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Volume 100 | Issue 06
ntdaily.com
Fall’s freshman class biggest yet JASON YANG
Senior Staff Writer UNT is expecting this semester’s freshman class to be the largest in university history, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Troy Johnson said. P r el i m i n a r y headcou nt numbers won’t be released until the 12th class day of the semester, but Johnson estimated that the freshman class had grown by about 10 percent. The expected addition of 380 new students brings the freshman class to about 4,000 students. “I believe our academic programs, campus environment and affordable tuition play a vital role for this record-breaking class,” he said. “UNT has spent multiple years of efforts on targeting admission and financial aid to attract more students.” Although total enrollment at UNT has been down, Johnson said the number of freshmen enrolling at the university has
been on the rise since last year. According to the online UNT Fact Book, last year’s freshman class of 3,600 students was the largest freshman class since 2005. With this semester set to break the record, Johnson pointed to the multi-year freshman class growth as an indication that UNT is still an appealing destination for new students. UNT implemented a hiring freeze Aug. 1, in part because of a decline in overall student enrollment. However, UNT President V. Lane Rawlins said UNT has added about 300 classes to accommodate the increase in freshman enrollment. “We’re constantly talking to key positions to assure that we can handle the needs of the freshman class,” Rawlins said. “They are our highest priority.”
See CLASS on page 2
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Defensive Domination
PHOTO BY JAMES COREAS/VISUALS EDITOR
Sophomore defensive end Alexander Lincoln, junior linebacker Zachary Orr and senior linebacker Jeremy Phillips bring down Texas Southern University freshman running back Kendall Denson Saturday at Apogee Stadium. The Mean Green won 34-7 against the Texas Southern Tigers, making it UNT’s first win in a home opener since 2006. See full story on page 4
Willis 24-hour lab adds computers, work space A SHLEY GRANT
Senior Staff Writer
PHOTO BY JAMES COREAS/VISUALS EDITOR
Bryson Gappa’s memorial tribute to fallen soldiers, once displayed in her front yard, is now on display at the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum at 110 W. Hickory St. The memorial honors every Texan soldier who has died in the Iraq War since the conflict began in March 2003.
Memorial honors fallen soldiers
DANIEL BISSELL Staff Writer
“Ornamental Honor: The Art of Bryson Gappa,” the latest exhibit to open in the Denton County Cou r t hou se- on-t he- S qua re Museum, is on display to pay homage to Texas troops killed in action. The exhibit was unveiled Aug. 21 in an opening ceremony held at the museum. The ceremony was open to the public and was attended by relatives and friends of deceased soldiers. “We had a pretty significant turnout,” said Joe Duncan, interim curator of exhibits at the museum. “A lot of family members came out to support the fallen soldiers.” Denton County resident Bryson
Gappa started the Memorial Tree Project to pay tribute to Texas troops killed in Iraq. Gappa began her project by placing ornaments on an oak tree in her front yard. Each ornament contains a picture of a fallen Texas soldier, his or her personal information, and his or her cause of death. Every fallen soldier from Texas is honored in the memorial, dating back to March 2003 when the war in Iraq began. Those ornaments are now on display at the courthouse to honor Texas’ fallen soldiers. Memorabi lia, i ncludi ng uniforms and medals donated by family members and fellow veterans, accompany the ornaments at the exhibit.
“The Memorial Tree Project became much larger than my front-yard expression of loss,” Gappa said at the exhibit’s opening ceremony. “Along the way I got to know my 436 Texans.” Relatives and friends of the fallen soldiers honored at the exhibit expressed their appreciation at the opening ceremony. Louis Aguirre, whose son, Army Specialist Nathan Aguirre, was killed in Iraq, remembered his son’s sacrifice at the ceremony. “He fought for his country,” Aguirre said in an interview with NBC 5. “He was willing to do it. He knew the sacrifices, and he went out and did it.”
See MEMORIAL on page 2
Class introductions are coming to a close, and deadlines for the first assignme nt s of t he s eme ster are quickly approaching. Students making their way back to Willis Library to get some work done may notice a few changes and additions made during the summer break. U N T ’s o n ly 24 -h ou r computer lab i n Wi l l is Libra r y pa r t nered wit h UNT Libraries Technology and Computer Operations to create the 24-Hour Student Computing Center, which provides 200 computers for student use, compared to last semester’s 42. “We kind of had a duplication of services with the general access lab right next door, and we were both open 24 hours a day,” said Scott Jackson, director for library facilities and systems. “They were really space-restricted over there.” T h e f o r m e r 24 - h o u r general access lab now operates as a “plug-in center,” where students have access to power sources for laptops and other electronics. Jackson said the library system saw an opportunity to partner with the lab system and by doing so,
PHOTO BY MICHELLE HEATH/SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Students use the printing lab services in Willis Library. The 24-hour general access lab next door to Willis partnered with the library system, increasing the square footage of the lab from 1,600 to 1,700 square feet. increased the square footage of the lab from 1,600 to 1,700 square feet, located near the front entrance at Willis. Caroline Booth, director o f c o m mu n i c at i o n s a n d marketing for UNT Libraries, said the library was prompted to incorporate the 24-hour general access lab into the Willis Library because of a lack of space. She said the old lab’s setup felt crowded and generated long lines of students waiting to snag an open computer. Ten more laptops have also been added to the inventory available for checkout in the library, bringing the total number of rentable laptops to
60. Willis has also added three SMART Boards - interactive, electronic whiteboards - and three 42-inch displays. Strategic communications seniors Taylor Hooker and Kristi Sewell set up shop Monday afternoon to work on a g roup project in the plug-in center, but said they were struggling to adapt to the changes. Hooker said the lab should have been left alone for the time being. “The SMART Boards are a good idea, I just don’t think they were anything we needed right now,” Hooker said.
See LIBRARY on page 2
City program helps repair low-income homes BEN PEYTON Staff Writer
The City of Denton’s Minor Repa i r Prog ra m prov ides a ssi st a nce to low-i ncome homeowners who are unable to make essential repairs to their homes that, if left unattended, would leave the residence in unlivable condition. Gordon Meredith, residen-
tial construction specialist for the city of Denton, said the program spends about $100,000 on repairs annually, but that each year is unpredictable. “You just never know [the demands],” Meredith said. “I can’t predict the weather.” Most requests for repairs are provoked by weather-
driven factors, such as extreme temperatures or violent windstorms. Ai r condit ion i ng a nd heating units are the most requested repairs, followed by roofs and bathroom floors, Meredith said. The Community Development Adv i sor y Committee funds the Minor
Repair program and as of Aug. 1, allotted $148,000 for the next year, Denton Housing Prog rams Manager Nancy Baker said. Baker said the Minor Repair Program assisted 36 households last year. To receive aid, a household’s income cannot exceed 65 percent of the Area Median
Income Limits, adjusted by family size. A homeowner can receive up to $5,000 toward essential repairs, which does not have to be paid back. Ba ker sa id t he average repair cost last year per household was $3,057. Repairs are only allotted when there is a health or safety hazard, or ongoing deteriora-
tion that would compromise the structure’s integrity, such as a leaky roof or the need to accommodate disabled residents. “It ’s a ve r y i mp or t a nt program, because there are quite a few people in the community that are below
See REPAIR on page 2
Inside Flight 93 Memorial short of financial goal News | Page 2
UNT alumna starts nonprofit for students Arts & Life | Page 3
Redefining “cheating” for the 21st century Views | Page 5