Sports
tree registration goes online NEWS: Free Page 2 aim to reduce students’ stress ARTS & LIFE: Clinics Page 4 action does not foster equality VIEWS: Affirmative Page 5
Running back names Sun Belt player of the week Story on Page 3
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
News 1,2 Arts & Life 4 Sports 3 Views 5 Classifieds 6 Games 6
Volume 94 | Issue 28
Stormy 79° / 65°
UNT budgets pass $1 billion New programs contribute to record budget BY A MBER A RNOLD Senior Staff Writer
UNT’s combined budget has exceeded $1 billion for the first time in its history. The combined budgets of t he universit y, t he hea lt h science center, UNT Dallas and the system headquarters make up this number, said Andrew Harris, vice president for finance and administration. “You can all be very proud of the contributions you’ve made that have made this possible,” he said. Harris said universities are divided into two basic g roups : t hose t hat have reached a budget of more than $1 billion and those who haven’t. This is quite an accompl i s h ment f or U N T, he said. Harris delivered the news at the div ision of f inance and administration’s town ha ll meeting at 8 :30 a.m. Wed nesday i n t he Si lver Eagle Suite. Jean Bush, associate vice president for finance, elaborated on the financial situation of t he UNT Denton campus. I n add it ion to U N T’s increased budget, it has also seen an increase in its credit rating for the first time in 14 years, Bush said. “We’ve had a really steady climb in net assets,” she said. The tuition from UNT’s g row i ng st udent popu lation has contributed to the g row t h of t he u n iversit y financially. Bu sh a l so adde d t hat tuition has seen a steady rise but not the significant jumps that other universities have experienced. “We have basically locked
in mandatory fees other than the slight increase in union fees,” she said. Ot her busi ness du r i ng the meeting included information about UNT’s Hertz Connect program, which was launched in August. The program is the newest form of alternative transportation, said Joe Richmond, associate director for transportation services. U N T te a me d up w it h Connect by Hertz to create the program aimed at UNT’s faculty, staff and students without transportation. “This is great for internationa l students who want to explore the metroplex,” Richmond said. “You don’t need a car to come to school here at UNT. We can get you to campus, and we can do even more now.” The program provides four cars intended for personal u se, w h ich a nyone w ho is accepted for t he Hert z membership card can rent. The meeting concluded with Donna Keener, assistant vice president of human resources, discussing t he n e w c l a s s i f i c a t i on a nd compensation program. Classif ication and compensation refers to the positions of faculty and staff and their pay, she said. However, it is more than just job titles and pay raises, she said. The new program will be competency-based w it h a new phi losophy of ta lent management, Keener said. Keener said the university will be an advocate for employees by advancing and promoting within the UNT community. To view the finance and administ rat ion tow n ha ll meeting, please visit http:// web3.unt/vcstream/. To read the full NT Daily story about Hertz Connect please v isit: http://ntda il yd at a ba s e.c om/i nde x . php?s =hertz.
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Umbrellas get plenty of use from students walking to class Friday. They have needed their umbrellas almost every day this month.
PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/ INTERN
North Texas adjusts to El Niño BY BROOKE NOTTINGHAM
for a number of reasons. “This was going to be my season to get in shape and start running, but now I can’t,” said Brooke Koslan, a political psychology junior. The rain isn’t just keeping students inside, but also a
on the slick pavement. “It’s dangerous. When the sidewalk’s all wet, it’s easier to slip or hit people,” said Keaton Stevens, a language arts freshman. “I accidentally hit someone the other day who was walking slow because of
In the season known to treat North Texas to cool sunshine and colorful foliage, students have woken up to alternating days of chilly drizzle and swampy fog for the past several weeks. Parks have turned into flood plains and streets into rivers. Leaves that would be crisp and bright instead hang limp and exhausted from the rain, heat, rain, humidity and more rain pattern. Students trudge around campus in the same fashion, squelching in wet shoes or rain boots. Some carry umbrellas while others sit in class damp, wondering what happened to the seasons of clear autumn sunshine. According to the National Weather Ser v ice, students should get used to the wet weather. The cooler temperatures and frequent rain is expected to stay throughout the season because of the El Niño cycle. Warmer
w inds t hat a re genera l ly pushed to the Pacific around this time of year are creeping to the coastlines along North Mexico and South America. “When that happens, warm air expands and has more moisture content, causing more rain,” said Kenneth Iles, of the geography department. “We’re under the influence of a subtropical jet stream that brings moisture and usually gives us a milder, wetter winter.” An excess of moisture in the air with the kind of instability that comes with a cold front produces heavy rainfall. Because of the unusual air patterns, North Texas has seen warm fronts and cold fronts in the past few weeks, which has also contributed to the soggy campus. “The rain waters the grass. The trees are happy. The birds are happy,” Iles said. “Only students are aggravated because they don’t own umbrellas.” However, students are upset
tant if t hey’re turning our green grass so pink.” Nicole Cocco, v ice-president of t he Nor t h Tex a s E ner g y a nd E nv i ron ment club, said she has also noticed the neon-markings. “I t h i n k t he color s a re obnoxious,” Cocco said. “But, if they’re temporary and will prevent future more intrusive activities, then it’s definitely a good thing.” Cocco also said she hopes the boring of holes will be completed in t he sma l lest a nd most env ironmenta lly friendly way possible. Teague, Nall and Perkins, Inc. could not be reached for comment on the extent and process of the boring. Jackson sa id t he project s hou ld b e c omplet e d b y November. He also indicated that all ma rk ings w i l l be removed after completion. “It’s all just a temporar y t hing,” Jackson sa id. “The spray-pa i nt shou ld ea si ly wash-off, and the f lags will be picked up.”
