2-9-10 Edition

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New credit card regulations take effect Page 2 Men’s basketball team holds onto third place Page 5 Grass-roots movement makes political waves Page 7

Organization aims to shed ‘angry-atheist’ stigma Page 3

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

News 1,2 Arts & Life 3,4 Sports 5,6 Views 7 Classifieds 8 Games 8

Volume 95 | Issue 13

Sunny 43° / 27°

ntdaily.com

The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas

Candidates talk Texas issues

BY MORGAN WALKER Senior Staff Writer

The leading Democratic candidates in the primary race for Texas governor squared off in a debate Monday, focused on education, environmental issues and creating more jobs.

The debate included former Houston Mayor Bill White, 55, and businessman Farouk Shami, 66.

Karen Borta, CBS 11 News anchor, was the moderator for the debate which was broadcast from the CBS-11/TXA-21 studios in Fort Worth.

The first issues addressed were the candidates’ stances on school vouchers, abortions, same sex marriage and a bill that would require photo ID to vote.

People who vote without being a citizen should “be indicted and serve time,” White said.

Shami said he was against the bill and that it was a “waste of time.”

Maria Renee Barillas, reporter for KUVN Univision 23, took questions from voters in a live audience while panelists Shelley Kofler of KERA and Dave Montgomery of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also posed questions.

Margaret Murphy, a Dallas resident, single parent and former education counselor, has been trying to find a job for two years.

“I’ve sent out quite a few résumes, and over the course of my career I was very successful,” Murphy said. “When I got back into it, I really believe part of my unemployment to date is that I’m viewed as overqualified and also my age.”

Many people are finding that either they leave the work force to raise a family or there is some involuntary separation, White said.

“We ought to make sure every person has opportunity for job training,” White said.

Shami said he hopes to create green jobs such as building factories to make solar panels.

“I know how to serve the public, build a team, negotiate and I’ve explored 114 countries,” Shami said.

The candidates were then given an opportunity to ask one question of each other.

White asked Shami about his track record for bringing in jobs before he stepped in to run for governor.

Shami said he has been working with many experts and will be manufacturing jobs in El Paso, hiring hundreds of people.

Shami questioned White on the elevated levels of benzene, a carcinogen that has been detected from the Barnett Shale since drilling began in the area.

“If t here is pollution anywhere, we should go after that particular source, and we will not shut down a clean system BILL because of WHITE a n o t h e r ’s em i s sion s,” White said.

When asked about funding educat ion, White said he believed in two basic principles.

FAROUK “T here SHAMI should be no limit on what parents can spend to get their kids an education and those children should have a good education regardless of where they live,” White said.

Shami suggested the need to lower property taxes, raise teacher salaries and make education affordable to every family.

Darral Simmons, a Keller resident, asked each candidate how he plans to secure the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

“We should be building bridges between here and Mexico. I would work with officials on both sides and open businesses on the border,” Shami said.

White said he would be in each of the border communities to make sure procedures are enforced to distinguish between the many lawful visitors and those who may be up to no good.

The candidates were questioned on whether or not each supported the E-verify system, a program used by employers to quickly check a potential employee’s citizenry background.

“I am for people, employment and finding a positive way to give them legal status,” Shami said.

The last audience-member question came from L.G. Clayton, an Emorie resident and disabled Vietnam veteran, who asked about his rising electric bill.

Clayton asked the candidates what each would do for Texas residents so that they could live comfortably in their homes.

Shami claimed that in the future, residents would be using solar and wind energy to make Texas the center for green energy.

“Within 10 years, you won’t have an electric bill,” Shami said.

Montgomery asked the candidates how they, as Democrats, plan to attract independents and other party members.

“This race isn’t going to be about a party, it’s about the future of Texas,” White said.

PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON/ASSIGNING EDITOR

Garry Landreth, a professor of counseling and founder of the UNT Center for Play Therapy, plays puppets with a child, whose name cannot be published, in one of the center’s playrooms.

Prof lends name to play therapy library

BY K RYSTLE CANTU Staff Writer

A newly established Play Therapy Research Library is being named in honor of Garry Landreth, a professor of counseling and founder of the UNT Center for Play Therapy.

Landreth has more than 100 publications and videos, including eight books on play therapy and three books on counseling. He is a licensed professional counselor and a registered play therapy supervisor. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work.

“He’s one of the pioneers in the development of play therapy in the United States,” said Sue Bratton, the director for the center of play therapy.

Play therapy is a technique used by counselors around the country.

“Play therapy is to children what psychotherapy is to adults,” Landreth said. “For adults, they come in and they talk about their

problems. Children don’t have the same verbal facility for doing that. The child’s natural language is play.”

Landreth said in this practice they provide the children with toys and materials in the playroom and the toys are seen as the child’s words and playing as their language, in which the children can then “play out” their problems.

“That’s what play therapy is — providing the child with an opportunity to express themselves through their natural medium,” he said. “And in that process of ‘playing out’ their problems, they come to a point of gaining control and understanding of experiences in their lives.”

The library will be housed in a new space of more than 300 square feet donated by UNT. The center had to meet a goal of $50,000 to complete the endowment and officially name the library after Landreth.

There will be a plaque to honor and name some of those who helped contribute to the library, titled The Friends of the Garry Landreth Library, Bratton said.

“In total, there’s been hundreds of people that donated and gave in order to name the library after Garry,” she said. “We have a very supportive program faculty and counseling program.”

With the new research library, students and faculty members will now have an easier access to archives, research and books pertaining to play therapy and other counseling case studies with children. The library will contain all the documented research that takes place in the center as well.

“We’re the largest play therapy training facility,” Bratton said.

This library provides students a faster way to do their research for classes. Rather than having to hunt for a certain cause or topic in the search engine, students can look up their topic in the library

bibliography.

They can find multiple sources and research for their topic already organized. Though students are not able to check out any of the archives, books or research housed in the library, for $3 fee, a student can read any of the literature online.

“We attract a lot of people to come here because of our resources,” Bratton said. “We‘re definitely the largest producer of literature and by far the largest producer of research, especially in play therapy.”

Kara Carnes-Holt, a counseling doctoral student, said she admires the work Landreth has done.

“He is so dedicated to children and to the mental health professional field,” she said. “He has been one of the leaders in understanding children, child development and how that goes with child center play therapy, and he’s been a spokesperson for that internationally.”

PHOTO BY CORINNE LORENCE/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Ronald Brown, the bearded Uncle Sam, has danced for Liberty Tax on Fort Worth Drive for the past three tax seasons.

UNT offers free tax preparation

BY M ARY GALLAGHER WILLIAMS Contributing Writer

On the corner of Interstate Highway 35 E and Fort Worth Drive, a dancing Uncle Sam blows kisses to people in a car stopped at the traffic light. Playing peek-a-boo and waving, he grabs the attention of another driver passing by.

Ronald Brown, the bearded Uncle Sam, has worn his signature red and white striped pants and blue tail coat for the past three tax seasons. His job is to attract customers for the Liberty Tax Service on the corner behind him.

