarters, being a “huge project with a huge footprint” will alter any city.

Booth believes Denton will still always maintain its college town culture. She thinks it will always be a town filled with students, art and music.

Overall, Booth is in support of Amazon HQ2 coming to the Dallas region.

“I think it would be fantastic if Amazon chose the DFW region because this is the kind of project that will have regional benefits no matter what city limits it ends up locating in,” Booth said.

Cities are offering various incentives to entice Amazon to choose them.

Raleigh, North Carolina is offering employees $50 million for construction and a 100 percent rebate of state income taxes for 25 years. The highest offer is $7 billion from Newark, New Jersey, according to the Dallas Observer.

Dallas’ offer has not been made public.

“I really hope that they don’t say we want you so badly that we are going to give you all these tax breaks,” Rous said. “You could end up giving away more than you benefit.”

Rous said much of the impact depends on what incentives Dallas is

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

UNT alumni receive three Grammys

Rosa Clemente to be keynote Speaker at UNT’s Equity and Diversity Conference

Two UNT alumni received Grammys at the 60th annual Grammy awards, held Sunday, Jan. 26, in New York City. The alumni were part of UNT’s College of Music and won three Grammys out of a total of 11 nominations, according to UNT’s website. Edward Stephan won Best Engineered Album (Classical) and Best Orchestral Performance, and Frank Greene won Best Large Jazz Ensemble. UNT’s College of Music has been linked to 111 Grammy wins over the years.

UNT will be hosting an Equity and Diversity Conference from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 22 followed by the production “What We Talk About When We Talk About Race” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Scholar-activist, journalist and community organizer Rosa Clemente is set to be the keynote speaker for the event, according to the university.

The event is free for UNT Denton students, faculty and staff but is $75 for community members, $25 for students from other institutions and $50 for UNT alumni members.

UNT’s Urban Network to hold its first event University faculty are gathering to form the new Urban Network and will be holding their first event called “Urban Encounters: People, Places and Politics of the City.” The event will take place from 2-5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 at Willis Library, according to UNT’s website.

Three guest speakers from the DFW community are set to appear at the roundtable symposium and will discuss issues regarding the event’s theme.

offering Amazon. If Dallas gives up too many tax breaks, Amazon could crowd out other businesses who are paying taxes.

“Do we even want them if we have to give up too much for it?” Rous said.

“Dallas is already growing pretty quickly. It’s not like we are in need of growth. It’s not like we have a problem with an under-performing economy.”

Rous thinks the impact will be mostly localized. Dallas can absorb Amazon’s employees without a big increase in housing prices, Rous said.

He also thinks the infrastructure of roads and the mass transit will help avoid congestion.

He does think the local neighborhood Amazon moves into will be impacted the most. It will be a boom for them, but rents will go up in the localized area.

As for the likelihood of North Texas being chosen, Rondelli said the region has a good history of recruiting large organizations. He named Toyota as an example.

Booth said the area’s well-educated workforce and its transportation connectivity with the DFW Airport make the region a strong contender.

Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon, recently bought a 27,000-square-foot mansion in Washington D.C. for $23 million, according to Business Insider. Rous thinks this gives D.C. the advantage, which is offering three sites for the headquarters.

“I think Dallas has an advantage over several of the towns, but it has a huge disadvantage over D.C. I would put odds that D.C. gets it at 50 percent,” Rous said.

Amazon is considering the following 20 locations: Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Montgomery County, Maryland; Nashville, Tennessee; Newark, New Jersey; New York City, New York; Northern Virginia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Raleigh, North Carolina; Toronto, Canada; Washington D.C.

UNT art history professor receives $50,000 Andy Warhol grant Nada Shabout, UNT art history professor and coordinator of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Initiative in the College of Visual Arts and Design, earned a $50,000 grant from the Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers. According to the university, Shabout received the honor and grant for the proposal she submitted on “The Dialectics of the Decorative in Iraqi Art,” a book she plans to write about modern artists and critics based in Iraq between 1951 to 1973.

By Jackie Guerrero

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

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Denton venues on hiatus after sexual harassment reports MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and manager of Fannin: The Holding Cell, said the Denton house show scene allows him to take what he learned in university and apply it in the community.

As a former Boy Scout, he said he tries to be prepared and likes to have someone trained in CPR and first aid and have a first aid kit accessible at shows in anticipation of possible problems.

“People need to understand the houses aren’t businesses,” Tarver said.

“Ultimately, you’re in a house full of strangers. Stay coherent and stay with friends.”

Snoddy said one of the biggest problems within the DIY community is underage drinking and drugs. Another problem is venues booking musicians or allowing guests with a history of abusive behavior, in his opinion.

For Grapevine resident Hannah Israel, these problems were realized on September 15, 2016 at an event at Jagoe House.

Although she had previously attended an event at the venue, Israel stated that night felt less safe than past visits. The show that night was the first show run by Jagoe’s new organizer, Ryan Gordon.

“It felt like more of a party than any show I’ve ever been to,” Israel recounted.

Before her alleged assault, Israel said she remembered actively looking for someone associated with Jagoe in an attempt to find water but being unable to find anyone either inside or outside.

After the incident was brought to light, other venues reached out to Israel.

Jagoe did not, Israel said.

“I just wish they had acknowledged, not me personally, but that there was a problem so that we could work on fixing it,” Israel said of Jagoe House management. “It could have been a situation to learn and set precedent for other shows.”

Israel went on to say the biggest problem within the house show scene is that sexual misconduct is not addressed.

“You can drink without sexually assaulting someone, and you can smoke weed without being a predator,” Israel said. “You have to pay attention and encourage people to report it.

Venues aren’t the enemy. Lots of venues have done a good job creating a safe environment that fosters a love of

music.”

Israel revealed members of the community have reached out to her, many sharing similar stories to her own.

She also received some criticism from those who believe the police will now intervene in the DIY music community or that she has a vendetta against Jagoe.

“If by speaking out I prevent what happened to me happening to at least one other person, it’ll have been worth it,” Israel said. “Don’t be afraid to live afterward. Go to shows — get to know the venue owners and bring a group of friends.”

In addition to changes at venues, organizers encouraged more bystander intervention and accountability.

“We’re going to do everything we can for you, but you’re also responsible for yourself, your friends and the strangers around you,” Ceske said. “DIY events are special that way. DIY isn’t a scene.

It’s a community.”

