NTDaily

Student embodies Superman to motivate nation’s youth Pg. 4

NORTH TEXA S DA

ILY, Septembe r2

8 VOLUME 10

0, ISSUE 05

SCENE COVER

Student motivates youth with words

Page 4

MOVIE

“Looper” deemed a sci-fi hit

Page 6

DIY

Get organized with cheap, easy memo board

Page 7

FOOD

Learn to make fluffy, sweet sopapillas

Page 7

STYLE

Students express themselves through their hair

Page 8

For more stories visit

ntdaily.com

COVER PHOTO BY JAMES COREAS/VISUALS EDITOR

SPORTS TYLER OWENS

Senior Staff Writer A week after a home loss to Troy that head coach Dan McCarney called “frustrating,” the Mean Green is looking to turn its luck around on the road against Florida Atlantic.

Like UNT (1-3), FAU (1-3) has taken on top-25 teams early this season and is 0-1 in Sun Belt Conference play.

“We have many, many more opportunities, but none more important than Florida Atlantic, a team that is every bit as hungry as we are to get a conference win,” McCarney said. “We need to get back on track as fast as we can to try to get a win. Winning solves a lot of issues.”

The Mean Green’s on-field issues piled up during the loss to Troy.

Despite 422 yards of offense, UNT scored only seven points, converted two of its 14 third down attempts and failed to score in the red zone.

On top of that, kickers junior Zach Olen and freshman Zach Paul missed three field goals from 40, 47 and 27 yards out.

Following the game, McCarney made it known that Olen’s starting kicking job is no longer secured for Saturday’s bout with the Owls.

“We’re going to chart every kick [this week] and then make a final decision of who’s our starter,” McCarney said. “[Olen is] conscientious, he cares, he’s really down right now, but he knows he’s our best kicker on this campus. He should be the guy, but he also knows we’re not going to sit

UNT looks for conference win around and watch what we watched last weekend.”

UNT’s defense performed well last week by allowing 14 points and forcing a turnover, but redshirt junior quarterback Derek Thompson said he knows the offense has to be better for the Mean Green to succeed this week in Boca Raton, La. Thompson added that UNT has not been able to control the game after the first half so far this season.

“We’ve got to put a whole game together,” he said. “It’s like we’ve had ‘a tale of two halves.’ We played well in one half, then we come back and we’re a completely different team, so

our big deal is putting a whole football game together.”

After a week of letting the tough loss settle, UNT isn’t out of the race for a conference title. Junior running back Brandin Byrd said the team will focusing on improving this week.

“We’ve got some more games this year, so we’ll continue to improve and make a conference run,” Byrd said.

FAU leads the all-time series with the Mean Green 6-2, as the Owls defeated UNT in their first six meetings. UNT has claimed wins in their last two outings and is 1-1 all-time in Boca Raton.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN3.

PHOTO BY ZAC SWITZER/SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior wide receiver Brelan Chancellor jukes a Troy defender at Saturday’s game. UNT lost 14-7 and dropped to 1-3 for the season.

Online Exclusives Soccer team begins four-game home stretch this weekend

Men’s and Women’s teams release schedules Opinion: Preseason NIT tournament a chance for the men’s team to showcase talents to the nation

Arkansas bound: Mean Green volleyball team to face two conference opponents, former SBC Freshman of the Year

Cowboy Jamboree will provide a blueprint for cross country team’s conference meet

3

Friday 09.28.2012

NEWS

Fall Forum Panelists, experts speak on horrors of sex trafficking NADIA HILL

Senior Staff Writer The College of Public Affairs and Community Service hosted a seminar on sex trafficking Thursday morning as part of its Fall Forum series.

PACS Dean Tom Evenson, four panelists, two sex-industry survivors and a mediator discussed why students should care about sex trafficking and its worldwide prevalence. “We provide a compact, powerful shot of information and excitement,�

Evenson said. “We talk about the

issues, problems and challenges in our world. The people sitting in this room are the ones taking on these problems.�

The average age of girls entering the sex industry is 13, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the U.S. State Department estimates that 100,000 victims are forced into the trade each year.

