North Texas Daily 3/8/2018

Women’s basketball holds off Charlotte in 1st round of C-USA tourney SPORTS: PAGE 6

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

VOL. 112 No. 8

The race to midterms is on

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UNT students walk to fight eating disorders

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel More than 300 people gathered Saturday morning at UNT’s Pohl Recreation Center to take part in the second annual National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Walk in Denton. This year’s walk raised over $7,000 for NEDA, which is nearly double the amount raised from last year’s walk, organizers said.

The event was coordinated by Steffanie Grossman and a team of others from UNT’s Counseling and Testing Services and Health and Wellness Center — including Kristina Clevinger and Danielle Goemets. Student and community volunteers helped organize the event.

“This is something that is very near and dear to my heart,” Grossman said. “Eating disorders are something that impact not just the person with

the eating disorder but also their loved ones.”

Grossman said it is likely about 7,400 of UNT’s students have eating disorders and more than twice that number have symptoms.

“When you think about that number and how deadly it is, how trapping it can be and how it takes away your freedom, that becomes just a really, really large and impactful number,” Grossman said.

More than twice as many participants walked this year compared to 2017, Grossman said.

Annetta Ramsay of the eating disorder program Chrysalis provided participants with statistics about eating disorders before the 1-mile walk began.

“Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness at about 5 percent, which may not sound bad until

SEE NEDA ON PAGE 2

Ted Cruz to face Beto O’Rourke in US Senate race

By Devin Rardin and Lizzy Spangler @Devin Rardin | @LizzySpangler Texas held the first of the nation’s 2018 primary elections on Tuesday. The Democratic gubernatorial primary election resulted in a runoff between former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Houston businessman Andrew White.

“Let’s bring sanity and reasoning back to our state government,” White said at a postelection address. “Let’s do right and risk the consequences.”

Cruz to face O’Rourke for US Senate seat Beto O’Rourke won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senator and will be pitted against

incumbent Ted Cruz in November.

The Cruz campaign released a radio ad shortly after O’Rourke won, which featured a country song with lyrics saying, “If you are going to run in Texas, you can’t be a liberal man.”

O’Rourke spoke about Texas voters in a video on his Facebook page as election results began coming in. “[The voters] are making something truly historic and wonderful happen in Texas and for this country,” O’Rourke said. “I can’t be more proud than I am right now to be a Texan.”

races for Congressional District TX-26 and Texas House District 64. Burgess will face Linsey Fagan while Stucky will face the winner of a runoff election between Democrats Andrew Morris and Mat Pruneda in the November general election.

Fagan overcame Will Fisher in a competitive race, winning by a little over 50 percent of the vote.

“While people were dragging me through the mud, you guys got drug through the mud with

Republican incumbents win, Democrats head to runoff for Texas HD-64 Locally, incumbents Michael Burgess and Lynn Stucky won their Republican primary

Left: Texas House District 64 candidate Andrew Morris speaks to a crowd at The Local 109 on Tuesday.

Sara Carpenter Right: Infographic by Lizzy Spangler

SEE PRIMARIES ON PAGE 2

Luzecky Trio brings jazz to Denton Square

By Raquelle Dunbar @DunbarRaquelle

The Luzecky Trio plays one of their sets at Paschall Bar located on the Square in Denton. The trio performs every Sunday night at the bar until midnight. Omar Gonzalez

The air in the bar was infused like detox water with cucumbers and parsley marinating.

Slyly introducing itself to your ear drums note by note is the sound of smooth jazz music.

It’s another Sunday at Paschall’s Bar on the Square in Denton. Sashaying through the retro, library-themed bar are Stefan Karlsson, Mike Luzecky, Matt Young and recently added saxophonist Drew Zaremba as they prepare for their first set of the night.

“The original founder was Mckenzi Smith, who was also a former instructor at the University of North Texas,” Karlsson said. “He saw a need for music in the area and contacted Mike, requesting if any fine musicians could meet his demand. That’s how the trio was born.”

In between the shine from their instruments,

SEE TRIO ON PAGE 4

Not enough fire power for men’s basketball in Frisco

By Matthew Brune @mattbrune25 It was an unusual setting for everyone in green Wednesday night at The Star in Frisco.

For almost all of the players it was their first time in a Division I Conference USA tournament game.

For the fans, being the higher seed in a tournament basically at home felt surreal. Even the coach has not had a bevy of experience in a conference tournament at this level.

But Louisiana Tech University had no sympathy for the newcomers.

The Bulldogs imposed themselves on both ends, defeating the Mean Green 68-62. “[Louisiana Tech] did a fantastic job of being physical around the paint,” head coach Grant McCasland said. “In the second

half, whenever we looked to make a run, they made a big three.

Unfortunately, we came up short, and they went down the stretch and made a bunch of free throws.”

North Texas (15-17, 8-10) was led by sophomore guards Ryan Woolridge and Roosevelt Smart who both posted 20 points. The rest of the team combined to score 22 points on 21 shots and never found rhythm against the Bulldogs’ (17-15, 7-11) defense.

“Their size and athleticism really caused us problems as we got deep into the shot clock,” McCasland said. “They put a lot of pressure on Ryan to go make a play. We got good movement, but to their credit, they were more physical than we were.”

Louisiana Tech recorded five blocks, and they had the ability to pressure the ball handlers and still

NEWS

Student parents need more on-campus resources pg 3 About one-third of undergraduate students, on average, are parents. UNT lacks a student organization for student-parents and oncampus child care.

be able to recover and take away passing lanes.

The Bulldogs’ guards always came up with big shots when they needed them. Jacobi Boykins

finished the game with 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting and Derric Jean had 17 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field.

SEE TOURNAMENT ON PAGE 7

North Texas sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart shoots the ball in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament against Louisiana Tech on March 7 at The Star in Frisco. Sara Carpenter

IN THIS ISSUE

ARTS & LIFE

Eatie’s brings soul to Denton pg 4 For the last year, hidden gem Eatie’s has been serving up its own take on soul food to North Texas residents.

SPORTS

Participants in the National Eating Disorders Association walk wear signs with powerful words explaining why they are walking. Kathryn Jennings

SGA Senator Misaki Collins ‘sees herself’

By Amy Roh @rohmyboat Misaki Collins was giving a campus tour when, to her surprise, a young girl asked her, “Are there any residence halls named after a person of color?”

Collins was dumbfounded simply because there was no good answer.

Now, she is paving the way to answer that question with confidence.

“I’ve been thinking about that [question] for a while now, so when I heard they were looking for names [for the new residence hall], I knew it was perfect,” Collins said.

Collins, a political science junior and SGA senator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, initiated a petition early last month calling for the new residence hall on Eagle Drive to be named after a woman or a person of color.

The petition notes only two of the 87 main buildings on campus are named after women and none after a person of color.

“I knew that I wanted to make it a petition because I wanted it to not just be from SGA, I wanted other people, like students, to give their input,” Collins said.

“It’s so easy for us to forget and do it for students, but I really wanted everyone’s input on a name.”

After posting the petition to Twitter, Collins received a slew of responses from students, most of them supportive of the cause accompanied by the hashtag #SeeYourself.

“I thought it was a great idea because I’m a woman of color, so representation and diversity are really important to me,” physics senior Claudia Campos said.

“I have never taken the time to think about how the names of the buildings have implications and never realized the names of the buildings weren’t so diverse.”

News of the petition continued to spread fast, even more so after former UNT spokesperson Nancy Kolsti responded to the petition as “a form of reverse racism” in a controversial email response.

Kolsti later resigned.

SEE MISAKI ON PAGE 5

Misaki Collins speaks at an SGA meeting in support of her recent petition.

Will Baldwin

Head softball coach Tracey Kee shuffles lineup around in early part of season pg 6 In 16 games this season, Kee has started 16 different lineups as softball is now 8-8 on the season.

OPINION

Should our teachers be trained, armed and loaded pg 8 The Editorial Board challenges the ongoing debate of whether or not teachers should be trained and armed.

NEWS Page 2

North Texas Daily Editorial Board

Guyer High School students petition to avoid suspension ahead of walkout

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez

Editor-in-Chief Kayleigh Bywater @kayleighbywater Kayleigh.Bywater@unt.edu

A petition created by students at John H. Guyer High School in Denton to encourage the school administration to allow them to protest gun violence without punishment reached over 400 signatures as of Wednesday.

