3-10-10 Edition by North Texas Daily

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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

Volume 95 | Issue 30

Stormy 71° / 44°

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The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas

Excitement, joy fill new Sun Belt champions Men’s team earns ticket to Big Dance BY SEAN GORMAN Senior Staff Writer

Emotion poured out of the Mean Green players as they celebrated their 11th-straight victory, defeating the Troy Trojans 66-63 in the Sun Belt Conference tournament final and officially punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament. The Mean Green (24-8, 13-5) set the single-season school record with 24 wins and will play in its third NCAA tournament, last advancing in 2007. “We are excited about it and very blessed and fortunate to be in this position,” head coach Johnny Jones said. “We executed in the second half and made some plays down the stretch and are just so excited to be able to represent the Sun Belt in the NCAA Tournament.” UNT will learn of its firstround opponent this weekend during Selection Sunday, when the seeding and matchups of the 65 teams in the tournament are announced. “I feel like with this program the sky is the limit.,” junior forward George Odufuwa said. “At the end of the day, there is only one champion.” Senior forward Eric Tramiel was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after his second double-double of the tournament, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. “As a team, we remained poised, and in a big game like this teams are going to make a big run like they did,” Tramiel said. The

PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Excitement flows out of guards Shannon Shorter and Antwone Matlock as they celebrate with their teammates. UNT grinded out a 66-63 victory against Troy that earned the Mean Green a trip to the NCAA tournament. offenses were on display early, with each team trading baskets for a total of 12 lead changes in the first half. “They made some big shots in the first half, but I thought we played better defense in the second half once we got used to their style,” Odufuwa said. While the offense gave the

Mean Green a small lead, the defense held the Trojans scoreless for nine minutes . Junior guard Tristan Thompson gave the Mean Green a spark to open the second half, scoring UNT’s first three baskets. After Troy cut the deficit to four, junior guards Collin Mangrum and Josh White helped UNT pull

ahead with two-straight threepointers. The Trojans answered with a three-pointer of their own, and aided by a full court press defense, Troy went on a 7-0 run to even the score with three minutes left. Following a crucial jumper by White that gave UNT the lead with less than a minute left, Odufuwa

blocked a lay-up attempt that would have tied the game, and White sealed the win with three free throws. “I was going to the hoop the entire way. I just drove in and pulled up, and it was fortunate that it went in,” said White. “My teammates just told me to keep shooting, and I knew a couple

would fall in eventually,.” The Mean Green controlled the game down low, as Odufuwa helped Tramiel on the block with 11 points and 17 rebounds. Mea n Green fa ns ca n congratulate the players at a welcome-back ceremony when they arrive at 3 p.m. today at the Super Pit.

UNT still strives for Tier One BY LISA GARZA

Senior Staff Writer

PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON/ASSIGNING EDITOR

Kyle Putman, social work freshman, protests on March 2 outside the Chase Tower in Oklahoma City.

Senator gives in to activists BY SHEA YARBOROUGH Senior Staff Writer

After 46 days of waiting, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn said ‘yes’ to pass the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Students and activists in Oklahoma Cit y were dancing in t he streets, crying, clapping and cheering. “Dr. No said yes,” they chanted. “Dr. No said yes.” Activists from across the country have camped at the Chase Tower, which holds one of Coburn’s offices, for 11 days. They were waiting for word from Coburn’s camp that he will negotiate money for the Uganda Bill, said Liz Gurney, an activist and international studies freshman. “My phone has been blowing up with text messages saying ‘We reached a compromise,’” Gurney said. W it h i n 30 m i nutes of receiving those texts, Gurney had packed her bags and was on her way back to Oklahoma City to celebrate. She had returned

to Denton from her previous trip to Oklahoma on Monday for mid-terms. “Tomorrow, we’ll be holding signs up that say, ‘Dr. Coburn said ‘yes,’” Gurney said. For 23 years, Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army have been wageding Africa’s longest running war, said Mark Nehrenz, an activist and Oklahoma University alumnus. This bill calls for $40 million to stop Kony and to rehabilitate the child soldiers who have been kidnapped and forced to kill. Coburn was the one senator holding up the bill, Nehrenz said. The protesters wouldn’t budge until a compromise was met. “The fact that Coburn is talking to us, the people on the street, means what we’re doing is working,” Nehrenz said. Africa’s longest running war has affected the countries of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Uganda and Southern Sudan, Nehrenz said. Ugandan children from 8 to 12 years old

