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fights for disabled workers NEWS: Alumnus Page 2 Two battle for starting quarterback position SPORTS: Page 4 Columnist prepares for Zombie Apocalypse VIEWS: Page 5
iPad makes its way to UNT Bookstore after recent release Page 3
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
News 1,2 Arts & Life 3 Sports 4 Views 5 Classifieds 6 Games 6
Volume 95 | Issue 42
Sunny 70° / 59°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
SGA announces election winners for fall 2010 BY A LEX CHEATHAM Staff Writer
Kevin Sanders and Mercedes Fulbright have been elected as t he 2010-2011 Student Government Association president and vice president. About 1,500, or 4 percent of the UNT population, participated in this election. Sanders and Fulbright led by 400 votes. “I think we won [the election] because we’re more aligned with the UNT students,” Sanders said. “We felt that the students need strong student leaders who will be there for them.” Fulbright said a large part of their success came from student organizations, such as the UNT chapter of the NAACP, Glad: UNT’s Queer Alliance, Progressive Black Student Organization, Resident Life Advisor Council and the four greek councils. “People actually listened to what we said,” Fulbright said. “I think that’s why there’s such a huge gap. It’s obvious students did their research.” The team spent more than $300 campaigning last week via Facebook, word-of-mouth, yard signs and fliers. Blake Windham, a biology junior and a Sanders-Fulbright supporter, said he believes the two won because they continued to spread the word about their ideas and build a base of many
different types of people to support their campaign. “I know that when Mercedes and Kevin get into office they’re not going to sway from their platform,” Windham said. Sanders and Fulbright said they plan to implement everything on their campaign platform in time, with their first course-of-action being to increase student involvement by reaching out to students. “We’re going to present ourselves to the student body immediately,” Sanders said. “First, we’ll implement an ‘SGA Wants to Know’ Web site for students to voice their opinions and concerns about what’s going on, and I personally commit to replying back to as many students as possible.” Another key point of interest for Sanders and Fulbright is increasing school pride, especially in athletics, as well as urging the students to embrace UNT’s traditions, Sanders said. “We want to embrace all 36,000 students,” Sa nders said. “This is not a victory for Kevin Sanders or Mercedes Fulbright, but a victory for all 36,000 students that attend this university.” The SGA is the student-led governmental body of UNT. Sanders explained that he chose Fulbright as his running
PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN SANDERS
Student Government Association presidential candidate Kevin Sanders swapped ideas with Student Government Association presidential candidate Drew Robertson before Wednesday night’s SGA meeting. mate because she’s a great representative for the students, and she knows how to lead. Fulbright chose to run for SGA vice president because students deserve more options. “I really love this school, and I definitely felt as though
I could show my pride to the students as vice president [of SGA],” Fulbright said. “We’ll make our decisions together. I need her, she needs me. That’s what a team does,” Sanders said. Fulbright said the two make
Dodge starts over as wide receiver Arm injury ends Dodge’s career at quarterback BY ERIC JOHNSON Senior Staff Writer
As t he f irst-tea m huddle broke during Tuesday’s scrimmage, redsh ir t sophomore Riley Dodge jogged out to his position, not as quarterback, but as a slot receiver. The highest-ranked football recruit to ever sign with UNT will no longer take the snaps as t he qua r terback of t he Mean Green after his broken right arm caused permanent damage to his ulnar nerve. “It is just a culmination of the last two-and-a-half years,” head coach Todd Dodge said. “He has had so much trauma to that right arm, and he is not a kid who can just sit and watch He wants to compete. He has embraced h is new role and is just excited about helping his team.” The ulnar nerve runs near the ulna bone and directly connects to t he pin k y a nd r i ng f i ngers. T he da mage ha s c au s e d a sig n i f ic a nt decrease in Riley Dodge’s arm strength. The injur y knocked Riley Dodge out of the final game of 2009 and ultimately his position as starting quarterback. “If my arm was fine I would still be playing quarterback,” he said. “This is just the hand that I was dealt, and I cannot change it. But what I have done is pray about the situation, seek guidance from the man upstairs and prepared myself to start a new journey.” In 2008, because of injuries that decimated the receiving corps, Riley Dodge did play t hree ga mes as a receiver, where he tallied nine receptions for 59 yards. The 2010 season will be the first in Riley Dodge’s life where he is not
a great team because of their trust, values and pride. “We’re on the same page when it comes to UNT progressing, and we’re willing to fight for this school, whatever the matter may be,” she said. Cu r rent SG A president
Dakota Carter said, “I’m proud the organization is thriving and I know Jamaal [Sanders] and I will do our best to transition [the president- and vice president-elect] for the next year, and it will be just as great as this year.”