Top: Live music venue Jagoe House recently closed over allegations of sexual misconduct. Mallory Cammarata Left: Local band Monogamizer plays a set at Load-In as a part of Band Together Denton 2017. Sara Carpenter Right: Josh performs at J&J’s Pizza. J&J’s Pizza “Ol’ Dirty Basement” reopened recently for the return of a Denton musical institution. TJ Webb

UNT College of Education online graduate program ranked No. 4 in nation

By Jacqueline Guerrero @gagaart1 The U.S. News & World Report recently ranked UNT’s College of Education online graduate program No. 4 out of 275 programs in the nation.

The online program currently has around 400 students enrolled and offers face-to-face, blended and entirely online courses in the education field, a spokesperson said. Last year the program was ranked No. 16.

Each year, enrollment rates increase, predominately for the Masters in Educational Leadership program which is the most popular, said Rossana Boyd, director of the Bilingual/ESL Teacher Education Program.

The online graduate program is what is called the “summer-tosummer program,” said Robin Henson, educational psychology department chairman and professor. Students can

start their degree one summer and complete it the following summer in the 15-month program.

“It has been a process of developing courses and putting them online,” Henson said. “Our summer-to-summer format, which is probably a key element to what we are doing here, has evolved.”

Randy Bomer, dean of the College of Education, said the College of Education is always getting better, whether due to its faculty or its students.

“The faculty teaching in these programs have worked very hard to make sure student experience is high quality, and that’s what is recognized in this very significant leap in the rankings,” Bomer said. “The ranking itself is nice, but not really the point.

It’s all about the quality of what we are doing for students.”

The No. 4 ranking means the criteria the graduate students learn from the instructors is ensuring the students will

have what is necessary to succeed in the education field, Bomer said. It could also bring recognition to the college, drawing in new participants.

“It means that we are paying attention to students in those programs,” Bomer said. “And it certainly suggests to other universities that we have something special going on in online programs at UNT.” Education junior Madi Nikolas is considering enrolling in UNT’s graduate education program.

“I feel like I have a really great opportunity at UNT and I need to take it,” Nikolas said. “Knowing we’re No. 4 in the nation makes me realize how great the quality of education I am receiving actually is, and it motivates me to do better in school, and listen to my professors and their experiences because with our ranking they obviously know what they’re talking about.”

Lewisville police chief to teach at UNT

By Ta’Corian Tilley @datboytilley Lewisville Police Department Chief William Kerbow will teach classes on 21st century policing at UNT in late February and early March. Kerbow plans to retire as chief in August William Kerbow. Mallory Cammarata 2018.

During his time as chief, the department received recognition from the Texas Police Chiefs Association as a “Best Practice” program in 2010 and 2014. The department is looking to receive the recognition again this year, Kerbow said.

“There are 164 different standards that they say a police agency should be able to meet,” Kerbow said.

“They send assessors on sight to look at your proofs and policies and also review your facilities. It’s a really good top to bottom evaluation of the department, and once you meet all those standards, they give you the recognition.”

Kerbow, a Lewisville native, joined the force as a reserve officer out of high school in 1978. At that time, the department only had 33 officers on the force. Now nearing the end of his leadership, Lewisville PD has authorized 158 officers.

“Growth typically depends upon the workload

and the size of the town,” Kerbow said. “When I first started, we were a little under 10,000 in population.

Now we’re over 100,000 population. When you add new growth like that, you have to grow to keep up with demand.”

On top of efficient practice routines, Kerbow and the department are known for getting along with members of the community.

“We have always felt that we’ve had a good relationship with our community, but I didn’t want to take that for granted,” Kerbow said. “I reach out to all of our churches in Lewisville regardless of what race predominantly attends to be able to meet with them.

We also host “coffee with cops” once a month to give people the opportunity to get to know us.”

In addition to face-to-face engagement, Kerbow has also been known to interact with concerned community members on Facebook by listening to their concerns and providing feedback.

“He recognizes that he works for the public,” Community Relations Manager James Kunke said.

“And even though their curiosity can sometimes be overwhelming, he respects their right to know, in general, what’s going on. It seems like a small thing, but it makes a big impact on the community when the people know their police chief is listening.”

Kerbow said he is looking forward to great discussions about what policing is versus what it is not when he teaches at UNT during spring 2018.

The university’s online graduate program for the College of Education was recently ranked No. 4 in the nation. Garen Powers

ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

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Fashion highlights history, clothing to community

By Ashlee Winters @ashwinters221

Children and their parents play with an animal brought in from a local zoo at Discover Denton Animals. Mark Baldwin

Discover Denton goes wild

By Camila Gonzalez @camila_deville With its glass doors open to the public, the Discover Denton Welcome Center hosted Cinnamon the hedgehog and Aussie the blue tongue skink from the Frank Buck Zoo. The families who attended were excited to meet the animals, and so was welcome center co-manager Jake Laughlin.

“Anytime Frank Buck Zoo comes out, it’s a good day,” Laughlin said. “The more attention that we can give the zoo, the better. It’s this wonderful oasis that everyone should get to check out.”

The zoo visits the welcome center often and brings different animals to meet anyone who walks in.

However, this was not the only event scheduled for the day.

Discover Denton also hosts Free Beer Friday, providing samples of local beer to the public. Fittingly enough, this particular Friday also included a promotional team from Sony Pictures’ upcoming film Peter Rabbit. Sony marketing representative Gabrielle Hall gave away rabbit ears, posters and pre-screening passes that admit a family of four.

“Usually, we look for events that have a really good match for the movie,” Hall said. “[If] they love the zoo, they’re gonna love this movie.”

Before the children met the animals, Laughlin interviewed Zoo Director Susan Kleven and the animal handlers for dentonradio.com. On top of managing the welcome center, Laughlin is also the online radio station’s manager and talks to the zoo workers about their animals whenever they visit.

Kleven feels because the zoo is smaller, visitors can have a much more intimate experience with the animals.

“We’re a circle,” Kleven said, “You don’t go off in all sorts of different directions. You’re not gonna lose

anybody in your party.”

The animal attraction, formerly known as the Gainesville Zoo, became known as the Frank Buck Zoo around 1970. It was named after Frank “Bring ‘Em Back Alive” Buck. He earned his nickname because he brought exotic animals back for zoo collection during the first half of the twentieth century when trophy hunting was popular. Kleven describes him as a “pioneer of the modern zoo,” but he did even more than that during his life.

“Not only did he collect animals for zoos, he also had a radio show, wrote several books [and] was in the movies,” Kleven said. “He was a very big celebrity.”