are kidnapped, brainwashed through hard narcotics and forced to kill. “What happens if you force someone to kill their own family?” Nehrenz asked. Point of contact In their attempts to make contact with Coburn, Michael Poffenberger, executive director of Resolve Uganda, said he was told the senator didn’t have time, even though Coburn’s former press secretary, Don Tatro, said last week that “the senator is happy to meet with any of his constituents.” “I think they didn’t expect us to last this long or to gain the momentum we have,” Poffenberger said. They are requesting $10 million dollars for immediate relief aid in Uganda, and $30 million for the rehabilitation of the child soldiers. However, the goal is not to add money to the budget or to the deficit, Poffenberger said. To see the full story visit ntdaily.com

School officials insist that UNT is still on track to achieve Tier One status despite the recent resignation of university president Gretchen Bataille. UNT was deemed one of seven “emerging” public institutions of higher learning by the Texas Higher Education Coord i nat i ng Boa rd. T he university is close to meeting the criteria for being recognized as a national research institution. “We are focusing very hard on developing the academic research programs that will allow us to attract what are ca lled ‘restricted research f u nd s ,’” P r ov o s t We nd y Wilkins said. To qualify as a “restricted” research expenditure by the

Coord i nat ion Boa rd, t he project must be properly classified as research and the source of money must be from a restricted funds group. Moving forward, moving on Bataille told the NT Daily in February that she is disappointed because all the things that were done to put UNT on the map would now “sort of stop for a while,” until there is another permanent president. During Bataille’s presidency, she committed to build the $33.2 million, 87,000-squarefoot Life Sciences Complex, which will open in June, and a $70 million 180,000-squarefoot Busi ness L eadersh ip Building, scheduled to open in July 2011. I nter i m P resident Ph i l

Diebel sa id he does “not see any of those initiatives changing.” Diebel said three significant items will be completed while he is in office. He will present a strategic plan and research pla n to t he Coord inat ing Board in April. During the May Board of Regents meeting, Diebel will propose the operating budget. “Every one of those not only affects these three months that I am going to be here, but they are going to affect the future of this institution,” he said. “I am not aware of any material changes in any of those documents that would change the direction that this institution has been moving forward in.”

See PRICE on Page 2

Pals With Pens

PHOTOS BY MARTIÑA TREVINO/PHOTOGRAPHER

Johanna Padron (left), Arisve Luna and Joshua Dorantes write their responses to their UNT pen pals after completing their reading and comprehension practice. To view more photos and read the Daily’s article see Page 4

News

Page 2

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

T.S. McBride, Rebecca Hoeffner & Melissa Boughton, News Editors

ntdailynews@gmail.com

Travel program offers adventures BY K RYSTLE CANTU Staff Writer

UNT staff members in the Center for Achievement and Lifelong Learning have created a new program that offers several upcoming UNT facultyhosted trips, with an objective to combine leisure, learning and sightseeing. The voyages are designed to highlight the expertise of UNT’s faculty, as well as the university. Students are welcome to look into the program, but it is geared toward older individuals, graduates, alumni, donors and other supporters of the university because of its price, said Dianne Gibbons, manager of the TravelLearn programs at UNT. “We‘re sending notices out to the Emeritus college, alumni and anyone who’s interested in traveling,” Gibbons said. “We’re appealing to anyone who wants to take a trip and also learn while they travel.” Gibbons said the program was originally an idea of former President Gretchen Bataille. “Dr. Bataille wanted to offer trips to alumni and friends of the university to kind of showcase UNT,” she said. “That’s how this whole program started.” The program currently has three planned trips: Ireland and Great Britain, Chile, and Israel. The Ireland and Great Britain trip starts Oct. 18 and ends on Nov. 1. David Holdeman, chairman of UNT’s department of English studies, will host that trip. Its focus will be on Irish literature and history. Steve Weist, director of the sixtime Grammy-nominated One O’clock Lab Band, will also go on the trip. The band will perform at the renowned Guinness Festival in Cork, Ireland. “I think it’s going to be a blast,” Holdeman said. “I’m really looking forward to it. Ireland is a great place to travel and learn about. It’s the perfect place for people to go and have fun, but also learn interesting things.” The trip to Cape Horn, Chile,

