North Texas Daily 4/12/2018

Lawson, Fuller transferring from North Texas men’s basketball SPORTS: PAGE 6

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018

VOL. 112 No. 12

NTDAILY.COM

Beds, breakfast and alpacas

Candidates for SGA talk inclusivity, transparency

By Amy Roh @rohmyboat

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez Presidential and vice presidential candidates for UNT’s Student Government Association spoke about plans for transparency on behalf of the administration, making SGA more open to students and why students should vote for them at a debate on April 5.

Students submitted questions for the candidates about campus issues and what qualifies them for the job.

About 50 students attended.

Political science professor Bethany Blackstone moderated the debate.

“I think [the candidates] went up there really prepared,” SGA Vice President Lisa Umeh said. “I think it was really clear how they felt and where they stood [on issues].”

The presidential candidates are SGA Chief of Staff Muhammad Kara and SGA Senator Misaki Collins with media arts junior Dominique Thomas and finance junior Ipinowula “Ipi” Adedokun as their running mates for vice president, respectively. Neither vice presidential candidate is a member of SGA. “[The debate] was a good jumping off point to see where everyone is coming from and doing for the student collective,” marketing freshman Samuel Weber said.

Collins said she wants to be president because she has seen many student voices go unheard. She said seeing what

SEE SGA ON PAGE 2

Encouraging environmentalism Jane Goodall

She was designated a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002.

An orchid species, the dendrobium goodallianum, is named after her.

She is the first scientist to name her research subjects.

From CNN

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel World-renowned primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall addressed a crowd of nearly 4,000 Monday evening in UNT’s Coliseum, discussing chimpanzees, environmental protection and the future of the planet.

Goodall, 84, opened the lecture with a traditional chimpanzee greeting call. She then talked about arriving in Africa and working for well-known archaeologist and paleontologist Louis Leakey.

“I think [Leakey] was impressed that this young girl straight from England could know so much about the animals,” Goodall said.

“This took me into this wonderful world where there were people all around me who could answer all my questions about the birds

and the reptiles and the insects, all the rest of it.”

Since then, Goodall has extensively worked and researched chimpanzees and their African habitats in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

Goodall explained the reason she left research arose during a 1986 conference, where some sessions focused on conservation, commercial hunting and inhumane captivity.

“For me it was a shock,” Goodall said. “So, I went to that conference in 1986 as a scientist, planning to carry on with that wonderful life,

SEE GOODALL ON PAGE 3 Above: Jane Goodall lifts “Mr. H,” a stuffed animal given to her by a friend, during her speech at the UNT Distinguished Lecture Series. Goodall talked about her study of chimpanzees, activism and sustainability efforts. Rachel Walters

At 7:30 a.m., Jim Patrick is busy tending to business on his farm. Around him, geese, ducks and chickens strut and roam freely across the grounds.

But today is all about the alpacas.

“I’ve always loved animals,” Patrick said. “As I’ve told people many times over, critters never did me wrong — people did. We started with three alpacas, and now we’re up to about 25. One time we had around 100.”

Patrick is the owner of the Old Irish Bed and Breakfast in Denton. Unlike other local properties, Patrick said he runs a “holistic agri-property” with a farm full of alpacas and llamas. For everyone there — guests who are staying at the bed and breakfast and those working with the farm — it is alpaca shearing day. It’s an event that happens annually on the farm in preparation for the Texas summer.

“It’s seasonal work, we go from here in the south and make our way up north,” alpaca shearer Mike Fagan said. “It’s been pretty good. We’ve been working with them for a couple of years now. You get pretty well looked after, especially that breakfast [we had] this morning.”

As necessary as it is, Patrick tries to make it as fun as shearing animals can be. He invites guests who are staying to help out in exchange for a free night at the bed and breakfast. They have breakfast

SEE ALPACA ON PAGE 4

Coyote Music helps through harmony

By Bria Graves @callmeBREE_

Tonya Blum sings and plays ukulele. Blum is primarily a flute player, but she plays and teaches a large variety of instruments. Will Baldwin

When you walk into Coyote Music Studio, you might be slightly confused.

Owner Tonya Blum uses her living room to serve as the space for the studio. Xylophones, guitars, drums and other instruments take over the entire living room as soon as you walk through the doors of her cozy home and studio.

“Not renting out a building cuts how much I would have to charge parents bringing their kids,” Blum said.

Blum is a former teacher and current music therapist who had an idea to intertwine two things she loved most: music therapy and teaching.

Music therapy isn’t teaching music or music-based at all — it’s focused on using music as a tool to accomplish individual goals.

The Coyote Music Studio describes music therapy as “the use of music to

accomplish non-musical goals. It is an ongoing, therapeutic service in which a board certified music therapist and a client (or group) develop a relationship through music in order to accomplish non-musical goals in areas such as communication, fine and gross motor skills, social/emotional stress, academics and to improve quality of life.”

Graduating from Texas Woman’s University with a graduate degree in music therapy, Blum saw the opportunity to bring music therapy to Denton.

When Blum first arrived to Denton, there was only one music therapist, Joe Pinson, who taught at TWU. “There’s few music therapy’s in Denton,” Blum said. “Everybody left and taught in Dallas, but I came back.

I’m trying to bring music therapy to Denton.”

The studio has only been open for a little more than a week, so Blum is

using word of mouth and local clinics to bring in customers.

Esperanza “Hope” Ada Scott serves as the studio’s private and group lessons.

“I teach percussion,” Scott said. “I’ve played in bands since 2014, starting with jam bands here in Denton.”

While many people don’t know much about music therapy or can afford it, Blum’s goal is to make it accessible to all who need it, despite whatever situation they might be in.

Blum starts with a child who has a specific special need, and each session uses music therapy to help accomplish a goal. For example, a child with obsessive-compulsive disorder could have a certain thought that triggers their thoughts, but by regularly attending therapy, Blum uses music to lessen the compulsive thoughts, or she uses those same compulsive thoughts to write out a song which can lessen

SEE COYOTE ON PAGE 5

Women’s golf pursues conference championship

By Simreen Kheraj @Simreenkheraj As the North Texas women’s golf season comes to a close, there is one event left on the schedule — the Conference USA championships Monday through Wednesday in the coming week at Fort Myers, Florida.

With all 11 teams from the conference there, North Texas looks to improve on their placing from last season where they finished in 10th place. The returning champion is Old Dominion University, who returns as the favorite this year.

Another quality team is the University of Texas at San Antonio, who placed third

last year.

This is the same UTSA team the Mean Green beat in the Bruzzy Challenge just two weeks ago.

“The UTSA deal is just a confidence builder, [since] we beat them by a number of shots,” head coach Michael Akers said.

“Old Dominion is the best ranked team in the conference, and they’re defending champions, but along with that it puts a lot of pressure on the team.”

Even though the competition is tough, the team’s confidence remains upbeat since they learned from last season’s outing at the same course.

The hope is obviously to top last year’s performance, but in order to do so, the

team has taken to their home golf course in Carrollton, Texas to simulate the course in Florida, adjusting the course and trying out new things to get better at practice.

“We know the golf course, so we are working on yardages that we’re going to see down there,” Akers said. “We’re trying to simulate the green speed that we’re going to see and working a lot on sand. There’s quite a bit of sand down there, so we’re doing the best we can to simulate the conditions that we’re going to see.”

Factors such as unpredictable weather and course difficulty have made the team

North Texas junior Sol Lee finishes a swing on Aug. 26 at Maridoe Country Club in Carrollton, Texas.

Courtesy | Rick Yeatts

SEE GOLF ON PAGE 6

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS

ARTS & LIFE

SPORTS

OPINION

UNT student first woman to win IBM’s Master the Mainframe pg 3 Business senior Anna McKee is the first woman to become a winner in IBM’s international coding challenge.

UNT blacks out with pride pg 5 After noticing a lack of intersectionality among the black and LGBTQ+ communities, SydneyMarie Valentine-Paris and Brooke Roberson decided to create a space with Black Out Alliance.

Makawe’s personality thrives for softball in strong season pg 7 Junior Rhylie Makawe’s importance goes beyond the field of play as she proves to be a leader for Kee.

It begins with the mannequins pg 8 Women’s awareness month may be over, but the discussion on body image isn’t over. Different campaigns surrounding mannequins and storefronts raise both skepticism and applause.

NEWS Page 2

North Texas Daily

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Take Back the Night moves to Square

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel

Editorial Board

More than 100 members of the Denton community gathered at the Square Thursday evening to advocate for survivors of sexual violence as part of UNT’s annual Take Back the Night event.