Students plan to walk out of school on April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. The walkout is in response to a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Feb. 14 that left 17 people dead.

“As a former curriculum coordinator for Denton ISD, I strongly urge [officials] to allow DISD students to join people across the country in asking legislators to make our schools safer by passing sensible gun restrictions,” Denton resident Joan Curtis said in a comment on the petition.

The petition is in anticipation of retribution from the school following some Texas districts stating student walkouts would be met with suspension.

Needville ISD near Houston warned students that walkouts would be met with three-day suspensions.

Guyer High School students “would like to work with the administration to ensure this demonstration goes smoothly,” the petition says, and asks “Dr. Perry and the Board of Trustees to refrain from issuing any sort of punishment in relation to the peaceful use of our First Amendment rights.”

“Dr. Perry” refers to Guyer High School Principal Shaun Perry.

The petitioner’s goal to get 1,000 signatures was about halfway complete at the time of publishing.

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 Visuals Editor Jake King @King_Jake1st JakeKing@my.unt.edu

Production Team Design Editor Kelly Fox @kellythefox1 KellyFox2@my.unt.edu

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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

Denton ISD Superintendent Jamie Wilson did not respond to requests for a comment.

Many of the online comments on the petition are positive and agree high school students should be allowed to protest peacefully without punishment.

Denton resident Brittney Wesson commented that she understands why students want to participate but added that some Guyer students are doing this to get out of school.

“I’ve seen it on almost every single [Snapchat] story, ‘If you like skipping school sign this petition,’” Wesson said in an online comment.

“What these kids are doing isn’t legal.

Students are LEGALLY OBLIGATED to attend school and walking out and potentially making yourself even more [vulnerable] to incidents and shootings won’t help.”

Theater sophomore Katie McGinn said she thinks it is important to get the youth involved in government and politics.

“I think it’s great that students are speaking up and having a voice, no matter how old or young you are,” McGinn said.

Some parents have also signed the petition.

“As a parent, [I] support and appreciate the children doing their civic duty and being involved in decisions that affect them,” Denton resident Dawn Taylor commented.

Student walkouts protesting gun violence have occurred since midFebruary following the Florida shooting.

Two national protests are in the works as well: the March for Our Lives on March 24 and the National School Walkout on April 20.

Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree released a statement on the agency’s social media accounts Feb. 27 on how the sheriff’s office will respond to an active shooter.

“We do not stage and wait for SWAT, we do not take cover in a parking lot and we do not wait for another agency,” Murphree said. “We go in and do our duty. We go in to engage and stop the shooter and save lives.”

Denton ISD officials met Feb. 13 to discuss campus safety after a local middle school was placed on lockdown.

Denton police investigated multiple potential threats in February.

Locations of high school walkouts in North Texas since Florida shooting on Feb. 14.

Map by Rachel Walters

Valdez, White heading to gubernatorial runoff following Texas primaries PRIMARIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Designer/Copy Editor Marshall Cearfoss @JustMarshalling MarshallCearfoss@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Kaitlin Pennell @k_itlinn KaitlinPennell@my.unt.edu

Participants walking for National Eating Disorders Association Saturday morning in Denton.

Kathryn Jennings

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

Students walk to raise awareness NEDA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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

you realize that’s one in 20, so it’s really serious,” Ramsay said. “It’s vital that people understand that eating disorders are not choices that people make and they’re actually not rare.”

The event was the conclusion to a weeklong effort to raise awareness of eating disorders on behalf of the university called “Love Yo’ Self Week.”

Events throughout the week included body positivity exercise classes, mindful eating tables and art therapy designed for eating disorders.

The title “Love Yo’ Self” was created this year in a creative collaboration with students at the Health and Wellness Center. The week was previously called Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

Participants were able to organize teams and those teams collaborated to help raise money.

Public relations and sociology junior Kayla Padol was the leader of Team Rise Up, which consisted of her and 10 friends and raised $75 for the cause.

“I’m personally in recovery for an eating disorder right now so it was kind of emotional and exciting to have my friends come out and support me during my time of getting back to where I need to be,” Padol said. “I just think there’s such a stigma around eating disorders that they don’t get talked about enough.

People don’t realize, sometimes, that they even have an eating disorder when they do and it’s really important to get information out about what eating disorders are and how serious they are.”

Journalism education sophomore

Sara Vaughn was one of the friends present to support Padol.

“We know a lot of people on campus that struggle with eating disorders and it’s really important to come out and show support because it’s hard to do it alone,” Vaughn said. “So just to be there for other people, it’s really impactful.”

Team Rise Up was one of several that consisted of friend groups coming together to support one another in their individual battles with eating disorders.

This was also the case with Team Warriors; Survivors, which included several people in recovery along with their friends.

“I’m here in support of my friend Idianna and all our friends, actually, and everyone here,” said Cooper Turrubiarte, business finance junior and Warriors; Survivors team member.

There were also numerous tables with representatives from recovery-related on-campus organizations and student services, including Project Heal and To Write Love on Her Arms.

“People talk about dieting and having a beach body and about how you should always be losing weight and things of that sort, as opposed to [saying] love yourself, be happy with yourself and everything’s OK in moderation, and you’re beautiful as is,” Grossman said. “People normalize disordered eating, and I think my hope with [the walk] is that people see that that’s not necessarily the life you need to live, that you can be at peace with food, and you can be at peace with yourself and also striving to be healthy.”

At the school board meeting, Denton ISD superintendent Jamie Wilson said each middle school and high school in Denton has a school resource officer and metal detectors.

Denton and other Texas public schools practice several kinds of drills throughout the year including lockdown drills, fire drills and tornado drills to prepare for these situations.

Schools work with the Texas School Safety Center, which is tasked with providing research, training and technical assistance regarding school safety initiatives and mandates to K-12 schools and junior colleges in the state.

me,” Fagan said during her election watch party. “You just kept going and we just kept focusing on winning and loving each other.

That’s what all representatives should do.”

Fisher congratulated Fagan with a phone call before responding to election results on Facebook.

“It was a hard fought win in which the turnout in TX-26 among Democrats far exceeded prior elections,” He said in the post. “I encourage all of my supporters to stay engaged in this fight for representative democracy. This country is too important to let Trump lackies like Michael Burgess run it into the ground.”

Incumbents Abbott, Patrick win Republican primaries for Gubernatorial races Current Governor Greg Abbott won his primary election with over 85 percent of the vote. Current Lt. Governor Dan Patrick beat his primary challenger, Scott Milder, with over 70 percent of the vote.

Patrick will face Democratic opponent Mark Collier while Abbott will face the winner of the May 22 runoff election in the November general election.

George P. Bush, incumbent Texas Land Commissioner and son of former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, won his

primary race with over 50 percent of the vote. He beat out three other challengers, one of whom was Jerry Patterson, who occupied the office between 2003 and 2015.

Local Races Democrat Diana Leggett will be running against former county commissioner Andy Eads in the general election for Denton County judge. Eads ran unopposed and Leggett beat long-time Denton activist Willie Hudspeth by over 70 percent.

Republican Paul Johnson will serve another four years as the Denton County district attorney after beating his opponent, local defense attorney Brent Bowen, by over 60 percent.

The Denton County Democratic Chair went to Angie Cadena who unseated current chair Phyllis Wolper with over 70 percent of the vote.

“It was a team effort,” Cadena said during Fagan’s election watch party at The Local 109. “It was a lot of people working together and that is how we do it going forward.”

Realtor Jayne Howell beat current Denton County Republican Party Chair John Dillard, with a little over 50 percent of the vote.

The runoff election for Democratic gubernatorial and TX HD-64 candidates will be held on May 22 with the general election on November 6.

NTDAILY SPJ AWARD WINNERS Feature Writing - Staff, Mayborn School of Journalism students (Rand Gowan, Kyle Martin, Lauren Rosenthal, Sarah Sarder and Liz Watson) in George Getschow’s class for “Cropped out” series.

