Arts & Life
teach students financial moves NEWS: Workshops Page 2 stands out in junior season SPORTS: Huddleston Page 6 credit card law will lower student debt VIEWS: New Page 4
Students study choreography from YouTube Story on Page 3
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
News 1, 2 Arts & Life 3 Sports 6 Views 4 Classifieds 5 Games 5
Volume 94 | Issue 24
Stormy 68° / 65°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Poor drainage causes flooding on campus BY COURTNEY ROBERTS Assigning Editor
Students going to and from cla sses nea r t he G enera l Academic Building had to take a giant leap to avoid the ankledeep water surrounding the area Tuesday afternoon. A U N T Fa c i l it ie s a nd Maintenance worker arrived on the scene to fix the flooding problem using a shovel to force t he water dow n into the drain, then a pump to clear the remaining surface water. “ W hen s omet h i ng l i ke this happens, we call it ‘frog stranglers’ or when you have too much water in a short amount of time,” said Lanse Fullinw ider, UNT g rounds m a i nten a nc e m a n a ger. “Because it’s a low spot, it’s going to set then it becomes surface drainage.” Fu l linw ider sa id t he building might be a spot that needs attention. “For other areas on campus, it’s the same way,” he said. “I know there’s a certain volume of water that [the drains] can carry.” Dav id Young, t he utilit y crew leader, said most of the drains on campus, which are
owned by the city of Denton, date back to the ’40s. “In most of the area, there’s a lot more concrete than an absorbing system,” he said. “Just adding drains won’t do anything because all the pipes will fill up.” Young sa id t hey usua lly put mulch around the trees, but when it rains, the mulch blocks the drain and they have to clean it off. “One problem is the sidewa l k s slope in t he w rong direction mostly because of the ground settling over time,” he said. “We have to usually re-pour the sidewalks to slope to the curbs instead of towards the grass.” Trying to keep their shoes on as much dr y ground as possible, Kat hleen Digna n and Jen Jones, both seniors majoring in behavior analysis, treaded through the murky water on tiptoes unsuccessfully. “There are a lot of places on campus that are f looded where you have to hike up your pants when it rains,” Dignan said. “I hate having to go to class with muck on my f lip-f lops after treading through the water.”
PHOTO BY CLINTON LYNCH / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A UNT Facilities and Maintenance worker, who asked to not be identified, tries to force the murky water down the drain after a thunderstorm caused flooding outside the General Academic Building on Tuesday afternoon.
Proposed bill replaces lenders Sick students
face isolation
UNT embraces direct loans for students
BY MELISSA BOUGHTON Senior Staff Writer
BY JOSH PHERIGO Staff Writer
The U.S. Senate is reviewing a bill that may help simplify the student loan process. In the past, students who need a federal student loan would select a private lender, but t he bi l l proposes t hat only the U.S. Department of Education provide money for loans. St udent s wou ld receive those loans through the bill’s Direct Loan Program. UNT bega n t he progra m this fall, but the bill would ma ke it ma ndator y for a l l universities to use it. “So far, we are one of the success stories of the Direct Loan Program,” said Deborah A r nold , s e n ior a s s o c i a t e director of UNT Fina ncia l Aid. More t ha n 20,0 0 0 U N T students receive some form of f ina ncia l a id or student loans to pay for their education, UNT Financial Aid officials said. “Students receiving direct loans are generally pleased w it h t he prog ra m’s qu ick distribution of money,” Arnold said. A nt hony Pepe, cr i m i na l justice sophomore said this is his third semester receiving student loans from a student lending company. “My family’s income doesn’t allow me to qualify for financial aid, so I use loans to pay for my tuition,” he said. Pepe said he is optimistic about the prospect of elimi nat i ng pr ivate st udent loa n compa n ies f rom t he program. “I think it would make the process much easier,” Pepe
PHOTO BY SUSAN MISKA / INTERN
Gargi Bhakta, an accounting freshman, said she’s frustrated with the stress of filling out her financial aid form. said. “I first applied for loans in September of my freshman year, but didn’t receive any money until the following February.” The company Pepe initially chose did not inform him that he didn’t qualify for its loan until months after he submitted his paper work, he said. His parents had to financia l ly suppor t h i m u nt i l he found a not her lending company, he said. Pepe, a transfer student, sa id he l i kes t he idea of government consolidation. “St udent s w ho receive loans wouldn’t have to go
seek out pr ivate lend i ng companies only to risk being rejected for the loan,” Pepe said. “The government would be a guaranteed lender.” U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas represents the 26th District of Texas and voted “no” on the bill. A c c or d i n g t o a pr e s s relea se publ ished on h is Web site, the congressman said the legislation would further “expand the federal government at a severe cost to taxpayers.” Burgess said in the statement t hat he believes t he removal of the Federal Family Educat ion Loa n Prog ra m
const it utes a l i m it i ng of freedom of choice on citizens by mandating the Education Department’s Direct Loan Program as the only available student lending option. C a mer on W he eler, a n education junior receives b ot h f i n a nc i a l a id a nd student loans. He said that he agrees with the congressman’s assessment on the proposed bill. “It’s rea l ly a mat ter of p e r s o n a l p r e f e r e n c e ,” Wheeler said. “You have to decide if the liberty to choose a pr ivate lender is more important than the simplicity of direct lending.”
