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Volume 97 | Issue 22
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ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Wildfire concerns sweep North Texas BY CANDICE LINDSEY Staff Writer
ARTS & LIFE: ROTC pays tribute to Tuskegee Airmen Page 3
SPORTS: Football team reveals schedule Page 5
Denton resident s a nd UN T of f icia ls a re keepi ng a watchf ul eye on weat her changes and alerts to prepare for potential wildfires as dry conditions and high w inds increase the threat. Denton County Judge Mary Hor n issued a count y w ide burn ban that went into effect Sunday, as uncontrolled wildfires torched hundreds of acres in north Denton County. The ban includes all outdoor bu r n i ng a nd rest r ict s t he use of g r i l ls, smokers a nd ot her c ombu st ible m aterials, according to the county website. Luis Tapia, the emergency management coordinator at UNT, said part of keeping wildfires from occurring begins w it h persona l prevention. “Smokey the Bear had a great point. ‘Only you can prevent wildfires,’” Tapia said. “There is some personal responsibility taken on your part to not throw your cigarette butt out the window.” According to Smokey the Bear, the term “wildfire” can be applied to any unwanted, unplanned or damaging fire burning in a forest, shrub or grass, and is one of the most powerful natural forces known. Wildfires can occur because of increases in dry, hot weather,
PHOTO BY JORDAN SHEDD/INTERN
With the weather changing and temperatures warming up, grassfires could become more common. A grassfire burned the side of the road and a field this weekend off of FM 455 in Sanger. there have been several smaller fires in the city. He encouraged people to be cautious a round a ny open f la me. “What looks to be a small fire can change instantly into a large out of control wildfire,” Lahart said. “With changing
low humidity, an accumulation of fallen leaves, branches and excessive plant overgrowth, or a change in weather patterns across the U.S. Denton Fire Spokesman Brad Lahart said in addition to the latest northern county fires,
Rawlins addresses tuition concerns Increase would generate $6 million
Staff Writer
Senior Staff Writer
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With public education funding set to bear the brunt of lawmakers’ efforts to slash a $27 billion deficit, the job search for UNT’s aspiring teachers might soon become more difficult. Early estimates predict that as many as 100,000 teachers could be laid off and many more could face salary reductions.
“ ... Schools almost always need teachers,” PHOTO BY DREW GAINES/SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
President V. Lane Rawlins speaks with Daniel Cave, a computer science junior, about the proposed 2.8 percent tuition increase near the One O’Clock Lounge. has increased by more than 400 percent since he began going to school ten years ago. He told Rawlins he now fears that the lack of financial aid will keep underprivileged students out of school. Rawlins enforced the universit y’s commitment to t he students and faculty throughout the hearing, and those in attendance thanked him for his time and transparency, but some fought back tears when handed the microphone to ask the president how they will face mounting debt. “I don’t think that students and teachers can tighten our belts anymore,” said Liz Clinton, an anthropology junior. Most acknowledged that the Texas Legislature is the authority ultimately accountable for the cuts, but some students ventured to ask how higher-paid faculty members will shoulder the burden. Rawlins agreed to give back
a “sizable amount” of his salary to UNT scholarships. Some UNT officials, including Rawlins, have made trips to Austin to express dissatisfaction with the education cuts directly to the legislators. The Student Government Association is there today to represent UNT and present its concerns. Clinton announced plans for UNT students to join the “Save Texas Schools March and Rally,” which will take place in Austin March 12. Thousands are expected to rally outside the capitol to support better education initiatives in Texas, Clinton said. Beginning Fall 2011, UNT could face anywhere from $4 million to $10 million in funding cuts from the Legislature. Rawlins said the full extent of these cuts will be felt if UNT maintains its current enrollment and tuition rate. UNT’s budget for next year is $287 million without the cuts.
university officials organize each situation, communicate with one another, work with external departments like the Denton Fire Department, and resolve emergency situations.
See FIRE on Page 2
Education cuts target teachers BY TAYLOR JACKSON
BY DREW GAINES A public hearing was held Tuesday to offer students, faculty and staff an opportunity to directly address administrators with concerns over UNT’s proposed tuition increase. About 75 people attended the hearing held in the University Union’s One O’Clock Lounge. After explaining the forces driving next year’s proposed 2.8 percent tuition increase, President V. Lane Rawlins gave time for attendees to ask questions. Annalisa Vargas, a history and biology senior, was one of 10 people who spoke at the meeting. She asked Rawlins why cuts are being made and tuition increased when the university is funding construction of a new stadium, business building and parking garage. Rawlins’ response remained the same for a few of the students’ questions. He said increasing enrollment by a few thousand dollars next year and expanding facilities are signs of growth that generate money back to the university, and therefore offset some of the budget cuts. “This place is full. We need some room for expansion,” Rawlins said in reference to the increased faculty and facility demands. The tuition increase would cost students an additional $118 per 15 semester credit hours and is expected to generate more than $6 million needed for additional faculty, financial aid, maintenance and building costs. Other students asked for more representation on issues concerning UNT’s budget. Daniel Cave, a computer science junior, said that tuition
and strong wind conditions, a wildfire can easily spread faster than you can run.” UNT has a number of plans and procedures in place should a wildfire occur on any of its campuses. These plans and procedures address how
—Jerry Thomas, Dean of the College of Education
“It’s not clear yet how much of an impact it will have. We have to wait to see how much of a cut the L eg islat u re w i l l ma ke,” UNT’s College of Education Dean Jerry Thomas said. Graduat i ng educat ion seniors and most elementa r y educat ion students at UNT and ot her Texas colleges might be greatly affected by the cuts, but, Thomas said, there are still education jobs available. “Fields like science, math, ESL and special education will still have great need for teachers,” Thomas said. Those students focusing on seconda r y educat ion might have an easier time finding a job, because their f ields are more specif ic, and class size in elementary schools might go up to save money.
Before t he budget cut talks began, UNT was experiencing a 6 percent increase in undergraduates because teaching was considered a safe field. UNT certified 11,000 teachers last year, more than any other Texas university. “The good things about education is that schools a lmost a lways need teachers,” Thomas said. UNT education students are required to get f ield ex perience a nd of f icia ls said they worry complications may arise in getting students into classrooms if the number of teaching jobs dwindles. “At this point, we haven’t seen an impact, but if the trend continues for a year or two, then we might worry,” said Tim Sutton, the director of clinical experience for the College of Education. UNT places students in 27 different school districts a rou nd t he Da l la s-For t Worth area. Classes that are electives such as art, music and tech classes will get cut first in the smaller d ist r ic t s, so placement might be harder for students wanting to teach them. Some st udent s a ren’t worried about the budget cuts. “I’m not [worried] because I’m a science teacher and there’s a need for science a n d m a t h t e a c h e r s ,” said biolog y senior Cole Wilkinson. He sa id he’s con sidering graduate school after teaching for a couple years but isn’t wor r ied about finding a job or getting his job cut.