Editorial Writing - North Texas Daily Staff James Norman and Hannah Lauritzen for “Texas’ attempt to reform foster care system: privatization” in General News Reporting Category (Large with 10,000+ students) Tyler Hicks for “Misfit” nonfiction article in Mayborn magazine

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD UNT to offer bachelor’s degree in nonprofit leadership studies

UNT will offer a new undergraduate program focusing on nonprofit leadership beginning in fall 2018, according to the university. The degree is offered through the Department of Public Administration and includes 33 hours of core courses, 15 hours of supporting courses and nine hours of electives. Course content includes financial management, leadership theory, mediation and fundraising.

Archaeological dig at Quakertown home

Denton County history officials will be present at an archaeological dig at the former location for the Woods’ house on March 17.

The Woods’ house moved to southeast Denton after Quakertown residents were forced to move by the city of Denton. The house made one final move to the Historical Park on Feb. 15.

Trump expected to sign steel and aluminum tariffs

The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump is looking to sign off on tariffs for steel and aluminum imports on Thursday.

The tariff would apply to all countries but close allies could be excused after negotiations.

Countries and companies can give input on the plan.

Democratic engagement during primaries

Many candidates seeking Denton city council positions

The Democratic Party doubled their number of voters from the 2014 primaries, according to The Washington Post. The Republican party had more overall ballots statewide.

Senator Ted Cruz told a CBS affiliate in Dallas that “at the end of the day, the good news is that there are a lot more conservatives in Texas than there are liberals.”

The Denia Area Community Group will host a city council candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. on March 26 at the Denia Recreation Center, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

Mayor Chris Watts is challenged by former council member Neil Durrance. Place 5 is being challenged by three candidates as well as place 6.

By Devin Rardin

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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

UNT scientists create new lithium-sulfur batteries

By Jacqueline Guerrero @gagaart1 Professors and graduate students in UNT’s Department of Engineering discovered a way to fix critical problems for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, researchers said. The Li-S battery is economically friendly and has a longer battery life than normal commercial lithium-ion batteries.

The battery is coated with a chemical compound which allows for lithium-ions to travel within the battery, fixing problems other researchers or companies could not configure, said Wonbong Choi, materials science and engineering professor at UNT. Production of the battery began around three years ago with a total of seven researchers including three UNT professors, one postdoctoral researcher and three UNT doctoral students.

Mechanical and energy engineering professor Vish Prasad said the idea started at UNT, and the University of Texas at Dallas got involved later on.

The Li-S battery can be used in

electric vehicles and high energy storage devices, Prasad said.

Choi envisioned the Li-S battery could be used in drones.

“This kind of groundbreaking technology is needed for electrical vehicles to go longer distances, a major challenge for fast growth in EVs,” Prasad said.

The battery is not being sold yet. The technology must go through prototyping and commercialization before this battery can be available on the market, Prasad said.

Regular batteries (lithium-ion batteries) have an energy density of 160 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), whereas the Li-S battery has at least three times the energy density at 400 Wh/ kg. The Li-S battery can charge up to six times the amount as a commercial battery, which means the difference between having a cellular device last a day versus up to a week on a single charge, Choi said.

The lithium-sulfur battery is coated with a layer of molybdenum disulfide thinner than a piece of human hair between two lithium electrodes,

which are small pieces of metal that send electric currents, Choi said.

Mechanical engineering freshman Logan Aflleje likes the idea of the Li-S battery since it could impact the cell phone industry by enabling batteries to last longer.

“This new lithium-sulfur battery could definitely be a good thing for the future, especially since it is economically friendly,” Aflleje said. “Technology is always changing because we come across so many new improvements.”

Aflleje said many people complain about the longevity of cell phones and the devices’ battery impacts how long the phone will actually last.

“Cell phone batteries are only made to last about a year, and then you will start to see drastic changes in your cell phone life,” Afleje said. “So a battery that could last longer and is good for the environment is by far a huge advancement and has the potential to change a lot of technology that we use every day.”

Material science engineering graduate student Eunho Cha demonstrates how to make a lithium-sulfur battery. Sara Carpenter

One of last Quakertown houses moved to Historic Park

By Devin Rardin @DevinRardin The Woods’ house, one of the remaining Quakertown houses, was moved to the Denton County Historical Park on Feb. 15.

“It seemed appropriate that we could put it there and we could look at interpreting the house as the Woods family lived in it,” said Peggy Riddle, director of the Denton County Office of History and Culture.

The house was on land purchased by Habitat for Humanity. After evaluating the house, the organization decided it could not renovate it for a family.

The house was originally offered to the city of Denton, but the city was not capable of doing restoration on historic homes. Denton County accepted the offer, and the house was added to Historical Park, which is home to the Bayless-Shelby house, the Quakertown House and the Taylor Cabin.

Another Quakertown house was moved to Historical Park in 2004 and serves as the Denton County African-American museum.

It is not yet decided what the museum plans to do with the Woods’ house.

“It will be a good structure to [portray] the interpretation of Quakertown,” Riddle said.

William Evelyn Woods purchased the house in Quakertown for $600 during the first World War. He rented out the house while maintaining a cotton farm in Argyle.

Ethel Woods Gray, one of his daughters, lived at the house. She and Vora Woods Crutchfield are the surviving two of 10 siblings.

Top: The Woods’ House is moving to the Denton County Historical Park. It is one of the last remaining Quakertown houses in Denton.

Right: A temporary sign outside the Woods’ House provides brief context and history.

Jacob Ostermann

“I’m really excited, and I’m very happy that it is going to be preserved,” Gray said.

Gray was born in the house and remembers growing up there. She discussed living on a plot of land and playing in the field.

“Overall, it was enjoyable living there and people were very nice,” Gray said. “We had really nice neighbors that looked after one another.”

Crutchfield was born and raised in the house. She said she thinks it should be preserved but is saddened to see it moved.

“I feel a little sad to see it moved from the location I grew up,” Crutchfield said. “I just thought it would always be there.”

Over 50 African Americans were forced to move from Quakertown, an African-American town, when the city of Denton voted to build a park on the land in 1921 for racially motivated reasons.

Quakertown was located between the College of Industrial Arts, which is now Texas Woman’s University, and the Denton Square. Civic groups started a petition to build a city park at Quakertown in the 1920s.

The petition went to city council with 150 signatures and was passed with a 367-240 vote. Many Quakertown homes moved to the Solomon Hills area while some residents left Denton.

The Woods’ house moved to 1015 Hill St. where it remained until Feb. 15, when it was moved to Historical Park.

“I know my dad would have been proud to see the home will be restored and given the honor that it should have,” Crutchfield said.

Student-parents in need of more on-campus child care programs

By Katharine Beal @katharine_anne4 Sarai Solorzano is a biology student and mother of a threeyear-old boy.

Like many student-parents, the 22-yearold commutes and is part of the first generation in her family to attend college. Solorzano aspires to attend dental school upon graduation.

“I want to have a better life for us,” Solorzano said. “It’s what my parents wanted for me, and it’s what I want for my kid.”

Solorzano said UNT’s campus could be more child-friendly and sometimes seems “more accepting of dogs than [young] children,” noting that while dogs accompany students in some classrooms, children are rarely seen and never in a classroom setting. There are also few childfriendly areas on campus, and events and services on campus do not offer child care.

Solorzano transferred to UNT in the fall and shares a vehicle with her boyfriend who attends Eastfield College in Mesquite. The couple and their son live in Dallas, and while family members try to help, conflicting schedules and logistical problems often make completing university difficult.

Solorzano is currently enrolled in three classes, although she said she would like to do more.

Student-parents account for almost 34 percent of the student population in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), according to a report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in 2017. Studentparents are also disproportionally female, with women more than twice as likely to care for dependent children than men.

Approximately one-third of all female undergraduate students at UNT are parents. Of these, nearly

60 percent are single mothers.

Child care at UNT Students with dependent children compose 26 percent of undergraduates, with this number increasing annually.

Student-parents continue to face unique challenges in order to attain higher education while services and child care resources offered by universities have been declining, according to the report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

While UNT does not offer child care, it does operate a preschool for ages 3 to 5 in the Child Development Laboratory within the College of Education.

The laboratory provides full-time schedules and multiple part-time schedule options throughout the week with tuition averaging around $4 per hour, although tuition does vary by semester. The preschool is located near campus, off Bonnie Brae Street.