The proposed legislation also seeks to provide: •
Additional funding for grants to historically black and minorityserving universities.
•
A simplified and reformed Student Financial Aid Form (FAFSA).
•
Add it iona l f u nd i ng for Cooperative Education workstudy programs.
•
Grant repayment waivers and loan forgiveness for students active in the Armed Forces.
With the spread of swine flu fresh on the minds of the UNT community, the administration is taking action by isolating dormdwelling students who may be sick with the contagious virus. Victory, Traditions, Mozart, Legends and College Inn halls have private rooms with bathrooms set aside for students living on campus who are diagnosed with the flu. The private rooms and bathrooms allow sick students to be isolated from others on campus while they are recovering from either seasonal or swine flu. “The first week in September we started making a plan,” housing director Elisabeth Warren said. “First, it was one person, then two and then I’m not sure exactly how many right now, but we’ve kept up with it.” Students who have flu-like symptoms are encouraged to go to the Student Health and Wellness Center, and once there, the student is given a flu test. However, Warren said the health center is only testing for seasonal flu because of the costs and process time of the swine flu test. Once a student tests positive for the flu, the health center staff contacts the housing staff to let it know the center’s staff is sending the sick student back to the dorm. “We treat it the same, it doesn’t matter whether it is swine or seasonal flu,” she said. Warren said once contacted by the health center, the staff finds an available space in one of the designated halls, the bed is made and the student is sent to that room for recovery. Arrangements for food delivery are also made for the isolated students. “Usually, honestly, they call their folks and their folks come
and take them home when it’s possible,” Warren said. “The isolation rooms are for those that can’t.” Chelsey Joseph, an elementary education freshman, said she was wrongly diagnosed with swine flu and was told she would have to be isolated. “The hall director called me and told me I would have to be isolated in a room,” she said. “I didn’t have a choice.” Joseph lives in Victory Hall and has a private room with a shared bathroom. She said she believes students that don’t have roommates should have a choice to stay in their room or be isolated. “I just think it’s a pain because when you’re sick, you don’t feel good as it is and then you have to move your stuff,” she said. Joseph’s father took her home to Houston to avoid isolation in the dorms. Ben Taylor, hall director at Kerr Hall, said most of the students opt to go home because they will be out of it for a while in any case. Not all students living in the dorms have been made aware of the isolated rooms. Taylor said there are too many students who just want a private room, so only students who have the flu are told about the isolated rooms. “We tell people who need it that it’s there so that we don’t have a mad rush on ‘I want a private room,’” he said. Some students who are aware of the isolated rooms are worried about the effect the quarantined rooms might have on the non-sick students living in the dorms. “Even though they are isolated, I am still scared it could be airborne,” said Raul Galaviz, an English literature sophomore and College Inn resident. “I think it is going to worry people that live here. I appreciate the attempt that UNT is trying, but I would rather have them go home.”
