Sports
ensemble creates 3-D experience NEWS: Music Page 2 speaker debunks black-hole myths ARTS & LIFE: Visiting Page 3 exists for homecoming court issue VIEWS: Solution Page 5
Loss gives football team “gutwrenching” feeling Story on Page 4
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
News 1,2 Arts & Life 3 Sports 4 Views 5 Classifieds 6 Games 6
Volume 94 | Issue 27
Stormy 67° / 65°
List ranks UNT Texas’ best buy BY A MBER A RNOLD Senior Staff Writer
UNT’s a f fordabi lit y has placed it on the list of 100 Best College Buys for the 14th year in a row. Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc. compiles an annual list of colleges around the country and rates them based on affordability. A mong t he t hree Texas universities on the list, UNT is considered the most affordable with an annual on-campus average living cost of a little more t ha n $14,000 a nnually. The other Texas colleges named are Abilene Christian University and Texas A&M University. “It’s a choice that we have specifically made to put tuition at a point where it’s affordable,” Director of Admissions Rebecca L ot h r i nger sa id. “There has been very intense planning to utilize money as best we can.” Lothringer said UNT officials try to be as frugal as possible in what they spend to operate the university to avoid passing those costs on to students. Maintaining enrollment and retention of students is one way that UNT keeps tuition costs low, she said. “We can’t say that we absolutely haven’t raised tuition, because the costs of operating the university will keep rising, but we try to only raise it as much as we have to,” she said. Cost is only a small incentive
for students who are considering UNT, said Lothringer, w ho a dde d t h a t U N T ’s programs and educationa l opportunities are much more of an incentive. Cathy Martin, an art history sophomore, felt the pinch of her $22,000-per-year private school tuition at Centenary College in Louisiana. “At a private school, you’re supposed to have private interactions with your professors, but I feel like I get that here too,” said Martin, who pays for school herself through loans and scholarships. UNT also received recognition from the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of five schools in the country to thrive in this economic climate, Lothringer said. “Both of these acknowledgments go hand-in-hand, and it’s a big accomplishment for us,” Lothringer said. UNT’s Timely Graduation Tuition Program also works to keep tuition at a minimum, she said. According to the Web site for the program, students will pay the same university tuition no matter how many hours they take. However, Lothringer said it is important to differentiate university tuition from state tuition. Students enrolled in 12 hours or more are considered full-time, but state tuition requires them to pay an additional $50 per hour for each credit hour more than 12.
America’s 100 ‘Best College Buys’ identifies universities that: • • •
•
are accredited, four-year institutions offering bachelor degrees. offer full residential facilities including dorms and dining services. had their most recent entering freshman class reporting a high school grade point average and/ or SAT/ACT score equal to or above the national average for entering college freshmen. have an out-of-state cost of attendance for three quarters or two semesters below the national average cost of tuition, fees, room and board or not exceeding the national average cost by more than 10 percent.
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
PHOTO BY KAITLIN HOAG/ PHOTOGRAPHER
The Rayzor Ranch development near McKenna Park will fill up with more equipment and machinery so gas drilling can begin near residential areas.
Gas wells a ‘potential disaster’ BY T.S. MCBRIDE
Contributing Writer Calvin Tillman, mayor of DISH, a small North Texas town, said he had noticed the lingering odor of natural gas for years. In fact, he said he wasn’t the only one bothered by the smell coming from the natural gas wells in town, which is about 10 miles southeast of Denton. “We were told over and over again that we were only smelling odorant,” Tillman said, referring to a harmless chemical gas companies add to natural gas as a safety precaution. “The odor would get worse and worse.” In light of the Denton City Council’s recent decision to grant a special permit to drill natural gas wells near residential areas, Tillman’s struggle to get gas companies to clean up their act could serve as a case study of things to come in Denton. DISH was briefly in the news in 2005 when the residents voted to change its name from Clark to DISH in exchange for free satellite TV for the town from DISH Network. In the mid ’90s, companies drilled gas wells around DISH, and since then, Tillman said the townsfolk have been dealing with headaches, nausea and a
persistent bad odor. As mayor, he received regular complaints. Some came from the same few people. Other times, when the smell was particularly bad, he said he would get 15 calls per day. Tillman said he decided to conduct his own test. He bought a gas detector and sampled the air around DISH. “I noticed about 90 percent of the time I was detecting combustible gas along with the odor,” he said. He took his concerns to the well operators. Each time he went to one of the five companies drilling in DISH, Tillman said they would blame the other companies for the problem. “You could never tell where the odor was coming from,” Tillman said. However in March, the companies agreed collectively to conduct a comprehensive air quality test. “They ended up throwing a gas detector in an SUV and driving around for a couple of hours,” Tillman said. When he met with representatives again in June, he was told their study found no evidence of dangerous chemicals. Tillman said he received an anonymous phone call telling