Carol Hagen, director of the laboratory, said as a research center the preschool “allows [college] students to have experiences with young children before they graduate.”

The association with UNT benefits both the studentparents and their children.

Hagen explained the preschool’s connection with the university allows them to employ excellent teachers, many of whom have obtained Master’s degrees.

In comparison, Texas Women’s University offers an after-school child care program for ages 5 to 12 for three hours daily, as well as offering additional child care hours following the schedule of the Denton Independent School District. Tuition for this program averages around a little over $3 an hour and provides a discount for students who live on campus. Unlike UNT, TWU offers on-campus family housing

for married couples and students with children. Another major difference between universities is TWU’s inclusion of a student organization for these individuals called SPARK, or Student Parents Also Raising Kids.

Solorzano said if she were more aware of the offerings for studentparents at the two universities, she may have enrolled at TWU. She said she did not understand why “UNT has more money, more students, but isn’t doing more.”

Where UNT is lacking Solorzano said if UNT were to offer a campus organization for student-parents she would be interested in joining, as raising a child can often make it difficult to connect with other students.

UNT boasts over 425 student organizations. None focus on the community of student-parents.

Student-parents represent a significant portion of student demographics, and establishing a community could be beneficial in increasing the likelihood of students succeeding in college.

A community of student-parents could work to support each other, with like-minded goals of achieving higher education and building a family.

UNT hosts daily events on campus, but few are child-friendly.

One family-oriented event is a once-per-semester Family Movie Night hosted by Off-Campus Student Services.

UNT Resources UNT offers a variety of links on the family resources webpage for students to find child care in their area. The university also offers information and opportunities for students to learn more about parenting.

The website provides information on the university’s five on-campus lactation rooms for students, faculty or visitors

with nursing children. The rooms are equipped with chairs, outlets and a changing table.

One resource UNT no longer provides is a Child Care Research and Referral Program, a resource that aided student-parents in finding child services, such as child care or child tutoring.

While the contract with the previous provider of this service expired last December, UNT is in the process of selecting a new provider and hopes to have this resource available by April.

Many student-parents must work Due to the expenses of raising young children, student-parents are more likely to live below the poverty line than students without dependent children and are also often met with significant unmet financial need averaging over $5,500 annually.

Financial demands from family and school often require studentparents to seek employment.

Nearly 70 percent of studentparents are employed and work more than 20 hours per week.

Around 75 percent of female and 50 percent of male studentparents report caring for their children for more than 20 hours per week.

One of the major financial hindrances of attaining higher education for student-parents is the cost of child care, particularly for single parents who often have increased financial needs and a lack of a traditional support system. Child care can be a valuable resource for studentparents pursuing higher education and careers.

Student-parents without support systems face additional challenges While the population of the student-parent demographic increases, the availability of

on-campus child care has been declining.

Approximately one-half of the children of student-parents are ages 5 and younger, while another 25 percent of children are ages 6 to 10. For student-parents of young children, especially under 5 years old, finding childcare on campus can be even more difficult and private facilities often charge more for infants.

“I wish there was more of a support system within the school, like mommy-and-me or developmental classes,” Solorzano said. “It would allow [children] to become more involved in what everyday life is like for you.”

Only about 33 percent of student-parents obtain a degree or certificate within six years, compared to nearly 50 percent of all students. This number is especially low among single student-parents, of which only 27 percent obtain a degree or certificate in this time frame.

Solorzano said while finances

and transportation make college difficult, criticism and judgment for being a young parent sometimes make it hard to stay encouraged.

“You have to brush it off,” Solorzano said. “You prove them wrong, and you prove it to yourself too.”

FOUND GOLD RING Inside Willis Library January 2018

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ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

The Luzecky Trio jazzes up Sundays at Paschall Bar

Eclectic musicians come together to bring old-school jazz to the Square TRIO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 toning of the strings on the massive cello and the occasional drum check, The Luzecky Trio greets patrons with the kind of hospitality that seems to only be felt at an intimate jazz show.

Together, The Luzecky Trio consume the atmosphere of the cozy pub, filling the room with life.

“I attended UNT in 1984 after I moved here from Sweden, [and] post-graduation I became [a] piano instructor at UNT,” Karlsson said. “The incredible thing about the Trio is that it is composed of all my former students, and now years later, we have traveled all over and doing what we love with a bond. We are all very good friends.”

As the music rushed from the other room like blood through a healthy artery, Karlsson cautiously explains there are indeed pros and cons when it comes to the world of jazz.

“If you have a family or kids, obviously that can make things like traveling and touring difficult both on you and your family,” he said. “Mixing music with personal your life is never a good idea. You must have strong self-confidence, you cannot be too tough on yourself or your performance. But through Jazz you get to meet so many people, and make so many friends, locally and internationally.”

While it’s natural for some artists to get nervous before a performance, Karlsson feels at home when taking the stage. In fact, he maintains that after spending quite some time as a performer, the fear of having a smaller audience, in no longer a fear.

“No doubts, no fear, I’m 52 [years old, so] performing for me is normal,” he said. “I actually thrive from an audience. I like the intimacy of the atmosphere — how close the audience is to you.”

Karlsson’s ability to translate his comfortable disposition was not lost among the crowd, either.

“I love this music,” audience member Ashley Rivers said. “It almost sings to you, like there’s a lead and back up singers in all matching outfits swaying to the rhythm but its all music. The Luzecky Trio is definitely one of the best I’ve ever heard [here].”

After being met with audience support, the band takes a break before silently preparing for another set.

“The pro is I get to learn every night with one of the best piano players in the world, Stefan Karlsson, and play with all three of my friends,” Zaremba said.

“The con is that it has to stop — you can’t just keep playing forever because we have to eat and sleep and stuff.”

Drummer Matt Young remained stationary throughout the night, positioned behind his drum set, almost as if it was his fort.

“The thing about jazz is, it’s supposed to be with people — it’s communal — and this is the best place to have it,” he said. “[But] it’s not necessarily the easiest thing to get into. You have to put time into it,

Top: The Luzecky Trio plays one of its sets at Paschall Bar located on the Square. The trio performs every Sunday night at the bar until midnight. Left: Stefan Karlsson plays the keyboard as a member of The Luzechy Trio at Paschall Bar. Stefan is a former jazz instructor of UNT and is currently an instructor at UT Arlington. Right: Mike Luzechy, the band’s founder, plays the upright bass during a set. Photos by Omar Gonzalez commit to it and work at it.”

Exiting the bar is one thing, but having to leave behind the music that helped create the experience

can be bittersweet. Though the musical notes are not be visible, one might notice a feeling of them following you out the door after a Luzecky Trio

show. But similar to a battery fully charged, those same notes will still be awaiting use every Sunday at Paschall Bar.

Eatie’s aspires to add more than just soul food to the community

By Nikki Johnson-Bolden @nikkijobo There are a lot of hidden gems in Denton, but not all of them have quite the same soul.

Located at 500 N. Bell Ave., Eatie’s will lead you to Johnny Joe’s convenience store. The busy person just dropping by to fill up their tank with gas may not notice that inside is a soul food joint with food arguably more satisfying than the average corn dog you would normally find in a convenience store.

Constance Pullam and Delverk Woods, co-owners of Eatie’s, partnered with Johnny Joe’s in February 2017 and have been making their sought-after soul food in the kitchen there ever since.

Woods, who is one of the head cooks and oversees the Eatie’s Houston location, is pleased with the momentum the resturant has picked up in such a short time.

“That is excellent,” Woods said. “It’s a good feeling — it means people believe in your food and like what you’re doing.”

With encouragement from friends and family, Woods decided to turn his hobby of cooking into a business venture, and Eatie’s opened within the same week. He partially credits the ease of restaurant life to his grandfather.

“I’ve always been a cook,” Woods said.

“My grandfather owned a small restaurant here in Denton a long time ago, so it’s kind of in my genes to do it.”

Having been a Denton resident since 2003, Woods was motivated to specifically open a restaurant in Denton when he noticed the absence of other soul food places in town.

“They had the little barbecue stands of course, but no one was really making oxtails and neckbones — the kind of thing people really like on a ‘soul food Sunday,’” Woods said. “They needed something here in this community.”