Take Back the Night, an educational event to raise awareness about the prevalence of sexual assault, took place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and was part of UNT’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week. The month of April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

This year’s theme is “Embrace Your Voice.”

Editor-in-Chief Kayleigh Bywater @kayleighbywater Kayleigh.Bywater@unt.edu Managing Editor Kayla Davis @kaylajeann19 KaylaDavis@my.unt.edu

Changing locations for the event Hillarye Hightower, the director of the Denton Prevention Education and Awareness Program, partnered with UNT’s Survivor Advocate Renee McNamara, Amy Allison of Texas Woman’s University and Roxanne Del Rio of North Central Texas College to put together this year’s event.

“We began meeting last fall to start planning this,” Hightower said. “This event has typically taken place on [UNT’s] campus the last couple of years, and we thought we might join in solidarity with the community to try to have it at a more centralized location so that it wasn’t just available for UNT students, faculty and staff.”

Social work junior Ashley Tetteh has attended Take Back the Night three consecutive years and said she thought this year’s crowd was the largest yet.

“In past years when I’ve gone it has just been at UNT, whereas now I see people from TWU — I see people from the community, which is really great,” Tetteh said. “So, I’m liking branching out to the Square and involving more people than just the UNT campus because sexual assault happens everywhere, so everyone should be involved.”

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

A message to marchers TWU alumna Edyka Chilomé was one of the first to address the crowd, talking about her numerous experiences with sexual assault including incest as a child, harassment by professors and being date-raped in 2017.

“As an adult, I have been date raped, and I continue to bear the weight of what feels like constant sexual harassment in professional settings, on the streets, on public transit and standing outside of my home,” Chilomé said. “As a queer woman of color who lives on the intersections of so many identities that are targeted

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

Marchers at Take Back the Night march around the Square in Denton. Take Back the Night is an international event with a mission to ending relationship, sexual and domestic violence. Omar Gonzalez for violence in this reality show of a country, the war feels endless.”

Chilomé continued with words of hope and support for fellow survivors.

“Yet, miraculously, so does the momentum and rhythm that I feel here today,” Chilomé said. “It is a rhythm that keeps us moving, that keeps showing up, that keeps demanding the right to do more than just survive. At a time of rampant violence of all kinds [...] here we are.”

Following several speeches, attendees led a march around the Square, chanting “No more silence, no more violence,” “People unite, take back the night” and “I won’t be shamed, I won’t be blamed.”

As the sun set, attendees were provided with tealight candles to hold up during a moment of silence. The candlelight vigil marked the end of the event.

“I came to show support because I think that a lot of the times this issue is really underscored,” communications junior Matthew Hernandez said. “It’s one of those things that people don’t really show enough care or awareness about.”

How sexual assault affects the Denton community The Denton Record-Chronicle recently reported that

Students ask to have new hall named after Rodney Mitchell

Designer/Copy Editor Marshall Cearfoss @JustMarshalling MarshallCearfoss@my.unt.edu

By Zaira Perez @zairaperez

Designer/Copy Editor Kaitlin Pennell @k_itlinn KaitlinPennell@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Kiera Geils @KieraGeils KieraGeils@my.unt.edu 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

Students voted on social media to recommend UNT’s late Associate Dean of Students, Rodney Mitchell, as the namesake for the university’s newest residence hall, SGA President Barrett Cole said.

Mitchell, 45, died in his sleep Feb. 25. He was UNT’s associate dean of students since 2013 and was the director of the UNT Food Pantry.

“We’re always going to take student opinion into account,” Vice President for Student Affairs Elizabeth With said. “[Mitchell] made such a big impact on our campus, our students, faculty and staff. Rodney was a truly exceptional person and made a great impact on my life, for sure.”

In a poll created by SGA via Twitter on March 30, Mitchell received 55 percent of the 714 votes cast.

SGA created the poll with the top name suggestions to narrow recommendations down to one for the university board. Other options were Irma E. L. Sephas, “Mean” Joe Greene and Joe Atkins.

Mitchell helped low-income students as the Director of TRIO Upward Bound and Student Support Services for almost 12 years before transitioning to Associate Dean of Students in 2013. The TRIO program aims to help those students “overcome class, social and cultural barriers” while studying at UNT, according to their website.

Communication design senior Macarena Astorga knew Mitchell when was the Director of TRIO. She has been in the program since she was a freshman in high school.

Astorga said Mitchell motivated his students and was involved with ensuring their success at UNT.

She said she thinks Mitchell is the “perfect candidate” for the new residence hall name.

“Even after he changed positions from TRIO to [Associate] Dean of Students, he never failed to tell me he was proud of me every time we would cross paths,” Astorga said.

“Rodney’s name should become a legacy for being so loyal and faithful not only [to] UNT but to all the thousands of students and staff he impacted over the years.”

Mitchell earned his Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences and then his Master’s in Public Administration at UNT in 1999. He was also a residence hall director at College Inn in 1997.

SGA will present a resolution recommending Mitchell as the namesake for the new hall. Officials said the resolution does not have jurisdiction on the final name chosen.

The Board of Regents makes the final decision in naming buildings, With said.

“Personally, I never had a close relationship with him, but initiatives that he started such as the food pantry have had an impact on me during my time at UNT,” Collins said. “I feel that making Rodney the namesake to the new residence hall would be a great way to honor such a significant person [who impacted] so many students lives.”

Collins created the resolution along with a petition in February when she noticed a lack of representation for women and people of color in building names on campus.

The resolution was sent to university officials such as President Neal Smatresk and the Board of Regents in early March.

The residence hall is set to open in June 2019.

the incidence of reported rape in Denton is significantly higher than both the state and national rates, using data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system.

However, the article did note that the statistics should not take the data at face value, since higher reports may “mean people feel more comfortable reporting sexual violence.”

From 2014 to 2016 there were 32 rapes, an additional four cases of statutory rape and 20 cases of fondling reported on the UNT campus, according to the 2017-18 Annual Fire and Safety Report. Data from 2017 will be released later this year.

In 2018 alone, there have been five sexual assaults reported on campus so far, according to the UNT 60-Day Crime Report.

Future events A Cup of Prevention on April 19 is an all-day event at local participating coffee shops.

Denim Day will be observed April 25, and participants will wear denim with a purpose to “support survivors and educate yourself and others about sexual assault.”

For more information on these events or upcoming community workshops, visit the Denton County Friends of the Family at dcfof.org/saam.

Candidates debate diversity, service SGA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 student government on other campuses is like at conferences helped her realize UNT’s SGA has not yet reached its full potential.

“We can do so much more and I know that so much can change in one year,” Collins said.

“I definitely want to lay down the platform with everyone on [the executive board], all of the senators, interns, everyone in the SGA and just empower everyone.”

Kara said he wants to be president because he has been involved on campus since his freshman year. He said he enjoys being involved because he is helping make an impact on students’ lives on campus.

“The core base of what SGA does is representation of all students, and that’s [what] I feel that I’ve done since I’ve gotten to this campus,” Kara said.

Thomas said she wants to be vice president to help continue the trend of students initiating change on campus. Both Thomas and Adedokun said they want to provide students with more of a voice.

Thomas said she was able to do this with black students as president of the Black Student Association.

“We let [black students] know that our concerns that we have were sent into administration so they are aware of it,” Thomas said. “With SGA, I don’t want to just be stuck with one community, I want to reach out to the whole UNT community.”

Adedokun said he thinks he will be able to help all students feel welcome and comfortable through SGA. “We need to be able to understand the voices of all of our students, not only just important leaders, [but] even the students who aren’t in organizations,” Adedokun said.

Platforms Kara said his and Thomas’ platform focuses on intentional leadership, focused activism and engagement and principled administration. “[It means focusing on students], actively and proactively working to make sure their lives are getting better,” Kara said.

Collins said hers and Adedokun’s campaign focuses on inclusivity and accessibility, school spirit, service and transparency.

“All these things combined could definitely help UNT become a greater campus,” Collins said.

To promote inclusivity and diversity on campus, Kara said he wants to have a “seat at the table” for students.

Presidential debate Kara and Collins both cited their experience in SGA as the experience they think will help them as president.

As chief of staff, Kara said he oversees the executive board and pushes the president’s agenda throughout the university.

Collins said her position as a community engagement intern in Dallas will help her as well.

Collins said she thinks the most important issue students face at UNT is not knowing about resources on campus and where to find them.

“If we fix that and we have a resource guide or just somewhere to go for students to learn about these resources, I feel like so many of those problems could be changed,” Collins said.