which is set for January 2011, will be led by Warren Burggen, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. This will allow participants to witness students and scientists from UNT conduct research with the partner University of Magallanes. Participants will watch as everyone works together to link biological and cultural conservation though the Sub-Antarctic Biocu lt u ra l Conser vat ion Program. This will allow participants to witness how scientists and students from UNT and the University of Magallanes work together to link biological and cultural conservation. They will also enjoy a fourday cruise and other excursions around Chile. Christopher Anderson of the biology faculty will help host the travel program. “UNT has never done these kind of trips before, where they are trying to link up people from the UNT community,” he said. “The idea is that visitors in this program get to see what the students do and get to see the research that happens.” The Israel program will be in late March 2011. Richard Golden, director of the Jewish studies program at UNT, will host it. Participants will have the opportunity to tour extensive ruins of the ancient Roman world. They will learn firsthand about the politics and culture of the Middle East, as well as Christian and Judaic traditions. “The unique thing is they all have a UNT faculty member going with them,” Gibbons said. “It just kind of showcases the UNT expertise and what we have to offer here, all the talent we have on campus.” Mary Jones, a geography junior, said she liked the idea of UNT showcasing talent. “It’s giving them more diversity,” she said. “Instead of just studying abroad, they’re incorporating alumni and other people into it.”

PHOTO BY ALEX SCOTT/PHOTOGRAPHER

City Council leaders are considering changes that would force many developers to start providing parking when they build or redevelop downtown Denton.

City Council implements study for changes in downtown parking BY K RYSTLE CANTU Staff Writer

Denton City Council leaders are considering changes that would force developers to start providing parking when they build and develop downtown. Though a decision has not been made, the Council has implemented a study to decide what requirements will be needed for parking changes. “We have allowed development downtown without any requirements for parking because, basically over the last 20 years, we were just trying to build up downtown,” said Jim Engelbrecht, a City Council member. The Council also implemented a 60-day, extendable interim ordinance that will force new development of more than 10 living units to provide and meet normal parking requirements. They have mostly accomplished that mission, at least with the Square downtown, Engelbrecht said. It may be

time for extra requirements with parking, he said. “If you go down there at anytime during the day, you will find that parking spaces are filled,” he said. “It’s becoming apparent that we’re going to have to have requirements now for parking and for additional development, particularly as it moves further off of the Square.” Engelbrecht believes that if nothing is done, it may lead to potential for more activity and only a limited amount of parking. In turn, it will become a detriment to the area. “You don’t want to wind up with a situation where all of a sudden you have a lot of folks showing up and no place to park,” he said. “We are on the cusp of that problem.” The Council implemented the 60-day ordinance to have a temporary solution in place while the study is being conducted. Afterward, the information will be reviewed and the necessary changes will be made. “The concern is with the

possibility of a major developer coming in and perhaps putting up an apartment or a townhouse complex that could have 100 to 300 units in it without providing any parking,” said Bob Moses, co-owner of both Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Soda Fountain and Elements Of Design. His businesses are combined in a building on the downtown Square. He looks at the possibility of someday putting the second floor back on his building. “It used to be two stories,” he said. “I might even like to go to three stories and have those top floors become loft apartments,” he said. However, he does see a concern with development overcrowding open space, without adequate adjustments. “A developer can come and do anything they want to in there without having to consider where people are going to park at all,” he said. “That’s a valid concern.” Moses is pleased that the

city is deciding to implement some improvement, but he thinks it will be a while before Denton residents see any of the changes. “Your hands are really tied when you have property right on the Square because there is virtually no place to go to either buy parking or create more parking,” he said. “I personally think it’ll be more like six months to even a year before their recommendations will be really reviewed and implemented by the city, but this is a good stop gap.” Megan Lockhart, a printmaking senior, said that parking on the Square is already limited, so any additional parking would be beneficial, especially with new development. “I think that anything that supplies extra parking in Denton is a good thing,” she said. “The Square is full as it is. As long as they don’t take away from any of the green space and use the in-between alleys to put in some parking, I think that could be beneficial.”

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Competition from area universities Voters approved Tex a s Proposition 4 in November, w h ic h g i v e s t he s e v en “emerging” universities access to $500 million for reaching Tier One status. This constitutional amendment restructured the Higher Educat ion Fund into t he National Research University Fund. To earn that money, univer-

sities must spend at least $45 million on restricted research during each of the two years that precede the state’s two-year budget period. In North Texas, UT-Dallas spent $37.3 million on restricted research during the last fiscal year. UT-Arlington spent $35 million, while UNT spent $11 million. “UNT lags in restricted research awards and expenditures because as one of the state’s most comprehensive universities, with world-class music,

PHOTO BY CLINTON LYNCH/VISUALS EDITOR

Interim President Phil Diebel said that reaching Tier One status is still a high priority for the UNT administration. art, education and humanities programs, we have attracted funding, but not in the areas that

qualify,” said Buddy Price, the news promotion manager. “But we are making strides.”