Page 2 Wednesday, October 7, 2009
News
Shaina Zucker & Courtney Roberts
News Editors ntdailynews@gmail.com
Center prepares students for financial decisions BY CHRIS SPEIGHT Senior Staff Writer
A handful of students in a Business Administration Building classroom gathered Tuesday to learn about important financial decisions like buying a home. The UNT Student Money Management Center staff is busy doing everything it can to get students ready for serious financial decisions by holding workshops and conducting consultations, said Paul Goebel, director of the center. Goebel said it’s important to make sure a mortgage is a stress students can handle before purchasing. “Don’t look at the price tag,” he said. “Look at where you are in your life and ask yourself if you’re ready to make that commitment in that investment.” Goebel said the goal of the workshop was to make sure students are preparing themselves with research and education, so when they are ready to buy a house they will come out
of the negotiations with the best terms and conditions possible. “I think it’s dangerous when students who rush into the decision are not smart about their credit and don’t have a good handle on how loans and insurance work,” said D’andre Johnson, a peer mentor for the workshop. “It may take a while to get there, but we want students to start thinking about that before just rushing into decisions, especially with major one’s like houses and cars.” Johnson said there are several important factors that students consider when buying cars or homes. “Be aware of credit standing, save money, pay 10-15 percent of down payment up-front and budget,” she said. Johnson said students should realize buying a home is about timing, both in the market and their personal lives. “If you don’t have the money right now because you’re just getting out of college and you
don’t have a stable job, then no,” she said. “We want students to be educated and know what they’re getting into.” T he St udent Money Management Center holds 30 to 40 different workshops throughout the semester teaching students about financial responsibilities and awareness, Goebel said. Tuesday’s workshop was about purchasing homes, and peer mentors ran the workshop. Johnson said students should take advantage of the workshops and private consultations offered because outside of college, personal financial consultations are costly. “This information is just hard to find, like eating on a budget,” she said. “We’re open for students to come talk to us. These workshops really help in the long run as well, especially if you try to start learning how to do these skills now, like budgeting or knowing the mental aspects of a credit score.” Several students in the work-
PHOTO BY KAITLYN PRICE / PHOTOGRAPHER
Computer support specialist Matt Dorsey, undeclared graduate student Ryan Fellers and business management sophomore Bryce Elam attend a Tuesday workshop on buying a home. shop said they were considering buying a home. Most of them did not have bachelor’s degree. Michael White, a computer engineering sophomore, said he’s not concerned about the housing
market right now. “I’m a confident person, so I’ll make the best out of any situation,” he said. “If you own you don’t have a monthly mortgage, once you’ve paid it off. I don’t
feel like renting because you’re renting for a year or two years.” Bryce Elam, a business management sophomore, said he hopes to own a home before he graduates.
Group slows down meals, counteracts fast-food culture BY CAROLYN BROWN Senior Staff Writer
A new group on campus provides potluck dinners for students craving a slow bite to eat. Slow Food UNT is a campus branch of Slow Food International
566-3326
www.onthecuff.com
to counteract the fast-food culture and preserve disappearing local food traditions and production methods. Slow Food International, a nonprofit organization founded in 1989, now has more than 100,000 members in 132 countries,
MON.-FRI. 10-6:30; SAT., 10-2 1003 DALLAS DR., DENTON (in the pink building)
according to its Web site. Morgan Bozonelos, an international studies junior, co-founded the UNT group with Kristin Adam, an anthropology junior. The group began meeting this fall and has about 20 members. One of the group’s goals is to encourage people to slow down and savor their food and conversation instead of rushing through meals, Bozonelos said. “At the moment, it doesn’t fit in, but that’s what we’re trying to make happen,” she said. Slow Food UNT is applying for official Slow Food International “convivium status” to increase networking opportunities with other groups in the area. The members hold potluck dinners every two weeks where students cook dishes ahead of time and bring them to the meals, which can typically last from two to three hours. Bozonelos said that the group also promotes environmentally
sustainable gardening practices such as biodiversity and using fewer chemicals to grow crops. The members are planning a community garden near the Environmental Education, Science a nd Tech nolog y Building. Bozonelos said she is most excited about the group’s upcoming collaboration with the Gleaning Network of Texas, a nonprofit organization that collects surplus produce to donate to food banks. Slow Food members will travel to Golden for the project and attend the Golden Sweet Potato Festival afterward, she said. Ted Good, an anthropology senior and group member, said he heard about the group from some friends and attended two of the potluck dinners. “The first thing I noticed was there’s more variety,” he said. “It was all very colorful and full of life.”
“The first thing I noticed was there’s more variety. It was all very colorful and full of life.”
-Ted Good Anthropology senior
Dishes at the dinners have included unusual foods such as quinoa and gluten-free pizza, he said. Good said he is interested in the group’s gardening plans, and hopes to grow exotic plants such as Goji berries. Joel Alexander, an applied anthropology graduate student, said he became interested in Slow Food after doing research fieldwork with the Kekchi Maya people in Belize. While there, he observed families’ leisurely cooking methods and close interaction. Since then, he has attended a Slow Food UNT
potluck, and said he likes the ideals behind it. “We’re so obsessed with timing and eating fast that once a person experiences slow food, it changes the dynamic of eating,” he said. Alexander said he is also interested in gardening, and recently set aside a plot in his backyard for the group to use. Upcoming Slow Food events include more potlucks, movie nights and field trips to farmer’s markets. For more information, e-mail slowfoodunt@gmail.com or visit the Slow Food UNT Facebook group.