Almost a century later, his work lives on in a zoo just across the freeway from where he was born. Today, it continues to grow.

As a UNT alumna, Kleven hopes to spread awareness of the zoo among students at UNT and TWU. Apart from bringing more people into the zoo, she also wants students to know about their summer internships. The zoo hosts week-long day camps in which college interns set up the program and train its teen volunteers.

“We’re not trying to create a legion of zookeepers,” Kleven said. “What we’re basically trying to do is give teens something really productive and constructive to do during the summer.”

Coming to Discover Denton has helped the zoo reach out to more people so much so that, according to Laughlin, the zoo will be visiting more frequently in 2018.

Discover Denton is part of the Denton Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is responsible for tourism in the city. The welcome center is meant to help tourists find things to do when they arrive. However, it is also a good way for locals to find out about interesting events.

“We want to give people little tastes of what they can enjoy in Denton in here and then point them in the direction where they can go get the full meal,” Laughlin said.

Thousands of clothes hang in colorful rows throughout the room. Drawers open to reveal jewelry from hundreds of eras.

A hat from the 1940s can be seen just a few shelves away from a Victorian pair of shoes.

The Texas Fashion Collection (TFC), operated through the College of Visual Arts and Design, houses more than 20,000 articles of clothing and accessories from various historical periods and designers to educate students about the evolution of fashion.

Beginning in 1938, Stanley and Edward Marcus collected significant pieces of fashion in honor of their aunt, Carrie Marcus Nieman, co-founder of Nieman Marcus. The brothers typically chose garments from international fashion figures who made some impact in the fashion world.

“Maybe they were a model or a very fashionable person who inspired people to dress in a new or interesting way,” TFC Director Annette Becker said.

“The Niemans also chose pieces that were very fashion-forward or just indicative of their time.”

In the 1960s, the Dallas Fashion Group also began collecting historic fashion pieces. The two collections merged and moved to a space at the University of North Texas

in 1972 after outgrowing the spaces where they were held originally.

“The two groups liked the proximity to Dallas, which was a huge fashion hub at the time, and there was a budding fashion design program at UNT,” Becker said.

While the collection originally preserved examples of high fashion, the focus has now shifted to include a much broader range in style, class and culture. Traditional cultural ensembles, plus size clothing and a suit designed by a Holocaust survivor are among some of the TFC’s notable pieces.

“I think it’s important to preserve pieces that show a diversity of experiences,” Becker said. “We have pieces that don’t just show the lives of people who are privileged, and we try not to focus only on what people in America and Europe have worn.”

Located in a Welch Street Complex, the TFC offers a variety of exhibitions as well as research appointments and tours available for students, community groups and individuals interested in fashion. With topics ranging from athletic and leisure wear to undergarments throughout history, visitors are able to learn about all kinds of pieces.

“We’ve been trying to make it as accessible as possible,”

Articles of clothing are kept in a storage room at the Texas Fashion Collection in Denton. The Texas Fashion Collection is a repository containing clothing and accessories from various fashion eras served to educate and inspire students and visitors alike. Sara Carpenter

Becker said. “We usually try to have at least one exhibition up at any point in time, and we do a lot of outreach with students in classes.”

Students can visit TFC either with a class or on their own to satisfy their curiosity. Fashion design senior Kaitlyn Raymond visited to study how certain articles of clothing were made and see how the design process has evolved throughout history.

“It was so interesting to get up close and personal with these clothes and try and deconstruct how they were made,” Raymond said.

The collection is not only available for students studying fashion design, but also art, art history, theatre and library science. Whether students are observing how to use certain materials for different articles of clothing or working with the TFC’s database, the collection is a significant resource for various fields.

“It’s a great opportunity that students at other universities don’t have because they don’t have collections like this to work with,” Becker said. “Instead of just going to the library and looking at books or looking at photographs online, they can actually come here and see this stuff in person.”

Even the public can use the TFC as a way to see the beauty of fashionable pieces, learn about the historic significance and study how garments were made. The TFC has hosted women’s groups, quilting guilds and theatre teachers looking for costume inspiration for historical plays.

“I loved seeing all the different materials and patterns used,” Ruth Sommers, a member of a quilting group, said about her visit to the TFC. “It’s so great to have something like this available for anyone to see.”

With the collection’s large variety of clothing and accessories, visitors are likely to find a subject they would like to learn more about. Students looking to utilize the TFC as a study resource or individuals just curious about the world of fashion are welcome to book tours or research appointments to appease their interest.

Hail and welcome: Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship PAGANISM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Imbolc is especially important to us,” said Morgan Milburn, an education co-officer of DCUUPS and a drawing and painting senior. “It was our very first ritual, and it was our very first step to become Pagans two years ago.”

DCUUPS is a covenant group for Unitarian Universalists, Pagans and others with an interest in Pagan and nature-centered spirituality. Morgan Milburn worked with her sister Gabrielle to organize and perform the Imbolc ritual, which was the first service they have planned since joining DCUUPS. “Technically this is a Pagan ritual,” said Gabrielle

Milburn, communications officer of DCUUPS and a drawing and painting senior. “But we accept anybody of any backgrounds that comes in, as long as they are respectful.”

The sisters consider Paganism to be a large umbrella term, which encompasses many different beliefs, generally outside of the Abrahamic religions.

“What appealed to me about being a Pagan was that there are no set rules to being a Pagan,” Morgan said.

“It’s very much everyone does their own version of Paganism. They do their own rituals — whatever they feel is right, is right. There’s no set way of doing it.”

While many Pagans enjoy the religious freedoms of Paganism, the same freedoms present a unique

Class of 2018: Make the Most of Your Gap Year

challenge for organizers of the rituals and events.

DCUUPS contains members who identify as everything from eclectic Pagan or Pagan atheist, to Wicca and Druidry, each consisting of different beliefs and practices.

“The biggest problem is trying to make sure that everyone’s needs are met,” said Hannah Nut, coordination officer of DCUUPS. “That’s not really easy. We have someone from just about every tradition or path that pops up somewhere. When we have a ritual like this, we try to make sure that while we are celebrating whatever the ritual is about, we’re also being open and welcoming to people who come in. It’s not as easy as it sounds.”

While the mixture of different belief systems in one spiritual service may present challenges, accepting those challenges is an important part of being Pagan for the members of DCUUPS. “As a Unitarian Universalist Pagan, the big thing is that you follow the UU tenets,” Nut said. “The biggest one of those to me is treating everyone with respect.

