North Texas Daily 3/29/2018

Women’s golf strives for consistency as C-USA championships approach SPORTS: PAGE 7

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

VOL. 112 No. 10

NTDAILY.COM

UNT breaks ground on new $13M engineering building

By Jacqueline Guerrero @gagaart1 The University of North Texas held a groundbreaking ceremony on construction for a new $13 million biomedical engineering building on March 22 at Discovery Park. Construction of the building will officially start on May 1 and will be completed by fall 2019.

The Board of Regents approved $12.8 million in bonds for the

building’s construction, but the actual cost will be higher, President Neal Smatresk said at the ceremony.

The biomedical engineering building will include research and teaching laboratories for students and professors to provide space for the “fastest growing segment at UNT,” Smatresk said. It will be located at the northeast corner of Discovery Park at 3940 N. Elm St. Smatresk assured students the

Defensive run forces game 3 for men’s basketball

26,250-square-foot expansion project would not affect parking or bus services. The architect firm for the project is TreanorHL, which has designed buildings for civil engineering programs and advanced industries, according to TreanorHL. The contractor, Sundt Construction, will focus on improving productivity and reducing costs, according to Sundt.

Biomedical Engineering Department Chairman Vijay

Vaidyanathan said UNT’s biomedical engineering program started in fall 2014 and since then has grown to include more than 200 undergraduate students.

Enrollment for fall 2018 is at 130 students.

The biomedical engineering program started its first graduate program in fall 2017. There are 14 students currently enrolled in the master’s program and 10 in the Ph.D. program. The program has

been awarded $1 million overall in research awards during the 20172018 school year.

The university’s first set of biomedical engineering graduates will walk the stage at commencement in May 2018.

Biomedical engineering senior James Mayo closed the groundbreaking ceremony by talking about his journey through the program at UNT. Mayo is part of the biomedical engineering

program’s first graduating class.

“I have seen this program develop so much,” Mayo said.

“From one faculty member and a handful of students graduating alongside me this May, to now having multiple faculty members in many different fields and specialties, and hundreds of students benefiting greatly from their knowledge and now a new building to house their knowledge even further.”

MARCHING FOR GUN CONTROL

By Matthew Brune @mattbrune25 Sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart stood near mid court, confidently waving his hands up and down, further encouraging the raucous crowd at the Super Pit Wednesday night.

He then put up his right pointer finger to signal “one.” One more win.

That’s what this season will come down to after the Mean Green (1918) evened the three-game series at one game a piece with a convincing 69-55 win over San Francisco (2216).

“Our ball screen coverage was more physical, and they didn’t get second attempts,” head coach Grant McCasland said. “We minimized their transition baskets and we were able to get some off of their turnovers. Our defense was definitely more aggressive, and that was the difference.”

While the recorded 4,196 in attendance were riled up by the dunks and playmaking, North Texas’ defense stole the show with their activity and aggressive mindset.

“They’re such a good three point shooting team, and the ball screen is a big way they score, and the other is back door cuts,” McCasland said. “Today we didn’t give up back door cuts, [and] we did a better job guarding their actions.”

The Mean Green shot a lowly 2-of-18 from the 3-point line in the win but brought down 16 offensive rebounds to San Francisco’s four, which was part of the reason North Texas attempted 18 more shots than the Dons.

Freshman forward Zachary Simmons and junior forward Tope Arikawe were forces inside the paint, combining for 22 points and 13 rebounds. As a team, the Mean Green outscored San Francisco 4218 in the paint.

“Last game we got away from what we were doing [on the glass],” Simmons said. “The games before we were out-rebounding every team we played, so we just got back

SEE TOURNAMENT ON PAGE 7

Denton residents participate in nationwide ‘March for Our Lives’

By Devin Rardin and Lizzy Spangler @DevinRardin | @LizzySpangler

Top: Members of the community march around the Courthouse while chanting their opinions on mass shootings in schools. Kathryn Jennings Bottom: Protest signs were everywhere at the Courthouse Lawn during March For Our Lives in Denton Saturday evening. Kathryn Jennings

Denton residents participated in a March for Our Lives demonstration from 4 to 6 p.m.

Saturday, bringing hundreds of people to the Square to advocate for gun control. While the March For Our Lives was originally organized by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivors, Denton was one of more than 800 sibling marches that occurred around the world.

Parker Hicks, a recruiter and local North Texan, organized Denton’s march and sought out speakers.

“It’s been a bit of a headache getting all of this together, but it is one of the most fun and exciting things I have ever done,” Hicks said.

Speakers ranged from students and their parents to candidates for local office. There were more than 15 speakers who touched on a variety of topics, including gun control and voter registration.

“If we’re already considering giving guns to teachers, we’ve already lost the battle and we need to start over,” Denton High School student Diamond Hugh said.

Andrew Morris and Mat Pruneda, both Democratic candidates for Texas House District 64, spoke about creating change in current representation. Pruneda said kids are learning their voices have value while Morris said the kind of energy present at the march can enact change.

The audience chanted “vote them out,” after

SEE MARCH ON PAGE 2

Students who are blind find campus accommodations

By Camila Gonzalez @camila_deville

Nikki Lyssy is an English major who is interested in creative writing. She appreciates how the dining hall staff lets her know of the menu options she has every time she visits.

Josh Jamison

NEWS

UNT to introduce pod-style living pg 3 The new residence hall next to Kerr Hall will include pods, Living Learning Communities, practice rooms and full kitchens. Bathrooms will accommodate students who are nonbinary and transgender.

Daily tasks like walking to and from class or stopping by a dining hall to grab breakfast might seem mundane for some, but for others, it’s no walk in the park.

The Office of Disability Accommodation provides plenty of services to students with disabilities, but the rest of the university has to improvise with its solutions.

UNT dining halls make an effort to help students who are blind navigate food lines and the cafeterias as a whole. Advertising senior Allison Hughes has been working in Bruce cafeteria for

three years and frequently helps students who are blind.

“If you think about it, it’s just common human decency,” Hughes said.

She will typically take the student by the arm and walk through the line with them. She will tell them what food is being served, sometimes even leading them to a table and getting their food for them. She also tries to sit students near the exit and tells them where it is so they can leave whenever they want.

Hughes said Bruce Cafeteria has no official policy for disability accommodation, the staff simply offers help to students with disabilities.

IN THIS ISSUE

ARTS & LIFE

Finding film pg 4 After spending most of his college career involved in atheltics, senior Tevaun Scallion finds himself finally pursuing his passions.

SPORTS

“We do the same thing with someone who’s on crutches,” Hughes said.

However, when linguistics junior Ethan Ligon lived at Bruce during his freshman year, this was not the case.

He did not eat in the dining halls very much while he lived on campus mainly because he found it difficult to navigate the large space. It was also challenging to know which lines led to which food, especially because the menus changed daily. Ligon had trouble finding somewhere to sit when he was by himself.

“It’s hard to find a seat when you can see where you’re looking, right?” Ligon said. “It’s even

Softball uses flexibility at the plate to thrive on offense pg 6 Kee and the Mean Green balance small ball and home run power to rack up the runs in conference play.

harder to do it when you can’t.”

Now that he lives off campus, he does not see much reason to go to the dining halls. However, because people have been telling him for the past few years he needs to try West Wednesdays, he may have a reason to eat on campus again.

“It could be on my bucket list before I graduate because I’ve been hearing about it for so long,” Ligon said.

English junior Nikki Lyssy still lives on campus with her identical twin sister. The sisters are blind and gluten-free, so she was initially worried about how they would be accommodated. But eventually they found themselves

OPINION

SEE SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 5

Why I’m bananas for Jane Goodall pg 8 Jane Goodall isn’t all bananas. Her recent work in conservation efforts makes her an inspiration to all. She comes to speak Monday at the UNT Coliseum as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series.

