North Texas Daily - 09/15/2016

Celebrating 100 Years of Journalism Excellence VOL. 108 No.3

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Feds open investigation into UNT sexual assault UNT feels effects of Obama administration

By Sarah Sarder

Neal Smatresk, University of North Texas president, shows off his green tie at the State of the University in September 2015. Matthew Brown The University Union opened in 2015.

Paulina De Alva People congregate for the State of the University speech by Neal Smatresk, University of North Texas president, in September. 2015. Matthew Brown

State of the university

Smatresk to give UNT update in Murchison Performing Arts Center

By Tiffany Ditto President Neal Smatresk will lay out his plans for UNT over the course of the next year in what will be his eighth time giving the State of the University address.

In last year’s address, Smatresk outlined his hope that UNT will be among the top research institutions in the nation, known around the world for its excellence, creativity and innovation. Smatresk said that continuing to grow enrollment and improving retention would do this, growing federal research funding and expanding UNT’s reach in Dallas, Frisco and surrounding areas. This year, it will come as a surprise to most to see what Smatresk hopes for the University to accomplish.

“We’re three weeks into our new school year, and we already have so much to

celebrate,” Smatresk said, in a statement earlier this week. “The school year has started strong with an enrollment increase, another great freshman class and our first football win of the season.”

Looking back on last year’s goals, however, some were obtained and others weren’t.

Over this past year, Smatresk followed through on his promise he made in last year’s State of the University that UNT would gain recognition as a “tier one” university. Now, the next step in the process is to build more research facilities throughout campus.

“There is excitement and energy on campus as we hold our heads high as a Carnegie R1 university,” Smatresk said.

“We’re celebrating our progress and our future Thursday.”

UNT has also made strides to expand its reach to surrounding areas, but has had a

rocky start with some of its programs, such as the UNT law school. The law school has struggled to gain the accreditation it needs.

The accreditation is what allows students who graduate from the program to go on to become lawyers.

One issue that many students are on the fence about is the topic of parking, which was mentioned in last year’s address. At the time, UNT had added lots near Victory Hall as well as the lot off of Interstate 35. This semester, many students still have negative feelings towards UNT’s parking system, or lack thereof. For example, at the beginning of this semester the university took away the General and Premium parking passes and introduced “Eagle” parking passes, which cost more for students.

UNT spokesperson Margarita Venegas said that the president is probably still putting the final touches on his upcoming State of

What does the UNT student regent even do?

Using your student representatives as a resource

By Evan Groom As senior Christopher Lee enters his final year at UNT, he’s the student appointed to advise the UNT System Board of Regents on matters concerning the student body. As student regent, Lee is to help the nine-member board consider the students when making decisions that most certainly

affect students throughout the UNT System.

Lee is also the most recent Student Government Association vice president.

His leadership positions have granted him access to the presidential suite press box at football games and elevated him to be one of the faces of UNT leadership. Lee, along with other student leaders and university administrators, ate a

private dinner with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott when he delivered the commencement address in spring 2015. The Texas governor has the final say in who gets to be each university’s student regent.

But many students who were interviewed for this article have not seen palpable efforts by Lee to reach them, to find their

SEE STUDENT REGENT ON PAGE 2

the University Address.

Some students, despite being emailed about the address, still did not know that the State of the University address is happening this upcoming Thursday. Psychology senior Danielle Gray was one of those students.

She said she hopes one of Smatresk’s goals for this year is to not grow the university any farther.

“I prefer to keep it the way it is,” Gray said. “I think if the university increases in size any more, we will need more parking.

UNT should be focusing on increasing the quality of all the older buildings.”

The State of the University address will take place today from 3 to 5 p.m. Event parking will be open in Fouts Field between 1:30 and 4 p.m. A parking pass will be required before and after those hours.

The U.S. Department of Education opened a sexual violence investigation earlier this month to inquire whether UNT properly handled a student’s claim of sexual assault according to Title IX, government officials confirmed.

UNT is now coupled with more than 200 U.S. universities and colleges that are under scrutiny after the Obama administration stepped up the government’s attention to Title IX investigations. Other open investigations in Texas include cases at Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, Trinity University and Paul Quinn College.

UNT officials do not know which case the government is investigating.

They do, however, know an investigation is underway.

“UNT thoroughly reviews complaints made to the university in keeping with state and federal laws as well as university policy,” university spokeswoman Margarita Venegas said. “Should there ever be a situation that poses a continuing threat, it’s our practice to inform the campus community.”

Title IX investigations take longer than a year to complete on average.

Investigations can end in a resolution or be tossed out due to lack of evidence.

On the other hand, the college can be presented a letter of findings at the end of the investigation, and it may be forced to adopt or change policies and procedures according to a resolution agreement.

Widely reported sexual assault cases from the past year at UNT include a federal civil rights lawsuit from a student who, they alleged, was assaulted by a UNT library employee in January 2015. The student filed the case against the university in February 2016, naming UNT President Neal Smatresk and the UNT Board of Regents as the defendants.

The student said in the lawsuit that the university had mishandled her case.

Specifically, the suit accused UNT of failing to provide the student with updates on the investigation, failing to provide her with a conclusion letter about the investigation’s results and

@TiffanyDitto

SEE TITLE IX ON PAGE 2

A.D. Wren Baker ready to right the ship at North Texas

By Reece Waddell During North Texas’ win over Bethune-Cookman University last Saturday, freshman quarterback Mason Fine did his best Harry Houdini impression.

After avoiding the rush and scrambling for his life, Fine hurled a pass downfield that was caught in double coverage for more than a 30-yard gain.

The play not only invigorated the Apogee crowd, but new athletic director Wren Baker, as well.

“Yeah!” Baker said, pumping his fist. “Just how they drew it up.”

After spending the last five years in athletics administration positions in Missouri and Tennessee, Baker was named UNT’s athletic director and vice president on July 29 – and his comfort level is at an all-time high.

“This is home,” Baker said.

“I grew up about 150 miles from here. Being close to where I grew up and where my wife grew up was intriguing. It just feels like your favorite pair of

shoes you haven’t had on in a while.”

A native of Valliant, Oklahoma, Baker graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2001. He obtained his master’s in education leadership from Oklahoma State University, where he worked as a basketball operations assistant.

While with the Cowboys, the men’s basketball team held a record of 102-30, and went to

SEE A.D. ON PAGE 8

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS

Unopposed Republicans pg 4 Jump inside to see how the 14 Denton County candidates running without an opponent are shaping one of the most important elections in recent memory.

ARTS & LIFE

TEDxUNT Comes to Life pg 6 Seven speakers were on campus this week to encourage the community to “re-imagine” their worlds. See our coverage and discover new ideas.

SPORTS

Where is Mean Joe Greene? pg 7 Sports writer Clay Massey wonders, “Why don’t we have a Mean Joe Greene statue on campus?” See why one UNT’s biggest sports heros needs to be honored.

OPINION

Go ahead, change your major pg 10 We know it seems like the deadliest sin to change your major. You’ll live. Changing career paths could make your life better.

But make sure you’re ready to work hard.

NEWS Page 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD Water outrage in India Two people have been killed in Bangalore, Karnataka, following a Sept. 5 ruling by the Supreme Court to release 15,000 cubic feet of water per second to help ease a drought in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka’s neighbor to the east.

According to Karnatakan authorities, one protester was shot dead by police and another died in a hospital after receiving injuries in a standoff with police.

CNN reported Wednesday evening that paramilitary forces had restored “relative calm” to the streets following a stent of riotous protesters burned trucks and cars.

The Cauvery River is a vital river to farmers in both Karnatakan and Tamil Nadu.

Edward Snowden, NSA whistle-blower, wants Obama to give him a pardon Edward Snowden, the now famous whistle-blower who released troves of data that revealed the U.S. federal government was surveying its citizens, says he should be pardoned for violating the U.S. Espionage Act. Snowden’s leak to journalists prompted the nation to renew debate of security over privacy, and even jolted the government to pass legislation to limit the NSA’s jurisdiction and power over phone records.

He now lives in Russia, and wants to come home. The ACLU and Amnesty International have announced plans to lobby the president for Snowden’s safe return to the U.S.

U.N. chief wants to make Paris climate accord international law as possible Trump election nears Most of the time, it takes years before United Nations agreements become international law. But, now, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wants world leaders to make law the 2015 Paris accord, which calls for nations to reduce carbon emissions and will hold nations accountable for pollution.

As The New York Times contextualizes, “Ban’s push to nail down the legal commitments of at least 55 countries to the global agreement comes as Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee who has called climate change a hoax, rises in the polls.”

The United States joins China in being the world’s biggest polluters. The outcome of the U.S. election will no doubt affect how the world solves its changing climate problems.

Mexican authorities weigh whether ‘El Chapo’ will be extradited to U.S “El Chapo” Guzman, the notorious leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel who twice escaped two prisons, could be moved to the United States later this year if a judge in Mexico City approves his extradition.

Guzman’s attorneys, however, could appeal to delay the extradition. In May, Mexican authorities agreed to send him to the U.S. to face charges for smuggling cocaine in California, and face other charges, including murder, in Texas.

More than 350 hippos and buffaloes could be killed as drought cripples South African wildlife park Because of a severe drought in South Africa’s largest wildlife park, officials for the South African National Parks said about 350 hippos buffaloes are to be killed in order to spare thousands of animals, The Guardian reported Wednesday.

“The southern Africa drought has been called the worst in 35 years. Water restrictions have been imposed in major cities in South Africa and millions of people are threatened by food shortages in neighbouring countries,” the newspaper reported.

The drought, according to South African officials, is not expected to end soon.