Arts & Life

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor

Page 3 ntdailylife@gmail.com

UNT students open community art gallery BY GRACIELA R AZO

Meme Gallery

Senior Staff Writer

When a group of five UNT art students had a makeshift print show next door to Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios in December 2008, they realized they needed a permanent gallery. UNT alumnus Michael Little, printmaking seniors Yovanny Canales and Taylor McClure, and communication design senior Nick Webber came up with the idea for the Meme Gallery to display their art and give other local artists a new venue to display work. The ow ners, collectively known as Pan-Ector Industries, decided to sync their art openings with shows at Rubber Gloves Recording Studios, the bar next door, to bring in more viewers. “We are just trying to keep it as a space that is beneficial to the whole area,” Little said. This close relationship with Rubber Gloves is what makes the gallery different because it combines art with music in one visit, Little said. The gallery’s second opening is at 9 tonight and will display work from Jenn Gooch and printmaking graduate student Adam Palmer. Patrons are asked to pay a $3 to $5 cover charge to go into the Meme Gallery, which goes toward paying for rent and utilities. “We’re not really doing this for

Second Opening 9 p.m. tonight at 411 E. Sycamore Featuring Jenn Gooch and Adam Palmer Music at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios at 10 p.m. • The Angelus • Waterfalls • Sans Solei

more unconventional, Palmer said he has a chance to show his art that he couldn’t show in a more traditional art gallery. Alison Hall, a music sophomore, said she will attend tonight’s art show to see the different displays, then go next door to Rubber Gloves for live music. PHOTO BY INGRID LAUBACH/PHOTOGRAPHER “Music and art is a great Yovanny Canales print making senior, Michael Little, UNT graduate in print making, and Taylor McClure, a senior in print making, started the Meme Gallery located combination, so I think the at 411 E. Sycamore St. to give local artists an opportunity to show off their work. gallery will do really well in Denton,” Hall said. After tonight’s show, Little said He said he feels his art will displayed across the gallery’s “We want to mainly show a profit,” Little said. “There is match the atmosphere at the the group of artists hopes people such a large population of artists something that’s community- walls. Palmer will show 40 pieces of Meme Gallery better than other see the gallery’s importance in here, which means there needs relevant because we want to an art community like Denton. maintain community minded- what Little calls “whimsical and area art galleries. to be many options for them.” “It’s still pretty new and “I think a lot of galleries are expressive” works. Although the gallery was ness,” Little said. Palmer’s art includes pictures for a more pretentious crowd, young as a space, but we just Tonight’s art show will include originally set up for the group’s printmaking displays, Little said Gooch’s conceptual work called of garden gnomes, ninjas and but this is a place where people hope people realize the necesthey are open to show any kind “Dentonpedia” where she will hot dogs and is meant to “make can look at art and listen to some sity of keeping this space open, of art so long as Meme stays give viewers a chance to add to his audience feel dumber,” good music, too,” Palmer said. especially for UNT students,” Because his art is considered Little said. and change Denton’s history Palmer said. community-oriented.

Campus scores moderate in GLBT climate study BY NICOLE L ANDRY Staff Writer

A new study from the Campus Pride Q Research Institute of Higher Education gave UNT a moderate score for its efforts to be inclusive of GLBT students. The Campus Climate Index is a tool to help campuses learn more ways to improve GLBT life. The index’s ultimate goal is to “shape the educational experience to become more inclusive, welcoming and respectful,” according to the Web site. “UNT has a lot of resources for GLBT people,” said Clark Pomerleau of the history department and faculty advisor to GLAD: UNT’s Queer Alliance in an e-mail. “In terms of actual spaces … and the ability to get any discrimination that might occur addressed, I think UNT is stronger than three out of

five stars.” T he Ca mpu s P r ide Q Research Institute of Higher Education was founded in 2008 as a national center for the study of GLBT people in higher education settings. With three out of five stars for overall campus climate, UNT is considered a moderately inclusive school with 4.5 stars for sexual orientationrelated concerns and 1.5 stars for gender identity and expression concerns. The lowest individual scores that UNT received were in policy inclusion and housing/ residence life, with 1.5 stars for both. The reason for the relatively low policy score is because of the lack of inclusion for transgender students and others who don’t subscribe to the separation of gender and sexuality in