Community is the foundational element of Eatie’s. Pullam and Woods, who met through their church community, aspire to use their restaurant to bring the people of Denton together.

“Our hope is to really get a brick and mortar building that’s just ours where our customers can come in, sit [and] listen to some good music,” Woods said.

Meeting and forming bonds with the people who come to Eatie’s is Pullman’s favorite part.

“I just really enjoy people, and you meet so many different people from all walks of life by just being here,” Pullman said.

Marissa Listenbee, 24, is one of Eatie’s regular customers. After dining there for the first time just two months ago, she has quickly formed a friendly relationship with Pullam, who responds, “For you, anything,” when Listenbee asks for a wing combo.

“I used to come [to Johnny Joe’s] in the morning time and just happened to look

at the [Eatie’s] menu,” Listenbee said. “[Pullam] told me to try it out, and we went from there.”

For Listenbee, Eatie’s soulful spin brings an element of home she has been missing in Denton.

“I’m from Dallas, so the food is like back home,” Listenbee said. “It’s been hard for me to find Southern cooking [here], so I wouldn’t have to go back to Dallas every time I wanted some good food.”

Pullman is a natural in the kitchen.

With three different orders to prepare, she glides through the narrow space with ease, getting all three dishes prepared in the span of 10 minutes.

With so much recent success in the last year, Pullam and Woods have had to transition to lunch-only hours. However, customers don’t seem to mind waiting for any meal the team is cooking up.

“People will say, ‘If you’re not here, I don’t want to come!’” Pullam said.

Though her smile and welcoming nature are ever-present, as with every business, Pullam finds that there are still a few difficulties to owning a rapidly growing restaurant.

“Working for yourself, sometimes by

yourself [can be difficult],” Pullam said.

“Just the dynamics of the space being this small — that’s challenging. All my good days definitely outweigh the bad, so I won’t complain.”

Running Eatie’s has allowed Pullam and Woods to put themselves in a position to be able to provide more than just good food for the Denton community.

“Quakertown Park has a huge homeless population,” Pullam said. “A lot of times [they] don’t have any food to eat, so if I have extra food left at the end of the day I’ll give it to them or tell them to come at 3 when we close. It’s really a blessing to be able to do that.”

Woods wants to extend Eatie’s influence in the community even more, too.

“We’re already giving to scholarships for kids in the community, but I want to give more,” he said. “I really hope Eatie’s will be a big giver to the community as far as our kids.”

Pullam and Woods take pride in knowing that in just one year, Eatie’s has become a place the people of Denton can go to for both comforting soul food and good conversation.

Constance Pullam, co-owner of Eatie’s in Denton, prepares the bun and dressings for a signature cheeseburger in the kitchen at the restaurant. Photos by Jessika Hardy

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Page 5

Denton bands head down south (by Southwest) Courtesy Ellie Alonzo

Courtesy Mike Ferreira

TOMKAT

Pearl Earl

By Alec Spicer @spicer_alec

Arguably one of Denton’s fastest rising local bands, Pearl Earl seems to have been almost inescapable in Denton’s music scene during the past couple years. Pearl Earl has been busy hitting the road from Arkansas to Illinois, a far cry from their days playing for small crowds at now-defunct Denton venues Rubber Gloves and Jagoe House.

However, the band’s success hasn’t clouded its members’ collective musical approach. For Pearl Earl, South by Southwest is all about being surrounded by music and having fun while doing it.

The all-female band is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Ariel Hartley, backing vocalist and bassist Stefanie Lazcano, drummer Bailey Chapman and keyboardist Chelsey Danielle.

North Texas Daily: Is this your first time playing SXSW? Pearl Earl: We have played South By before, but this is our first time playing an official show.

We’ve played unofficial shows before.

What are you most excited for this time?

PE: The first time we played South By, we didn’t know a whole bunch of people. Now every showcase we’re playing [this time], we know several of the other bands, so that’s cool. [SXSW] is just a party — it’s fun. We like that about touring [in general].

audience affect your performance at the Festival? Do you feel more pressure?

PE: It’s so much more fun to meet new people.

NEW MEAT! And hopefully we’ll get to surprise new people with certain songs in our set and keep them engaged. It’s fun for us to see their reaction.

What is working in the band’s favor that you’ve been able to book SXSW? PE: [We think] it’s directly related to the fact that we spend so much time meeting people and genuinely getting to know them. If it’s a band or venue or promoter that we really respect and love, we try to spend as much time getting to know them and be a part of their community if possible. We’re all pretty much social butterf lies in our band.

We’re all kind of genuinely interested in making connections with people. We definitely don’t have a shy member of the group.

What is one thing you hope Pearl Earl can take away from its time at SXSW? PE: [Definitely] connecting with people from other countries — the next place we’re trying to get out to is outside of the country. [We think] this time we’re playing a show with a band from Mexico so meeting other international bands is a goal of ours.

What can people expect from the band’s show at SXSW? PE: We will be playing a couple of new songs that have not been released before, so we’re pretty excited about that.

By Alec Spicer @spicer_alec

Comprised entirely of UNT College of Music alumni, TOMKAT hopes to build its resume in the music industry and gain new fans at South by Southwest along the way.

After forming in 2015, the indie-electro rock band has since found considerable success in North Texas but are far from strangers to Austin’s music scene.

Though the band has previously played unaffiliated shows at the festival, 2018 officially marks their inaugural appearance through Discover Denton’s Showcase.

TOMKAT’s band members include singer and frontwoman Katrina Cain, synthesizer Trenton Hull, guitarist Andrew McMillan, drummer Jonny Harmon and bassist Mike Luzecky.

North Texas Daily: How did you land your spot on the SXSW lineup?

TOMKAT: We applied to the festival, and that was kind of the first step. We played Oaktopia, and there was actually a promoter for [SXSW] backstage there.

He approached us after our set and was like, ‘I really hope you guys applied [for SXSW].’ We think because he liked what he saw during our set at Oaktopia, he was able to put in a good word for us. We’re glad we decided to apply — we weren’t going to [because] we applied so many times in the past. We tend to draw [bigger crowds] in Austin than we do in Dallas, so we recognize that [at shows.]

What does being introduced to a worldwide

How does being introduced to a worldwide

audience do to affect your performance at the Festival? Do you feel more pressure?

TK: We definitely think there’s more pressure to impress people we could potentially work with, and there’s so many people from so many different aspects of the industry and from all over the world. We aren’t nervous, but we have definitely been nailing down on tiny things about our set, so there’s been a little bit more pressure during rehearsals lately.

What is the one thing you hope TOMKAT can take away from its time at SXSW? TK: We’re really hoping SXSW can introduce us to a larger, worldwide platform. We definitely hope to see more people listening from all over the world.

What’s your favorite part about traveling for shows?

TK: The best part is probably strengthening the camaraderie between us — we get a lot closer. Finding time to tour is really difficult [for us] because all of the members are full-time musicians outside of the band. So if we’re like, ‘Hey can we book this [new] show?’ everyone is like, ‘Let me cancel this gig that was supposed to pay my rent,’ so everyone is really putting their all into this band.

So what’s next for TOMKAT after SXSW? TK: We have a super awesome show coming up soon that we aren’t allowed to announce yet. The last time someone asked us this was right before we were allowed to announce SXSW, so we do have a lot of cool shows coming up. We’ve also been writing a lot. This has been a very creative year for us so far.

Collins aims to begin coversations about equality in building naming policies MISAKI CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 But Collins is pushing on. She says the petition is a way to shed light on an issue students feel strongly about and shouldn’t be written off as a blind demand.

“I’ve learned about these [alumni],

but it was kind of a slap in the face for her to insinuate that student responses don’t matter,” Collins said. “This is not us demanding anything. I’ve been in SGA Senate long enough to know that we don’t have jurisdiction over things like that. The whole point of an SGA resolution is to help

SGA Senator Misaki Collins speaks at an SGA meeting in support of her recent petition. Her petition pushes for more equal representation of women and people of color when it comes to UNT’s new building naming policies. Will Baldwin

influence and show student support.”

Despite the controversy, Collins was surprised by the amount of support and thought that was dedicated by UNT students.

