9-9-09 Edition

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co-op helps students transfer NEWS: College Page 2 opens in double-decker bus ARTS & LIFE: Restaurant Page 4 need to acknowledge suicide VIEWS: Students Page 6

Rising sport gets new UNT club Page 8

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

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

Volume 92 | Issue 8

Cloudy 92° / 72°

ntdaily.com

The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas

West Nile virus reaches high-risk level BY A MBER A RNOLD Senior Staff Writer

Mosquitoes at Denton’s Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant tested positive for West Nile virus in August during a routine check, Environmental Quality Manager Ken Banks said. The level-four risk indicates the probability of a human outbreak is moderate to high because multiple samples of mosquitoes tested at different times a nd locations have been found to carry the virus, according to the City of Denton Web site. It is common to reach a highrisk level during this time of year because of weather and bird migration patterns, Banks said. However, once nighttime temperatures decrease enough and birds begin to migrate south, the risk level should decrease, he said. Researchers trap mosquito groups of the same species in ultraviolet or gravid boxes and test a selection of mosquitoes within the group, Banks said. The virus is then determined as either present or absent within the group. The Pecan Creek Reclamation Plant is the ideal place to do testing because mosquitoes gravitate to stagnant pools of water absent of fish or other predators, according to the City of Denton Response Plan. Thomas La Point of the biology faculty assures Denton residents the presence of the virus at the plant will have no effect on Denton’s water supply. “The treatment plant is for sewage water, so any kind of biologicals like that would be

filtered out before it got to us,” he said. “However, people shouldn’t belittle the potential for danger.” At this risk level, the City of Denton efforts are focused on treating mosquitoes with pesticides before they become adults and informing Denton residents about the danger. “Once mosquitoes become adults, it is harder to concentrate treatment,” Banks said. “Even if we have a level of control, they can rebound very quickly.” For this reason, spraying pesticide in the city is not considered until a level-five risk is reached, which has not happened in Denton since the mosquito monitoring began, Banks said. The awareness of the virus has fallen by the wayside since 2002 and 2003 when West Nile was first established as a significant cause of human illness, Joseph Oppong of the biology faculty said in an e-mail.

“Most people stopped paying attention to it because they did not see themselves at risk,” he said. “Plus, frequently, people pay too much attention to a disease that is unlikely to affect them and very little attention to others that will for sure affect them. For example, the human flu kills 36,000 people each year in the U.S. alone. Yet most people do not take the flu vaccine.” Oppong also noted the West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness and is now believed by experts to be a fully established seasonal epidemic. Although transmission to people is a rare event, it is a possibility, Banks said. There are a number of precautions Denton residents can take to avoid being exposed to the virus. More information is available at www.cityofdenton.com/ pages/mygovutilswatermosquitoswestnile.cfm.

To see multimedia for this story, visit ntdaily.com

Tips to avoid exposure

• Stay indoors at dawn, dusk and in the early evening. • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors.

• Spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin •

or DEET, since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing. Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 35 percent DEET. DEET in high concentrations (greater than 35 percent) provides no additional protection. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for use, as printed on the product. Repellents may irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to the hands of children.

PHOTO BY CRISTY ANGULO / PHOTOGRAPHER

The risk level for West Nile virus has risen to four at Denton’s Pecan Creek Water Treatment Plant.

Texas program picks Finding a ‘Reason to Live’ up leftover clunkers BY JOSH PHERIGO