Every person is worthy of respect and finding their own way to truth. That is not always easy when you are Pagan to accept that every pantheon is equally valid … It doesn’t mean that you have to think they are

necessarily true, but you need to respect that person’s belief and [give] the ability to have that belief.”

However, respect does not always flow both ways.

Some of the members do not advertise they are Pagan in fear of being judged, discriminated against or alienated by friends and family.

“I still haven’t told my family,” Nut said. “They are also not very social media savvy, so I’m not as concerned. But a lot of people have families who would kick them out or have kicked them out. That’s one of the big things, most people think it is Satan worship or they think Aleister Crowley. They think we eat babies and drink blood or something, and even though that is not true, it’s still out there in the popular psyche.”

Discrimination and alienation are real concerns within the Pagan community, but that has not prevented an influx of new members to the packed events. While there is no “how-to” on becoming Pagan, according to Nut, she suggests that people who are curious should attend their next seasonal festival Ostara on March 17.

“That’s especially why we have these public rituals — to help inform people as to what they are about,” Gabrielle said. “It at least gives them an idea of what we do in the Pagan community.”

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The Denon Unitarian Universalist Fellowship gathered on Saturday night to celebrate the Feast of Saint Brigid, the Ancient Celtic goddess of poetry and the coming of spring. This is one of the first seasonal celebrations on the pagan holiday calendar that is organized by Denton CUUPS. Kelsey Shoemaker

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

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Beating cancer with confidence on the runway Cindy Oliver

Justin Watts

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I cannot stress how important mammograms are ... early detection is important.

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I was forced to face my own mortality before it really made sense to me ... twice.

Kodi Tutt

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Tonya Morrison

Many people have said they wish they could change my past and take away the cancer. Honestly, if I hadn’t had this crazy life, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

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I told my [husband] during our treatment that just because I had cancer didn’t mean that he had to have cancer too.

Photos by Tate Owen

Alternative service break gives students new opportunity to give back

By Rachel Linch @rachel_linch Searching the small room for the first kid to help, 18-year-old public health freshman Cierra Black saw him through her black-rimmed glasses. It was snack time for the third through fifth graders she was volunteering with, and Phillip, the little boy, was trying to figure out his math homework.

It was only the first day of the UNT alternative service break trip Black was on that focused on serving homeless youth in Little Rock, Arkansas. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she knew it was going to be a good week when she saw the way Phillip lit up as he finished his homework at the after-school youth program.

“Did I get it right? Did I get it right?” he said.

Discreetly checking her own answer and then looking at his, she nodded her head with a proud smile, and they both burst into a celebratory dance.

“It was just fulfilling for me because he got more joy out of doing it than I did,” Black said. “It made me feel like I was kind of being a mentor. That’s what I love is mentoring little kids and seeing them actually want to learn.”

This was the Frisco-native’s first ASB trip through the Center for Leadership and Service. She chose to apply for this trip because she had served with the homeless community before and wanted to make good use of her long winter break by serving others.

“When I saw that they were doing a trip on homelessness and youth I was like, ‘that’s exactly what I wanted and what I needed,’” Black said.

Black was one of 16 UNT students chosen to help with Our House, an organization that helps homeless and near-homeless families in the Little Rock community succeed in life. It’s one of the five trips offered during Jan. 6-13 as winter break alternatives to the typical college break experience.

“We hope that [the students] come back empowered and motivated to be thoughtful in the choices they make and the choices

their communities are making around them,” said Stephanie Knight, director of the center for leadership and service said.

It was more than just an empowering trip. For Black, it was life-changing. As the only freshman on the trip, she was reminded of all she has to be grateful for.

“It changed my life in the fact that like I didn’t realize how grateful and blessed to be where I am,” Black said.

What could have been In October 2011, Black was working on her homework when her mom called her and her brother, Christian, into their parents’ bedroom. As soon as she saw her dad sitting in the chair, not looking them in the eye, she knew something was wrong.

Then her mom said the words she never thought she’d hear.

“Your dad has been diagnosed with stage 4 bladder cancer,” she said. “He has to do chemotherapy and will potentially have surgery.”

Sitting in disbelief and confusion, Black tried to understand what this meant for her dad and family. At 12-years-old, she wasn’t familiar with cancer. All she knew was her dad was strong, and it would all be OK. Most of the time she kept that hope, but as her dad started chemotherapy and went through intense surgery, there were moments of uncertainty.

“It just really took a toll on our family, and our house almost got foreclosed on twice,” Black said. “Seeing him so fragile and not the dad I’m used to seeing was really hard for me.”

Even though the cancer made him pale and weak, her dad fought hard for a year and came out victorious on the other side.

Today, he is in remission.

But it was Black’s experience of almost losing him, her house and her secure future that made her realize how fortunate she is to have all those things now.

“If he didn’t recover and had potentially passed away, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Black said. “It was just humbling [to realize]. Now I want to do everything I can to give back.”

Being so close to the same situation as

the kids she worked with on the ASB trip gave Black a new perspective. She realized that in spite of the adversity faced by her family, her parents have always been there for her. Now, she wants to be there in the same way for the kids who don’t have that same support.

“I need to be giving back,” Black said.

“I need to be telling these kids that they can make something out of themselves and that where you start doesn’t have to be where you end up.”

Her passion to encourage and empower the elementary school kids didn’t go unnoticed by other members of her group, either. Biology student Travis Kettle, who served alongside Black, said her story of perseverance and her perspective on life didn’t just impact the children, it impacted everyone in the room.

“She befriended every single person and always lit up the room with her presence,” Kettle said. “I loved seeing her work with the kids on the trip and watch her ignite happiness in their souls.”

A new family After a full day of playing with kids and serving at Our House, Black and the rest of her ASB team sat around tables eagerly eating their first dinner together. As they finished their meals, the group started talking about the highs and lows of their first day on the trip.

While the team listened and laughed along with each story about the day, it became clear to Black that this was a unique group of people who were passionate about the same things as her.

“I felt like I was meant to be on this trip and meant to meet these people,” Black said. “I’ve fostered really good relationships.”

Even though the trip was only a week long, Sam Ross, the 21-year-old lead site leader, said the bonds formed during it live on past the groups’ returns home.

“It’s so hard to tell people why to go on an ASB trip,” Ross said. “It’s just a lifechanging experience, not just for the whole volunteer part but also the friends you make. You literally become a family. That’s one of the best parts of the trip.”