Flags and writings mark the paths of underground utility lines across campus. The information will be used to create a geographic grid of the lines.
Intern
“All I can say is, if you don’t own an umbrella, you need to buy one.”
—Kenneth Iles Geography professor
number of potential customers, leaving students in the service industry strapped for cash. “Shoppers aren’t willing to visit stores, in addition to restaurants,” said Karolina Stewart, a server and merchandising senior. “Servers are dependent on tips. The rain has definitely put a dent in my wallet.” For t hose who venture outside, they have to plan extra and practice caution. Rain can cause hazards for bicyclists who are more likely to lose control
all the puddles.” Francesca Martinez, another bike rider, said she walks to class when it rains. “There’s no way I can carry an umbrella on a bicycle, and I don’t want to get wet.” Although hoofing it keeps her dry, it has also made her late to class. Despite these complaints, Iles advises students to adjust to the wet weather. “All I can say is, if you don’t own an umbrella, you need to buy one,” he said.
Neon-colored markings show campus digging sites BY JOSH PHERIGO Staff Writer
T hose who t raverse t he UNT campus regularly may h a v e not ic e d t he mu lt ic ol or e d k n e e -h i g h f l a g s a nd spray-pa i nted a r rows ac c ent i ng t he g r a s s a nd sidewa lks for the past t wo weeks. The abundance of neoncolored utilit y mark ings is part of an ongoing project to determine the route and depth of underground utility lines, said Charles Jackson, executive director of facilities. T he cont racted f i r m, Teag ue, Na l l a nd Perk i ns, Inc., w ill place t he underground utilit y system on a computerized geographically based grid. Ja c k s on s a i d t h e g r i d would simplif y the process of f inding ut i lit y lines for future university construction projects. “The project will focus on t he cent ra l ma i n ca mpus, and will not be taking place at Discover y Park,” he said.
Before this project, if there was a need for digg ing on campus, many agencies had to be notified to identify each utility line. T he new system w i l l centra lize t he information to a l low speci f ic l i nes to be found and avoided more easily. The project w i l l require ex tensive mappi ng a nd boring to identif y the exact route a nd dept h of each line. “The contractors will bore holes i nto t he g rou nd at various locations throughout ca mpus to deter m i ne line depth,” Jackson said. Shannon Rogers, an Eagle A mba ssador i n t he Eag le Student Services Center, said she has noticed the brightly colored markings for weeks but wa s u nawa re of t hei r purpose. “I was just ta l k i ng w it h my tour group about it,” said Rogers, a hospitality management and business economics sophomore. “I told them that I imagined it must be impor-
PHOTO BY KHAI HA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Page 2 Wednesday, October 14, 2009
News
Shaina Zucker & Courtney Roberts
News Editors ntdailynews@gmail.com
Tree giveaway continues online pre-registration BY CALI A. THOMPSON Contributing Writer
The Keep Denton Beautiful orga n i zat ion is usi ng t he Internet to help make “going green” easier for Denton residents. Instead of waiting in line for a free tree during the organization’s community tree giveaway on Oct. 24, residents are asked to pre-register online before Oct. 16. “Even by the time we got there to start setting up, there was a huge line of people wanting trees,” said Emily Fr it t, a soc iolog y sen ior. “Pre-registration should make it easier for people getting the trees.” Fritts volunteered with the organization in 2005 for the tree giveaway at the City of Denton Municipa l Landfill a nd sa id she reca lled how bu s y t he g iveaw ay cou ld get. The purpose of the online pre-registration is to relieve work on the day of the giveaway. As of Oct. 12, almost 700 residents had a lready prer e g i s t e r e d , s a i d Me nd i e Schmidt, event and outreach coordinator. T he pre-reg ist rat ion process proved successful in 2008, which prompted t he decision to continue it this year, Schmidt said. Last year during the event,