campus policies, according to the study. Pomerleau said he thinks the dissatisfaction comes from policy taking a long time to pass. “Over the past two years, policy revisions have been winding their way through the channels to become official,” he said. Jay Nguyen, a new media arts freshman, agrees and said that the 1.5 score should be higher. “We have to take things one step at a time because we can only do so much,” he said. Nguyen said he knows many people who would like to see a GLBT center in the University Union to accompa ny t he Multicultural and Women’s Centers. “UT has a center,” he said. “But that’s like 10 steps from where we are.”

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A s for t he counseling and health services score, Nguyen thinks it’s appropriate. “I definitely agree,” he said. “T here a re a bunch of things of f e r e d w it h student fees that ever yone ca n take part in.” M a r i s s a H a nc o c k , a n PHOTO BY REBEKAH GOMEZ/PHOTOGRAPHER electronic news Rachel Goodman, a health promotion senior, and her date Candy Vallo enjoy a good time at the sophomore, said “Sweet Fantasy” GLAD prom Friday in the University Union’s Silver Eagle Suite. she thinks that UNT is pretty good about being good at including everyone,” make resources like the LGBT Studies Program and the GLBT she said. inclusive. Hancock said that the univer- faculty and staff group more “I don’t see a lot of GLBT stuff on campus, but I think [UNT’s] sity should make an effort to available to students.

Page 4 Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor

Arts & Life

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 ntdailylife@gmail.com

PHOTOS BY MARTIÑA TREVINO/PHOTOGRAPHER

Top: Dolores Huerta Elementary school third -graders Karen Salas and Andrew Castillo discuss their pen pal letters. The students are required to quiz each other on the content to improve their comprehension skills, Eddie Arrellano said. Bottom: Jesus Ramirez attempts to answer Andrea Nevarez’s question about the UNT pen pal letters. Right: Andrew Castillo responds to his UNT pen pal. Students work with the UNT mentors’ letters in small groups to improve their language skills.

Students encourage pen pals to go to college BY K ATIE GRIVNA Senior Staff Writer

Students from several UNT organizations are working to educate bilingual third grade students about college. T he st udent s volu nteer as pen pa ls to students at Dolores Huerta Elementar y School in Fort Worth as part of the Discover College Life project. “We wa nt to bet ter ou r community, and I think this program can really do that,” said Stephanie Cisneros, an

i nt erd i s c ipl i n a r y s t ud ie s senior and pen pa l for t he program. I n t he pr og r a m, t h i rd g raders a re pa ired w it h a U N T st udent pen pa l to write letters back and forth discussing college and potential careers. The pen pal serves as a role model for the children, which is important, Cisneros said. “I think that’s something that young kids need nowadays. They need someone to show them and push them ...

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so they could actually go to college,” Cisneros said. She said her father played an important role in her childhood as her role model. He never made it to t he sixth grade, Cisneros said, but he showed her that working could get you somewhere. Eddie Arellano, a bilingual teacher at Dolores Huer ta Elementary School and UNT alumnus, started the project 20 years ago to educate the children about college and how to get there. A f t er g r a du at i ng f r om UNT, Arellano worked with t he A ssociat ion for L at i n A merican Students to f ind students to write to the third graders. He said he reached out to

Hispanic organizations so the children can correspond with and learn from someone they can relate to. The associat ion beca me inactive this year, which posed a problem for Arellano. In the past, the pen pals bega n w r it ing in t he fa l l. However, this year, the children just received their first letters because it took him a while to find people from or ga n i z at ion s to pa r t ic ipate. A t ot a l of 21 U N T students from Students for a Future Wit hout Pover t y, the League of United Latin A mer ica n Cit i zens, t he Bilingual Education Student Orga n i z at ion, t he Un ited Student Movement, Fuego

and the Hispanic Business Students Association participated in the project. Arellano said he admires t he st udent s he fou nd to participate. “W hen I see t hem, I see myself 20 years ago,” he said. “Not only are they setting a career, they’re serving as role models and they’re taking the time to educate a child about college life.” The project works well with the curriculum laid out by the Fort Worth Independent School Dist r ict because it teaches the students about revising and editing as well as about social studies and research, he said. The third graders will have to complete a research project

