Vote Now
turn around tennis program in three years SPORTS: Coaches Page 5 Research Center brings in speakers ARTS & LIFE: Immigration Page 3 basketball team rolls toward title VIEWS: Men’s Page 6
Early voting comes to an end Page 2
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
News 1,2 Arts & Life 3,4 Sports 5,7 Views 6 Classifieds 8 Games 8
Volume 95 | Issue 22
Sunny 46° / 28°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
PHOTO BY CRISTY ANGULO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Name: Debra Medina Party: Republican Age: 47 “We want to eliminate property tax and broaden the base of sales tax, not increase it,” said Penny Freeman, Medina’s campaign manager. “It’s a freedom issue. If you have to make payments on it, you don’t own it.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF RODGER MALLISON/MCT Name: Rick Perry Party: Republican Age: 59 “In higher education, Gov. Perry has focused on financial aid,” said Catherine Frazier, Perr y’s Deput y Press secretary.
PHOTO BY CRISTY ANGULO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Name: Kay Bailey Hutchison Party: Republican Age: 66 “We need to have a limit on tuition cost — a freeze on the freshman level, so that students’ tuition won’t go up for four years, or put a cap on the increase the board can vote for,” Hutchison said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.HOUSTONPRESS.COM Name: Bill White Party: Democrat Age: 55 “Bill’s top priority is Texas’ future and ensuring that Texans are equipped to enter the workforce with technology and skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future,” said Ally Smith, spokeswoman for Bill White.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FAROUK SYSTEMS GROUP Name: Farouk Shami Party: Democrat Age: 67 “Things in Texas are heading in the wrong direction. The cost of health care and health insurance is out of control,” according to www.faroukforgovernor.com.
Students ‘ride the fence’ on spring primaries BY SHEA YARBOROUGH Senior Staff Writer
Although early voting for primaries to choose candidates for state office kicked off last week, many students have yet to jump on the campaign bandwagon. Candidates canvassed the state, racing toward a March 2 deadline to decide gubernatorial candidates for November 2010. Some students said they knew something about the candidates. Others were clueless about the brewing political windstorm. Robert Samczuk, a psychology freshman, said he doesn’t plan to vote. “I’m hoping that whoever the general Texas population chooses doesn’t screw us over,” Samczuk said. Three candidates are vying for the Republican nomination. Current Gov. Rick Perry is facing off against U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and registered nurse and small-business owner
Debra Medina. The majority of students queried this week on campus who answered ‘yes,’ they would vote, channeled their support for Hutchison. The big issue is fiscal responsibility, said Max Bush, a logistics supply chain junior. “Show me the books,” Bush said. “Why do we still have tollways popping up? Why are we having problems funding tuition? Where’s the rest of the money going?” Morgan McCorvey, a speech pat holog y and audiolog y freshman, said that having a viable job market in four years is the reason she wants to vote for Hutchison. “It’s about jobs and taxes,” McCorvey said. “I’ll be graduating from college and having a job would be nice.” However, not all of the students interviewed shared McCorvey and Bush’s certainty about Hutchison as Texas’ future governor. Kari
Laprade, a merchandising junior, said she was certain she was not going to vote for Hutchison. Laprade would be casting her vote for Perry, she said. “I don’t like Kay Bailey Hutchison because I don’t like how every commercial she has bashes Ricky Perry,” Laprade said. Bush was the only student polled who commented on Medina’s campaign for governor. Medina’s political banner has been focused on eliminating property tax. Bush disagrees and thinks Medina is an idealist. “You have to pay for all this crap somehow,” Bush said. “I’m sorry, but you do.” Undecided students Of the 30 students polled, a small minority said they would be voting for a specific Democrat candidate, some were independents who based their vote on personality and the rest were
students who said they would vote for a Democrat but didn’t know who the Democrat candidates were. “By default, I lean towards the Democrat party,” said Adam Williams, a music junior. “But I don’t know who the candidates are.” Tw o c a n d i d a t e s a r e campaigning for the Democrat nomination: Bill White, Houston’s former mayor who served three terms in office, and Farouk Shami, a business executive whose company manufactures the CHI flatiron. Aaron Kepler, a radio, television and film junior, said he lived in Houston during White’s term as mayor. Kepler said he would cast his vote for White because he agrees with his campaign stance. “Bill White has a better, progressive energy plan and plans for education,” Kepler said. “Everyone knows Perry is corrupt.”