NEWS Page 2

North Texas Daily Editorial Board

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Students, residents march in Denton as part of nationwide gun control rallies

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 Matthew Brune @mattbrune25 MatthewBrune@my.unt.edu Opinion Editor Nina Quatrino @ninaquatrino NinaQuatrino@my.unt.edu

Music played before the march in front of the Courthouse in Denton Saturday evening. Kathryn Jennings MARCH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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

Morris and Pruneda spoke, referring to voting out current representatives in the upcoming midterm elections in November.

“We cannot grow weary in this fight,” said Paige Dixon, a mother and veteran who attended the march. “Our children need us to demand common sense gun law reform.

Our children need us to stop fighting amongst ourselves.

Our children need us to be adults.”

Other speakers included parent Rebecca Boardman who said, “throw out the old blood and put in the new,” after encouraging the crowd to vote.

Texas Woman’s University student Aleksandr Farwell said as a student his “thoughts should be on homework, not

the nearest escape route.”

Many protesters also criticized the National Rifle Association. Dianna Leggett, Democratic candidate for county judge, said she was there not as a candidate but as a mother and victim of gun violence.

“The NRA does not have to rule the world,” Leggett said.

Following the procession of speakers, marchers circled the Denton Courthouse, chanting a variety of phrases including, “lives not lobbyists,” “vote them out” and “books not bullets.”

Hicks said he had never organized an event like this, but is an active member of a Denton vote group and attends political functions around Denton. He said he hopes the event will incite action among the attendees.

“The most important thing

that anyone should take away from this event is that nothing changes if we do not vote,” Hicks said. “Register to vote, get a position, research the candidates and vote for change.

What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working and our current elected officials aren’t doing enough, so vote.”

Gun Control Town Hall An hour after the march at 7 p.m., local activists hosted a town hall at the Denton Training Center, where students spoke about gun control to city officials and attendees.

“We decided to just come up with a way that the students could feel comfortable and just share what they thought needs to be done,” said Willie Hudspeth, Denton NAACP president and one of the town

Top: A March For Our Lives demonstrator holds a sign along with many others at the march for gun violence Saturday evening in Denton.

Bottom: Two young girls pick out a rock with names of mass shooting victims painted on it.

Photos by Kathryn Jennings hall organizers. “So we found a venue and decided to do it.”

Hudspeth extended invitations to city officials, the sheriff’s department, the fire department and various education officials and administrators. Only two representatives showed up: Lt. Bobby Smith from the Denton Police Department and Capt.

Mike Holdsclaw from the Denton Fire Department.

“I’m here today to support our students, our schools, our community and our community resources in having a conversation about gun violence,” Prudence Sanchez, a juvenile defense attorney said.

“School violence is a public health problem.”

UNT student Laura Von Rosenberg shared her thoughts on how she sees the issue of gun violence affecting communities

New Horizons concert celebrates band’s 20 years

Designer/Copy Editor Kiera Geils @KieraGeils KieraGeils@my.unt.edu

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel

Copy Intern Becca Stetson @beccastetson rebeccastetson@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

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

The Denton New Horizons Band celebrated their 20th anniversary Monday evening with a concert at Winspear Hall in UNT’s Murchison Performing Arts Center.

More than 200 people attended the concert, which ran from 7 to 9 p.m., and was followed by a reception. The band played 15 songs, including “When I’m Sixty-Four” by Paul McCartney and John Lennon and a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

The group was founded by Professor of Music Education Debbie Rohwer in February 1998.

Members of New Horizons are active adults and retirees who play a range of instruments as a wind ensemble and range in age from just under 50 to 93.

“When I was a master’s student at the Eastman School of Music in New York they had started the very first New Horizons Band there,” Rohwer said. “When I came down here I knew that I wanted to do it here because I’d seen what joy it brought to people there.”

Rohwer served as a conductor along with doctoral students Sam Escalante and Olivia Tucker, while College of Music Dean John Richmond served as a guest conductor.

The band has performed all over Texas, including collaboration performances with the New Horizons bands of Dallas and Norman, Oklahoma.

Corinth retiree Betty Bryant has played the clarinet with Denton New Horizons Band for all 20 years of its existence and said she plans to continue as long as she can.

“I played through middle school, then I quit and I never played again until I saw an article in the Denton RecordChronicle,” Bryant said.

“Debbie was starting up the New Horizons Band for anyone that was 50 or over, and I’d been wanting to try to learn it again, so I just stepped up and joined.”

There are two different Denton New Horizons bands: one for beginners who have never picked up an instrument and another for more experienced players. The groups practice every Monday at the Denton Senior Center.

“They love to make music and they love to socialize, so every Monday, we make music together, we laugh and joke and have such a good time that every Monday is fresh,” Rohwer said.

Johnnie Holcomb has played the trumpet with New Horizons for eight years after not playing for 35 years.

“I’ve probably made more good friends here than I have

Regents professor Debbie Rohwer conducts the Denton New Horizons Band, which she started in 1998, at the Murchison Performing Arts Center for the groups 20th Anniversary concert. Sean Riedel anywhere else,” Holcomb said.

“Throughout the whole band, it’s an unspoken friendship. If you’re in the band, you’re not just a clarinet player, a trumpet player, you’re part of the whole group. So the relationships we’ve developed are probably going to be lifelong.”

Claudio Carvalho Jr. was in attendance to support a family member who plays in New Horizons.

“I think it was a great performance, it was a great

evening for everyone involved,” Carvalho Jr. said.

“It’s great to see the community participating.”

At the conclusion of the concert, Rohwer was presented with the Bob Rogers Service and Community Engagement Award, which is given by the Office of the President to a faculty or staff member “whose talent, dedication, passion and community service enhances both UNT and the greater community,” according to the

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD Trump says Amazon hurting US Business Insider reported President Donald Trump is looking for legal means to go after Amazon. Trump said Amazon is a threat to locally owned retailers’ online shopping.

Trump previously tweeted that Amazon is hurting the United States postal service, and he will attack Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos over his ownership of The Washington Post.

here and across the nation through a spoken word poem titled ‘For Florida’ while speaking at the town hall.

“We do nothing but hope that it will be the last And time after time the flags fly at half mast.”

Another nine students shared their thoughts at the town hall, speaking about gun control measures and voting.

Hudspeth concluded the town hall by allowing the Denton Fire and Police Department representatives to speak.

Smith stressed that the officers train for active shooter situations while agreeing that a solution is necessary to protect kids.

“We have got to come up with a way to improve safety for everyone involved,” Smith said.

Kim Jong-un visits China North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made his first foreign trip to China Sunday through Wednesday, according to ABC News. China’s president Xi Jinping held a banquet for Kim and his wife.

Chinese state media organization Xinhua reported the visit was “unofficial,” and the purpose was to give an update on the Korean peninsula. The Wall Street Journal reported official accounts of the visit have discrepancies that could show tension between Pyongyang and Beijing.

UNT’s top regent pledged $160,000 for Trump Jr. speech

The UNT speaker series that featured Donald Trump Jr. expects to net $183,000, which officials say will go toward student scholarships. The majority of the money comes from two Republican donors.

Documents obtained by The Dallas Morning News showed that one of the donors and UNT Regent G. Brint Ryan pledged $160,000 to the lecture series.

Facebook privacy settings Facebook is redesigning its security and privacy settings after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, according to ABC news.

Cambridge Analytica accessed analytical data on Facebook without users’ consent.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told ABC News, “We, [Facebook], have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t, then we don’t deserve to serve you.”

Office for Faculty Success website.