Cat-5 storm Meranti hits Taiwan A Category 5 storm threatens cities in the southern and eastern portions of Taiwan and China, leaving tens of thousands of people to be without power across the region.

As of Wednesday, Meranti was clocked at wind speeds of 134 mph, according to meteorologists. Taiwan Power reported about 200,000 households lost power.

CORRECTION There was an error in an article that ran in the Thursday, Sept.

8, 2016, edition of the North Texas Daily, titled, “UNT named Texas’ first bee campus.” We reported students can get involved with UNT Sustainability by signing up through OrgSync. That is incorrect. Students must express interest in joining through Student Government Association. The Daily regrets the error.

NTDAILY.COM

Friend, roommate reflect on Andrew Lewis, found dead near the Square

By Adalberto Toledo The Denton Medical Examiner’s office identified the body of 24-year-old Andrew Lewis, who was found dead Thursday morning sitting on a bench near the Wells Fargo building on the Denton Square.

The cause of death has not been released.

Austin Schrouf, who said he was Lewis’ roommate, was with Lewis the night before he was found dead. They had gone out but returned home before midnight. Schrouf, he said, went to sleep at about 11:30 p.m.

“When I woke up he was gone,” Schrouf said. “We just went out and went to a couple of bars to get drunk. We had two beers and ate dinner and

then went home. That was it.

There was no funny business or anything unusual that happened.”

Schrouf learned from acquaintances Lewis may have left their home around midnight or 1 a.m., he said. “I’ll see you in the morning,” were the last words Schrouf remembers from Lewis.

Wesley Preusch met Lewis in 2011 while undergoing treatment at Sante Center for Healing in Argyle. He described Lewis as a “kindred spirit” and “outgoing.” His son, who recently turned three, is now with his parents.

“He was very liked by everyone,” Preusch said.

“When he would go places, people would want to talk to him because he had a vibrant outgoing personality. Once we

got out, I got to see him grow up before my eyes, have a kid and raise that kid. Until now.”

After treatment, Preusch and Lewis continued their friendship and would often see each other throughout the week, until Preusch moved to Mississippi in February. He kept contact with Lewis until his death, and said he talked with Lewis at least three times a week.

Preusch said he talked with him on Facebook at about 7:30 p.m. the night before his death, but did not hear anything out of character. Overall, Preusch just misses his friend.

“Man, that dude is a great friend, funny, smart, good and artistic,” Preusch said. “He was truly a great friend. In the wake of someone’s death people say insincere things, but I mean

this guy, I didn’t know a single person that he met that he didn’t hang out with more than once.”

Lewis and Schrouf had known each other for years.

He said he can’t imagine him overdosing or taking his life.

He was nothing but kindest and friendliest persons, he said, someone Schrouf could always count on.

“We’ve been best friends for years,” Schrouf said. “When I call him he always answers the phone and when I need him he’s always there. He would always go out of his way to help people.

He was my roommate, brother, and best friend.”

@aldot29

Feds investigating UNT over handling of sexual violence case TITLE IX CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 violating UNT policy by not holding a Code of Conduct hearing.

“I have faith in my school,” interior design freshman Melody Ford said upon learning about this investigation. “I chose this school for a reason, and I have faith that they did what was right, and if they didn’t they will figure out how

to do what is right for the safety of their students.”

Title IX is a part of the Education Amendments of 1972, and prohibits sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal financial aid.

The law underwent a gradual shift in interpretation since 1972, with various court cases setting precedents that led to it’s present-day implication: that colleges must properly investigate and resolve sexual

misconduct complaints. The courts reasoned that being in an environment where misconduct wasn’t dealt with would negatively affect students’ education, culminating in the first public release of the list of colleges under investigation in 2014, under the Obama administration.

There were 55 colleges on the list at the time. Now, two years later, there are 272.

Biology freshman Kyle

Gallegos said news of the Title IX investigation made him more cautious, and knowing about it as a prospective student would have made him put more thought into choosing UNT. “If the complaint is true I would hope UNT would set rules in place,” Gallegos said. “I would never want for someone else to go through that.”

@sarderrr

What does the UNT student regent even do?

STUDENT REGENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 opinions of what the university should be doing for the student body.

In fact, most of them did not know the student regent position existed.

The role places Lee on the UNT Board of Regents, the governing body of the UNT System. The board is composed of nine people, appointed by the Texas governor, for six-year terms. After the student applies for the position, Abbott chooses the applicant he believes is the best fit and appoints that student for a year-long term, beginning in June.

As the student regent, Lee speaks on behalf of student interests across all UNT campuses in regent meetings and activities. While the student regent is allowed to discuss issues in the regent meetings, the regent may not vote on any matter before the board. Lee is not compensated for his duties, but can serve on committees, special commissions and task forces while holding the position.

Since his appointment, Lee attended a student regent summit in Austin and met with the student governments on each campus in the UNT system, he said.

Although it is early into his term, Lee has had some difficulties in regent meetings. Videos and conference calls show Lee has not yet been given the floor to advise the Board of Regents on student issues.

“With there only being one meeting, I haven’t had many opportunities to speak on student concerns,” Lee said.

Some students, like emergency administration junior Alexandra Mowry, feel Lee’s political beliefs could skew his decision making for a widely liberal student body. After all, some of the most prominent visitors and speakers to UNT have been well-known conservatives and Republicans.

Greg Abbott, for example, visited campus two years ago, causing an uproar among graduates and liberal

students. Wendy Davis, the former Texas Senator who ran against Abbott, came to campus too, but was invited in part by student political groups, not administrators, which was the case for Abbott. Kimberly Guilfoyle and Andrea Tantaros, both personalities for Fox News, appeared at UNT for the Kuehne Speaker Series. Rudy Giuliani, the Republican and former mayor of New York City, is scheduled to attend the speaker series Thursday, Oct. 27.

Because the student regent is supposed to be the voice of students on campus, Mowry said, having a conservative-leaning student regent might continue to stack the ambitions of UNT System administrators against the wishes of the student body.

“I’m way liberal,” Mowry said. “I feel like a lot of students are liberal, so I don’t think [Lee’s conservative beliefs] are a totally accurate reflection of the students.”

Lee said he will work through SGA to communicate with students.

The position of student regent was not mandatory until the Texas Legislature passed a law in 2005 that required every state university to appoint a student regent. On June 1, Lee was one of 10 other students statewide to be appointed to their university system boards.

According to the Texas Education Code regarding the position of student regent, before Nov. 1 of each year, the student government of each campus must gather applications for the student regent position.

By Jan. 1, up to five applicants must send their applications to the student government, and the student government must then send the applications to the chancellor. The chancellor will then send at least two of the applicants to the governor no later than Feb. 1.

To apply for student regent, a student must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in the UNT System, be in good academic standing as determined

by the institution, remain enrolled throughout their term as student regent and maintain a GPA of at least 2.5.

If a student meets all these requirements, they must complete two forms — one for the UNT System and the other for the governor.

Lee knew of the position through the SGA and the people that he worked with.

“I personally knew former student regents and talked to them about what their experiences were like and thought I would enjoy that experience,” Lee said.

Lee was among five other applicants for the position, Director of Student Affairs Christa Coffey said.

SGA Senator Tiffany Miller, who worked with Lee during his time at the SGA, said she had first heard about the position when Lee told the staff that he was appointed.

“I personally didn’t know it was something that you applied for,” Miller said.

Students were not the only ones who didn’t know about the open position. Political science professor Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha had a similar experience.

“I did not know that this particular position existed until the [May 2016] graduation commencement,” Eshbaugh-Soha said.

This is not the first time Lee has had light competition for an oncampus leadership position. In April 2015, Lee and running mate Adam Alattry were unopposed in their bid for SGA vice president and president, respectively.

“I feel like if we had more knowledge of the position then they would definitely get more students that would be interested in applying for it,” UNT student Jillian Palmer said. “The fact that I don’t know what it is is an issue.”

While few student know about the student regent, university officials did make an effort to inform students about the opening.

Coffey, who oversaw the student regent nomination process, said that the position was solicited through SGA and Graduate Student Council meetings and announcements, a press release, UNT faculty members, the SGA and GSC social media accounts, and Eagle Mail. Coffey said she emailed 12 student organizations on campus, not including SGA and GSC. Sophomore William Simpson said he personally doesn’t care about student politics and on-campus issues, however, he believes students should be involved in some manner.

“I think students should be aware of and active in the policies that are made around them and affect them, especially in state schools,” he said.

Eshbaugh-Soha is hopeful that Lee will properly represent students’ concerns and opinions.

“As long as [Lee] is representative and holds opportunities for student input and communicates that to the Board of Regents, his position can be very useful,” Eshbaugh-Soha said.

The next Board of Regents meetings will take place Thursday, Nov. 17, and end the next day. No details on an agenda for the meeting have been released at the time of this writing.

Lee said he understands the current state of student involvement in campus politics, but believes there is room for improvement.

“Aside from campus involvement I think there absolutely needs to be more political involvement from students in local, state and national levels,” Lee said. “I do, and will always, encourage students to get involved.”

TRENDING @ntdaily @thedose_ntdaily @ntd_sports

#AmericanHorrorStory

The hit horror series began its sixth season Wednesday. The theme was not announced, leaving audiences in suspense.

#SouthPark

South Park began its 20th season Wednesday. The raunchy cartoon will poke fun at popular and political culture.

#SexualTortoise

A 100-year-old tortoise is said to have had so much sex that “saved his entire species.”

#Hillary’sHealth

People continue to debate whether Hillary Clinton is healthy enough to be the president of the United States.

