North Texas Daily 8/30/18

NEWS, pg 2

ARTS & LIFE, pg 6

EDITORIAL, pg 10

DCTA and Lyft partner for free late-night student rides

Farmer Ross leads Harvest community back to the basics

An open letter from our notso-new Editorin-Chief

Serving the University of North Texas and Denton since 1916 VOL. 114 No. 1 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

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UNT professor completes potentially record-length lecture

By Ally Zarate & Carter Mize @allyzaratetx @mizecarter With the help of more than 100 volunteers, professional observers and a constant audience, UNT history professor Andrew Torget completed a potentially Guinness Book of World Recordsbreaking lecture that lasted more than 26 hours.

Torget’s lecture, which began at 9 a.m. Aug. 24, detailed the history of Texas from prehistoric times up to present day. The talk, which had a run-time

of 26 hours and 33 minutes, aimed to raise money for the Portal to Texas History, an internet research archive maintained by UNT Libraries. “[Torget] came to me a little over a year ago and said, ‘I’ve got this crazy idea for a fundraiser,’” Dreanna Belden, assistant dean for external relations, said. “He told me his idea about wanting to set a new world record. We were 100 percent behind it.”

Belden said pulling off the fundraiser took extensive logistics. The Guinness Book of World

Records required multiple video feeds and impartial witnesses to verify the event’s legitimacy. The witnesses observed the event procedures from start to finish, taking breaks every four hours.

Torget is a member of the UNT Library Advocacy Board, which helps raise funds for library resources.

Torget’s endeavor aimed to raise funds specifically for the Portal and to help reach the Advocacy Board’s $1.5 million fundraising goal.

At the start of Torget’s lecture, the library board

SEE RECORD ON PAGE 2

Andrew Torget stands on his chair as he gives his record setting 24-hour history lecture. Will Baldwin

UNT, SMU revisit longtime rivalry Mean Green set to take on Mustangs at Apogee Stadium Saturday

UNT

SMU

Courtesy Mean Green Athletics

By Bronte Hermesmeyer @BronteHerm The rivalry is back: The Southern Methodist Mustangs will take the field at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Apogee Stadium to challenge the Mean Green in the opening game of the 2018 football season.

The two metroplex teams have played each other 37 times dating back to 1922.

The Mustangs have dominated the Mean Green in this series with a 31-5-1 all-time record. The Mustangs have averaged 28 points per game against North Texas, while the Mean Green have only averaged nine points per game. The last time North Texas beat Southern Methodist was in 2014.

Despite the domination over the past 96 years, the Mean Green football team is optimistic this is their year to turn the series around.

“It’s always a good rivalry,” senior linebacker E.J. Ejiya said. “This is what we’ve been looking forward to since the winter workouts, spring workouts and fall camp. Everyone’s mindset is ready to go, and we’re ready to play.”

North Texas head coach Seth Littrell

has a storied connection with Southern Methodist head coach Sonny Dykes.

Littrell and Dykes worked together under Mike Leach at Texas Tech University from 2005-2007. Littrell was the running backs coach while Dykes was the cooffensive coordinator. Littrell said the “family-like” relationship between him and Dykes will not be the same when the two teams meet on Sept. 1.

“Sonny is family to me,” Littrell said.

“Our families are extremely tight. About the past month, we haven’t spoken — that’s coaching. After the game, I’ll love him just like I’ve always loved him, but gameday is gameday.”

There are several reasons why North Texas fans should be optimistic about both Southern Methodist game and the entire 2018 season.

First, the Mean Green are favored by 4.5 points over SMU, according to ESPN. Second, North Texas is coming off one of its best seasons in program history with a 9-5 record and an appearance in the C-USA conference championship game in 2017.

Last, Dave Campbell’s 2018 Texas Football magazine predicts North

Courtesy Aflon Sports Texas to finish 10-2 on the year, with losses to Arkansas and UTSA. North Texas has never won 10 games in the entirety of its program, but Coach Littrell is confident this team will be able to record North Texas’ first season with double-digit wins.

“Consistency,” Littrell said. “Each week we need to make sure we max out our ability and preparation. In this conference, it doesn’t matter who you play. You’re one bad week of preparation away from getting your butt kicked.”

The Mean Green started fall camp on Aug. 3. Junior quarterback Mason Fine said this year’s fall camp feels different than the past two years.

“We’ve had the most fun at this fall camp,” Fine said. “I think we have executed well and played with great joy and enthusiasm. It has been a joy to play out here.”

With this being Littrell’s third year at the helm, the Mean Green have also been adding to the offensive playbook in an attempt to distribute the ball to their

Mean Green head coach Seth Littrell talks about the upcoming football season during DFW Media Day on Aug. 22. Trevon McWilliams playmakers in several different ways.

“I think it is going to help us game plan more, become good at what we do and go out there and execute,” Fine said.

One of the playmakers Fine is looking to throw the ball to is redshirt junior Caleb Chumley.

Female bartenders serve the harsh truth

By Anna Orr @AnnaMOrr97 A typical night for 22-yearold bartender Casey Lummus ends at 3:30 a.m. when the crowds leave and the dishes are cleaned. By noon the next day, she is teaching her pre-K class.

Bartending is a job that offers her flexibility and balance throughout the week.

“It works really well for me since over the summer it’s allowed me to teach,” Lummus said. “I get work experience for my future, but I can also do this thing I really enjoy.”

Lummus works at Cool Beans, one of the bars on Fry Street that she describes as a “dysfunctional family.” For Lummus, it is where everyone knows each other, especially at “sister bars” Riprocks and Lucky Lou’s.

“We all look out for each other,” Lummus said. “If something happens at Lou’s, they will call us and warn us.”

She feels safe in her place of work but is often subject to verbal harassment, mostly from men.

Every bartender works “door duty,” the first line of security into the bar. When Lummus would take her post, she said

Chumley was rated a three-star quarterback by Rivals.com coming out of high school. Within the past two years, North Texas has converted Chumley to the tight end position.

Chumley finished with seven

SEE SAFEWAY BOWL ON PAGE 7

Smash the stress away: Denton’s 1st ‘break room’

By Rebecca Najera @RebeccaNajera42 After a long day at work or school, it is nice to take a few moments to relax and destress. However, people can get busy and let their stress build up. The Breakroom is a way to shatter that wall of stress, one smash at a time.

Tucked away on Wainwright Street is a small garage-like building. What was once a print shop is now replaced

by The Breakroom, a recreational building where consumers can pay to destroy old TVs, computers and other pieces of furniture with an instrument of their choice.

“We’re told from birth, ‘Don’t break that, don’t play ball in the house, don’t do this, don’t do that,

don’t get angry,’ and you know, there’s not a lot of outlets to get rid of that rage,” co-owner and UNT alumnus West White said. “This is kind of one of those things [you can do] if you’re stressed out [or] if you just want to have fun.”

Upon walking into the building, customers immediately see a wall lined with instruments of destruction, including wooden and aluminum baseball bats, crowbars, hockey sticks, golf clubs, sledgehammers and more.

When West first brought up the idea to his friend Trey Bond, Bond was hesitant.

“I was like, ‘This is the dumbest thing I’ve heard in my entire life,’” Bond said. “Then I started

SEE BREAKROOM ON PAGE 4

Cool Beans bartender Casey Lummus serves a margarita on her Thursday night shift. Jordan Collard men would stand next to her, flirt with her and try to get her number “I think the common misconception is that it is a social job, but not when you are working as security,” Lummus said.

Compared to when she started bartending at age 20, Lummus is not afraid to defend not only herself but her

customers as well.

Making the bar a safe space for her customers is her priority.

“I’ve had female customers come up to me and tell me they’re uncomfortable, and I just say, ‘Tell me who and come sit up here with me,’” Lummus said. “It’s my obligation to make this bar a safe place and the moment it becomes unsafe, I need to do something about it.”

Despite her determination, Lummus faces uncomfortable encounters herself.

“Some people tell me that I’m the same age as their daughter and it’s a good thing I’m not related to them,” Lummus said.

“Another guy said, ‘I may be saying this because I’ve had a little bit too much to drink but your boobs look great.’”

SEE BARTENDERS ON PAGE 5

West White, co-owner of The Breakroom, holds up one of his instruments of destruction.

Omar Gonzalez

NEWS Page 2

North Texas Daily

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

Denton GOP hosts grassroots training event

By Lizzy Spangler @LizzySpangler

Editorial Board

The Denton County Republican Party hosted an Abbott University event to an audience of seven people Saturday. The event focused on the Republican opposition and grassroots activism – specifically block walking and using the Advantage app, an app for voter contact used by Republicans.