In Dallas alone, 88 sex trafficking incidents were reported between April 1 and June 30, according to the National Human Traff icking Resource Center. Texas’ total was 493. “What people don’t understand is that prostitution starts early,� said U NT alumna Melissa Miles, an attorney and panelist at the seminar. “Some people will look at these grown women and say they’re making the decision for themselves, but they forget most were 14 or 15 when they started. The psychological effects and coercion can start even younger.�

Sex and human trafficking is the act of buying and selling human bodies for sex. Two survivors shared their stories and lent a human element to the broad topic. Intimate details about their past were spared but both women, Chasity Hernandez and Sarah Swanner, provided insight into an

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issue many believe does not pertain to the U.S. Hernandez, who left the industry five years ago, was a stripper for 13 years and used the money she made to escape an abusive marriage as well as support her two children. She wiped tears from her eyes as she recalled her former occupation. “I thought I would never do it,� she said. “But then one night I got drunk and did it. I was very hollow, and the glamourized illusion is not what it seems. My kids were never in want, but the more I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see anything.�

Miles and the other three panelists – Sgt. Mike Vincent of the Addison Police Department, Dallas County District Attorney Brooke Grona-Robb and Katie Pedigo of New Friends New Life – called for a societal paradigm shift and understanding that trafficked women do not enter the industry by choice. “I didn’t know this happened in middle-class, well-established areas, and I’ve only seen it in movies,� premusic freshman Sean Torres said. “If this is the only way they can survive, obviously this isn’t a choice. This really shows how corruption is a common denominator and class is not associated with this problem.�

PHOTOS BY TYLER CLEVELAND/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Top: Dallas County District Attorney Brooke Grona-Rob speaks during during “Sex Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery,� hosted in the Silver Eagle Suite Thursday. Bottom: Undeclared freshman Daniel Martinez listens as Chasity Hernandez shares her story.

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Friday 09.28.2012

Super man

Student motivates youth with inspiring message M ARLENE GONZALEZ Senior Staff Writer

A red cape, a pair of boots and a blue suit with the traditional S imprinted on the chest hang in Matthew Ransdell’s closet behind jeans and t-shirts.

To high school and middle school students, Superman is not just a fictional character.

Ransdell, a theater arts senior, travels to schools across Texas encouraging children to accept themselves and own their lives.

He is a youth motivational speaker who introduces himself as Matthew “Superman” Ransdell.

Ransdell has spoken to groups from as small as 15 to crowds of 2,000.

“The biggest thing is that you have to make a con nection,” Ransdell said. “You have to be real. You have to be life-changing, because you don’t know what these kids are going through.”

A hero is born With a father in the Army, Ransdell would often play outside the military base in Sacramento, Calif.

“I a lways t houg ht I wa s Superman,” Ransdell said. “I would pretend to jump into ongoing traffic from my house and pretend like I could fly.”

He said as a child he was the class clown, always commenting on what the teacher said.

“I knew how to entertain,” Ransdell said. “I just didn’t know how to do it positively.”

Ransdell said he first became i n t e r e s t e d i n m o t i v at i o n a l speaking when he and a couple of other students were chosen by his high school principal to attend an Extreme Youth Leadership Camp during the summer.

The camp educates adolescents and adults about substance abuse and environmental prevention,

PHOTO COURTESY MATT RANSDELL

PHOTO COURTESY MATT RANSDELL

Theater arts senior Matthew Ransdell, whose nickname is Superman, gives the keynote opening speech at Extreme Youth Leadership Camp in 2010. Ransdell has Theater arts senior Matthew Ransdell is seen here speaking to the senior class of Alief Elsik High School in Houston last fall. made a name for himself as a motivational speaker in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. and provides a vehicle to create social change, according to the camp’s website.

Ransdell returned the following year as a staff member and continues to volunteer every summer.