the organization gave away about 1,100 trees to about 500 residents. This year, the organization plans to distribute 1,000 trees to t he community. The on line pre-reg ist ration also gives the organization demographic information about residents receiving trees. It allows the group to geographically track where the trees are going throughout Denton, Schmidt explained. Members of the organization said they hope to keep in contact with tree recipients. The organization plans to develop a “Me and My Tree” program to share stories and pictures with the community, Schmidt said. T he t ree species i n t he g iveaway a re nat ive Texas hardwoods, including Bald Cypress, Bur Oak, Cedar Elm, Live Oa k, Pecan, Red Oa k, Redbud and Sweetgum. The trees stay in a nursery for two to three years before they are matured enough to be given away, Schmidt said. T he cost of ra isi ng t he sapl i ng t rees to adequate maturity level for giveaway runs about $10 each, which is paid for by the organization. “That means that we give away more than $10,000 worth of trees each year,” she said. To encourage more residents to sign up for the free trees,
the organization promotes the benefits of having treefilled neighborhoods. Program manager Aimee Dennis said trees lower air pollution, help w it h storm water runoff, increase property value for homes and businesses and can help insulate
buildings. “The trees themselves also add to keeping Denton green and beautiful,” she said. Ben Huttash, a geography junior, said he always planted trees his mot her collected through the giveaway event. “She a l w ay s pick s t he
because it will be easier to keep track of credit card payments as compared to writing and keeping track of checks. “I would use it, provided t here a re no processi ng charges,” Blanco said. But convenience comes with a price. Mossman said the county it s e l f c a n n ot c h a r g e a merchant or processing fee when ta x payers use t heir credit or debit cards to pay, but Denton County has contacted V ita lCheck, a L ex isNex is company that processes credit card payments for government entities, and they will charge the service fee. Mossman said ta xpayers
would have to pay $2.50 for every debit card transaction. W hen paying with a credit card, taxpayers could pay up to 4 percent of the actual transaction, which can add up to $50 in service fees alone. “I believe it is going to make it more convenient,” Mossman said. “But I don’t recommend it because of the service fee.” Dining Services employee Teresa Ol iva rez sa id she would not use this new service because she is satisfied with her current method of paying property taxes. “The service fee seems a little high,” Olivarez said. “I use ESCRO, it doesn’t cost me anything.”
E SC RO i s a n ac c ou nt taxpayers set up with their mortgage company to determine how much they will have to pay for homeowners insurance and property taxes based on the amounts from previous years. “I like using ESCRO because the money needed to make those payments is already set aside,” Olivarez said. “You don’t have to come up with large amounts of money at the end of the year.” Denton resident Billi Gravely said she thinks this form of payment is a bad idea because people are not going to think about their means and may rack up their credit card bills.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MENDIE SCHMIDT
Keep Denton Beautiful will give out 1,000 trees this year to Denton residents at the 11th Annual Community Tree Giveaway on Oct. 24. majest ic-look i ng oa k s because of the soil and sediment in the region we live in,” he said. “I find the whole process of Mother Earth very interesting.” Keep Denton Beaut i f u l member s s a id t he y look forward to distributing the
trees at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 at t he Cit y of Denton Municipal Landfill, at 1100 S. Mayhill Road. Trees will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those seeking trees must preregister online at w w w.kdb. org.
County gives Denton taxpayers payment options BY C YNTHIA CANO Intern
Denton County taxpayers are now able to pay their motor vehicle registration and property taxes online or by phone using a debit or credit card. T h i s i n it i a t i v e b e g a n on Oct. 1 because of t he repeated requests made by Denton County taxpayers for a system such as this, said Steve Mossman, Denton county tax assessor and collector. “People have been requesting this service for as long as I’ve been in off ice,” Mossman said. “That is seven-and-ahalf years.” Denton resident Tony Blanco thinks this will be convenient
“People have been requesting this service for as long as I’ve been in office.”
-Steve Mossman Denton County tax assessor and collector
“It could have a negative effect,” Gravely said. “Using a credit card to pay property taxes could be a problem.” Gravely, who a lso uses ESCRO, said her property taxes range from three to four thousand dollars a year and paying a processing fee would only add to the interest rate she pays.