For Black, going on the ASB trip not only confirmed her passion for helping homeless children but also confirmed that being a part of this community was where she belonged.

Originally, UNT was not Black’s first choice, but after realizing her purpose and meeting so many great people on the trip it made her more than happy with her decision to come here.

“There are people here that I would’ve never in a million years thought I’d be friends with,” Black said. “The sole fact that it happened so early at a school that I didn’t want to come to just solidifies the fact that I’m supposed to be here.”

Now that she is back on campus, Black wants to take the things she learned on the trip to the streets of Denton.

“I want to volunteer more in Denton county,” Black said. “Just to be able to apply what I learned there and bring it back here is something that I’d love to do.”

As she looks back, it becomes more clear to Black every moment she has had throughout her life has lead her to go on the ASB trip. And now, it’s the experiences she had on the trip that have made her grateful for the opportunities she has now, the people she gets to help and the new family she has gained. “[Volunteering is] a satisfaction that most people can’t even express in words,” Black said. “It’s solely a real good feeling.

I’m just grateful for the experiences I’ve been through, and I thank God everyday for where I’m at.”

Cierra Black, center, served with the rest of her Alternative Service Break team at Our House, an organization that helps homeless and near-homeless youth. Courtesy | Cierra Black

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Woolridge thriving as full-time point guard

By Matthew Brune @Mattbrune25 As soon as Ryan Woolridge grabs the rebound and head coach Grant McCasland motions to push the pace, the sophomore point guard guides his team into its fastbreak offense.

Woolridge quickly surveys the court and often sees the defense jogging back or out of position. Suddenly, his aggression kicks in. As the player who ranks seventh on the team in field goal attempts per 40 minutes, Woolridge is usually looking to create shots for his teammates — but an open lane in the paint is all too inviting.

If the lane stays open, he attacks it as North Texas’ best finisher around the rim. If the defense collapses, he dishes it off to a teammate. That is Woolridge’s mindset, and it is his vision in transition he has focused on improving.

“I’m just looking up the court to see if they’re still running back on defense or if they’re set up,” Woolridge said of his mindset on the break. “I feel like I’ve improved on manipulating the defense, managing the clock better and just running the team.”

Just running the team is a feat even NBA point guards struggle with at times. Finding the pace and figuring out how the team works best is not a small task, but McCasland has excelled at putting Woolridge in position to be successful in their first season together.

The primary way he does that is running Woolridge through several ball screens as a ball handler with different roll men. It is one of the biggest areas of growth the head coach has seen from his point guard throughout this season.

“There are so many nuances to ball screens, so I

think he’s getting closer to where he really has a good comprehension of how to navigate ball screens,” McCasland said. “There are a few [times] where he tends to not be aggressive and looks to share the ball quick, [but] he’s best when he stays in attack mode and stays under control.”

In Conference USA play, Woolridge plays 39 minutes per game and is quickly gaining the repetitions necessary on the court to become even more comfortable. He ranks third in the conference in assists per game at 5.9 and is averaging over 8.1 per game in the team’s last seven games.

A lot of his teammates are in their first year at North Texas, meaning new tendencies and preferences Woolridge needed to learn as the team’s starting point guard. He admits it has been tough and is still a work in progress, but his chemistry with them has already led to layups for the bigs and open 3-point shots for perimeter shooters like sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart. “[His playstyle] helps us because he’s unselfish,” Smart said. “He’s going to find guys, and he does a great job of penetrating and finding the open people. If not, he’s a great finisher as well.”

Another sign of his improvement and work ethic is his recent change in free throw form. Woolridge is a career 57.1 percent free throw shooter, but before the team’s game against Southern Mississippi, he wanted a way to get more arc on his shot. Once the Mean Green returned to Denton, McCasland began tweaking his point guard’s form before and after practices.

In his first game with the new form, Woolridge shot 7 out of 11 from the free throw line (63.5 percent) — a 7.5 percent increase from his old form.

While his usage rate is almost identical to last year

(20.5 percent), he is keeping that rate while playing 8.3 more minutes per game. Woolridge scores 3.3 more points per game, too, all while shooting the exact same percentage from inside the arc as he did last year (53.7 percent).

Woolridge’s balance of scoring and assisting has taken steps in the right direction, and that is when McCasland knows his point guard is most lethal.

“What he continues to get better at is staying in attack mode but changing his pace,” McCasland said. “He can read the floor after he attacks and that’s a hard position because you want to facilitate and get people involved but you have to be aggressive yourself to be able to do it. He’s finding that right balance of attack mode but keeping his teammates involved.”

New teammates, a new coaching staff and an increased role have led to a new test for Woolridge, and he is adjusting well to the challenge.

The good news is Woolridge still has two seasons to strive at perfecting his play as the North Texas point guard. “[Our chemistry] is still growing,” Woolridge said.

“It’s tough to tell where [my teammates] want [the ball], and if they’re actually in position to score. But we are definitely growing [together] in a positive direction.”

Sophomore point guard Ryan Woolridge (0) drives the lane in the first practice of the season.

Sara Carpenter

Littrell names Walerius as new director of football recruiting

By Matthew Brune @Mattbrune25 After a staff shakeup that involved David Stenklyft moving to a position in football operations for North Texas, head coach Seth Littrell filled the open staff position Wednesday morning.

Luke Walerius, a former recruiting assistant at the University of Kentucky, was named the director of recruiting in a press release.

“Adding Luke to our staff is something we are all very excited about,” Littrell

said in a prepared statement. “He will bring a high-energy approach and a new perspective to our recruiting efforts to continue to build on our successes in that area. He comes very highly recommended from the coaching staff at Kentucky, which we have a great deal of respect for.”

Moving forward, Stenklyft will be working alongside Shane Elder, the assistant athletic director of football operations. “[Stenklyft] is in a good spot, and he’s shifting some responsibility,” a source close to the team said before the new hire

was made. “Obviously, with the overlap of signing day he’s still heavily involved in that until we get the person in here. It should be wrapped up in the next couple of days.”

Stenklyft is excited for the new opportunity in operations after working in recruiting since 2010, when he was on the recruiting and operations staff at Alabama. He spent three years at Fresno State as a graduate assistant and outside linebackers coach before transitioning into a role in recruiting for North Texas.

With National Signing Day (Feb. 7) on

the horizon, Walerius will immediately be put to work to help round up the rest of the signing class. The early signing period yielded 14 recruits in December, and the remainder of the class will be the product of a joint effort from Stenklyft and company.