UNT History Honor Society receives Best Chapter award BY K ELSEY K RUZICH Contributing Writer
The UNT chapter of the history honor society Alpha Lambda was nationally recognized for the third time on Sept. 17 as the Best Chapter in Division VI. The award is given to a deserving chapter in the Phi Alpha Theta organization that hosts activities and programs throughout the year. The chapter must also be within a university that has an enrollment of at least 23,000 students. The chapter will receive $250,
which the members said will be used to buy books for the university library. “It is quite an honor for the chapter and also for UNT to beat out the likes of other schools,” faculty adviser Denis Paz of the history department said. The UNT chapter has won the award in 1994 and 1997 as well. A chapter must first send in a scrapbook or DVD of activities along with a letter of recommendation from the adviser of the chapter to be considered for the award, according to the Phi Alpha Theta national Web site.
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President Derek Boetcher, history graduate student said the Alpha Lambda chapter tries to mix social and academic activities for its members. The chapter does not hold a lot of general meetings to keep its members updated, Boetcher said. Instead, he said he communicates with the members through the chapter Web site, e-mail and through events scheduled throughout the semester. The chapter has about 40 active members who participate in events such as movie nights, museum trips, game nights and other activities — all with a historical theme to them. “The one thing I would say overall that makes us different from others is that we are very active,” Boetcher said. Phi Alpha Theta hosted the 2009 regional conference, an all-day event where students present their research papers. This year, the UNT chapter won four awards for research papers that were judged by professors throughout Northeast Texas. UNT’s chapter was established in 1945. The honor society is open to undergraduate and graduate students of UNT. A member does not have to be a history major to join, as long as the student meets the GPA and course requirements. For more information, go to orgs.unt.edu/history/.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Arts & Life
Page 3 Kip Mooney
Arts & Life Editor ntd.artslife@gmail.com
Eco reps raise green awareness in dorms BY K ATIE GRIVNA Senior Staff Writer
PHOTO BY KAITLIN HOAG / PHOTOGRAPHER
Clark Hall residents practice choreography on Monday to music from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”.
YouTube teaches students BY K AHLA PRICE Intern
W hen looking at popular television shows, movies and songs that involve any sort of choreography, one question seems to arise among people today: Can I learn that on YouTube? From classics such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to newer videos such as “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” by Beyoncé, today’s society has become obsessed with spending countless hours learning these moves to showcase their skill in replicating the trendy routines. “A lot of time is wasted on watching silly things on YouTube such as a squirrel water-skiing,” said Neil Foote, an electronic news professor. “For t rad it iona l med ia producers to survive, they have to adapt to subjects that appeal to the new age.” Foote also said the popularity of YouTube has soared because of its extreme accessibility. “It’s convenient, it’s easy to use, and it’s fun,” he said. “YouTube has created an environment where videos can be easily produced in someone’s living room and distributed to literally anyone across the world.” Many hours can be spent watching the readily available content w it hout rea lizing exactly how much time is wasted. That, some say, is the downfall of spending so much time surfing YouTube. “You really don’t realize the time wasted until you look at the clock and notice that five minutes has turned into 25
Bruce Hall to host Invisible Children tour The Invisible Children charity, which raises awareness about the civil war in Uganda, will screen its documentary “The Rescue” at 9 tonight in Bruce Hall’s Concert Hall, with a question and answer session to follow. To read this story, visit ntdaily.com
minutes when you watch the same clip over and over again,” said Joe Gonzalez, a history junior and Clark Hall resident assistant. Lance Trachier, a communication design freshman, bel ieves lea r n i ng da nces from YouTube is a big factor in today’s social world. “I think YouTube ma kes it easier to learn dances for everyone,” Trachier said. “We spend so much time learning t hem because we like t he idea of showing people we can do them, too. They’re great to show off at events. For my sister’s wedding we learned ‘Thriller’ just so we could perform it in front of everyone.” In July, Minnesota residents Jill and Kevin Kheinz danced down the aisle to Chris Brown’s “Forever.” The video has since received more than 26 million views and landed them on shows like “Good Morning America.” Popular shows and movies also play a deciding factor i n how popu la r a da nce becomes. “It’s because of shows like ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’ People start talking about what t hey saw, and because it catches people’s attention, they start looking back at replays,” said Brad
Cummins, a computer science freshman. “Then ever yone wa nts to lea rn it because a lot of people know what you’re doing when you start dancing.” Some dances are seeing t heir popularit y sk y rocket on campus as homecoming events like Yell Like Hell, where students perform dance routines during the bonfire, draw near. Participants and choreographers are creating routines based on their individual style and those from well-known videos. “I wasn’t very into school activities but I like dancing and the title ‘Yell Like Hell’ caught my attention,” Cummins said. “I really like the popular moves we’re doing from a video, yet still adding in our own ideas too.” Gonzalez, a participant in Clark Hall’s Yell Like Hell entry, said he loves to watch YouTube videos and thinks learning choreography and can unite groups. “I think it’s a wonderful recreational activity. It brings togetherness because people see and recognize what you’re doing and want to join in,” Gonzalez said. “After all imitation is the highest form of flattering.”