as we have three conference championships, I don’t care how I am used.” Replacing Riley The t wo men t hat w ill now batt le to hea r t heir names called in the starting lineup when the 2010 season begins are: redshirt senior Nathan Tune and sophomore Derek Thompson. One of t he big gest compla i nt s about R i le y Dodge was that he was too small to play quarterback, but neither Thompson nor Tune has that problem. Tune measures 6-feet-4inches and 210 pounds, and Thompson is even bigger at 6-feet-4-inches and 225 pounds. “These two guys are the perfect quarterback mold,” Todd Dodge sa id. “They b ot h h av e t r emendou s strength and an ability to throw the deep ball.” One of the biggest holes in the Mean Green offense last season was the downfield passing game, and UNT had PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/ FILE the fewest completions for Redshirt freshman Riley Dodge scrambles down the sideline against Army on more than 25 yards in the Nov. 21. An injury to Dodge’s throwing arm during the last game against Arkan- Sun Belt Conference. A fast and experienced sas State on Nov. 28 forced him to move to wide receiver for the remainder of group of receivers gives the his Mean Green career. two quarterback candidates an opportunity to show off listed as quarterback on the tial. “Everyone wants to paint their big arms. depth chart. “We are definitely going The two-time national high me as injury prone, but I have to be able to go downfield more next season,” Tune said. “Defenses are going to have to cover more field against us, and I think with —Riley Dodge us going deep more it will Redshirt sophomore wide receiver give Lance more room to run.” All-conference running school Gatorade Player of the never been a guy that gets back La nce Dunba r w i l l Year threw for nearly 2,000 injured,” Riley Dodge said. “It help ease the transition on yards and nine touchdowns was a bad year last year, and the new starter, but whoever as the Mean Green’s starting I can’t do anything about a wins the job will have to rely quarterback, but a separated torn ligament or a 400-pound on his feet as well. shoulder, sprained ankle and guy falling on top of me. I broken right forearm kept him am going to make an impact See SOPHOMORE on from reaching his full poten- wherever I play, and as long Page 4
“This is just the hand that I was dealt, and I cannot change it.”
PHOTO BY AUGUSTA LIDDIC/PHOTOGRAPHER
Cara Walker, a student services coordinator at the Women’s Center, is collecting donated prom dresses for an organization called Prom to Remember. The Women’s Center, in the Union 216B, will accept donations of gently used formal dresses until April 30.
Center gives prom dresses to students BY SHEA YARBOROUGH Senior Staff Writer
Good grades and a wellwritten essay could earn some prom-goers their dream dress on their big night out. For girls attending prom this spring, the new dress will have to stay on the hanger while parents tighten their pocketbooks, said Gabrielle Gabourel, founder of Prom to Remember. But lack of money won’t keep some deser ving attendees from getting the perfect dress, Gabourel said. “It’s not fair girls want to go to prom and say they don’t want to because they don’t have the money,” she said. Prom to Remember was started during the summer of 2009. Throughout April, UNT’s Women’s Center will host a donation box for gently used formal gowns, said Cara Walker, student service coordinator for the Women’s and Multicultural centers. If people are not using a formal dress, there are a lot of students in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who would like to look good on their prom night,
Walker said. “A dress is something anyone can give,” she said. Right now, UNT’s donation box is holding one donated dress, Walker said. It’s something simple we can do for the students in the area, she said. They are looking for short, long, bridesmaid and Homecoming, gently worn dresses. “Prom is a memorable experience no matter who you are,” Walker said.
See GROUP on Page 2
Prom Costs • • • • • • •
Prom ticket: $75 Dress: $100 to $500 Accessories : $100 Shoes: $100 Make-up: $75 Limousine costs: $100 Estimated Cost: $500 to $800