Kara said he believes the biggest issue for students is not understanding administrative decisions and why certain decisions were made. “[Administrators] just kind of do things behind the scenes but they never ask the students what they feel about it,” Kara said.

He often said students do not know what is going on with campus decisions and feel frustrated. He said SGA should “help clear that path.”

Kara and Collins were also asked about opposing opinions and what SGA should do if a similar event to the National Street Preachers conference demonstration were to happen again. Both said they would provide safe spaces for students to discuss why the event was occurring.

Voting Campaigning for the SGA elections began April 2. Voting is open for president, vice president, senators and referendums through OrgSync, starting at 8 a.m. Monday until 5 p.m. Thursday. Results are intended to be released on April 13 after 5 p.m.

NEWS AROUND THE US

By Devin Rardin

Zuckerberg facing Congressional lawmakers Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg faced a panel of congressional lawmakers about the social network’s privacy practices Tuesday and Wednesday.

Zuckerberg appeared in a five-hour joint Senate session to defend the company Tuesday.

DCTA ridership down

Missile strikes against Syria

Paul Ryan not running for re-election

FEMA failed contracts for hurricane relief

The Denton City Council asked Denton County Transportation Authority officials about the transit system’s decline in ridership on Tuesday. Ridership has dropped every year since 2014, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. Jim Cline, president of DCTA, said the decline follows a nationwide trend.

President Donald Trump said missiles are coming to Syria after Syria’s suspected chemical attack resulted in 40 deaths, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

This defies Russia’s warnings to the U.S. not to use military strikes against Syria. Trump called the missiles “nice and new and smart” in a tweet.

House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday he is not seeking re-election, according to The Washington Post.

This will end Ryan’s almost 20-year tenure in Congress. The announcement comes amidst many other Republican retirements, which are causing the political party to worry about losing its control of the House.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is under investigation by Democrats on a Senate oversight committee, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. This was in response to a disclosure by the Associated Press, which said a Florida company won $30 million in FEMA contracts to provide tarps and plastic sheeting, but the company never provided the supplies.

NTDAILY.COM

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THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018

Denton hires internally after 3 decades, promotes Kenneth Hedges to fire chief

By Devin Rardin @DevinRardin

Senior Anna Mckee sits in the computer lab in the Business Leadership Building to demonstrate her coding skills. Anna is the winner of the IBM Master the Mainframe coding competition. Omar Gonzalez

UNT senior first woman to win globally in IBM contest

By Jacqueline Guerrero @gagaart1

UNT business senior Anna McKee is the first woman to be a global winner in IBM’s 2017 Master the Mainframe coding challenge, the company announced on March 15.

This is the second consecutive year a UNT student has won part three of IBM’s coding challenge, which is sponsored by AngelHack.

Last year’s winner was business graduate Brian Powers.

The first two parts of the competition included walkthroughs of the system and directions for participants on what to code. The third part is up to individual interpretation, McKee said.

UNT Professor of information systems Leon Kappelman said McKee has a good future because of her success at the IBM competition.

“It says two things: [McKee] is hardworking, and the College of Business department we have is a very, very good program,” Kappelman said. “They get good jobs — it’s like we are doing magic over here. Our students do well.”

Anna McKee is the first woman to win IBM’s Master the Mainframe competition for North America. She is a student in the College of Business. Omar Gonzalez

The Master the Mainframe challenge started in 2005 and involves students from six continents and 120 countries, with more than 17,000 high school and college student participants, said Troy Crutcher, program manager for Master the Mainframe.

The virtual contest provides an “introduction to programming and application development competition designed to teach students how to code and build new innovations on the mainframe,” Crutcher said.

McKee explained a mainframe is a “massive server” that provides security with zero downtime. Mainframes are primarily used by large organizations.

McKee said she was not sure what she wanted to study when she graduated high school. She studied business during her single year at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas, but left because she didn’t find anything she was passionate about.

McKee wasn’t introduced to technology until she transferred to community college and took computer programming language classes for C++ and then a Java course the following semester at UNT. This sealed what she wanted to do career wise, McKee said. “[The C++ course] gave me something my other classes didn’t — I was intrigued by it,” McKee said. “I kind of put all my eggs in one basket and just followed that route into an information systems degree.”

As of now, McKee said she does not have a job lined up but does have a summer internship as a technical intern with USAA, a financial services company. She is expected to graduate in May 2019

with two degrees: a bachelor’s in business computer information systems and a bachelor’s in business administration and decision sciences. She is also contemplating attending graduate school.

“I have been playing around with the idea of going to graduate school to get a master’s in data science,” McKee said. “I don’t really know what I want to be doing in a year. I don’t know if I want to enter the corporate world right away or go on to get my master’s.”

In 2016, McKee competed in the Master the Mainframe challenge because it was a class requirement for her advanced mainframe class at UNT. She only participated in parts one and two that year, not attempting the final portion of the challenge.

McKee said her goal for competing in 2017 was to do her best and complete all three parts of the challenges, something she was not successful in the previous year. She described the third part as a “very challenging” sector of the coding contest.

“You have to be creative,” McKee said, “because participants have to create [codes to communicate] for a made-up company.”

McKee found out a month ago she was the first woman to be ranked No. 1 in the coding contest.

“How I got into technology is unconventional,” McKee said.

“I see that more women are getting into technology and that is really something amazing to see ... there is something really changing in this world and I don’t particularly know what it is but it is something. It’s awesome to see that.”

Jane Goodall discusses environmental conservation, encourages young people to take charge during lecture at UNT GOODALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and I left as an activist.”

In 1977, she established the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to protect chimpanzees and their natural habitats. The institute has protected nearly 1,500 acres of habitat as well as protected more than 5,000 chimpanzees and gorillas that live in those habitats, according to the website.

Since October 1986, Goodall has not spent more than three consecutive weeks in any place, constantly traveling the world to advocate and raise funds for environment and nature-related causes.

Goodall talked about the initiative behind Roots and Shoots, an organization she started for young people who strive to make environmental efforts.

“Roots and Shoots began with 12 high school students in Tanzania in 1991, and we decided that the main message we wanted was that every single one of us in this room, everyone single one of us on this planet, make some kind of impact every single day,” Goodall said. “We have a choice of what kind of impact we’re going to make. We decided that because everything’s interrelated on this planet, that each group of Roots and Shoots would choose their own project.”

Projects can focus on any matter that is “near and dear” to the hearts of those involved including animals or the environment, Goodall said.

UNT professor Randy Loftis led the Q&A session that followed the lecture. A VIP event followed at Gateway Center featuring only vegetarian food as Goodall herself has been a vegetarian for many years.

Environmental science Ph.D. candidate Jared Williams was invited to the lecture as a member of the We Mean Green Fund for sustainability at UNT. “It was amazing to finally get to hear the wonderful Jane Goodall and the words of inspiration and with a small seed of hope — we can all make a difference,” Williams said. “That’s what we at the We Mean Green Fund are trying to advocate for, what we’re working toward through the help of the student body is to make a difference through sustainability.”

While discussing the state of the earth and environment, Goodall translated a saying from a Native American tribe.

“We haven’t inherited this planet from our parents, we’ve borrowed it from our children,” Goodall said.

“But we have not borrowed our children’s future, we have been stealing it. We’re still stealing it today.

But I don’t believe it is too late, I believe there is a window of time.”

President Neal Smatresk said it can be easy to sometimes forget sustainability in our world and that Goodall’s lecture could not have come at a better time.

“It isn’t often you get to hear from a legend and what she’s done is certainly legendary,” Smatresk said.

“She gives a message of hope and inspiration, which I think we need in times when the environment’s in danger. I think it reinforces an ethic and value that we hold dear and, from my perspective, it was a timely reminder of our environmental accountability.”

Born in London in 1934, Goodall first traveled to Kenya in 1957 and soon became a secretary for Leakey, who later arranged funding for Goodall to study at Cambridge University. There, she obtained a Ph.D. in ethology and became only the eighth person to ever obtain a Ph.D. without having completed any prior degrees.

Goodall said one of the things that gives her hope for the future is technology, and young people and their minds, noting that young people “are already changing the world as we speak.”

After traveling the world, Goodall said she now has questions about what humans are doing to the environment and their motives behind it.

“So how is it possible that with this intellect we destroy the only planet we have?” Goodall said.

“Have we lost the wisdom? In the old days people would say, ‘How does this decision I make today affect future generations?’ Now it’s all about, ‘How does it affect me now, me and my family or the next political campaign?’ I truly believe it’s only when head and heart work in harmony that we can obtain our true human potential — and our human potential is huge.”