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 3

Stall tactics? Tax raises? Denton City Council has a busy night Denton residents voice concerns during Tuesday’s city council meeting; Briggs delays Renewable Denton vote

By Julia Falcon City council members continued discussing the vote on the proposed new gas plants, the slight raise in taxes and the new budget for the upcoming fiscal year as a part of the regular meeting held Tuesday night.

During the last half of the meeting, there was a public hearing where members of the community were allowed to talk to council about their concerns for the city’s tax and budget.

It is required by state law and the city of Denton charter that councilmembers open the floor to the public regarding these topics.

Save more money, don’t raise

taxes The buzzword of the night was penny pinching. People in the community told City Council they want officials to save more money rather than raise taxes.

City staff proposed a tax rate Tuesday night that would be $0.68 per $100 of value. Denton resident David Zoltner, the only resident to speak about the issue, said he doesn’t think that would be an effective rate, and that he hopes the new city manager would have more respect for spending.

“I honestly don’t think citizens will understand or feel the impact of this proposed tax rate,” Zoltner said. “There should be more penny pinching. I elected

An unusually quiet Sara Bagheri says she would like more citizen input on the tax budget in city council, Tuesday, at Denton City Hall, in Denton. Katie Jenkins

you all for a reason.”

The tax increase was not approved. Further discussion will continue Tuesday, at the next city council meeting.

Pick up your trash Denton County NAACP President Willie Hudspeth emphasized the need for more savings and for leaders to clean the city better.

“I want you to penny pinch to no end and clean up dumpsters in southeast Denton,” Hudspeth said. “The trash is never picked up. Our area is always slighted and I pay the same taxes. Plant more trees and get rid of trash.”

Councilmembers Kevin Roden and Sara Bagheri said they have been working to beautify southeast Denton, the area off of Teasley Lane and Dallas Drive, and are discussing ways to improve that environment.

Denton resident Deb Armintor, who ran for city council in the most recent election, continued the call for more open discussion of city issues and transparency, something she also pegged for during her campaign.

“Penny pinching needs to happen not only when there is a particular project,” Armintor said. “I would love to know what goes into the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Fund, what they do with their money and the DME [Denton Municipal Electric]

Sex trafficking advocacy group, Traffick911, educates community members on how to combat the issue.

By Tiffany Ditto A group that aims to prevent sex trafficking across three states came to Denton Thursday and taught community members ways to spot, prevent and ultimately end sex trafficking.

Denton Bible Church hosted the event where the group, Traffick911, spoke about sex trafficking not only across the United States but specifically in Dallas-Fort Worth.

“We at Traffick911 are convinced that every person was created for a purpose and it wasn’t to lay on their back for $40,” said George Lynch, CEO for Traffick911.

“The numbers in this space are hard to calculate because no one really knows, but as many as 100,000-300,000 American youth are at risk of being exploited every year.

It’s possibly a $9.8 billion industry.”

But all hope is not lost.

There are several ways to combat human trafficking.

One is to make sure children grow up in a loving home and are not tempted to run away.

He said pimps approach one out of three youth within 48 hours of running away from home. Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online at all times, Lynch said.A photo of a letter written to Traffick911 taken from the organization’s website.

Lynch said the issue is bigger than people think,

budget as well.”

What to do with Renewable Denton Plan?

Councilmember Keely Briggs brought bags full of printed emails to illustrate the intensive discussion surrounding the Renewable Denton Plan, which aims to open two natural gas plants and reduce emissions, and has remained a consensus debate in the halls of Denton.

According to Briggs’ presentation, city management paid the consulting firm for the

in the room, nearly filling the chapel the event was held in.

The Traffick911 lecture was just part one of a four-part series hosted by the church.

The next event dates are Sept.

15, 22 and 29. husband-wife couples that Beth Guess, who attends recruit the youth,” he said.

“I’ve seen a story where a mother sold her 8-year-old for [crack cocaine].”

The other factor that strongly drives the sex trafficking industry, Lynch said, is the pornography business.

“We have created a culture where [sexualization of young women] has become normalized,” Lynch said. “Forty-nine percent of victims reported that a pornography was made of them while they were being trafficked.”

By watching pornography, not only could one be watching someone trafficked do acts that they don’t want to do, but they are at the very least warping their views on sex. People who watch pornography, Lynch said, begin to want things that they see in the videos. These things cannot be found in a loving relationship, he said, causing some to look for what they want in online ads.

“My desire was not to bum you out with all this bad stuff,” he told the crowd. “I’m in favor of decriminalizing those who are sold, and criminalizing pimps.”

Around 100 people were

Speaker: As many as 400 women could be for sale in DFW each night and the only way to combat sex trafficking is to have an open and raw conversation about what it really is. The facts, he said, must not be sugar coated.

A study by the Polaris Project, an organization that aims to end human trafficking worldwide, found that Texas ranks second in the nation for having the highest rates of trafficked people with a confirmed 307 cases.

California was found to have the most, at about 682 cases.

Another study by the Dallas Women’s Foundation found that on any given night, 400 women are for sale in the DFW area.

“The supply is driven by the demand,” Lynch said. “If there is someone willing to pay for it, there is going to be someone who is forced to supply the demand.”

Lynch added that in the last three years, there were 23 sex trafficking cases in Denton County.

Predators will often lure kids in by pretending they love or care about a victim.

This kind of predator is called a “romeo pimp,” Lynch said. They offer lavish gifts, promises of relationships or even just a place to stay for the night. A predator, or pimp, could be anyone.

“Sometimes they’re

Keely Briggs motions to postpone the vote to build a gas plant on Denton’s west side. The motion to passed and discussion will continue Tuesday. Katie Jenkins plan, Brattle Group, $45,000.

And, Briggs said, the relationship between the lobbyists and city management is hazy and unclear.

Because of this, she motioned to delay voting for the plan, so that a city ethics committee could review the relations between the group and city staff.

Roden said he thought Briggs’ motion to postpone is a stall tactic.

“I want clarity for the situation,” Roden said. “This is a weird motion and I see this as stalling the vote.”

Briggs explained her reasoning to postpone voting for the plan.

“I can assure you this is not a stall tactic. I didn’t think the communications in these emails were proper,” Briggs said. “This is not fun for me, this is not a stall tactic. We just need to do something.”

The motion to postpone was approved 5-2. Discussion will continue Tuesday.

Denton Bible Church regularly, thought the presentation helped break her perception of pimps, and of those who are trafficked.

“I wanted to know the age when children go into this, and what to look for in the

community,” Guess said. “He said it the way it needed to be said because it’s a disgusting thing that’s happening.”

@falconjulia22

@TiffanyDitto

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CONVENTION OF STATES TEXAS

Presents a Town Hall Meeting To Discuss Article V of The Constitution and Gov. Abbott’s Texas Plan

September 20, 7 P.M. North Branch Library 3020 N Locust St., Denton www.conventionofstates.com

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NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 4

Unopposed candidates symptom of one-party rule How unchallenged candidates shape political contests

By Adalberto Toleto Fourteen positions in Denton County will go unopposed in the general election, a problem all too common for one-party dominant states. Seven others will run against third-party candidates. With a large Republican population, it isn’t uncommon for Denton County to see Republican candidates go unopposed, especially incumbents. But political science department chair Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha said it’s a symptom of a larger issue.

“Really the big picture here is that the election that counts is the primary,” Eshbaugh-Soha said. “It’s a symptom of what could be a list of problems with our democracy. If you’re a Republican and you win that primary it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that you’re going get the votes. It’s disappointing in some ways democratically since the primaries don’t see high turnout rates.”

Eshbaugh-Soha said even with third party candidates the percentage of votes would still mostly go to the Republican candidate, especially in Denton County, where a majority of the registered population is Republican and many of the local government seats are filled by Republicans. Turnout is the biggest issue. When one party dominates a particular state, the turnout for other parties will likely remain low. And with Republicans in Texas already expecting Republicans to win, many don’t bother to go to the polls. Texas itself, according to the Texas Tribune, is the state with the second lowest turnout rate and Denton County is exemplary of that conclusion.

Although in the 2016 Texas primaries the turnout rate here was 30.01 percent, the previous primaries in 2012 saw an 11.46 percent turnout of which only 1.47 percent were Democrats.

In states where one party rules, Eshbaugh-Soha said it isn’t unlikely that elections sometimes have unopposed candidates from one party.

“From a democratic standpoint a lack of competition can be bad,” Eshbaugh-Soha said. “Luckily this happens when you have one-party dominance, for the most part, it’s one-party control. Typically what you have are primaries that matter, and if there’s not another corresponding election to raise turnout, the turnout ends up being low.”

Eshbaugh-Soha added that it’s not necessarily a bad thing that there are unopposed candidates in a place where one party dominates. He said

the incumbent probably represents the county very well so it’s not completely inconceivable that the person keeps getting elected.

Bruce McFarling, a 362nd Judicial District Court Judge, will be one of the candidates running unopposed in the general election, and went unopposed in the primary as well.

Not all states even elect judges. But Texas and eight others select judges through partisan elections on all trial court levels. McFarling is pleased he can serve again as a judge to Denton County, and hope it’s not because he is running unopposed.

“I hope that they’re re-electing me because the people of Denton County think I’m doing a good job, that’s the way I look at it,” McFarling said. “I’ve only gone opposed once in the general and a couple of times in primaries. It’s really based on the people that live here.”

He agrees with Eshbaugh-Soha and said the main contest is in the primary election. He does, however, think electing judges is a good way to keep them accountable to the people, they could be thrown out at any moment.