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Shelby Snow is constantly reminded by her roommate to turn off her computer and television and to recycle. Her roommate Alyssa Dixon, a special education freshman, is an eco rep in Kerr Hall. She holds programs within the dorm to raise awareness about how to go green. “My roommate probably thinks I’m crazy,” she said. “She’s on board with it now.” She wants to target people who don’t know how to go green, but doesn’t want to push it on people, she said. “So far, people really want to get involved, they just don’t know how,” Dixon said. “It’s little changes that make a difference.” Since the program is still in its beginning stages, she hasn’t held any programs in Kerr Hall yet, but plans to hold a mixer soon in the lobby to help residents become aware of how to be environmentally friendly, she said. “I feel like a better person. One person can’t change anything, but a few people can,” Dixon said. “I feel I’m doing a duty to everybody else, not just myself.” In return, eco reps receive a 20 percent discount on their housing bill. “I want to be an example so I can get that message out there so sustainability will continue to happen,” she said.
PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON / PHOTOGRAPHER
Alyssa Dixon, an interdisciplinary studies freshman, is an eco rep on-campus, advocating environmentally conscious practices. Charles Vincent, a computer science senior and eco rep coordinator, said the purpose of the program is for students to work within the residence hall to increase awareness about sustainability and help students have a more sustainable mindset. “I think it’s important that we reach out to our students in as many ways as possible, especially where they live,” he said. There is one eco rep in each dorm, except for Kerr Hall, which has two. Another eco rep may be added to Victory Hall by next semester. The dorms are limited to one eco rep to keep the group small enough for them to be able to effectively interact with each other, Vincent said. The eco reps meet every Friday at 3 p.m. in College Inn 53. At the meetings, reps discuss how their dorms and the campus are trying to be more environmentally friendly.
Anyone is welcome to sit on the meetings. Eco rep programs are meant to be social, educational and fun, Vincent said. One of the eco reps will hold a program encouraging students to make origami out of recycled paper, he said. Another will host a “sustainability Olympics” to see who can sort turn off light switches faster and sort recycling quickest, among other games. “We’re here to help and here to serve,” he said. Lori Burns, hall director at West Hall, said the program is a volunteer effort, from which everyone can benefit. “Anything that we can do to educate people about how recycling can help the environment is a good thing,” Burns said. “It can only help.” For more information on the program or tips on going green, visit www.gogreen.unt.edu.
Views
Page 4 Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Amanda Mielcarek
Views Editor ntdailyviews@gmail.com
Credit law will help students avoid debt Editorial A new credit card law is likely to make college students who can’t imagine life without pulling out the plastic cringe. The Credit CARD Act of 2009, which will go into effect in February, will restrict anyone under the age of 21 from getting his or her own credit card. The only exceptions will be for people with proof of sufficient income to cover the credit obligations or who have a parent, guardian or of-age spouse who is willing to co-sign. The bill is meant to help prevent college students from going into unnecessary debt. This is a reasonable concern considering that 84 percent of college undergraduates have one or more credit cards and the average debt carried by college cardholders is $3,173, the highest it has ever been, according to Sallie Mae. Encouraging students to stay out of debt is always a good idea. It’s all too easy for students to thoughtlessly charge things they can’t immediately afford. Giving someone who cannot pay for his or her debt the means to acquire it is illogical. However, this decision is only a sound one if there is enough federal aid to cover all of the students who would otherwise pay for their college expenses with credit. As long as the new law does not hinder students who are unable to pay for college outright, it is a great measure to help keep students out of debt before they are prepared to deal with it. While some students may be put out because they won’t be able to build their credit history as quickly, this law will ultimately be beneficial to students as a whole. True, a few students will have less time to responsibly build their credit. However, these responsible individuals will still have the chance to build their score once they turn 21. Ultimately, this new law, while it will no doubt ruffle some feathers, will do more good than harm.