“Even if I didn’t use ESCRO, I would try not to pay with a credit card,” Gravely said. “That could get out of control real quick.”
Read the editorial on tax payment options on page 5
Pre-law internships, experience may not help students BY CAROLYN BROWN Senior Staff Writer
Pre-law students don’t need to worr y about f inding an internship in the legal profession for their resumes, a new study found. K a pl a n Te s t P r ep a nd Admissions recently released the results of a survey that found taking an internship or job in the legal profession may not help law school applicants get into their chosen schools. “There is no magic formula
as to what makes you look bet ter or more compet it i v e,” s a id Jef f T hom a s, Kaplan’s director of pre-law programs. T homa s sa id some law school applicants tr y to do internships at law firms or other related fields to boost t hei r re su me s. Howe ver, working in the legal field does not automatically make applicants look better, he said. The study’s f indings are part of the company’s annual survey of law school admis-
sions officers. Officers from 152 law schools across the nation pa rticipated in t he survey, according to an Oct. 6 Kaplan press release. Less than half of them said internships or jobs in the legal profession give applicants an advantage in the admissions process. Of those who answered, 4 percent said legal experience offers a “great advantage”, and 36 percent said it offers “some advantage,” according to the press release. Almost one in five officers said it offers applicants “no advantage at all.” Admissions off icers said they also want to see students
follow their own passions and ma ke a difference in their c lub s a nd c om mu n it ie s . However, Thomas said the survey should not discourage students from doing internships. Such experience can help people decide whether they rea l ly wa nt to attend law school, he said. Pre-law adv iser Ba rba ra Kirby said a lthough applicants’ Law School Admission Test scores and grade point averages are the most important admission factors, she encourages students to do internships if they fit into their schedules.
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A lt houg h t he LSAT a nd GPA take precedent, it is still important for pre-law students to be well-rounded people, she said. “With all of the applicants to law school, you’re going to be competing with a lot of people who have the same numbers that you do,” she said. “Therefore, you have to have something that separates you from the others.” Internships can also provide important networking opportunities, she said. Law schools tend to look more closely at internships and extracurricular activ ities based on their rankings.
Highly ranked schools tend to emphasize LSAT scores and GPA’s, and lower-ranked ones tend to more closely consider the other parts of the application as well, Kirby said. E r i n C leg g , a pol it ic a l science senior, is applying to eight law schools, and did an internship for a law firm last spring, she said. Although she said she doesn’t think it will give her a great advantage in the admissions process, she did benefit from the experience. “It did give me great insight about what I would be experiencing in law school and after I get my degree,” she said.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Page 3
Sports
Justin Umberson
Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com
Triathletes scare away competition BY JONAH KUEHNE Contributing Writer
PHOTO BY DREW GAINES / PHOTOGRAPHER
Funning back Lance Dunbar threads his way through the defense during practice Tuesday. Dunbar, an undeclared sophomore, was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his 224-yard game against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns.
Athlete of the Week: Smiling football star Lance Dunbar BY ERIC JOHNSON Senior Staff Writer
L a nce Du nba r took t he field Saturday night for his first start in a Mean Green unifor m, emba r rassed t he Rag in’ Cajun defense, a nd wa l ked of f t he f ield w it h 224 yards, four touchdowns and the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week Award. Dunbar’s four touchdowns tied a school record, and he now leads the team with 385 y a rd s r u sh i ng a nd seven touchdow n s. T he s ophomore running back does it a ll w ith an ear-to-ear grin that he wears each moment of the day. “T hat k id is a lways smiling, you can’t get him to stop,” defensive captain Tobe Nwigwe, a sociology senior, said. “If he continues to work as hard as he does, no one can match his explosiveness. I have not seen anyone with that kind of skill set. There is no doubt on my mind that he can play on that next level and star on Sundays.” T he success so fa r t h is season is not hing new for Dunbar, as he grew up excelling on the peewee fields of Lou isia na. At 5 yea rs old, a nyone w atch i ng Du nba r knew he had a bright future as a football player. “Fr om t he moment he started playing you could tell he was going to make something of himself,” Dunbar’s mother Patricia Jones said. “He was not even supposed to start playing for another year, and he went out there and out played the older kids.”