He gave his first professional motivational speech in 2009 at Copperas Cove High School, the same school he graduated from.

He said it was the first time he thought about speaking professionally.

Superman at work When he speaks, Ransdell said students ask about everything from drugs, alcohol and sex, to college life and skipping classes.

“I’ve gotten emails from kids talking about, ‘I wanted to commit suicide, I wanted to kill myself.

You really helped me,’” Ransdell said. “There was one girl who

came up to me crying, telling me she didn’t know how to tell her parents she wanted to come out of the closet, and I really helped her and changed her life.”

Before a speech, Ransdell organizes what he will speak about in a Word document on his laptop, and writes down guidelines for the topics he needs to cover.

He said his speeches are not ironed out, and he mainly improvises them.

He gets called to speak on pregnancy rates, gang violence, drug problems or sometimes just to encourage the students.

He normally talks for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how long the school wants him to speak. He also plays leadership and skillbuilding games with the students during workshops.

One of his favorites is “Mountain

top,” where he tapes a square on the floor and all of the kids must try to fit inside.

The square gets cut smaller each round, and the goal is to see how they will face the obstacle and if they will exclude someone.

“We s e e how t hey work together,” Ransdell said. “Next thing you know you have kids climbing on each other’s backs, with everyone holding onto each other.”

He said if a school can’t afford to have him come in, but the students really need him, he does it for free.

Civilians speak out Dalton Foster, a freshman at Trinity University in San Antonio, si ngle-ha ndedly requested Ransdell to speak at his middle school.

He first met Ransdell during an EYL camp in 8th grade and said

Ransdell isn’t a stranger to anyone.

“There’s just something about him that made you feel comfortable,” Foster said. “Like he wasn’t looking down at you. You just want to better yourself. And in bettering yourself, you better your surroundings. After listening to him, you want to be the best person you can be.”

He said Ransdell didn’t charge his school, and instead the community’s pastor donated money to him.

“That was one of the longest days of work I’ve ever had,” Ransdell said. “And at the end of the day as I was walking to my car, the pastor walked toward me, handed me a check and said, ‘You deserve more than this,’ but that’s still one of the biggest payments I’ve received.”

He said people who inspire him

include his mentor Shaun Derik, who is a motivational speaker for Youth to Youth International, a community-based drug prevention and youth leadership program.

Laura Rizo, a teacher at Desert View Middle School in El Paso, said she was impressed with Ransdell’s maturity the first time she met him at an EYL camp in San Angelo.

“He is a great leader,” Rizo said.

“He was still in high school. I didn’t know anyone at that age who motivated kids that way. He was just a kid himself.”

She said the students initiated Ransdell into their group.

“If you come to El Paso, as soon as you eat Chico Tacos you’re part of us,” Rizo said. “He’s very loved by his El Paso group.”

Karina Monticone, a sophomore in high school, was one of the 8th graders who attended

Ransdell’s talk at Desert View. She said students could relate with Ransdell’s experiences and believed him.

“Most speakers speak with their mind, but the difference with Matt [Ransdell] is he feels what he’s talking about,” Monticone said.

Monticone said after Ransdell finished his speech, students went up and asked him to sign their yearbooks.

He signed hers with “Karina wake up and dream, don’t ever give up on your dreams. Keep striving to be your best.”

Superman off-duty After the shooting in Colorado this summer, Ransdell wrote a poem for the victims and people of Aurora and made a video of it.

“I felt I needed to do something, but I didn’t know what,” he said.

The video is posted on YouTube

and has received a little more than 1,000 views. He said it’s the most views he’s received for any of his videos.

Besides speaking to youth, Ransdell acts in his free time.

During the summer, he applied for a position on MTV’s television series “Made.”

He went through two interview sessions and talked with previous coaches through Skype for more than an hour.

“I didn’t hear back from them, but I still think it was pretty cool,” Ransdell said.

Ransdell also auditioned for an NFL commercial for last year’s Super Bowl and got a part, but his clip was cut before it actually aired.

