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Volume 100 | Issue 02
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
UNT names new dean of arts, sciences college
Hip Hop Haven
JASON YANG
Senior Staff Writer UNT announced this month the selection of Arthur James Goven as the university’s acting dean of the College of Arts and Science. Goven started at the position Aug. 13. He succeeds Michael Monticino, who had been the dean since 2010. Monticino is now serving as interim vice president for advancement and director of development for the UNT Foundation, which facilitates private fundraising and investment for the university. Goven, who joined the UNT fa cu lt y in 19 82 , pre v iou sly served as professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. Before that, he acted as faculty executive assistant to the chancellor, interim vice provost for research and interim vice president for research. His research has focused on areas related to environmental toxicology, immunotoxicology and immunoparasitology. Wa r ren Bu rg g ren, U N T provost and vice president for academic affairs, said Goven was immensely qualified for the job. “Because he has assumed many positions, he has broad knowledge of the university,” Burggren said “His accomplishments show he’s the candidate for the job,” Monticino said Lisa Baronio, the previous vice president for advancement, announced her departure on July 6, so reshuff l ing posit ions happene d qu ick l y. Mont ici no st a r t e d at his new position on Aug. 8. The selection process was carefully done because the majority of UNT students’ core classes are in the department, Monticino said. The duties of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences have grown tremendously in the last 20 years. Today, the dean has to do much more than just hiring and
PHOTO BY CARRE CANOVA/INTERN
Arthur Goven, the new acting dean for the College of Arts and Sciences stands outside the dean’s office located in the General Academic Building on Wednesday.
“We are going to carry on the current mission of CAS and focus on the areas it’s already defined.”
-Arthur Goven, College of Arts and Sciences dean
scheduling, Monticino said. Goven said his goals include providing the best possible undergraduate experience for students, promoting the college’s research and growth and creating a positive, appreciative working environment for faculty and staff. Goven said he was excited to begin the semester at a new posi-
tion, which will give him a chance to broaden his experiences at UNT. “I was pleased when they asked me to do this, because it allows me to see another facet of the university,” he said. “We are going to carry on the current mission of CAS and focus on the areas it’s already defined.”
PHOTO BY NICOLE ARNOLD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Houstin native Jason Abbott, known as DJ Big J, hosts hip-hop night using two turntables, a mixer and a laptop at The Abbey Underground on Tuesday night. The weekly event features top 40s, hip-hop, rap and urban music. Read more on page 5
Denton County praised Students petition to for healthy job market remove Chick-fil-A A SHLEY GRANT
Senior Staff Writer
Although much of the country is still reeling from a grueling economic downturn and looking at a national 8.3 percent unemployment rate, Denton County has fared better than most, according to a new list released by CNN Money. The magazine ranked the county as the No. 7 best job market in the nation, with a job growth rate of 53.4 percent from 2000 to 2011. The list cited UNT researchers’ significant contributions to the medical sector as a major reason for the county’s high ranking. Julie Glover, economic development program administrator for the Cit y of Denton, said the biggest reason for Denton County’s economic durability is its close proximity to Interstate 35-E, which runs from Mexico to Canada. The major highway provides quick access to airports and train stations, and helps connect people and businesses around the country. The city of Denton’s contributions to the county’s economy have been important, Glover said. “The qualit y of life here in
Denton is amazing,” she said. “Our downtown area is booming, and people are constantly being exposed to the unique art and music found here.” Glover said Denton County has been poised for years as a location for economic growth, which has also helped make it the fastest growing county in terms of population. Denton’s downtown underwent a revitalization project in 1990, when only 60 percent of retail spaces were occupied, residents only had two restaurants to choose from and parking spaces were readily available, Glover said. “The image is quite different now, and the area has completely changed,” she said. The city’s booming downtown, revolving around the Courthouseon-the-Square, is what prompted local restaurant owner John Cartwright to set up his steakhouse, Cartwright’s Ranch House, in the area. Cartwright said Denton was the first place he looked at when scouting for locations. He said the city’s small-town atmosphere initially appealed to him and blended perfectly with the variety
of comfort dishes his restaurant prepares. “It’s desirable because there’s so much to do here and so much to offer like major cities, but there’s still that small town feel,” he said. “People are close enough to travel to the major cities but don’t have to live in the big cities.” Employers and people expanding north also contributed to Denton County’s prosperous job market, he said. While many business owners are attracted to the expansion and the visibility Denton County has to offer, others are drawn to the comfort. Roxane Clark, co-owner of Sleeping Lizards on North Elm St reet, said opening the gift shop in Denton was less intimidating than starting a business in other locations. “The people here are really receptive to new businesses opening, and they were just full of support,” she said. “That made it pretty easy for us to decide on Denton.” Local business owners said new retail openings centered around Fry Street only reinforced the city and county’s economic viability.
A SHLEY GRANT
Senior Staff Writer
Sparked by a national firestorm over a fast food chain president’s position on gay marriage, an online petition is calling for the Chick-fil-A in the University Union to be removed by the university. Engl ish junior Joseph Billeaudeaux launched the petition on the website change.org over the summer, and it has since garnered about 470 signatures. Billeaudeaux wrote on the website that “maintaining a contract with an anti-gay vendor like Chick-fil-A undermines what makes this university so great,” and that the restaurant should be removed as a vendor at UNT. The controversy stems from a July interview in the Baptist Press, where Chickfil-A President Dan Cathy said that the company believes in supporting the concept of a “traditional family.” The national chain donated about $2 million to anti-same-sex marriage groups in 2010, according to the fact-checking organization
Equality Matters. As of Tuesday night, the petition to UNT President V. Lane Rawlins was about 4,000 signatures short of its goal. K im Schroder, a ssociate director of retail dining services, said the petition has not affected business at the Chick-fi l-A in the Union. “Generally the summer months are always our slowest, so the petition to remove it hasn’t had an effect on us yet,” Schroeder said. As furor over Cathy’s statements reached a peak in July, various prosame-sex marriage groups called for boycotts of the company, and the Jim Henson Company terminated a business contract to make children’s toys for Chick-fil-A, instead donating the money to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, according to ABC News. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino publically spoke against the company’s franchise expansion in the city, while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee called for a Chickfil-A Appreciation Day, which had about 600,000 RSVPs on Facebook. According to Chick-f il-A’s website, the company has five loca-
tions on college campuses in North Texas, including the University of Texas at Arlington, where a similar petition to have the vendor removed has appeared on change. org. Merchandising senior Caitlin Murphy said that although she loves the food at Chick-fi l-A, she now chooses to patronize other fast food restaurants. “It’s unfortunate that the owners do not believe in equality, because I sure do. I’m not opposed to it being removed,” she said. Other students do not share that sentiment. Development and family studies senior Colleen Farmer said Cathy’s statements were justified and the public was overreacting. “I think he was validated by our right to free speech,” she said. “The whole thing was just blown out of proportion.” Another petition to remove Chick-fil-A from the Union, started by a UNT alumna, as well as a pro-Chick-fi l-A petition have also sprung up on change.org. Neither petition has garnered more than 100 signatures.
See Petition on page 2
Inside Foreign language labs go digital News | Page 3
Denton home to taco corridor Arts & Life | Page 4
Students need protection Views | Page 8