An executive board promoted assistant fire chief Kenneth Hedges to fire chief, Denton City Manager Todd Hileman announced on March 26. The promotion marks Denton’s first internal fire chief appointment in 31 years. The new position starts on April 14.

Hedges will replace Robin Paulsgrove who held the position since October 2014.

“I am turning it over to a great leader that is dedicated and will make a significant difference for our citizens,” Paulsgrove said during a city council meeting where he was awarded for his service.

Mayor Chris Watts gave Paulsgrove a plaque for his service as fire chief. Watts said Paulsgrove was essential in the partnership with the emergency services district.

“You’ve maintained a great relationship with the fire association and all those men and women who are under your charge,” Watts told Paulsgrove. “You have left a great example of leadership, collaboration and cooperation. Your passion for your job and your people is extraordinary.”

The city of Denton started the selection process in January, which involved the review of 111 applicants.

These were narrowed to six finalists and Hedges was chosen by an executive board last week.

“This is a very exciting opportunity, not just for myself, but for the department,” Hedges said.

Hedges brings 23 years of public service and leadership experience to the job. He originally went to college seeking an agricultural degree. A family friend opened a fire academy and Hedges took the opportunity, leaving formal education.

“It’s one of those things where you don’t know from the outside if it is something you will adapt to, but it just adapted to my personality,” Hedges said.

He began working with the Sherman, Texas, Fire Department in 1995 before moving to Denton in 1996, starting as an entry-level firefighter then moving through the ranks. Hedges served as a fire driver, captain and battalion chief.

“The bottom line is that you learn from everything you do,” Hedges said. “Advance not just your career but your skills and knowledge, and build these in order to perform at a higher capacity.”

Hedges decided to continue his education at West Texas A&M University where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Emergency Management. He was also chosen to attend the Fire Service Executive Development Institute through the International Fire Chief Association, a three-week leadership development class in Washington, D.C. Hedges was one of 21 fire representatives across the nation to attend. He said he hopes the experience

will help with his new position as fire chief.

The fire chief position involves developing a direction for the department, strategic planning and organizational development.

“I go into it cautious but optimistic as well,” Hedges said. “It’s a sense of opportunity and excitement honestly. [I’m excited] to see what I can do for the vision of this department.”

Hedges says the hardest part of his job is the changes in what it entails.

“The running joke is if the police department won’t do it then call the fire department,” Hedges said.

Throughout his career, Hedges has helped citizens when smoke detectors go off, fixed bursting water lines and helped a cat in a tree. He says it offers a variety of experiences and can bring something new every day.

The job involves 24-hour shifts but Hedges tries to find time for his family. He has a wife and three children. One of his children is employed with the Frisco Fire Department and another is looking to follow a similar path.

“You have to define your professional life, which is your work, with your personal,” Hedges said. “You can’t have your professional override your personal and that’s one thing I’m a huge advocate of.”

Hedges said he enjoys serving the community.

He is working with the Denton Independent School District and North Central Texas College to start a high school fire academy. The intent is to have students graduate from high school and be certified as a firefighter and EMT. In his current position, Hedges has managed 176 employees and served as the project manager for $20 million in capital improvement projects.

“It’s a culmination of not just helping citizens, but the advantage of having a career where after 21 years you still look forward to going to work every day to see what kind of impact or difference you can make,” Hedges said.

Kenneth Hedges was appointed fire chief for the Denton Fire Department. Hedges will begin his new position on April 14. Mallory Cammarata

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Alpaca bag for a weekend at B&B ALPACA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 together and exchange what Patrick calls Irish jokes to keep the mood light.

“He invited us to come back for the shearing,” guest Stephanie Manear said. “We love it here.

He’s such a good innkeeper, and the animals are definitely a plus.

This is a very unique one.”

The Old Irish Bed and Breakfast was opened in August 2012 by Patrick and his wife, Rita Patrick. Before establishing it, Patrick had a long stint working in consulting and business operations with big corporations like American Airlines and General Electric. The two were looking at properties, but Patrick said his path quickly took a turn when the two became victims of mortgage fraud.

“We had a huge home in McKinney that we had sold on a lease purchase,” Patrick said.

“It came back to us. [It was] in the height of the mortgage fraud that was going on, and when it came back to us, [we realized] people were selling homes fraudulently.”

As a result, Patrick said the entire home lost its value, forcing them to pay to get rid of the house. After taking a short trip down to South Padre, the idea to start a bed and breakfast was sparked.

“We stopped at a bed and breakfast, [and] it was terribly run,” Patrick said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘With what we have left, we could do this better.’”

As the farm and the bed and breakfast began growing in size and development, Patrick said bringing in alpacas felt almost like fate.

“I didn’t know what alpacas were [at first],” Patrick said. “We went out to look at a place up in Gunter that had alpacas. The first one I looked at was called ‘Lonestar Trinity.’ Now mind you, I live on North Trinity Road.

The shamrock is representative of the Trinity, and here’s Lonestar Trinity just looking at me.”

Ever since then, Patrick said he fell in love with the animals.

“They don’t bite you,” Patrick said. “They’ll cuddle with you.”

After the shearing, Patrick collects the f leece and creates rugs he sells to various customers. He even has an Etsy page for them. Patrick said this is a kind of harvest for the farm.

As for the rest of the bed and breakfast, the experience is just as unique. Patrick said the two began looking at tiny houses, but found they were too expensive for the amount of homes they wanted to have.

“Also, anybody over the age of 30 wasn’t going too climb up into the wall,” Patrick said.

Instead, throughout the property, there are a collection of manufactured homes Patrick said are eco-friendly. The property utilizes solar energy, LED lights and water collection, an aspect that Patrick said he has been passionate about.

“If we’re going to be good custodians of the environment,

then it all starts here,” Patrick said. “We do that to make ourselves different.”

Now, Patrick said the property is a place where people can experience a bit of romance and get away from the chaos, even if it may be for a short while.

“80 percent of our guests come from one to one and a half hour away, so there are a lot of getaway-type vacations,” Patrick said.

With the stress of current events, Patrick said he hopes guests can simply have fun with the alpacas.

“We don’t make that much money off the business here,” Patrick said. “It’s rewarding for us to keep the people happy. It’s rewarding to us to be able to get rid of the stress. There’s too much stress going on right now.”

Top: Mike Fagan demonstrates the proper way to prepare and shear an alpaca to the Old Irish Bed and Breakfast staff in Denton.

Right:The Bed and Breakfast was opened in August 2012 by Jim and Rita Patrick. Photos by Kelsey Shoemaker

Robson Ranch seeks ways to give back through creativity

By Xaviera Hernandez @xavierahndz A quick 15-minute drive southwest of UNT lies a retirement community called Robson Ranch. Here, three groups of women gather weekly in the Bluebonnet Room to create donations for those in need in Denton. The Yarn Divas, the Material Girls and the Sassy Stampers fill room 104 with love, laughter and lively conversation.

“Some people come for the artwork, others for the camaraderie and some for the charity,” Material Girls member Lucy Rees said.

All three groups have been in existence for years — some for over a decade.

The Yarn Divas were established at Robson Ranch 15 years ago, before there was even a Creative Arts and Technology Center at Robson Ranch to congregate in. They dedicate their

time to knitting, crocheting and needlework of the utmost detail.

Initially, the group formed due to shared interests, but it quickly transformed into something greater — family.

“They’re so talented,” said Mary Nordenson, Robson Ranch resident and leader of the Yarn Divas. “I just have to pinch myself everyday. So talented.”

The women possess unexpected backgrounds and life experiences, varying from person to person. Yet, they meld well together, feeding off each other’s animated and charismatic energies.

One member, Robson Ranch resident Patty Silver, has even been recognized in national magazines for her extraordinary needlepoint.

Nordenson commented that her house is covered in colorful tapestries.

This feat is even more remarkable considering the fact she was born blind and only recently regained her sight in one

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eye as an adult after her children had fully grown.

Silver maintains an optimistic view on life, commenting that when people ask her how she remains so happy, she responds with “because I lived.”

Knit beginnings Renown American fantasy author Sasha Miller aided in founding the group all those years ago when she became a resident at Robson Ranch. She reminisces about those who have come and gone, recalling when she passed the torch of Yarn Divas to Mary and commenting on the various talents the group possesses.

Not only do their talents reflect on their work, but their open and giving hearts reflect on their goodwill. Miller mentioned that though charity work was not the inceptive cause for the creation of the group, it has always sought to improve the quality of life in their communities. “[The charity work] just sort of arose,” Miller said. “I kept telling them, ‘Here we are. We are not rich people, but we are comfortable.’ There are a lot of people in this community who are dirt poor — which came as a big surprise to me when I found out about it.”