“I thought people were just going to put alumni that we all hear about, like ‘Mean’ Joe Greene,” Collins said. “But there’s a little more than 1,100 signatures right now, and most of them have really well-thought out people that they have in mind, so I’m so surprised.”

And it did not stop there.

On March 1, SGA voted to approve the building naming resolution which “strongly considers a significant person of the UNT community that identifies as a person of color and/or a woman.”

This resolution still needs to be signed by the SGA president and vice president of Student Affairs as well. It will then be sent to the Board of Regents and certain UNT administrators with a list of names and bios of the chosen people of color for name consideration.

“We’re going to look at all the names, and we’re going to come up with a creative way to give them to the stakeholders that were mentioned,” Collins said. “I’m really

excited to publicize all the names that we got. I want everyone to know about these people.”

Collins’ influence in her time as senator has impressed fellow colleagues, who say she goes beyond her job title to enact real change.

“She set things in motion more than most people in SGA have already,” SGA senator Luis Avila said. “It’s kind of crazy because she is a senator but she doesn’t just limit herself — she goes above and beyond with everything she does, no matter how small or how big.”

Those in support of the petition say Collins’ push for diverse representation has been a step forward for minorities across campus.

“People who are not in a minority community are not going to go out of their way to change something that doesn’t affect them, or usually that’s how it is,” early childhood education sophomore Sydney Valentine said. “It takes somebody within the community to say something and to want to change it for that community.

[Collins] is in the right place for her talents and her skills as a leader.”

Even if the new residence hall is not

named accordingly to the resolution, opening up a dialogue about representation is still a good place to start for Collins.

“It would be amazing just to start that conversation so they know diversity does matter,” Collins said. “It was really empowering for me to see at the town hall how the presidents came together [saying] how this is something that they’ve been feeling for a long time. We tell [students] that we’re about to be a ‘minority serving institution,’ but you don’t always see it.”

But there is still the steadfast hope that the proposal comes to fruition. Collins said she will definitely be celebrating in every way possible.

“If they do name it after one of those individuals, I’m going to be so excited,” Collins said. “I swear, I’m going to take my graduation pictures there and it’s going to be a huge deal.”

As for future plans in office, Collins is keeping quiet on her ambitions, including the possibility of running for SGA president.

“I’m going to be a senior next year and I just enrolled for GRE stuff — I’m trying to adult right now,” Collins said. “So, we’ll see.”

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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

Women’s basketball wins 1st round in Frisco

By Matthew Brune @Mattbrune25 The University of North Carolina at Charlotte cut the North Texas lead to just four with a 6-0 run and seemed to seize all of the momentum heading into halftime, trailing just 29-25.

But in the final minute, the Mean Green put an end to the 49ers’ run with a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Adrianna Henderson followed by a hard drive and score by junior guard Terriell Bradley. Then, as it seemed like Charlotte would at least get the final shot of the half, Bradley and her teammates forced a turnover, and Bradley stepped past two defenders to finish another layup.

After the bucket, Bradley turned and let out a yell of exuberance and joy as the half expired. The conference tournament is here.

The Mean Green withstood a few Charlotte runs to hold on to the 58-55 win in the first round of the Conference USA tournament Wednesday afternoon.

“I loved how we played in that first half,” head coach Jalie Mitchell said. “I would have loved for us to do some things better down the stretch, but either way, we were resilient. We continued to fight, and we came out with the win.”

Another one of the 49ers’ runs came in the third quarter, when they went on a 12-12 run over 4:30, cutting the North Texas lead to 46-42.

However, the Mean Green never allowed Charlotte to come closer than three until the final seconds. While the team had three players in double figures, Bradley led the team with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

“You just have to look forward to the next play,” Bradley said. “We had a few turnovers toward the end, but then we went back to our defense.”

North Texas’ defense held Charlotte to 41.7 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers, which they turned into 18 points.

Then, after having zero free throws in the first half, the Mean green got to the line 12 times, converting on six of them. Despite the misses, the aggression at the basket was more prominent.

“It was definitely a point of emphasis [at half],” Bradley said of their free throw numbers. “In the second half, we were a lot more aggressive and were drawing fouls.”

Bradley was joined in double figures by junior guard Grace Goodhart and freshman guard Lauren

Holmes.

Holmes scored all 11 of her points in her first seven minutes on the court and pushed North Texas into the early lead. Goodhart, meanwhile went 4-of-8 for the game and hit essentially the dagger 3-pointer, putting the Mean Green up six with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter.

“We were ready for their zone, so we talked about ball movement and finding the open shot, and a lot of them we knocked down and some we didn’t,” Mitchell said. “Grace and Lauren knocked some big ones down and so did [Bradley], and Micayla [Buckner] was a force down low, and we need all of that to be successful.”

This has already been a notable season for the Mean Green, and they add to their legacy in Mitchell’s third season with their second consecutive year with a conference tournament win.

“I love that we are continuing to extend our season, and this is a team that deserves it,” Mitchell said.

“They fought hard for this kind of opportunity all year. I’m looking forward to preparing for LA Tech and showing up well tomorrow.”

Junior guard Brittany Smith shoots against University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the first round at the 2018 Conference USA Women’s Basketball Championship. Rachel Walters

North Texas freshman guard Lauren Holmes (33) shoots against University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Rachel Walters

Junior guard Trena Mims passes the ball during the first round of Conference USA conference play. Rachel Walters

Lacrosse looks forward

By Simreen Kheraj @simreenkheraj

North Texas softball head coach Tracey Kee high-fives sophomore Katie Clark as she runs home after hitting a home run against University of Tulsa on March 2 at Lovelace Stadium. Sara Carpenter

Kee shuffles lineups game-by-game

By Luis Diosdado @luis_diosdado9 When people see head coach Tracey Kee during a game, they see the same thing almost every time: a visor, a pair of thick framed black glasses and a look of pure focus.

Rarely will you see her drastically change something from day to day.

Except when it comes to her starting lineups this year.

In the 16 games North Texas has played in the 2018 season, Kee has started a different lineup in every single contest.

“When we recruited this group, we recruited a lot of athletes that can play multiple positions,” Kee said. “Whenever you can do that, it allows you to either put out a strong defensive lineup or add as many sticks as possible.”

The Mean Green sit at 8-8 this season and have a lot of new talent, but they also have a number of players who are having to come in and out of the lineup due to the fact they share their position.

To some, this may seem like bad thing. Maybe Kee is not letting her players get in a routine at a certain position or spot in the batting lineup. However, junior infielder Harley Perella, who has started 13 of the 15 games she has played, does not have a problem with it because it is what’s best for the team.

“I think it’s something we work on a lot in practice by having a ton of different defenses that go out there,” Perella said. “It’s hard, but you know the people next to you have your back and trust that coach is putting the best people out on the field for the job.”

Kee adds that a benefit in having all this talent is the competition that comes with it. Obviously with only nine spots on the field, the battle to earn your spot in the lineup can be exciting and trying to endure.

“It keeps everyone competing everyday in practice,” Kee said.

“As a student athlete, you should be wanting to get out there and fight. So as a coach, when I see them competing, I don’t have hesitation putting them in a game.”

Although the Mean Green’s performance has not been spectacular in this early portion of the year, one huge positive

is the depth of their roster which shows in every game. Even for players who have not started, they saw action at some point in time during the first month of the season.

Freshman Kourtney Williams is one of the new, young faces that has made her presence known this year. Williams has played in 11 games, starting in seven. “[Kee] kind of told us from the start that she wants a team that she can move around the field,” Williams said. “She wants to make sure we can play together no matter what the starting lineup is.”

Williams usually plays the second base position, but she has also been seen at the shortstop a few times, showcasing that utility side of her game.

“We always talk about ‘Kourtney doing Kourtney,’” Kee said.

“She’s very quiet, but her game is very steady. It’s not flashy, and as a hitter, she’s got a very productive swing. She was never even recruited to play shortstop, but we brought over and have been working that side of the field to just add some depth, and she earned herself a few starts at that spot.”

Williams is one of several players to have pinch hit this season with most coming late in games.

With over 50 games to play in a span of just few months, Kee knows it is important to make sure you can turn to those players at anytime to perform when needed.