North Texas currently has the No. 6 ranked recruiting class in Conference USA for 2018 according to 247Sports, but there is still a chance to bolster the class through an important final week on the recruiting trail.

The Mean Green had the No. 11 ranked

recruiting class in Littrell’s full cycle and appear to be well on their way to building on that mark next week.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to join the University of North Texas football program and coach Littrell’s staff,” Walerius said in a press release.

“I have a great admiration and respect for coach Littrell and the program he is building. I am excited to help continue to take this program to the next level and look forward to working in the great state of Texas, which has the best high school football in America.”

Guard Adrianna Henderson approaches the basket against two defenders in a game against UTEP on Jan. 28. Josh Jamison

North Texas’ Conference USA basketball outlook i’ve gotta go!

By Matthew Brune @Mattbrune25 The men’s and women’s basketball teams are now both at the midpoint of their conference schedules and both have experienced close wins and losses along with exceptional performances from star players at this point. Here is a breakdown of everything on each of the two teams as they hit the home stretch.

The Women 11-9, 2-6 | T-12 in C-USA The Good The next six opponents for the women are a combined 15-29 in conference play, making this their real chance at pushing for a higher seed and softening up their tournament opponents.

Terriell Bradley has been on fire over the past six games, averaging almost 23 points per game on 40 percent shooting from the field and 53.3 percent from 3-point range. Not to mention she has made 45 of 56 free throws over the past six contests.

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The Bad The defense has taken a step back in Conference USA play.

Head coach Jalie Mitchell and her players have shown concern about the team’s consistency on that end, and while they still create a good amount of turnovers, they have lost a step which hurts against the top notch teams in C-USA.

Bradley has scored 39 percent of the teams points over the last six games and has accounted for even more when adding assists.

The team ranks dead last in C-USA in assists per game. The guard depth of Brittany Smith, Lauren Holmes, Trena Mims and Grace Goodhart need to be able to produce and create on somewhat of a consistent basis.

Overview The women should make the conference tournament, and it would be a downright tragedy if they did not. They are going to win and lose games on the defensive end of the court which is why they are 1-4 in games where their opponents score over 65 points since their season-opener. After having the best non-conference season of this decade, the women find themselves again with their backs against the wall to end this season.

The Men 12-10, 5-4 | T-5 in C-USA The Good Those two sophomore guards are pretty terrific for coach Grant McCasland. Obviously, that is referring to Roosevelt Smart and Ryan Woolridge, who have torched opponents in conference play. In the nine C-USA games, Smart has hit more threes (37) than the rest of his team combined (36) on 24 fewer attempts, while Woolridge has 20 more assists (65) than the

rest of the team combined (45).

They are really good.

The men are third in the conference in rebounding margin per game and second in offensive rebounds per game, both of which are a testament to the coaching staff who stress crashing the glass.

The Bad They need to pick up this win against Rice University on Saturday because the next four games are against four of the top five teams in the conference.

Luckily, their last four games are against teams they have already beaten.

McCasland is still struggling to find a consistent forward rotation with senior Shane Temara not having a good conference season and freshman Zachary Simmons seemingly always in foul trouble.

Overview The men’s team looks to be in a good position as they battle to stay in the top-six seed hunt. There are four teams below them that are 4-5 in conference, and one slip up could cost them three or four spots heading into the conference tournament in the end. They are getting junior Jorden Duffy back which will help, but DJ Draper, Tope Arikawe and the other role players will need to continue to contribute if they want to close out McCasland’s first season on a high note in the conference tournament come March.

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Softball enters new year looking for first winning season since 2014 It has been a year of turnarounds for North Texas athletic programs, and after struggling last season, Mean Green softball is hoping to be the latest team to put together a bounce-back campaign worthy of turning heads.

Head coach Tracey Kee, who is back under a oneyear contract, has more than enough confidence that this year’s young team can turn a 25-31 record into a successful upcoming season and follow in the footsteps of the fall sports’ success.

Twelve of the 19 players on the team this year are underclassmen, leaving a lack of experience for Kee to work with but the veteran coach is confident the group will adjust well through a tough nonconference schedule this spring.

“I really like this group,” Kee said. “They may be young, but they’re excited, enthusiastic and very competitive. They just need to be able to carry over those characteristics into the games.”

While the inexperience may present an initial challenge, this year’s team will consist of some new faces that could really be used to the Mean Green’s advantage. Six freshmen and three transfer athletes should give the team some key depth this year.

Last season’s pitching staff struggled to keep opponents off the base path, and North Texas finished No. 11 in C-USA with a team ERA of 4.30. With three new freshmen pitchers — Ally Lindsey, Hope Trautwein and Maria Priest — the Mean Green have some fresh arms nobody in the conference has seen yet.

“We’re really going to have to depend on those three for sure,” junior outfielder Hannah Gerecke said. “It’s the rest of the team’s job to show them our support and make sure they have the confidence to out there and pitch their game.”

Being one of the more experienced members of the bunch, Gerecke also noted the newcomers are not the only players who are going to be big for the team. Sophomore Lacy Gregory was a pre-season All-Conference USA selection after leading the squad in RBIs and doubles last year and returns as

a key piece in Kee’s lineup.

One of the most important strengths of the bunch will be a deeper lineup around Gregory and company this season.

“This is going to be a team where you can’t just shut down one player,” Kee said. “In the past, we’ve usually had a problem where if you shut down one player, then you can have good success against us but I think we have a lot of kids that are going to put up big numbers. It’s hard to identify just one player — it’s going to take this whole unit to win some games.”

Winning consistently is something North Texas has struggled with over the last few years, as the Mean Green has not had a winning season since 2014.

North Texas has especially struggled on the road, which sophomore Camille Grahmann sees as a key focus for the upcoming season after the team went 4-21 on the road last year. Grahmann emphasized that mark needs to be much improved if the girls are going to be taken more seriously and make a run in C-USA. “We were only able to win one game on the road in conference last year, and that really hurt us,” Grahmann said. “I think winning some more games on the road and playing small ball will help us greatly.”

The Mean Green will begin their season at the Mardi Gras Classic on Feb. 9 in Louisiana against competition that should allow the team to build some early momentum. North Texas will take on Prairie View A&M, Grambling State, UTMartin, Chattanooga and Monroe in the opening tournament.

The schedule gets significantly more difficult from there though, as the team will take on teams like Baylor and the defending national champions, Oklahoma.