For those driving by daily, Brown is a constant reminder to get their taxes done. UNT students have several options to choose from when filing their taxes.

David Peace, a tax preparer for Liberty Tax, said he has already done 15 to 20 tax returns for college students this season.

“If they’re students, I’ll work with them on their preparation fees,” Peace said.

However, this tax season the University of North Texas is offering eligible students a free tax service. The program is called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. The UNT Student Money Management Center and the United Way of Denton County have partnered with the Internal Revenue Service to set up a free tax preparation site on campus.

“The IRS started seeing a trend of eligible households not taking advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC),” said Paul Goebel, senior associate dean of students. “So they created the VITA program.”

Last year in Denton County severa l million dolla rs earmarked for the tax credit were not used. People working who do not make a lot of money are eligible to take advantage of this credit.

They could receive as much as $4,500 if they earn $40,000 or less a year. Many UNT students meet this credit eligibility requirement.

International students are not eligible for the program because of the wide array of other tax issues they bring to the table.

Tax Info Free tax preparation is available for eligible students at Chestnut Hall Suite 313 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (last appointment at 7:30 pm) • Tuesday, February 23 • Tuesday, March 30 • Tuesday, April 6 Reservations required.

Call the Student Money Management Center at 940.369.7761 for an appointment.

“It’s based on IRS regulations,” Goebel said, adding that volunteer tax preparers are not trained in international tax issues.

The United Way provides the center with a trained tax preparation team equipped with laptops and tax software.

Students’ tax returns are filed electronically before they leave.

UNT’s goal for the 2010 program is to serve 36 students during the three Tuesday evenings that the program takes place in Chestnut Hall.

“United Way approached UNT through the Student Money Management Center to serve as a host site for VITA,” Goebel said Goebel said the benefit for students is a “win-win situation,” and that the program also enhances the reputation of the university by partnering with the United Way. Students can schedule a 30-minute appointment with the Student Money Management Center in Chestnut Hall.

The center has a first-comefirst-serve policy for walk-in students, but those with scheduled appointments have priority.

Denton’s North Branch Library also has the same free tax preparation available for qualified residents, including UNT students.

Goebel’s advice to students is to start early. “The earlier the better,” he said. Goebel also recommended that students should develop a habit of updating their FAFSA for the next academic year immediately after filing their tax information.

Camille Davis, a political science post-baccalaureate student, said she will not use the service. “I do Turbo Tax,” she said. “I can have my taxes in an hour.”

News

Page 2

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Scott McBride, Rebecca Hoeffner & Melissa Boughton, News Editors

ntdailynews@gmail.com

New credit card law changes to take effect Feb. 22

BY LISA GARZA

Senior Staff Writer Consumers’ needs will be priority over company profit when new credit card regulations take effect Feb. 22. The changes are meant to ease financial burden and make terms easier to understand.

Cred it c a rd compa n ies must now inform consumers at least 45 days in advance of increasing interest rates or changes to any of the terms of the agreement. Payment dates must be set for the same day every month. If a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, payments must be credited to the account without late fees.

Pegg y Ordonez, a political science sophomore, said she got a Visa credit ca rd last summer t hat was preapproved through her parent’s bank.

“I got a credit card because I was t r y ing to ea rn good credit,” she said. “It didn’t turn out well.”

Ordonez said the financial

freedom took over her better judg ment quick ly a nd her spending got out of control.

“I had a compulsive shopping problem and reached my limit fairly quickly,” she said.

“Finally, I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

Ordonez told her parents about her debt and cancelled the credit card. She said it would take her at least another year to pay it off.

Citing high interest rates, she said, ”If I knew then what I know now, I would not have gotten that card.”

Paul Goebel, director of the Student Money Management Center, said he believes the new law will place a greater focus on consu mer r ig hts r a t he r t h a n c r e d it c a r d profits.

“The bottom line for the new law is to provide all credit card users with greater protection by limiting some of the credit card industry’s more profitable and punitive practices,” he said.

Interest ca n’t be h i ked

their accounts. That means cardholders agree to close the account and pay off the ba la nce u nder t he prev iously agreed terms w it hin five years.

O ver-d ra f t fees may be eliminated if the consumer decides to opt out of t his feature.

Regulations now require mont h ly statements to be e a sier for c on s u mer s to read.

Due dates and minimum balance payments must be clearly marked on each statement.

“Understa nding a credit card statement and actively GRAPHIC COURTESY OF TIM BEDISON/MCT ma nag i ng one’s per sona l Credit card companies must now inform consumers in advance of increasing finances are two very different interests rates or changes to the terms of agreement. aspects of money management,” Goebel said.

In accordance with the law, balance, of course it’s going du r i ng t he f i r st yea r a n account is open. If the rate to ta ke people, especia l ly credit card solicitors must is raised after the one-year students, longer to pay off the stay at least 1,000 feet away ma rk, t he h ig her i nterest higher interest rate,” Goebel from a college campus. UNT implemented a similar policy does not apply to prev ious said.

Consumers now have the in 2005, said Goebel. purchases.

“UNT became one of the “I f you put ever y t h i ng right to refuse certain signifitowards the lowest interest cant changes in the terms of number of growing college

Servant Lutheran Church joined 16 area churches to provide for the hungry. Now, there are more than 20 churches as well as volunteers from the Denton community who work together to prepare meals.

Hawkins said that because the soup kitchen is serving more people every day, they are beginning to run low on supplies. And, because there are so many people to serve, storage space is limited.

“We are desperately in need of a new freezer, because the

one we have can’t hold enough food. We are trying to find one that won’t put us through the roof,” Hawkins said.

Each week, 1 in 50 Americans — 5.7 million people — struggle to feed their families.

There are 80 percent more people in need of food each week, said Phelps.

The number of hungr y Americans is at an all-time high, and Feeding America , the nation’s largest hungerrelief charity, is feeding 1 million more Americans every

campuses to put into effect strict policies and guidelines remedying the practices of cred it ca rd ma rketers on campus,” he said.

Goebel said he believes that solicitation practices need to be more restrictive.

Trend analysis reports of the 18- to 25-year-old population point to common issues of misuse of credit and the negative long-term impacts, he said.

Any person younger than 21 must now show proof of repayment or have a co-signer before being approved for a credit card.

The new regulations may ease f ina ncia l st ra ins but will not erase a consumer’s responsibility to monitor his or her finances, Goebel said.

“To truly actively manage your personal finances, it’s not going to be dependant on a piece of legislation. It’s dependant on your own behaviors and knowledge and your own commitment to change those behaviors,” he said.

Food bank struggles to provide for hungry residents

BY A LEX CHEATHAM Staff Writer

Texas leads the nation with the highest rate of hungry children. One out of five children live in a household that doesn’t have regular access to nutritious meals, a North Texas Food Bank spokeswoman explained.

“Almost half of the people we serve are children,” said Paige Phelps, the public relations manager of the food bank.

Denton’s soup kitchen, Our Daily Bread, was established five years ago when Christ The

week than in 2006. It annually publishes the largest study of domestic hunger, called ‘Hunger in America.’

