Sports
squad helps Scrappy pump up crowd ARTS & LIFE: New Page 3 Classes at Dallas campus threaten student safety VIEWS: Page 7
Soccer team impressive heading into post season Page 5
Thusday, October 22, 2009
News 1,2 Arts & Life 3,4 Sports 5,6 Views 7 Classifieds 8 Games 8
Volume 94 | Issue 33
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ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Students to vote on Homecoming bill BY CAROLYN BROWN Senior Staff Writer
Students will soon decide whether same-sex or genderneutral couples have the right to run for Homecoming court. A fter weeks of controversy centered on the Student Government Association’s rejection of the same-sex Homecoming bill, the student senate approved a referendum during Wednesday’s meeting allowing students to vote on the issue. “I would like to put faith in the student body,” SGA president Dakota Carter said. “I think this is an issue that needs to be decided by them, because they’ll be affected by it, and I think they need to express their opinions.” The referendum will be held sometime in mid-November. The change comes after Homecoming court winners were announced Saturday. If students vote “yes,” the senate must pass the bill before the end of the spring semester. The referendum would allow same-sex couples to run for Homecoming court in fall 2010. If students vote “no,” the senate will not consider the bill until summer 2010 at earliest. The senate members debated the wording of the resolution,
PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON / PHOTOGRAPHER
SGA student Sen. Talya Paeglis, an accounting junior, explains why she voted “no” to a bill that would allow same-sex and gender-neutral couples to run for positions on the Homecoming court. Paeglis represents the College of Business in the student senate. but the final version made the students’ vote binding on the SGA. The resolution was approved 22 to 1, but students who attended the meeting expressed mixed opinions. Davlin Kerekes, a social work
senior, said she disagreed with the idea of the referendum. “Equality is not something to be voted on at all,” said Davlin Kerekes, a social work senior. “The rights of a minority should not be put to the vote of the majority.” English graduate student April
to public transportation for faculty, staff, students and visitors, Cocco said. Within one year of signing the purchasing policy, UNT will begin purchasing or producing at least 15 percent of our institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources. Cocco also said the university participates in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition, and adopts associated measures to reduce waste, and establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent. “Our new stadium will be Gold LEED certified,” Cocco said. This is something UNT administration is proud of because no other Texas college stadiums are built to such high sustainability standards, she said. Charles Jackson, executive director of facilities, said sustainable buildings not only help the environment, but also help the university save some cash.
“I think the goal of sustainability is to do as little harm to this planet as possible,” Jackson said. He said it was his responsibility to run the facilities in the most efficient way possible to save the university money. Jackson said UNT has cut down costs by trading in all gasfueled university vehicles to electricity-run vehicles and is now experimenting with converting cooking oil into biodiesel for diesel-run university vehicles. Jackson said this initiative is in its experimental stage because UNT does not have the equipment that complies with environmental regulations in order to produce large amounts of this new product. Apart from tangible actions taken by UNT, Cocco said there will also be a bachelor’s degree in sustainability offered in the near future, as well as changes in the curriculum to offer the best environmental science classes. “We want students to leave here better equipped and make sure [sustainability] problems don’t exist anymore,” Cocco said.
UNT increases efforts toward a ‘green’ campus BY C YNTHIA CANO Intern
The color green no longer applies only to the heart of UNT pride, but also to the university’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. In the “We Mean Green” awareness campaign, UNT officials strive to lead Texas universities in addressing environmental issues. “There’s a joke I tell people,” said Nicole Cocco, communication and outreach coordinator for the office of sustainability. “If you breathe air or drink water, you’re an environmentalist.” Cocco said everyone deserves to have enough of the natural resources Earth has to offer, which is one of the reasons why UNT is committed to its sustainability initiatives. One of the tangible actions that UNT has enacted to become a “green” campus has been to adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of Energy Star certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist. Also, UNT has encouraged the use of and provided access
Sale offers costumes to raise money for dance, theater BY BRADFORD P URDOM Contributing Writer
With Halloween only days away, many students are faced with the challenging task of picking out their Halloween costume. But the UNT Department of Dance and Theatre may have a solution to the costume crisis. The UNT Department of Dance and Theatre is having their third annual fundraiser Trash and Treasure: Costume and Accessories Sale Friday and Saturday.
“We are selling costumes from past productions,” said Suzanne Shockley, costume shop supervisor. “We have a lot of historic costumes from medieval and Elizabethan, ancient Greek and Roman stuff.” Annell Brodeur, a theatre arts senior and shop assistant, said the sale will offer a wide variety of costumes. “If you don’t have an idea for what you want to be for Halloween, or you want to get something just to have, it’s really nice to come in and explore every option,” she said.
“The students that work the sale will help try to guide you to something that you might want.” The sale will provide an alternative to large costume outlets such as Party City. “We have some things that are just specifically Halloween related, lots of period garments, but also some fantasy things, like a large dinosaur tail,” Brodeur said. “We have some really fun stuff and then some kind of weird things too.”
See DEPT on Page 2
Murphy spoke up several times at the meeting and said she was pleased with the senate’s decision. “We came here with a lot of disparate groups with a lot of tension, and we opened up a discussion and dialogue, and
through it we came to a solution that we can agree with,” Murphy said. Speaker Pro Tempore Jessika Curry was the only student senate member to vote against the referendum. Curry said she didn’t agree
with its binding condition. “There’s a lot of student body turnover,” she said. “There will be thousands of students gone and thousands more come before we can consider any new legislation and I don’t think that was the best way to achieve the same result, but I do encourage everyone to vote.” Sen. Meghan Hudec for the college of public affairs and community service voted for the resolution, and said she would work to get her constituents involved. “It gives students a chance to say what they want, which is what we’re here for, to be their voice,” she said. The senate also confirmed Jerrod Ballard, a criminal justice junior, as an SGA Supreme Court justice. The SGA supreme court struck down a bill on Oct. 20 that made it more difficult for students to vote senators out of office. The senate complicated the removal process at a previous meeting after outraged campus groups protested the rejection of the same-sex Homecoming bill.