him the companies’ test would not give the information he wanted. The caller said he needed to pay for a toxic organic test and Tillman decided to take the anonymous caller’s advice. He arranged for a the test, which found several chemicals in excess of Environmental Protection Agency requirements. Among the chemicals found in excess were benzene and xylene. Both chemicals have health risks that include cancer. Alisa Rich is president of Wolf Eagle Environmental, the group that conducted the test. She said she is more worried about the high concentrations of carbon disulfide that were found. “It’s a highly explosive chemical with a potential for disaster,” she said. She also said the EPA’s requirements for chemical concentrations were based on the average adult. Children and seniors are at greater risks. Rich said the results in DISH are typical, and she finds chemicals exceeding EPA guidelines about 95 percent of the time. Most of those results are collected in remote, less densely populated areas, she said. “It is not advisable for there
to be [drilling] sites in areas where children live, play or attend school,” she said. “We really put the cart before the horses in this case.” Denton city councilman Jim Englebrecht said he sympathizes with the situation in DISH, but state laws make it difficult to prevent natural gas companies from drilling in residential areas, a situation he thinks will worsen. He said 99 percent of wells were once built in rural areas. “Now, the things have moved into the backyard,” he said. He also said that the compression stations that pump the natural gas into pipelines and are the source of most of the pollution would not be located on the site near McKenna Park. But he also said that it may become necessary to add a compression station later. Englebrecht said in the meantime, if Denton residents have similar complaints to those in DISH, the council will try to shut the wells down. “In the event that we have those sorts of things and they can prove them, I believe we have an obligation to shut them down,” he said. He added that proving such claims is difficult.
Soccer team earns victories in seniors’ final game BY SEAN GORMAN Senior Staff Writer
The UNT soccer team sent its three seniors off with a storybook ending by winning both games during the players’ final home stand of their Mean Green playing careers. The Mean Green (9-4-1, 5-0-1) improved its home record during the weekend to 8-1 this year with two shut outs, giving goalkeeper Mandy Hall, a history junior, 15 for her career. Hall needs two more shut outs to tie Briana Buchanan’s school record. “This win was for the seniors tonight,” Hedlund said. “They have done so much for the program, not just on the field but off the field as well. It was important everyone did their job to make this a special night for Kendall, Kelli and Shockey.” On a frigid Friday evening, UNT extended its unbeaten streak to five games by defeating the Jaguars (2-11-1, 0-5-1) 3-0 on Senior Night. Seniors Kendall
Juett, a sociology major, Lauren Shockey, a journalism major, and Kelli Lunsford, an applied behavior analysis major, were all honored with plaques before the game. “It was great to get a win tonight and get off to a good start for the weekend,” Juett said. “It was a different type of feeling being honored before the game. It’s amazing how fast four years fly by. We tried to enjoy it though and shared some laughs.” Forward Kelsey Perlman, a journalism sophomore, led the Mean Green offense by scoring goals in both the early and latter stages of the contest. “Those seniors have carried us all season and throughout their careers,” she said. The first goal from Perlman came only 5:37 into the game after she directed a bouncing loose ball over the head of Jaguar keeper Katie Berry. No offense from the University of South Alabama ever developed
and UNT secured the win in the 80th minute, when Perlman iced it with her fourth goal of the season. “We’re just happy to get wins this weekend,” head coach John Hedlund said. “We’re first in the conference at this point and right now that’s all we can ask for.” Forward Michelle Young, an undeclared freshman, continued her dominance on offense as UNT defeated the Trojans (6-7-1, 2-3-0) 2-0 on Sunday afternoon. A goal from Young in the 11th minute set the tone early, as she scored following a deflection off of Trojan goalkeeper Ashley Branham. Both teams failed to generate offense from that point on and the intensity rose with one red card and two yellow cards assigned. “There really wasn’t too much tension between the teams,” Young said. “I don’t think the cards being given out represented the feeling of the game.”
PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB / INTERN
Junior forward Dani Watson, a kinesiology junior, works past Troy University defenders during Sunday’s game. An insurance goal in the 85th minute from Young from a Juett assist secured the win for UNT. “Our defense played well all game, it’s our strength,” Hedlund
said. “If our offense can play at the same level as our defense, I don’t see anyone on our schedule that can beat us.” The Mean Green returns to
action next weekend on the road in the Natural State against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Arkansas State University.
Page 2 Tuesday, October 13, 2009
News
Shaina Zucker & Courtney Roberts
News Editors ntdailynews@gmail.com
Oprah visits Texas state fair
Group conveys art through technology CHRIS SPEIGHT
Senior Staff Writer
PHOTO BY KAITLYN PRICE / INTERN
Oprah Winfrey drops by the State Fair of Texas on Sunday to greet hundreds of cheering fans and sample some authentic Texas fair food — she recommends the fried butter — in preparation for her show, which broadcast from the fair on Monday.
