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to help UNT gain Tier One status NEWS: Building Page 2 Group offers ‘safe place’ for students ARTS & LIFE: Page 4 Student finds life without alcohol interesting VIEWS: Page 6
Volleyball wins first tournament title since 2006. Page 5
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
News 1, 2 Arts & Life 3, 4 Sports 5 Views 6 Classifieds 7 Games 7
Volume 96 | Issue 3
Sunny 95° / 77°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Gubernatorial candidate’s wife comes to Denton White plans to make education priorty
By T.S. McBride
Contributing Writer Andrea White, wife of Texas gubernatorial candidate Bill W h ite, wa s i n Denton on Friday to campaign on behalf her husband. White appeared at a meetand-greet event at the home of Bill Barnett, the Democratic candidate for justice of the peace. Bill White, who is running on t he Democrat ic t icket, faces an uphill battle w ith Republican incumbent Rick Perry. His wife said she hopes t hat w il l cha nge as W hite strives to increase his name recognition. “It’s a big state and he has to be known to win,” Andrea White said. “A lot of people haven’t seen his ads yet, but they will.” Denton is a Republ ica n city and White trailed Perry in an August 23 Rasmussen poll, with 49 percent of likely voters favoring Perry and 41 percent favoring White. The potential Texas first lady sa id she wasn’t t roubled by pol l numbers a nd t hat W h ite had ra ised $ 3
million more than Perry for his ca mpa ig n, t houg h she st re s s e d t h at t he Fr iday meeting was not a fundraising event. Instead, the purpose was to reach out to “Republicans and moderates of the community.” Dianne Edmondson, county chairwoman of the Denton Cou nt y Republ ica n pa r t y, said that the party won’t be foc u se d on c a mpa ig n i ng for Per r y ’s re-elect ion i n Denton. “The governor will be in Denton Cou nt y I’m su re,” she said. “But the Democrats a re t he m inor it y pa r t y in Texas.” She said she was confident that Perry would win the election. “G ov. Pe r r y h a s b e e n e x t r e m e l y g o o d f or ou r economy,” she said. “We’ve had more jobs created i n t he la st c ouple of ye a r s than the entire country put together.” About 50 people showed up to Barnett’s house on Pearl Street to hear White speak. She addressed the group for about five minutes, stressing her and her husband’s interest in reducing dropout rates in Texas. “When you treat dropping out like an emergency and tell
kids it’s not acceptable, then they rethink the thing and go back to school,” White said. “If [Bill] was elected governor — you know 50 percent of the state budget is education — he’s promised me he would spend every day on trying to get our k ids the education they need to succeed.” Also in attendance was Neil Durra nce, t he Democrat ic ca ndidate for Texas’s 26t h congressional district. “Bill White would be a great gift for the state of Texas,” D u r r a nc e s a id . “I t h i n k that people are tired of the extremism … of the current candidate.” W hile in Denton, Andrea White also spoke at the home of Rudy Rodriguez during the installation of officers for the Leag ue of Lat in A merica n Cit i zens. Mayor Ma rk Burroughs also attended. Bill W hite was mayor of Houston from 2004 to 2010. He was twice re-elected to the position by large majorities. This is the first run for the governor’s office for the San Antonio native. White’s wife said that his ex per ience as a self-made businessman ma kes him a better candidate for the office than Perry. The Texas g ubernatoria l election will be held Nov. 2.
Photo by Berenice Quirino/Staff Photographer
Andrea White, the wife of gubernatorial candidate Bill White, speaks in a Denton home Friday afternoon.