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about ca reers a nd deg rees they are interested in with the help of their pen pal, Arellano said. Arellano said he hopes the Discover College Life project encourages local teachers to create simi la r projects for their classes, he said. The third graders will take a field trip on April 19 to UNT and meet their pen pals for the first time. Roxanne Meza, an entrepreneurship senior, is participating in the project for her fourth year and hopes to teach her pen pal how to salsa dance when they meet because of their shared interest in dance and music. “I fell in love with the kids,” she said. One of the best things about the project is the memories it brings back of her own childhood as a bilingual student, Meza said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to show them what college is about,” she said. For more information about t he Discover Col lege L i fe project, contact coordinator Eddie Arellano at eddie.arellano@fwisd.org.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Justin Umberson, Sports Editor

Sports

Page 5 ntdaily.sports@gmail.com

Athlete of the Week: Clutch hitter Lisa Johnson BY ERIC JOHNSON Senior Staff Writer

Like a Swiss Army knife, UNT softball player Lisa Johnson can fill any role that her team needs. The sophomore utility player has been one of the key tools in building the Mean Green softball program, and she has hammered opposing pitching this season. Johnson added five hits and her team-leading sixth home run in a weekend sweep of Centenary College. “She is one of just a handful of players that you trust to come through in any situation,” head coach T.J. Hubbard said. “She just has this presence about her, this quiet calm, that you know at any moment she can take over a game.” Born to be an athlete, Johnson started playing baseball at 4 years old, and after four years of dissecting the Little League teams in Sherman, she made the switch to softball. “It did not matter if she was playing boys or girls, she was always the best player on the field,” said Roger Johnson, Lisa’s father and Little League coach. “She frustrated our opponents because she always made the play that changed the game.” After spending two years playing for her father, Johnson joined one of the top American

PHOTO BY DREW GAINES/PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore Lisa Johnson leads the team with a .425 batting average and six home runs. The team is playing the University of Oklahoma today in Norman, Okla. Fastpitch Association softball teams in the Southwest, the Texas Glory. Johnson sharpened her skills as a member of the Glory, leading the team at the plate and in the field. As the key piece in a championship puzzle, Johnson guided the Glory to a national championship in 2002. “Lisa played all nine positions in that championship game,” Roger Johnson said. “She always

took her game to the next level in the clutch moments.” Johnson was a three-sport athlete at Sherman High School. In addition to success on the court in both basketball and volleyball, Johnson’s competitive fire ignited her success between the lines of the softball field. The 5-foot-7-inch team captain carved up hitters from the pitcher’s circle and was a nightmare for opposing coaches.

“I dreaded the day when I saw Sherman on the schedule,” said Larry Zachary, former head coach of Sherman rival Paris High School. “She was unhittable when she was pitching, she killed you at the plate and you could not get anything past her defensively.” After being named the Sherman Herald Democrat’s All-Texomaland Softball Player of the Year and Utility Player of the Year, Johnson became a highly

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recruited commodity. The calm and quiet Johnson passed on offers from Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, Arkansas and Florida to join the Mean Green. “I loved the atmosphere here, it has a small town feel, and it just made me so comfortable,” Lisa Johnson said. “Coach Hubbard really pushed to get me here, and I wanted to be one of the reasons why this program turned around.” As a freshman, Johnson started all but one game and was among the team leaders in hits, batting average and runs batted in. Johnson is a human vacuum cleaner on defense, and despite playing all over the field, she has committed only 10 errors in more than 300 chances. “She has amazing hands,” junior outfielder Mariza Martinez said. “You know that if a ball is hit in her direction that she is going to make a play.” The defining moment in Johnson’s young career came in March 2009 against Baylor. In the bottom half of the final inning, down by two with two outs and the bases loaded, Johnson launched a walk-off grand slam.

It is in the moments when the pressure is the highest that the 19-year-old shines the brightest. “Coming through when everyone is looking to me is the best part of the game,” Johnson said. “When the game is on the line, I want to be the one to get the clutch hit or make the diving play to save the game.” Sports are always on Johnson’s mind, but the business major does find time to excel in the classroom. She was named to the Dean’s List and the Sun Belt Conference’s Commissioner’s list as a freshman. A strong work ethic drives Johnson to improve herself on and off the field. After an off-season filled with weight training, Johnson added a power element to her game, and she has matched last season’s total of six home runs in just 14 games. “She is an all-around player with a great work ethic, and even though she is young, she is one of the people that everyone on the team looks up to,” Hubbard said. “I knew when I recruited her she was one of those people you could build a team around.”