“We’re a more conservative county overall. I like to think it’s a good election because we’re the highest trial court. It gives us accountability,” McFarling said. “If we start doing what we believe and not the law, the people have the right to take us out.”

But with low turnout and lack of information on local government, that accountability may not be there.

In places where a single party is dominant, it’s unlikely people know much about their local government, Eshbaugh-Soha said. He said the further down they are down the ballot, the less likely someone is going to know about the candidate.

When it comes to national issues it’s easier to take positions with information and discussion are more readily available, but it’s simply not the case with local elections.

“For local races, it takes effort to run.The likelihood that you’re gonna win if you’re not a Republican is extremely low. In many ways city government and county government have more of an impact on your daily life than anything else,” EshbaughSoha said. “In having unopposed candidates I still think you are taking a sizeable percentage of the population and their voices are effectively not being heard.”

Elizabeth Kerr Justice, 2nd Court of Appeals District Place 3 Republican New candidate

Bonnie Sudderth Justice, 2nd Court of Appeals District Place 4 Republican Incumbent

Sherry Shipman District Judge 16th Judicial District Republican Incumbent

Bruce McFarling District Judge 362nd Judicial District Republican Incumbent

Jonathan M. Bailey District Judge 431st Judicial District Republican Incumbent

Tiffany Haertling District Judge 442nd Judicial District Republican Incumbent

Hugh Coleman County Commissioner Precinct 1 Republican Incumbent

Bobbie J. Mitchell County Commissioner Precinct 3 Republican Incumbent

Johnny Hammons Constable Precinct 1 Republican Incumbent

Michael A. Truitt Constable Precinct 2 Republican Incumbent

Jerry Raburn Constable Precinct 3 Republican Incumbent

Tim Burch Constable Precinct 4 Republican Incumbent

@aldot29

CLEAN MEAN GREEN

Doug Boydston Constable Precinct 5 Republican Incumbent

Richard Bachus Constable Precinct 6 Republican New candidate

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ARTS & LIFE Page 5

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

NEW BEGINNINGS, FAMILIAR FACES Former pro-motocross racer Blake Wharton now calls UNT home

By Kyle Martin UNT, a school known for its acceptance of quirky, quantitative collections of creative individuals, is now the school of choice for retired motocross star Blake Wharton. Wharton began racing motocross professionally in 2008 when he was 17-years-old. Now he has a new race to compete in, the race to graduation. The former extreme-sport star will now be hitting the books instead of jumps.

“I was home-schooled growing up to pursue a professional career in sport,” Wharton, a pre-media arts freshman, said. During his time as a professional racer, neither he nor his older brother, also a professional motocross racer, attended traditional schooling.

“We grew up in the culture and being home-schooled, we got to travel a lot when we were young, Florida to California, everywhere, pursuing sports.”

Wharton said he got his start racing when he was roughly 8-years-old while growing up in Pilot Point, Texas. He raced unsponsored until he was signed in 2008. Wharton then moved to California to soak in the “promoto lifestyle” and has now found himself back in his home state. He raced professionally until 2014 and has since taken a break to pursue other things, such as college.

“I think that this school represents all those things–music, the arts, film–I’m interested in,” Wharton said of UNT. “And I think they’re powerful tools to bring people together.”

Wharton said he is excited

Blake Wharton, pre-media arts freshman and retired professional motocross athlete, has found his new home at the University of North Texas after a long career. Wharton was born in Pilot Point and started his career at 8 years old. Jennyfer Rodriguez to take advantage of the music scene and creative side of Denton.

Having grown up in the area, he knows some of what the town has to offer. He’s heard of the town’s infamous “house show” scene, and he sees that this city thrives on its own talent.

“I’ve had the chance to see some of the local bands, and I’ve also heard how good the Denton music scene is because I grew up

here,” Wharton said. “You don’t really realize that this is one of the major music scenes in Texas. You have Houston, Austin, Deep Ellum and Denton.”

Nick Calton, a public relations senior and spokesperson for the athlete, says Wharton is dedicated to what he does. With many accolades in the motocross industry to talk about, Wharton has been devoted to his sport for

The Dose: Texas Mutiny boasts a promising lineup

many years. He’s been featured in publications like RacerX magazine and TransWorld Motocross.

“I’ve known his name since forever, since before I met him.

He’s well known throughout the industry,” said Calton, a selfproclaimed motorcycle enthusiast.

“I was telling [him] how I’ve still got pictures of [him] on my camera from Supercross 2013.”

Courtney Nagore, a long time

Avenged Sevenfold Formed in 1999, Avenged Sevenfold is a mainstay in metalcore music. In fact, their shirts were staples for high school teens in the mid-2000s. To this day, A7X has a fanbase of over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Best of all, they’re just good, old fashioned metal in the classic tradition of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. In this era of rap breaks in songs (I’m looking at you, Florida Georgia Line), Avenged Sevenfold is not afraid to perform guitar solos in their new music. For those who just want a good headbang, or maybe a bit of a throwback, Avenged Sevenfold is the band to see.

Deftones Formed way back in 1988, the Deftones are one of the longest running metal bands out there that have still manage to keep up with the times. Their albums promise and deliver something fresh with every release, rather than remaining stagnant like most bands past their prime. They were also

one of the first groups to alternate between heavy riffs and screaming vocal oscillations.

This formula became a fundamental part of metalcore, which makes up most of the bands on Texas Mutiny’s current lineup.

Pierce the Veil If you frequent post-hardcore shows, then you’ve probably seen Pierce the Veil at least once in the past 10 years. The band is renowned for their heavy breakdowns, as well as frontman Vic Fuentes’ unique high pitched vocals. They usually have incredibly intricate backdrops and lighting to accompany their performances, so look forward to an aesthetic-driven setup. With over 1 million monthly Spotify listeners, Pierce the Veil is a modern yet classic example of the post-hardcore scene.

Neck Deep Neck Deep might seem to stick out a bit in the Texas Mutiny lineup as the least heaviest band, but this pop punk group from Wales is no stranger to playing alongside metal acts. Vocalist Ben Barlow is hardly on the ground, bouncing from one end of the stage to the other and hyping up the crowd in his wake. He and his Vans Warped Tour regulars are all pros at keeping festival audiences full of energy and excitement.

The band’s sound is an ode to classic pop punk bands like Sum 41 and New Found Glory with drum-driven music that you can’t help but nod your head to. The band might be the odd pop punk band out, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rock as hard as their contemporaries.

Bandmembers of Neck Deep perform. Meagan Sullivan

@sadsquadch

@Kyle_Martin35

UNT Pediatric Mobile Clinic provides healthcare

By Victoria Monteros

By Morgan Sullivan

Texas Motor Speedway is typically home to those who love motorsports – it’s a haven of high speeds, beer and individuals with a lot of Texas pride. On Saturday, Sept.

24, however, the speedway will be home to something a little different: mutiny.

The Texas Mutiny Festival, that is. In its inaugural year, Mutiny 2016 boasts a lineup that fans of post-hardcore and metalcore rock will not want to miss. The addition of camping packages gives Texas Mutiny a unique edge over other one-day fests. The lineup features 23 bands playing on three stages, but here are the four essentials:

family friend to Wharton and community college massage therapy student in Arizona, says that Wharton seeks to find “knowledge for the sake of knowledge.” She says that Wharton works hard at what he does and is surrounded by the motocross life.

The sport is everything to the former racer; however, Wharton said he wants to continue to work towards a media arts degree with

that aspect in mind.

“This has been his whole life,” Nagroe said. “This is the next step.

He’s hoping to use this as a way to bring people together through sport.”

The professional motocross life is not much different than that of other sports. Dedication to any sport is a full-time endeavor and can take a toll on someone, be it physically or mentally. Careers are sometimes short-lived and don’t always end as anticipated.

An injury could be the end of one’s time in the limelight. For now, Wharton wants to make sure he focuses on getting a college education, instead of risking not getting one at all.

“It’s like a pro-baseball career.

One slip up and you’re out,” Wharton said. “You blow out your shoulder in baseball, you’re out. You screw up your knee, and you’re out. Same thing with motocross.”

Wharton is still involved with motocross, regardless of his break from professional racing. He says there’s a window of opportunity for pro-moto racers, and it’s important to take advantage of success during a career’s prime. An athlete’s career can see a year of stardom, or 10, depending on a lot of factors.

“You’re obviously not going to make a comeback if you’re 40,” Wharton said.

On a hot, sunny day in the parking lot of an elementary school in Fort Worth, a UNT van is parked in the parking lot.

Its goal is not for advertisement purposes or to speak on behalf of the university.

Instead, its purpose is simple: to help.

The program of the UNT Pediatric Mobile Clinic, which started in 2014, visits elementary school and other areas in Tarrant County. It offers health services to children on CHIP Medicaid, a program that provides low-cost or free health coverage for children in Texas, as well as those who do not have any health insurance. The health services offered are immunizations, physicals, basic dental and vision, and general checkups.

UNT’s College of Osteopathic Medicine has a pediatrics department that sees patients Monday through Friday in order to help students training to become pediatricians. Although the majority of patients being treated by the department are on CHIP Medicaid, there were still some people who were having a difficult time showing up to their appointments at the facility.

That’s when UNT Pediatric Mobile Clinic Dr. Christina E. Castleberry Robinson, who has worked with UNT Pediatric since 2012, was invited to attend a seminar about mobile health.

“It sounded like a great option to directly bring healthcare to our communities where our children were,” Robinson said.

According to Robinson, pediatrics encompassed a lot of medicine she enjoyed combined with the ability to help children. With the mobile clinic, they are now able to treat children that would normally be out of their reach.