The Yarn Divas partner with Robson Ranch’s chapter of the Kiwanis Club, another group dedicated to helping others, specializing in children’s charities. Many of the members, or partners of the of the Yarn Divas, Material Girls and Sassy Stampers are a part of this group as well, and donate items to the Kiwanis Drive.

The Yarn Divas focus primarily on items that will ease the minds of those preoccupied with more important issues.

“I [think] it behooves us to share [what we have] and do what we can to ease their lives,” Miller said. “So that is exactly what we are doing, and it’s taken off from there.”

The items include baby hats and blankets for the Texas Presbyterian Hospital maternity ward, children’s hats for after schoolers during cold temperatures and lap blankets and shawls for Denton County

Friends of the Family and a variety of other nursing homes.

Part-time mentor at Borman Elementary School Myra Johnson confirms their work makes her feel like she’s doing something useful. She recounts when volunteering at Borman, there were many children in need of appropriate winter clothing, to the point where she brought a bag full of winter caps to disperse among the students she mentored.

“It’s nice to know that you’re doing something with your time [that] somebody’s [going to] benefit from,” Johnson said.

Material girls in a not-so material world Yarn Divas is not alone in its efforts to assist those in need, however. The majority of the textiles produced by the Material Girls are also donated to organizations dedicated to the betterment of the wellbeing of humanity around the globe.

“I believe quilts bring people together and that our group, the Material Girls, is one of the best groups at Robson Ranch,” resident Nancy Myers said.

Founded by Marguerite Rose 14 years ago, Material Girls is similar to the Yarn Divas in that it commenced as an outlet for the creative energies of the members of the community. This group is mainly comprised of open sewing and quilting rather than knitting,

crocheting and needlework, however.

They concern themselves not only with aiding the local communities of Denton but with reaching as far as they can in the global community.

These global functions are accomplished through two charities, one of which sends quilts to Kenya. The other sends pillowcase dresses to Honduras in Central America.

Material Girls is known for going the extra mile. The group initially promised to send four quilts to Kenya, according to resident Lucy Rees, but they ended up sending at least 30 when they were finished.

They have not only donated to those two international charities, but have also donated to a number of local organizations: Texas Oncology in Denton, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Support the Troops, Cumberland Children’s Home, Child Protective Services, Afterschoolers and Cook’s County.

“It makes me feel good to know that I’ve helped somebody in any way I can,” Myers said.

Sassy seniors The Sassy Stampers also dedicate their time to causes helping those who desire it. They use their talents to create a variety of cards expressing a multitude of messages.

Myers asserts that one of the most “sentimental projects” was Operation Baby Box, in which the Sassy Stampers created greeting cards for the pregnant wives of deployed soldiers, as well as a greeting card for the designated spouse that revealed a baby was coming.

The Operation Shower Baby Box Program is a charity that all three Robson Ranch community clubs participated in assisting.

Additionally, the Material Girls contribute to this Baby Shower basket through quilts, receiving blankets and burp cloths. Finally, the Yarn Divas included knitted and crocheted blankets, baby hats, booties, sweaters and baby bibs. Washcloths and other small products were provided in the packages as well.

Together, the three groups of women create a powerhouse force to be reckoned with.

“To a lot of the members, [the charity work] is what they live for,” Rees said.

Each and every woman enthused their fulfillment regarding the charity work their respective group performs. The one most mantra they all share is to keep focus on the important things. “[It’s important to] look at what you have instead of what [you] don’t have,” Silver said.

Material Girls members show unfinished projects passed down through their families during the trunk show portion of the group. The members aim to finish these unfinished products which hold sentimental value. Isabel Anes

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Page 5

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018

Black Out Alliance bridges gaps

By Claie Lin @claire_grace_ Just over a month ago, UNT students Sydney-Marie ValentineParris and Brooke Roberson started an organization called the Black Out Alliance as a way to bring awareness and bridge the connection between the black and LGBTQ communities due to a void of representation in this area.

Fast forward to this Monday night, and the new organization successfully hosted their very first meeting called “I’m Black and I’m PRIDE” in partnership with UNT’s NAACP chapter, with a hefty number of people in attendance.

“I am so ready to see the black community be an ally and advocate for another oppressed community,” political science major Eolian Ogpu said.

Many of the members of the NAACP were also part of the LGBTQ community, while others were students who just came to learn more as the meeting addressed what it means to be tolerant, accepting and an ally to the LGBTQ community.

The Black Out Alliance has been met with great support and enthusiasm, especially on social media outlets such as Twitter.

Valentine-Parris and Roberson are a black couple who are also part of

the LGBTQ community. Their drive to create Black Out stemmed from the personal experiences they had on campus.

“During our time at UNT, we never felt like we completely fit into any of the organizations we came across,” Valentine-Parris said. “In predominantly white organizations, we felt ‘too black.’ In predominantly black organizations, we felt ‘too gay.’”

The two quickly sought to change things on campus after they both realized they felt this way.

“UNT was missing a safe space and organization that addressed the black community and LGBTQ community at the same time,” Valentine-Paris said.

They didn’t see it, so they created it themselves.

The organization’s first gathering was only a glimpse of many more to come, as the meeting was a balance of heavy discussion and light laughter and entertaining activities.

Much of the conversation steered toward tolerance and acceptance, the differentiate between the two terms and what it means to be an ally to the LGBTQ community.

“Tolerance does not equal acceptance,” Roberson said. “A lot of people like to think that they are one and the same, but they are not.

You can tolerate someone while still being homophobic and transphobic.

Selective tolerance is also a thing as

The Black Out Alliance plans to facilitate inspiring events and have honest discussions to increase the growth of alliance. TJ Webb

well, where you can feel as though you are only tolerant of one section of the community.”

The conversation also lingered while on the topic of religion and the LGBTQ community and the age-old debate of the problems between the two groups.

The remainder of the meeting was spent expanding on the various ways one can support and be an ally to the LGBTQ community. The list included: not tolerating disrespect and promoting respect, asking for and respecting pronouns and treading cautiously in regards to confidentiality and disclosure of another person’s sexual identity. Students murmured in agreement and snapped in place of applause as those in attendance displayed a sense of solidarity for others’ hurts, woes and triumphs.

“Being an ally is actually fighting for the community,” Roberson said.

The UNT Black Out Alliance will be hosting a general meeting at 7 p.m. on April 23 (at a to be determined location) to give students a chance to get to know more about the organization. This semester will carry most of the groundlaying foundational work that the organization needs in order to become more established.

Next semester, they plan on having biweekly meetings to address various black and LGBTQ topics.

“We aim to educate everyone on issues that are often swept under the rug in the black community,” Valentine-Parris said. “Specifically, we want to provide a support system because this intersection of identities is unfortunately not talked about enough, which directly leads to severe underrepresentation.”

Alongside the heavier, more serious topics, the organization will also be hosting a plethora of fun events next semester, including movie screenings, game nights and “speed meeting” — what Valentine-Parris calls the “inclusive twist on a classic.”

Although the organization seeks to the bridge the understanding between two specific communities of people, anyone is invited to come to these meetings and events.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable coming to our meetings, despite race or sexual orientation,” Valentine-Parris said.

Hope Scott sings and plays guitar. Scott instructs private and group lessons at Coyote Music Studio. Will Baldwin

Coyote Music Company uses music therapy to assist with motor skills COYOTE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 nervousness of the thought.

Using music as a form of therapy is a new idea to many, and many options aren’t out there. Texas only has less than 250 music therapists in the state, and Denton ISD only has two. Despite this, music therapy has been found to be very successful.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, who suffered from a gunshot wound after the 2011 Tuscon shooting, credits music therapy as one of the reasons she relearned how to talk.

“I’ve had a kid who unfortunately couldn’t continue,” Blum said. “But he was able to go back to public school, which means he made progress in his therapy.”

The underscoring on music in schools once a child starts middle school is something Blum wants to change and has been trying to implement since she’s been a teacher.

“I want to have a place where people with special needs can come together,” Blum said.

Parents who have children with special needs, kids who are being home schooled and want to be around other children socially and kids who are having behavioral issues at school are welcome

UNT Students face-to-face with City, County, State candidates for office

MEET THE CANDIDATES

at Coyote Music Studio.

Starting on April 14, Coyote Studio will be teaming up with the Juice Lab to host open mic nights for children 17 and under. Kids will be able to sing, play instruments, recite poetry and any other performance-based act they come up with. With summer being right around the corner, Coyote Music Studio will also host 10-week summer sessions for kids ages 5 to 11 that will end with a recital.