Rohwer was also informed a scholarship would be set up in her name after the members of the New Horizons Band secretly raised over $31,000 to fund it.

“It was the icing on the cake to have the awards but not at all necessary,” Rohwer said. “I would do it without any of the honors because the people are just so amazing to work with.”

Trump defends the Second Amendment

In response to the March for Our Lives movement for gun control, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens published an op-ed calling for a repeal of the Second Amendment. President Donald Trump responded on Twitter saying Democrats would like to see this happen, but the Second Amendment will never be repealed.

By Devin Rardin

NTDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

Page 3

UNT to introduce pod-style living in new hall

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel UNT’s upcoming and unnamed residence hall will feature podstyle student communities, private restrooms including accommodations for transgender and non-gender-binary students and Living Learning Communities.

The nearly 19,000-squarefoot hall, which has already been the subject of a firestorm over naming, will be located behind the existing Kerr Hall and is part of a major construction project that also includes a visitor center.

Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Daniel Armitage explained what a podstyle community is.

“A pod is where you have four to nine sleeping rooms that would be centered off of a central hallway and would be centered around some sort of centralized social space and around appropriate restroom space,” Armitage said.

“The pod concept is set up around 18 to 20 people, self-contained restrooms that are all put together to give people more privacy and then some shared common space that they can basically get out of the room, study, play games, watch TV, interact, watch Netflix — those kinds of things.”

Armitage said while students will have to cross a hall to get to the restroom, the increased privacy makes up for it being lessconveniently located.

The pod idea was chosen as the result of research conducted in the

early 2000s, in which students, architects and engineers were engaged in a “creative concept of designing [what] the next housing facility will look like,” Armitage said.

“What they found is that they should no longer build doubleloaded corridor, 50 to 60 people on a floor, kind of rooms,” Armitage said. “They should keep living environments to no more than 24 or 25 and you should build smaller areas where students can get to know each other easier and can engage at a higher level and work in that capacity.”

With this privacy-oriented design, the restrooms will not be gender specific.

“With people set up in this pod restroom environment where it’s solely self-contained, it basically is a restroom that one person goes into, uses the restroom and uses the shower, with privacy,” Armitage said. “It basically addresses any kind of concerns that anybody might have with gender-specified restrooms.”

As far as making restrooms in existing dining halls more private, Armitage said the university is “always looking at our buildings for renovations and modernizations” and that it will depend on “opportunities with existing structures.”

Other amenities within the new residence hall include practice rooms for musicians, a full kitchen that will be open to residents, study lounges and new Living Learning Communities. The addition of an e-sports/video game community

The new residence hall is in the process of being constructed. It is located on the corner of Avenue A and Eagle Drive near Kerr Hall. Jacob Ostermann is being considered, according to Armitage.

It is not yet known who will be housed in the Living Learning Communities within the pods.

“We haven’t talked about the strategic assignments yet,” said Gina Vanacore, Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life.

“The pod style does lend itself to that little sub-community that can be very specialized or focused, so we can explore different topics

linked to academics or vocational interests.”

Logistics and supply chain management sophomore Natalie Pearson-Porter lived in Clark Hall her freshman year and said she felt a little jealous living directly next to Rawlins hall.

“That’s just how technology and innovation is moving, so I can’t be mad,” Pearson-Porter said. “I’m jealous of them, they’re going to have it nicer. They’re not going

to have to deal with [bugs and lizards], it’s going to be a lot nicer.”

Pearson-Porter said she has heard of the pod-style setup and that it will be a positive experience for the incoming freshmen.

“All my friends go to University of Kentucky and that’s how their dorms were set up, so it gave them more privacy to be on their own and study, but it gave them a community and that’s how a lot of them made friends, then they live

in apartments with them now,” Pearson-Porter said.

The 500-bed hall is set to be completed by March 28, 2019.

“We’re on schedule, we’re on target, in-line and in-budget,” Vanacore said. “We should take ownership [in summer 2019]. The tour center will probably be able to be utilized first, and then we’ll be assigning students into [the new residence hall] for fall of 2019.”

Teenager assaulted outside of U Centre NT Daily TV @NTDailyTV Two men assaulted a teenager outside of U Centre at Fry Street apartments early Sunday morning, police said.

The victim said that the two men were staring at him during the party and when he went downstairs to take friends up, the two men followed and assaulted him.

Candidate for City Council Place 5 Aaron “Fuzzy” Newquist speaks at a forum on Monday. Candidates for Denton City Council Place 5 gathered at Denia Recreation Center in Denton for the first public forum of the season. Jake King/DRC

Denton city council candidates discuss Atmos, homelessness

By Devin Rardin @DevinRardin City council candidates discussed gas pipes, the Denton Energy Center and homelessness among other issues during a forum at the Denia Recreation Center Monday night.

The candidates Attorney Neil Durrance is challenging mayor incumbent Chris Watts. Bernard Vokoun, Jodi Vicars-Nance, Deb Armintor and Aaron “Fuzzy” Newquist are running for Place 5.

Paul Meltzer, Frank Dudowicz and Bryan Menelas, who did not attend the forum, are running for place six.

Current council members Dalton Gregory, Place 5, and Sara Bagheri, Place 6, are not seeking re-election.

The issues Many of the citizens’ questions involved transparency regarding Atmos Energy’s gas pipes. A gas pipe exploded on Feb. 23 in Dallas, killing a 12-year-old girl.

The candidates agreed that there needs to be more transparency with Atmos Energy.

“This is definitely a concern,” Vicars-Nance said. “We are talking about lives.”

Armintor said the city should not be working with Atmos Energy. She suggested communicating with other cities on the issue. She said corporations like Atmos keep secrets, which is contradictory to the transparency Denton is striving for.

“We need to know what’s going on with that type of infrastructure, especially as it pertains to safety and well-being,” Newquist said.

The candidates were also asked about homelessness in Denton. There are currently 695 people on a priority housing list who do not have shelter.

Watts said the city has addressed the problem with the Denton County Homelessness Coalition. Durrance disagreed, saying the better method to address homelessness is by focusing on the reason people become homeless.

Candidates offered their thoughts on the Denton Energy Center (DEC), a $265 million natural gas power plant, in light of a new plan for Denton to have 100 percent renewable energy by 2020.

Vicars-Nance said she never got a solid answer as to how DEC will play into the renewable energy plan. Newquist said abandoning the plant would be an irresponsible use of taxpayer money.

The man who was assaulted said he has no recollection of what happened in the moments following.

Police are still searching for the two suspects.

“In order to prevent another situation like this, people need to be aware of their surroundings,” said Shane Kizer, Denton Police Department spokesperson. “We have no motive yet, so that is really the only thing I can advise people to do right now.”

Mayborn students win at TIPA

By Kayleigh Bywater @kayleighbywater

Students at the University of North Texas received over a dozen awards.

North Texas Daily staffers and Mayborn School of Journalism students were recognized for journalistic excellence at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association awards ceremony Saturday.

Journalism, advertising, public relations and broadcast students from over 30 colleges and universities throughout Texas gathered in Dallas from March 22 to 24 for the 2018 TIPA convention. Students competed in on-site competitions, attended workshops and networked with other professionals in various fields.

The March 22 edition of the North Texas Daily received second place in the Division 1 Best of Show competition.

Submitted entries Submitted entries consisted of articles from 2017.

In the critical review category, Editor-in-Chief Kayleigh Bywater won second place for her Dose review over Dallas Fan Expo. Preston Mitchell received an honorable mention for his SXSW review over the Disaster Artist.

Sports editor Matthew Brune won third place in his sports feature over Nic Smith.