“We started [Abbott University,] back in the 2014 campaign,” said John Wittman, press secretary for the Greg Abbott reelection campaign. “And it’s a continuation of that, so it’s been going on for several years.”

Abbott University is a set of instructional courses meant to teach people across the state how to better organize grassroots campaign.

At the Denton event which officially began around 10:10 a.m. and lasted about a half-hour - opened up with opposition research, specifically information regarding Beto O’Rourke, Ted Cruz’s challenger for the Texas U.S. Senate seat, and groups such as Battleground Texas, Indivisible, Our

Editor-in-Chief Alec Spicer @Spicer_Alec Alec.Spicer@unt.edu Copy Chief Kaitlin Pennell @K_itlinnn pennellkaitlin@gmail.com News Editor Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel seanriedel@my.unt.edu Arts & Life Editor Amy Roh @rohmyboat amyroh77@gmail.com Sports Editor Zachary Cottam @ZachCottam zachacottam@gmail.com Opinion Editor Rachel Herzer @coolrachdoritos rherzer96@gmail.com Visuals Editor Kelsey Shoemaker @kelesmis kelseyshoes@gmail.com

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Revolution Texas and the Texas Democrats.

“As with any campaign, you’re constantly looking to engage volunteers and train folks,” Wittman said. “We use Abbott University as an opportunity to do that. As a result, the purpose of that is to train our volunteers and those involved in our campaign how to go knock [on] doors and how to talk to voters and make phone calls and things like that.”

Attendees of Saturday’s event were also shown an eight-minute video about how to block walk and use the Advantage app to reach out to voters.

“I wanted to load the Advantage app and I wanted to learn a little bit more about it, so I can use it for block walking,” said Loretta Sullivan, a 66-year-old administrative assistant, when asked why she attended Saturday’s event.

Wittman said grassroots activism, which was the focus of Saturday’s event, is a necessity in order to win elections.

“We’re going to win this by going door-to-door and engaging directly with voters,” Wittman said. “And

A Regional Director for Texans for Greg Abbot Hannah DeVine talks to the attendees about the opposition research as she leads the training session. Ashley Gallegos grassroots activism is the key component of that.”

He also said teaching grassroots activism helps the Abbott campaign because people then have the skills and tools necessary to contact and talk with voters.

“At the end of the day, major campaigns are won by engaging directly with voters and that’s what these grassroots activists help with. They’re [an] incredibly valuable part of our team,” Wittman said.

With the midterm election 72 days away, attendees at Saturday’s event differed in terms of concern levels for the potential of a “blue wave,” a term used for a high number of Democratic candidates in November.

“The reality is that our campaign is taking nothing for granted,” Wittman said. “We are going to do everything we can to make sure Republicans are elected up and down the ballot.”

Sullivan said she would

prefer the opposite of a “blue wave.”

“Sure, absolutely, we want to stop [the ‘blue wave’],” Sullivan said. “We want the ‘red wave.’”

Scott Lipscomb, a 60-yearold dentist, said he is not concerned about the potential for a “blue wave.”

“I doubt it will happen,” Lipscomb said. “I doubt there’s going to be a big wave, one way or the other. All you can do is get out there and encourage people to vote.”

Professor lectures for more than 26 hours straight RECORD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Production Team

raised $427,000 of that goal.

The National Endowment for the Humanties also said they would donate an additional $500,000 to the portal if the libraries reach their eventual goal.

“So basically [the fundraiser exists] to support a number of things,” Belden said. “It could be used for technology purchases, infrastructure, new content or to support general humanities

Design Editor/Copy Editor Kiera Geils @KieraGeils kierageils@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Parisa Nasiripour @risanasiri parisa.nasirip@gmail.com

activities.”

Among the audience members was English and political science junior Marshall Richardson, who took Torget’s Texas history class in spring 2017.

“He is probably one of the most energetic and fun professors I’ve ever had,” Richardson said. “He really cares about what he’s talking about.

He knows a lot. I’ve never seen him not know the answer to a question.”

In addition to come-and-go audience members like Richardson, several volunteers attended the full duration of the lecture to fulfill a requirement set by Guinness.

Without at least 10 full-time listeners, Guinness would consider the project illegitimate.

Rodriguez Middle School Texas history teacher and UNT alumnus Charles Linn said the event would be something he could share with his

students this coming school year.

“It’s a cool experience to hear [the lecture] all in one sitting,” Linn said.

“Texas is a unique state - we’ve got a unique history. It’s a worthwhile study...to know the history, where we’ve come [from], who we are and why we’re here.”

Footage of the lecture, which was live-streamed via YouTube, will be analyzed by Guinness in order to confirm Torget’s world record.

Lyft offering free early-morning rides for UNT students

Designer/Copy Editor Parker Ward @ParkerDFW parkbenward@outlook.com

By Rachael Jones @RachaelReports Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) and UNT recently entered a partnership with Lyft that provides UNT students with free rides from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. every day of the week.

The partnership was launched on Aug. 17 and the promotional code will end on Dec. 15.

The program is available to UNT students who are at least 18 years of age by using the Lyft code UNTRIDEFALL18. The program offers free rides to students on campus, as well as surrounding streets including Fry street, parts of Eagle Drive, West Hickory and others.

The program is part of a 10 year contract between DCTA and UNT, which has an end goal of finding innovative ways and methods to keep UNT students safe and provide transportation for students in and around campus, DCTA communications manager Adrienne Hamilton said.

“We are always working with UNT to provide more useful and safe options for students when it comes to transportation,” Hamilton said. “UNT students should expect more services like this in the future from us under our contract.”

Social Media Manager Alexia Johnson @uhlexeeyuh alexiajohnson@my.unt.edu Senior Staff Illustrator Austin Banzon @Austinbanzon99 austintroybanzon@my.unt.edu

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

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

UNT also offers students after-hour ride services through e-ride. E-ride will continue to offer services concurrent with the new partnership.

Because e-ride stops offering rides at 2 a.m. the new partnership with Lyft will provide students with rides later in the evening or earlier in the morning before work or class.

“As with any service offered on campus, we hope to give the students the alternatives they need to have safe and reliable methods of transportation while they’re on UNT’s campus,” UNT Senior Communication Specialist Trista Moxely said. “It is [also] the most economical use of the student transportation fee, which has not increased in 15 years.”

Additionally, the merger will assist in decreasing the university’s carbon footprint and to utilize the transportation fee charged in student tuition and fees.

Students are offered 120 free, one-way trips with the promotional code and a new promotional code will be administrated each semester, according to the DCTA website.

The service will also be more accessible for students who stay out late and do not have access to a car while living on or in certain areas of campus

DCTA has partnered with ride-hailing service LYFT to help UNT students. Emilia Capuchino that are within the coverage map.

Marketing sophomore Carina Mendez said the partnership will be beneficial for her.

“It will make things easier for me as student when I’m studying late at Willis and need a ride home or when I have to be at work at 6:45 a.m.,” Mendez said. “It will be nice that it will be on-demand and through a service like Lyft, which I already use.”

9 arrested in months-long drug investigation on Fry

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez

To pitch a story or contact the Editor-in-Chief, please email northtexasdaily@gmail.com Correction: In the Aug. 23 edition, a story with the headline, “CVAD to cut fibers major,” stated that the new CVAD building cost $17 million. The actual cost of the new building is $70 million. The Daily regrets this error.

Nine people were arrested Thursday evening at a residence in the 200 block of Fry Street for drug and weapon violations, according to a news release from the Denton Police Department.

The release said the Denton Police Narcotics Investigators and Department Tactical Unit (SWAT) arrived at the house around 8 p.m. to serve a search warrant.

The operation was part of a months-long investigation to crack down on the sale of cocaine, crack, methamphetamine and K2, a form of synthetic marijuana, from the residence, according to the release.

Investigators found those substances along with cocaine, marijuana and three illegally possessed firearms at the scene.

Charges for the nine individuals include varying amounts of possession of a controlled substance as well as the manufacturing and

delivery of controlled substances.

Those charged were Damon Clark, James Crowder, Reginald Gladney, Tony Jackson, Stephanie Proctor, Ronita Clark, Charrita Tyler, Rebecca Williams and Jamaine Williamson.

Denton resident Bob Bentley, who was at the scene, said he arrived around 8 p.m. and saw a large white truck drive up with about 10 to 12 officials carrying guns.