Blum will also offer a music performance class for teens and young adults over the summer.

“This is such a good thing for kids,” Scott said. “What we want to do is be a mentor to kids and create a safe space for them, there are times where they might open up to us about stuff they don’t open up to their parents about.”

Coyote Music Studio is more than just a music studio where you can learn how to play an instrument. Kids, teens and adults can build relationships with each other to help achieve goals while using music as an outlet.

“Tonya’s vision for Coyote Music Studio was an inspiration to help others learn and grow in music,” Blum’s boyfriend Randy Lincoln said. “We like to be an example that music is not only something you do but that it is a way of life.”

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Throwers emerge to lead in outdoor season

By Stefan Washington @stefans_world97 Mean Green track and field is reaching the middle point of their outdoor season, and so far, the throwers have led the way for this young team.

Sophomore javelin thrower Kristyn Archuleta, junior javelin thrower Javier Lopez-Ibarra and sophomore discus and shot put thrower Karl Sralla are at the core of this team’s success.

“Mostly I think it started in the fall,” throwing coach Brandon Kelso said. “The more work you put in, the more your body learns what to do.”

Archuleta has already won C-USA freshmen of the week and has broken several school and personal records this season.

This success is somewhat of a surprise to her as she did not start throwing until a few years ago, perhaps making her achievments even more impressive to her team.

“I started throwing at the end of my sophomore year in high school,” Archuleta said. “I threw in like two competitions, then I started taking it seriously my senior year.”

Kelso was excited to recruit young talent like Archuleta and Sralla for the team. Their efforts have led to competitive outings throughout the season.

On March 24, Archuleta and Sralla both finished first in the men’s and women’s javelin, respectively, at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“I wanted to be competitive in all four of the throwing events,” Kelso said. “We don’t throw the javelin in Texas high schools, so I started a search in the states around us and found [Archuleta]

in New Mexico. While getting to know her, I found out she hasn’t thrown for long, but she was an all-state basketball player, holding multiple school records. I knew she was a good athlete. She is just scratching the surface of how good she can be.”

As someone with a past of playing multiple sports, this translates to her javelin skills on the field.

“I played basketball, volleyball and softball,” Archuleta said.

“With softball, I got good at throwing because I was an outfielder, and I think the other sports just made me a better athlete. It make it easier to adapt to javelin.”

Sralla, meanwhile, throws in two different events — discus and shot put. In discus, he has finished top six in three of his four outdoor meets this year.

While in javelin, he has finished first and sixth in two meets.

“For me it all started in the summer,” Sralla said. “I stayed [in Denton] and worked with our strength coach. I developed my strength over the summer and focused on a couple key parts of throwing far in the discus. I feel like you need a baseline of strength to throw the discus, and then your technique is what gets you to throw even further.”

While Sralla bulked up, Kelso noticed an improvement in his mental maturity.

“Karl has been throwing the discuss well for a long time,” Kelso said. “He’s built in that confidence of knowing that if something’s not going right, he can get back on track when he needs it. He can still be a strong competitor even if it is not always a personal best.”

The coaches have relied on

Javier Lopez-Ibarra Rick Yeatts Photography/Colin Mitchell his consistency throughout the season to provide points during his one or two events every week.

It is nothing new for Sralla, though. He has been at discus and javelin throwing for years on end, which has accumulated to his fruitful season.

“I started in the seventh grade,” Sralla said. “It’s kind of in the family. My dad threw, and I am kind of continuing that.

I think it takes a long time to hone in on the right things to do and perfect your technique, and when I was 15 years old, I traveled to Sweden to compete in the world youth games and

got third place. You get used to throwing in front of people, and you use that energy into throwing further.”

Finally, Lopez-Ibarra is the new record holder at North Texas as he broke the school record for a javelin throw at the TCU Invitational on March 17 with a throw of 66.55.

That was one of his two first place finishes so far this outdoor season.

Back in his freshman season in 2016, he earned six top-ten finishes and had six top-five finishes in 2017.

His work along with his years

of training have finally led to the dominant outdoor season he is having in 2018.

“In my opinion, the key was the technical adjustments we did during the fall as well as in the weight room, which is an important part of javelin,” LopezIbarra said. “I’ve been throwing for about six years.”

Archuleta and Lopez-Ibarra train together frequently which has contributed to their joint success this year in the sport of javelin. The encouragement and tips the two provide to each other is felt almost every day in practice or meets.

“If you have a partner, you can see what they are doing right, then you try to do it the same way,” Lopez-Ibarra said.

This trio leads the throwers at North Texas and have set high expectations for themselves while doing so. That success does not satisfy them, though, as they strive to improve heading into the late stages of the season.

“They [all] worked hard in the fall, and things just started to make sense,” Kelso said. “Our group wants to be good, and they’ve seen the success of the program, so they are continuing to buy in and put in the work.”

Fuller, Lawson transfer from North Texas Powerful bats lead softball in home win over Huskies

By Matthew Brune @Mattbrune25

On Tuesday afternoon, about two hours apart, redshirt sophomore forward Khalil Fuller and sophomore guard A.J. Lawson both announced they were leaving the North Texas men’s basketball team via Twitter.

Fuller’s tweet: “The last 3 years at UNT have been the most life changing for me. I would like to thank my coaches and my teammates for supporting me and pushing me to become the best version of myself that I have ever been. At this time it hurts me to say I will be leaving UNT. I will never forget the love I have received from everyone but currently it is best for me to be closer to home. Thank you.

GO MEAN GREEN!!” (sic) Lawson’s tweet: “First I would like to thank god because without him I wouldn’t be able to play the game I Love today. I’ve had the privilege to meet so many unbelievable people here on my journey North Texas the past two years and I’m blessed and thankful to have come into contact with everyone so far. I would like to thank Coach Bendford as well at Coach Mac for giving me the opportunity to represent the Mean Green but after talking with my family I have asked for my release from North Texas.

Thank you. GMG” (sic) Fuller spent three seasons at North Texas, playing his first and third seasons, while redshirting his second season.

In his two years, the 6-foot 8-inch Fuller appeared in 48 games, and started 12 games all in his freshman campaign. He totaled 86

points in his career and 81 rebounds in his North Texas career.

Fuller is from Moreno Valley, California and looks to return home to finish his college career.

Lawson was an essential part of the 20172018 team, finishing third on the team in scoring at 9.0 points per game on 41.2 percent shooting.

The 6-foot 5-inch Lawson played the whole season with a hampered wrist, resulting in lowered shooting percentages from

his freshman campaign, but he remained effective off the dribble, shooting nearly 46 percent inside the arc.

At 4.9 rebounds per game, Lawson finished third on the team in rebounds but also finished second on the team in turnovers at 2.0 per game. He had the second highest usage rate on the team at 23.6 percent.

Both of them were not players head coach Grant McCasland brought in, but were recruits of former coach Tony Benford.

Khalil Fuller File

A.J. Lawson File

Women’s golf to face Conference USA foes GOLF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 more adaptive of any circumstance. The team has built resilience in the face of hardship, which makes their success more satisfying and prepares them for any condition.

“We played in a lot of tournaments and there’s never been a tournament this [season] that has been a normal tournament,” junior Sol Lee said. “There’s always unexpected things. I feel like all those tournaments, and all those hardships, have really prepared me for this final tournament.”

Keeping the team motivated is their belief that they can pull off a championship level performance, leading to a successful season.

“I really think there are

some teams that can really win, including us,” Akers said. “Just have to have a really good week and see what happens.”

Although the ultimate goal is to win it all, Akers still stresses the importance of the bigger picture of the teams improvement, both individually and as whole. As always he looks for consistency, making his advice to the girls simple.

“Manage mistakes, minimize bogeys, play confident and play smart,” Akers said. “Along with that a lot of positive reinforcement, it’s real nice when the team is encouraging each other even though golf is an individual sport. It’s all about peaking at the right time so the last few tournaments we’ve done really well in the final round but

we want to talk about that and build on that and try to have three solid rounds and get in good position.”

North Texas prepared all season leading up to this tournament and have been able to do so by playing a competitive schedule. For instance, their past two tournaments have hosted multiple top 50 teams in the country and resulted in lower finishes as a team, but not lower scores or confidence.

“We played against very difficult competition all year, and I do that on purpose,” Akers said.

“I want a really difficult schedule because by the time we get to conference it feels a lot easier.”

These experiences encouraged the team to have confidence in themselves and to trust

their game. Their view of their potential is built on previous accomplishments in earlier tournaments.