To read a preview of today’s game against No. 12 Oklahoma, visit ntdaily.com

Views

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Josh Pherigo, Views Editor

Page 7 ntdailyviews@gmail.com

Student feels ready for break

Nods and Shakes Editorial

Shake: Fort Worth misses out on federal streetcar money

Fort Worth and Dallas city leaders filed a joint application last fall to receive federal transportation stimulus money to pay for modern streetcar lines in both downtown districts. The grades are in, and just like a 9th grade group history project, somebody didn’t pull their share of the weight. Officials in the U.S. Department of Transportation received and reviewed 1,400 grant applications from cities around the country. When they looked at the DallasFort Worth proposal they noticed that Dallas’ half was detailed and precise but Fort Worth’s portion of the plan was vague and at times even misleading about the nature of the projects they attached to the grant money. For example, the application failed to define an exact route for the line and even allocated money to build a bridge that is already being funded. Ultimately, Dallas received $23 million and Fort Worth received a painful lesson about the perils of not doing your homework.

Nod: Mean Green head to the big dance

The UNT men’s basketball team beat the Troy Trojans Tuesday evening to win the Sun Belt Championship and earn its spot to compete in the NCAA Championship Tournament later this month. The Editorial Board congratulates the players and coaches for what has already become the most successful season in school history. Unbeaten in its last 11 games, the Mean Green blazed to an all-time high 24-win season and clinched its third birth in the national tournament. Hmm … Can Josh White tackle?

Shake: Gil LeBreton offends Canada

In his Feb. 28 column recapping the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, veteran Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports columnist Gil LeBreton went a little too far. LeBreton, apparently suffering from a homesick case of the red, white and blues, directed two weeks of pent-up frustration at the games’ host nation whom he characterized as not sharing their Olympic party with the rest of the world. More directly, he compared the Vancouver games to the 1936 Nazi-controlled games in Berlin. Yikes. Not surprisingly, the Canadians weren’t pleased with the comparison, and neither was the Star-Telegram’s Canadian-born Publisher Gary Wortel who condemned the article and issued an apology on behalf of the paper. Canadian newspapers, Facebook groups and online forums have been inundated with angry demands for LeBreton’s firing. One food blogger with the Vancouver Observer even fired back with a recipe for something called “Dog-Pile Meringues,” which he said, “goes out to you, Gil LeBreton.” LeBreton’s comparison was distasteful, and given the backlash, we’re sure he regrets it. But his argument was not, and those who read the article should be able to understand that. The Vancouver Olympics was by many accounts a Canadian-themed frat party, complete with fake snow (Cypress Mountain) and underage drinking (Canadian women’s hockey team gold medal celebration). Many great things happened along the way, and it looked like the Canadians were having a blast. And in his wrap-up that’s basically what LeBreton said — just in an unnecessary, hyperbolically abrasive way.

Spring break can’t get here soon enough. I know it’s only two days away, but I am in dire need of the time off because I’ve been running myself ragged this semester. I am a “super” senior studying journalism and education. I am in my next-to-last semester and am student teaching at a high school here in Denton. Similar to high school teachers, I am there from 8:15 in the morning to 4:15 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. Normally, this is where the day would end for student teachers, because they are finished with their other courses and are only concentrating on certification tests, lesson plans and résumés. Not me. I still have another class in my journalism sequence to finish, so I’m still coming to campus for that. I also signed up for a night class on Mondays to further my education, and so I would have 12 hours and still qualify for financial aid. When I’m not in

class, I’m working. I’m up at 7 a.m. every day, home by 10 p.m. and asleep by 11 most every night. When I have spare time at work, which is often, I am creating lesson plans for my students, or I am reading and doing homework for my night class. I don’t have a social life during the week, other than all of the games of Monopoly I play online. Please don’t take the car — that’s my favorite game piece. Friday is always good because I’m free after the school day ends, unless I have a meeting. I still work on Saturday, but it’s an easy shift and it gives me time to do more homework or build hotels on Baltic and Mediterranean. Sunday is my day of rest, but I’m starting a softball league soon and need to get back into playing shape. The winter break was kind to me, but I also lounged about, doing nothing but sedentary activities and am now winded going up a flight

of stairs. It’s taken me well more than 300 words to say this, but I’ve been going non-stop since the semester started and I’m elated to have a week off from everything. Despite having more than seven days of free time, I already have a few things planned, none of which are terribly exciting. I will take my Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities certification test Tuesday. Wednesday is St. Patrick’s Day and is when my roommate returns from a three-month stay in Chile. That’s about it for me. I know. I’m living the high life. I don’t care if my spring break seems boring or stressful because I paid $120 to take the test and I need it to become a real teacher. I’m satisfied with having free time. I’m content with sitting at home and being able to recharge my batteries in preparation for the last half of the semester.