Opinion
See the editorial on Page 7
PHOTO BY SUSAN MISKA / INTERN
(From left) David Van Compernolle, a senior majoring in radio, television and film, and Drew Jacoy, an entrepreneurship senior, work together at the KNTU studio Wednesday for the radio station’s upcoming 40th anniversary.
KNTU to celebrate 40 years BY A MBER A RNOLD Senior Staff Writer
For 40 years, UNT’s radio station KNTU-FM, 88.1, has supplied the airways with sultry sounds of smooth jazz and brought the news to the Denton community. The station that churns out future radio broadcasters will celebrate its history with a radio reception and concert on Nov. 6 at the Gateway Center. “One of the main goals and driving forces is for students to learn about broadcasting,” general manager Russ Campbell said. “The students over the years have gotten a good foundation of what its like to work in a broadcasting facility.” KNTU’s history is full of accomplishments, struggles and even a few mishaps. On Monday, Nov. 3, 1969 — the day the station aired — the first word to hit the airwaves was a curse word, according to, “KNTU: A History.” The station also managed to
survive a massive fire in 1989 that destroyed most of its electrical equipment. KNTU was only off the air for one day. With its share of misfortunes, 88.1-The One has persevered and grown from a station broadcasting at only 440 watts to one that reaches everyone within a 60-mile radius at 100,000 watts. In 1970, KNTU only aired from noon until 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday. Today, the station broadcasts from 6 a.m. until midnight every day of the year, according to its Web site. The station is established throughout the North Texas area as a primarily jazz-format station almost completely run by student volunteers. Ilan Goddard, who now works for KERA, began as one of these volunteers. “I went in and auditioned, and the first question they asked was if I’d like to be a news anchor. The second question was, would
I like to be lead news anchor?” Goddard said. Goddard, who graduated from UNT in 1998 with a degree in fine art sculpture, submitted a newscast to the Broadcast Education Association and got an award for being the best in the nation. “About 14 months after I first went on the air, I got a job at the only station I ever wanted to work at,” Goddard said about being hired at KERA. KNTU’s anniversary celebration will begin at 6 p.m., and costs $30. To RSVP for the event, visit www.kntu.com. “It gives us a way to celebrate all the people who helped start up the station and the people that did their part to keep it going including station managers, engineers, administration, and everyone in the RTVF department,” Campbell said. “The glue that holds it together is that it gives the students a way to learn broadcast and it gives them a voice.”
Page 2 Thursday, October 22, 2009
News
Shaina Zucker & Courtney Roberts
News Editors ntdailynews@gmail.com
Wrongly accused men cleared after 12 years DALLAS (AP) — Two men wrongly convicted of capital murder in Texas 12 years ago are expected to be released from prison this week after another man confessed to the crime, the Dallas County district attorney announced Wednesday. Claude Simmons Jr., 54, and Christopher Scott, 39, received life sentences for the 1997 murder of Alfonso Aguilar. “Twelve years later, with the help of the Dallas Police Department, we’re going to right that wrong of the past and ensure that those two individuals are freed by the weekend,” Da l las Cou nt y D i s t r ic t A t t or ne y C r a i g Watkins said. He credited a joint investigation between the Dallas Police Depa rtment’s Cold Case Unit and the Conviction Integrity Unit of the prosecutor’s office for the men’s pending release, calling it “a great day for the criminal justice system.” Prosecutors said another ma n, A lon z o Ha rdy, 49, confessed to the crime in a sworn statement from prison last summer. His alleged accomplice, Don Michael Anderson, 40, was arrested Tuesday night in the Houston area. A nderson wa s cha rged w it h capita l mu rder, but Ha rdy ha s not yet been charged. Hardy, who has been in state prison since 1999, is serving a 30-year-sentence on an unrelated aggravated robbery committed about a year after the murder, prosecutors said. Although Dallas County leads t he nat ion i n DNA exonerations, Watkins said that Simmons and Scott were “the first two cases where DNA was not an issue” in their being freed.
“The real hero in this process is Mr. Watkins, because he opened up the process to public scrutiny.”
—John Stickels Director of UT-Arlington Innocence Network
Aguilar’s widow misidentif ied Scott as one of t he murderers after seeing him in handcuffs, shortly after he was taken into custody, said Michael Ware, who leads t he cou nt y ’s Conv ic t ion Integrity Unit, which exami nes possible i n nocence cases. “This is a classic misidentification, eyewitness case,” said Simmons’ attorney, John Stickels. “The Dallas Police Depa r t ment worked w it h what they had at the time. “We’re not bla ming t he Dallas Police Department, w e don’t t h i n k t he y ’v e done a n y t h i n g w r on g ,” sa id St ickels, d i rector of t he Un iver sit y of Tex a s at A r l i ng ton I n no c enc e Network. Dallas police Chief David Kunkle said his department has been making changes to its l i neup system a nd ot her pract ices to reduce the number of eyewitness misidentifications. On April 7, 1997, two men forced their way into a Dallas home that was k now n for selling drugs with the intent of robbing the house, said Ware, an assistant district attorney. Aguilar, who was at the house, was fata lly shot in the chest. Si m mons a nd Scot t, f r iend s w ho had v i sited the house in the past, have c on si stent l y ma i nt a i ne d their innocence, said Scott’s attorney, Michelle Moore.
A f ter hea r i ng of t hei r pend i ng rele a s e, “C h r i s was grinning from ea r to ear and Claude, it was hard for him to stop crying,” said Moore, an assistant public defender. “He is very, very grateful; very thankful. He sings nothing but praise for ever ybody who helped in this.” A nderson a nd Ha rdy were mentioned as suspects during the original investigation. A nderson appa rent ly confessed, but a trial judge refused to allow the jury to hear that evidence during the 1997 trials, prosecutors said, explaining that they did not know the reasons. “I’m not here to assig n bla me. I’m here w it h t he Dallas Police Department, to cor rect a n i njust ice,” Watkins said. T he Te x a s C enter for Act ua l In nocence at t he University of Texas’s School of Law along with students at UT-Arlington Innocence Network brought the case to t he d ist r ict at tor ney ’s Conv iction Integ rit y Unit last year. “T he rea l hero i n t h is whole process is Mr. Watkins, because he opened up the process to public scrutiny,” Stickels said. “He made a conscious decision to stop doing business as usual and to try to do the right thing in the criminal justice system and it has paid off.”