Last year he worked with some of the cast members of “Dragon Ball Z” and did a voiceover for the video game “Cabela’s Adventure Camp.”

PHOTO BY ERIKA LAMBRETON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Matt Ransdell speaks to children across Texas encouraging them to be themselves and take charge of their own lives.

“After listening to him, you want to be the best person you can be.”

-Dalton Foster, Freshman at Trinity University

Ransdell works hard to balance speaking engagements and auditions with being a student.

He said he types essays and reads books on the road to keep up with his classes, like when he flew back and forth from New York three times in the same week for Broadway auditions.

“Speaking and acting, those are my dreams,” Ransdell said. “So a lot of times I put school on the backburner.”

T he at e r pr ofe s s or Rob e r t Hess recommended his agent to Ransdell after casting him in the

production of “Godspell” three semesters ago.

Hess said Ransdell has a genuine presence that doesn’t feel phony.

“All the charisma in his life translates on camera, and for a lot of actors it doesn’t,” Hess said.

Hess considers him a friend and a colleague, and described Ransdell as a selfless person.

“He puts other people first,” Hess said. “He is committed to planting ideas and thoughts that set them [the youth] in the right path.”

For more information visit: facebook.com/supermanspeaks.

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Friday 09.28.2012

MOVIE

“Looper” Film to be instant sci-fi classic PRESTON BARTA Intern

The exceptionally talented writer-director Rian Johnson may not be a household name, but his new film “Looper” will surely put him on top.

This futuristic action-thriller reteams Joseph Gordon-Levitt with Johnson, who first collaborated on t he st yl i sh h ig h school noir flick, “Brick” (2005).

The movie takes place in 2044.

Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, one of many specialized mafia-employed hit men called “Loopers.”

“Loopers” are tasked with

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN MARKFIELD/MCT

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe in TriStar Pictures, Film District and End Game Entertainment’s action thriller Looper. taking out the future’s garbage.

The mafia contracts its hits in a unique way— by using outlawed

time travel to zap victims back to the past, where Loopers are waiting to shoot them dead.

Joe lives a life of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, until his bosses decide to “close his loop” and send back his future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination.

However, Joe’s loop escapes and brings the mafia to hunt down both of the Joes.

Some audiences may find Gordon-Levitt’s makeup and prosthetics slightly distracting at first, but it takes no time for audiences to get pulled into the web that this film spins.

Underneath all that makeup and prosthetics, Gordon-Levitt gives a fine performance, adopting many of Willis’ affections and mannerisms.

Both Gordon-Levitt and Willis show strong acting performances

throughout the film.

G or don -L ev it t i s r apid ly becoming one of the most diverse and reliable actors working in Hollywood.

After having a successful year with many films, including “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Lincoln” and “Premium Rush,” there seems to be nothing Gordon-Levitt cannot do.

Willis is also having quite a year, turning in a great performance in “Moonrise Kingdom.”

Here, Willis expertly blends his macho qualities with tenderness, as he steps back into his buttkicking John McClanelike shoes.

Alongside the Joes, Emily Blunt shows up in the third act as Sara, a single mom that raises her only son, Cid (Pierce Gagnon) on a farm.

Blu nt (“T he Dev i l Wea rs Prada”) brings great strength to

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her character as well as the film.

However, one of the biggest standouts in the film is Gagnon, who raises the bar for child actors. There are many great scenes that Gagnon and Gordon-Levitt share together that will remind the audience of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” Their chemistry is worth the price of admission alone, on top of the multilayered, swiftly paced script.

It was apparent from the get-go that “Looper” was going to be something special, but it got better by the minute.

It’s a constant surprise, filled to the brim with twists and turns that leave you wondering what could happen next as Gordon-Levitt and Willis go head-to-head in this instant sci-fi classic.

“Looper” opens in theaters nationwide today.