“From what I saw in the last tournament, I feel like my game is starting to come together,” Lee said. “I’m really excited to play, and I feel really confident about how I’m going to do.”

The team looks forward to playing at the Conference USA Championship next week because it’s what they have prepared for since the first tournament. None of the other results matter to them.

Now, they head to Florida ready to prove themselves among the conference’s elite.

“I feel good,” Akers said.

“We’re just really excited to get down there.”

By Matthew Brune @Mattbrune25

Eight extra base hits headlined North Texas’ performance as the Mean Green outlasted Houston Baptist University at home Wednesday night in a nonconference contest, 9-5.

Behind a four-run bottom of the first, North Texas (22-17) jumped on the Huskies (7-23) early, leading to their ninth win in 11 games.

“Today was a hitter’s ballpark,” Kee told meangreensports.com.

“It was one where if you got any kind of lift [the ball] was going to leave. Offensively, this lineup just keeps it going. Top to bottom there is not an easy out.”

Houston Baptist hit two home runs of their own off freshman pitcher Maria Priest. Priest ended allowing nine hits and four walks in 5.0 innings pitched.

Fellow freshman Hope Trautwein came in in the fifth inning to relieve Priest and closed the game pitching the final two innings and did not allow a hit and only one walk with three strikeouts.

“They were being really aggressive as hitters,” Priest told meangreensports.com. “My goal was to work on making good pitches and let my defense work behind me and trusting my offense to get me run support, and they did.”

The Huskies cut the deficit to 7-5 in the fifth inning with a three-run burst, forcing Kee to change pitchers after Priest held Houston Baptist at bay for five innings and constantly got out of tough situations.

The Huskies ended the game leaving 10 players on base.

“Credit to HBU, to come in here and compete the way they did, it was tough calling to them,” Kee told meangreensports.com. “They did not roll over no matter how many runs we were putting up, they responded.”

Seven North Texas players registered an extra base hit and

while nine runs is not a dominant outing, it was more than enough to get the job done against the pesky Houston Baptist team.

Sophomore Hannah Rebar brought in a huge home run in the fifth inning and recorded two RBIs in the win.

“We’ve been working on putting good swings on good pitches and keeping our weight back and we executed well tonight,” Rebar told meangreensports.com. “We were really focused on at least punching one more run in the fifth to really let [Hope] settle in.”

Sophomore second baseman Lacy Gregory was the lone player for North Texas to record two extra-base hits with a double and a triple as she went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the four spot in the lineup.

Joining the multi-RBI party was sophomore center fielder Katie Clark who hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning, bringing in sophomore right fielder who got on base with no outs.

While Kee and her staff stress small ball often in games and practices, these type of power explosions seem to be happening more and more often as the season wears on.

“Coach Kotz before the game focused on getting balls up and hitting in the gaps,” Gregory told meangreensports.com.

“We’re never trying to hit home runs, but it’s nice to get them sometimes, and the balls were falling in today.”

The win moves the Mean Green’s home record to 12-10 on the season and continues the momentum the team has built up over the past two weeks. Now they head back into conference play this weekend and look to remain atop the Conference USA standings.

“We have the utmost trust in our offense,” Kee told meangreensports.com. “If the pitchers can keep it as minimal as possible this offense will get going and we’ve been starting quick [recently].”

NTDAILY.COM

Page 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018

Kee snatches 800th win with weekend series sweep

By Jordan James @JordanJamesTV After a commanding win against Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, North Texas concluded their three game road series Sunday with a doubleheader ending in with 9-0 then 7-4 wins on the road.

Not only was it a weekend of wins for the Mean Green, but it was historic evening for head coach Tracey Kee, who clinched her 800th career win, making her one of 32 actives coaches to do so.

“I think that’s attributed to all of the great student-athletes that I’ve coached over the years,” Kee said. “Without them, 800

wouldn’t be possible. I’m just grateful to have the job that I do, the career that I do and to be able to make an impact on people.”

Those players who Kee leads on daily bases continued their dominance in game one of the doubleheader, holding Mississippi Valley scoreless for the second consecutive game.

North Texas 9, Mississippi Valley 0 As frigid temperatures made their way across the area, the only thing that was hot for the Mean Green early on was freshman Maria Priest’s pitching. The freshman pitched a complete game allowing only two

North Texas junior Rhylie Makawe swings in a game against Sam Houston State University on April 4 at Lovelace Stadium.

Sara Carpenter

Makawe’s personality thrives

By Luis Diosdado @Luis_diosdado9 On March 24, North Texas was on the verge of blowing a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning to Conference USA rival, Louisiana Tech in a pivotal meeting between two of the top teams record-wise in the conference.

The bases were loaded with only one out as North Texas led 4-3. A base hit could have easily tied the game or even put the Lady Techsters ahead.

The following Louisiana Tech hitter ripped the ball dangerously down the right field line, but junior first baseman Rhylie Makawe was waiting for it. Makawe snagged the the line drive out of the air and quickly turned around, dove full extension and tagged first base to complete the game saving double play.

The play once again proved what her coaches and teammates have said of Makawe all season.

“Rhylie is one of the most passionate and grittiest kids I’ve ever coached, and I have been in the profession for over 27 years,” head coach Tracey Kee said. “She’s just special. You never have to question her energy or focus.”

Halfway through her junior season, Makawe has established herself as one of the true leaders of the team. Her .317 average is good for third best on the team.

But it’s not her numbers that make her who she is.

“We feed off of her energy,” Kee said. “Rhylie is the most consistent with it, and a lot of that stems from the fact she wants to win and understands

the importance of being part of the team, and she has to sacrifice herself for her teammates.”

Coming from Aledo, Texas, Makawe’s recruiting journey was rather unique. Despite living less than an hour from Denton, it wasn’t until Makawe was in another tournament out of the state that she was noticed by Kee. “She had kind of been secretly watching me,” Makawe said.

“She finally showed interest at a tournament in Colorado and I was like, ‘Wow we’re only like 10 hours away.’”

Makawe admits that the close distance to her hometown was the biggest reason for her decision to come to North Texas, but that does not take away from the fact that she was still very excited to enter such a welcoming program.

“It was nice being so close to home, so it’s easy for my family to come watch me play, but it was also just the unique personality of coach Kee,” Makawe said.

However, Makawe was not the only prospect on her high school team that Kee was watching.

Medical redshirt junior pitcher Lauren Craine has been by the side of Makawe since their younger years and achieved their dream of playing collegiate softball together.

“Rhylie and I have been close for a really long time now,” Craine said. “We started playing when we were really young, so I consider one of my really close friends, and I love her to death.”

Being the closest to her, Craine has also noticed the changes that Makawe has made since her high school days. Throughout

their four year run at Aledo High School, Makawe was not the everyday first baseman like she is now for the Mean Green.

It has been a role Makawe has grown into after her younger years.

“She played second base in high school primarily and outfielder when we were growing up,” Craine said. “So seeing her transition into this awesome first baseman has been really cool.”

Makawe’s personality plays a big factor on the field for the Mean Green, but her unselfish and “dirtbag” type of play style — as Kee calls it — models what Mean Green softball is all about.

She has been a perfect leader and presence for Kee and the coaching staff with her mentality.

“If you focus solely on individual purposes, that’s just not what a team is about,” Makawe said. “If you want to go far, you can’t go as an individual. It takes everyone.”

Now, in her third year with the program and with 128 starts under her belt, Makawe has developed into one of the leaders of the team.

And Kee is not the only one who has noticed. Makawe catches the eye of just about any team every time North Texas steps out on to the field and does not even have to put up big numbers to accomplish that.

“If you can have an entire team of kids like her, I think every coach in the nation would want that,” Kee said. “When other coaches talk about your first baseman and how they play the game right, it’s a compliment to her, our program and our university.”

Mean Green softball head coach Tracey Kee gives her team a pep talk before the start of their game against Grambling State. Sara Carpenter

hits out of 21 opposing at bats for the entire game.

“I really focused on working on my pitches and hitting my spots,” Priest said. “I thought I did a nice job keeping the hitters off balance for the most part and letting my defense work behind me.”

During the fourth inning, North Texas snapped out of their slump and the bats started heating up.

Sophomore outfielder Hanna Rebar delivered a triple to start it, putting her in scoring position. On the ensuing at bat, junior outfielder Hannah Gerecke doubled and brought in Rebar, giving the Mean Green a two-run lead.

After back-to-back three run inning in the fifth and sixth, the Mean Green went up nine and never looked back.

“Anytime you can get a shut out you can’t complain about your pitching,” Kee said. “It took the offense a bit to get going but once they got their timing, and second look I felt like they did a much better job.”