News editor Sarah Sarder received an honorable mention for her breaking news coverage over Donald Trump Jr.’s speech through the Kuehne Speaker Series. Sarder also won first place for her static information graphic over the

student athletic fee increase.

Brady Keane won third place for his column over voting “yes” to raising the student athletic fee.

The editorial staff of the Daily placed third in the editorial category for its piece over gun violence.

University of North Texas students received honorable mention for their in-depth news reporting video over the opioid crisis.

Briana Castañón received honorable mention for feature news reporting video. Castañón and Brenda Hernandez won first place in Spanish newscast.

Marina Feliciano received an honorable mention for breaking news video story over the November 2017 apartment collapse at the Ridge at North Texas.

NT DAILY TIPA ON-SITE COMPETITION WINNERS Copy Editing — ­ Kayleigh Bywater, second place Newspaper Design — Kelly Fox, honorable mention Editorial Cartoon ­— Kaitlin Pennell, honorable mention Headline Writing — Kaitlin Pennell, honorable mention Press Release Writing — Marshall Cearfoss, third place Print Sports Writing — Matthew Brune, second place News Photography ­— Jake King, second place Two-person Photo Essay — Jake King and Sara Carpenter, honorable mention

Mayoral race: Watts versus Durrance Durrance said in his opening speech that he is concerned about how tax dollars are being spent. He said tax dollars are used to purchase properties that are 100 to 500 percent over the appraised value.

“It is time that we brought our city hall back to democracy,” Durrance said. “It is time to have continued rule of law. It is time to give you access to your government and it is about returning city hall to the people.”

Watts shared some of the city’s accomplishments over the past four years during his opening speech. He listed the hiring of a new city manager, Todd Hileman, the revamping of the planning department and the reduction of electric rates by one percent.

Durrance said he is concerned about negligence the city has had on issues. He said it is normal for the city council to go into a series of closed meetings, which would lead to an ethics investigation.

The mayor incumbent focused on the city’s accomplishments since he has been in office.

“My opponent has certainly expressed his opinion as far as what he would do as a lawyer,” Watts said. “I can appreciate that, that’s his profession. You have seen what I can do. You have seen my track record and if you would like that to continue I simply ask for your vote.”

The city council elections are on May 5.

From left to right: Nina Quatrino, Kaitlin Pennell, Kayleigh Bywater, Kelly Fox, Alec Spicer.

ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

UNT therapy dogs aim to help in ruff times

By Jenelle Garcia @jenellerenea A warm room full of friendly dogs and relaxing Latin music bring together the weekly atmosphere at the Counseling and Testing Services Department of Chestnut Hall.

This weekly outreach has been allowing dogs to act as a source of comfort to students on a walk-in, open-invite basis at the Health and Wellness Center since spring 2017, helping students find a safe place away from home.

“We have students come in daily just to see the dogs,” Steffanie Grossman said.

Grossman is a licensed psychologist, outreach and group coordinator at UNT’s Counseling and Testing Services located on the third floor of Chestnut Hall. Her dog, Rockstar, is one of the therapy dogs you can find during Dog Hour.

“When a student holds Rockstar, he opens a door for the student to be honest and trust they are in a safe place,” Grossman said.

The Counseling and Testing center hosts daily events throughout the week that involve dogs in one way or another, including Coffee with a Buddy, Pause for Paws and Netflix and

Coloring with Rockstar the Therapy Dog. These events take place Monday through Thursday during the afternoon, allowing room for any student to drop by and be engulfed in a peaceful environment.

Throughout this past year, the daily sessions have been growing in number. Anywhere from three to 12 people will attend each session.

“We’ve been attending the past two weeks,” UNT student RJ Pearson said.

The four certified therapy dogs featured at the sessions are Buddy, a 5-year-old standard poodle, Rockstar, a 4-year-old terrier mix, Willow, a 2-year-old chocolate labrador retriever and Dakota, a labrador retriever. Each of these dogs has gone through the Handlers Test, which trains the dog in basic obedience skills, so students can get close without any aggression in return.

Each dog also belongs to a staff member within the Counseling and TestingDepartment of UNT. “We have found that students feel more relaxed with dogs when they come in for workshops and it also helps challenge the stigma of mental health,” Grossman said.

The doors are open to all UNT students, from those dealing with life

struggles to anyone who just wants to hang out with dogs in between classes to pass the time.

“We’re not stressed or anything— we just wanted to come hang out with dogs, [so] we didn’t know what to expect,” UNT student Ana Cortez said.

For some, attending these opportunities provided by the Wellness Center also allows for a larger sense of community among students and an atmosphere of vulnerability and relaxation.

And according to the Counseling and Testing Services website, surrounding yourself with animals has the potential to combat mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

“As a student opens up, it becomes more about them and no longer about the dog,” Grossman said.

Alongside these daily dog sessions, the Wellness Center offers many other opportunities for UNT students including couples or relationship counseling, individual therapy or group counseling and workshops.

As the semester draws near its end and the days get increasingly stressful, one thing students can find comfort in is the tail-wagging excitement that awaits them in Chestnut Hall.

(Left-to-Right) Ana Cartez, RJ Pearson, medical assistant Heanne Hyde and Sarah Rust hang out with the dogs as they lie peacefully in Chestnut 311. Josh Jamison

From the field to film: TeVaun Scallion finds his calling For some people, the years spent in college can be some of the most challenging in life and can potentially act as a blueprint for the future.

Many students enter college wanting to go into a certain field, but by the time they leave, they find themselves in a field they never imagined. Integrative studies senior, TeVaun Scallion, is among the large number of students that find their path toward the end of their college careers.

Scallion, a former track athlete, entered college with hopes of one day receiving a job in video game design. As he neared the conclusion of his college track career, he was stuck at a crossroads. In August

to get the girl he wants. Edwards and Scallion used social media and word-of-mouth to get the word out about the show and casting.

“We made a schedule to shoot in late December over Christmas break right before school started, but [conflicting] schedules got in the way so we ended up shooting it right before school started,” Scallion said. “We forced everything in two weeks.”

UNT alumnus Corey Allen plays Jamal, Roderick’s total opposite best friend who wants him to finally step out of his comfort zone to get his dream girlfriend. Allen also spoke on the quick process of filming.

“We were very productive together at a fast pace, and TeVaun made sure we got everything

North Texas senior buisness marketing major, Tevaun Scallion filming short series “The Nice Guy” at a nearby college apartment.

Trevon McWilliams

done,” said Allen.

The Nice Guy’s first two episodes premiered at UNT’s Poetic Justice on Feb. 27, while the third was uploaded to YouTube March 13. The fourth episode is set to premiere later this month on YouTube, where the whole series will be posted. After less than a month of hitting the web, “The Nice Guy’s” first three episodes have a combined total of 893 views, which for a first-time series creator is “pretty impressive.”

The show dives deep into the different characters one might see on a college campus Hollywood doesn’t always portray on the big screen and television.

“We made sure the dialogue was easy to understand but at the same time was deep enough,” Scallion said.

“The Nice Guy” is a product of Scallion’s very own production company and clothing line, Walkin Skeleton. The name stems from a high school nickname.

Scallion’s goals for Walkin Skeleton is to one day produce its own movies and shows as an independent production company.

Edwards serves as the show’s screenwriter, associate producer and dabbles a bit into acting as well.

“We made some huge sacrifices,” Edwards said. “[It’s stuff like] shooting from 10 a.m. until midnight, redirecting scenes when people couldn’t make it and sometimes having to fill in with other people at times when people couldn’t make those scenes.”

The two used their own money and resources to film the show, but both agree they wouldn’t change anything and think of the show as

“

Seeing all of these AfricanAmerican directors creating projects makes you think you can do it, too. All of the topics discussed in their projects are relatable and something you can connect with. That’s something I want to do.

a stepping stone for their future endeavors.