Online Exclusive Check out ntdaily.com for an interview with the writer, director of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

Friday 09.28.2012

1

Memo board

College Cooking

2

Organize notes, thought with simple craft

Learn to make sweet, fluffy sopapillas

EMILY PEEK To do lists, notes for classes and schedules tend to get lost in the shuffle.

This memo board will help organize these important papers and notes while saving time and the embarrassment of forgotten meetings and appointments.

All of these materials can be found at Walmart for less than $10. Some can probably even be found lying around the house.

Materials: A piece of corkboard Paint Brushes Paint pens, stickers, a water bottle and any other potential decorations Pushpins First, paint the corkboard the desired color. Allow it to dry.

M ARLENE GONZALEZ

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3

Intern

Senior Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY CARRIE CANOVA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Next, decorate the board with stickers, paint pens and any other decorations desired.

One example of a decorative technique that can be used is to create painted flowers using a water bottle.

This can be done by dipping the bottom of a water bottle into the paint and touching it to the board to create

the shape of flowers.

Allow it to dry before adding anything else.

When the memo board is decorated and has been given time to dry, add notes, to do lists schedules, etc. using the pushpins.

For more information watch the video at ntdaily.com.

Wit h Hispa n ic Her it age Mont h com i ng to a n end, what better way to finish – or continue – celebrating than with a delicious dessert.

Sopapillas, or Mexican puffs, are sweet and airy, and are perfect for an after-din ner snack.

The ingredients can be found at any local grocery store for about $10.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of milk Two cups of Quaker preprepared flour Vegetable oil Honey

7 Directions: Combine flour and milk.

Knead the batter until a smooth ball is formed.

Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough and cut squares or triangles that are about 4 inches in length and width.

Make sure they are not too thick, or else they won’t puff up.

Turn on the stove to mediumhigh and pour oil into a frying pan. Wait until the oil is hot.

Lightly place the squares into the oil and let them fry until they are puffy and golden brown.

Turn the squares once each with a spatula.

Put them on a plate with a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Cut a small slit into the puff with a knife and drizzle honey inside.

Powered sugar can also be sprinkled on top.

For more information watch the video at ntdaily.com.

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8 STYLE Whether shaved, curled, conditioned, braided, dipped or dyed, students across campus use their god-given follicles to express themselves in the most natural of ways.

From Rapunzel-length locks tickling waistlines to towering mohawks scraping the clouds, every hairdo has its own personality. With the wonders of modern shampoo, conditioner, gel, mousse and hairspray, there’s no limit to how one can style their strands.

In the past, hairdos helped people identify members of a cultural movement - the pompadours of Elvisinspired greasers, the mop-topped Beatles wannabes, even the confused, mulleted Billy Ray Cyrus fans. Today, a person’s hair is an expression of whatever they want it to be: their personality, their sense of self and most of all, their style.

The best thing about hair as a fashion accessory is if it doesn’t work, just shave it off and start again.

Friday 09.28.2012

Students show off stylish strands Catherine Fresneda, an Intensive English Language Institute student, uses braids to keep her hair up and stylish.

Pre-electric engineering sophomore Eric Menefee was seen sporting this Mohawk-inspired hairdo outside the Biology Building.

PHOTO BY ERIKA LAMBRETON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sontlux Sukhavachana: model for the College of Visual Arts and Design How do you style your hair? “It is this way because of my mixture of races.”

What made you choose your hairstyle? “It matches my face. About five years ago I started playing rugby. Rugby and Mohawks go together like peanut butter and jelly.”

What is your No. 1 hairstyle tip? “Over-shampooing is a bad idea. It’s actually not healthy for your hair.”

PHOTO BY JAMES COREAS/VISUALS EDITOR

PHOTO BY ERIKA LAMBRETON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Janell Bethea: Undecided freshman How do you style your hair? “I comb through it with a wide-tooth comb.”

What made you choose this style? “I have naturally curly hair, it’s the easiest.”

What is your No. 1 hairstyle tip? “Do what is best for you.”

PHOTO BY JAMES COREAS/VISUALS EDITOR