Besides, I think that’s what spring break is all about for teachers, students, professors and administrators alike. Enjoy the time off at the beach, on the road or sitting at home. I know I will because I’ll be the guy sleeping in past noon and wearing my pajamas all week. Now, if I can roll an 11, I’ll land on the Reading Railroad and will have my favorite monopoly!

Ryan Feuerhelm is a journalism senior. He can be reached at Ryan.Feuerhelm@unt.edu.

New ‘sin tax’ may affect college diet Reuters reported Monday that researchers writing in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine have endorsed the idea to levy “sin taxes” on foods deemed unhealthy, such as soda and pizza. The researchers analyzed the diets of more than 5,000 adults during the course of the 20-year study. They determined that a 10 percent increase in the cost of soda and pizza led to a 7 percent decrease in the number of calories consumed from soda and a 12 percent decrease in calories consumed from pizza. One thing these researchers did not seem to consider, especially when it comes to pizza, is a simple economic concept known as substitute goods. If a tax is levied on pizza and the prices increase, especially in such an apparent way like a tax, consumers will likely opt instead to eat a Taco Bell halfpound burrito or a Big Mac. So it is unclear if there will be any net decrease in total caloric intake or simply fewer calories consumed from taxed products. Many foods considered both healthy and unhealthy contain high-fructose corn syrup. Highfructose corn syrup is a refined

sugar that comes from corn, and the reason that food producers and soda makers choose to sweeten their products with the syrup over the natural alternative that comes from cane or beets is because it is less expensive. It is less expensive to refine corn into the syrup because the federal government spends tens of billions of dollars every year on corn subsidies. They produce so much corn now for such a low price that it is used to make the syrup and corn-based ethanol, which gets additional subsidies of its own. While the health concerns about it are currently inconclusive, many studies suggest that it is less healthy than regular sugars. Perhaps this is why we are seeing a shift in the markets toward natural sugar. For example, Jones Soda, which makes soda that is sweetened with pure cane sugar instead of corn syrup, is becoming increasingly popular, and Pepsi has recently been releasing “throwback” versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew that are also sweetened with natural sugar. The researchers also stated

that the government should not be subsidizing the production of corn like they are now because they consider it to be subsidizing obesity. The federal and state governments have already considered enacting legislation to create such taxes. These taxes would be a new wave of so-called “sin taxes,” like what already exist on taboo products like alcohol and cigarettes, to try to reduce the obesity problem our country is facing. If they continue to subsidize corn, which is turned into syrup and put into soda, and then tax the consumption of soda, this will be nothing more than a tax revenue seesaw between subsidizing soda and taxing it. There will be no monetary benefit at the end of the day. No matter how you feel about the use of social engineering through the tax code, it never seems to solve the problem that it is designed to fix. Lawmakers seem to know this because if they thought that “sin taxes” would substantially reduce the consumption of those products, they would not propose to use the revenue gained toward important poli-

cies like health care reform or CHIP, a children’s health insurance program run by the government, because there would be little revenue to spend. Rather than using potentially flawed studies to guide the government on how to tax us into doing what they consider to be good for us, we should be educating ourselves about our diet. Americans must demand a stop to government tampering with the food supply through subsidies and continue to hold food makers responsible for providing better products.

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

Man robs pharmacy, pays for drugs COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho (AP) — Police in northern Ida ho arrested a robber accused of demanding a controlled drug from a pharmacy, then throwing cash on the counter before fleeing. Kootenai County Sheriff Lt. Stu Miller said a 39-yearold ma n w a s a r rested Tuesday. Police questioned t he man at his Twin Lakes home Tuesday after getting a tip from a church pastor. He was being held in the county jail and expected to

NT Daily Editorial Board

appear in 1st District Court Wednesday. Investigators said a man went to the prescription counter at a Hayden-area Walgreens Monday night and asked the pharmacist for a drug. When told he needed a prescription, police said the man told the pharmacist he was robbing her. After the clerk handed over the drug, police said the robber tossed some money on the counter and walked out.

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.

Want to be heard? 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

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