Forced to move After spending his youth and starting high school in New Orlea ns, Dunba r a nd h is fa m i ly were forced to leave their home because of Hurricane Katrina. In the fall 2005, they moved to Ha ltom Cit y, nea r For t Worth, in time for Dunbar’s junior year. Despite leav i ng a l l h i s friends and the life he knew behind for a new env ironment , D u nba r m ade t he
transition w ithout a single complaint. “He made the move so much easier on me,” Jones said. “He handled it with such maturity, and set a great example for his younger sister. I am so proud of the man that he was and still is today.” During his two full seasons a t H a lt om H i g h S c ho ol, Dunbar shined as a two-sport star, lettering in track in addition to football. On the track he honed his speed for football, running the 100- and 200-meter dashes and leading the charge for the speed relay teams. On Friday n i g h t s , Dunbar made a l i v i ng by ter ror i zi ng District 3-5A, r u sh i ng for o v e r 1, 0 0 0 yards in each of h i s t w o seasons. Dunbar ea r ned f irst tea m a l ld i s t r i c t honors for his final two campaigns at Haltom High School, and was the team’s most valuable player his senior season. “Lance is one of the most rema rk able ta lent s t hat I have ever seen,” Haltom head coach Scot Haf ley said. “He makes a coaches job so much easier because of his talent and work ethic. He kept us in a lot of games that we could not have won without him.”
coach, Clayton George, that reeled in the top-50 DallasFort Worth ranked recruit. “I rea l ly t r u sted coach George,” Dunbar said. “We had a really good relationship during high school, and I really wanted to come here a nd have a n oppor t u n it y to play a nd help turn t his program around.”
Earning playing time
W h i le most f resh men were busy being redshirted, Dunba r proved to coaches and teammates that he had the talent and determination to ma ke an impact from the start. “ F r o m day one watching him, you knew he was a big pl a y g u y,” he ad coach Todd Dodge said. “He pushes himself, he love s w hat he does and he will be a big pa r t of what we do her e f or a long time.” As a true freshman, Dunbar gained 229 total yards and s c or e d t w o t ou c h d o w n s despite getting limited carries beh i nd i ncu mbent sta r ter Ca m Montgomer y, a postgraduate senior. The 5 -foot-9 -i nch, 20 0 -pou nd l ig ht n i ng bolt worked ha rd over t he of f season, proving to his team that he would do what was necessary to get better and Choosing UNT W he n c ol le g e c o a c he s help it win football games. That attribute was noticed started down the recruiting t r a i l, Ha ltom C it y w a s a by his suite-mate and current premiere destination because sta r t ing qua r terback R i ley of Dunbar’s distinguishing Dodge. “The guy is unbelievably talent. Oklahoma State University, mot iv ate d,” R i le y Dodge, a n d t h e u n i v e r s i t i e s of t he u nde c l a r e d r e d s h i r t Colorado and Virginia were f r e s h m a n , s a i d . “ He i s all selling their programs, but a lways ta lk ing about footit was Dunbar’s former high ball, always working to get school coach a nd cu r rent better. He really understands Mean Green wide receivers the game and will have a lot
Lance Dunbar
to do with us winning games in the future.” The g reen blur t hat has been r u n n i ng t h roug h opposing defenses t he last two games is Lance Dunbar, proving that he is a complete running back. Back-to-back games w ith more than 100 ya rds a nd mu lt iple touchdowns is what Dunbar expects from himself. “This is the standard from now on,” Dunbar said. “I will not allow myself to play to any other level. I came here to help win football games and that is what I will drive myself to do.”
T he la st t r iat h lon of the season will be Sunday at 7 a.m. in t he Denton Na t a t or i u m . T h e r a c e consists of a 250-yard swim, 16 miles of rolling hills on a bike and a three-mile run on a closed road. In the spirit of the season, the Monster Two Triathlon will give competitors the option to wear costumes. The Mean Green participated in the event last year, so the participants know what to expect in this race of ghouls and vampires. “I like t he natatorium course and I actually prefer it just because the roads are so smooth,” said Corey Den n is, a n u ndecla red sophomore. “The hills are just an obstacle that you have to deal with. I’m not worried about it.” Dennis, who is going to do more races outside of the club, is choosing not to go with the Halloween theme. “This is my last triathlon race of the year,” Dennis said. “So I’m just going to go out and race. I don’t want to worry about wearing any kind of costume.” Club president Amanda Poland said only a select few of the racers in the NT club are going to dress up,
Off the field He has been an honor roll student during every level of grade school and continues to excel in the classroom at UNT. Off the field, Dunbar is a humble person who enjoys spending time with his teammates a nd his fa mi ly, a nd always keeps an upbeat and positive attitude. “He is always laughing and smiling and putting everyone around him in a good mood,” Riley Dodge said. “He is just a goofy guy, who is a lot of fun to be around.” Dunbar is undecided on a major, but does enjoy working with kids. He is t h i n k i ng about a possible career in coaching, if he does not suit up in an NFL uniform first. “Obviously I would love to play on Sundays,” he said. “That is something every kid dreams of. For now, I am just focused on my tea mmates and helping this program.” Jones has never missed one of her son’s games, and no matter what path Dunbar’s career takes, she will always remember her son’s remarkable performance Saturday. “I was crying in the stands because I was so happy for him,” Jones sa id. “I a m so proud for t he ma n he has become, and I know with the kind of person and player he is I will be going to games on Sundays one day.”