“Hunger is an invisible issue that’s so associated with shame, people feel like they can’t talk.

We need to shine a light on the situation, realize it’s close to home, and that it’s a circumstance, not a reflection of character,” Phelps said.

According to the report, the number of Americans in need is escalating significantly.

There are more than 37

The Department of Behavior Analysis Celebrating the 201st anniversary of the birthdays of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln

presents

Stephen Suomi, Ph.D. Eunice Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institutes of Health

Risk, Resilience and Gene x Environment Interactions in Rhesus Monkeys and Other Primates

Friday, February 12 – 4:30 p.m.

Eagle Student Services Center Room 255

HOSTED BY BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS ONLINE

Dr. Suomi, widely recognized for his research on the behavioral development of monkeys, will present his findings on the role of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to individual differences in the monkeys in NIH colony; and the relevance of those findings to monkeys living in the wild, and to humans in different cultures.

Reception immediately following the lecture

By the Numbers

1 in 50

200

33,800

Americans struggle to feed their family

meals served each day by the NTFB

served each year by the NTFB

million different people who are served by Feeding America each year, an increase of 46 percent since 2005, with 38 percent of those being children under the age of 18. Its networks feed 14 million children in the U.S., up 6 percent since 2006, when the number was 9 million each year.

Forty percent of the households served by North Texas Food Bank have at least one working adult. These people, known as the working hungry, do hold jobs, yet can’t afford to feed their families adequately.

Phelps also explained that there is a much larger share of households receiving government assistance with programs like WIC, helping low-income women and children, and SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, supplying food to more than 35 million people each month across the U.S. “The need is out there,” she said. “People come in with master’s degrees in neuroscience but can’t afford to buy food, so they’re on food stamps.”

The North Texas Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, provided 37 million meals to more than 57,000 families last year, with four meals costing only a dollar.

Yet food banks and soup kitchens are struggling financially. “[The North Texas Food Bank] is down $900,000 in fundraising,” Phelps said.

“That means less food for our 291 member agencies.”

There are more than 200 meals served each day, and as

many as 33,800 meals served each year, all prepared by a professional chef and volunteers from the community.

Because there isn’t enough funding to pay employees, many soup kitchens and food pantries rely heavily on volunteers.

Metroport Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization based in Roanoke that also depends on volunteers and donations to stay afloat. The number of elderly fed each month by the program has risen more than 8 percent, and the cost to feed them has risen 16 percent.

Mary King, Metroport Meals on Wheels executive director, explained that there was no raise in the amount of Social Security allotted to senior citizens this year, although the cost of living is growing.

“In reality, [the senior citizens] are getting a net check that’s less than last year,” King said. “But we are doing everything we can to make sure they get a meal, regardless of their financial situation.”

For Metroport Meals on Wheels, like the North Texas Food Bank and Our Daily Bread, funding is a challenge. Support from community organizations has decreased, and large corporations are unable to sponsor as generously as they could in the past, King said.

“Our mission is to provide a hot meal, a safe environment and referrals to outside agencies,” said Jenny Hawkins, Our Daily Bread executive director.

“We also offer community, acceptance and fellowship, with no questions asked.”

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor

Arts & Life

Page 3 ntdailylife@gmail.com

Organization encourages secular thinking

BY A SHLEY SIMPSON Staff Writer

The Freethought Alliance originally was intended to be an organization for atheists and agnostics. However, members soon realized that was not the message they wanted to send. Since its first unofficial meeting, the group has evolved into a secular organization that welcomes anyone who wants to be involved.

North Texas has a strong religious background, and the organization realized the challenges it faced before forming, organization member Andrew Broz said.

“We found that by changing our focus of the group, it could attract those who might otherwise feel uncomfortable by what we stand for,” Broz said.

Broz said that he’s found that not labeling the group as being just for atheists allows for a greater range of people to come and share their thoughts.

The Freethought Alliance needed to make changes if it wanted to increase its presence on campus, Broz said.

The group got its start on Facebook t h roug h on line discussions of religion, and from there the original members

decided to set up face-to-face meetings.

The group wanted to shed the angry-atheist stigma, Broz said, so they began the motions to get in compliance with UNT’s Student Activities Center to form a campus organization.

Within the group, officers do not have titles, because each member contributes to the cause equally, Broz said.

Oriana Steverson, a hospitality management sophomore, said she believes that every interest group should have the opportunity to be represented on campus.

“Even though I’m a Christian, who am I to say they can’t have their freedom of speech, too,” she said.

The group tries to make sure no one is disrespected, and every member’s opinions are voiced equally, Broz said.

“We really aren’t an antireligious group, and we’re not trying to convert people away from their beliefs. We really just created this group to give an opportunity to let other students be aware of our organization if they are looking for something else,” said Chachie Barracho, officer member and radio, television and film major.

PHOTO BY KAITLYN PRICE/PHOTOGRAPHER

The officers of the Freethought Alliance seek to create a community for people with secular interests and who want to become more active in community service.

Belonging to this group is not without work, as it is planning community service projects and recruiting guest lecturers to speak at meetings.

The group recently adopted a highway north of Loop 288, and they hold events for their

members after meetings are over.

In the future, the group hopes to get more funding for their projects, Broz said.

“FTA, to me, of fers a welcoming a nd non-judgmental environment to those

who have atypical views on religion and social issues,” said Allison Wiley, a rehabilitation studies sophomore.

Eliezer Dobrin, a music freshman, said that the atmosphere is inviting to those who share the same beliefs and can

talk among each other.

Freethought Alliance meets reg u la rly at 6 p.m. ever y Tuesday in t he La ng uage Building, and officer meetings are held at 6 p.m. every Wednesday at Big Mike’s coffee shop.

“I can’t really work for other people,” he said, “I’m an entrepreneur.”

After researching different Web sites, he found that Craigslist, unlike eBay, had shallow competition for small businesses.

Matthews’ business swelled substantially because he bought items under their market value and re-sold them for a market price.

Now his business brings in $150,000 a year, he said.

In his first e-book, “The Craigslist Flip,” Matthew tells the story of how he started his

flipping business and the basic idea of how it functions.

“Any person that reads ‘The Craigslist Flip’ can pick up the operation and run with it,” he said.

Matthews said some readers asked for more detail, and, in response, he published his second e-book, “Craigslist Revealed.”

The second book shows the reader step-by-step what items Matthews targeted and what price he put them on the market for.

Matthews said he didn’t think flipping items on Craigslist would

turn into his full-time job, but to him it was as good a job as any.

Matthews said his passion for being an entrepreneur began well before his senior year of college.

In high school, he started a small T-shirt enterprise, and in college he owned the hookah business, “Eisley’s,” while living in Denton.

Matthews attributes his success to the College of Business having well equipped him to start his business.

“The professors had a personal concern for each individual student which makes UNT’s

College of Business one of the best out there,” he said.

His involvement with the community as well as the opportunities offered by the college plunged him into success.

Oppor tunit ies like t he Integrated Business Case Competition played a role in equipping Matthews for business ownership, teaching him managing and self-reliant skills, he said.