Dept sells second-hand costumes Continued from Page 1 Most of the costumes were made by students and were used in productions over the past 10 years. Prices can range from $4 to $150, and renting is not an option.
“I think it’s a good idea because it’s an opportunity for students on campus to support each other’s work and to find different and interesting costumes,” said Erin Chalkley, a merchandising sophomore. “I personally don’t know what I’m going to be doing yet, and
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I hope to stop by and find something to put together for Halloween.” The store will be open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Radio, Television, Film, and Performing Arts Building 127 and 130.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM BARCUS/KANSAS CITY STAR/MCT
Johnson County Community College is one of many colleges offering degrees in video gaming. Here, Dallas Crossland, left, and Drew Misemer work together in an animation class at JOCO Community College on Oct. 6. in Overland Park, Kan.
Video game development offered as college degree (MCT) K ANSAS CITY, Mo. — Menacing, metallic and mega-gun brandishing, the cyber super soldier looms over Richard Fleming’s desk. Not exactly stereotypical for a professor’s office at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. Well, as the “Gears of War” crowd might say: “Eat boot. Suck pavement. Get back into your hole.” This professor under the “Halo 3” figure teaches video game development. So lock and load, zappers of Nazi zombies or the locust horde. All those hours wearing out your thumbs in front of “Halo” or “Gears” actually could mean a college degree and fast career path. Before you drop your joystick, remember a degree in video game design is math and science laden. Or it could involve serious art skills. This year, 254 of the nation’s colleges and universities in 37 states have such programs, up 27 percent more than the year before. At first, computer information science program leaders resisted bringing in video game courses, recalled Jeff Huff, assistant professor of graphics at Missouri State at West Plains. “They didn’t see them as worthy,” Huff said. “It was real easy to dismiss it by saying, ‘They are video games, how important could it be?’” According to the E nt e r t a i n m e nt S of t w a r e Association, which monitors the game industry, video game design is the fastest-growing industry in this country. “A generation that has grown up playing video games is entering college,” said Rich Taylor at the association. “Schools are responding to that.”
Besides a favorite pastime, video games are developed for use in military training, education, Hollywood, and for virtual training in a variety of fields, including medicine and mechanics. “In the last 12 years, software sales have quadrupled,” Taylor said, taking video game sales with it. Last year, games and game consoles reached $22 billion in sales. At a time when students are graduating into a shrinking job market, this industry is flourishing, Taylor said. More than 80,000 people are employed by the video game industry, Taylor said. “It is indicative of schools realizing that video game design is a viable industry.” Most of the schools with v ideo game programs are in New York, Texas, North Carolina and California, with the University of CaliforniaIrvine recently establishing a center for games and virtual worlds research. The Midwest has its offerings, too. The Entertainment Software Association listed JCCC as the only school in Kansas with video game design degrees. JCCC began drafting its two-year associate’s degree programs in game development and animation in 2006 because that’s what students wanted. The school had four to six classes that dealt with game programming. At the time, Fleming and a colleague, Jeff Byers, who teaches a n i mat ion, were adjunct professors. Now they run the degree programs, which have three other instructors teaching 63 classes for the 64-credit-hour game-developing degree and 47 classes for the 66-credit-hour animation degree. “It h a s b e en ste ad i l y growing,” Fleming said. They added four sections this year.
Technology is moving so fast that every year instructors at the community college update class curriculums. “As soon as we open a new animation section, it fills up within 24 hours,” said Kelly Gernhart, the school’s assistant dean of computer science and information technology. Those with a flair for art and design who can create colorful characters and scenarios won’t need the same level of computer science, but it is technology driven. Video development provides the framework of the game— makes it operate — but, Fleming said, “it’s not too pretty to look at.” Developers can make a plane fly, dive and shoot but they need an animator to design the plane. Ben Mora of Olathe, Kan., is in the second year of his video animation degree. Mora played a lot of video games in high school. Then he started drawing animations. “I thought, I love animation and I love video games. Why not put them together?” Mora asked. Taylor said 68 percent of people of all ages play video games and 95 percent of young people play them. Video game consoles are in nearly 50 percent of the households in this country. Graduates with a two-year associate’s degree are ready on day one to enter the job market. Some take their video game degree to a four-year school for a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Out in the world, v ideo game design is deemed recession resistant. And the pay is great. The average video game designer job starting out pays about $55,000 a year. With five years of experience, young designers make in the range of $90,000 a year.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Arts & Life
Page 3 Kip Mooney
Arts & Life Editor ntd.artslife@gmail.com
Scrappy Squad helps mascot on the field BY K ATIE GRIVNA Senior Staff Writer
Saturday’s Homecoming game marked the first event for the newest tradition on campus: the Scrappy Squad. The Scrappy Squad is a group of students who help the mascot, Scrappy, while he is on the field or court during football and basketball games. They interpret his motions, promote athletic events, and create and perform skits. “Students love him, kids love him, parents love him, ever ybody loves him,” said Mark Bradford, a recreation and leisure studies senior. “But it seems like he’s not protected a lot and it seems he needs to have a little help whenever he’s out doing his stuff. There’s some of those fa ns t hat ca n get a l it t le rambunctious.” Squad members also participate in pre-game tailgating, work with cheerleaders and the dance team and work fire extinguishers to create smoke before players run out onto the field, he said. “Sometimes, there is this one fan that you can’t get up, even with Scrappy trying,” he said. “Having squad people there will definitely help,” he said. Bradford said he came up with this idea for his required project for his internship with the athletics department. “I think it’s going to give them a different feel of the game, instead of being in the stands looking down at the games,” Bradford said. W herever Scrappy goes, there will be at least one squad member there, he said.
“Now instead of just sitting in the bleachers, being another face in the crowd, I’m actually down on the field cheering on the team.”