“More police came up [in front of the house] going up to Fry Street and people started running out of the

house,” Bentley said. “Most of the people were caught.”

Bentley said he thought he heard gunshots, but Denton Police spokesperson Bryan Cose told the Denton-Record Chronicle the loud sounds were likely f lash-bangs, devices used to distract individuals who are being apprehended.

All suspects were taken to Denton City Jail.

Staff photographer Jordan Collard contributed to this report.

NEWS AROUND THE US

By Jackie Guerrero and Sean Riedel

Shooting at Madden Tournament

Pope scandal

9-year-old boy commits suicide

Jad Ambumrad to speak at UNT

UNT announces new “Mean” Joe Greene statue

On Sunday Aug. 26 in Jacksonville, Fla. there was a shooting during a live Madden esports tournament. Two people were killed and 10 were injured. The alleged shooter, 24-year-old David Katz, committed suicide after opening fire and the motive behind the shooting is unknown. Three upcoming tournaments have since been canceled in wake of this incident.

In wake of accusations that Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick molested a 16-year-old boy nearly 50 years ago, Pope Francis has become a topic of discussion becuase a letter was written and published by an archbishop alleging that Pope Francis and other members of the church were aware of McCarrick’s behavior and assisted in covering it up.

A 9-year-old boy in Colorodo named Jamel Myles commited suicide after being bullied in school for coming out as homosexual.

His mother, Leia Piece, said she found her son dead Aug. 23 at their home. Myles told his mother he was gay over the summer and told his classmates when he went back to school, and killed himself just four days later.

As part of the Mary Jo and V. Lane Rawlins Fine Arts Series, UNT is to host Jad Abumrad from RadioLab. The lecture will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Monday Sept. 17 at the University Union Lyceum. UNT students get in free, and tickets cost $5 for student guests, $10 for staff, faculty and alumni and $20 for the general public.

UNT announced Wednesday that an 8-foot-tall statue of the football player will be unveiled Sept. 29. Greene played for UNT, from 1966-68 and was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Additionally, The Daily reported over the summer that UNT’s newest residence hall will be named for him.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

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Dems hope to catch ‘blue wave’

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez About 40 people attended The Future is Blue, a summit co-hosted by the Denton County Democratic Party on Sunday at the University Union. The event was directed toward interested leaders, volunteers and campaign teams with nearby counties’ party offices to learn what has worked in turning California blue and how to speed up Texas’ turnover, according to the county’s party website.

Eric Bauman, chairman of the California Democratic Party, said while speaking at the event that Texas Democrats should focus on local politics, talk to people about their values and beliefs and know their audiences.

“The thing about ‘blue waves’ is you have to catch them and you have to ride them,” Bauman said. “I want to see the ‘blue wave’ come on [Texas] shores.”

Invited guests included Dr. Carla Brailey, the Texas Democratic Party Vice Chair, Mike Floyd, the Texas Democratic Party Treasurer and Carol Donovan and Deborah Peoples, the chairwomen for the Dallas and Tarrant County Democratic Parties, respectively.

Bauman spoke on his experience in California politics, then spoke with the other invited guests during a Q&A session on getting people involved in off-years, voter registration problems in Texas and making public education a priority.

Bauman, who referred to himself as “hyperpartisan,” spoke passionately to engage the audience on

how California became a majority Democratic state in the early 1990s.

He said it was a combination of volunteer work from Democrats and an increase in the Latino and Asian demographic during a time when anti-immigration rhetoric was shown on television.

Local candidate Andrew Morris, who is running for representative for Texas House District 64 against incumbent Lynn Stucky, also attended.

“I came because this is my district and to support the event,” Morris said. “[This event] validates what our party is doing.”

One of the key points stressed during the event was communication and follow-up with potential voters. During the Q&A session, Bauman spoke of an experiment he conducted with about 86,000 Latinos in California. Bauman said he wrote down their email addresses and consistently followed up with them on their voter registration progress.

Morris said creating relationships with potential voters, constituents, candidates and the party is a target for the Democratic Party in Denton.

Ira Bershad, communications director for the Denton County Democratic Party, asked how the party would keep up the current momentum during nonelection years. Bauman and peoples said that years with no major elections such as congressional or presidential elections see a lower turnout for Democrats.

“You have to have a long-term game plan and know it won’t happen overnight,” Peoples said. “Make every election count. It’s not just the presidential election

(From left to right) Carla Brailey, Carol Donovan, Eric Bauman, Deborah Peoples and Mike Floyd discuss ways of reaching younger voters through a stronger social media presence. Will Baldwin [and] gubernatorial [election].”

Bauman and Floyd also said there should be a focus on younger voters. Bauman stressed that there should be a focus on social media, claiming that social media usage was one of the things former president Barack Obama did to win the 2008 election.

At age 18, Floyd became the youngest person to be elected to a state Democratic Party position. Now 19, he also serves on the Board of Trustees for Pearland Independent School District, located south of Houston.

Bauman said it is young leaders like Floyd that are the leaders of today, not tomorrow.

“If we can get college campuses’ Democratic clubs talking to other campuses and sharing ideas and stories, and get those campuses resources for events, I think it can help all our candidates,” Floyd said.

The deadline to register to vote in the midterm elections is Oct. 9, with early voting beginning Oct. 22 and election day being Nov. 6.

UNT partners with new bike share program VeoRide, cuts ties with Spin bikes

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez UNT has partnered with a bike share program, VeoRide, to allow students, faculty and staff to rent bikes at discounted rates, according to a UNT news release.

The bike share pilot program launched Monday with 100 bikes placed around campus in front of places such as residence halls, the General Academic Building and Fouts Field. One-hundred eighty more bikes are set to roll out in October.

UNT launched VeoRide Monday. The bike share service placed 100 teal bikes around campus. Jacob Ostermann

“We feel that working with VeoRide makes the most of our resources while supporting a sustainable, bike-friendly campus,” said Christopher Phelps, director for UNT Transportation Services.

Two Purdue University students launched VeoRide last year. The company has bikes in nine states and is partnered with universities including Texas State University, the University of Kansas and the University of Arkansas, according to its website.

Linda Jackson, the communications director for VeoRide, said the cofounders started VeoRide because they recognized transportation issues while they were students at Purdue.

“It just makes sense [to partner with universities] because of the dense population,” Jackson said. “[Biking is] a good way for people to get around in a compact area. Students are more likely to adapt to alternate transportation.”

Transportation Services pays for part of the unlimited ride plan options, said Trista Moxley, a spokeswoman for Transportation Services.

Students can pay $10 for a monthly plan or $40 for a yearly plan instead of VeoRide’s standard $13.99 or $48.99 for each plan, respectively.

UNT previously partnered with another bike share company, Spin, which brought rentable bikes to campus. Moxley said the university switched companies after Spin “decided to go in a different direction.”

Like many bike share companies, VeoRide offers its services through a mobile application.

Student and faculty university email addresses give users access to discounted ride plans, according to the news release.

After registering, students, faculty and staff will automatically receive

two coupons that allow them to get two free 15-minute rides. If a rider does not complete the free 30 minutes of riding time, the leftover minutes will roll over to the next ride. After that, rides are 50 cents per 15 minutes.

People can take multiple rides in one day as long as each ride is under an hour. To ride longer than one hour, riders must lock and unlock the bike again.

To end a ride, riders must push the slider down on the lock near the back wheel. The app will then stop charging and provide a trip summary.

The bikes can also be taken off campus but must be returned to an oncampus location.

A geofence, a virtual geographic boundary, is set around campus.

The bikes cannot lock outside the geofenced area, so the app will keep charging riders until it is moved back within boundaries.

VeoRide staff will return bikes to campus each morning by 7 a.m., Moxley said.

Denton City Council decided Tuesday at a council meeting to ban electric scooters to prevent a mass of electric scooters from being dropped off in the city the way bike-share program VBikes temporarily did last year.

Moxley said the partnership with VeoRide is similar to the one with Zipcar in that the university will get data from ridership “to improve and expand [Transportation] services.”

The information UNT will look at during this pilot is basic data, such as how, where and when the bikes are used.

“We hope that the students who use VeoRide find that it fits their needs,” Phelps said.

New art exhibit to be named in memory of Paul Voertman after $10M gift

By Devin Rardin @DevinRardin The UNT Board of Regents voted unanimously to name the student art exhibition in the College of Visual Art and Design’s art building after Paul Voertman during meetings on Aug. 9 and 10.