Campus Chat
President Obama recently signed a bill putting images on cigarette packages warning people about the risks of smoking. What do you think about this?
{ { { {
“I think it’s a good idea. They have something similar in China as well and that got my attention. Anything to deter people from smoking is good.”
Steven Bracken
Radio, television and film sophomore
“I think it is a great idea but I also think that everyone already knows the risk and probably won’t stop current consumers of tobacco.”
UNT needs original traditions At Sout her n Met hod i st University, if you step on the university seal, it’s bad luck. You won’t graduate in four years. Before every home football game, Texas Tech students wrap their Will Rogers statue in red crepe paper for good luck. Te x a s A & M Un i v er s it y has “The Midnight Yell” the night before game day. Texas Christian University says “Riff Ram Bah Zoo.” Outside of Texas, traditions a nd superst it ions become even more compel l i ng. The University of Missouri (Mizzou) has a list of f ive t hings a ll students should do before graduation, such as kiss the 50-yard line and streak the quad. Here at UNT, we have an albino squirrel. As a universit y t hat was founded before the beginning of the twentieth century, we should be loaded with tradi-
t ion. But even t he few we have are nothing more than dollar store knockoffs of other universities. We have, of course, t he awesome green spotlight on McConnell Tower after a football victory, a glorious tradition established in 1974 when UNT lost against SMU and students painted the administrations doors red, white and blue. UNT put up the spotlight in 1977 and an original tradition was born. One problem. The University of Texas has been flooding its tower with orange light since 1937, forty years longer that UNT. We also have our homecoming bonfire. That’s been a time-honored tradition since 1935. It’s a shame Aggies have been igniting piles of wood since 1907. W hat about Boomer, our cannon? He’s been around since 1970.
Next time you’re at the UT Austin campus, check out Smokey the Cannon. He’s been hanging out since 1953. But, we have the spirit bell. Talon members mounted that bad boy to a trailer in 1961. Tech has been ringing its victory bell since 1936. Of course, we used t he bell as a curfew bell in 1891, but we certainly weren’t the first university with a curfew bell. T he closest t h i ng UN T has in the way of traditions is the dormitory of the same name, Traditions Hall, built in 2003. Traditions and superstitions are a part of the college experience, and without them UNT students are missing out on all the inside jokes that UT students get to laugh about after graduation. It’s time we stop being left out and begin creating traditions for the young men and women who will follow us.
That will be UNT’s first original tradition, that we handcraft our ow n rather than letting them happen coincidentally. It’s time to get the ba ll rol l i ng, UN T. W it h more than 36,000 students there is bound to be an idea floating around. This just in: I heard that if you’re studying at Club Willis (Willis Library) and you need a little extra confidence for that exam, jumping into Jody’s Fountain is good luck.