Glee club hosts fall SGA officers plan new year auditions this week By Isaac Wright
leadership position within the association to become active in Kevin Sanders plans to it and, instead, is working to put extend the message that all UNT students in positions where they students are part of the Student can succeed and their individual Government Association, a group skills can best serve the assothat tries to provide them with ciation. a voice. “Just because you don’t have The SGA is an organization ‘I’m such and such. My title is,’ consisting of students that allows that does not mean you can’t get its members a place to in this organization and voice issues that pertain do stuff,” Sanders said. to them at UNT. With Mich ael Wa l ker, the money fueling the a pol it ica l science association coming out f reshma n, has a of student service fees, brother who was in all students are allowed, the SGA. Walker also and encouraged, to intends to get involved participate in it. KEVIN in the organization. Sanders, a political SANDERS “I don’t know too science junior and SGA president, much about it, but I am going has been involved in the orga- to learn more about it and run nization for two years and was for office whenever I can,” elected president of the associa- Walker said. tion in the spring. T he associat ion is a lso “When Dakota [Carter] became working to make itself more president, I saw us move closer inviting to students and help down the path I would like us to them understand it exists for be on,” Sanders said, “If we can their needs, said Mercedes capitalize on some of the things Fulbright, a political science he started and make them bigger junior and SGA v ice presiand better then it’ll be great.” dent. During the Carter admin“I don’t want us to be looked istration, the SGA rules were at as a separate entity from the changed to allow any student university,” Fulbright said. “I in good academic standing know our staff is a group of with the university to run for individuals who are friendly an office in the student govern- and wanting to put ourselves ment. However, Sanders stressed out there for the students.” that people don’t need to be in a As president, Sanders has
also put an emphasis on better using the money budgeted to the SGA under his administration. “We’ve focused on being fiscally responsible, but, in doing so, making the fiscal responsibility that we have count for students,” Sanders said. “It makes no sense to save all this money and cut expenses and then do nothing with it.” The most important thing about the association is that t he SG A, t he st udent-led governmental body of UNT, exists for the students and their needs, the officers and staff said. “If you have questions or concerns we’ll help you out, and not just you but the rest of the student body,” said Joshua Chatman, SGA director of student affairs. The SGA is trying to rebrand itself and to help get people involved and help them understand it exists for the benefit of students, Sanders said. “One of the key points of our administration is making sure that we always keep in mind who we work for and that we work for students,” Sanders said. “The job I do here, while I do get a salary for it, I would do it for free because I feel like it needs to be done.”
t o r emov e b a r r ier s a nd engage students in college life. The Division of Student Development addresses the diverse needs of students and encourages lifelong learning, according to its website vpsd. unt.edu. For ex a mple, i f a n incoming student is homesick and lonely in the dorms, connecting t hem w it h t he services offered by the dDdiv ision can help t hem be a better student and deal with
overa ll problems t hat may arise, McGuinness said. During her time at UNT, With has interacted with many st udents, i nclud i ng t hose in the Student Government Association, the student-led governmental body of UNT. “I’m very excited to work with her,” said Kevin Sanders, the SGA president and a politica l science junior. “Wit h has helped me so much as a student and a lso as SGA president.”
Staff writer
By Jessica Paul
Senior Staff Writer For those looking for a chance in the spotlight, this week could make their dream a reality. With the Glee Club’s second semester soon to arrive at UNT, auditions for prospective new members will continue today and Wednesday from 5-10 p.m. in the Silver Eagle Suites. “We’ve got a Facebook event we put up a month ago and it says right now we’ve got about 140 people confirmed,” said Jose Coira, a radio, television and film senior and founder and president of UNT’s Glee Club. “But with the Mean Green Fling, we had over 150 people sign up, not from Facebook, so I have no idea how many people are coming.” Last week was a huge eyeopener as to what’s going to happen at auditions, he said. Auditions will begin with a registration table outside the Silver Eagle Suites. Once inside, old members from last semester will take 10 people at a time into another room to be measured and fitted for costumes if the st udent makes it into the ensemble.
Photo by Jeanette Laredo/ Photographer
Freshman Alex Labrada; undecided; looks up as she waits for her turn to audition. UNT Glee auditions are taking place August 30 through September 1 See GLEE on page 3 in the Union’s Silver Eagle Suite.
UNT names long-term employee vice president By Brianne Tolj
Contributing writer The Division of Student Development has appointed a new vice president starting this semester. Elizabeth With has been a UNT employee for 14 years and recently served as interim vice president from January to now. Working with college students and having the ability to make an impact and a difference in someone’s direction are some of the advantages in her new position,
With said. With’s colleague for “Overall my goal is 16 years. to make sure students The Div ision stay at the center of the of Student university,” With said. Development She aims to involve i s c om pr i s e d of the students in campus mu lt iple ser v ices life and wants them to ELIZABETH and campus love UNT and all it has WITH programs, including to offer. the Career Center, “With is well respected nation- Student Health and Wellness ally, and doing the right things for C e n t e r, S t u d e n t L e g a l students is her primary focus,” Services, and Student Money said Maureen McGuinness, the Management Center. assistant vice president and These programs are created
“Overall my goal is to make sure students stay at the center of the university.”
—Elizabeth With Vice President of Student Development