“Paul Voertman was a very generous donor to the university,” David Wolf, vice president of advancement at UNT, said during the meeting. “As part of our gift agreement process, one of the things we want to do is honor, in the existing building this space for Mr. Voertman.”

Voertman, who grew up in Denton and and took classes at UNT for two years before attending the University of Texas at Austin, took over the family bookstore when his father died unexpectedly in 1951. Voertman operated Voertman’s bookstore off Hickory Street for 38 years.

Outside of helping students access their textbooks, Voertman served UNT in a variety of

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other ways. He created the Voertman Student Art competition in 1960, which is going into its 59th year and is the oldest privately sponsored competitive art exhibition in Texas. Voertman also endowed the Voertman/Academy of American Poets Prize in 2013.

Voertman died at age 88 on June 21, 2017.

Following his death, UNT received a gift of $10 million from his estate. The university has already acquired $9.3 million of the gift, which is the largest UNT has ever received and will go toward the CVAD, Music, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences colleges.

“His philanthropic benevolence has and will continue to make a distinct difference in our lives and those of future generations,” UNT spokesperson Kris Muller said.

After years of service to UNT, the university decided to dedicate their art exhibition tohim and nameing it The Paul Voertman Gallery. The meeting book for the Board of Regents praised

A new art gallery named after Paul Voertman will be hosted in the College of Visual Arts and Design building. Kara Dry Voertman for his years of service.

“Paul was the very embodiment of academic and artistic values, impeccable taste, generosity of heart and mind and abiding commitment to student success,” the meeting book states. “His philanthropic benevolence has and will continue to make a distinct difference for current and future

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generations of UNT students.”

Muller was also positive regarding Voertman’s legacy and his impact on UNT students.

“Paul Voertman was deeply committed to and passionate about UNT,” Muller said. “His longstanding support helps students fulfill their dreams of earning a college degree and becoming world-class performers, artists and scholars.”

Brent Erskin purchased the bookstore in 2013. said Voertman had a deep passion for serving the students at UNT, which included dedicating his time and money to the university.

“I can’t think of any reason he doesn’t deserve it,” Erskin said. “You can describe a laundry list of [reasons he deserves the recognition] including the fact that he established a business that is here to serve the community and this university.”

Voertman received numerous accolades including being honored by the Greater Denton Arts Council as well as having the date Oct. 19 named in his honor.

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The Breakroom offers a smashing experience BREAKROOM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 looking at it and talking to people about it and they were like, ‘That sounds like so much fun.’ So I was like, ‘Maybe I’m wrong.’ People want this, so here we [are].”

Within a few months, West, Bond and their friend Kevin Dobson teamed up and eventually opened the facility.

“We went on a date night to something similar [to The Breakroom], and I’m a really calm person, so I thought I didn’t really need to relieve any stress,” West’s wife Ashton White said. “But I had so much

“

I had so much fun breaking stuff that I was like, ‘I would totally do that again in a heartbeat.’

“

fun breaking stuff that I was like, ‘I would totally do that again in a heartbeat.’”

About two years ago, the couple moved away from Austin and were dealing with the stress of their house getting flooded right before going under contract. Ashton found a Groupon to a Breakroomlike experience and thought it would be the perfect way to help her husband let go off some stress.

“Everybody’s stressed out,” West said. “It’s just a fact of life. There’s different ways — exercise, yoga or whatever — to relieve stress, and none of those have ever really worked out for me. There’s always that [feeling where] you wake up one day and just feel like smashing something, and this is kind of what it turned into: beat stuff to hell and make [yourself] feel better.”

The center offers two different smashing experiences: one in a throwing room and the other in the main room.

The throwing room is 260 square feet and can host up to two people at a time. For $15, customers are given a crate of 15 objects to throw and break on

the walls.

The main room is 1,260 square feet and customers can participate in a five-, 10- or 20-minute session in groups of up to six people.

“You [could] go the gym and work out for an hour [or] come here and in 10 minutes you’re exhausted,” Bond said. “I didn’t think I would be and I did seven minutes and was like, ‘I need to lay down — heart attack!’”

Before participating, customers must sign a waiver and are required to wear closed-toed shoes.

Hard hats, safety glasses, disposable masks, gloves and a heavy-duty apron are supplied. During their experience, customers are able to smash to their own playlist and can hook up their phones to the speakers in either room.

Almost all items available for destruction are from donations.

“There aren’t many households that don’t have random junk sitting in their garage or backyard that [people] want to get rid of but don’t really want to spend the money to get rid of it,” West said.

The Breakroom offers free pick-up within about a 20-mile radius of Denton. If people have items laying around the house they would like to donate, the center will accept it.

The rec center opened Aug. 28, but a grand opening party will be held Saturday, Sept. 8 and a car will be available for customers to destroy.

Meredith Rosson, one of the first participants in The Breakroom, recommends that locals give it a try.

“It’s good therapy,” Rosson said. “Especially after a hard day. I wish I had a harder day.”

While The Breakroom does accept walk-ins to minimize wait times, it recommends that people make reservations online. The center operates six days a week, excluding Mondays.

Top: An old tube television is demolished by West White with a crowbar. The Breakroom opened at the end of August as a way for people to relieve stress.

Bottom: Bats, clubs, shovels, hammers and crowbars are displayed on The Breakroom wall. Most of the bats and clubs were scavenged, while the hammers were bought.

Photos by Omar Gonzalez

http://bit.ly/UNT_MBA

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NTDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

Page 5

Farmer Ross DeOtte plants seeds of community

By Claire Lin @claire_grace_ Situated right off I-35W is the Harvest community, a small suburban area centered around a farm where residents receive fresh produce weekly, as well as classes on sustainability and intentional farming practices.

The farm is single-handedly run by 27-year-old Ross DeOtte, who residents all call “Farmer Ross.”

“The centerpiece is the farm, so it’s all about connecting people with their food and gardening,” DeOtte said. “We have a lot of different events to promote that. I do a bunch of different workshops for kids and adults, and we have lots of different gardening pieces on this 6-acre little area here.”

Currently, there are approximately 1,000 homes in the Harvest community, although it is looking to have around 3,200 homes by the end of its development. The 6 acres of farming land will continue to be shared by residents even with the addition of more families.

The farm is sectioned off by its various types of produce. There are fruit orchards occupied by apple, plum, pear, pecan and fig trees, from which families in the community can pick from.

Additionally, there are two sections of milkweed to attract monarch butterflies, as they can only pollinate on those specific flowers. Then, there is a gated space for residents to have their own plots of land to till and grow.

A playground of half-tires and a quaint coffee shop in the shape of a bright yellow house are nearby.

However, what truly stands out is the large greenhouse on the premise, which makes up most of Misty Moon Farms, DeOtte’s

private business. Fresh produce grown in the greenhouse is sold to restaurants and farmers markets in the North Texas community.

DeOtte has a large customer base in Denton, including restaurants like Hannah’s Off the Square, Juice Lab, Chestnut Tree and Queenie’s.

Other restaurants that purchase produce from DeOtte are mainly situated in Dallas.

Far-reaching roots DeOtte has been at the Harvest community for a little less than two years, although the community itself has been in existence for five.

“I drove by one day and saw a harvest, so I called them and said, ‘Hey, do you need a farmer?’’’

DeOtte said. “So here I am.”

He first expressed interest in farming as a 10-year-old when he dug up his mother’s backyard to plant seedlings.

“It’s been an off-and-on relationship since then,” DeOtte said.

In 2015, he got a job as a manager on a 175-acre farm in Celeste, Texas. Following that, he worked as a farmer at the Garden of Eden, a revolutionary hippie commune in Arlington, Texas.

DeOtte is also a heavily involved member of the community at the Rudra Center for Enlightened Awareness, otherwise known as the “big pagoda” on Locust Street.

He is a tai chi instructor there and says he takes what he practices at the Rudra Center and applies it to his farming practices.

“We do shamanic studies, and there is actually a medicine wheel around this whole farm,” DeOtte said.

He has also installed a stereo system in the greenhouse to play music for the plants.

“There are various ways of

connecting with the plants that most people would think are very weird,” DeOtte said. “You can plant certain things in the ground to promote the soil because the soil is actually a living thing that plants feed off of. Everything eats everything else.”

In the same way that animals die so that we can eat them, plants have to die as well.

“So there are ways of charging the soil with crystals and mantras,” DeOtte said. “Same thing when you’re planting the plants. It’s all about intention.”