Anderson arrives in New Jersey w it h his w ife and a 9-month-old daughter only to discover his tech job offer is not going to last him more than four months. It i s m e r e l y a n o t h e r assignment given to him by a consulting firm that also promised him proper immigration documents and travel compensation. He soon d i sc over s t he promise of travel compensation and sponsored-immigration documents is hocuspocus. To top it off, instead of being paid between assignments, Anderson is required to live off his savings during times when he does not have an assignment. If the time period between assignments stretches for too long, Anderson is forced to take on temporary odd jobs. Of course his stated immigration document does not allow him to work for other c om p a n i e s , s o h e r u n s h is paycheck t h roug h t he consu lt ing f ir m. The f ir m accepts t he check, ta kes a cut and runs it through their system to make it “legal.” This short story is not an
ex t ract f rom our count y’s history of immigrant workers. It is a story told by millions of immigrant tech workers today. The business world has a new term for such a phenomenon. They call it “high-tech sweatshops.” These cheated immigrants cannot go any where. After investing their life savings to get here and get a place to live and a car, there is really nothing left in the bank to take them home. They are forced to sit out their situation and take whatever their firm offers them. In essence, these individuals are as good as captive slaves. But shou ld we be surprised? This was the case of clothiers off-shoring their manufacturing work to other countries with lax labor laws and lower wages. The ex posés written by investigating journalists drew shaking heads and these companies were eventually forced to improve the working conditions overseas. A fter a ll the drama, one t hing rema ins for certa in:
These jobs are never coming back to our shores. W hat is happening here i s not “a l ie n s” s t e a l i n g Americans’ jobs. It is Adam Sm it h’s i nv isible ha nd at work. The principle is simple — with so much red tape and a rising minimum wage, it m a ke s mor e s en s e (a nd money) to ship off these jobs to those who are willing to work for much less. And the disturbing fact is that we like that, don’t we? We like getting cheaper goods from listed American companies whose ba lance sheets still stay healthy thanks to lowered costs. T he ug ly t r ut h i s t hat someone has to pay the price for lowered costs. Be it t he enslaved tech workers, the underpaid factory workers in China or the uninsured workers in Vietnam, someone has to pay the price for America’s mass consumption and constant demand for lower prices. At present, t he s y stem reveals a disturbing fact: It is now our turn to pay the price. W it h t he los s of such
jobs, we are forced to attain higher education with hopes of joining America’s service industry. But there are only so many positions available in the service industry. The result is a rising unemployment rate. However, we cannot blame anyone. We c a n not bl a me t he factory workers for taking jobs we do not want. We cannot bla me U.S. compa nies for cashing in on such methods, since we, the shareholders and customers, love it. And we certainly cannot blame our government for not taking action in giving us jobs. This issue is systematic. It is the inherent weakness in a free market economy.
Frisco Edwards is a journalism senior. He can be re a che d at f r i scom a ca e @ gmail.com.
The weakness of the free market
Jamie Chin Han Khoo is a psychology senior. He can be reached at jch.khoo@yahoo. com.
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sports
Justin Umberson
Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com
With little experience, distance runner excels By Eric Johnson Senior Staff Writer
Each morning before the sun rises and while most people still have their heads on their pillows, Ingrid Mollenkopf is training, pushing her muscles through the pain and her body through the fatigue. Days like Friday reward her. Mollenkopf took home first place in the North Texas Invitational meet with a time of 18:44 — 30 seconds faster than anyone else — to help her team win its home meet. “As long as we can keep the flu away from her and keep her healthy she can do that all season,” head coach Robert Vaughan said. “She has been the top runner so far, and it is like the top player on any team, they are key.” This is just Mollenkopf’s second semester to run crosscountry. She never found the time to run in high school because she was too busy helping her mother, who was a student and worked a full-time job, by taking care of her three
younger sisters. Now that she has the time, she is taking full advantage. In addition to cross-country, she is also a member of the track team, running the 5K and 10K races. “The speed training in track really helps me to prepare,” Mollenkopf, the business law junior, said. “It is nice to finally have the time to take some time for me and be able to go out and run.” Mollenkopf was born to be a distance runner, as both her parents ran cross-country in college. Her mother ran for Wilkes-Barre College in Pennsylvania, and her father was part of the Navy running team. Her parents never pushed her to follow them, but she loves to run anyway. “It is so peaceful and relaxing,” Mollenkopf said. “I can just be free and spend time alone, just run at whatever pace I want to set, and it is a great feeling.” Vaughan was fortunate to
have one of his top runners fall into his lap. After starting college in Arizona, Mollenkopf transferred to UNT after her father began working for the university’s Information Technology Center. “She recruited us,” Vaughan said. “She is what you look for in a runner: Self-motivated, determined and focused. However we can get runners like this here, I am happy.” When her college career is finished, Mollenkopf hopes to be part of the first class at the UNT Law School and foresees owning a law firm one day. For now though, her goals are simple: Make top three in conference and continue to lead her team, which is what Vaughan expects. “Most runners are burnt out by the time they get here, but she has not even tapped her potential. We get as much out of our runners as we can without killing them, so we can pull all that potential out,” Vaughan said.
Photo by Josiah Sorrels / Photographer
Patrick Strong finished 2nd with a time of 25:55 at the Ken Garland Invitational Sept. 19.
