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Wednesday, April 6, 2011
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Volume 97 | Issue 38
Windy 84° / 55°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Students bare their feet to spread awareness ‘Day Without Shoes’ started by TOMS founder BY NICOLE BALDERAS Staff Writer
NEWS: Students turn to vegetarianism to lose weight Page 2
ARTS & LIFE:
Students braved stubbed toes a nd hot pavement Tuesday as they went about their campus activities barefoot in support of the fourth a n nua l One Day W it hout Shoes event. The event was started by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes, a company wh ich donates one pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair purchased. Those participating went an entire day without shoes to raise awareness of the importance of a pair of shoes in a child’s life. A c t i v it ie s f or t he d a y i nclude d a w a l k w it hout shoes during which a group of devoted students gathered outside Kerr Hall to take part in the first officially organized walk at UNT. Students waved f lags bearing the TOMS logo and some even painted their feet and toes in support. “I went without shoes last
PHOTO BY AMBER PLUMLEY/INTERN
After walking barefoot around campus Tuesday to raise awareness of the importance just one pair of shoes can have in a child’s life, a group of about 15 students rest at the University Union. year by myself,” said Misti Day, a general studies senior. “But this year, I’m participating w it h t he organized group.” This is greatly because of Lauren Thomas, the president of the TOMS Campus club
and mathematics senior, who helped organize the walk. “I’ve always been a really big fan,” said Thomas. “I was involved in high school, and when I came to UNT, I wanted help out.” The group is also hosting
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PHOTO BY AMBER PLUMLEY/INTERN
Students walk barefoot to raise awareness of the importance of shoes Tuesday. This campus walk was part of many nationwide events as part of the TOMS One Day Without Shoes cause.
a shoe drive for the Helping Hands Shoe bank until April 15. “Blue and white boxes will be placed around campus, and students can donate new or gently used shoes,” Thomas said. “Boxes will be at all the dorms and the Pohl Recreation Center.” Though the event’s participants are encouraged to go a day without shoes, campus cafeterias adhere to the rule “no shoes, no service.” “Last yea r at Maple, we didn’t have a sign up, and we had a woman who refused to put on her shoes,” said Teresa Ol iva rez, a food ser v ices ma nager. “We had a ‘no shoes’ sign up very quickly after that.” Ca feteria employees say that it’s a rule for sanitar y reasons. “Sometimes glass breaks on the f loor and people can step on it,” said Charlotte Spencer, a food services supervisor. Also on the day’s agenda was a “Style Your Soul” party, during which attendees got
North Texas Health Forum City passes bike rule tickets exceed expectations DREW GAINES
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toget her, decorated shoes and learned what TOMS is about. The group also plans on hav ing a screening of t he TOMS shoes documentary in Legends Hall sometime this semester, which will be the film’s third screening of the semester. The College of Visual Arts a nd Desig n is sponsor ing a compet it ion t hat a l lows f a s h ion de s i g n s t udent s to use their creative abilities to participate in a shoedesigning contest. “We purchased 25 pairs of shoes and gave one shoe each to 50 students,” said Marian O’ Rou r k e -K a p l a n of t h e design faculty. “Students were instructed to do the research on TOMS and which companies they help, and utilize some aspect of that to redesign or embellish the shoes.” The shoes will be on display next week on April 13, the day Mycoskie will come to UNT for a lecture as part of Earth Week and Financial Literacy Week.
BY STACY POWERS Senior Staffer
The fourth annual North Texas Health Forum is expecting a capacity crowd Thursday and Friday to discuss topics of children’s mental health as the event kicks off National Public Health Week. The School of Public Health at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth is hosting this year’s forum, “Embracing our Community of African Children.” Richard Kurz, the School of Public Health’s dean, said about 200 attended the forum last year. This year, the event sold all 250 tickets for Thursday and 170 tickets for Friday. “As the forum gets to be better known in the community, people are more aware of it, and so they understand better what we are trying to do,” Kurz said. “More folks are coming out to be a part of that.” Kurz said those expected to attend include health science students, social workers, professionals in the criminal justice system, educators, religious leaders and African-American community members.
Sudan Jackson, a public health doctoral student, said she plans to attend the forum. “It is a great opportunity as a student to get out and meet community members and see the ground level work that goes on to address health issues, and I am just happy that our school provides those kind of opportunities to their students,” she
“It is a great opportunity ... to get out and meet community members.”
—Sudan Jackson, public health doctoral student said. The forum is an extension of last year’s topic on infant mortality with a high focus on the emotional well-being of African-American children, Kurz said. “Indeed stress and stressrelated events that occur in a person’s life can have a distinct effect in the long term on their physical health as well as birth
outcomes,” he said “That was one of the reasons that we chose to focus on this with regard to African-American children.” Sally Crocker, a planning committee member, said the first day of the forum would include a student session called “A Conversation with the Speaker” at 2:30 pm. This would give any college student the opportunity to address the keynote speaker with any questions or concerns. The keynote address will be given at 6 p.m. by Alwyn Cohall, a pediatrician practicing in Harlem, N.Y., and a faculty member in the school of public health at Columbia University, Kurz said. “He has a number of projects going on in the community to deal with the health, mental health and emotional problems of children,” he said. “He has been actively engaged in this for a number of years, and has a national reputation through his activities and his publications in this area.” The forum will conclude on the second day with a symposium, including panelists and break out sessions, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Move over motorists — a new ruling passed Tuesday night by the Denton City Council will require drivers to give cyclists and pedestrians a little leeway on city streets. The council unanimously approved a Vulnerable Road Users ordinance Tuesday that mandates a safe passing distance of 3 feet between cyclists and cars and 6 feet for large commercial vehicles. The new law also establishes a maximum $200 fine for drivers caught cutting it too close to pedestrians, workers and cyclists occupying the road. “This ordinance’s general intent is to increase awareness of bikes and pedestrians, and for the city to encourage alternative transportation,” said Denton Mayor Mark Burroughs during the meeting. The ruling also requires drivers to grant cyclists the right-of-way when making a left turn or u-turn into oncoming traffic. It also protects pedestrians and cyclists from harassment by drivers or passengers in motor vehicles by leveling a $200 fine. The ordinance will take effect exactly two weeks from today, a short time for
cycling advocates who have been pressuring the city for accommodations for more than a year. “When you’re going down the road on your bike and there is a vehicle coming at you at 50 mph, and you feel their mirror come next to you, it’s scary,” said Joe Gregory, a cyclist and Denton resident. “It is common sense that there needs to be some kind of minimal distance.” Sixteen states have similar safe passing distance laws and cities such as New Braunfels, Austin, El Paso and San Antonio have adopted them in Texas. Local cyclists said motorists texting while driving and increased traffic are making t hem more v ulnerable. Motorists kill an estimated 50 cyclists and 400 pedestrians every year in Texas. Passage of the ordinance is keeping in line with the city’s ongoing plans to refurbish the downtown area into a destination for walkers and bikers. “It is one of many steps to encourage more active transportation,” said council member Dalton Gregory, one of the main advocates of the ruling.