A concert involving spontaneous 3-D visual art, sounds, technology and engineering techniques created a mixed multimedia experience on Monday night in the Music Building. There were more than 200 people at Noisefold. Students, faculty, staff and the media filled the theater, including the balcony. The duet ensemble, Noisefold, is comprised of David Stout, a UNT professor of music composition, and guest artist Cory Metcalf. The pair feed a wide array of data to computers, which then process the information using algorithms to create experimental 3-D images and sounds. “The goal of Noisefold is to create a performance experience that’s pushing the boundaries of new forms of media and sonic arts,” Metcalf said. Interactive sensors pick up the motion of Stout and Metcalf’s hands and translate the movement into images and sounds in the computer, Stout said. These translations are projected onto two screens, which create the 3-D effect. “In our performances, it’s really more about gestural control so the data we capture is essentially the motion of our hands and that sort of thing,” Stout said. “But you could just as easily have a temperature, humidity or light sensor and be running the music.”
“We really refer to our work as live cinema. We’re a real-time animation group meets electronic music.”
—David Stout UNT professor of music composition
Metcalf said the group is creating live 3-D animations by using equations derived mainly from astrophysics that model abstract 3-D spaces. “It’s basically an equation that generates a virtual geometry that occupies a virtual 3-D space,” he said. The data pool from which Noisefold draws to create its art is both real-time data and data that has been collected. “We’re looking at is real-time data, which is generated by ocean current release that are basically located around the world,” Stout said. Noisefold said it is not matching images to pre-existing music, or even visualizing music, rather it is “sonifying” the visual forms. Stout described “sonifying” as the sensation created when one hears something that cannot be seen without some aid. “We really refer to our work as live cinema,” Stout said. “We’re a real-time animation group meets electronic music.” Stout categorized Noisefold’s goal as an interdisciplinary vision in advancing technological
design as it relates to the arts. The project cost about $10,000 to run, providing for the basic system, computers and projectors, he said. “Cory and I have paid for it ourselves out of various research grants and donations that we’ve been given and through art work that we sell,” Stout said. Brent Smith, a radio, television and film junior, said he had no idea how to exactly describe Noisefold. “It was some sort of experimental audio-visual music something,” he said. “Words are very hard to describe what that is. It was very trippy and induced a very great nap briefly. There were a couple of songs that made me legitimately terrified and where I was relaxed.” Emma Fuentes, a linguistics freshman, said she really enjoyed the unusual qualities of Noisefold. “I’d never ex per ienced anything like it before,” she said. “It was like a light show on steroids. I haven’t slept for over 26 hours so I started nodding off on certain parts.”
Universities build swanky housing to lure undergrads (MCT) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Inside this pricey new dorm, Purdue University students enjoy maid service and private bathrooms. Each room has its own climate-control panel, and students don’t even have to confer about the settings. There are no roommates. The communal lounges — there are two on every floor —have 47-inch flat-screen TVs, entertainment centers customdesigned by Amish carpenters, free Wi-Fi and kitchenettes with ceramic tile. For these amenities and more, students or their parents pay a premium of $5,000 per year above typical room and board costs. Yet in the depths of a recession, the 356 spots at First Street Towers dorm sold out in two days, in part because of generational changes in parenting and in young adults’ expectations about privacy and privation. Increasingly, colleges are
building their own luxury accommodations to keep students on campus, said James Baumann, a spokesman for the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International. For the millennial generation —born between 1982 and 2003 —sharing space doesn’t always come easy. Privacy isn’t negotiable. “They didn’t grow up sharing a bedroom, maybe even sharing a bathroom,” Baumann said. “When it comes time for college, they anticipate a continuation of that.” Ashley Hendzell, 19, a sophomore, takes advantage of her autonomy at First Street Towers by liberally spritzing her room with the eau de cologne Ralph Hot, keeping 30 pairs of shoes at the ready and jamming the bookshelf with every episode of “The O.C.” and “Dawson’s Creek.” “I’ve never had to worry about anyone else,” said Hendzell,
whose two siblings are several years older. “I’ve always been alone.” Tom Cheesman, architect of Purdue’s $52 million First Street Towers, said the residence hall is “essentially a hotel.” He said it is especially attractive to “helicopter parents who want to send their son or daughter to college campus but give them all the luxuries of home.” The demand for more posh undergraduate housing is growing across college campuses, contradicting general economic trends toward simplifying and cutting back. This fall, Boston University unveiled a 960-bed luxury dorm overlooking the Charles PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT River that comes with walk-in closets, large private bath- Eric Stumpf, a sophomore, pictured Aug. 25, is one of the students who have moved into relatively posh new dorms rooms and washers and dryers (private baths, no room mates, in-room thermostat) at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. programmed to alert students via computer when their sheets more than a traditional room. rooms start around $13,800 per makes doing exercise videos in are dry. Rooms in the elegant “Students want beauty, and academic year, including at least her room a bit less mortifying. tower also run about $5,000 they should have beauty,” 10 dining-hall meals a week. The Linda Rubinowitz, a clinKenneth Elmore, BU’s dean same room-and-board arrange- ical psychologist at