“It’s very easy to shut down just one hitter,” Kee said. “But if you’re trying to shut down one of our hitters, such as Lacy Gregory who is one of the best in the conference, the three kids behind her have the ability to put up big numbers [too].”

A lot of times, opposing teams seem to pay a lot of attention to Gregory and forget about players such as sophomore catcher Nicole Ochotnicki (.341 batting average) and sophomore outfielder Hannah Rebar (seven home runs, 16 RBI).

Luckily for Kee, her players have accepted their roles and put the team first. Team chemistry has been a strong point for the Mean Green, and it shows both on and off the field.

“Team chemistry is extremely important for us, especially as a young team,” Williams said. “I think that is going to be one of the things that is going to carries us far this season.”

Coming off of a 6-8 season where they failed to make the playoffs and were without a coach, the North Texas men’s club lacrosse team is ready to improve in their 2018 campaign.

With the addition of a new coaching staff, the team is ready to put last year’s blunder behind them as they started their 2018 season with a record of 2-3 with growing hopes of making the playoffs.

“I think we brought in two really good coaches who are really committed to our program, so I’m very happy about that,” senior club president and attacker Jason Felts said.

Coming to North Texas, head coach Aaron Skiles knew changes had to be made to the program in order to become playoff contenders. This started with the team’s chemistry and overall attitude when on the field together.

“This is not just an after-school activity,” Skiles said. “This is a competitive sport that was created by Native Americans. It’s a sport of warriors, so the attitude coming into the game needs to reflect that.”

Along with a new attitude, Skiles and the club’s executive board hope to continue growing the team’s roster.

“We went from 19 players last year to 25 players this year,” Felts said. “We know we have talented lacrosse players [at UNT]. There are 40,000 people that go to this school. There are at least 30 guys that can play lacrosse.”

But in order to see growth within the team, there is a need for an increase in awareness across campus. It is a problem the coaches, executive board and the players have struggled with in the past, and it still comes up often.

“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Wait we have a lacrosse team?’ when I tell them I have a lacrosse game coming up,” junior midfielder Joe Cox said. “Lacrosse is an exciting sport. We could always use more fans coming out to games.”

Lacrosse, being a club team, does not always receive as much attention from students on campus as other sports in the athletics program. The sport itself, however, is beginning to increase in popularity and awareness around the nation.

“Lacrosse kind of brands itself as the fastest growing sport in the country, especially in Texas and the DFW [area],” Felts said. “I didn’t know it even was a sport until I was in sixth grade, but now you have kids starting out as first graders which is great.”

Fans are crucial to the players success and team morale throughout the season.

For most club sports, though, people do not usually show up in masses the way they do North Texas athletics teams.

It has been something the team has overcome in the past, but that will not stop them from trying to raise awareness whenever they can.

“Because lacrosse is such a social sport, the transfer and the level of energy is very important,” Skiles said. “Getting more fans out there is super important for our performance.”

The team is a Division I team in the Lone Star Alliance league where they face teams like Texas Christian University, the University of Oklahoma and Southern Methodist University.

Although their season is off to a slower start than they might have hoped, the team believes they now have the talent and the resources needed to make a playoff run.

“This has been the most talented team I’ve ever played for, hands down,” Felts said. “I think we gained a lot of really good, talented players, so my goal is to at least make the playoffs and hopefully make a decent run at the conference championship.”

Despite starting the season slow with new players and coaches, the team is aware of their potential, and their expectations rise with every game, win or lose.

On Feb. 24, the Mean Green lost to Rice 12-8 but took away several positives.

This past weekend, the team lost to Texas Tech University 16-7 on Friday before beating Tarleton State 15-3 on Saturday.

“For us, it’s still early in the year, and we’re still figuring out who we are,” Skiles said. “We had a big step in our game against Rice, and I really liked what I saw.”

Now all that is left for the team moving forward is more support from their peers and an increase of spectators in the bleachers.

The team takes on the University of Arkansas in Denton as they look to turn their season around and continue to fight to make the playoffs.

“Come on out to a game,” Cox said. “See what we’re all about.”

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 7

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

North Texas looks to fill running back role

By Matthew Berger @bergersthoughts North Texas football is coming off one of its most successful seasons in recent years, due in large part to its historically great offense. The motor of that was the running game led by then-senior Jeffery Wilson. Wilson performed so well, he was invited to the NFL Combine and has hopes of being drafted in April.

The Mean Green will have big shoes to fill in that role, as Wilson was fourth all-time in rushing yards (3,205), third in rushing touchdowns (32), and fourth in all purpose yards (4,009) at North Texas.

Although Wilson is no longer able to take hand offs for head coach Seth Littrell’s team, the roster still has plenty of talent to help fill the gap.

Sophmore Nic Smith finished

second on the team in rushing yards last season (684) and is the heir to Wilson.

The team also brought in the No. 6 ranked junior college running back recruit in DeAndre Torrey who rushed for 1,298 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine games last season with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. In addition, the team is also returning sophomore Evan Johnson who totaled 239 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Replacing Wilson’s production will be a difficult task for the Mean Green, and Littrell believes it will take every facet of the offense to help continue their success from last season, including the men up front.

“The running game has a lot to do with a lot of different people,” Littrell said.

“I think it is everyone. We have to do a better job on the perimeter making sure we get those to the second level, and our running backs have to do a good job of

seeing the holes. It is a team deal.”

One of the ways Littrell has helped build this program is by bringing in experienced coaches to help create a new culture. One coach Littrell brought in is former NFL running back Tashard Choice. He was named the running backs coach not long after the team played its 2017 bowl game.

“He knows the position very well,” Littrell said. “He played in a similar system. Not only that, he is great with the kids and a great teacher. He is a great mentor on and off the field, and he is a guy who has been through it and understands what they are going through.”

Choice was in the NFL from 20082013, spending his first three with the Dallas Cowboys. For his career, Choice finished with 1,579 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Choice is in his second season with the Mean Green, after spending last season as the team’s quality control coach.

As a coach, Choice believes sharing his experiences, his success and his failures will help the players on the field.

“When I am out here on the football field, I always try to make sure they

North Texas redshirt sophomore runningback Nic Smith (21) carries the ball against Texas-El Paso on Nov. 11, 2017. Jake King/DRC

understand why it is you do certain things,” Choice said. “They understand I have been through it and I have done it before, so once they understand that they will buy into you, and you have much more meaning after anything you say.”

Even with Choice leading the way and a successful 2017 season, the Mean Green still have to produce with the talent they have heading into the upcoming fall.

North Texas has a few talented running backs on the roster who are trying to replicate the collective success from Wilson and Smith in 2017.

Torrey was a three-star prospect out of high school and had a productive freshman campaign in his one year at a community college. Torrey knew he could be successful with the Mean Green and was enamored with the environment of the program.

“I love the coaching staff, the environment and the school, but most of all, the relationship between me and coach Choice through the recruiting process,” Torrey said.

While new to North Texas, Torrey believes he can step in right away and replicate his success from last season.

With the opportunity and the winning environment established at North Texas

last year, Torrey believes his style of play will translate to more wins in the fall.

“A personal goal I have is to be a thousand yard back,” Torrey said. “I think that will be a great goal for me. I am great catcher, and I want fans to know that I am very explosive, and I won’t quit on the team no matter what.”

Meanwhile, Smith is preparing for his third season with the Mean Green. He sat out his freshman season as a redshirt and last season had the backup role, but he started after Wilson went down late in the year due to injury.

Mean Green fans had to wait a season to watch him get on the field, and now he is primed for an even bigger 2018.

“I just got to stay focused, continue to work hard and keep my head level,” Smith said. “The big thing for us running backs is to just keep working hard.”

Now that he is the starter, Smith hopes to help the team in different ways than as the second option. In preparation for the upcoming season, Smith has a few key things to focus on as he aims to surpass his solid 684-yard season in 2017.

“I think the biggest thing is being explosive and finishing runs,” Smith said.

“Just bringing the explosive play at any time.”

North Texas redshirt sophomore running back Nic Smith (21) tries to escape Lamar junior linebacker Chaston Brooks (11). North Texas faced off against Lamar at Apogee Stadium on Sept. 2, 2017. Jake King/DRC

North Texas out of tournament TOURNAMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Even when the Mean Green did manage to get to the free throw line, they shot 10-of-17 while Louisiana Tech shot 20-26 — which kept the game out of reach for Woolridge and company.