“As I did my rotations in medical school, I found the things I most enjoyed were the fields of medicine that gave me that continuity of care and gave [me] an opportunity to try and build health habits that could lead to lifestyle and long term health changes,” Robinson said. “I really enjoyed working with kind of women’s issues a little bit, and so pediatrics kind of blends all of things those really well.”

Establishing a pediatric mobile clinic was a newer concept at the beginning.

There was no mobile pediatric clinic in Fort Worth at the time. Soon, the idea that a mobile clinic could benefit many children in Fort Worth, who otherwise did not have access to healthcare, became more appealing to the department.

“At that point, the department chair, myself and another nurse, who had previously worked on mobile health units in California, began the process of explaining what mobile healthcare was and how it would be a benefit to the Health and Science Center and Fort Worth as a city at large,” Robinson said.

The preventative care aspect of it also keeps her excited about practicing, because she said she believes it teaches and helps empower families and children.

Although some, like Robinson, had already worked in the field or had previously sought after similar work when the mobile clinic was established, others, like mobile clinic operator Michael Martinez, happened to randomly stumble upon the opportunity to work with the mobile clinic.

“I just found it by chance,” Martinez said. “The pediatric mobile department needed a driver, so ultimately, I came over, started doing the setup, started doing the driving and got really familiar with the team.”

The Health and Science Center then granted permission to the UNT Department of Pediatrics to begin fundraising for the clinic over three years. Information about this was spread around the area to different organizations to help raise the funds, and once the goal was reached, the mobile clinic started seeing patients and providing healthcare.

Since opening, the mobile clinic has had a similar volume of patients to that of a traditional pediatric office. In the summer, things tend to be slower. By the time school starts up when fall and winter come around, patient volume increases and the clinic becomes busier.

According to Robinson, working in a field like pediatric healthcare takes a special level of compassion and enthusiasm for the profession. Because this team represents UNT and their care about pediatrics, they strive to continuously work hard to ensure their patients receive the best medical care.

“I for myself, and I speak for my team as well, we are passionate about what we do,” Martinez says. “I’m lucky enough to come back to Fort Worth, the community and the town that I was born and raised in and able to give back. It’s really satisfying.”

Prior to working with the clinic, Martinez did not have previous experience working with the medical

field.

“Six months before I got this job, I had no idea that I’d be in the medical field at all,” he said.

Through working with the mobile clinic, he has found that he truly enjoys working in pediatrics. He plans to start school soon to become a medical assistant and work to receive other certifications, which is part of his deal in employment with the clinic.

“I’m just blessed really to be doing what I’m doing and be passionate about it,” Martinez said. “It’s not nothing I picked, I feel like it picked me.”

Robinson has also found the experience quite enriching.

“Just like we educate them on their health and their well being, I think they have taught us to be thankful and grateful for the simple things in life,” Robinson said.

One of the clinic’s biggest goals, aside from serving the children of the Fort Worth community, is to keep kids from missing enrollment for school due to lack of vaccines.

This year, the clinic has started to reach out to more child development centers. Through the Fort Worth Independent School District, the clinic also has started conducting screenings for children who haven’t had vaccines or screenings for vision, hearing scoliosis and BMI. The clinic hopes that this new endeavor will continue to help children all over Fort Worth.

Now the mobile clinic is looking to expand beyond just medical services.

In their first year, they held a winter toy drive. Since then, the toy drive has expanded. It includes books, toiletries and winter wear. Robinson said they want to provide multiple opportunities for children to grow and learn.

“It really was quite amazing to see how many of the children were so delighted to have a very simple gift like that. It has helped me to be grateful for the blessings that I have,” Robinson said.

“In the same regard, it also helps us to be better stewards of the research that we have been given so that we can try to continue to meet as many needs of as many families as we possibly can.”

@ToriLaSuper

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 6

TEDxUNT inspires people to re-imagine their everyday lives

Kimendran Chetty, left, Blake Hyman, Michael Scott, David Mosher, Susan Motheral, Haihang Wang at TEDx UNT (re)imagining. Bottom left, Marcelo Ostria. Vishal Malhotra - CLEAR

Speakers bring new ideas to UNT to make a difference

By Bina Perino TEDxUNT held its first organized event in the University Union Monday. Seven students, alumni and community members discussed the topic of “(re)imagine.”

They shared ideas of connection, understanding and making a positive change in the community.

The journey to this event all started a year ago in Katie Berlin’s apartment.

Berlin, a converged broadcast media graduate, felt inspired during an internship in Los Angeles last year when thinking about TED talks and integrating them with the University of North Texas community.

“I wanted to create a brand so TEDxUNT can exist through time,” she said, “I wanted to initiate dialogue and challenge people to think. It’s totally about education and dialogue.”

Through her vision and the shared vision of the TED brand,

she was able to bring like-minded people together to begin the process of establishing TEDxUNT. Their passion for education and change was what put together at Monday night’s event.

“We’re not alone,” Berlin said.

“There are people that want to connect to the world and make a difference.”

The TEDxUNT committee received idea submissions from UNT students, university alumni and Denton citizens about potential ideas for the talks. After extensive auditions and preparation, they found their speakers for the event.

The first speaker was counseling psychology Ph.D. student David Mosher. In his TED talk, he addressed how often we dismiss others based on how they look, yet we are all the same on the inside. He called the act of acknowledging our limitations and trying to connect to those around us “cultural humility.”

“We separate ourselves based on

cultural superiority,” Mosher said.

“But everyone’s story is true and meaningful.”

The following speaker was international student Kimendran Chetty, a communications major who shared a love story beyond preconceived notions.

“I am an international student, but like all great tragedies, I fell in love,” Chetty said. “Not with a girl, but with a country. This country taught me how to dream and I continue dreaming each day.”

He was forever changed by the opportunity at a better life and a better education in America.

“It’s up to us to change our lives,” he said. “Be the change.”

Following him was Ph.D. transformational coach Susan Motheral, who shared the tale of Danish citizens who left to join the Islamic State, and later returned to Denmark to be integrated back into society. Instead of being turned away or treated cruelly, they were

extended a hand of love that had positive results.

“We all want to feel connected to each other,” she said.

The fourth speaker was rehabilitation counseling major Michael Scott. With courage and a vision, he shared his struggle with addiction.

“He was sitting right next to you,” Scott said, connecting himself to the audience with a third person perspective. The boy in his story could be anyone struggling with an addiction or form of self-harm, and we would have never known.

After Scott was physics graduate student Hailhang Wang. He shared his vision of environmental consciousness and friendliness.

“Is there a way to revive the once great environment we used to live in?” Wang said. “We must find a more environmentally friendly and efficient material than plastic.”

Finance student Blake Hyman then took the stage to express his

passion for science fiction. Hyman’s speech was meant to take the audience beyond their imaginations by explaining how science fiction has become our reality. He expressed that the technology and ideas behind great cinematic works of science fiction were beyond their time. For example, Star Trek featured a device similar to the modern cellphone half a century before we saw them in our pockets. Even now, we see science fiction reach beyond current capabilities.

“We imagined these futures of us traveling through space,” he said.

“But now we see governments and private companies trying to achieve these goals.”

The final speaker, Marcelo Ostria, shared the perspective of impoverished children.

“I could not conceptualize the idea of poverty and social inequality,” he said. “I started digging and children were not represented by children, but experts

and adults. Only 10 studies [out] of thousands had actual input from children.”

Although each speaker had their own words to say and advice to give, Berlin had one goal in mind.

Her goal was to have speakers that would shine a light on issues that could open the minds of others.

To her, re-imagining meant seeing realities and possibilities beyond our own. The event was a means to build a community of diversity and understanding. Integrating TEDx to UNT was a way of sharing ideas that will spark curiosity and change and the committee sees these events to be recurring.

“We wanted to encourage [people] to change their perspectives,” Berlin said. “Anyone with an idea worth sharing can be a TEDxUNT speaker. It’s all about coming together as a community.”

@BinaPerino

The Dose: Isaiah Rashad’s debut album is hip-hop at its best matter of “The Sun’s Tirade” -- an album I’d say was well worth the wait.

The 17 track, 63 minute album tackles many of the At last, after a turbulent hiatus since the release of issues we’ve heard in his previous work: substance “Cilvia Demo” nearly three years ago, Isaiah Rashad abuse, growing up and above all, a father who wasn’t finally delivered a full-length album for his fans there for him. We see these same ideas cycling back this month. World tours, paternal issues, crashing into his life as he begins to drown in the bottle on couches and ultimately struggles with Xanax himself, struggling to become the father he needed to and alcoholism painted the landscape of Rashad’s be for his own children. The title of the album carries mind since the well-received 2014 EP. It was the multiple meanings, not least of which is the ongoing overcoming of these issues that dominate the subject struggle for Rashad to come to terms with his father, or become a father himself. Hence, a son’s tirade.

Rashad and his Top Dawg labelmates (like Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q) sure know how to start an album off with one of those classic voicemail rap skits.

Within the first 45 seconds, we hear Schoolboy Q echoing the sentiment of Isaiah’s aggravated fanbase. Aptly titled “where u at,” Q questions Rashad as to where he’s been all this time, and why he can’t get over himself and make the music he owes his fans.

“4r da Squaw” might very well be my favorite on the album. Rashad tackles his demons head-on, and doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to his shortcomings as a parent. It was a refreshing change of pace from his previous work’s criticism of his own father; instead the blame falls on himself. He goes from assuming the perspective Isaiah Rashad came out with a new album for 2016, “The Sun’s Tirade” of his baby mama telling him he “ain’t nothing but a baby, [his] fear is Facebook of Isaid Rashad

By Garrett Long

growing up” to using “talcum powder” as a childish euphemism for cocaine.