“I really think anybody can beat anybody on a given day,” Kee said. “We’re going to have to play our best whether it is a small school or not. There will obviously be some nerves at the beginning, but hopefully the girls will rev up as the season goes. We’re just ready to finally put on a uniform, push up the energy and show what we can do.”

Mean Green softball team members welcome Hanna Rebar (8) to home plate after she runs in from a home run. North Texas won the game against UTSA 7 to 4 this past season. Jake King

Tennis comfortably defeats Louisiana Tech in home opener

By Stefan Washington @stefans_world97 Mean Green tennis entered Saturday afternoon’s match against Louisiana Tech University without its top player and the No. 42 ranked player in the country, junior Maria Kononova. As a result, everyone moved up one spot from their usual position entering the first conference match up of the season.

In the end, it did not seem to matter as North Texas defeated the Lady Techsters handily 5-2 at the Waranch Tennis Complex in Denton. “[It’s the] first match at home, so there’s a little bit of a jitter,” head coach Sujay Lama said.

“The freshmen were a little bit like, ‘How do we compete at home with so many people cheering and supporting us.’”

Despite the change in positions,

North Texas (2-1) looked comfortable against Louisiana Tech (0-1) winning the one doubles point 2-1 followed by wins in four of the six singles matches. One of those was sophomore Ivana Babic who won her doubles match 6-2 and her singles match 6-2, 6-1.

“I just have to play my game and fight for each point,” Babic said. “I felt like today my legs worked as well as my forehand and serve. It feels really good to start the season with a win.”

Freshman Sille Tranberg fell short in both her singles and doubles matches Saturday, losing 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) in singles at the No. 3 spot and 6-4 in the No. 2 doubles match.

“I couldn’t really find my game,” Tranberg said. “I felt it was difficult to find a rhythm because it was so windy. It was not because I was nervous, I felt the same as I always do in my matches. It would

have been nice to have a line judge for the whole time. Their were some unfair calls [that we had to mediate ourselves].”

While Tranberg struggled to find her rhythm in the imperfect weather, junior Tamuna Kutubidze swept through the doubles set with sophomore Alexandra Heczey 6-1 and pulled out a win at the No. 1 singles spot 6-4, 6-3.

Sophomore Haruka Sasaki won the first set 6-1 in her No.5 singles match, but was unable to pull out the win, falling 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.

“It was good to get the victory, and I think the experience is going to help,” Lama said. “I feel like the team really stepped up, because Maria [Kononova] did not play today. The key was to come in and get a [win]” Next up: The Mean Green will remain at home to face the University of Iowa this Saturday.

“

I’m beginning to find that balance right now, and I’ll just go from there and keep working hard.

“

By Luis Diosdado @luis_diosdado9

North Texas junior forward Tope Arikawe goes up for a layup in a conference match against Florida Atlantic University on Jan. 25 at the Super Pit. The Mean Green defeated FAU 59-53. Sara Carpenter

Arikawe fills key role off bench ARIKAWE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 After more begging by the coach, he eventually gave it a try. To his surprise, he did end up liking it, and his size advantage paid off on the court.

Before long, Arikawe was on his way to Atlanta, Georgia on an athletic scholarship to play basketball for Covenant Christian High School. In his senior season there, Arikawe averaged 13.8 points and eight rebounds and was ranked as the No. 16 Nigerian player in the United States for the class of 2015 by teamnigeria.com.

By this time, Arikawe was standing at 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 220 pounds while being cut and strong enough to out muscle almost any of his opponents.

He signed with Troy University out of high school, but after not qualifying academically, he went the junior college route and enrolled at Panola College in Carthage, Texas. It was an experience he used to shape his game and raise the level of competition.

“I liked the coaching staff,” Arikawe said. “The people over there were [nice], and we had a really good season. It helped me transition from high school. I got to play against other good college players, and it helped me for [future] games, so it was a really [important] step.”

As always, North Texas head coach Grant McCasland and his staff used their connections at the junior college ranks to search for a big man who could come in and play as an upperclassman. And before long, Arikawe was on the move again. This time to Denton.

“He was a really good scorer on the block,” McCasland said of Arikawe’s play at Panola. “They played through him a lot, but an area he needed to improve was rebounding. We just loved his motor, though, and he has a feel for the game.”

Initially, Arikawe was caught off guard by the speed at the Division I level. In practices, McCasland and his staff were constantly on Arikawe, reminding him of details and emphasizing rebounding and communication.

As a result, Arikawe struggled to find much playing time early in the season. But he stayed attentive, learning from the coaches and his fellow teammates.

“It’s been an up and down [season] for me,” Arikawe said.

“I’m beginning to find that balance right now, and I’ll just go from there and keep working hard.”

Recently, Arikawe started his first game of the season, and his minutes per game have been on a steady incline. In Saturday’s win against Florida International University, Arikawe led all forwards in minutes played (26).

His improvement has been apparent to his teammates after practicing with him since early in the fall.

“His confidence in practice is improving,” sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart said. “He knows what he has to do on both ends of the floor so it translates to the game.”

With him never playing or watching organized basketball before the age of 14, the game might not come as naturally to Arikawe

as his native sport of soccer. If one thing is for certain though, he gives McCasland all of the effort necessary to help the team.

“The pace of the game being sped up and having to learn a whole new system was hard initially,” McCasland said. “He couldn’t play as hard as he wanted to because he was trying to figure out where he needed to be all the time.

He’s one of those guys that when he’s comfortable, he’s extremely effective. And as a player, he’s just worked hard, he’s had some struggles but he’s definitely coming on at the right time.”

His impact on the court is seen in numerous facets throughout a game, and he continues to grow in his role off the bench. Arikawe leads the team in rebounds and blocks per 40 minutes and is second on the team in points per 40 minutes in conference play. “[He brings] that physical presence we need,” Smart said.

“He’s a good screener and on the defensive end he rebounds the ball and can be physical with the other bigs.”

Arikawe’s basketball journey began with a coach trying to get the best out of a stubborn striker.

Now at North Texas, McCasland is trying to do the same thing with the Nigerian native on the hardwood.

As he continues to impress and accumulate playing time, Arikawe’s decision to play that ‘stupid’ sport is certainly paying off.

“Coach Mac set expectations [for me], and I have to work hard to meet those,” Arikawe said. “[This year] is me doing what coach Mac wants and just helping the team win.”

North Texas Daily

STUDENT CHOICE AWARDS VOTE NOW | NTDAILY.COM

North Texas junior Tamuna Kutubidze returns the ball during a singles match against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 27.