North Texas 7, Mississippi Valley 4 While game one was a breeze for the Mean Green, game two forced them to something they had not done all season, rally back after trailing for five innings.

Down 2-0 entering the second inning, sophomore Lindsay Gregory stepped to the plate and put North Texas on the board with a solo homer to left field.

Three innings later, trailing 4-1, with runners on the corner, Gregory hit a triple to bring in two more runs.

North Texas eventually went on to score four more runs in the sixth and sealed the win and the sweep of the weekend series.

“It was really good weekend for us as far as getting everything up and going and finding a way to win those game,” Gregory said.

Men’s golf enters postseason play with confident mindset

By Joshua Paveglio @joshpaveglio North Texas often enters tournaments as underdogs when facing some of the nationally ranked teams in the country.

To some teams, it’s a daunting challenge to face this level of competition, but the Mean Green have prided themselves on embracing the challenge this presents.

This North Texas team was ranked No. 20 at one point in the early part of the season but have sat just outside the top 50 for a majority of the season.

It starts with their mindset according to head coach Brad Stracke.

“The team’s improved dramatically with their mindset, [considering] who we’ve competed against and beat,” Stracke said. “They know we can compete with anybody, it’s just a matter of playing well and to the best of their ability, they’ve improved a lot throughout the year.”

A part of their confidence is from the challenging schedule they have faced throughout the year. Despite having a twotime Conference USA Golfer of the Week in junior Ian Snyman and other quality players, they often do not finish as high as the ranked competition, but this does not bother them. They shoot their course and it has gotten them to the highest ranked team in C-USA. In their most recent tournament, the Aggie

Invitational, the Mean Green faced eight teams ranked in the top 31 in the country and finished only four shots back of the No.6 team in the country, Texas Tech University.

Stracke believes the team has done well to learn this no fear mindset as they continue to grow their game along with their confidence.

“Each tournament they’ve gotten better, they’ve learned what their process is and their strengths and weaknesses and improving on those weaknesses,” Stracke said. “This has just made them more confident.”

Having a short memory is something the Mean Green stresses in every competition because golf is an individual sport where the individual mentality can alter their swing or approach to a hole.

Stracke said that it’s a hard trait to teach coaching golf, but the team has done well to learn to forget the bad and continue with the tournament, regardless how they shoot on a specific hole.

It has been a long process for Stracke and the team, and it’s not been easy to learn, but once the players embrace forgetful mindset they can exert their best game on the course more often.

“It’s just part of the game to forget the bad shots and remember the good ones, it’s a big part of the process that we talk about,” Stracke said. “I teach a post shot routine that I always talk about, you have to hit a good shot before you leave, and remember you made that last

shot. It’s a constant battle that these guys have to work on all the time.”

It’s a battle the team is slowly winning, which will be essential heading into the Conference USA tournament in the coming weeks.

Over time, the mindset Stracke teaches on and off the course is translating to their games in tournaments.

“Their improvement on their mindset [improves] tournament to tournament,” Stracke said.

“We talk about subconscious and the process, just a lot of things we go over all year just to get the guys at the highest level possible for the end of year and after they leave college. The confidence is a never-ending field and the mind in the sport of golf.”

As the season comes to a close, and the team nears the conference tournament, the confidence of the team they work on week-in and week-out is an aspect of the game they hope ca nhelp them make a championship push.

The conference tournament will take place starting on Sunday, April 22 in Texarkana, Arkansas.

North Texas is currently ranked first in C-USA further contributing to the confidence the team has.

They enter the tournament ranked No. 63 in the country, the highest in C-USA according to Golfstat.com.

“They know they can compete with anybody,” Stracke said.

“I know we are in really good shape going into the conference championship and going into the postseason.”

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OPINION Page 8

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Op-Ed: A message from your current SGA president

By Barrett Cole @BarrettACole The role as president of the Student Government Association is a commitment. It is a commitment to yourself to maintain a strong level of ethics, a commitment to all 30,000 members of the student body and a commitment to the campus community to leave it better than you found it.

For the student body, this is your time to listen, learn and compare. I recommend you treat the election period as an interview process. As members of the more than 30,000 student body, you have a say in who you would like to see in this position — this is not an opportunity you often get, so educate yourself and make your selection wisely. Ask the people running what their morals and ethics are, as that is what matters more than their previous titles. Someone can be trained how to do the managerial tasks, the email management and the attendance at meetings that come with the position, but someone cannot be taught how to make fair and equitable decisions, regardless if the audience is a roomful of peers or the president of the university.

It is my hope that the next person to fill my shoes advocates for students beyond social media, and by that I mean someone who will speak up for students respectfully and professionally. This position is about building relationships and advocating for students in a respectful manner. It is appropriate to disagree, if done so politely.

I hope UNT students will elect someone who they trust to advocate for them, even when that person is not in the public view.

A significant portion of this position relies on being a confident decisionmaker who considers all viewpoints.

As president, you are advocating for all 30,000 students — not just for yourself or the students who agree with you. For me, this position is so much more than a title — it is an honor, and it is one that should be given serious thought by you, the voter.

The reality of this position is that you spend many hours a week, sometimes more than 40, answering emails, attending meetings and performing managerial tasks that come with being a member of a team, all while going to classes and being a member of the student body.

As someone who has had the true honor of being an SGA senator, SGA vice president and SGA president, I would encourage every voter to base their vote on their gut feeling, not the most recognizable name on the ballot. This position is the most rewarding but also the most challenging endeavor I have taken on, and the decision as to who should lead should not be taken lightly as a voter.

With that said, please do not look past the role of your senators as they are the ones that represent you to your college dean. The SGA vice president runs the Student Senate and coordinates all legislative efforts, and your president serves as your spokesperson and is the face of the organization in the numerous meetings with Transportation, the Student Service Fee committee, Distinguished Lecture Series, Fine Arts Series, a Student Code of Conduct working group or various campus departments. Each office has an integral role to play, and each needs the other to be effective so the entire unit runs cohesively. If your values do not align with both the vice president and the president, then cast your vote elsewhere.

If you have questions about the roles within SGA, please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally at barrettcole@ my.unt.edu. I care deeply about the future success of this organization, and we need every student on this campus to engage in the voting process to ensure the future success of not only the Student Government Association, but the University of North Texas.

I have served my roles to the best of my ability, and I have put blood, sweat and tears into each of my positions on this campus. I want to personally thank every person who has helped me, trusted me and encouraged me to be the best I can be. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this amazing opportunity.

Courtesy | Barrett Cole

Spreading body-positive rhetoric all starts with the mannequins

By Maritza Ramos @maritzarara Shopping for clothes is a stressful ordeal for me.

With wide hips and incredibly short legs, pants are a nightmare.

Sleeves are often too tight, even

when the shirt fits the rest of my upper body. If I buy the shirt in a larger size for my arms, then the shirt becomes too big.

The point is, I tend to avoid shopping.

It doesn’t help that the stores display their clothes on mannequin bodies that do not look like and are not built like mine. It’s discouraging to walk by dozens and dozens of mannequins that are all the same shape and size.

An important part of retail, especially window shopping or advertising, relies on if the customer can see themselves in the clothes being advertised.

This is obviously difficult if all

mannequins are wearing a size two.

Recently, there have been improvements.

The Missguided Mannequin campaign ushered in diverselooking mannequins, ranging from hijabis to vitiligo.

It is a wonderful step in the right direction, and it shows that it is possible to have women feel represented and comfortable. Even though the mannequins were still an incredibly small size, it’s the start of a more inclusive fashion advertising industry.

Because, after all, there are women that happen to be a size zero or a size two. They are not the problem.

The whole situation becomes a true issue when that’s all we see, skewing fashion mannequin sizes and advertising more to one side than the other.

It is time for it to be finally be OK to not fit into a specific size of jeans, for one’s body to look and feel different. It should also be possible to find clothes to fit these kinds of bodies that happen to be as natural as a size two may be for someone else.

Breaking traditions is hard.

Uprooting a whole industry, rewiring the way professionals of this industry view their product, making clothes and market these clothes is a lot of work. It’s not right

that in 2018, a time of change in almost every field of life, women still cannot find clothes that are comfortable enough for them, made for them for their everyday lives.

Changing all of this, from the base, takes a sort of aggressive deconditioning, but the reward is in

the response.

Your customer base grows, the public feels like you stand for more than just an exclusive traditional brand fitting in with a larger and even more exclusive industry and you engage in a more challenging and diverse practice of fashion.

Illustration

by Gabby Evans

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