But the real reason I wanted to spend time on this song was because of the music video. Please, please watch it. It’s not just hoes, clothes and cars. The video features a heartwarming day on the boardwalk with his son, Yari, in which everyone is brandishing a digital display of a dollar amount. Isaiah has $0, Yari has $2, but they enjoy themselves all the same.

Out of the four most recent singles released in the interim, “Free Lunch” was also the only one to make it onto the LP. And deservedly so, it’s an instant classic.

Littered with references to Chattanooga (Highway 58, where the music video for “Ronnie Drake” was shot, Kanku’s Store, some drug dealer named Phil and so on), this track felt like a song dedicated for his friends back home, which is refreshing. In a genre full of rappers who move out to California and completely change their style -- ahem, Wiz -- Rashad sticks closely to his Southern roots.

While “Squaw” might be my favorite, “Wat’s Wrong” is the most important. It’s the first time Kendrick Lamar has featured in any of Rashad’s work, and the significance of that can’t be ignored, and here we see Kendrick gracing him with his presence. Just a few months prior, the young MC was sidelined by TDE, considering dropping out of the label entirely.

A christening, if you will, of mad bars.

Now that doesn’t mean Kendrick bodied him, per se. Rashad injects truth in his lyrics from the first line: “Cut my hair and bump my head and fell on top.”

He’s referring to his mother cutting the year-or-so’s worth of hair that he had grown out, claiming there was bad juju in them. According to his interview on “Sway in the Morning,” Rashad’s mother proceeded to burn his hair in a jar. He considers this event to be an effective break from his past self, leading him on a path of clear-headedness that culminates in this

entire album.

The “Dressed Like Rappers” track will certainly be underrated by listeners. True to Rashad’s straightforward style, we see more honest depictions of his relentless issues and the lyrics pretty much speak for themselves:

Boarding pass, pass my troubles High as f--k, lost my wallet Going back, back to Cali Saw my son, miss my daughter

While some songs are weaker than others, there are bits of genius and sometimes tragically realistic instances poured into every song; where confronting his father’s tear-filled reaction to his music in “Rope // rosegold” being one of the standouts. “Stuck in the Mud” brought instant flashbacks to “Cilvia Demo” with the return of SZA as an outstanding vocalist and collaborator. Unfortunately, this left Syd (singer and member of Odd Future’s The Internet) a little outshined on “Silkk da Shocka,” but it’s whatever.

She’s not that great.

What I’m trying to say is that there isn’t a real low point in this album, as most of the songs have some level of holistic importance. All except “Tity and Dolla.” I don’t know who Hugh Augustine is or where he came from, but I don’t care. His verse blemished an otherwise great album.

At just 25, Rashad has already seen the effects money can have on a person and how quickly it can squander. Most importantly, he learned what he can achieve for his family when he has money. He’s just a man who wants to live comfortably and provide for his family and friends, and to do that he needs money.

Hip hop gets him money. In the end, that’s what “The Sun’s Tirade” is all about.

@garryberry

SPORTS Page 7

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Mean Green tennis confident and prepared as season gets underway

By Matt Brune Representing eight countries and three continents, this year’s Mean Green tennis team is easily the most diverse team on campus. Only one of the eight girls on the roster is from the U.S. Along with diversity, the team may finish 2016 as one of the most accomplished programs at North Texas.

Since the eight girls who make up this squad have varying backgrounds and experiences, the challenge was to make the team mesh as quickly as possible.

“This team is all about family,” head coach Sujay Lama said. “Day one that’s something that we talk about to them constantly. We do a lot of team building activities whether it’s a small game here or a meal that we eat together at my house.”

Although tennis is an individual or two-player sport, the chemistry and relationships between players and coaches are vital throughout the year.

Lama is beginning his eleventh year at North Texas and associate head coach Jeff Hammond is starting his fourth. Together, the duo create an intense yet enjoyable environment for the players on a daily basis.

“My favorite part of playing

for [Lama and Hammond] is the excitement and enthusiasm they bring about tennis everyday,” senior captain Alexis Thoma said. “They really have a passion to coach their sport.”

Last year, the Mean Green finished with a 13-10 record and lost in the Conference USA semifinals in mid-April. The program, however, lost three seniors from that squad, and will turn to youth in hopes of replenishing the talent.

And for the time being, the three freshman poised to fill the void seem well equipped to keep North Texas competitive.

“That’s always hard to replace exactly what [the seniors] brought to the table,” Lama said. “But at the same time, when you look at the new girls and what they bring to the table, it’s really exciting and energizing.”

Four of the returning players this year are sophomores. Two of them, Maria Kononova and Tamuna Kutubidze, played well enough to get a spot on First Team C-USA for both singles and doubles.

The eight girls all have unique skill sets, but Hammond has noticed most of the players share a certain trait.

“We added more power to the lineup with the new players,” Hammond said. “Some of the players are coming in with good ball striking capabilities and power.”

Filling out the final, but leading spot on this eightwoman roster is senior Alexis Thoma.

The undisputed captain, Thoma leads the team in stretches and drills every day in practice. During her tenure, she has been a consistent piece for Lama and the coaching staff. In last year’s C-USA first-round match against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she won the clinching match to send North Texas to the second round.

“You can see a sense of urgency in our captain, Alexis,” Lama said. “This is her last year. She’s the senior and she wants to finish with a bang.”

Despite having only one upperclassmen, all of the girls have shown to be disciplined and focused. Every sprint, serve and drill is done with the intention to get better and improve even though their season endures through late April.

Lama sums up this dedicated approach in one word.

“Professionalism,” he said.

“They are a group that is very professional in everything they do on and off of the court.

Whether it’s training habits, pre and post practice routines, and doing all of that at a high level.

The word is professionalism.”

As the fall tournament season begins, the team will usually only take three or four

Tamuna Kutubidze. North Texas Atletics girls to individual tournaments.

The more important season, the dual team season, begins in January. This year, the Mean Green have 14 of their 20 team matches at home where they were 8-1 last year.

Now a sophomore, Maria Kononova will aim to match and exceed what she did last year as the No. 1 seeded player on the team. At the second seed, fellow sophomore Tamuna Kutubidze was able to

win 11 of her 14 matches last year, and will need to replicate that performance to help this team be successful.

“Growth and improvement,” Lama said. “That’s what I want to see every single day. If we do that, then ultimately I want a championship from this team.”

Great success over recent years has set the bar high for this year’s group. Coach Lama feels like those accolades are not far out of reach if the girls

continue to progress.

“We want a championship and we want to go to the NCAA [tournament],” Lama said. “That’s the goal, and the process is everyday [we need to have] that determination to improve.”

@mattbrune25

COLUMN

Build a Mean Joe Greene statue outside of Apogee Stadium

By Clay Massey

Junior Alexis Thoma runs and hits the ball in a singles match. Colin Mitchell

Conference USA round-up

By Clay Massey A weekly look at some of the biggest athletic storylines around Conference USA: Western Kentucky University Senior defender Olivia Fitzgerald was selected as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week in women’s soccer.

Fitzgerald was awarded due to her performances against LSU and Morehead State.

University of Texas at San Antonio The women’s volleyball squad took its second tournament title of the season by winning the Nike Invitational in Oklahoma. The Roadrunners knocked off Ohio University in four sets for the trophy.

University of Texas at El Paso The Miners football team went down to Austin this past Saturday for a match with the No. 11 Longhorns, and came home with a 41-7 loss. UTEP was limited to just 208 yards and 10 first downs.

University of Alabama at Birmingham The Blazers women’s golf team finished third at the USA Intercollegiate. The squad shot a new school record by 10 strokes.

Senior Rebecca Chandler led the way finishing third individual and

shooting one over.

University of Southern Mississippi Junior wide receiver Allanzae Staggers was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after an 85-yard, four return effort with a touchdown. Staggers had the most all-purpose yards on the night for Southern Miss.

Rice University – Sophomore Abigail Cartwright was chosen as the C-USA Female Cross Country Athlete of the Week. The Dallas native won the season opening meet with a time of 14:17.6, or a 5:31.5 average mile.

Old Dominion University Old Dominion’s athletic department hosted its inaugural resume rush for student-athletes.

The program partnered with the Career Development Services department and helped junior and senior athletes develop a resume.

Middle Tennessee State University Senior Sampson Laari was named the C-USA Male Athlete of the Week for his running efforts in cross country. The Ghanaian ran a personal best of 14:52.26 to lead the Raiders to a win in the meet.

Marshall University Volleyball’s Jac’cara Walker was named the C-USA Freshman

of the Week. Walker has dominated with 46 kills, 22 digs, seven blocks and five aces.

Louisiana Tech University The Bulldogs senior wide receiver won the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against South Carolina State. He hauled in 11 receptions for 178-yards.

Florida Atlantic University Women’s track and field announced the hiring of associate head coach Willie Randolph.

Randolph comes from the University of Virginia where he specialized in hurdles. He helped set six school records at Virginia.

Florida International University The men’s soccer program had its three match unbeaten streak snapped on Friday after North Florida University defeated the squad 4-3. Josh Castellanos provided the dagger for NFU in the 66th minute.

University of North Carolina – Charlotte Men’s golf began the year in a tie for ninth at the Gopher Invitational in Minnesota.

Freshman Conor Purcell led the way finishing at five over.

@Clay_FC

In the Pro Football Hall of Fame sits a bronze bust of a University of Nor th Texas alumni. Charles Edward Greene was enshrined in football histor y in 1987.