—Matt Ransdell Theater arts junior
The only downside of being a member of t he Scrappy Squad is the time commitment, as members tailgate three hours before football kick-off or an hour and a half before basketball games, he said. Scrappy Squad members were on t he f ield du r i ng S a t u r d a y ’s Hom e c om i n g game. The ma x imum members allowed on the football field during one time are six. Matt Ransdell, a theater arts junior, said since he attends all of the UNT football games, the Scrappy Squad gave him the opportunity to be more involved. “Now instead of just sitting in the bleachers, being another face in the crowd, I’m actually down on the field cheering on the team,” he said. Wa l k i n g a r o u n d w i t h Scrappy and getting the crowd pumped on Saturday was a lot of fun, Ransdell said. In addition to the fight song, hand motions and cheering, Ra nsdell sa id t he Scrappy Squad voices what Scrappy is trying to do since he can’t talk to interact with the crowd. “We want to make Scrappy Squad exciting enough and fun enough to the point where
people are wondering what the Scrappy Squad is going to do this game,” Ransdell said. Ashley Pappas, an interdisciplinary studies freshman, said she thinks the Scrappy Squad is a good idea because mascots of ten need assistance. As a volunteer at the Dallas Arboretum, she wore Rudolph a nd Frost y t he Snow ma n costumes. “You can’t really see much and you can’t rea lly judge where you’re going or what is coming at you, so I think that is good,” Pappas said. Applications are accepted all year round and are open to any full-time student. For more i n for mat ion, contact Ma rk Brad ford at ma rkbrad ford88 @ g ma i l. com.
Next chances to participate in the Scrappy Squad: Oct. 31: UNT vs. Western Kentucky Nov. 7: UNT vs. University of Louisiana-Monroe Nov. 21: UNT vs. Army
PHOTO BY CHRISTENA DOWSETT / PHOTO EDITOR
Scrappy and members of the Scrappy Squad cheer during the Homecoming game on Saturday at Fouts Field. Students can apply to join the group year-round.
Michelle Obama hula hoops for good health First lady teaches children better nutrition WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Michelle Obama hooped it up for health — hula hooped, that is — managing to get in an impressive 142 swivels before her hula hoop hit the ground. Jumping rope double dutch? Not so much. It was all for a good cause, encouraging kids to get more phy sic a l ac t iv it y a nd eat better. T he f i rst lady hosted a “healthy kids fair” on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday and invited about 100 children and parents from local elementary schools. Chefs demonstrated how to make healthy-but-yummy snack s. A nd t he f irst lady delivered a pep ta lk about eating right. It wasn’t all gloom, doom and nutrition. Obama said it’s OK to eat fun stuff sometimes — as long as you usually eat right. “There’s nothing that the first family loves more than a good burger, right?” Obama said. “And look, my favorite food in the whole wide world are french fries. I love them.
Dearly. Deeply. I have a good relationship with french fries and I would eat them every single day if I could.” “I tell my girls this: If you’re getting the right foods for most of the time, then when it’s time to have cake and french fries on those special occasions, then you balance it out.” Oba ma a lso ma naged a spot-on imitation of k ids whining about eating their vegetables. “I don’t wanna eat it. I don’t like it. It tastes bad. I don’t want it,” the first lady said in her best nasal whine. Then she added: “We don’t want to hear the whining. We want you to eat it. Just eat it.” That might not be such a hard sell if all healthy foods tasted likes the ones served up on the South Lawn: There was sweet and zesty popcorn made with peanuts and parmesan cheese, and zucchini quesad i l la s t hat t he f i r st lady declared tasted like pizza. Obama was preaching to a tough crowd. Lots of kids eagerly snapped up the treats. But one little girl didn’t move a muscle when the first lady asked her to pledge that she’d try some new and healthy foods. After checking out the food demonstrations, Obama hiked up her belt and joined a crowd of young hula hoopers, keeping up with the best of them. She didn’t do so well when
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT
First lady Michelle Obama hula-hooped on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday during a “healthy kids fair” to promote better nutrition and a more active lifestyle. it came to jumping rope, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The first lady made three unsuccessful attempts to jump into a round of double dutch — two ropes turning in opposite directions. Not giving up, she kicked off her f lats and tried jumping into a single swinging rope. That didn’t go much better. So Obama moved on to an obstacle course, when she whizzed barefoot through a series of hurdles and back to the starting line.
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Page 4 Thursday, October 22, 2009
Arts & Life
Kip Mooney
Arts & Life Editor ntd.artslife@gmail.com
Gallery displays faculty talents, artwork Professors find inspiration in nature K RYSTLE CANTU
Contributing Writer A peacock dress stands in the middle of an ocean as pigs dance in a conga line. These are just a few of the pieces the UNT faculty art exhibition offers. “It’s really nice, because three or four of the artists have instructed me and it’s nice to see what they’re working on,” said Raymond Allen, a new media junior. “It’s reassuring to see how qualified everyone is.” The annual faculty and staff ex hibition is running from Oct. 6 to Oct. 24. Professors from different art fields have come together to present their pieces. “I think it’s interesting to see what our instructors are doing and get their perspectives,” said Emily Robertson, a fibers senior. “It’s also nice to see how some of them have developed their work or how their work has changed over the years.” Diana Beard, a professor of fashion design, presented a peacock-like dress at the show, called “It Looks Good on Paper.” “I just wanted to do something on paper and the design
just came together to where it looked like a peacock,” Beard said. “I had the idea first on paper a nd it just evolved through sketching and paper loops.” Jerry Austin, an art professor, e nt e r e d h i s pi g-t h e m e d ceramics titled “Stampede” and “Conga Line: Pigs Just Wanna Have Fun.” “I’ve had a nu mber of students over the years that h av e h ad env i r on ment a l issues and I’ve always loved animals,” Austin said, “The swine f lu epidemic inspired the pigs. It’s a motif of swine f lu pigs.” Susan Cheal, a drawing and painting professor, presented an untitled piece that consisted of marine buoys, bungee cords, surgical masks, Ping-Pong balls, tags and tile spacers arranged in an abstract fashion on the gallery floor. “I like objects in the world and that whole notion of finding artwork in everyday things has become pretty accepted,” Cheal said. “The viewer can put whatever they think together about those objects and form their own connections.” Cheal said the theme of her project was protection and safety. She marked a space in the gallery as a “safe place” w it h objec t s s y mbol i z i ng safety in ever yday life. She also wanted to create a sealike effect using the gallery f loor.