Grant Miles of the business faculty said he was not surprised

by Matthews’ success and knew he was more than capable to start

his own business.

“David Matthews was a quietly involved student,” he said. “He was not vocal but was clearly attentive.”

Matthews’ business allows him to travel at will, which, he said, is one of the most rewarding aspects of being his own boss.

Matthews took extended trips to Hawaii and California recently, and he is making plans for the future. When he is not traveling, he lives in Austin.

For more information about Matthews’ books, visit craigslistcareer.com.

depressive feel i ngs t hat go a long w it h t hat ca n be exacerbated du r ing t h is t ime of yea r,” Coga n sa id.

“Some people have a good Va lentine’s Day and others don’t, so we wa nted to hit the ones who don’t.”

Jennifer Acker, a lecturer in the educationa l psycholog y depa r t ment, sa id hol idays in general bring about difficulty for people dealing with a sense of loss.

“There is more ex pectation, more stress and a lot more t hat goes a long w it h t he hol id ay t i me s of t he year,” Acker said.

Just as any other psychologica l stress can turn into phy sic a l hu r t, fe el i ngs of sad ness about t he loss of a relat ionsh ip ca n lead to bodily pain and aches, Cogan said.

From backaches and headaches to appet ite loss a nd fat ig ue, Coga n sa id of ten when doctors ca n not f i nd medical sources of the pain, it is because of emot iona l trauma.

She said she finds people t u r n to u n hea lt hy habit s, such as overeating, drinking or doing drugs, to cope with their emotiona l stress.

H o w e v e r, f i n d i n g t h e m idd le g rou nd bet ween

bei ng by you rsel f a nd t he desire for being in a relationship is key to sur v iv ing the holiday a lone, Acker said.

“I think it is important we find a ba lance for us to be indiv idua ls and do stuff on our ow n as much as we have the need to be in couples and be w ith others,” she said.

Ni m i a A m a y a , a r a d io, telev ision a nd f i lm sen ior, sa id t he d isc u ssion g roup would have helped her when she got over a brea kup last semester.

The topic of love and relationships is especially sensitive to some people during this time of year, she said.

“Valentine’s Day is coming up, a nd to ma ny people it has a negative connotation,” A maya sa id. “It’s a n especia lly important discussion to have on a college campus

where we’re already stressed out w it h school. We don’t need to deal with emotional stress on top of it.”

Coga n pla n s to d i sc u ss

healthy ways of dealing with t he pa in at t he discussion she w ill lead today.

“I hope people get a sense that they’re not alone if they

are struggling w ith the loss of a relat ion sh ip,” Coga n said. “But I hope there is a positive spin to it. That is my main intent.”

Alumnus finds success in Craigslist business

BY WILLIAM ORDEMAN Contributing Writer

David Matthews started his Craigslist business in 2008 during his senior year at UNT and was soon making almost $1,000 a week.

Matthews, a UNT alumnus, is now a Craigslist entrepreneur and author of two books, “The Craigslist Flip” and “Craigslist Revealed,” that explain how he flips items on Craigslist.

While in school, Matthews said he needed a way to financially support himself without jeopardizing his grades.

Counseling center helps relieve Valentine’s Day stress

BY GRACIELA R AZO Senior Staff Writer

With stores stocked w ith Va lent i ne’s Day ca rds a nd g i f t s, t he hol iday ’s fest ivit ie s a r e b e i n g s pl a s he d ever y where. But for some, the looming date of Feb. 14 brings only dread.

T he St udent Cou nsel i ng Center is offering a discussion group today to help students through the Valentine’s Day sea son i f t hey a re get t i ng over a past relationship or feeling lonely.

“It is essent ia l ly to help people u ndersta nd t he process of entering a relat ion s h ip a nd t he c opi n g s t r a t e g ie s t h a t g o a lon g w i t h t h a t ,” s a i d K a r e n Cogan, a psychologist at the center and leader of today’s discussion, “Getting Over a Relationship.”

Coga n sa id t h is t i me of year people begin to notice feel i ngs of lonel i ness a nd start wanting a relationship, but not necessarily for the right reasons.

Advertisers and greeting card companies bring these feel i ngs to t hei r at tent ion and often make people feel it is necessary to have a significant other, she said.

“T he y s e e ot her s c ele brat ing, so t he sad ness or

Relationship Counseling “Getting Over a Relationship” by Karen Cogan 12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. today Chestnut Hall 311

Page 4 Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor

Arts & Life

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 ntdailylife@gmail.com

Army captains study military history at UNT

By K atie Grivna Senior Staff Writer

The UNT Military History Center of the history department has brought two Army captains to Denton to earn graduate degrees before teaching future cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The West Point Fellows program allows captains sent by the Army to earn their master’s degree and do all the coursework for a doctorate degree with the exception of their dissertations.

The captains will then return to West Point to will teach cadets for three years and have the opportunity to write their dissertation for the completion of their doctorate degree.

Geoffrey Wawro, director of the center, said the West Point Fellows program confirms of the prestige of UNT’s military history program.

“It means that West Point has identified UNT as being a firstrate destination for the study of military history,” he said.

‘Low stress’ Capt. Bill Nance, an armor officer, is one of two people to first participate in UNT’s West Point Fellow program.

“To me, this is a great opportunity to go in and be on the ground floor helping teach these guys … so that their mind is open and they’re ready to learn the harder lessons that are going to come later,” he said.

The program is a reward for people who have completed their key developmental assignment and the Army understands they need a break, he said.

“As funny as it sounds, taking 13 hours of graduate work is low stress,” Nance said with a laugh.

Nance, who completed 27 months in Iraq, said that from May of 2006 to May of 2009, he has either been in command of a tank company or a headquarters company or been in Iraq.

“I love being in command, I love soldiers, but it is also a nice break because it’s exhausting,” he said.

Under the West Point Fellows program, the captains cannot be deployed for five years, and Nance said he is looking forward to the opportunity to spend some time with his kids, since he missed the first couple of years of his older two children’s lives, he said.

Nance, a 2002 West Point graduate, said he has always enjoyed helping people learn

and always wanted to go back to West Point to teach.

The program received a lot of support from Michael Monticino, dean of the Toulouse Graduate School, and Richard McCaslin, the history department chair, who worked with the curriculum to ensure the captains can complete the work in two and a half years, said Michael Leggiere, assistant professor of history.McCaslin said he thought the West Point Fellows program would be neat to bring to UNT. Leggiere became aware of the program when he was a graduate student at Florida State University and saw how it was an enriching experience for both the captains and graduate students, he said.

Photo by Alex Scott/Photographer

Bill Nance and David Musick, history master’s students, are the first two captains to work with UNT’s Military History Center participation in the West Point Fellows program.

‘My job is to go to school’ Capt. Dave Musick, a military intelligence officer, said his 18 years of experience in the Army contribute to what he learns in the classroom.

“There is only so much you can teach about military history without understanding what it is like to be on the ground, and I think that is something we are able to bring into a lot of the class discussions,” Musick said.

Musick completed 30 months

in Iraq and said going to graduate school is easier than a deployment to Iraq.