PHOTO BY AUGUSTA LIDDIC / PHOTOGRAPHER
Triathlon member Chris Krueger crosses the finish line at the Old College Tri in Denton on Sept. 13.
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and the majority is going to concentrate on the race. Denton has seen a lot of rain in the past month and the competitors might have to deal with it in the up c om i n g r a c e, a lon g with the possibility of cold weather. According to Poland, the temperature could actually factor in on her decision to wear a costume or not. “If it’s going to be warm, I probably won’t wear a costume because of t he heating and cooling of the body,” Poland, a kinesiology senior, said. “If it’s going to be really cold, I might dress up, but at the same time, if you’re having extra clothes, it’ll interfere with the transition and it may impede your bike and run split. Ben Drezek, a histor y senior, won the Denton’s Old College Triathlon when it ran at UNT and placed in the Stonebridge Triathlon in the 30 to 34 age group. Drezek says he looks forward to whatever the race brings, especially the cold. “I prefer the cold,” Drezek said. “A lot of people really hate it, but I don’t mind it at all. Losing all feeling and going numb means you don’t feel the pain. In the heat you feel everything, but some people do better in it than others.”
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Page 4 Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Arts & Life
Kip Mooney
Arts & Life Editor ntd.artslife@gmail.com
Lab studies sleep issues BY GRACIELA R AZO Senior Staff Writer
For students who believe they are doomed to be night owls forever, the Sleep and Health Research Lab at UNT offers a solution to their problem. The lab was created in 2004 to research sleep disorders and other risk factors in poor quality of sleep, especially in college students. Da n iel Tay lor of t he psychology faculty began the lab to conduct his research and to give students working toward a career in research a place to gain experience. The program works through various grants and performs its studies on volunteers. “We have been very productive research-wise,” Taylor said. “We are one of the only graduate programs that is certified to train students in behavioral sleep medicine.” Students with sleep problems are also seeing the benefits of the lab. Taylor and his team of researchers have done studies on insomnia. They concluded women and those with psychiatric and medical disorders are most likely to suffer from it. They are conducting studies to see whether college students with insomnia are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders and have worse antibody responses to the flu. “We’ve shown it is possible to treat insomnia in college st udent s w it h cog n it ive
t herapy,” Taylor said. “If students are more evening types, we can make them morning types.” Taylor said the lab’s research has shown those more active during night hours tend to have more difficulty in school than those more active in the morning. The cog nit ive t herapy, known as chronotherapy, is available to students in the UNT Psycholog y Clinic in Terrill Hall 171. Tay lor super v i ses t he students who work at the clinic while they provide solutions to insomnia and other sleep problems. The clinic provides students with affordable solutions to their sleep problems because fees are paid on a sliding scale based on income and dependents, said Courtney Prather, a graduate student who works as a therapist in the clinic. “Students are under a lot of stress, and sleep is usually the first thing to go,” Prather said. Prather said apart from therapy, the clinic teaches students how to get a better qua lit y of sleep t hrough controlling their environment. “Not getting enough sleep can contribute to depression and anxiety, so it is important to maintain a regular sleep schedule and get enough sleep,” Prather said. Derrik Diaz, a radio, television, and film senior, said even
though he gets the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, other factor such as his weight and sinus problems prevent him from sleeping well. “There are times when I sleep enough, and I still feel really tired,” Diaz said. “I just wake up tired, and my body feels as though it’s not getting enough oxygen.” He would go to the clinic to check if he has sleep apnea, a sleep disorder in which the person pauses to breathe in his or her sleep, he said. “I think the clinic’s work is very necessary,” Diaz said. “It’s really good, especially for college students because the stress they have will often affect the way they sleep.”
Ways to get better sleep: • •
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Maintain a regular sleep schedule Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol before going to sleep Don’t eat before going to sleep Don’t watch telev ision or read in your bedroom Wake up at a reasonable hour even if you didn’t get enough sleep Don’t sleep with the television on
PHOTO BY KHAI HA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Pamela Flint sits with Dakota, her 3-year-old Labrador retriever. Dakota is trained to help reduce stress.