“I’m grateful for the cast and crew — they were amazing,” Edwards said. “They did it all for free. We fed them twice — they gave us their all. We appreciate every single person that was a part of it.”

Only three episodes into the series, Edwards and Scallion are prepping themselves for what’s next to come.

“I want to start a new project this summer — a short film,” Scallion said.

As a soon-to-be graduate, Scallion is beginning to prepare for a season of celebration, but he already has his eyes on the prize and knows exactly where he wants to be in the next few years.

“I plan to go and get my masters in film at either Texas Southern University or here at UNT,” Scallion said.

While Edwards has another year left at UNT, his post-graduation plan is to attend the University of Southern California’s film program

“

2017, Scallion took his love for movies and television and turned it into a lifestyle.

“I’ve always loved movies and watching them, but it took me until [this past] August to get involved with them,” said Scallion.

In fall 2017, Scallion teamed up with integrative studies junior Malik Edwards to create “The Nice Guy,” a YouTube web series.

“We came up with the concept during homecoming week when we saw a video about ‘clout’ and how nice guys don’t get the credit for being nice,” said Scallion.

The show (without giving too much away) features roles played by current and former UNT students and centers around Roderick, a self-proclaimed “nice guy” in college who wants to break out of his “nice guy” shell

By Bria Graves @CallMeBree_

for graduate school.

The film and television industry in the past few years has gone through a shift in terms of diversity.

More and more directors, actors, producers and writers of color are creating stories that are relatable to members of their communities.

Ryan Coolger, Ava DuVernay and Donald Glover are some of the big names Scallion looks up to for creating these stories.

“Seeing all of these AfricanAmerican directors creating projects makes you think you can do it, too,” Scallion said. “All of the topics discussed in their projects are relatable and something you can connect with. That’s something I want to do.”

For many aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters, the hardest part is starting your project. The support may or may not be there, individuals could be lacking supplies or a formal crew, but Scallion and Edwards both prove that once you put yourself out there and make the necessary moves, the sky is the limit.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

The beefy history of Dan’s Meat & Produce: the last independent meat shop in Denton

By Claire Lin @claire_grace_ Whether you’re carnivorous or vegan, meat is a surprisingly hot topic. People tend to either hate it or love it, and each faction seems to wage war on the other for the right to consume.

For individuals who fall in the former category, Dan’s Meat & Produce might be the place Denton residents are sleeping on. As a mom-and-pop shop in the most literal sense, Dan’s is run by husband and wife duo Daniel Garza and Hatice Salih.

“It was all we could afford at the time,” Salih said. “Thirty years ago, we were [once] young, too.”

With the air of a small ghost-town, Dan’s Meat & Produce is hard to miss.

The store’s sign is miniature as well, a tiny wooden board, with light lettering that has eroded away with the sunlight.

There are specialty beers in abundance.

For example, Abita root beers are only made in the small town of Abita, located just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.

It is known as the prettiest small town in Louisiana, so it is a fascinating surprise to find them in Dan’s meat shop.

Evelyn Gauci, 70, a visitor in town to see her grandson at UNT, was delighted to see these treats. She is a Louisiana native, and she often brings Abita root beers for him.

“He doesn’t have to wait for me to bring them anymore,” Gauci said. “He has them right here now.”

There are votive candles, vintage saucers and cookbooks from past decades lined along the shelves. Some of the shelves are dusty, others are not. It’s an amalgamation of items collected over time, and everything feels heavy with some sort of memory.

But more than specialty beers, there are all kinds of meat cuts and fresh, succulent vegetables in abundance, gleaming behind glass windows and nestled comfortably in temperatureperfected refrigerators. These are the prized possessions.

Opened in 1988, the shop is rolling right through thirty years of business — even with big name competition like Walmart and Target. Salih maintains that debating the two is “like comparing

apples to oranges.”

“It’s more specialized, and we cut and grind everything on the premises, not adding colors or preservatives to the meats,” Salih said.

In additon to all of the produce the couple sells, they also have a variety of meats from different sources. None of the meats in the shop are home-grown on the couple’s ranch.

“No, no!” Salih said. “That’s a completely different operation.”

Between running the shop, dealing with customers and working on the ranch, Salih still makes time to name all her own cows.

“They’re good kids,” Salih said.

The refrigerator hums along to the sound of Salih’s voice as she proudly demonstrates some of her favorite cuts of meat and offers up advice on how to check for the best avocados by their country of origin. She has a large produce section of beautiful vegetables as well.

Long-time customer and friend, 41-year-old Dorothy Mayer, had much to say regarding the shop’s goods.

“I hate pimento cheese, but Hatice’s is good,” she said. “Her guacamole is great, and it’s nice to be able to buy two chicken breasts instead of six.”

Mayer has known Salih since 1984 when she worked with Mayer’s mom.

“I remember being sent [to Dan’s Meat & Produce] in high school to pick up meat,” Mayer said. “My mom died in 2008, and I was taking care of my Pop who was born in 1919. It was often easier to run in there than it was to take him to the store.”

Although the shop has a large, loyal customer base, Garza and Salih are looking to retire soon.

“We’re hoping that we can get someone who’s about 30 years younger than we are to see if there is something they can do,” Salih said. “I think that in order to be successful in a business, regardless of how much competition there is, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. When you get older, such as we have, you have the liberty of being able to pick and choose what you want to do.”

It is evident that the dynamic couple is proud of what they’ve created and have been able to maintain.

“It was his dream,” Salih said.

Dan’s Meat and Produce is a local business owned by Daniel Garza and Hatice Salih. It is located on North Elm Street. Mallory Cammarata

‘They make it so that I can be a student just like everybody else’ SOLUTIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

English junior Nikki Lyssy sits in front of Bruce Hall’s cafeteria. She claims to have had “nothing but the best experience” dining at the campus cafeterias. Josh Jamison

getting to know the staffs of different dining halls through all of the help they received.

“All of the dining hall staff are truly some of the best people I’ve ever come across in my life,” Lyssy said.

Even though they have had different experiences in the dining halls, Ligon and Lyssy feel their needs have been accommodated on campus.

Because his father is the Associate Dean of the College of Visual Arts and Design, Ligon lived on campus while he was in high school. This was part of a program that allowed faculty members to live on campus for two years.

The Ligons lived in Honors Hall for three years so that Ethan could finish high school without having to move.

“When I first got here [as a student], I was pretty much set because I already basically knew where everything was,” Ligon said.

Ligon is also on the advisory committee for the ODA and has interned there, so he knows most

accommodation issues can be fixed.

However, there are still a few issues that cannot be fixed. There is constant construction near campus, but Ligon has accepted it as part of the environment.

“I’ve always said you can’t spell construction without ‘u,’ ‘n’ or ‘t’ because it’s true,” Ligon said.

However, some problems have been fixed. For example, the elevator in the Life Science Building did not make noise, so Ligon would often find himself getting off on the wrong floor. He told the ODA, and they found someone who could fix it.

Ligon also mentions the Union as being easier to navigate than the cafeterias because it contains several smaller rooms instead of one large space. However, there are still some things that could be improved.

“Overall, the Union’s been pretty good,” Ligon said. “I still think it feels like a UNT-themed mall, but it is pretty accessible overall. Except for the touchscreen kiosks. Those are totally useless to me.”

While he usually has to wait at the counter until someone comes to take

his order, Ligon has talked to the advisory committee about this, but they have not yet reached a solution.

Lyssy said her needs are usually accommodated, and — much to her surprise — she has not had trouble finding gluten-free food.

For her, the support she gets doesn’t just stop when she walks out those cafeteria doors. She has also maintained a good relationship with the bus drivers who regularly help her get around campus.