DeOtte is dedicated to the naturally intentional growth and consumption of food. He does not use pesticides or any other chemicals. In the same way he cares for his plants, he also cares for people.

DeOtte’s girlfriend, Ashlyn Mansfield, 22, often helps him sell his produce at the farmer’s

markets and the like.

“It’s great working with Ross because he is so passionate about what he does,” Mansfield said.

“He is very clear on his vision of sharing high-quality food with the community. Some kids don’t even realize that their vegetables come from the ground, so we really care about connecting people with the earth and reigniting this respect.”

Members of the community also show great appreciation for DeOtte, as they realize that running a farm is hard, continuous labor.

“Farmer Ross is a reflection of what it means to live in Harvest,” Harvest resident Laura Liverman, 35, said. “He has a deep appreciation for producing fruits of honest labor, and it shows daily.

We are very blessed to have him at the helm of our Harvest Farm.”

Top: Ross DeOtte runs and operates Misty Moon Farms in Argyle, Texas. His interest in agriculture formed from his childhood interest in the growth of plants.

Bottom: Misty Moon Farms produces many different kinds of produce in its greenhouse.

Photos by Will Baldwin

The Dose: ‘The Happytime Murders’ is just failed potential

By Spencer Kain @Spencer_Kain

Cool Beans bartender Kristin Wyly discusses the issues she’s dealt with as a female bartender Thursday afternoon. Jordan Collard

Women behind Denton bars BARTENDERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In her mind, the exchange of cruel words is what hurts the most. Once, after removing a customer who had been causing trouble, she was cursed out.

“He said, ‘This c--t is telling me it’s time to go,’ and from across the street he would point at me and call me a ‘b--h,’” Lummus said. “Those words are explicitly directed at my gender. You’re picking me out as a female and trying to make me feel vulnerable.”

Another time, Lummus removed a group of men who had too many drinks and were refusing to leave the bar.

“They said, ‘Oh, well you’re just being sexist’ and grabbed their crotch and were looking at me,” Lummus said. “It’s so hard to keep your cool, but I think the more rational I stay about it, the more I make my point.”

Lummus said she is fortunate to have not experienced that much physical harassment but has been groped once.

“I carry my ice bucket with one hand so I can swat people with the other,” Lummus said. “It’s strange how comfortable people get and don’t see the consequence for touching me and entering my personal space.”

If the situation involved a male bartender, Lummus said the outcome would be different.

“I think for men it would be more about butting heads, but they put me in a position where I feel vulnerable, sexualized and uncomfortable,” Lummus said. “I know these guys aren’t doing anything since I have my staff right behind me.”

Despite it all, Lummus said she enjoys bartending because unlike other jobs in

the service industry, she has the power to tell problematic customers to leave her alone.

“I’ve served for years and I never had that ability until bartending,” Lummus said. “I never walk into my job and feel unsafe.”

“The moment he made his way up to her again and put his hand on her I told him, ‘Get out right now,’” Trevino said. “This guy is a foot taller than me and twice my weight. You could tell everybody was thinking I was about to get punched in the face.”

Kristin Wyly and Cameron Trevino Twenty-seven-year-old Kristin Wyly, a coworker of Lummus, said that her bad experiences have not been at Cool Beans but at a hotel.

“I didn’t like the corporate culture of how you’re supposed to be nice to people no matter how they treat you,” Wyly said. “I wish more people realized that just because I’m being nice to you, doesn’t mean I’m f lirting.”

Wyly’s fiancé, 28-year-old Cameron Trevino, bartends at Paschall Bar. From his perspective, bartenders are the eyes and ears of any establishment — they see every interaction that takes place.

As a result, he says he tries to step in whenever any of his female coworkers or customers are being harassed.

“I can always see the body language of women or men, but some people just don’t get it,” Trevino said. “I’ve had two girls before who had to hide in the bathroom while I had to kick someone out.”

Trevino said that de-escalating a situation is the most rational way to handle issues, especially when people are inebriated.

“I’ve had two instances where there was a man going up to every single girl at the bar trying his luck,” Trevino said.

The man attempted to f lirt twice with Wyly, who was sitting and reading at the bar.

TeAmbriel Washington 21-year-old TeAmbriel Washington bartends at the Radius Gold Bar in Dallas. Her managers and coworkers are considerate but experience the same issues as Lummus and Wyly.

“When you work in a business like that, people say to be f lirty and nice,” Washington said. “Even if I am just being myself, that’s a part of my job. I can’t be rude to you.”

Washington said a real man knows how to respect, treat and talk to a woman.

There have been times when men didn’t know how to control themselves.

“Everything is sexualized, [and] my body is always being talked about,” Washington said. “Guys ask me to twirl around. Since this is a job, it’s almost like you have to put up with it.”

Washington said she has not felt completely unsafe but knows she must remain cautious.

“You never know what someone’s intentions are,” Washington said. “I always make sure nobody’s following me when I go to my car.”

For those hitting Fry Street, bartenders offer a word of advice.

“Be observant, be considerate [and] be respectful,” Trevino said. “If they say ‘no’ the first time, don’t try to convince them because you’re not only making the woman uncomfortable, but you’re making the climate uncomfortable, too.”

“The Happytime Murders” follows puppet Phil Philips, who is a disgraced detective turned-private eye, and cop Connie Edwards (played by Melissa McCarthy) as they seek to uncover the mystery surrounding the deaths of an ‘80s puppet TV show cast.

This is literally the plot of the movie — I am not even joking.

Spencer’s rating: ½ “The Happytime Murders” This had the potential to be the next “Team America: World Police” or even just a raunchy Muppet movie we all kind of really wanted to see but never wanted to admit to ourselves.

Unfortunately, “The Happytime Murders” never lives up to its own insane premise and only ever really settles for being plain average.

With a plot like this, it desperately needed to be as wild, crude and inane as its trailer makes it out to be, but it never really once lived up to what it should have been.

I cannot stress enough how imaginative and creative this plot is. “The Happytime Murders” plays out like a deranged Muppet skit that got into the hands of the makers of “Sausage Party.” However, it never goes to those bizarre “Sausage Party” heights, though it desperately needed

Courtesy Facebook

to and failed to do so, even when the opportunity presented itself.

McCarthy has made some spotty choices with her roles in the past few years, but I will always say she seems to be giving it everything she has in each one, even if the materials she is given never seem to be able to match up to her talents. Unfortunately, this film is yet another case of that exactly: McCarthy gives a good performance here, no doubt — I was laughing along with her almost every time she was on-screen, which was a nice turn given some of her recent projects I have seen.

Thankfully, I did laugh quite a few times during the film. I was at least hoping for some good laughs, and while there are certainly quite a few, there were never any that made me laugh out loud. Considering the premise of this thing, I definitely should have, and there should have been more jokes to sustain its already brief running time.

The movie’s major problems lay within its script, however. The lack of quality jokes, the bad one-liners and the overabundance of the F-word are all found in its script. The talent in front of the camera and behind the camera was all there ready to fire off on all cylinders, but the script is the thing that seemed to be left in the dust and never quite seemed to be able to catch up to everything else.

I do give a massive props to the filmmakers here, though. During the end credits of the film, clips of how the film was made were shown, and man, it looked like a lot of work. I’m sure it took many painstaking hours to make this movie, and the sense of imagination is very prevalent.

Everyone’s heart seemed to be in the right place when producing “The Happytime Murders,” but the execution just was not really there. It is a shame because this thing could have really been something else, but it just was not.

SPORTS Page 6

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Volleyball is looking to win back-to-back C-USA championships

By Bronte Hermesmeyer @bronteherm North Texas volleyball is back in action for the 2018 season — they are looking to win back-to-back conference championships after winning their first conference title in program history last season.

In addition to winning a conference championship last year, the Mean Green narrowly missed out on a bid to the NCAA tournament. North Texas not making the tournament surprised many people, considering they were the C-USA regular season champions.

North Texas head coach Andrew Palielo was the first coach to lead the Mean Green Volleyball team to a conference championship. He said the Mean Green are going to take it one game at a time to go for the back-to-back championships.

“I don’t know if we’re thinking that far ahead this early in the season,” Palileo said. “We talk about caring for each other as teammates. We talk about having the work ethic that is required consistently day in, day out. We talk about being aggressive. If we focus on those things, we’ll put ourselves in a position to talk about that at the end of the year.”

Karley York, veteran setter and team captain for North Texas, is in her final year of competing for the North Texas volleyball team and is recently coming off C-USA Player of the Week honors, which she earned by recording more than 12 assists per set to go along with

six blocks.