“They spread the floor, they can shoot the ball and they can drive it, so you don’t really know what to play them for,” Woolridge said. “They switched it up on us, they were hitting threes and we just couldn’t stop them.”

The home court advantage was certainly in effect for North Texas as they seemed to feed off of the crowd until the Bulldogs silenced them with either a 3-pointer or a defensive play.

“The atmosphere was really great,” Woolridge said. “That definitely influenced us to push over those runs but we just couldn’t execute at the end.”

The loss finishes the Mean Green’s season at 15-17 overall in McCasland’s first year, and it’s one that he will be sure to use as a building block as he continues his tenure. Especially since he returns all but two players from this roster next season.

“I just told them that these are tough moments and that god has a plan for this team,” McCasland said. “We’re going to be great and it starts on the backs of [seniors] Bryce and Shane. And it starts tomorrow.”

i’ve gotta go!

Left: North Texas sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart shoots in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament against Louisiana Tech on Wednesday at The Star in Frisco.

Right: North Texas sophomore guard AJ Lawson shoots at the Conference USA Tournament.

Bottom: North Texas head coach Grant McCasland shouts at a referee. Photos by Sara Carpenter

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OPINION Page 8

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Arming teachers won’t lead to safer schools

By The Editorial Board @ntdaily In a recent talk with school shooting survivors, President Donald Trump suggested arming teachers as a solution to these tragedies facing our nation.

Suggesting a hypothetical armament of 20 percent of school teachers as a solution to the short duration of school shootings, Trump claimed the militarization of ruler-wielding educators would put a short and snappy end to these deranged madmen.

With shooting after shooting, smear campaign after smear campaign, it’s no wonder so many question the motives of our lawmakers and regulators.

But why do we actually question whether or not teachers even should be armed and trained to prevent these tragedies when there are others trained specifically for that purpose?

Assuming Trump’s 20 percent suggestion, that would mean 640,00 teachers out of the 3.2 million full-time public school teachers across the U.S. (as of fall 2017) would be equipped with a

gun. According to a Washington Post article posted in February, let’s say that it costs $100 per teacher to provide the proper education over gun safety and usage — that would be $64 million dollars (at least) alone on training.

When most teachers struggle to arm their classes with necessary teaching tools like pens, notepads and even quality desks, how can anyone justify spending money on guns, training and ammunition?

Teachers are not police officers.

When students declare an education major in college, they do so to educate — not to be a part-time SWAT officer. Teachers enter their career out of a love for children and not a love for shooting. The idea that teachers should be armed and ready to protect their school — let alone their classroom — is completely unrealistic.

One can only imagine the amount of stress and anxiety these teachers undergo when an active shooter is right down the hall — but to suggest they should be able to calmly inform students of the situation, turn off all lights, cover the windows, block the doorway, hide students and then try to fight

off a shooter themselves is too much to ask.

In this case, fighting back is the absolute last resort, according to ready.gov, a national service campaign for disaster preparation.

UNT Police and the Office of Emergency Management both offer guidelines on what to do in an emergency shooter situation, and fighting back is the last thing you should do behind getting out and hiding.

When looking at guns in Texas, the state already allows certain teachers in schools to carry guns and allows concealed carry on college campuses. It’s a very small portion of teachers, but an estimated 100 armed Texas school teachers is drastically different than the approximately 640,000 teachers who would be armed.

Why would we want to spend money we already don’t have on guns, ammunition and training for teachers when we could very easily use that money for educational purposes or more officers trained in protecting people in tragic situations?

Police officers, firefighters

and emergency responders are trained to fight back in these circumstances.

Teachers and professors are not.

Let’s use this money set to be allocated for training and arming teachers and put it to better use.

Let’s actually give teachers and schools the resources to give their students the best education they can. Let’s invest in other protective devices that can shield students from bullets. Let’s hire more police officers and not add another

required duty on teacher’s heavy shoulders.

Let teachers worry about educating the next generation, not about having to defend them as well.

Illustration by Austin Banzon

Why are women still wearing bras in 2018? Bras off, chin up

By Oriana Valderrama @orianavalls Every women is aware of body image.

As a little girl, I knew the basic standards regarding how a women should look and what was acceptable in the eyes of the world. I never doubted or questioned it, but maybe I should have.

I recently went to a CVS Pharmacy to buy some headphones. I was going to the

gym that day — a rare occasion — and I didn’t want to spend an hour pretending to know what I was doing without some decent music to listen to. So, I go to the register and the girl behind it has her eyes wide open looking at me. More specifically, down at my breasts.

She makes a sign with her hand, as she mumbles the words “shirt” and “pull it up” while tugging up her own shirt.

I looked down at my loose shirt that had fallen to the side, revealing my sports bra. And yeah, it was cold so my sports bra was not the only thing popping out. I told her, “It’s fine, it’s just my sports bra.” And nervously she whispered, “Yeah, but I didn’t want anyone to see it, you know?”

This is when I came to a realization.

First, neither the cashier lady nor I said the word “nipples” when talking about this situation. And second, I would still get judgmental looks even if I decided to stop

wearing a bra all together.

The fact that I felt uncomfortable saying, or even writing the word “nipple” revealed to me that something was definitely wrong in my body awareness.

Wearing a bra has always felt natural to me, but as I think about its purpose, I can only think that it only meant to cover our nipples and lift our boobs up so they look pretty.

But is it really necessary, or has society made us think that we need it?

In a French study, professor Jean-Denis Roullion said bras are a “false need.” This means we think we need to wear bras because we’ve seen them in the media and on women as we grew up. It seems normal, but we never ask ourselves why we do it.

Plus, if you want a good quality bra, you’d be surprised how much you’ll spend.

The average bra in Victoria’s Secret bra ranges from $49 to $60.

There are several reasons why I believe “free the nipple” is a movement all women should embrace. You know that feeling when you finally get home after a long day and you finally take your bra off and have that feeling of freedom and relief? Well, that’s basically it.

Comfort is a pretty good reason, too. You don’t see men having to wear something that gets uncomfortable for a whole day to hide their nipples.

We have an idea of how our boobs should look: lifted, round and perfect.

It’s time to break

Working for free: the world of internships

By Maritza Ramos @maritzarara Internships are essential in terms of accumulating experience, learning, networking and gaining confidence.

They’re also required in a lot of majors, particularly for those pursuing a journalism degree.

In these majors, internships can arguably be considered the

most exciting aspect of getting a degree because it allows the student to branch outside of the classroom — after years of working out of one exclusively — and test their skills in a realistic environment. It’s a way of feeling out a field before taking the full leap.

Now, considering all of the advantages of internships, it is disappointing to note that internships are unfair — at least in the ways in which they function right now.

Firstly, many interns do not get paid. There are very few internships out there that provide compensation for work done as an intern. This does not make sense because this would be considered grossly unjust in any other situation. Work?

Without pay? I am sure there are countless laws making it crystal clear how wrong this is, on so many different fronts. What made it okay for businesses and organizations to provide no sort of pay for the work interns do?

Okay, yeah, most likely interns will not be doing the most important work for their employer, but if they are putting in any kind of work, they should be paid. Contribution is contribution — bottom line.

Then there is the argument that interns are students, more often than not. Students already have to juggle class, homework, extracurriculars and probably a job (where they actually get paid), they have very little time to spare on an internship that will not offer them any sort of financial

leeway. It then becomes quite hard to focus on the work you are doing at this internship when you weigh the fact it is taking time away from your other job where you can actually pay for things, like rent, food and tuition.

Paying interns just seems like a smarter and more fair option for everyone involved. Even if the intern does not decide to stay where they’re interning at for the long run, the organization or business they’re interning for will be more likely to receive work of a higher quality if they are compensated. Interns will be able to put more time into finding the right environment or field of work for themselves while gaining experience and knowledge.

that mold. All shapes and sizes should be embraced, without having to lift them or make them bigger with push-ups.

Women should realize a lot has changed in beauty standards and taboos in the past decade. Going out without a bra should not feel shameful or awkward, but rather an empowering and liberating experience.

Illustration by Gabby Evans

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