NEWS: ARTS & LIFE: VIEWS:
Blown Out
Stress, economy drive students to seek counseling Page 2 Bike taxis provide ‘green’ transportation Page 4 Competition strengthens character Page 6
Mean Green still winless at Western Kentucky Page 5
Thursday, January 28, 2010
News 1,2 Arts & Life 3,4 Sports 5,8 Views 6 Classifieds 7 Games 7
Volume 95 | Issue 7
Stormy 51° / 36°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Family, friends mourn freshman’s death BY LISA GARZA
Senior Staff Writer More than 1,000 people attended a memorial service held i n honor of a UNT f reshma n on Saturday at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. Friends and family said Raegan Davis will be remembered for her kindness and nu mer ou s ph i l a nt h r opic endeavors. Her sudden death left family and loved ones mourning the loss of a young woman they said is gone too soon. “If one’s memorial service is in anyway a measure of the lives touched, Davis’s service was a great tribute,” her father, Charles Davis, said. Davis died on Jan. 18 at the age of 18. The exact cause of death is unknown, pending the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s autopsy. Davis’s father said he hopes
people will think fondly of her and the way she lived her life, not the manner in which she may have lost her life. Davis, an interdisciplinary st ud ies f resh ma n, wa s a Highland Park native. She came to UNT so she could study to become a teacher, her father said. “She really wanted to work with special needs children,” he said. “She had a huge heart.” Cha rles Dav is sa id h is daughter had a passion for mission work and hoped to open a school in an underprivileged country where she could make an impact. “She would always tell me that she wanted to combine her love for mission and her love for taking care of kids,” he said. K at ie Wa rd, a fa sh ion merchandising freshman, went to high school with Davis and remained friends with her at UNT.
“We will miss her very much and live the rest of our lives with her loving memory.”
—Charles Davis Raegan Davis’s father
“It’s just weird that she’s not here,” she said. “She was a very special person who was patient, loving, caring and kind.” Davis was a member of the Highland Park Presbyterian Church, where she was also part of the childcare staff. She had just moved into her dorm days before she died. “She felt drawn to North Texas and the community,” Charles Davis said. Taylar Graf, a 20-year-old criminal justice sophomore, also went to high school with Davis and was on the softball
team with her. Graf said they lost touch a few times but considered her a good friend. “I miss spending time with her,” she said. “She always made ever yone laugh and gave me that overall feeling when I hung out with her that I was care-free and had no worries.” Graf said she knows few people like that. “We will miss her very much and live the rest of our lives w it h her lov ing memor y,” Charles Davis said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLES DAVIS
Raegan Davis was a part of the childcare staff of her local church, and she decided to attend UNT so she could become a teacher.
Residents concerned over Fry Street project BY MORGAN WALKER Senior Staff Writer
Alex Revier a painting freshman, has so far spent more than a hundred dollars on art supplies for his classes this semester.
PHOTO BY INGRID LAUBACH/PHOTOGRAPHER
Students face unexpected costs
BY NICOLE L ANDRY Staff Writer
It’s no secret that college isn’t cheap. Hav ing to pay for tuition, housing, food and textbooks can cost the average student a pretty penny over the course of his or her college career. However, some students have to shell out more because their majors are tossing some pr icey su r pr ises i nto t he mix. W hen sen ior M ichael Garman picked music composition as his major, he said that expenses weren’t what he was expecting. “But, it’s not surprising. Financially, most people don’t struggle,” he said. “There are small things that you don’t think about that might add up,” Things like pay ment for performers, purchasing music scores, and CDs for studying purposes or splitting the price on a timpani drum have crept into Garman’s pocketbook. He’s a l s o h a d t o bu y computerized notation soft-
ware to produce his original scores. “Bi nd i n g a s c or e a nd printing it is $12, and if I give it to someone, that’s a waste of a score,” Garman said. “They might need 80 parts. Parts cost 50 cents each, so that’s 40 bucks right there.” David Schwarz, a associate professor of the music department, suggested that the costs of textbooks and any materials related to specific majors be outlined for students. Most music students would benefit from notation software, and while they have access to machines in t he College of Music that have the software, they don’t have access to online, site-licensed programs like teachers do, he said. “I’d like to see the university participate in any way that we can with bringing electronic resources to students,” he said. “I want to encourage students to reach out a nd talk to people about advice on how to close gaps. There are shortcuts that students