the Family of students, told the Boston ment in a standard double room Institute at Northwestern University, noted that leapfrogis about $5,000 less. Globe. “You are going to be in debt ging into a more mature style At Arizona State University, non-f resh men ca n apply anyway, might as well enjoy,” of living fits the expectations for a spot at Vista Del Sol, an Hendzell said, explaining her of some millennials, who want “things to happen very quickly on-campus, 1,841-bed facility decision to upgrade. Tom Paczolt, the tower’s for them.” run in partnership with a private “They are really moving it to general manager, conceded developer. Billed as a first-class resort, that the concept “may seem the next level,” she said. But she the complex has a heated pool, like coddling,” but the market cautioned that some students may not forge the life skills a hot tub, a sand volleyball court demand is clear. “Boomers really want it better learned through sharing tight and four tanning booths. Units living quarters. come with “lavishly appointed” for their kids,” he said. Eric Stumpf, 19, a sophomore, Purdue senior Rob Michalski kitchens, washer and dryers, cable and Internet access. Rent said he’d had it with roommates, got out of bed at 3:30 a.m. on a for a one-person efficiency is including those who smelled “so January day to register online for a chance to live at First Street. about $1,000 a month and horrible.” Before classes began, the At the time, he was sharing requires a 12-month lease – well above the $6,500 per academic 22-year-old hauled his own wall- one bathroom among 30 guys. year for a traditional one- to-wall carpeting to First Street To make up the difference in Towers and installed a 32-inch cost, Stumpf said he prombedroom on campus. ised his parents to apply for a “Schools recognize that plasma TV. “This is a lot better than with resident assistant position— (nicer) residence halls are part which includes free room and of the recruitment process,” a roommate,” he said. Hendzell, the Tinley Park board —for his junior and senior Baumann said. “This led to what we call, tongue-in-cheek, sophomore, said the single years. “Mentally, it really sets you up ‘the amenities war,’ “ he said. “ room will fit her late-night study habits. The aspiring clothing for apartment living,” Stumpf ‘Dorm’ is a four-letter word.” Hotel living comes at a price. designer said she likes to stay up said. Privacy “puts everyone in At First Street Towers, the drawing until 5 a.m. Moreover, it a good mood.”
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Arts & Life
Page 3 Kip Mooney
Arts & Life Editor ntd.artslife@gmail.com
Professor extends black-holes research to students By Graciela R azo Senior Staff Writer
Many students learn about black holes in old “Star Trek” episodes, but Gregory Shields is trying to give them a clear understanding of the astronomical phenomenon. Shields, a University of Texas at Austin professor, will present his research today regarding black holes and how they may have affected the evolution of several galaxies. “The Hunt for Runaway Black Holes” will take place at 7 p.m. in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building 130. He will discuss the main parts of his research during the public presentation, including theories on the recoiling of black holes. “The discovery of recoiling black holes came up a few years ago, when theoretical physicists calculating the merger of black holes in a computer came up with a prediction,” Shields said. “When two black holes spiral together and become one, the resulting one can fly away from the original location up to several thousand kilometers per second.” He will also share his research on quasars, another subject
Shields believes would be a topic of interest to curious student astronomers. Quasars are starlike masses believed to be the farthest objects in the universe. Shields said he will also answer questions and curiosities about black holes. “We are not in any danger of being sucked into a black hole,” Shields said. “But the formation of black holes is important for the creation of our galaxy.” Even though these concepts may seem only comprehensible to astronomy students, Shields said all of the ideas he will present are fairly simple yet important for everyone to understand. “I think the relevance to the evolution of galaxies is an important aspect of how black holes may have even had an effect in how we’re in the galaxy that we are,” Shields said. Margaret Hall, the event and conferences coordinator for the physics department, said Shields’ presentation is a way to bring science and astronomy to students who would normally only hear about black holes in movies. “It is an interesting subject that there is not typically a lot
Photo by Drew Gaines / Photographer
Gregory Shields of the University of Texas’ Department of Astronomy will present research in hopes of revealing the mysteries behind one of the universe’s most perplexing phenomena in his presentation, “The Hunt for Runaway Black Holes,” beginning at 7 tonight. of information on,” Hall said. She said Shields is an appropriate presenter because of he can bring technical terms to a level where everyone can understand the concepts. “He will still use technical
terms, but they won’t be in such a way that the average person couldn’t understand it,” Hall said. “He also uses slides and the computer to enhance what he’s saying, so people at the presentation could actu-
Language center offers alternatives By K atie Grivna Senior Staff Writer
Shalon Chandler can practice her Chinese or watch a Chinese film without leaving campus. Chandler, a psychology junior, said she is doing a lot better in class since she went to the Foreign Language Learning Center, which offers these services. “It can give you that extra step that not everyone else gets,” she said. T he Foreig n L a ng uage Learning Center offers foreign language students a variety of resources to increase their skills. Chandler liked the center’s convenience, learning tools and resources that are “beyond the book,” she said. T he center, located i n Language Building 105, is available only to students enrolled in a foreign language class and is paid by a $9 of foreign language course fees. The 80 computers in the center are equipped with software that allows students to translate words, search for different countries and record audio so they can hear their pronunciation, among other things. Textbook-accompanying CDs are available, as well as a foreign film collection. Susan Gehrlein, director of the center, said every language and discipline has an online component used in teaching. The lab allows students to have access to those components, which can teach students areas they need help with, she said. “When the student benefits, the whole community and the