Group beats stress with animal therapy, discussion BY LISA GARZA
opment a l per iod a s s oc iated with transitioning from The UNT Counseling and family dependence to indepenTesting Center may not be able dence, and making choices/ to make problems disappear, decisions that will effect their but the new Stress Reduction future,” said Mark Johnson, Group teaches students how assistant director of the UNT Neu rot her apy L ab i n a n to cope. Students who experience e-mail. Counseling psycholog ist severe a n x iet y a nd pa n ic attacks are welcome to join Pa mela Flint recommends the group on Mondays from 5 patients falling into this catep.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Chestnut gory try individual counseling first. Hall 311. St udent s i ntere ste d i n “College students are exper ienci ng a u n ique devel- joining the group must be Contributing Writer
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interviewed before attending any meetings. The purpose of this screening is to inform students what to expect and ensure they are compatible w ith the group environment. They are also made aware of the group’s confidentiality. “Whatever is said in group is kept in the group,” she said. “It’s private.” Dakota, a yellow Labrador retriever, is an integral part of the group. As a certified therapy dog, she assists Flint with putting the members at ease by interacting with them. Flint said students enjoy talking to each other. They can share strategies with each other but are not pressured to participate in group discussions. “There’s somet hing t hat helps people when they see that other people experience the same thing, and you don’t feel all alone,” she said. In h is ex per ience a s a r e s e a r c her, Joh n s on h a s observed a frequent cause of stress for students. “A student may attempt to cope maladaptively and turn to food, alcohol/substance abuse etc,” Johnson said. Some st udent s t u r n to anxiety medication for their stress. While Flint recognizes the benefits of this medicine, she notes the possibility of side effects and cautions against its exclusive use as a treatment. Medicine will not help solve problems that contribute to stress but it will calm people down, she said. “I’m not against meds on any level. I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” Flint said. “This is a normal kind of thing to deal with, stress, so I don’t think it has to be pathologized.” Students make a commitment to attend every group meeting but are not penalized if they are unable to make it. “They kind of laugh when I say: ‘If you miss a group, you don’t have to stress out,” Flint said. Call 940-565-2741 or e-mail Pam Flint at Pamela.Flint@unt. edu to schedule an interview.
Views
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Page 5 Amanda Mielcarek
Views Editor ntdailyviews@gmail.com
Charging taxes will increase debt Editorial Thanks to a new payment option that became available on Oct. 1, Denton County residents can now pay their taxes with credit and debit cards. The county has contracted with VitalCheck to process credit transactions online or over the phone. People who choose to pay with credit will pay a fee for the service. The new service was intended to accommodate the public’s request to have the option of paying with plastic. The new option of paying with a debit card is a positive step forward. It allows residents the convenience of paying online or over the phone without compromising them in any way. The new addition of paying with credit, however, is not such a good idea. The average outstanding credit card debt for households that have a credit card was $10,679 at the end of 2008, according to a Nilson Report published in April 2009. Allowing residents to pay their taxes with credit will only encourage the accumulation of more debt. This will especially affect lower income families who think it is a better idea to pay off their taxes little by little, but in the end are forced to deal with the accumulation of even more debt because of interest and fees. Rather than paying with credit, a more viable option is to pay in partial payments. This will give residents a little more leeway in paying their taxes, though they must still pay any remaining amount by Jan. 31, after which penalty fees and interest will begin to accrue. As with any big purchase, people should pay their debt all at once rather than putting it off and, in the end, paying more than they otherwise would have. For more information on paying with credit or debit cards, or on partial payments, visit www.tax. dentoncounty.com, or call the Denton County Office at 940-349-3500.
Campus Chat Do you think President Obama deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize this year?
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“It was a step in the right direction. He’s brought so many people all over the world together, I think he deserved it.”