York said missing out on the tournament last year has her team determined to make it now more than ever.

“Making the tournament has always been my goal, and that’s been everyone’s goal,” York said. “It was heartbreaking not making it last year, but it has only motivated us even more to try and get in to the tournament this year.”

The Mean Green had an impressive overall record of 29-4 last season, with a conference record of 13-1. They were the No. 1 seed in the C-USA tournament but got eliminated after a loss from Western Kentucky University in the championship game of the tournament, which ultimately cost them a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Despite the heartbreaking finish, North Texas was able to beat big-time programs in the 2017 season. They upset both Mississippi State and Boston College on the road, while also taking down Oregon State and Oklahoma at the North Texas Volleyball Center.

However, the Mean Green did lose their top two scorers from last year, Holly Milam and Amanda Chamberlain, due to graduation. Palielo said he has seen younger players step up and take the scoring role early in the 2018 season.

“Barb, Rhett and Val have been the ones scoring for us,” Palielo said. “We have to get the middle hitters caught up because they are lacking a little experience from last year. We’ll do that little by little, and I think they’ll be fine.”

Senior middle blockman Jordyn Williams hits the ball over the net against Kent State University. The Mean Green won three sets in a row: (25-17), (25-17) and (25-14). Rachel Walters Palileo is referencing to sophomore Barbara Teakell, freshman Rhett Robinson and sophomore Valerie Valerian. Valerian, who graduated from George Ranch High School in Sugarland, Texas, already has 48 kills in four games.

“I’ve worked really hard on hitting different shots and hitting aggressive so far this year,” Valerian said. “Also, Holly and Amanda are great players. Last year I was able to watch them and see their tricks, so being able to implement those shots into my game plan has been a pleasure.”

Robinson and Valerian also earned C-USA Player of the Week awards.

Robinson averaged approximately three kills per set and had seven blocks over the weekend, while Valerian had

approximately four kills per set and five aces.

North Texas started the season 3-1, with their lone loss coming on the road against 12th-ranked Baylor.

This past weekend, however, was full of winning. The Mean Green hosted and won the North Texas Invitational tournament with dominating wins against Nicholls State, Northeastern University and Kent State University.

They won all nine sets throughout the two-day tournament.

The North Texas Volleyball Center is a place known for being loud during the season. In fact, a crucial part of the Mean Green’s success last season was going 14-1 at home during the regular season, Palileo said.

“Our players love playing here, especially when the gym is packed,” Palileo said. “This is a pretty fun place to play, [apart from] the low ceilings. They enjoy playing here and our band is great, so it definitely is an advantage playing at home.”

Valerian also described the home atmosphere as a momentum builder.

“I absolutely love it,” Valerian said.

“When everyone is here cheering us on, it really does build momentum. Having our crowd really does give us an advantage.”

The Mean Green is set to travel to Malibu, Calif., and Manhattan, Kan., the next two weekends for tournaments but will return to Denton on Sept. 9 to take on the Wisconsin-Madison University Badgers, currently No. 8 in the nation.

Soccer aiming for fifth consecutive C-USA title

By Bronte Hermesmeyer @bronteherm

North Texas senior Aaliyah Nolan dribbles the ball in a game against Southeastern Louisiana University on Aug. 24. The Mean Green defeated Southeastern Louisiana University 4-0. Sara Carpenter

The North Texas soccer team is back in action as they try to win their fifth consecutive Conference USA championship. They’re calling it “The Drive for Five.”

Only Memphis University has won five consecutive conference championships in the history of C-USA soccer, so another Mean Green championship would tie the record.

John Hedlund has been the head coach for the North Texas soccer team since it was founded in 1995.

He has an overall record of 330125-32 after Monday night’s game against Santa Clara.

The Mean Green soccer program has never recorded a losing season since its founding. Despite the fact that the soccer program has only been in place for 23 years, Hedlund’s soccer teams lead all North Texas sports with 13 conference championships.

When asked about what it would take to win a fifth straight conference championship, Hedlund said that North Texas needs to play with consistency and avoid injuries.

“We just need to keep playing the way we’re playing,” Hedlund said. “We need to keep playing well, working hard and peak at the right time before conference.”

Another huge factor in winning 13 conference championships is protecting the home field. The Mean Green have done that by going undefeated in 44 consecutive games at home, an NCAA best.

They haven’t lost a home game since Oct. 31, 2008 and are 41-0-3 during that stretch.

The win against Southeastern Louisiana this past Friday marked the 100th win at the Mean Green Soccer Stadium, which was built in 2006.

“We love playing at home,” Hedlund said. “Our players love playing in front of their family and friends. They love our field. We take care of business at home and try to steal as many wins as possible on the road. It’s a good recipe for success, and we’ve been able to do it year in and year out.”

North Texas has already raced off to a fast start in the early part of the 2018 season. They posted a 2-1-1 record with dominating wins against Incarnate Word (30), Southeastern Louisiana (4-0) and a 1-1 tie against a very talented Alabama team. Their only loss was on the road Monday night to the University of Santa Clara, who is currently ranked No. 12 in the nation.

Senior forward Aaliyah Nolan has also had a terrific start as she scored three goals in the first three games of the season. She recorded two of those goals in a breakout performance during last Friday’s game against Southeastern Louisiana.

“This start has definitely boosted my confidence,” Nolan said. “This has been one of my best years so far. It is my last year to play college soccer, so I definitely want it to be my best year. Three goals in three games — it’s a good start for me.”

The speedy forward is from Warwick, Bermuda and is the first international player in program history. Nolan has been a part of the Bermuda national team since 2013.

She transferred to North Texas following the 2016 season from Navarro College where she was the leading goal scorer.

Nolan said she loves to perform well for her team, her fans and other international players who think coming to another country to play soccer might be frightening.

“I love to show a lot of people that coming into another country doesn’t have to be scary,” Nolan said. “Just do you, and everything will work itself out.”

Coach Hedlund said this particular team has a lot of new faces but is still considered a veteran team. One of those new faces he considers a veteran is redshirt freshman goalkeeper Kelsey Brann.

Brann was named C-USA Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 20 due to her two outstanding performances against Incarnate Word and Alabama. There were 31 shots that came her way over the course of those two games, and only one of those shots went in for a goal.

“I was very excited to win the award,” Brann said. “I’m a redshirt freshman, so I didn’t get to play last year, and winning the award the first week of pre-season was an awesome feeling for me.”

Some might wonder how a redshirt freshman has any college experience. Well, due to being injured and getting tagged

with a medical redshirt, she doesn’t. However, she has played international soccer for both the Mexican and United States national soccer teams, and even played in the 2016 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Amman, Jordan.

The goalkeeper for the Mean Green transferred from the University of Tulsa at the end of last season, where the Golden Hurricanes went 3-12-4. She has already found immediate success here at North Texas and gives credit to Coach Hedlund, who she believes is a winner.

“The off-season and on-field training really prepares you to play to the best of your ability and win as many games as possible,” Brann said. “Coach Hedlund is meticulous about all of the little details that go into winning a match. He wants to win.”

The Mean Green also returns the 2017 C-USA Tournament Defensive MVP in senior defender Dominique James. James was an All-Conference USA First-Team defender last season and was named a team captain toward the end of the season for her leadership and work ethic.

“Dom is one of the best players in the country at her position,” Hedlund said. “Not a whole lot of people can beat her with the speed she has.”

The Mean Green’s next game takes place on Thursday, Aug. 30 at Weber State, and their next home game will be Sunday as they host the University of Pittsburgh.

Cross country looks to achieve success under new leadership

By Jacob Solomon @Jakesolo00 On Aug. 31 in Waco, Texas, the North Texas cross country team will begin their 2018 season at the Bear Twilight Invitational. In the offseason, it is up to the runners to get themselves in the physical shape necessary for the upcoming season, and it is up to distance running coach to make sure the runners are in the best position possible to succeed in that area.

For senior runner Cassidy Adams and junior runner Florian Lussy, the offseason consists of a large amount of cardio.

“The first run will be eight miles, and then the second run will be four miles, but I only have to do that a couple days a week,” Adams said in reference to summer training.

The offseason for the Mean Green cross country runners is physically daunting and endurance to get into shape for the season.

“That’s where you put in all your endurance, not too many workouts – just a lot of easy long runs,” said sophomore runner Jack Beaumont, the top returning male cross country runner.