PHOTO BY KRYSTLE CANTU / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Jerry Austin, an art professor, entered his ceramic piece, “Conga Line: Pigs Just Want to Have Fun”, in the faculty and staff art exhibition in the Art Gallery. He said he was inspired by swine flu outbreaks. “I thought of the galler y floor as an ocean,” Cheal said. “The tile spacers ref lected stars for me as they ref lected off the surface. I thought it
wa s a n i l lu m i nat i ng idea to ma ke a n i ndoor-g lossy concrete floor into something you see outside, such as an ocean. I’m trying to bring the
‘outside’ inside.” Faculty members enjoyed viewing their colleagues as well. “The faculty show is a way
to let everyone know what we are working on.” Cheal said. “I t hink it’s great t hat our faculty has so many different ideas of their own.”
Discussion focuses on bisexuals, transgendered BY MORGAN WALKER We know a little about the “G” and “L” but who are the “B” and “T”? This question will kick off Café Diversity, an ongoing dialogue throughout the fall semester. This discussion, which starts at 3 p.m. in the One O’Clock Lounge, focuses on the bisexual and transgender community. Cara Walker, coordinator for the UNT Multicultural Center, said she hopes it will educate
the student body. “T hat ’s why we put in the t it le t hat we k now a b o u t gay a nd l e s b i a n ,” Gilda Garcia Walker said. “But what about being a bisexual or transgender, because a lot of people don’t know about that part of the community.” The two moderators will be
Matt Goodman of DFW Bi Net, a social and support group for those curious about bisexuality, and Marla Compton of the Resource Center of Dallas, an organization focused on education and equal rights for gays and lesbians in North Texas. Garcia said they will do a brief introduction and ask four or five questions they have prepared to present to the audience. Once the small groups have discussed what they feel about the question, Goodman and Compton will ask a represen-
tative from each group to share what they thought with the rest of the audience. The setup will be similar to last month’s dialogue on racism, said Gilda Garcia, vice president of the Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity. The layout of the room will be the same as the last dialogue, with audience members sitting in circles to talk about the discussion topics, she said. A few classes with a focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues have been
invited as well as 10 student or g a n i z a t ion s i nc lud i n g Women’s Studies and the Gay and Lesbian Association of Denton. “I like to support these kinds of discussions,” said Alison Ortiz, a psychology senior. “If someone has a friend or family member who’s trying to come out they may not know how to go about talking to them.” Topics to discuss are chosen once the Division of Equity and Diversity meets with other student groups and the multicultural center, a group within
the division. “We interact all the time,” Garcia said. “We listen to what others say and we also watch what’s going on around campus in order to see what the issues are.” Students, faculty and staff are welcome to the discussion and refreshments will be provided. “This is really to educate people, whether they’re of the GLBT community, advocates of the community or don’t know anything about it,” Walker said.
CHICAGO (AP) — They think it’s pointless, narcissistic. Some don’t even know what it is. Even so, more young adults and teens — normally at the cutting edge of technology — are finally coming around to Twitter, using it for class or work, or monitoring the minutiae of celebrities’ lives. It’s not always love at first tweet, though. Many of them are doing it grudgingly, perhaps because a friend pressures them
or a teacher or boss makes them try the 140-character microblogging site. “I still find no point to using it. I’m the type of person who likes to talk to someone,” says Austyn Gabig, a sophomore at the University of California, San Diego, who only joined Twitter this month because she heard Ellen DeGeneres was going to use tweets as a way to win tickets to her talk show.
DeGeneres set off a frenzy on the campus when she promised the tickets to those who, within 15 minutes of the tweet, e-mailed her cell phone photos of themselves wearing a red towel and standing with someone in a uniform. Gabig got the tweet, found a towel — and won tickets. She might think she won’t tweet again, but social networking expert David Silver predicts she’ll change her mind. “Every semester, Twitter is the one technology that students are most resistant to,” says Silver, a media studies professor at the University of San Francisco, where
he regularly teaches a class on how to use various Internet applications. “But it’s also the one they end up using the most.” It is a rare instance, he and others say, of young people adopting an Internet application after many of their older counterparts have already done so. Their slowness to warm to Twitter comes in part from a fondness for the ease and directness of text messaging and other social networking services that most of their friends already use. Many also are under the false impression that their Twitter pages have to be public, which is
unappealing to a generation that’s had privacy drilled into them. Then there’s the fact that their elders like it, and that’s very uncool. But that’s bound to change as tech-savvy Gen Xers reach middle age and baby boomers and even some senior citizens become more comfortable with social networking. “In some ways, what we’re seeing here is a kind of closing of that generational gap as it relates to technology,” says Craig Watkins, a University of Texas professor and author of the book “The Young and the Digital.” Consider, for instance, that the median age of a Facebook user is now 33, despite the socialnetworking site’s roots as a college hangout, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The median age for Twitter is 31. And while Facebook’s audience is aging, Twitterers are getting younger. Internet tracker comScore Inc. found that 18- to 24-year-olds made up 18 percent of unique visitors to Twitter in September, compared with 11 percent a year earlier. Meanwhile, kids ages 12 to 17 accounted for 12 percent of Twitter visitors last month, about double the proportion of a year earlier. Pew researchers also found in a report released Wednesday that the number of people ages 18 to 24 who use some type of statusupdate service is growing quickly, too. They attribute much of the
growth to Twitter. “So much of this is driven by community. I’d even call it a tribe,” says Susannah Fox, a Pew researcher who was the new report’s lead author. She said the survey also found that wireless devices are increasingly a factor in Twitter involvement, as in the more you have ó laptop, mobile phone and so on ó the more likely you are to tweet. The key, USF professor Silver says, is showing his students how a simple status update can become a more sophisticated way to show their creative sides and, who knows, maybe land a job. “It’s just another tool in your tool kit,” he says he tells his students. “The question is, ‘How do you engage someone just long enough to get them to click on a link?’” Renee Robinson, an associate professor of communication at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, says her students still feel overwhelmed by Twitter. “They often see it as another level of information that they don’t want,” she says. And sometimes she does, too. In one of her classes where she uses Twitter, she and her students had to cut back on people they were following because they were deluged with tweets. So they all learned something: “Think carefully about what kind of information you want and how you want it delivered,” she told them, “and then prioritize.”