“In Iraq, I’m used to working 16- to 20-hour days. Here at grad school, the average grad student has to still work a job to pay the bills. I don’t have to do that under this program. My job is to go to school … in that way, I probably have it a lot easier than other grad students,” he said.

Sometimes, Musick said,

he gets frustrated because he wishes he had more time to explore new topics he learns about.

The Army asked the captains if they were interested in teaching history of the military art and then they applied for the program, Musick said.

Once they were accepted, the Army negotiated which schools they would attend.

Both men started taking

classes in July 2009 and have since completed 18 hours of graduate coursework at UNT. Nance and Musick are now taking 13 hours of graduate coursework.

The West Point Fellows program says a lot about UNT since the U.S. Army is sending their captains to UNT to be trained and then later the captains will train the West Point cadets, Leggiere said.

NAACP celebrates 101 years of freedom fighting

By A lexis A shcraft Contributing Writer

The NAACP is turning 101 years old this week, and the UNT chapter is celebrating with a week of activities, including a play that summarizes AfricanAmerican history.

The events began Monday a f ter noon w it h a n A IDS Awa reness Project on t he Ca mpu s Green a nd w i l l continue throughout the week across campus. The week’s events are open to ever ybody and are a good way to get to know the more-thana-century-old organization, and how it has affected not only national history, but the history of UNT as well.

“NA ACP Week is a good way to look at what our main goals are. If you look at all of our events, it’s a good way of looking at what areas are important to us,” said Sasha Hampton, UNT NAACP pres-

ident and a public relations senior.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a national non-profit organization that has been fighting for equal rights for minorities since 1909. Its main objective is to fight against d iscr i m i nat ion. T he UNT chapter began in 1968 and has since helped detect and rid the university of hatred and discrimination.

For one member, being part of the organization is a continuation of a family legacy.

Rachel Rice, an early childhood education junior with an emphasis in English as a second language, is a member of the UNT chapter of the NA ACP, and part of its recruitment committee. Rice’s parents were part of the NAACP when they went to college, which was in a time of segregation.

“For me to be part of an

organization that my parents fought so hard with, it’s like I’m living the dream,” Rice said.

Rice and Hampton said they believe that UNT students should not only attend the week’s events, but care about them as well. Ron Johnson, a journalism junior, is one of the many students who are excited about this week’s events.

“I think it’s very exciting.

The NAACP has been fighting for everything that we study in schools. That this Black History month is all about,” Johnson said.

T hao C ao, a bu si ne s s economics senior, said that the organization is important to her.

“I’m excited because even though I am not black, I am still a minority. The differences and progress that they’ve made affects all of us. Without them, I don’t think I can be where I am in society, as an equal.”

NAACP Events Today Black History Awareness Program — The NAACP and Omega Psi Phi are hosting this event together. It is going to be a meeting that includes a mini-play preformed by CASP, which will summarize AfricanAmerican History.

Location and Time: ENV 130 at 7:15 pm Wednesday 12 O’clock Takeover and Voter Registration — The NAACP and Alpha Kappa Alpha are hosting an event in the Library Mall that will have a live DJ and voter registration for Denton County. Multiple fraternities and sororities will attend. Come to listen to music and have fun between classes.

Location and Time: Library Mall from 11a.m. to 1 p.m.

Miseducation of the Negro — This evening event is a tribute to Carter G. Woodson, known as “the father of black history.” He was not only the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University, but also a member of the NAACP and Omega Psi Phi. Location and Time: Eagle Student Services Center 255 at 7 p.m.

Thursday Get Your Money Right — This program, sponsored by the Money Management Department of UNT along with the NAACP, is to inform students about positive spending habits.

Location and Time: First floor of the University Union from 11a.m. to 1 p.m.

Friday Candle Light Vigil — The vigil is in honor of the NAACP members who have worked for the organization throughout the years and to celebrate the 101 years of freedom fighting.

Location and Time: Gazebo at 7:15 p.m.

Information Courtesy of UNT

Sports

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Justin Umberson, Sports Editor

Page 5 ntdaily.sports@gmail.com

Mean Green’s losing streak extends to four on Saturday

BY BEN BABY Staff Writer

PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior Eric Tramiel hangs on the rim after a slam-dunk against Florida Atlantic at Thursday’s game. The Mean Green brought home another win against Florida International 68-66 on Saturday.

Men’s basketball team tames Golden Panthers

BY SEAN GORMAN Senior Staff Writer

Playing another close game to the final buzzer, the UNT men’s basketball team overcame a late deficit by keeping its composure down the stretch to defeat the Florida International Golden Panthers 68-66 Saturday in Miami, Fla. An 11-0 run with less than five minutes left was the difference, as the Mean Green (15-8, 8-5) won its second-straight game while avenging a previous loss to the Golden Panthers (7-19, 4-9).

“I knew it was going to be a hard-fought game coming in here, but we wound up fighting through their big run and were able to battle through,” head coach Johnny Jones said.

The victory helped the Mean Green improve its position in the Sun Belt Conference, as it pulled ahead of the Denver Pioneers to be in sole possession of third place in the conference’s West Division.

“This year has had its ups and downs, but we’re playing our best basketball at the right time,” junior guard Josh White said. “We hope to get a winning streak going right before the tournament.”

FIU made things tough for UNT early on, starting the game with three three-pointers in

the first five minutes to take an early lead.

Senior forward Eric Tramiel and junior forward George Odufuwa kept the Mean Green close, combining for eight consecutive points midway through the first half and finishing the half with 16 total points.

“I can’t give enough credit to ou r big g uys,” ju n ior guard Shannon Shorter said.

“Whenever we need them to make big plays, they come through.”

With UNT dictating the game down low and the Golden Panthers finding success from beyond the arc, the teams went back and forth and went into the half tied at 39.

A f ter t he Mea n Green pulled ahead, FIU seized all momentum with a 16-1 run on the way to a 63-56 lead with 4:50 left in the game.

Unfazed by losing its lead, the Mean Green used threes

by Tramiel and junior guard Tristan Thompson to make a run of its own and reclaim the advantage with less than two minutes left.

“One thing everyone understands on this team is that basketball’s all about runs,” Shorter said. “When you’re as confident with two minutes left to go down a few points as you

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would be up by 20, it’s a good sign that your team can win the tough games.”

UNT’s eighth in-conference win was solidified when a full-court inbound by FIU was stolen as time ran out.

“We knew it would be a close game against these guys,” Shorter said. “With these types of games it comes dow n to ma k ing t hings happen when it matters most and we were able to do that.”

Ra n k i ng 15t h i n t he nation with his average of 10.4 rebounds per game, Odufuwa contributed his fifth double-double in the last six games with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

“When we find George down low, it’s almost an automatic bucket at this point,” White said. “He gets the high percentage shots and is able to rebound with the best of them.”

The Mean Green looks for its third-straight win when it travels to face the New Orleans Privateers at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

The UNT women’s basketball team was unable to find the win column Saturday afternoon, as it succumbed to the Florida International Golden Panthers 72-55 at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

With the victory, FIU (11-13, 5-6) completed the season sweep of UNT (6-18, 3-10), and in the process handed the Mean Green its fourth-consecutive loss.