Simply put – members of the North Texas cross country team put in copious amounts of physical work to get into cardiovascular shape for the

season. However, senior runner Rea Iseli was not able to put in as much work as her teammates due to a foot injury that impaired her ability to train or part of the offseason.

“I was injured still at the beginning of the summer training, so I just tried to do as much as possible,” Iseli said. “I just decided to go very conservative because over the past six years I could never have a full [offseason] to train through because I got injured or sick.”

For athletes, getting injured consistently can be a tough process, but it is rewarding to keep going.

“There are some points where you’re frustrated, like right in the beginning,” Iseli said. “I think you have to stay positive and [know] it’s going to get over at some point. Once you get back you’ll always enjoy running.”

Mentally preparing for a cross country race is something that runners deal with individually, and for a couple members of the team, staying calm is their go-to strategy. “[I] stay relaxed, because the hard work is before that,” said Lussy.

Adams agrees that staying at ease is the best practice.

“For me, I try to stay really calm, because I get really anxious,” Adams

said. “I know a lot of people try to get really hyped up and excited, but I think the more relaxed I am the better I do.”

Kevin Williams, the distance running coach and former cross country runner at the University of Oklahoma, understands that his experience as a student-athlete can be used to help his runners.

“You try to not have them repeat the same mistakes you did,” Williams said. “I was very eager as a freshman. It took me a while to learn the patience of college and how long it takes to train.”

For Williams, being a young runner is a first-hand experience he’s been through and understands what it takes to prepare his runners for a new season.

“It’s a challenging season, especially for the young runners,” Williams said. “We just try to prepare them well over the summer. Summer is really the only time of year we’re not competing, so we just try to make sure everyone enters the year healthy and with a really good aerobic base.”

Like all competitive sports, cross country is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one, but the Mean Green are prepared to take on their upcoming season under new leadership.

NTDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

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The

SAFEWAY Bowl returns to Denton

receptions for 89 yards in 14 games last year for the Mean Green. Although he has only one full season with North Texas as a tight end, he received high praise from his offensive coordinator Graham Harrell at DFW Media Day. “He has the potential to be something special,” Harrell said. “If we can get him playing with the right mindset every down, he can make money playing this game.”

North Texas has nine offensive starters returning, but lost a huge piece to graduation in running back Jeffery Wilson.

Wilson rushed for 1,215 yards last season, scored 16 touchdowns and averaged 6.5 yards per carry.

Coach Harrell said that all of the running backs are performing very well in fall camp, and Nic Smith was named the starter for the SMU game. This won’t stop the Mean Green from splitting carries between Loren Easly, DeAndre Torrey and Evan Johnson.

“We’ve got a couple of different guys with lots of talent at running back,” Harrell said. “They’re all kind of different. We’ve got a few guys with some power and a couple of guys that are pretty elusive.

If one gets the hot hand, we’ll roll with it.”

The Mean Green also have eight starters returning on the defensive side of the ball. They are led by Ejiya at linebacker who led the team in both

“

We’ve got a few guys with some power and a couple of guys that are pretty elusive. If one gets the hot hand, we’ll roll with it.

“

SAFEWAY BOWL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

tackles (109) and sacks (7).

Troy Reffett is in his second year with the Mean Green as the defensive play caller. North Texas’ defense allowed 35 points per game last year, which ranked No. 111 out of 130 FBS football teams. This was due to a lack of consistency and breakdowns in the secondary, but 2018 could be a new year for

this Mean Green defense.

“We’ve built a lot better team chemistry from last year,” Ejiya said. “We’ve reloaded and gotten better guys to step up to the occasion. Building a relationship with them creates better vibes and tendencies for our defense.”

One of the top defensive returners besides Ejiya is junior safety Khairi Muhammad. Muhammad was third on the team with 94 total tackles in 2017. He is one of the captains of this North Texas defense and is looking for a breakout year in 2018.

“Khairi might be one of the smartest IQ football players that I’ve ever coached,” Reffett said. “He puts it on himself to make sure everyone is lined up correctly and that everybody understands what we’re doing.”

Jameel Moore, who was recently moved from outside cornerback to nickel cornerback, has been impressing coaches and is expected to play a larger role on defense.

“Jameel started his improvement process in spring football,” Reffett said. “He will help give us better pass coverage at that spot. Between Tyreke [Hill] and Jameel, I feel like we have a couple guys that can support the run and be good cover guys as well.”

By Trevon McWilliams @trevonmac1

By Zachary Cottam @ZachCottam

I am looking forward to seeing how the defense responds after allowing 35 PPG last year, ranking No. 111 out of 130 FBS teams. I really think the defensive back unit is going to step up and create crucial turnovers for passheavy offenses.

Season prediction: 102, conference champions, bowl game win What are your score predictions for the SMU vs.

UNT game Saturday?

34-24, UNT

I think Mason Fine has always been a catalyst for their season, but without another offensive weapon, I do not think they can keep up, but hopefully, our wide receiver stand-outs Jalen Guyton and Rico Bussey, Jr. have elite seasons.

Season prediction: 8-4, won’t win conference title, bowl game loss What are your score predictions for the SMU vs.

UNT game Saturday?

35-28, SMU

I’m really interested in how the running back battle plays out this season. I don’t think a committee is the answer, and I really want to see one player take the steps necessary to lead this team. Look for Nick Smith to lead the pack.

Season prediction: 9-3, conference champions, bowl game loss What are your score predictions for the SMU vs.

UNT game Saturday?

27-10, SMU

The Sept. 1 game against SMU is expected to be a near sell-out at Apogee Stadium. This will be the 38th meeting between the two teams and the fourth since the rivalry was renewed in 2014.

CAREER CONNECT

Roundtable: Our predictions for the Mean Green season and the 38th Safeway Bowl

By Bronte Hermesmeyer @bronteherm

Junior quarterback Mason Fine talks about the upcoming football season, off-season workouts and practices during DFW Media Day. Trevon McWilliams

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Page 8

OPINION Page 9

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

Illustration by Chelsea Tolin

Lana Del Rey’s decision to perform in Israel blatantly dismisses extensive Israeli injustices

By Madeline Chalkley @madmae1998 It has been recently announced that Lana Del Rey is planning on performing in Tel Aviv, Israel for the upcoming Meteor Festival from Sept. 7-8.

Despite receiving social media protest from fans, activists and Palestinians who have criticized and urged the artist to reconsider, Del Rey appears to remain firm in her misguided decision to perform.

The widespread outrage regarding artists performing in Israel is a product of decades of history involving systematic violation of human rights and ethnic cleansing. A UN report in 2017 concluded Israel was implementing an apartheid regime on Palestinians in which they had been denied fundamental rights because of religious inclusivity and racism.

Thus, the controversial yet important

introduction of the human rights movement Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions. BDS is a movement rooted in nonviolence and protecting human rights. This aims to humanize and help Palestinian refugees who want to return home and encourages Israel to comply with international law.

The organization, alongside fans, has asked artists to refrain from performing at the Meteor Festival. Many believe that in circumstances of political upheaval and inhumane treatment of others, there is no middle ground of neutrality.

Others, including Del Rey, like to believe music is not a political statement but rather a grounds for healing.

In a Twitter post directed toward backlash, Del Rey curated a cheap response that gave us insight into why she is going through with her performance in a way that successfully undermined Palestinian activism.

I want to understand how one can separate political and social aspects of the situation when Palestinian citizens of Israel are oppressed by territories and the continuous growth of Israeli infrastructures. If you are so concerned with “peace” and creating “loving energy,” why choose to perform in a place where many Palestinian children and fans will not be able to attend? Specifically,in Gaza, nearly 50 percent of the population is restricted by travel bans and containment.

The decision to perform in Israel against wishes of activists proves to be an unsympathetic and highly political decision whether Del Rey is aware of this.

Del Rey performing in Tel Aviv invalidates civil rights. Pro-Israel groups use these performances to downplay the severity of the circumstances, extending an argument along the lines of, “How bad could it really be if westernized artists feel

comfortable to perform where others claim injustice and apartheid?”

In response to fans via Twitter, Del Rey even goes as far to say that her presence could help shift the “energetic vibration” of Israel. Hold on. What does that even mean? Israeli forces have murdered more than 170 protestors in Gaza since March 30 of this year and have injured more than 18,000.

Twenty-five children are included in the death toll.

It seems illogical to believe a western pop singer’s “good vibes” would to anything to promote change for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

So the artist doesn’t want to make a political statement, yet simultaneously feels the need to promote peaceful relations. I think the answer to this contradiction can be found in both the state of Israel and the territories of Palestine. Why not perform for both, Del Rey?