they get to that dark place,” point which would allow them to Carolyn Kern, vice president for act on those feelings,” she said. Flint said students need to be The third week of classes at Counseling, Development and aware of the eight free counseling UNT marks the 35th year of Higher Education said. Pamela Flint, counseling sessions available to them each Suicide Prevention Week, which runs from Sept. 6 through Sept. psychologist in the Counseling year. Counseling sessions are and Testing Services Center said it funded by the student services 13. To spread awareness about is relatively common for students fees included in tuition. The UNT Counseling and the second-leading cause of to think about suicide. “The problem lies with those Testing Services Center is on the death among college-aged Americans, UNT is offering whose state of mind has reached a third floor of Chestnut Hall. several programs and events. The counseling department and the Counseling Services Center planned the week’s events. As part of their program, the UNT Counseling Center hosted a screening of the documentary “A Reason to Live” on Tuesday afternoon. The film highlighted the struggles of several families and individuals who have dealt with suicide and depression. One of the stories was about 15-yearold Kebra Selah, a Coppell High School student who killed herself with an overdose of prescription pills. Casey Barrio of the counseling faculty emphasized the severity of the problem on college campuses. “We are aware that thoughts of suicide are very real for many Help is available to any member of the UNT community of our students,” said Barrio. “We who is experiencing distress. want to provide a safety net.” In 2006, UNT was one of two * Students - Student Counseling Center (940-565-2741) Texas universities to receive * Faculty and staff - Employee Assistance Program (800a three-year federal grant to 343-3822). develop suicide prevention programs. The $450,000 grant Anyone in crisis can also cal the National Suicide Hotline, has been used by the Counseling toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-784-2433. Center to implement and maintain training programs to educate students and faculty in suicide prevention. Read the editorial about this story “The programs are designed Page 7 to assist individuals in seeking help navigating stress before Staff Writer

BY MELISSA BOUGHTON Staff Writer

Air Check Texas: Drive a Clean Machine is a Texas program that offers replacement assistance to eligible car buyers. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality provides this program to Texas counties with high ground-level ozone to help maintain a cleaner environment. Ground-level ozone is caused by motor vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and gasoline vapors emit chemical gases. The program provides eligible car owners with a voucher of up to $3,500 to purchase a newer, more fuel-efficient car. Unlike the popular Cash for Clunkers program, not everyone is eligible for the voucher. “It’s up to the state, you just have to fill out their application and go by their rules — we just accept the vouchers,” Robin Lindley, payroll and human resources employee at Utter Bill Ford in Denton, said. Eligibility requirements state that the vehicle must have failed an emissions test within 30 days of the application or be at least 10 years old. The vehicle must be registered in a participating county for at least 12 consecutive months and driven under its own power to the automobile dealership. The vehicle also has to have passed a DPS motor-vehicle safety inspection if it is more than 24 years old and an emissions inspection if it is less than 25

STATISTICS

PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON / PHOTOGRAPHER

The Kia Huffines dealership in Denton has many clunkers leftover from the popular government program. They only receive four to five vouchers a month for the Drive a Clean Machine program. years old. The inspections must take place within 15 months of the application date. Many counties in the DallasFort Worth area are participating. Another factor that determines eligibility for the program is a person’s annual net income. Requirements vary depending on the size of the household. The maximum net income of a one-person household to still be eligible is $32,490. Lindley said she believes this would be a benefit to students if they met all of the other requirements. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t use it, personally,” she said. The voucher program does allow car buyers to buy used vehicles. Purchasers can buy as far back as 2007 for cars, 2008 for trucks and 2009 for hybrid vehicles. For a new hybrid car, purchasers will receive a $3,500

voucher, and for all other new and used cars and trucks the voucher is for $3,000. “I really wanted to use Cash for Clunkers, but ran out of time,” Joseph Thornton, a radio, television and film sophomore said. “I definitely plan on taking advantage of this program.” The program is also offering a repair voucher worth $600 for applicants who do not wish to replace their vehicle. Applicants who need repair assistance must meet the same requirements. The Kia Huffines dealership in Denton has received between four and five vouchers a month since the clunkers program, general sales manager Phillip Vivar said. The voucher system makes it easier on dealerships because there is less paperwork and the money from the incentive is guaranteed.

1 in 12 20 to 24

College students consider suicide

10

Out of 100,000 male students commit suicide Out of 100,000 female students commit suicide

4.5

Peak age for suicides


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9-9-09 Edition by North Texas Daily - Issuu