Nicole Cooper
Affirmative action kills equality I have to admit, this column was inspired by a Facebook status I saw the other day. The status read: “When a man talks dirty to a woman, it is sexual harassment. When a woman talks dirty to a man, it is $3.50 a minute.” Ironically, this is the situation in most parts of t he world. A ppa rent l y w e b el ie v e in equa lit y, so long as t he “weaker sex” is kept protected. The very term “weaker sex” as the justification for such policies assumes women are not born equal, hence they need to be protected. And it doesn’t just stop at gender “equality.” The justification for affirmative action is to “provide a fair competitive environment for historically disadvantaged individuals.” Keep in mind, by 2050 it is estimated white will no longer be the majority ethnic group in the United States. T here a re t wo poi nt s I would like to bring up here. First, have we forgotten Ezek iel 18 :20 ? It is a Bible ver se w h ich st ates, “T he person who sins will die. The
son will not bear the punishment for t he fat her’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.” Indeed if we were to qualify ourselves by what our forefathers faced, when will “affirmative action” end? W hen will the playing field be fair enoug h to say we ca n do without it? This brings me to my second point. Someday the minorities will no longer be minorities — the experts think this will be achieved in 2050. At this point in time, will we be ready to do away with affirmative action or will we start killing over defending a “right”? The issue with democracy is that we function w ithin i ntere st g roups. I ntere st groups would be happy to gain more “rights,” but after gaining these rights, it would be hard to give them up. Indeed, the accurate metaphor of representative democracy is of one where everyone tries to grab — and keep —
as much as of the pie as they can. But is it a “right” in the first place? The truth is such policies are not inherent rights that everyone is born with. It is a privilege given to “balance out” the unfair playing field. Once the field is leveled out, however, should we still be granting this privilege? Maybe we should ask if the beneficiaries of such policies would be willing to give up their share of the pie. Some might question the r ig ht of a n i nter nat iona l student to bash A merica n policies. But hold it right there! Affirmative action is not something new to me. In Ma laysia, aff irmative action was made available for the economically disadvantaged in the 1960s. At that point in time, the economy was unequally distributed. Imagine this: All the automobi les i n t he st reets of Malaysia were Chinese. As time passed, however, the policy worked and the playing field is once again fair. Yet, even after the desired
outcome has been attained, the beneficiaries of affirmative action policies claim it is their “right.” And naturally, because it is a right, they are hesitant to give it up. The policies made to bring about fairness are now the source of unfairness. As such, being a Malaysian a nd k now ing t he possible negative outcome of affirmative action, I fear for the future of America. With these policies, and st rong i nterest g roups defending them, we should sta r t wor r y i ng about t he possibility that affirmative action will be the new source of injustice and inequality.
Jamie Chin Han Khoo is a psychology senior. He can be reached at jch.khoo@yahoo. com.
Medicare policy needs revision Got a kidney? Then consider yourself lucky. And compound that consideration if your kidney isn’t failing and you’re not on Medicare. I make this point to shed some light on a fundamental flaw in one of Medicare’s policies. Medicare is a federally funded program that provides health insurance for the elderly, people with a disability or those with irreversible kidney failure. The program regularly foots the bill for kidney transplants but stops paying for the anti-rejection drugs after only 36 months. The drugs, which turn off the immune system, prevent the recipient’s body from recognizing the new organ as a foreign body and attacking it. I nt e r e s t i n g l y e n ou g h , Medicare will kick back in when
the donor kidney fails because of the lack of anti-rejection drugs, paying for $70,000 a year for dialysis and even another $100,000 for a kidney transplant. Obviously, the people on Medicare cannot afford this illogical policy. Thus far, bills to change the policy haven’t even made it to a vote in Congress because a huge cost is associated with continuing to pay for anti-rejection drugs. A r e c e n t N e w Yo r k Times article reported the Congressional Budget Office estimated unlimited coverage would add $100 million a year to the $23 billion Medicare kidney program. However, this cost is a trifle compared to allowing recipients to go without the drugs.
The cost of care for kidney transplant recipients is $17,000 a year, according to the United States Renal Data System. Most of this money is spent on antirejection drugs, which cost $1,000 to $3,000 a month. Compare that to the cost of multiple patients going back on dialysis for years while waiting to receive another kidney when the first transplant fails. The government’s organ donor site, www.organdonor. gov, lists the wait time for a new kidney as 1,121 days — the longest wait time listed on the site. The cost benefit is obvious. The Congressional Budget Office says the federal budget is on an “unsustainable path” because of the rising cost of health care.
Offer your congressman a solution and support a simple anti-rejection drug refill. C ont a c t C on g r e s s m a n Michael Burgess by calling 972-434-9700 or writing to Lewisville District Office, 1660 South Stemmons Freeway, Suite 230, Lewisville, TX 75067.
Kerry Solan is a journalism junior. She can be reached at kerrysolan@my.unt.edu.
International studies junior
“I don’t think it was deserved at all, someone who’s done something fantastic should have won.”
Scott Draper
Psychology senior
“No, he hasn’t done anything yet, wasn’t he nominated 12 days after taking office?”
Eli Hartley
General studies senior
“I don’t know who won last year so I couldn’t really say. I’m a fan of Obama’s, but I don’t think it’s deserved.”
NT Daily Editorial Board
Josh Eccleston
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
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