“I feel like everybody I’ve worked with here has just wanted to see me excel and do really well,” Lyssy said. “And as a result, it pushes me to do my best to give back what this university has given to me.”

Lyssy never feels like a burden to the university as a result of these positive interactions with staff members. In fact, she feels as though she is never at a disadvantage on campus.

“I have been so, so fortunate with how accommodating UNT has been,” Lyssy said. “They make it so that I can be a student just like everybody else and can achieve the same things as everybody else.”

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SPORTS Page 6

Kee’s ‘do-it-all’ offense leads to rising numbers

By Luis Diosdado @luis_diosdado9 After a four season stint in the ‘80s, North Texas softball restarted the program in 2004. Since then, there has not been a better power hitting team in the history of the program than this 2018 team.

This 2018 team has the highest slugging percentage (.478) and the most home runs per game (1.26) of any team in North Texas history, and only one other team has hit over one homer per game (2010).

This year’s Mean Green are hitting .284 overall, which is fourth in Conference USA. However, the one thing that has made the offense stand out is their ability to hit the ball far. North Texas is currently ranked first in C-USA and seventh in the nation in Division I with 38 home runs so far this season.

For head coach Tracey Kee, the power hitting is a slight stray away from her usual small-ball approach but has been a central focus in her strategy for picking up victories this season.

“I think the long ball has been kind of a surprise,” Kee said. “We’re not an overly big team, but these kids pack a lot of power and are mechanically solid.”

Even though sophomore outfielder Hanna Rebar leads the team in home runs with 10, it is Sam Rea who has recently emerged over the past couple of weeks.

Six of Rea’s seven home runs have come in the last 10 games.

However, much like Kee, Rea believes hitting balls out of the park still comes in second behind executing the smallball style that Kee has etched into her program.

“We definitely don’t like to rely on the long ball,” Rea said. “We like to get people on, get them over and get them in. We just try to string together hits as a team, rather than just relying on one person to

do the job.”

Hitting coach Natalie Kozlowski stresses the importance of this kind of mindset. Kozlowski makes sure to keep that a priority both during games, and on the practice field.

“It’s huge for us,” Kozlowski said.

“It’s part of our everyday routine. We make sure we work the details and the fundamentals of it every single day.”

Kozlowski enters her third year as an assistant coach for North Texas and continues to make her impact for Kee’s offense.

“Coach Kozlowski has worked a lot on the mental side of what you do on deck, in the box and what changes need to be made,” Kee said. “She just really makes them understand the small details in the game, stay ahead of the adjustments the pitcher is making and just overall smarter hitters.”

Mental focus does show to be the big key for the North Texas offense. Having confidence and making contact are what Kozlowski hopes is going on inside her player’s minds when they step up to the plate.

“We want to put the pressure on the other team’s defense, so our whole goal is just to put the ball in play,” Kozlowski said. “If we can make adjustments in the box and have solid contact, good things will happen.”

North Texas seems to have found the balance between not only hitting shots over the fence but also doing what they need to do in order to move runners around the bases. Along with being the home run leaders in C-USA, they are also tied for first in the conference in sacrifice bunts with 39.

Sophomore infielder Lindsay Gregory is second individually in that category with nine sac bunts on the season.

“It’s comforting to know if we’re down by one that one swing of the bat can put us back in the game,” Gregory said. “But at

NTDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

the same time, we know it is important to manufacture runs, and we use small ball to do that.”

Being a second year player, Gregory mentioned she has noticed a different type of approach throughout the team now that hitters throughout the lineup all have the potential to manage whatever task is thrown at them.

“I think last year we just kind of only used the top our lineup to manufacture runs,” Gregory said. “This year, everyone in the lineup is a threat.”

Even with the success the team has had at the plate so far this season, the Mean Green’s 15-15 record shows that there is still more room for improvement if they want to continue to make a run for the C-USA championship with still 24 games remaining on the schedule.

“You see a lot of teams collect back-toback hits that lead to runs and not really rely on the home run ball,” Rea said. “We really just need to work on getting timely hits when we have runners in scoring position to bring across some more runs.”

Until then, Kee plans on continuing to go with her usual game plan. Get the bunts down when needed and move

runners over, but if the ball happens to go over the wall from time to time, she will not complain.

“To be able to have a balance attack with power but yet a short game really puts pressure on the other team,” Kee said.

“With these kids, we’re not even trying to hit home runs. They’re just squaring balls up and that takes care of it.”

Top: North Texas sophomore Nicole Ochotnicki slides into third base in a game against XXX on March 3, 2018 at Lovelace Stadium in Denton, Texas. Jake King Bottom: North Texas sophomore Hanna Rebar slides into second base in a game against the University of Tulsa on March 2, 2018 at Lovelace Stadium. Sara Carpenter

Reaching for more: Climbing club built on community

By Stefan Washington @stefans_world97

Members of the climbing club take turns bouldering. The club travels to various locations to climb and compete. Rachel Walters

FOUND GOLD RING Inside Willis Library January 2018

To Claim Please Contact: The University of North Texas Police Department Sullivant Public Safety Center 1700 Wilshire St. Denton, TX 76201-6572

940-565-3000

The climbing club at UNT does things a little differently than most clubs on campus.

Not only do they meet at the Pohl Recreational Center to practice and climb, but they also travel together and compete against other schools in the region.

When they compete, they split off into their events and receive points based on the completion and difficulty of the path or route.

“In bouldering, there is no rope involved,” senior Aden Walker said.

“It is a 12-foot wall usually, and you have pads below you. Each route is marked with tape and those routes have different difficulties. You get more points for how difficult it is. You want to [finish] 5 climbs.

We compete against teams like University of Texas, University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M Commerce.”

When the club is not competing they travel to famous climbing sights or work on technique and body health. Traveling as a group takes a lot of organization, but the club’s travel manager, senior Ben Sivoravon, keeps things running smoothly.

“As travel manager, I make sure the members of the club never have to see any paperwork for it or have to worry about where the money is coming from or where it is going,” Sivoravon said. “I make it simple for them so they can focus on the other parts of the trip.”

That’s another unique aspect of this club.

They have a group of officers dedicated to getting the climbers to where they need to be. They even have two team coaches, not including the organization’s president. Mia Alfanso is one of the coaches and uses her many years of experience to help her climbers.

“I have been climbing for 14 years but seriously competing for eight,” Alfanso said. “A lot of people are in the club to have fun, but a lot of people really want to progress as well. What I tell them is, ‘You want to be a balanced climber.’ So we challenge people that just do rope walls to try to go to a boulder gym because it is a really good way to get stronger, and it transfers back to ropes too. I tell them to keep trying and stick with it and don’t compare yourself to other people.”

The climbing club is layered with events and competitions which allows their athletes to be free to choose their path.

The club focuses on body training as one of the many keys to becoming a more efficient climber, but many of the exercises and lifts vary from climber to climber.

“I do fast stretches as opposed to slow arm circles,” Walker said.

“One of the muscle groups people don’t work on [in climbing] is triceps.

Pull ups are huge. If you could just knock yourself out on a pull up bar, you’ll be good to go. It’s a lot of practical strength, not a lot of showy muscles.”

Climbers believe in community despite the club competing as individuals. To them, bonding over climbing is the best feeling in the world.

“I’ve been climbing for three years,” Sivoravon said. “If I am climbing stuff that is pretty easy for me, [my friends and I] just have a good time and hang out. It is a very social thing in that aspect. If I am training, I am really locked into where my hand needs to be and where my feet need to be, but initially what got me into climbing was the community.