might not be aware of, so talk to faculty.” Br i Myers, a v isua l a r ts sophomore, sa id t hat although her parents help her out with things like rent and tuition, most of the money she makes working at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant is spent on her art classes. “Food a nd a r t supplies. That’s it. You’ve got to eat a nd you’ve got to do your artwork, and that’s your life,” she said. Although good art supplies can be expensive, Myers said she will stick with her major and encourages others to do the same. “You do it because you love it. School will always pay off in the end,” she said. E m i ly W i ley, a fa sh ion de s i g n s ophom or e , s a id that most professors she has encountered are not lenient when it comes to financial instability, and she suggested that those who can’t afford the supplies shouldn’t remain in the major. Wi ley didn’t rea li ze she
would be spending at least $100 extra per month on art supplies for her graded projects. “In order to complete the project, you have to buy the supplies. Projects a re due ever y two to three weeks,” she said. Though many art students work to afford supplies, Wiley said she is too busy. “Last semester, I pu l led two all-nighters per week,” she said. L a u r e n Sm it h t e a c he s Design II, a required course for all visual arts majors, and said that she tries to give her students a break by offering a kit of supplies, but so far only one student has purchased it this semester. “There’s always going to be surprise expenses, no matter where you are in life,” she said. She added that she does not agree that professors should d iscou rage st udents f rom remaining in the major, but, instead, let them know what to expect.
Denton residents were able to express their opinions about a proposed student housing development for the Fry Street area Wednesday night in the Denton City Council chambers. Josh Vasbinder, west coast partner for Dinerstein Properties, the Houston company that proposed the development, called the 6:30 p.m. meeting to allow residents to offer their input on the plans. Dinerstein showed an interest in Denton because of UNT and its continued growth in the community, and the rareness of the property, Vasbinder said. “It’s directly across the street from the campus, and I think it can be a catalyst to create a connection to the historic districts, the university and the Square,” he said. The plans call for a 586 bedroom housing facility consisting of one, two and four bedroom apartments along with 600 parking spaces, a clubhouse, pool and courtyard area. Mike Cochran, a former city councilman, suggested adding retail or restaurant space on the ground level to provide a mixeduse environment. “I have seen this successfully accomplished in other communities, and I think this concept has merit if done properly,” he wrote in an e-mail. Howard Draper, a Denton resident, said he believes that a very small age group between 18 and 26 is already targeted for the Fry Street area. “I think it’d bring a cultural maturity to the area if a patio or restaurant was there, and it’d be friendly to a wide age group,” he said. As the questions came to a close, one resident said he still hadn’t heard the answers he was looking for. Bob Clifton, a Denton resident, was the former owner of The Flick Inc., a movie theater popular during the sixties where the Corkscrew now stands. “I don’t need to see 600 ca rs going up a nd dow n H ic k or y,” C l i f t on s a id .
“Hickory is a rollercoaster now because they can’t maintain the roads.”
—Bob Clifton Denton resident
“Hickory is a rollercoaster now bec au se t hey c a n’t maintain the roads.” The area is distinct and it’s going to stay distinct, Clifton said. Several residents brought their own ideas to occupy t he empt y lot, i nclud i ng open space, parks, a music venue or another local business. Cochran expressed skepticism about the plans. “At first impression, I’d say that these developers are a cut above United Equities, who, frankly, seemed like they were in over their heads with the previous proposal,” Cochran said. In May 2007 Houstonbased United Equities Inc. bought an empty lot on Fry Street where the Tomato and Bagheri’s Italian Restaurant once stood. The company presented plans to build a drive-thru CVS Pharmacy on the property in 2008. T he c it y cou nc i l shot down the plans after residents objected. Vasbinder will return to Denton for another meeting Feb. 17 w ith more details a bout t he proje c t a f ter hearing the ideas from residents during Wednesday’s meeting. “We’re very hands-on from day one,” he said. “We’ve never started a project and not f inished, a nd it’l l be built to the highest standard.”
To read more about this issue, see the Daily’s editorial on Page 6