Staff Writer
Younger generation reluctant to join Twitter
Free Fruit Kolache To Go when you bring in this coupon
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Page 5
Sports
Justin Umberson
Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com
Week 7 Sun Belt Pick ’em
Sean 3-1
Eric 3-1
Justin 2-2
Florida International @ Arkansas State Florida Atlantic @ LouisianaLafayette
PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB / INTERN
Carly McDowell, a hospitality management freshman, steals the ball from a University of Louisiana-Monroe player. The Mean Green won its last two games this weekend, making it the leader in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Script: No excuses for Mean Green soccer
Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee State
Opinion
LousianaMonroe @ Kentucky
BY SEAN GORMAN Senior Staff Writer
Tennis program continues climb to national recognition BY ERIC JOHNSON Senior Staff Writer
W hen Sujay L a ma took control of t he UNT tennis program in 2006, he had one goal in mind: Make the Mean Green a nationally recognized program. His players took a big step in that direction at the Texas Regiona l Tournament w ith t he biggest w in in school history. UNT’s top doubles team, Madura Ra nga nat ha n a nd Irina Paraschiv, fought off a f u r iou s c omeback a nd defeated t he No. 8 ra nked team in the nation. “We rea l ly tur ned some heads this weekend,” Lama sa id. “W i ns l i ke t hat a re ex ac t ly how you g row a prog r a m i nto a nat iona l contender. “ Paraschiv, a journa lism sophomore, and Ranganathan, a business junior, steamrolled their way through the first t wo rounds before sta ring down the pair from Baylor University. U N T ’s d y n a m i c d u o jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but dropped five straight games and allowed the momentum to shift to Baylor. The experience and continuit y t hat comes with playing dozens of matches together helped the
Mean Green’s top two players to close out the match 9-7. “We can lean on each other in those crucial moments,” Paraschiv said. “We trust each other, and we know exactly what the other one is going to do at all times. I feel like when we are at our best we can play with anyone.” After knocking out Texas A&M University’s best team in the quarterfinals, Paraschiv and Ranganathan ran into the buzz saw that was Southern Methodist University’s Pavi Francis and Marta Lesniak, the No. 13 ranked pair in the nation. “They just didn’t have the same dominate performance,” Lama said. “They would get a little momentum going and then their serves would let them down, and that was not happening earlier this week. I’m still very proud of them for what they were able to accomplish, and they made a big impact in this tournament.” I n t h e s i n g l e s d r a w, Pa ra sch iv foug ht t h roug h fatigue after a trip to the emergency room for stomach pains just days before the tournament to w i n her open i ng round match against the No. 9 seed. Just like the rest of the Mean Green roster, Paraschiv
would lose her second round match and finish up play in the consolation bracket. R a n g a n a t h a n f ou nd a familiar foe in her consolation draw, when she fell victim to her teammate Paula Dinuta, an undeclared sophomore. “It is so difficult to play one of you r tea m mates,” Ranganathan said. “Nobody wants to lose and we both competed at our highest level. While I was disappointed with the loss, I was happy to see her succeed.” Dinuta would make a deep run in the consolation bracket before fa lling short in her efforts in the quarterfinals. UNT has t wo remaining tou r n a ment s on it s f a l l schedule to prepare for the spring season. The tea m w i l l t ravel to Waco to play in the Baylor Invitational on Oct. 30 and w i l l host t he Nor t h Texas Classic the following week. L a ma i s exc ite d about the potential that this team possesses and the progression the program has made. “We have ever y t hing in place for motivated athlete to succeed.” Lama said. “We have built a culture of winning here and I believe we are on our way to being a top-50 or even a top-25 program.”
Cowboys play through pain I RV I NG, Tex a s (A P) — Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber and linebacker DeMarcus Ware joined the injur y list Wednesday, but shou ld play t h is weekend against Atlanta. Barber has a fractured left thumb that he thought he just jammed against Kansas City before the bye week. An X-ray revealed the break. Ware has a stress fracture in his left foot. C o w b o y s c o a c h Wa d e Ph i l l ips s a id he e x pe c t s both to start Sunday at home against the Falcons. He said the right-handed Barber didn’t appear to have t rouble ca r r y i ng t he ba l l or catch i ng it i n pract ice Wednesday.
Phillips said Ware had been complaining about soreness in his foot for a couple of weeks, and an MRI revealed the stress fracture. Last year’s NFL sack leader had his first two sacks of this season against t he Kansas City Chiefs. “His foot was sore and he played t he last ga me OK,” Ph i l l ips sa id. “He’s been playing well. It’s not a major injur y. It’s one that he can play with.” All 10 players on the latest i nju r y l i st, t he f i r st t he Cowboys have had to release since before the Kansas City game, fully participated in practice Wednesday. T hat i nclude d re c eiver Roy Williams (ribs), running
back Feli x Jones (st ra ined left knee) and safety Gerald Sensabaugh (right thumb). All three missed the Kansas City game, but are expected to play against Atlanta. Jones, who has missed two games, wore a brace in practice and might wear one in a game for the first time. Phillips said t he protection didn’t appea r to slow dow n Jones, who had 190 yards rushing in the last two games he played. The others hurt but practicing were offensive linemen Ma rc Colombo (a n k le), Leonard Davis (thumb) and Andre Gurode (knee), safety Michael Hamlin (wrist), and linebacker Cur t is Johnson (hamstring).