“Our defense — it kind of fell apart,” senior guard Brittany James said. “We were struggling basically the whole night on rebounds. We let them get too many second-chance shots, and they just executed on every time.”

The Panthers were in control the entire game, holding the lead from start to finish. Junior forward Elisa Carey had a monster performance, finishing the game with 26 points and 14 rebounds, both of which were season highs. Carey picked up seven of her boards on the offensive end, giving FIU multiple second chance opportunities.

“We just kind of let [Carey] go off for 26 points and 14 rebounds,” head coach Shanice Stephens said. “That was a defensive assignment, and we missed it and it cost us.”

Offensively, UNT was unable to score consistently in the second half. After starting the game off shooting the ball well, the Mean Green finished the game shooting 40 percent from the field.

“I felt like we got a lot of good looks,” James said. “Our shots just weren’t falling. We just weren’t hitting our shots when we finally got looks.”

After scoring 18 of the team’s first 28 points, freshman forward Jasmine Godbolt and James were contained by the Panthers in the second half. Godbolt had two points in the half, while James had three.

PHOTO BY DREW GAINES/PHOTOGRAPHER

Guard Brittney James goes up for a shot during Wednesday’s game against Florida Atlantic University. UNT lost 72-55 to Florida International on Saturday.

Brown had another solid performance with 11 points in the loss. During her last two games, Brown averaged 10.5 points per game, exceeding her season average of 1.7 points a game.

UNT had trouble taking care of the ball from the opening tip, turning the ball over six times in the first four minutes of the game. Toward the end of the game, the Mean Green cut down on turnovers and turned up the defensive intensity and went into halftime trailing 32-28.

The second half started out well for UNT, as it pulled within one point of FIU. That was the closest the Mean Green would

get, as the Golden Panthers pulled away each time the visitors threatened to take the lead.

UNT did a much better job of taking care of the ball, only turning it over 15 times.

However, turnovers down the stretch proved to be costly, as UNT was unable to take a lead. “[Florida Atlantic] got too many offensive rebounds when we was trying to run,” freshman guard Ravven Brown said. “The offensive rebounds kept us from coming back.”

UNT will try to finish off the two-game road trip on a positive note Wednesday when they face New Orleans.

“First Humans Out of Africa”

By Dr. David O. Lordkipanidze

General Director of the National Museum of Georgia

Thursday, February 18, 2010 . 7:00 p.m.

Fossil discoveries from the Dmanisi archaeological site in the Republic of Georgia provide a revealing glimpse of the first migration of ancestral humans out of Africa nearly 1.8 million years ago. Join us as we host Dr. David Lordkipanidze, who will discuss what makes this discovery so unique and its importance to our understanding of human evolution.

Tickets are $5 for all students and staff with a current college ID. For tickets, go to fortworthmuseum.org or call 817-255-9540.

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Sports

Page 6 Justin Umberson, Sports Editor

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 ntdaily.sports@gmail.com

Tennis team swats Raiders, earns ‘signature win’

BY ERIC JOHNSON Senior Staff Writer

For t he f irst t ime in its 12-year history, the UNT tennis team (3-2) defeated a ranked opponent when it corralled the No. 73 Texas Tech Red Raiders 5-2 Saturday afternoon.

The Mean Green came out blazing, taking control of the match by winning the opening doubles point, and neither the Red Raiders (3-1) nor the frosty temperatures could cool UNT’s fiery passion.

“We were all angry about our loss to OU [Oklahoma], and we took our frustration out on Tech,” sophomore Irina Paraschiv said. “I think that the loss made us tougher and more deter m ined, a nd we know we can beat anybody.

That ranking is just a number in front of their name, and we are not intimidated by that.”

A f ter losing her doubles match 8-6, Paraschiv punished her singles’ opponent from the No. 1 position 6-0, 6-4, f i n i sh i ng Te ch f re s h m a n Sandra Dynka in a little more than 30 minutes.

“Irina has grown so much from last year,” Lama said.

“Last year she would have let that negative energy consume her, but she knows that she is in a leadership position and her team feeds off of her. There are some players who crumble under that spotlight, but she loves it and she thrives off of it.”

With the Mean Green up 3-2 and needing one more point to earn the victory, the team watched as two of its women played i n match-decid i ng tiebreakers.

A f ter c r u i si ng t h roug h her doubles match w ith an 8-5 v ictor y, junior Madura

“Now this team has that signature win, and I have known all along that we belong.”

—Sujay Lama Tennis head coach

Ranganathan took control of her singles match with a 6-2 first-set win. She then found herself in a second-set battle.

Behind 5-4 and with everything on the line, Ranganathan fought through the second-set tiebreak to clinch the match for UNT. “The second set I rea lly felt the pressure of the team depending on me, a nd my opponent was able to feed on that,” Ranganathan said.

“Then I realized that I was only going to do more damage by getting in my own head, so I forgot about the significance of my match and just focused on winning.”

Sen ior Cata l i na Cr u z crushed Tech’s No. 5 player, Lorena Aviles, 6-2 in the first set. The match began to slip away after Cruz lost the second set. The Mean Green’s captain fell behind 6-5 in the third and had to fight off three match poi nt s f rom Av i les before winning the tiebreak.

“Cat is Cat,” Lama said. “I have seen her dow n match point and fight back so many times. She never quits, and that is why these girls look up to her.”

Pl a y i n g i n h e r f ou r t h

PHOTO BY CLINTON LYNCH/FILE

Junior Ashley Akin returns volleys from her partner during practice at the Waranch Tennis Complex. The Mean Green defeated No. 73 Texas Tech 5-2 Saturday. col leg iate match, Ba rbora Vykydalova continued to be the most consistent member of the Mean Green. The freshman won in straight sets after a seesaw campaign against the Red Raiders’ fiercest competitor, Natalie Leitch.

“Leitch is their mentally toughest player, and she is such a scrappy competitor,” Lama said. “Barbora has been so unbelievable for us so far.

She just plays with a composure that is well beyond her years. She lost a heartbreaker when she had match point

against OU, and it was great to see her come back so well from that.”

Cr u z a nd Vyk yda lova g rabbed t he lead in t heir double s match f rom t he open i ng poi nt a nd never relinquished it. Their 8-6 win gave UNT the crucial doubles point, and it motivated the team.

“Their w in clinched t he opening point for us, which rea lly set t he tone for t he match,” Paraschiv said. “They have played so well together, and I think that once we won

doubles it just got everyone excited. It created this transfer of energy, and everyone was encouraging each other.”

UNT faces a brutal schedule over the next two months, with six of its next nine opponents being nationally ranked.

The Mean Green w ill a lso face its three biggest threats to the Sun Belt Conference Championship: No. 28 Florida International, No. 75 South Alabama and No. 55 Denver.

“That is why I wanted this win so bad,” Lama said. “Now this team has that signature

w in, and I have know n all a long t hat we belong, but now t his tea m k nows. We have a chance over the next nine matches to really put ourselves up there with the best.”