whole world benefits from it,” Gehrlein said. She wa nts st udents to feel comfortable in the lab’s academic environment and be able to easily find what they need, she said. “You have enough things in your life to be challenged with,” she said. “I want you to be able to go in, sit down, and everything’s just going to be there.” The foreign film collection, available in VHS or DVD format, offers movies in more than 10 different languages. Students may check out movies, but must watch them in the lab. These films help students see how the rest of the world lives and how other cultures deal with issues similar to our own, as well as realize there is a world around us, Gehrlein said. “We don’t want to be the ugly American,” she said. “I think it’s important for us to be part of the international community, and the best way to know that there is a international community is through a foreign language.” More than 5,000 students are currently enrolled in a foreign language this semester, and the center’s lab was used more than 6,000 times in September, Gehrlein said. “Every single minute that you spend in the lab focusing on the language just makes it easier for you,” she said. Gehrlein said she is working to add six new computers to the Foreign Language Learning Center by the semester’s end. In the hallway near the lab, magazines from foreign countries line the walls, offering another way for students to learn
ally know what he’s talking about.” Shields said the discussion will be relevant to all students, and he will relate the information to their everyday lives. “Almost everyone seems to
be fascinated by black holes, and what they will see in my discussion is why they exist and how they provide a power source for one of the most brilliant phenomenon of the universe,” Shields said.
Photo by Stephen Masker / Photographer
One of the feral cats shelters is by the east side of Bruce Hall. Students in the Feral Cat Rescue Group will be assigned one shelter each to provide food and water once or twice a week to cats.
Feral cat group seeks volunteer rescuers By Morgan Walker Staff Writer
Photo by Cristy Angulo / Photographer
Paige Wilson, a forensic psychology sophomore, and Tony Nguyen, a biology sophomore, use the Foreign Language Learning Center in Language Building 105 to study for Japanese and Spanish language classes on Monday. about culture. In addition to the center’s lab, a media room in room 108A allows students to watch foreign language television programs. Reed Milliken, an English language junior, said he uses the center to study for his Spanish class. “In a big building like the Language Building, it’s nice to have something set aside just for specifically foreign languages,” he said. “Plus, it’s a quiet place
to study so you don’t have to go all the way to the library.” Because he commutes to school, Milliken said the center is also a good place to meet classmates to work together. The lab is open from 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Fridays. Student IDs are required. For more information, visit fllc.unt.edu.
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St udent s, fac u lt y a nd staff have had the opportunity to help control the feral cat population since 1998. But recently, the number of volunteers dropped. The UNT Feral Cat Rescue Group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the feral cat population and educating others about responsible pet care. “We need volunteers to help with feeding and trapping the cats,” said Nancy Kelly, a College of Visual Arts and Design counselor. The group uses a method called TNR — trap, neuter and return — which effectively and humanely reduces the feral cat population by stopping the reproduction cycle. A feral cat, which is not adoptable, is one that was eit her aba ndoned a nd is trying to survive on its own or was born to a feral mother and has never been socialized by human beings, according to the group’s Web site. Feral cats differ from strays in that strays were once pets and are tame, friendly and can be adopted into homes, according to Alley Cat Allies, a nat iona l orga n i z at ion promoting humane care for cats. The Campus Cat Coalition, a UNT student organization that is part of the feral group, has been inactive for years, Kelly said. From 1998, when the group began, to 2007, the group was able to trap and rescue more than 200 cats, Kelly said. “Now the number is at 251.” Student volunteers would
be assigned to one of the 20 g reen shelters, where t hey ma ke su re t he cat s have food and water once or twice a week. Ja net Feaga ns, a g roup volu nteer a nd coord inator in the Eagle Student Services Center, said there are shelters outside different buildings around campus, including most of the dorms and the Mean Green Village, the field between Traditions Hall and Fouts Field. Feagans also said she sets up t raps ever y T hu rsday evening, unless the weather is bad. “If we trap a cat, we take it to Dr. Granv ille Wright at the Animal Hospital on Te a s le y L a ne,” Fe a g a n s said. T he t r a p s, w h ic h a r e purchased from Animal Care Equ ipment a nd Ser v ices Inc., do not cause any injuries to cats, Kelly said. “There is a ring attached to the door on the trap, and when the cat trips the ring, the door closes,” she said. If individuals feel there is a fera l cat popu lat ion nea rby a nd wa nt to t rap cats on their own, Feagans advises they contact Stacey Taylor of the Denton Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic, a part of the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection. To ensure the clinic has room for the cats, appointme nt s s hou ld b e m a de before indiv idua ls set up traps. Volunteers can also help by making financial, food or supply donations. For more i n for mat ion, v i sit w w w.or g s.u nt .e du / feralcat.