He’s more widely known as “Mean Joe Greene,” and is easily the most recognizable football player to come out of UNT. So why is he not enshrined on the ver y campus where he studied and played? You can pull the nickname but not give him a statue?

Greene was ta ken with the four th overall pick of the 1969 N F L draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played 13 seasons with them.

He was a 10-time Pro Bowler, a four-time Super Bowl champion and a central piece of the “Steel Cur tain” defense.

You can’t honor this man, Nor th Texas? It’s hard to argue against Greene, considering the school’s nickname comes from him.

I know the fans and other alumni want it. Just look around at some of the ver y serious motions by fans to ma ke this project happen.

If Nor th Texas athletics does not want to pull from the athletic budget, I am honestly curious if they would consider getting the statue crowd funded.

A lot of alumni and fans would throw money into a GoFundMe. If those events transpire, then it just boils down to one thing: would the athletic depar tment take the money for the project?

The fact a statue has not

been built yet is almost baff ling to me.

Greene was such a success stor y to come out of this university. Why would you not want to honor that for all eter nity? He was a fairly local product, who stayed in his home state to go to college, which at the time was still relatively small.

He went on to win Super Bowls and be a par t of one of the most iconic defenses in histor y. In fact, he was a cor nerstone of that defense.

He’s one player that ever yone looks back and thinks, “wow.”

But not only do the people who were around during that time period remember him, all football fans remember him and most average people remember him, too.

Nearly ever yone watches the Super Bowl, and Greene was the face of one of the most famous Super Bowl Coca- Cola ads ever. The commercial of him with the kid and the Coke is iconic.

They show it ever y halftime at Apogee. How can you ignore his greatness by not giving him what he really deser ves?

It becomes especially confusing when you consider what other schools saw fit for a statue. TCU unveiled a Gar y Patterson statue. Let that sink in for a second. Patterson is in his 16th season of coaching

Mean Joe Green. UNT

the Hor ned Frogs, and has brought them to national prominence, but when you really look at it, Patterson has failed to win the big dance. But he gets a statue.

The University of Central Florida is honoring for mer head coach George O’Lear y with a statue. O’Lear y went 81- 68 at his time at UCF, and winless twice. O’Lear y fell under fire when a studentathlete died under his watch when he collapsed during offseason conditioning drills that O’Lear y and his staff were overseeing.

Not the most sparkling of resumes, but UCF showed they love him. Greene on the other hand, was a successful student athlete who put his university on the national stage with four Super Bowls and 10 Pro Bowls.

What more does he have to do, UNT? The man is 69-years-old and still shows up to ever y football camp to address the student athletes. He was at Wren Baker’s introductor y press conference and shook hands and chatted with anyone who wanted to talk.

He loves this university.

It’s time to show him you love him, too. Put a Mean Joe Greene statue outside of Apogee Stadium.

@Clay_FC

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 8

NEW A.D. READY TO RIGHT SHIP Wren Baker is the University of North Texas’s athletic director. Baker transferred as athletic director from the University of Missouri. Hannah Breland UPCOMING GAMES

Friday •Soccer @ Texas •Volleyball @ Stephen F Austin Saturday •Football @ Florida •Cross Country @ Ken Garland Invitational •Volleyball vs. Little Rock (@ Stephen F. Austin) Sunday •Soccer @ Rice

MEAN GREEN QUICK HITS

Football North Texas football will battle with Florida on Saturday. The Mean Green are 36.5 point underdogs and have a 1.2 percent chance of upsetting the Gators, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Soccer Mean Green soccer begins Conference USA play on Sunday with a game against Rice.

Volleyball Volleyball takes its 4-7 record on the road, where they will play four games in four days, one of which is at Baylor.

A.D. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the Final Four in 2004.

However, Baker shifted career paths in 2006, opting for the administrative side of athletics. His first job was Director of Athletics at Rogers State University, where Baker became the youngest athletic director in the country at any fouryear university.

Over the next 10 years, Baker made stops at Northwest Missouri State, the University of Memphis, and most recently, the University of Missouri.

His array of skills is what made him such an attractive candidate for UNT President Neal Smatresk during the hiring process.

“On paper, I loved his experience because he’s done it all from soup to nuts,” Smatresk said. “He’s worked small programs. He’s shown a strong progression of responsibility in all the places he’s been. And he’s been, from what I can tell, uniformly successful.”

Baker’s arrival in Denton comes during a time of rebuilding, as he will

now be tasked with orchestrating a complete athletic turnaround.

Last year, Mean Green football went 1-11, a mark that tied for the worst record in school history. Head coach Seth Littrell was hired last December to replace former head coach Dan McCarney, who was fired in the middle of the 2015 season.

On the basketball side, the men’s team has not posted a winning record since head coach Tony Benford was hired in 2012. Softball has struggled the last two seasons, going a combined 41-64, and even missed the Conference USA tournament that was held in Denton last year.

Despite the recent disarray, Baker is adamant he has a plan to get things turned around.

“We’re going to build on the student-athlete experience,” Baker said. “I think if you focus your athletic department on [that,] they’ll want to come. It’s going to be comparable to anywhere in the country. When they come here, they’re going to get coached by some of the best coaches

in the country.”

No stranger to revitalizing athletic programs, Baker led the charge at Memphis and Northwest Missouri State, and was a key cog in the success each school experienced. At both locations, he secured the largest donation in university history.

“I’m pumped,” head football coach Seth Littrell said of working with Baker. “I think he’s a great leader. I think he’ll do an unbelievable job. He’s very passionate. I’m excited about our relationship, and getting a chance to move forward and build something special here.”

But Baker also has experience overcoming adversity.

Last year, Baker served as the interim director of athletics at Missouri during protests directed at former president Tim Wolfe.

Students and football players alike banded together over racial incidents they believed Wolfe did not properly address.

Some football players even threatened to not suit up until Wolfe

was gone, and a short time later, Wolfe resigned.

“I learned so much about the importance of open and honest dialogue and communication when we have differences,” Baker said. “I learned a lot about that at Missouri and will certainly carry that forward.”

Even though it feels like home, there are still adjustments Baker will have to make. One of them is operating on a budget that, according to Baker, is three times less than what he worked with at Missouri.

“We’re still kind of sorting through the books in athletics,” Smatresk said. “The first and most critical move for [Baker] has been what kind of leadership is he bringing in, and I think he’s made some good early calls.”

One of Baker’s early calls was the hire of new athletic COO and associate vice president Jared Mosley, who will serve on the leadership team for Baker. Formerly the CEO and President of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and Director of Athletics

at Abilene Christian University, Mosley has over a decade of athletic administration knowledge under his belt.

“I think it’s a great hire,” Smatresk said. “Having someone with with that level of experience, a senior hand who has been there and done that to support Wren is a strong move. It’s an indication of the kind of decision making you’re going to see from this athletic director. I think he’ll build a winning team.”

For Baker, things have come full circle in a short amount of time.

Despite having the opportunity to interview and be chosen as the permanent athletic director at Missouri, a Power Five school, Baker had his eyes fixed upon North Texas, and the challenge that awaited.

And now, he is the one UNT will turn to to right the ship.

“I always felt like this was the place for me to be,” Baker said. “I felt like I could come here and be a part of something special.”

@ReeceWaddell15

Freshman Hawaiian brings defense to Mean Green volleyball

By Courtney Anderson Hawaii is typically associated with gorgeous beaches, blue water, volcanoes and hula girls with grass skirts and coconut bras at luaus. It is a popular tourist destination, and an island oasis.

But for freshman libero LekaLeka Kiner-Falefa, Honolulu, Hawaii has always been thought of as just one simple thing -- home.

“It’s a different lifestyle [in Hawaii,]” Kiner-Falefa said.

“There [are] only a certain amount of people, so you really get to know everything and everyone. It’s kind of just like one big family. I know that sounds really cliche, but it really is.”

At the age of 6, Kiner-Falefa picked up volleyball and has not

looked back. She later joined club volleyball, a move that helped her immensely in the college recruiting process.

North Texas head coach and Hawaiian native Andrew Palileo came across Kiner-Falefa as a result of his ties to the club volleyball community in multiple states, including Hawaii.

“Leka’s club coach and I have been pretty good friends,” Palileo said. “We started talking and he wanted me to take a look at her, so I tracked her for about two years through her seasons and she was what we needed as far as a libero.

We wanted to mainly recruit in Texas, but sometimes we have to look nationally and at multiple club scenes.”

In order for Kiner-Falefa to continue her volleyball career

after high school, she had to make an extreme upheaval and leave her close-knit community behind.

Her decision to leave the island and move more than 3,700 miles to Denton was not an easy one.

Kiner-Falefa gives credit to both her former coach and Palileo on swaying her to attend UNT. According to her, their coaching styles are extremely similar, so the transition to the collegiate level was not as difficult.

But Kiner-Falefa not only had to leave her home to continue her volleyball career, she also had to switch positions. Since North Texas has a plethora of middle blockers and offensive players, Kiner-Falefa was forced to make the switch from outside hitter to defensive specialist.

With the 5’8” athlete coming

in, both coaches were closer to having a more versatile team again.

“Leka is a big recruit for us,” associate head coach Vinh Nguyen said. “We expect a lot out of Leka playing a big impact roll; coming in and taking over the libero position for us.”

After starting the first eight games of the season, Kiner-Falefa has become more accustomed to what is expected of her as a libero and as a Mean Green teammate.

“It’s been really great [playing libero] actually since I have never played the libero position before,” Kiner-Falefa said. “Transitioning into that position has made me become a different player, vocally, physically, mentally and it’s just making me grow as a player.”

With conference play coming

up in less than two weeks, Palileo and Nguyen are still examining all of their options for various lineups.