I think that speaks for a lot of us. It is very close nit with the outdoor pursuits community because the outdoors pursuits center runs the climbing wall at UNT.” Because of their chemistry, the athletes love their team traveling trips, not just to competitions but climbing trips as well.

“There is a lot of camping involved with trips,” Sivoravon said. “On a climbing trip only like five percent of the trip is climbing. The other 95 percent is getting to the wall, walking through jungles, camping out for the night and eating food that really isn’t the best food. So if you aren’t with a group of people that are fun to be around, that would be a miserable experience.”

Many of the athletes enjoyed the fall semester because they do all of their climbing outdoors instead of competing indoors like during spring.

The climbing club meets on Thursdays at the Pohl Recreation Center, and they will host a climbing competition April 22 at UNT. “We go out on trips every other week,” Sivoravon said. “We’ll go down to Austin or Oklahoma. Spring break we had a trip down to Arkansas to push Oak Canyon Ranch, which is a big climbing area. It’s a nine-hour drive, and we spent the whole week there. It is a big part of what we do.”

Left: Members of the climbing club train on a campus board. Campus boards are commonly used to build strength and are climbed using only your hands. Rachel Walters Right: Ben Sivoravong climbs during a Thursday night climbing club practice. Sivoravong is president and assistant coach of the climbing club and started climbing as a freshman. Rachel Walters

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North Texas junior forward Tope Arikawe (20) grabs a rebound against San Francisco University. Jake King

North Texas junior guard Jorden Duffy (2) makes a layup against SFU on March 28 at Denton’s Super Pit. Jake King North Texas forward junior Tope Arikawe (20) shoots the ball against San Francisco. Jake King

One win from cutting nets

Basketball captures first win of finals at home TOURNAMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

to being the more aggressive team.”

After somewhat of a back and forth opening half, North Texas’ defense locked in and ensured a win in the opening 11 minutes as they went on a 20-7 run.

The Mean Green scored 18 points off of 16 San Francisco turnovers, and players like junior guard Michael Miller and sophomore guard Ryan Woolridge hounded the Dons all night.

“We were playing good defense and rebounding,” Simmons said of their run.

“We weren’t giving up any second chance points, and we were getting to the rim.

Obviously we didn’t shoot it well tonight, so there was a lot of emphasis on scoring inside the arc.”

Woolridge broke the single season assist record during his five assist performance.

North Texas’ leading scorer on the night was junior guard Jorden Duffy with 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

The CBI championship now comes down to one home game for the Mean Green.

The North Texas fans, the Dons and the

Mean Green will be ready for it.

“We have a chance to cut down nets Friday,” Smart said. “We need to come out being the more aggressive team. Tonight, we jumped out on them early, and they came back, but to start the second half we got stops and easy transition buckets.

Friday will be a good one. We know they’re going to bring everything they got, and we have to do the same.”

Next up: The two teams meet again in a decisive game three at 6 p.m. Friday at the Super Pit.

Women’s golf aims for improvement, consistency in Akers second season

By Simreen Kheraj @simreenkheraj The North Texas women’s golf team started its season with understandably high expectations. And despite those expectations not yet being met, the team shows no signs of giving up.

Michael Akers, in his second year as head coach, looks to turn this program around by focusing on the team’s progress. He’s hoping it will lead to more success down the road.

“We’ve come a long, long way, and I feel we’re on track for where I want to get in year three,” Akers said.

“For year two, I feel like we’re doing very well. Looking at scoring records for the history of the program, we are approaching areas that have only been hit one or two times, so we’re definitely going in the right direction, but I’m not satisfied at all in terms of where I expect the program to be down the road.”

Akers began his North Texas career in May 2016 knowing he had his work cut out for him. Even though the team had the resources and facilities necessary,

Mean Green women’s golf Sol Lee competes at Maridoe Country Club in Carrollton on Aug. 26, 2017 in Carrollton, Texas. Rick Yeatts

they lacked overall structure and discipline.

“Just a lot of changes needed to be made,” Akers said. “It was just a matter of recruiting, redoing the tournament schedule and then revamping the practice schedule and changing the culture of what the expectations [are] and how you achieve them.”

Something was apparent for Akers from the start: the team’s potential. He knew he wanted to break school records and make North Texas the best team in Conference USA. It was just a matter of time.

“I don’t think the women’s [team] has ever won a conference championship, and that is something that is very high on my list—to become the number one team in the conference,” Akers said.

But in order to get ready for the C-USA Championship that begins April 16, the team wants to do well in the upcoming tournament, the Bruzzy Challenge at the Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, the team’s home course.

“I’m hoping to have a really good tournament this week,” sophomore Lauren Cox said. “It’s our first time hosting, and we have home field advantage, so I would like to place really well there, and then I’d like to improve at conference better than I did last year. We hope that our team wins and we move on to regionals and hopefully nationals.”

The team has the talent, but they suffer from a lack of depth in their roster. North Texas only has five healthy players left which forces them to rely on each other’s play more than other teams. Although golf is a individual sport, Akers has created a team-based environment at North Texas to see growth within the players.

“We’re very encouraging of one another during practice and during work outs,” junior Sol Lee said.

“Everything is very team oriented. We’re all doing our own thing, but we have a goal set together. We’re always very positive, even when one of us messes up. We’re like, ‘It’s alright. It’s alright. We got it the next time.’”

Apart from depth, another aspect the team struggles

Softball freshmen class dominates in win over Texas Southern University

By Luis Diosdado @luis_diosdado9 The cold and rainy weather had minimal effect on the North Texas softball team as they breezed by Texas Southern University on Wednesday night in a nonconference matchup, 7-0.

The Mean Green’s (15-15, 6-3) combined hitting took advantage of four Texas Southern (12-6-1, 2-0) errors — two of which occurred during a four-run first inning — to guide them to the win.

“I thought we did a very good job after the drop balls to be patient at the plate, take the walks and initiate the runs to come across as opposed to being a selfish hitter and swinging at junk,” head coach Tracey Kee said. “Kudos to the team for jumping on it early.”

The Mean Green were able to accomplish that by tacking on four runs off of a leadoff hit from sophomore outfielder Katie Clark, and then capitalizing off two errors, two walks and a hit by pitch. Clark also ripped her fifth home run later on in the game.

“That’s just what you’re supposed to do whenever a team makes mistakes,” Clark said. “If you don’t capitalize on those, it’s usually not very good. Stuff like that will happen in conference games, so we’re just trying to prepare for it.”

The Lady Tigers came into Lovelace Stadium hitting .294 overall as a team against their opponents.

But freshman pitcher Hope Trautwein was able to shut them down early, tossing 4.0 innings while only allowing two hits and striking out seven. Freshman pitcher Maria Priest then took over on the mound and had equal success, throwing the final three innings while only allowing one hit.

“We just really wanted to attack the batters,” Trautwein said. “I saw they had really strong numbers

heading into the games, so I knew they weren’t going to be easy outs. I just focused on trying to attack them and put my best foot forward.”

Shutting down opposing offenses isn’t something Trautwein and Priest are strangers to. But for the first time this season, they had some of their fellow Class of 2021 teammates behind them, all the while freshmen infielders Briana Valdez, Miranda Holguin and Kourtney Williams backed them up on defense.

“They’re a great class, and we had the opportunity to let them all get out there,” Kee said. “They grind it out every day at practice, so to see them execute on defense and take advantage of their at bats, I was proud of them. I truly thought they were the ones who won this ballgame with their fire.”

Holguin even reached a big milestone in her young career, collecting her first collegiate hit and RBI with a single right backup the middle in the fourth inning.

“It took a lot of pressure off my back,” Holguin said.

“I wasn’t taking care of my opportunities I got earlier in the season, so I knew once I finally got the opportunity to go out there again, I had to do something with it.”