Page 4 Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sports
Justin Umberson
Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com
Volleyball team splits weekend matches BY R EMINGTON BIRD Staff Writer
With 12 games left on its schedule, the Mean Green topped last year’s win total Friday, but could not carry the momentum into Sunday. The UNT volleyball team (7-13, 3-3) split its first two hosted Sun Belt Conference games of the season last weekend, defeating Florida Atlantic University (3-12, 2-5) on Friday and falling to Florida International University (16-2, 6-0) on Sunday. “They were two totally different teams,” head coach Cassie Headrick said. “FIU is the number one team in the conference, and we make too many errors.”
Friday Not long after the beginning of the first set the Mean Green’s performance became dominating, and the team defeated the Owls in three sets: 19-25, 13-25 and 19-25. In the first set, FAU scored the first point but never managed to get a lead in the set again after the Mean Green tied it up on the next serve. The Mean Green had better composure than FAU throughout the match with 13 errors compared to FAU’s 22. UNT also had a .227 attack-to-kill ratio,
with 11 aces compared to FAU’s .116 average and one ace. Outside h it ter Sa la h Schoenecke, a health promotion senior, had eight kills and three aces in the match. “Honestly, the No. 1 key to us on Friday was how tough our serving was. They couldn’t pass against us,” she said. “We had a lot of communication, we had good serves and receives, our hitters were making connections with their setters, and our block was there.”
Sunday The Mean Green’s second conference match of the weekend was against FIU, the most successful opponent the team has played this season, and FIU’s only two losses have come from nationally ranked opponents. UNT fell in three sets, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-23, but FIU did not run away with the game as some expected. The first set saw the lead change eight times with neither team gaining more than a twopoint advantage until a block put FIU up 23-20. The Mean Green stayed competitive throughout the entire match and never let a set slip out of reach with several long series as the teams battled it out. Setter Kayla Saey, a business
PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB / PHOTOGRAPHER
Outside hitter Salah Schoenecke, a health promotions senior, hits the ball to Florida International University on Sunday. Schoenecke had eight kills against FAU. sophomore, said the team could at least take something away from the game. “That definitely gave us a lot of confidence,” she said. “The next couple of games we have we are
going to do a lot better because we know we played really well against the No. 1 team in the conference.” The statistics reflect well upon UNT. Despite the loss, UNT had
14 errors compared to FIU’s 27 and a .172 attack-to-kill ratio compared to FIU’s .173 average. In the end, the FIU outside hitters, senior Yarimar Rosa and freshman Jovana Bjelica, were
too overpowering with 19 and 18 kills in the match respectively. UNT will continue conference play next weekend at Middle Tennessee on Friday and at Western Kentucky on Saturday.
Week 7 Sun Belt Pick ’em
Sean
Eric
Justin
Arkansas State @ Louisiana Monroe PHOTO BY ANDREW MCLEMORE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Mississippi State @ Middle Tennessee
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver B.J. Lewis gets a pass knocked away from him by a Middle Tennessee State University defender Sept. 26. Lewis pulled in five catches for 59 yards in the 37-21 loss.