In the North Texas Invitational tournament this past weekend, Kiner-Falefa did not start on day one, giving junior defensive specialist Meredith Bramer a chance to compete for the starting position moving forward However, Palileo has insisted nothing is set in stone.

“There’s not one set lineup right now,” Palileo said, “but that’s what we’re trying to find with switching up it up still early on.

We’re looking for the chemistry between the players and seeing what works.”

@CPaigeA23

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OPINION Page 9

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Yes, men’s restrooms need tampons too

By Preston Mitchell Starting this week, Brown University joined a long list of supporters in favor of repealing the U.S. sales tax on tampons.

The Undergraduate Council of Students at the Providence, Rhode Island college delivered tampons to the campus’s estimated 70 restrooms,

including the male rooms, in what has already become an academic controversy.

Despite this, the organization plans to replenish the tampons once a week, partially thanks to allocated funds from the school’s Undergraduate Finance Board.

If you ask me, this action is a tremendous step for man, woman and transgenderkind. Brown has made an amazing choice in its decision to, quite frankly, monopolize female hygiene for its students and employees.

Considering how much the New York City Council believes tampons to be just “as necessary as toilet paper” — leading into their own free tampon prerogative — every

detractor of Brown must realize that men’s restrooms needs tampons, too.

According to Sacramento

assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, women in California are taxed over $20 million for tampons and sanitary napkins.

After introducing AB 1561 last January, a legislative measure to exempt tampons from taxation, she commandeered a

wealth of support and started national discourse about the topic at hand.

In fact, only a few of the fifty states (including Rhode Island and New York) have allied with California’s menstrual

North Texas Daily Editorial Board Dalton LaFerney | Editor-In-Chief laferneyd@gmail.com Eline de Bruijn | Managing Editor Kayleigh Bywater | Managing Editor Reece Waddell | Managing Editor Preston Mitchell | Editorial Page Editor Tomas Gonzalez | Visuals Editor

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Brown University deserves its moniker more than ever.

Not only did its student government representatives have the brilliant foresight to target tampon taxation, they acknowledged the needs of their LGBT demographic and sought to distribute hygienic supplies accordingly. They are a liberal art school, after all.

In the grand scheme of social reform, Rhode Island and like-minded states have successfully improved gender equality this year. Even though Brown’s commission has battled conservative upheaval from the very beginning, the leaders in charge do not plan on giving up anytime soon.

This was reinforced by Viet Nguyen, one of Brown’s student government representatives, who called the program “efficient” and hopes it will become “an institutional part of [the college]” someday.

Redefining what is openly acceptable for women’s health is the best way for men to be feminist without the extremist aftertaste. I’m not saying to make a Tumblr and take part in radical tirades, but we owe it to our fellow human beings to ensure that widespread health becomes a tangible mainstay in public restrooms nationwide.

@presto_mitch

Leave Hillary alone!

Hannah Lauritzen | Design Editor

Evan McAlister | Designer/copy editor

advocacy. While the bulk of American lawmakers have seemed to keep quiet on the subject, it’s only a matter of time before other Ivy League schools risk their prestige for the greater good.

Simply put: tampons are completely inseparable from the human experience, regardless of whether or not you’re a female. If you’re reading this, you’re either a woman that’s had periods before or a man with daughters and friends who are acquainted with periodic cycles. Because of these facts, men should recognize that tampons are just as imperative as hand soap when it comes to sanitizing the opposite sex. Putting a price tag on that human right only takes advantage of women more than history has already done.

Bodily equality is significant for every woman, especially those that distinguish themselves as members of the LGBT community. It only makes sense that out of the 1.4 million adults that currently identify as transgender Americans many of them are likely to be transmen with female biology.

Being an Ivy League college, this is exactly why

By Morgan Sullivan The internet is too hard on Hillary Clinton. Although she’s far from perfect, and we shouldn’t forgive the things she’s done, she deserves a break. And compared to Donald Trump, some might say Hillary is a saint.

Where insulting Trump tends to be superficial, focusing on his bad spray tan and hair piece, slander towards Hillary is more than skin deep. Donald Trump is much less qualified (if at all) to run for president, but somehow, Hillary bears the brunt of all of the worst insults.

She learned from presidents.

She watched her husband play commander-in-chief, and then learned from Obama. She’s

worked in the White House.

Yet still, people have the gall to question whether she will be able to lead.

People tune her out in the debates because she’s “boring,” but talking policy isn’t always sexy. In this odd time in history, a presidential debate is more like a high school prom contest than running to lead the country. She may flip-flop on policy. She may have made bad policy calls in the past. That shouldn’t be easily forgiven, but at least Hillary has been in an opportunity to make those mistakes.

Donald Trump has sat on the sidelines, rolling in his money while Hillary actually worked in government.

On Trump’s website, he only outlines seven broad positions, including one for his mystical wall. Hillary’s website outlines 38 specific issues. Get him talking about anything other than racist remarks, and you’ll soon find out Trump has little idea about how the government actually works.

Trump seems to always get the easy card though. No one

asks him hard questions about his policy or makes him explain himself. Even when he makes ridiculous claims (like he can make Mexico pay for his wall), no one asks him to elaborate.

Whether we do this because we know he can’t, or because we respect him more than Hillary, is unclear.

Hillary’s health and personal life are always somehow present in the media. People continually remark that she can’t run a country if she couldn’t keep her husband from cheating on her. As if it’s her fault that her husband committed adultery and that it will in any way affect how well she might lead a nation.

Trump is also older than Hillary, but you never see his health being questioned.

Perhaps because his doctor put everyone at ease with his totally legitimate letter that wasn’t written hastily in five minutes.

Meanwhile, Hillary’s health has been questioned and berated throughout her entire campaign.

Including now. You faint once at a memorial and suddenly the internet conspires that you’re secretly dying.

A candidate shouldn’t be ostracized for not disclosing an illness. Pneumonia will not have any sort of effect on how Hillary will lead if elected.

Trump’s wacky doctor letter is the only medical information he’s disclosed, yet his health isn’t in question whatsoever.

The fact is, people will find any reason to hate Hillary Clinton right now. Maybe it’s a sexist thing, or perhaps Donald Trump is just harder to scrutinize. She’s definitely not perfect, but she’s the best we’ve got. Stop looking for every little flaw in her personal life, and start finding reasons why she might be better than Trump.

@sadsquadch

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 10

It’s perfectly okay to change your major

The Editorial Board As we round the third week of the semester, our peers are likely up to their necks in more than they can handle. This is about the time you begin to realize your ideal career requires a lot of reading, homework, essays, waking up for class.

Dedication.

But is it all worth it?

Will your hard work in engineering amount to a lifetime of passionate work? You do not have to make that decision this semester, but that bridge is coming up very soon.

We are here to say it is perfectly reasonable and healthy to change your major, to pivot away from your original track to find a better alternative. Just don’t expect it to get any easier.

Looking back on freshman year, we seemed to have so much at stake.

For those of us who traveled hours away to attend UNT, we were bestowed the

opportunity of a lifetime to reinvent ourselves and become new people. That year was formative because it marked the first time we could break away from our narrow-minded abodes and form our own thoughts and ideologies.

Sure, the possibility of digressing from your ideal career is a frightening feeling, but be mindful that the probability of switching majors is already high.

Data from the University of La Verne confirm that “50 to 70 percent of students change majors” by the end of their freshman year. Even more interesting is their generalization that students switch at least three times before graduation.

To this end, it’s absolutely fine if you end up changing your major. High school is a serviceable enough experience to prepare people for college, but it fails to teach them about the

infinite outcomes of scholarly courses. Failing to visit professor office hours in the beginning can later result in failing the entire class, especially when you’re taking 12 hours of class on top of it.

You could also deteriorate your GPA in the process of taking classes to catch up to your major’s GPA minimum. It’s easy to spend thousands of dollars in loans for the sole purpose of majoring, only to realize that you fell in love with another subject altogether.

The limits do not exist, and they shouldn’t because we’re all ultimately here to progress to the next stage of our lives. The caveat that our parents, classmates and selves need to discern is that college is destined to be a “slice of life,” so you should be open to drifting a bit. There is much to learn from taking a random history class. Just be sure to touch base with your adviser.

There will be times where you run into old flames or begin new relationships. You’re likely to befriend different types of people; some of them will succeed with you but a lot of them won’t even make it to sophomore year.

Don’t focus on hanging

out with one group of people just because they study the same thing as you.

If switching your major has one fundamental benefit, it’s the freedom to learn a multitude of subjects. UNT’s College of Arts and Sciences offers integrative studies, which combines three concentrations with the ability to minor in a fourth subject. It’s very popular among students in search of easy ways to accommodate their multiple interests without sacrificing plan Bs or Cs. Comparable to the integrative opportunity would be dabbling into double majoring or simply minoring.

Although undertaking twice the amount of 3,000 and 4,000-level courses looks intimidating, certain pairs of majors compliment each other extremely well.

Biology and chemistry.

Business and marketing.

Math and engineering. A

lot of these combinations are “might-as-well” choices because some major classes will cross over into others.

So why not double major?

And if you don’t wish to do so, applying a teaching certification to your sole major can knock minoring and career ambiguities out of the way.

You’ve been given a wonderful excuse to cut loose academically and become your own person in the process. All fears aside, experimenting with your subjects is essentially another way to play around with your curiosities. Forget about financial hesitations; enrolling into college eats up money to start with.

You were plucked into adulthood for a reason. Just don’t let one single major pigeonhole you from being an educated person. What is the value of a degree if you can’t be passionate about the subjects you studied?

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