North Texas will now head into a big weekend series with the leaders of Conference USA, Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

“FAU is one of the best teams in this conference,” Kee said. “I think for us, it’s about going there and putting a steady game together. They have great hitters, solid pitching and unbelievable amounts of speed.”

“We’ll have to really have our work cut out for us,” he added, “but I think this group is up for the task.”

Up next: The Mean Green will kick off the threegame series with FAU with a doubleheader in Boca Raton at 3 p.m./5 p.m. on Friday.

with is consistency from tournament to tournament.

“If we play well, we can compete this year for a championship,” Akers said. “We’re not going to be able to make a lot of mistakes, but we do have the talent currently on this roster to compete for the championship. It’s just a matter of everybody playing well at the same time. In one tournament, we had like four of them off in the same day, and for conference we need to have four of them on each day, and we can compete.”

That seems like a large task to fulfill moving forward. However, for a team with a second-year coach and a thin roster, they believe in their abilities as they attempt to lay the foundation for the future of women’s golf at North Texas.

“I feel like we’re constantly improving, and that we’re certainly moving up,” Lee said. “All of us have shot really good scores. It’s just a matter of time where all of us are in sync, and we shoot the best when everyone else does.”

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OPINION Page 8

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Why I’m bananas for Jane Goodall

By Sean Rainey @HeldBubble Jane Goodall — when you hear this name, you probably think of a scientist kickin’ it with chimpanzees.

You would be correct. Goodall has studied chimpanzees for a massive part of her scientific career, and Goodall’s work is phenomenal. For more than 50 years, she has worked alongside chimpanzees, building intimate relationships and lasting friendships with the chimp community.

From her friends, she gleaned so much information that has benefitted hundreds of disciplines including biology, psychology and botany.

However, Goodall’s work over the years has relevance to all

walks of life.

Goodall is a formidable woman in her field. She has paved her own way to success throughout the years and has made innumerable connections with people from all cultures and backgrounds.

Her work, along with many other female contributors to science, has dispelled the illusion that a woman cannot professionally work in the field of science.

In the Gombe Forest, located in Tanzania, Goodall integrated herself into the society of the chimpanzees. Typical scientific approaches would have a scientist observe the population from afar so as to remain safe and to prevent any disturbances in the routines of the species being studied. Goodall’s approach was revolutionary and unique. It granted her insight into how the society of chimps works, as well as exposed facts about the species the world had not ever known before.

Goodall didn’t allow her passions interests to cease with primatology. She concentrated her efforts with the help of many to establish the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977. The goal was to educate humans

about deforestation, habitat destruction and species decline, along with many other important environmental topics.

Education is the first step to changing any environmental issue, for if the common man is aware of the dangers humans cause to the organisms around them, powerful change can ensue to make such a place better for all who share it.

Goodall expanded her efforts to go even further with education.

She helped found a program called “Roots & Shoots,” which invites young people from all over the world to become educated about their planet and learn the ways they can protect it.

Goodall once described her youth in the gardens of her childhood home. She noted how her interest in life was exercised by young friends and family who supported her interests and encouraged her progress. She has expressed great love and sentimentality for these gardens.

Goodall is a personal hero of mine.

I remember doing a report on Goodall’s work in fourth grade.

The teacher told us to grab articles from her desk, each filled with

science which was arguably beyond our understanding. I sat at my desk, the shyest of all the students, and waited for everyone to obtain their assignment. Then I approached, grabbing the last one.

My article was about Goodall. All I knew about Goodall at this point in my life was that she studied “monkeys.”

I finally learned the difference between a chimpanzee and a monkey, an important distinction for any wannabe-scientist.

Secondly, I felt empowered.

Goodall was younger than me when she had a thirst for knowledge about the world around her — she was asking questions I never thought to ask.

Ever since this moment of my education, I had an interest in science.

I relished the idea that someone could ask a question nobody knew the answer to, and then use techniques to find an answer, or at least a feasible theory. Goodall has worked tirelessly all her life, neither for renown nor wealth, but rather to learn, educate and inspire, and she has done just that.

My absolute favorite thing about Goodall is her interest in nature. She respects and reveres

Illustration by Austin Banzon the natural world in a way only the wisest would. She considers the feelings of plants and the needs of the environment. She is wellversed in botanical history and deposes anthropocentrism for the preferred ideal that she, too is a member of the animal kingdom.

Goodall wrote a book I personally believe should be at the top of everyone’s “To Read” list: “Seeds of Hope.” In this book, Dr. Goodall discusses, among other things, plants and their natural world. She writes about healing plants and their relevance to indigenous cultures, orchids and other flowers, and trees of all types. She touches on the horrors of biopiracy and over-harvesting of natural flora. She aims to educate the reader on a multitude of interesting topics concerning the human race and the planet as

a whole.

This book, in particular, has brought me to the verge of tears on more than one occasion. The way she imparts such useful wisdom in a meaningful and relevant way is absolutely inspiring. When I suggest this book to people, I often hear, “I prefer fiction,” or, “Nonfiction is difficult for me to read.”

If that is the case, then I suggest downloading the audiobook. This is a work of art that you will regret not having experienced.

Goodall will be coming to UNT as a part of UNT’s lecture series.

She will speak on April 9 at the Coliseum. I encourage each and every reader to attend the lecture because not only is the session free to students and cheap for guests, but how many opportunities does one have to learn directly from one of the greatest scientific minds?

Why is Stormy Daniels taking the main stage once again?

By The Editorial Board @ntdaily Media coverage hit across all platforms last weekend during the airing of Stormy Daniel’s exclusive “60 Minutes” segment.

The interview, conducted by Anderson Cooper, featured the vulnerable porn star as Daniels answered questions attempting to “set things straight” with her romantic affair and later altercation with now president Donald Trump.

Lawyers from both ends — Trump and She — were also included in the debate.

Accusations of hush money, talks of deposing Trump and a whole lot of he-said-she-said.

The whole thing is extremely predictable, and yet, every media outlet in America decided independently to over-publicize a lesser issue.

This isn’t an article about who we think is right or wrong. This is a piece about what Americans choose to pay attention to and how there are so many more important things that haven’t received the media coverage that they deserve.

What ever happened to Flint, Michigan?

Dangerous amounts of lead and bacteria were found in the tap water in 2014 after switching water sources to the Flint River — but an affair is more important than the fact that Michigan is spending $22,000 per day

on bottled water?

Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria. Going on seven months, too many people have no power since the total destruction of an American territory with as many rights as you or I. Our president visited the island, and it soured into a paper towel-throwing photo-op rather than a charitable visit.

More recently, the Parkland high school shooting victims — namely Emma Gonzalez — have been accused of being “crisis” actors and faced numerous threats via social media against them. People seemed to be more concerned with the Cuban flag patch on her jacket (she is of Cuban descent) rather than

the words coming out of her mouth.

All these major occurrences in the United States are what we — yes, citizens and the media — chose to focus on. The most glamorous and controversial things that grab the attention and the minds of Americans are a bigger focus than things that will impact us for years and centuries to come.

But what makes Stormy Daniels so important?

Perhaps it is because we are so divided as a country. We favor stories where we get to debate and discuss with our friends and followers over our social media platforms.

We like the stories where we can stand our

ground politically and make our opinions known rather than talking about what kind of impact and change we can make.

The difference between the ongoing Stormy Daniels debate and issues like Flint, Puerto Rico and the Parkland survivors is that these issues demand action. Stormy Daniels is little more than light social debate topic.

Maybe if we as Americans were able to come together and raise enough awareness for things changing the social structure of the country, we would be able to move forward instead of spending our time interjecting on the Facebook posts of high school acquaintances.

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