Mistakes crush Mean Green’s chance at win
Troy @ Florida International Louisiana LaFayette @ Western Kentucky
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Intercept ions, f u mbles, penalties, bad punts and two Ragin’ Cajun non-offensive touchdowns were the recipe for another Mean Green defeat, 38-34. UNT (1-4, 0-2) fought out of a double-digit hole it dug itself late in the second quarter and took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter over the Un iver sit y of L ou i sia naLafayette (3-2, 1-0). The Mean Green managed just 16 yards in the final quarter, while the Ragin’ Cajuns engineered two long touchdown drives to hand UNT its second demoralizing defeat of the season. “It’s a gut-wrenching feeling when you feel like you have it and let it slip away like the ones we have had,” head coach Todd Dodge said. “This will be a real test of the character we have on this football team.” Running back La nce Dunbar, an undeclared sophomore, was called upon to fill in for starter Cam Montgomery, a post-graduate senior, after he injured his leg late in the week during practice. Dunbar did not disappoint, dissecting t he La fayette defense for more than half of the Mean
Green’s 444 total yards and a UNT record-tying four touchdowns. “Dunbar and our offensive line did really well,” Todd Dodge said. “There is some confidence we can gain from this loss. We can be really dangerous when we have both running backs and our quarterback involved in the ground game, so that is a strength for us going forward.” For t he second st ra ight ga me, qua r terback R i le y Dodge, an undeclared redshirt freshmen, turned the ball over four times, including an interception returned for a touchdown and another that led to a field goal. Riley Dodge, starting his fourth career collegiate game at quarterback, has shown flashes of the game-changing ability he had in high school that won state championships, but has got to take better care of the football, Todd Dodge said. Lafayette would also return a blocked punt to jump out to a two-touchdown lead, but on the legs of Dunbar, UNT came screaming back and scored 24 unanswered points. “The players showed tremendous resiliency at that point,”
Todd Dodge said. “This group of kids and coaches deserve a win.” UNT’s defense showed its tenacity and athleticism once again, holding Lafayette to 295 total yards and 17 points on offense, including a huge stop after an interception gave Lafayette the ball at the UNT 26-yard line. The Mean Green defense could have ta ken 14 more points of f t he boa rd, but two pass interference penalties on fourth down allowed L a fayet te to cont i nue its scoring drives. The Mean Green will look to shake off its 13-game conference losing streak when Florida Atlantic University (0-4, 0-1) visits Fouts Field on Saturday night at homecoming. The team will key in on some crucial areas where it has struggled this week at practice. “It seems like a broken record, but the same things keep getting us beat,” Todd Dodge said. “Our kids don’t mean to make mistakes in those situations. We have to be more aware, and we have to keep our confidence, which is what I will be driving home during this next week.”
Views
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Page 5 Amanda Mielcarek
Views Editor ntdailyviews@gmail.com
College applicants misuse Facebook Editorial Facebook and other social networking sites permeate every aspect of college students’ lives. These sites shape the way students socialize, date, set up study groups, share big announcements and even express themselves. Now Facebook has even entered the realm of college admissions. It’s no surprise that many aspiring college freshmen use social networking sites to get to know their prospective roommates or try to make friends with other students before arriving at school. However, applicants have taken it to the next level by exploiting these sites to get the upper hand on other students by getting friendly with admissions officers. At 401 of the nation’s top colleges and universities, 71 percent of college admissions say they or another admissions officer at their school have received a Facebook or MySpace “friend request” from an applicant, according to a new Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey. While many people consider this a good way to get a competitive edge on other applicants, potential students should consider the possible consequences before jumping the gun and friending college admissions officers. In the same way that allowing prospective employers access to your profile can damage your chances of getting hired, allowing admissions officers access can have many of the same negative effects. Any unflattering pictures, updates or information that a person’s friends might find hilarious are not so comedic in the eyes of an admissions officer. This new trend also raises the question of morality. The editorial staff feels that it is not right for students with Facebook profiles to get the upper hand on students who either elect not to have one or who do not have access to the Internet. Of course, while the majority of college admissions officers have received friend requests, the vast majority of college admissions officers don’t consider college applicants’ Facebook profiles as a factor in determining whether he or she will be accepted. In fact, only about one in 10 have ever looked at an applicant’s profile. This fact, however, is quickly changing. Colleges and universities are beginning to recognize the impact of social networking in the admissions process. Twenty-one percent of schools reported they are developing relevant policies and 13 percent reported already having policies in place. While colleges will inevitably be forced to get with the times and embrace social networking sites as something that is here to stay, admissions officers and students should seriously consider whether these sites belong in the college admissions process.
Campus Chat How do you feel about the Homecoming Game this Friday?
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“I’m excited to see the festivities and the game.”
Zach Lewis
Retaining Homecoming symbolism They’re at it again. Every time you turn around, people want to discriminate. They feel it’s pointless to give honest and equal representation to all groups. The question isn’t race, religion or ethnicity this time. It’s sexual orientation. For the UNT Homecoming court, the Student Government Association bylaws say, “candidates must file with a partner, one male for King and one female for Queen.” In September, pandemonium started when SGA Sen. C h r i s t op h e r P a s s a f i u m e proposed to alter the bylaws to permit same-sex couples to run together on the Homecoming ballot. On Sept. 29, the SGA voted the bill down. The student law ma kers made the right choice, but they emphasized the wrong reasons. Fear that alumni would pull their money out of the university’s coffers proved to be the
biggest argument against the legislation. The issue is not that the Homecoming traditions would be uprooted if a gay couple were elected. The issue is not that people would boycott the events if a lesbian couple were elected. The issue is not that alumni would completely withdraw their support if a samesex couple were elected. The issue lies in having only one gender selected to represent the entire student population of UNT, which would be unfair and discriminatory. Some senators mentioned this argument, but it was kept out of the public discussion. In most U.S. colleges, the student population is split nearly in half between men and women, usually with more women enrolled. How, then, would two men selected a s Homecom i ng king and queen represent the roughly 18,000 female students of UNT?