At season’s sta rt, I was skeptical about covering the UNT soccer team. Questions surfaced all the time about whether or not reporting about its wins and losses would be nearly as enjoyable as spending time with the basketball or softball team last season. W hy wou ld t h i s tea m be any different than our ot her spor ts tea ms, who have struggled to perform against Sun Belt competition recently? With only three seniors how does this team have any chance at winning at all? How cou ld cover i ng a soccer ga me possibly be fun? Being initia lly aware of the coach’s upcoming milestone to 200 victories and the program’s 14 consecutive winning seasons would have erased these questions completely, but because of my prior ignorance all the evidence I had and needed was the success on and off the field this season. The bottom line is this — when looking to the teams ready to vie for a trip to the NCAA Tournament this year, UNT sta nds a lone as t he favorite. One key reason why this is true is the clear fact that U N T possesses t he best defense in the conference. The Mean Green leads the Sun Belt in goa ls a llowed and shutouts. “T h i s sea son we have a cha mpion sh ip c a l iber
Sean Gorman defense,” head coach John Hed lu nd sa id. “W hen it comes to our success, they’ve carried us all year.” Not only does UNT have capable defenders that are led by senior Lauren Shockey, but junior goalkeeper Mandy Hall has turned into one of the best goalkeepers in the country. “Mandy really is a special player,” Hedlund said. “She’s been a great example on and off the field.” Hall is only two shutouts away from setting a UNT school record for most in a career and is only surrendering .64 goals per game. It’s plain and simple — with the best defense in the conference, it’s hard to argue against UNT being favored to win the conference tournament. Praising the defense as the team’s strength is no knock on a more t ha n capable of fense, wh ich is ra n ked fourt h in t he Sun Belt in shots and goals per game. On a tea m w here t he defense keeps games close, the offense always does just enough to win. For wa rds Kenda l l Juett a nd Kelsey Perlma n have been a headache for teams
a l l sea son, but su r pr isefreshman forward Michelle Young is the one factor that has made t his of fense so dangerous. Young leads the team with eight goals, ranking third in the Sun Belt, while leading t he con ference w it h t wo game winning scores. UNT has outshot its opponents 266-140, meaning one thing: The offense is strong enoug h to present plent y of chances for the team to win. Yet a not her edge UN T has is the experience of its coach John Hedlund, who celebrated career w in 200 earlier this season. Hedlund has one of the de epe st re su me s i n t he NCA A with a .727 winning percentage and two trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last five years. “Coach Hedlund has been great since the first day I sta r ted play ing soccer at UNT,” Juett said. “He keeps us mot ivated a nd has a n i mpressive k nowledge of the game.” With a capable offense, an outstanding defense and an experienced coach that does not lose big games, it would not be a surprise to see the Mean Green advance to the big dance in 2009. So if you’re not patient enough to watch our football team develop into one of the Sun Belt’s top teams or want high-sta kes drama before basketba ll season begins, remember that UNT’s best kept secret is a soccer team that is yet to have a losing season a nd is pr i med to make a run deep into the post season.
Page 6 Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sports
Justin Umberson
Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com
Umpires acknowledge blunders in playoffs The most egregious f lub, however, came on Swisher’s chopper back to pitcher Darren Oliver. The pitcher threw home and the Angels caught Jorge Posada in a rundown. Posada ret reated to t h i rd, wh ich was occupied at the time by Robinson Cano, who inexplicably stood several feet from the bag. Catcher Mike Napoli alertly tagged both Cano and Posada. McClelland called Posada out, but let Cano stay at third. McClelland said he thought Cano was on the bag. A n ge l s m a n a ge r M i k e Scioscia didn’t sound upset about McClelland’s call, but that might have been different if the score had been closer or if Cano had wound up scoring.
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“The way Timmy described what he saw, you know, he made the call as he saw it,” Scioscia said. McClella nd, in his 27t h season in the major leagues, gained fame in 1983 for calling out George Brett after a home run because Brett had applied pine tar incorrectly to his bat. He also was behind the plate the day Sammy Sosa got caught with a corked bat. The umpiring has come under scrutiny a bit more than usual this October after a series of high-profile mistakes. In both American League Division Series, the umpires blew obvious calls. In the Angels’ series with t he Boston Red Sox, C.B. Bucknor missed two calls at first base.
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McClelland, who routinely Anaheim, Calif. (MCT) — Slumps tend to take on an is among the highest-rated ominous tint in October and umpires, is the crew chief for nobody appears to be in a deeper this ALCS. “Obviously or not obvicollective funk this postseason ously, there were two missed than the umpires. Tim McClelland’s crew blew calls,” McClelland said. “And three calls on the bases in the I’m just out there trying to do fourth and fifth innings of the my job and do it the best I can. Angels’ 10-1 loss to the New Unfortunately, by instant replay, York Yankees in Game 4 of the there were two missed calls.” It started when the Angels American League Championship Series on Monday. None of picked off Nick Swisher at second the calls impacted the game’s base after a low throw from Scott lopsided outcome, but poor offi- Kazmir and a quick tag by Erick PHOTO COURTESY ROSE PALMISANO/ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/MCT ciating is becoming an increasing Aybar. Dale Scott signaled him New York Yankees infielder Robinson Cano slides past the tag of Los Angeles embarrassment this month to safe, however. Later, the Angels appealed Angels Mike Napoli in the fourth inning during Game 4 of their ALCS game at Major League Baseball. McClelland said he and the after Swisher scored on Johnny Angels Stadium in Anaheim, Cali., on Tuesday. other umpires routinely monitor Damon’s sacrifice f ly and television replays. What he saw McClelland called Swisher out. bag after Torii Hunter made the said. “I’m not touching that.” Fox replays, which the network catch. Swisher didn’t want to Monday indicated that he made McClelland said he felt “in said were synchronized, seemed two mistakes while working Never his heart,” that Swisher left too wade into the controversy. a cover! to show that Swisher left the third base. “That’s for y’all, man,” Swisher soon.
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Views
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Page 7 Amanda Mielcarek
Views Editor ntdailyviews@gmail.com
Lesson learned, resolution passed Editorial The editorial staff applauds the SGA for taking into consideration the opinions and concerns of the students they were chosen to represent. Through columns, protests, debates and direct correspondence, students made it clear to the Student Government Association that they were unhappy with its Sept. 29 rejection of a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to run for positions on the Homecoming court. The student senate heard their discontent and, at their meeting Wednesday, responded accordingly by passing a resolution to put the matter of same-sex Homecoming to a student referendum. Students will now have the final say in this hotly debated matter. To represent the needs and interests of students is, after all, the whole reason UNT has an SGA, and it is refreshing to see this put into action. The resolution passed overwhelmingly, with only one senator voting against it. Considering that the vast majority of these same senators either abstained or voted against the original bill makes this sudden turnaround rather telling. Student protest is the reason senators were forced to reconsider. Only when faced with an onslaught of angry students and possible removal did the senators change their minds on the matter and decide to allow students to vote on an issue that should have been up to them in the first place. Student protest, along with the student supreme court, provides a system of checks and balances that is key to a functioning democracy. Students voiced their concerns through protest and threat of removal, and the student supreme court upheld the students’ right to remove senators through petition. Students should take this as an example that getting involved makes a difference and that a few students can cause real changes. We hope the SGA will learn from this and continue to listen to students, fulfilling their duty to represent them. The senators have done their part. The responsibility of what happens next now belongs to the students. Voting on the referendum will be held in mid-November. We encourage students to take the time to make their voices heard and vote on this important matter. Only with the participation of students will true representation be possible.