Those in jail do not deserve degradation, brutality from system

By Brianna Adams @bribriixo A person’s first arrest can be difficult to process in the moment. Have you ever wondered what they really go through? The treatment they face? The emotions that transpire?

One person’s experience may differ greatly from another’s. There are also many differences between one criminal and the next. The one commonality is that a crime did, in fact, occur.

We are all guilty of some kind of unlawful act within the course of our lives, if not multiple.

Whether it be jaywalking, filling a water cup with soda, driving under the inf luence, violating a leash law, theft, rape or murder. The only separation between you and a jailed person is that they got caught.

There are some crimes so heinous a reasonable person would not commit them. On the same token, there are some illegal acts many find

themselves committing regularly.

Smoking weed is still a federal crime even though some states have legalized its usage and distribution. Sharing your Netf lix password is illegal in Tennessee. Having more than one drink in front of you at a time, going to a bar with a 2-for1 drink special and playing soccer in the park on Sundays are all crimes one can be arrested for in certain places.

All of these unlawful acts may not be prosecuted, yet the crime still occurred. People often argue the morality and ethics of these crimes, but in actuality, even those who arrest and prosecute crimes sometimes commit them themselves. This puts people of those professions in a unique position to understand jailed persons.

Texas statistics show many college students are often cited with DUIs. Priests, teachers, pilots, lawyers and dentists alike receive them as well. These are respected authorities who have dedicated their professional lives in service

of others and are not considered inherently malicious people.

While stealing shows proof of a morally corrupt individual, it does not make a monster. Drug distributors do not necessarily contribute to the well-being of their societies, but they also do not force their customers to use drugs, and they aren’t predisposed to violence any more than anyone else is. Gambling is an individual indulgence perhaps the government should have no say in.

Sex work is a highly controversial crime. While adult entertainment is legal and standardized in the U.S., commercial sex work is far from it. Sex workers have just as much a right to earn a living as an adult film star, professional escort or sugar baby. All of these professions are essentially the same thing: performing sexual or romantic acts for money. Unfortunately, it is written in the law to arrest those who work the sidewalks or use Craigslist instead of those who use agencies with written contracts.

There is no such thing as perfection. While we often try to avoid mistakes, they are inevitable.

Mistakes do not just result from carelessness — they are often the product of inherent sin.

We all sin intentionally and unintentionally throughout our entire lives. The sin of driving under the inf luence, theft or drug use should not be held up to the same standards as violent criminal acts. Homicide, sexual abuse and false imprisonment all withhold the intent to inf lict physical and emotional distress.

A violent offender does more than violate moral and ethical code. They violate their humanity – they turn against all which makes them human.

But there is a tendency in the jail system to treat all criminals the same. While innocent until proven guilty is beneficial in theory, it is not useful after an arrest. Many offenders, violent and nonviolent or guilty and innocent alike, are given the same callous and degrading treatment during their time in jail.

No one deserves to be treated less than human, although some do deserve a bit more sympathy than others. For example, a drunk and disorderly person should be carefully monitored, fed and given plenty of water until they are ready for release.

The Denton County Jail’s drunk tank has a water spout stemming from the toilet, no cups with which to drink it and absolutely no vegetarian options. There is an understanding that jail is not The Four Seasons, but basic reasonable conditions are not too much to ask for.

There are many cases where sex workers are taunted or abused because they are high-risk targets who are less likely to speak up. That is the case with many people in jail — upon release there is a lot to complain about but the fear to speak up is greater than the desire to demand change.

Nonviolent offenders are at the mercy of misguided contempt and judgement behind the jailhouse walls. The punishment is supposed to be a chance for rehabilitation, but sometimes turns into an opportunity for self-gratification on behalf of jail personnel. Lack of empathy training and other similar seminars allows jail officials to forget that many people behind those bars are just like them, and just like the rest of us on the outside.

Illustration by Austin Banzon

Page 10

NTDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

Letter from the Editor: A new dawn for the Daily

By Alec Spicer @Spicer_Alec When I walked into the North Texas Daily’s old office tucked down into the basement of the GAB for the first time, I never had an ounce of an imagination that I would one day be writing this letter.

Nearly two years later, it turns out that it was accidentally the best decision I’ve ever made.

I’ve never been great at introductions (just ask literally any professor I’ve ever had), but my name is Alec Spicer, and back in April I was chosen to be the Editor-in-Chief of the North Texas Daily.

And although I have held this position since May (I wasn’t lying about the not-being-good-withintroductions thing) I figured with the beginning of a new term, it’s now or never.

I joined this newspaper solely because a friend of mine at the time didn’t want to do it alone. I figured at most, I would gain experience, become a better journalist and maybe step out of my comfort zone a little. I had no idea I would continue to step out of every comfort zone I’ve found myself in ever since. For that, I will forever owe this newspaper my best.

And speaking of comfort zones, my team and I are excited to guide the Daily out of its comfort zone, too.

If you’re reading this in the physical paper, by now you have probably already noticed we got a little bit of a visual makeover. We spent all summer making changes to how we do things here at the Daily, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build onto that during my time as editor.

That doesn’t just mean a new design, however.

For the first time, we have a senior staff videographer on our team to help take the stories we share to the next level. Being that we are a digital-first publication, regularly having videos to accompany our articles will elevate your experience as a reader as well.

For all of you sports fans, you’ll be elated to know our sports section is getting an upgrade — we’re going to highlight more club sports. Don’t worry, this is Texas, and I am well aware that football is king. But there are so many talented athletes here that we have yet to tap into, from our underrated hockey team and archery to women’s rugby and so much more.

Another section getting a vast upgrade: The Dose. In the entirety of the time I have been on staff at the Daily — with the exception of the occasional film piece — our review section has felt like an afterthought. However, in the age of countless makeup tutorials and binging Netf lix shows, it only makes sense to not only expand the types of reviews we do in The Dose, but to finally give it the attention it deserves: its own staff.

I’m fortunate to have built a team that is passionate about their work and about serving the public. However, we are not perfect — but I can guarantee you that we will be transparent every step of the way, so if you have a question, comment, concern or just think we’re sleeping on reviewing an amazing new album, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Whether you’re a reader who has been following us for years, or you’re just picking up our newspaper for the first time, thank you for your support. We strive to bring you the best journalism we possibly can, and in these times, we need each other now more than ever.

North Texas Daily Editor-in-Chief Alec Spicer. Sasha Calmaco

How much should we judge others on their social media history?

By Christina Palomo @chramapal When “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn was fired by Disney over the resurfacing of past tweets, the internet seemed divided. The family-

Illustration by Chelsea Tolin

friendly company deemed the pedophilic jokes reprehensible, but some argue the tweets, some dating back to 2008, are too old to be relevant anymore.

Gunn released an apology, saying his followers knew of his desire to be provocative in the past, regardless of

whether it was right, and that he has regretted the words “for many years since … because they don’t reflect the person [he is] today or [has] been for some time.”

This particular controversy had me doing some soul searching. In a time I feel justified when racists are outed and lose their jobs or news anchors get fired for making stupid statements, I still believe humans can evolve.

I’d love to describe myself as a saint who has never said anything problematic, but growing up with the internet is like having a detailed online track record for even our most immature stages (including puberty, unfortunately). However, the thoughts of my 13-year-old self in no way reflect the person I am today.

Growing up with an internet past is a

new phenomenon with millennials and generation Z. It is treated like a loaded gun and can be exploited by enemies.

Gunn’s unearthed Twitter history was dug up by groups who disliked the ex-director’s statements against the Trump administration — one of the many examples of groups delving into people’s pasts with the sole intent to find something controversial.

Call-out culture on the internet has made this phenomenon worse. Most of us have an internet past, you just have to dig deep for it. But if we are ever-evolving humans, how much should we be judged by our internet pasts?

In Disney’s case, James Gunn was dropped immediately because his history did not align with the company’s values.

But in a similar situation, The New York Times refused to fire one of its reporters after her controversial tweets had resurfaced. The reporter, Sarah Jeong, claimed she was counter-trolling against hate at the time, which she regretted just the same. The New York Times sided with her and she was kept on.

Maybe it was unfair, maybe it was justified. Ultimately, it is the employer’s decision to keep or fire an employee if their internet history is exposed. Those in search of work may find it wise to clean up their history because you never know when you might piss off the wrong people, prompting them to scour your archived internet interactions and watch your demise.

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