The Mean Green was scheduled for a t wo-week brea k from competition, but Lama will add Lee College Runnin’ Rebels, Tyler Junior College Apaches or Ta rleton State Texans to the schedule. UNT will host one of these teams on Feb. 17 at the Waranch Tennis Complex.

Saints greeted by swarming fans upon return home N E W OR L E A NS (A P) — People lined up by t he hundreds to buy Monday’s T i me s-P ic ay u ne, w h ich hollered “A MEN! ” from its front page. The Saints’ Super Bowl v ictor y was a prayer answered in this struggling city, and New Orleans itself seemed different for it.

Swarms of fans in black and gold greeted the players as they stepped off a chartered plane at the suburban airport, cheering them with “W ho Dat ! ” cha nt s. T he Sa ints, cel la r dwel lers for decades, delivered not just their first Lombardi trophy but optimism for their city, a new sense that the unimaginable — better schools, less crime and even honest politicians — really is possible.

“The Saints kept hope alive in this city that better days

were coming,” said Shannon Sims, a 45-yea r-old cr iminal-court administrator in the crowd. They “were the force t hat kept us mov ing forward.”

Hurricane Katrina battered the Saints and even knocked them out of town for a while, as it did to many New Orleanians.

Now the team is better than ever, and its hometown fans hope to follow suit.

“It shows the rest of the country that we have resilient people and this is a city of w i n ners,” sa id D w ig ht Henry, 46, a co-owner of the Buttermilk Drop bakery and cafe off St. Claude Avenue near the Lower 9th Ward, one of the areas hardest hit by Katrina.

“S i n c e K a t r i n a , w e’v e been able to start successfully from the bottom,” said Henry, whose business was

badly f looded. “We couldn’t go anywhere lower.”

The win was not just about footba l l for New Orlea ns, sa id John Mag i ll, a historian at Historic New Orleans Collection.

“We’re all being told that we’re sink ing, why bot her rebuild it, there was so much of that attitude,” Magill said.

Thanks to the Super Bowl win, he said, Americans will view the city in the positive light the city deserves.

The day before the game, the city elected a new mayor in Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, the son of the majority-black city’s last white mayor. Landrieu won with 66 percent of the vote, garnering votes across racial lines.

Hope is high that Landrieu will lead the city in the right direction. About 80 percent

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE CAVARETTA/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL/MCT

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, left, and quarterback Drew Brees, right, pose with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the MVP and Lombardi trophies on Monday at the Broward County Convention Center. of t he c it y ’s pre-K at r i na population has returned and hundreds of millions of dollars in rebuilding money still has to be spent, but the murder rate remains high, the city’s levees have not been f ully rebuilt and the city could be f looded again.

For now, though, it seems the sky’s the limit, and the Sa ints’ 31-17 upset of t he Ind ia napol is Colt s is t he reason.

It looked like a wild Carnival parade Monday along a nondescript strip of road leading from the airport where the te a m’s a i r pla ne touche d down.

Thousands of fans lined the road with their Saints jerseys,

“W ho Dat! ” chants, homemade signs, fleur-de-lis garb, face paint and Mardi Gras costumes (like the Saint-a Claus fellow). Coach Sea n Pay ton held t he Lombardi t rophy a lof t t h roug h t he sunroof of his car, eliciting wild screams.

At the airport, 37-year-old courier Aaron Washing ton said “the dawn of a new day” had come. A br a ss-ba nd version of “When the Saints Go Marching In” blared from his car stereo.

“This team has allowed us to get past Katrina and look for wa rd to better t hings,” Washington said. He watched t he ga me w it h dozens of friends and relatives on a big-

screen television in front of a home in eastern New Orleans that was rebuilt after the 2005 hurricane f looded it with 9 feet of water.

T he L ower n i nt h Wa rd erupted in jubilation, w ith n e i g h b o r s hu g g i n g a n d screaming.

“It felt really good,” said Ann Schexnyder, a 51-yearold denta l lab technicia n.

“T hey’ve come a long a nd we’ve come along.”

For her, it was a moment of joy surrounded by stark reality. Her street is dotted by boarded-up homes, abandoned by f lood victims who were unable to come back or couldn’t find the will to rebuild.

Views

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Josh Pherigo, Views Editor

Tea Party influences mainstream policy Editorial The fiscally conservative, small-government promoting Tea Party movement held its first national convention this weekend in Nashville, Tenn.

The event marks the first attempt to nationally organize the locally grown grass-roots movement that has emerged over the past year and a half.

Cultivated by the frustrations of citizens fed up with the big spending ways of both major political parties, the Tea Party movement has amassed a substantial national following. Its ideology focuses almost exclusively on the need to drastically reduce government spending and balance the federal budget.

However, critics and supporters alike have articulated the movement’s lack of leadership, organization and specific focus as stumbling blocks on the road to real policy impact.

The nature of the party’s birth — in small Town Hall meetings, coffee house gatherings and online blogs — has been both a powerful tool for growth and an isolating deterrent against the emplacement of actual leadership.

The Nashville convention provided an opportunity to gain that much-needed leadership.

Convention Misstep

Unfortunately for Party supporters, the national spotlight proved too bright for aspiring Tea leaders. Convention organizers blundered in both the planning and execution of the event in their choice of speakers.

Rather than adhering to the fiscally focused party-unifying topics of government spending and individual liberty, former Congressman Tom Tancredo spewed polarizing overtly antiimmigrant remarks during his Saturday speech. Former GOP vice-presidential candidate and Fox News Analyst Sarah Palin delivered the keynote address.

Factions of the fledgling party have already denounced the gesture of appointing Palin as the symbolic voice of the movement, labeling it political hijacking.

Grass-roots: Democracy in action

Political posturing aside, the importance of this surge in grass-roots policy reform must not be marginalized. It represents democracy in action.

Akin to the campus riots of the Vietnam War, the tea parties that have defined this movement represent the desires of a cross-section of society who feel their government has failed them.

Bonded by a focus on the reliance of individual liberty and small efficient government, the Tea Party initiative seeks to reform policy and ignore politics.

Whether the movement develops into a sovereign political force remains to be seen. But the disgruntled sentiment that lead to its rapid formation demands attention from Washington leaders.

“Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, Judges, and Governors, shall all become wolves.” -Thomas Jefferson

Campus Chat

Page 7 ntdailyviews@gmail.com

Census ads waste ‘Super’ money Sunday’s Super Bowl game was filled with the usual array of overthe-top advertisements. Some of them were silly, others sexy, a few were sweet and plenty more were disappointing. However, there was one commercial in particular that actually struck me as both odd and unnecessary. It just so happened to be the one funded by American taxpayers.

The US Census Bureau spent $2.5 million on 30 seconds of advertising time during the third quarter of the Super Bowl game.

It is currently planning to spend $333 million on assorted advertising and awareness programs for the census. These programs even include a countrywide «road tour» with specially painted 2010 Census vehicles and events.

Every 10 years, as required by the U.S. Constitution, a census must be taken that counts every individual within the country.