Campus Chat
Which social networking Web site do you use the most and why? “I use Facebook the most because I can talk with people from other countries. I am from Argentina, so I like communicating with friends and family back there.”
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Suggestions for a better UNT After careful consideration and countless hours of intense research, I have compiled a list of 10 necessary additions that would improve the university. Some are improbable, while others are downright impossible, but I do believe they are worth consideration. 10. Mandatory etiquette classes A ll freshmen should be required to learn how to make a bed, do laundry and have polite conversations. They should be reminded of table manners as well as when it is unacceptable to spit in public, the answer of course being never. 9. School spirit We have world-renowned music, fabulous academics and great athletic teams. Our Homecoming football game, while it ended poorly, was close throughout and the team worked hard. Our basketball team is awesome and our swimmers win meets regularly. Why, then, do I see paraphernalia for other schools as I walk around campus? We have students from all over the world, but students can’t help but advertise that UNT was their second or even third choice. 8. No mp3 players By no means am I bashing the devices. However, as I walk
through campus and yell your name as I frantically wave, it would be life-altering if you could hear me well enough to acknowledge my existence. It makes me look a little less crazy, and I would greatly appreciate your assistance in that regard. 7. S e g w ay s for e ver y student It’s a Segway, need I say more? They are the most nerdy, most awesome invention in the history of inventing. I am positive that after reading this article, hundreds of alumni will phone to inform the university of the new Segway endowment, which will of course fully cover the cost for the 37,000 devices. 6. Fountain games The gorgeous fountains on the Library Mall are more decorative than functional. I propose that we freeze the water in the winter to allow iceskating and encourage students to swim in the water as the weather warms. With activity waivers there would be no fear of lawsuits and, if nothing else, it would make for amazing recruitment photos. 5. Moving sidewalks In the unlikely case that the Segway endowment does not meet demand, I am certain
that the money accumulated can be used to install moving sidewalks similar to those seen in airports. Americans on the whole are entirely too thin, and we should do our part to reduce the amount of exercise required to get to class. 4. Hot chocolate stands on every corner Who doesn’t love hot chocolate? Especially as the weather gets chilly, hot cocoa would be perfect. As we cannot ask an individual to stand out in the elements all day, the machines would be fully automated and would not supply mugs, thereby increasing the university’s environmental efforts as well as student comfort. 3. Four-day weekends Monday and Friday classes are hereby canceled. I am in the process of informing the registrar and negotiating the terms, but am certain that we will reach a prompt agreement and that beginning in the spring classes will only be offered Tuesday through Thursday. 2. Free tuition While alumni are sending in checks for the Segway endowment, I feel certain they will include enough that funds will overflow and cover the cost of tuition for all students.
There are 598 registered sex offenders living within three miles of the Universities Center at Dallas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Web site. The center’s course list includes 15 UNT classes that end after 9 p.m. Night classes offer students the opportunity to complete college courses while raising a family or holding a job during regular business hours. Even students who don’t work or have children may find reason to take advantage of night classes at the downtown campus. Safety presents a problem, however, when students must walk nearly twice the length of a football field to reach their cars at night. The Universities Center’s designated parking garage is about 176 yards away
from the building where classes are held. Security is not being overlooked completely. The center offers one security guard on duty during the evening, the same as during the day, said Berri O’Neal, Executive Director of the center. Security cameras on Main Street are monitored by police 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the center’s Web site. While these precautions are better than nothing, they are not good enough — especially for new students. A journalism junior at UNT arrived in downtown Dallas for her first Wednesday night Feature Writing class with no idea where she could park, how much it would cost and whether security was available.
When she left the class after dark she found that the parking attendant would not take a bill larger than $5 and was forced nervously across the street to an unfamiliar hotel to get smaller bills. Her ordeal is the perfect example why the UNT administration should take steps to better inform students of what to expect when they sign up for a night class in downtown Dallas. Students should be notified of the parking situation as well as the potential for danger in the area. This helpful information could come via an EagleConnect e-mail or in the form of a disclaimer that appears when students add a night class on the MyUNT Web site. Either measure would give students a reasonable idea of
Students are putting forth the effort to maintain grades. Why should we burden them with financial worry? 1. Room of requirement parking lots This is the solution we have all been waiting for. For my fellow nerds who are familiar with the room of requirement from the Harry Potter series, I apologize for the explanation for those less geeky than you. The room of requirement had exactly what the person approaching it needed. We do not need to spend the money to add parking lots, only to have a spell put on each parking lot such that no matter how full they become, there is always one more space. These suggestions are necessary for the betterment of the university, and I hope they are not taken too lightly.
Jessika Curry is a journalism junior. She can be reached at jessika.curry@unt.edu.
Dallas night classes pose risks what they can expect when they take a night class at the Universities Center. As a responsible educational organization, UNT should make every effort to promote the safety of its students by giving them the information they need in a timely manner.
Holly Chapman is a journalism senior. She can be reached at hollyelizabethg@yahoo.com.
Eric Ferraris
interdisciplinary arts and design studies junior
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“I definitely use Facebook the most because it’s easy to see what everyone is up to. Also I think the Web site is easier to navigate around.”
Mercy Lomelin
communication design freshman
“I use Facebook the most because the updates make it interesting and it’s a good way to stay in touch with people. I’m really addicted to it. I like the chat feature on Facebook, but only when it works.”
NT Daily Editorial Board
Mosh Rahman
journalism sophomore
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 Umberson, and David Lucio
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