No requirement exists that the homecoming candidates be heterosexual in the SGA bylaws. If someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered desires to run for the Homecoming court, no barrier will prevent it. Under the current rules, he or she has to find a person to run with that represents the other portion of the UNT population. By saying the problem was sexual orientation, the SGA created unneeded controversy and contention. A solution exists to make Homecom i ng elect ions more open to all of UNT’s students. The SGA should eliminate the requirement that people run as couples, allowing them to r u n i nd iv idua l ly. T hat measure would eliminate the idea that the individual must run as a part of a heterosexual couple.
Since UNT Homecoming is purely symbolic and the winners have no actual responsibility to represent student interests, allowing students to vote for individuals breaks up the idea of a homecoming couple, instead presenting them as a homecoming king and a homecoming queen. Homecoming should represent ever yone, not just the majorit y a nd not just t he minority.
Abigail Allen is a journalism senior and the Copy Chief of the Daily. She can be reached abbyt_203@yahoo.com.
Obama deserved to win Peace Prize If there’s one thing that America’s reception of our new Nobel-laureate president has told me, it’s this: Obamamania is over. Unfortunately, I find myself part of a silent minority of U.S. citizens who support the decision of the Nobel Foundation. I realize that by putting this statement in writing, I have marked myself a lunatic in the eyes of most Americans, but allow me to defend my claim. The first part of any defense is to establish a central premise. Mine is a statement made by Alfred Nobel upon which the selection of each Nobel Peace prizewinner is based. Each winner shall be the person who, “during t he preceding year ... shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” By this standard, I believe President Barack Obama has measured up. Now I admit that the quote has been doctored for emphasis. Normally I wouldn’t go to such lengths to point out an important section of a quotation, but every critic of the Nobel committee seems to have ignored that important qualifier.
In the past week, the vast majority of negative punditry I’ve witnessed has been centered on Obama’s tenure as the 44th U.S. president, not Obama’s accomplishments during the preceding year. What I will defend is Obama’s record-shattering and statusquo-changing 2008 presidential campaign, and the fact that it does indeed merit a Nobel Peace Prize. During the aftermath of the 2008 election, almost everyone in the U.S. agreed that Obama’s victory was because of his professionally run campaign. Let’s discuss the central criterion of Nobel’s statement: “most or best work for fraternity between nations.” I believe he’s met this condition twofold. The first addressed an unfaltering promotion of diplomacy during his run for the presidency. In the 2008 presidential debate both Sen. John McCain and Obama were asked if they would be willing to meet “with leaders of Syria, Iran, Venezuela” during their first term. Obama responded that, yes, he would be willing to do so. He explained that “the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle
of this [Bush] administration — is ridiculous.” Obama continued his promotion of his new diplomacy well into November, battling Republicans and Democrats alike. Obama made sure that the defining difference between him and Sen. Hillary Clinton was their differing views on diplomacy. Let’s also keep in mind that the U.S. presidential race is perhaps the most watched and influential political stage on earth. In t h is l ig ht, Oba ma’s constant support of more open diplomacy is impressive, and definitely constitutes “work for fraternity between nations.” I wou ld nex t apply a secondary definition of the word “nation”: an aggregation of persons of the same ethnicity. I suspect that many critics of Obama would deem this definition not applicable. This is my response to that argument: Prev ious Nobel Peace Prize laureates include Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin. All of these people were not famous for their ability to increase positive relations between nation-states, but rather between different
ethnicities of human beings. By this definition, I’d say that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama is incredibly appropriate. Obama’s political campaign was symbolic of another level of fraternity and equality reached in the U.S., perhaps a final chapter in the civil rights movement. He represents “fraternity between [ethnic] nations,” as well as nation-states. Finally, I would submit a challenge to readers. If you disagree with my column, and therefore the Nobel Peace Prize committee, I ask you to submit an alternative choice for the 2009 prize, meaning that person met the requirements in 2008, and a thorough defense of him or her, if the choice makes sense.
Morgan Booksh is a journalism freshman and a Daily intern. He can be reached at mdbooksh@gmail.com.
journalism junior
“I think its kind of cool that we all go out and support our team like we are all champions.”
Josalyn Allen
theatre arts sophomore.
“It’s my first homecoming, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
NT Daily Editorial Board
Denise Chambless communication design freshman
The Editorial Board includes: Andrew McLemore, Amanda Mielcarek, Shaina Zucker, Courtney Roberts, Brooke Cowlishaw, Kip Mooney, Abigail Allen, Sydnie Summers, Brianne Tolj, Christena Dowsett, Justin Umberton, and David Lucio
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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