The numbers that are obtained by this census are widely used for vital purposes such as deter-

mining the number of representatives in the House and electoral votes that each state receives, the amount of federal aid states receive, and various other uses such as governmental and academic research.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau Web site, the estimated population in this country is less than 309 million people. That means the the Census Bureau is going to be spending $1 for every man, woman and child in the country and then some on advertising alone.

This is a wildly superfluous amount of money to be spent on something that happens every 10 years and is only needed to be filled out by each household, rather than every individual.

The census is not anything new, and we need not be reminded of it while watching football. Most of the census documents will not even be sent out until midMarch, so it was not even timeappropriate.

The commercial was not only

short and expensive, but it also did not seem to be effective. Most of the students that I have spoken with and a variety of media outlets seem to agree about the commercial simply being poorly done. It has been consistently voted one of the worst Super Bowl ads of the year.

Even if the U.S. Census can justify the large cost in airing the ad, they would still need to explain why they chose to create such an unpopular one. A Public Service Announcement style ad would have been more appropriate and probably less expensive to make than one that includes multiple celebrities and leaves you eager to scratch your own head.

Now please do not get me wrong. I think that the Census plays an unquestionably important role in maintaining proper apportionment and representation in our government. Our country’s founding fathers knew it was a critical task in maintaining the integrity of the

republic, and that is why it is a constitutionally mandated function for Congress to perform.

Despite the Census being so crucial to our nation, the government should be spending tax dollars more wisely with timely, effective, and an appropriate style of advertising than this awkward and extravagant campaign.

Trayton Oakes is a political science and economics junior. He can be reached at TraytonOakes@ my.unt.edu.

Obama delivers disappointing results Barack Obama’s soaring rhetoric convinced 53 percent of the electorate that he was capable of correcting our nation’s flawed trajectory.

Unfortunately, his promises of bold new leadership that would restore America’s global standing have fallen flat amid one of the most polarizing first years in presidential history.

By no conceivable measure could someone claim that Obama’s first year in office was a success, and despite Obama’s self-awarded B-plus for his firstyear efforts, what is incredible is just how much of an abysmal failure it has been.

There were no notable accomplishments that come to mind.

His most noteworthy “achievement” was the passage of the $800 billion “stimulus” bill — a bill so failed that a new “jobs” bill is in the works.

The accomplishment touted most often by Obama himself is that he “pulled our economy back from the brink,” which if true would be quite notable.

However, if you accept that our economy was on the brink

of collapse, what brought it back was the Troubled Asset Relief Program executed by President George W. Bush, for which Obama seems to have no problem taking credit.

While accomplishments are lacking, there is no shortage of failures that have occurred during Obama’s tenure. From the failed promise to close our military prison in Guantanamo Bay to his administration’s fumbling of the Christmas Day bomber’s arrest and interrogation, his first year in office was an exhibition of amateurism.

Since Obama has taken office, our relations with China have grown increasingly strained, we have wasted a year of “engagement” policy that has allowed Iran to move forward with their nuclear ambitions, and both Israel and Palestine have become frustrated with Obama’s peace efforts.

Obama’s promises of transparency and his pledge to exclude lobbyists from his administration have been abandoned and sufficiently ridiculed by critics from the left

and right.

Currently, Obama’s plan to hold the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York is falling apart, and from whichever side of the aisle you sit on, you must be perplexed as to what exactly the point of Obama’s attendance at the Copenhagen Climate Conference was.

Time will tell whether Obama initiated the correct strategy in Afghanistan, and if it is successful, it will certainly be a highlight of his presidency.

However, when he declared our unwavering resolve to “win this war” just moments after announcing an 18-month timeline for withdrawal, it became obvious that he is seriously lacking as a leader.

If t here is one recu rring complaint from the left regarding the health care debate, it is that Obama never defined what he wanted — he just issued broad goals and kicked the dirty work down to Congress.

He at tempted to pa ss health care by campaigning

around the country, because he thought Americans would listen to him. After a year of promising that health care would be done, Obama finally acknowledged the obvious last week — his highly unpopular health care overhaul might die in Congress.

Invariably, every defense of Obama begins with an indictment of his predecessor, as if the only bar he has to overcome is to be better than Bush.

In the blink of an eye, we watched “the failed policies of the last 8 years” become “the last 9 years.”

Obama’s domestic policies are as harmful as his foreign policies, and the U.S. needs stronger, more capable leadership.

If voters do not change course in November, expect to hear about “the failed policies of the last 12 years” in the next presidential cycle.

Thomas Flanagin is an international studies junior. He can be reached at ThomasFlanagin@ my.unt.edu.

What did you think about the Super Bowl commercials this year?

{ { {

“I thought they were pretty good. My favorite was the Doritos commercial with the little boy.”

Leigh Poage

Art education senior

“The Betty White Snickers commercial was funny, especially when she got tackled.”

Darry Hearon

a Performance freshman

“They were crappy compared to the previous years. Too many CBS commercials for Lost, Survivor and The Amazing Race.”

Wes Hughes

a Music education freshman

NT Daily Editorial Board

The Editorial Board includes: Shaina Zucker, Josh Pherigo, Rebecca Hoeffner, T.S. McBride, Melissa Boughton, Amber Arnold, Kip Mooney, Abigail Allen, Sydnie Summers, Brianne Tolj, Clinton Lynch, Justin Umberson, and David Williams.

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The NT Daily is proud to present a variety of ideas and opinions from readers in its Views section. As such, we would like to hear from as many NT readers as possible.

We invite readers of all creeds and backgrounds to write about whichever issue excites them, whether concerning politics, local issues,

ethical questions, philosophy, sports and, of course, anything exciting or controversial.

Take this opportunity to make your voice heard in a widely read publication.

To inquire about column ideas, submit columns or letters to the editor, send an e-mail to ntdailyviews@gmail.com

Note to Our Readers

The NT Daily does not necessarily endorse, promote or agree with the viewpoints of the columnists on this page.

The content of the columns is strictly the opinion of the writers and in no way reflects the belief of the NT Daily.

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The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very # 11 2 7 6 4 3 simple constraints to follow. In a 9 by 9 3 1 9 7 9 square Sudoku game: • Every row of 9 numbers must 5 8 4 1 in-2 clude all digits 1 through 9 in any order 4 • 9Every 3 column of 9 numbers must 5 1 6 5 7all digits 1 through 9 in any 2 8 include order 1 2 8 6 4 • Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 7 93square 1 must include all digits 8 15 by through 9 6 29 9 6

# 10 2 7 9 3 1 8 1 9 3 4 5 4 9 6 5 2 5 7 4 2 6 8 1 6 8 4 7 6 3 2 7 1 9 5 8 4 1 3 7 6 8 5 2 1 7 Sudoku 2 5 8requires 9 2 arithmetic 9 1 8 3 4 no calculation or 3 skills.

1 7It 2 6 4 5 3 numbers 9 7 6 is essentially a game of placing 6 in5squares, 3 9 8using very simple rules 9 8 6 4 and 5 2 of logic 9 deduction.

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