Women’s cross-country team finishes first, men fight illness By Sean Swinney
Contributing Writer At the TCU Invitational, both of the Mean Green cross-country teams fell short of a top finish. At their next meet, the men’s team improved, taking first place at the Ken Garland Invitational. On Friday, it was the women’s turn. The women’s team finished comfortably in first place at the 32nd annual North Texas Invitational, led by Ingrid Mollenkopf, a business junior, and Sallie Anderson, a kinesiology junior, who finished first and second overall respectively. Head coach Robert Vaughan said that while the level of competition has to be taken into account, he still sees potential in his top women runners. “I’m not going to say it’s the Olympic trials, but I’m sure it made them happy to perform well,” Vaughan said. “I think most of them were pleased with the performance. Before Ingrid hadn’t been warming up well enough, but she’s realized that and she’s corrected it.” Sara Dietz, a business sophomore, and Amy Alcala, a criminal justice freshman, also earned top-10 finishes in a dominating performance by the Mean Green women. The victory was in spite of a flu bug that has hit the team hard recently, though they continue to train harder. Vaughan said he’s planning for two hard weeks of training
and an easier week leading into the final preparatory meet of the season before ramping back up in preparation for the conference meet. “I would definitely say it’s getting more intense,” Dietz said. “Before school started, we were doing more longer and slower stuff, but now we’re starting to prepare ourselves more for racing. We always want to represent North Texas well, so we do a lot of hard workouts.” The men’s team was hit hardest by illness, with only three healthy runners participating in Friday’s meet. Josue Nunez, a kinesiology junior,
finished 10th, Nick Mahoy, a performance senior, came in 25th, and Dane Conley, business sophomore, finished 28th. Vaughan acknowledged the sudden spread of illness affected his team, but he doesn’t think it is likely to factor in at the more critical meets still to come. “The flu is affecting everyone in that high school or college age,” Vaughan said. “There have been some viral colds going around too. But if we don’t get anything else we’ll be back where we should be. If we get sick between now and the conference meet, it’s a slightly different story.”
Junior becomes ‘go-to’ player By R emington Bird Staff Writer
Outside hitter Amy Huddleston came to UNT in 2007 and made an impact with more than 200 kills her freshman year, a feat that had not been accomplished since 2004. Since Huddleston’s freshman year, she has continued to improve and become a vital part of the Mean Green volleyball team. Huddleston, an interdisciplinary studies junior, said her decision to come to UNT could be contributed to a former Mean Green player. “Erica Wendell was a senior here when I was a freshman, and we went to the same high school,” Huddleston said. “I took her stats my freshman year in high school and thought she was so amazing, so when she came here, I didn’t think I would ever be able to come here.” Huddleston came to UNT already knowing what it feels like to be a champion. In her junior year at New Braunfels High School, she led the team to a 4A state championship and was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship game. In Huddleston’s freshman year, her 2.33 kills per game ranked her third on the team, her 207 kills was ranked fourth and she had nine games with double-digit kills. A ssista nt coach Jessica Hu l sebosch played w it h Huddleston and is now coaching her. Hulsebosch said Huddleston was originally a middle blocker, but when they realized her potential as an outside hitter, they switched her position. “From her freshman year
to now, she’s so much stronger, and she’s gotten a lot more v e r s a t i l e ,” Hu l s eb o s c h s a i d . “He r con f idence has gotten a lot better, and I think she’s gotten a lot stronger as a leader. She’s phenomenal.” Last yea r d u r i n g Huddleston’s sophomore season, she improved her a lready Photo by Augusta Liddic / Photographer outsta nd i ng s t a t i s t i c s Outside hitter Amy Huddleston, an inderdiciplinary studies junior, has 693 career kills. significantly. That season she racked up 261 kills and was grow as a player. Last weekend, the team’s most accurate hitter she earned her 693rd kill, 109 with a .261 attack-to-kill ratio. away from the 10th most kills Her .692 average against Jackson in UNT’s history. Libero Jessica Green, a State was the 10th best in school business senior, has watched history. Huddleston is also the first Huddleston step into her leadMean Green player to record 20 ership position and improve her kills and 20 digs in a game since skills, specifically this year. “Amy has been playing a lot 2003 during the match against more focused, and I think she’s Oakland University. Middle blocker Brittani finally realizing she is a great Youman, a communications player,” Green said. “She’s actujunior, has seen Huddleston’s ally coming out into her own, and she’s taking advantage of improvement first-hand. “She’s becoming a good all- the skills that now she knows around player,” Youman said. she has.” Green also said Huddleston “Amy is our go-to girl. When we’re in trouble, we can always has a light-hearted attitude when count on her to get the job it is appropriate. “She’s hilarious. She’s our done.” This year has been no different comedian,” Green said. “We’re with Huddleston continuing to always laughing when she’s