Sara Carpenter

OPINION Page 8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Realities outside our privilege ‘bubble’

By Oriana Valderamma @orianavalls I saw a boy desperately eating out of the trash can. He must have been about 12 years old from what I could see from my grandmother’s car. I spotted him as we were waiting for the light to turn red. He was with an older woman, who I assume, was his mother.

The ironic part is, this did not surprise me — it just saddened me.

This is a common thing to see in Venezuela, my home.

Many third-world countries like Venezuela have corrupt governments, but

nobody seems to know about it.

Because of media censorship by government entities, starvation and the devastating conditions of the people living there get buried in the news cycle.

As an international student at UNT, I noticed going home — especially when your home is in another country, regardless of that country’s situation — is very difficult.

When you go home, you have to change your mindset.

It may sound dramatic, but you kind of have to activate your survival mode.

The fact is, most Americans live in a bubble. Even I admit to have been living in a bubble since I moved here. It’s only natural.

If you think about Denton as a community, it is pretty safe and quiet.

I hear people complain about the crime rates going up, and I wonder why because I come from a place where people literally get killed for walking around with their phones on the streets.

I have an iPhone, and when in Venezuela, it is used only at home because owning one is considered a luxury.

When I went back home for the

holidays, I realized I hadn’t truly appreciated so much of my life in Texas.

Living in places like the United States, we should never take anything for granted.

This is a place of opportunities — a place where you can do anything.

Grocery stores are filled with food from every brand. Laws are followed. You can get an ambulance at your doorstep in a blink of an eye.

This is a place where you can freely

walk on campus and have your morning coffee without having to look behind your back with paranoia.

The moment when you realize you don’t think all these things are essential in your life is when you know you do not appreciate them. You probably have never experienced life without them.

I remember when I came back from Venezuela and went out to Fry Street.

I am not saying “first-world problems” are not real problems because they very

Illustration by Austin Banzon

well can be. What I mean is after seeing people starve and police killing students during peaceful protests, people telling you they are upset because their phone died and they can’t post anything on Snapchat, something definitely clicks inside you.

Foreign students studying at UNT come from different backgrounds and for different reasons. But one way or another, they came to this country because they saw an opportunity for a better future here.

Coming from underdeveloped countries makes any of those students want to work harder and appreciate of the college experience more than many Americans.

If you fail a class, you can take it again.

If we fail classes, we could get sent back home. There is a lot more at stake.

It is so important to understand how cultural shock can influence every aspect of the life of a student. Missing home is hard, but knowing that you’re living with so much privilege and being aware that people back home have nothing at all, is a feeling that never goes away.

Aziz Ansari: why his incident is different than the others

By Alyssa Gallegos @alyssaga99 In the media, sexual harassment is an undeniably hot topic. From celebrities to affected individuals, these stories continue to prove its severity to the world.

For actor and comedian Aziz Ansari, his incident is unique.

The 34-year-old faced scrutiny following accusations from an anonymous source, who goes by the name “Grace,” for sexual misconduct as indicated by an article published in January.

It started at a party where flirtation and numbers were exchanged. After days of continuous flirting via text, action evolved and the two went out on a date.

It was the end of the date that raised controversy.

Grace reported after her first date with Ansari, the two found themselves at his apartment where things got physical.

Grace describes Ansari’s countless attempts of forced sexual activity when she was not comfortable with it.

She expressed Ansari did not seem to pick up on her nonverbal cues.

There is a big difference in identifying nonverbal

GET YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED

and verbal cues regarding consent. Nonverbal cues are more difficult, and sometimes not clear enough, to point out.

In Ansari’s case, there was evidence expressing his slightly assertive behavior. However, she also voluntarily went along with those sexual advances and failed to give verbal cues indicating she was uncomfortable.

According to Dartmouth, “relying on nonverbal cues is risky.” Many can vouch for the statement, given that nonverbal cues consists of being non-responsive, leaving the partner unsure of what exactly the nonverbal cue entails.

Sure, verbal cues are effective in getting the point across, but nonverbal cues should do the trick as well.

All these nonverbal actions could imply that you are not interest in engaging in sexual activity: turning your head away, grunting with disinterest or propping your arms out in front of yourself.

However, there were various moments in the Ansari case when Grace could have avoided any further uncomfortable actions.

For one, to avoid the “bad date” all together, she could have ended the night at her front door, versus his.

Going home to your own place after dinner insinuates you ultimately have control. There, you can decide to let your date in or call it a night and say goodbye.

If the night does happen to make it back to “their place,” verbal cues are the best option if the night heats up.

One should try to be blunt and as straight-forward as possible about their intentions.

If sexual activity is permitted, say how far you are wanting to take things.

As for nonverbal cues, blocking and dodging physical interaction are both visible signs that the partner should pick up — there is a clear disinterest in moving forward physically.

The incident of Grace’s accusations and Ansari’s response has left an ongoing debate across the media.

Despite the claims, Aziz Ansari ultimately respected Grace’s decision in the end. It’s how long the encounter lasted before Grace decided to leave that caused so much controversy.

The miscommunication comes from the lack of clear consent.

Even when Grace later expressed her feelings on the situation, she chose to engage in sexual activity, which resulted in Ansari to believe the activity was consensual.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, many other celebrities have also encountered acts of sexual harassment and conducted assault on non-celebrity individuals, aside from the Aziz Ansari incident.

This raises the question of how we view these celebrities now after allegations and statements have been released.

Popular actor and college professor James Franco was allegedly using his celebrity advantage to exploit women. Franco is said to have assaulted five different women, four of which were his students and one was a mentor.

Unlike Franco, Aziz Ansari is a rising actor and comedian who cannot risk such scandalous publicity, especially when his career is still in the progression of celebrity status.

Franco on the other hand, has a brighter spotlight on him, given he has more experience under his belt.

Franco seemed to have abused the fact he is a celebrity figure, but that does not solicit permission for him to take advantage of women the way he did. With multiple claims against Franco, views on him as a mentor and role model, taints his reputation as a celebrity, losing trust in him as a person.

I for one, sympathize for the victims of sexual harassment and assault. Both can lead to physical and emotional distress for those victimized.

But, sexual harassment and sexual assault are two different things.

It is a serious claim to make and one that will have serious implications on the accused’s life, even if the accusations aren’t true.

I do agree there was harassment present in the Ansari incident, but I believe that Ansari’s intentions were not spiteful as they were made out to be.

Illustration by Austin Banzon

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