Farouk’s campaign declined comment after numerous e-mails, texts and phone calls.
a decision about which candidate would get their vote. Philip Hill, a music performance sophomore, said he will vote, but that he falls into the “need-to-do-moreresearch” category. He didn’t know the primaries had begun. “I hate to say that I side with any party,” Hill said. “I really like to make an educated decision based on everyone’s platform.” Most students give and receive information from the Internet, and Williams is no different, he said. He believes the middle-ofthe-road information is online, and it’s where he plans to get his information about who to vote for, he said. “Primaries are for the diehards,” Collins said, “and I don’t believe that it’s the responsibility of the university.” For information on voting locations, visit www.canivote.org.
‘Primaries are for the diehards’ In the fall of 2008, UNT’s campus was covered in political art, catchphrases and vendor tables of presidential memorabilia leading up to President Barack Obama’s election that November. Now, students don’t even know Texas will elect a new governor in November of this year. Paul Collins of the political science faculty said he is not surprised by the lack of involvement. “Historically, college students don’t turn out to vote,” Collins said. “Obama’s people were courting the college vote. The Texas Democrats and Republicans are not.” Many students said they needed to do research before To see multimedia for this story, visit they would make ntdaily.com
Department of Defense funds UNT research BY A LEX CHEATHAM Staff Writer
UNT’s Institute for Science and Engineering Simulation has conducted research to increase the lifespan of aircrafts. Aircraft fatigue leads to problems within the aircraft’s parts and, ultimately, failure. “There are some critical issues within the U.S. Air Force on maintaining aircrafts,” said Rajarshi Banerjee, principal investigator and director of the institute. “The aircrafts are facing lots of problems with their engines and structural materials.” The institute was created specifically to perform research benefitting the U.S. Air Force. The program is partnering with other UNT centers to provide the Air Force, as well as commercial airlines, more cost-efficient technology and improvements for their aircrafts, Banerjee explained. “It can cost millions of dollars in maintenance each year to keep fighter jets running,” said Wesley Pearce, director of maintenance, U.S. Aviation Group.
an aircraft by “The lack of assessing the money keeps characterizaplanes from tion and strucflying.” ture of t he Banerjee existing parts. and his The researchers co-principal continue by investigadesigning tors, A la n innovative Need lema n, aircraft mateAngela Wilson rials to improve and Thomas the mechanical Sharf, lead the capabilities. institute. The The t h ird institute also area of research incorporates f o c u s e s on c enter s on the future of campus, and aircrafts. The offers students resea rchers hands-on study hybrid research. PHOTO BY DREW GAINES/PHOTOGRAPHER m a t e r i a l s “All of the s t u d e n t s Aircrafts wait for maintenance at U.S. Aviation’s hangar in Denton. New research by UNT’s Institute for Science and Engi- t hat consist of combined involved with neering Simulation will help deter aircraft fatigue, keeping commercial and private jets in the skies longer. materials for ICES are from Banerjee explained that the improved performance. The research began in September UNT,” Banerjee said. Air Force mechanic and crew 2008 and will continue through institute performs research for chief Josh Smith said he worked the Air Force on three levels. 2012. Air Force Funding The first deals with aircraft on planes every day to keep them “The biggest challenge for the The institute is funded by money from the Air Force Air Force is understanding and lifeline issues and aims to main- flying. Some are more than 30 years old. Research Laboratory, under the improving material issues to tain the lifespan of an aircraft. “Lots of money goes into just The second focuses on the Department of Defense, totaling make aircrafts better,” Banerjee fundamental components within one plane,” Smith said. “You about $8 million, Banerjee said. said.
have to keep fixing the same problem over and over again because we’re still using old technology.” Support from UNT To enhance the research process and gain a broader understanding of the materials it’s studying, the institute collaborates closely with two pre-existing UNT programs: the Center for Advanced Research and Technolog y and t he Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling. The experimental portion conducts research on larger scales to understand materials, carried out by the advanced facility and using advanced equipment. The modeling and simulation portion works closely with the research center and uses the computing and modeling center. There is a synergy between the two, Banerjee said. Having better technology readily available to the Air Force and mechanics everywhere would be beneficial, Smith said.