North Texas Daily - 4/13/17 by North Texas Daily

VOL. 109 No. 12

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

NTDAILY.COM

SGA runs into internal problems during election cycle By Taylor Crisler The UNT Student Government Association released its final election report Friday, a full week after polls closed. In the final tally, Barrett Cole and Lisa Umeh won with more than 65 percent of the vote. The report contained a statement from the SGA Supreme Court that overruled a prior Election Board hearing, where votes for a candidate team were struck from the final vote tally. The court unanimously agreed that votes for the Robert Navarro Jr. and Steven Maldonado ticket, which operated under the “YOU-N-T” banner, should be partially reinstated. Court members found that while the Navarro/Maldonado campaign was in violation of the Election Code during the Election Cookout, the disqualification was “unjust and unequal to the violation in question.” The court deemed this a result of the Election Board’s failure to “give due process to the Navarro/Maldonado campaign during the investigation.” The “YOU-N-T” disqualification was in response to an alleged campaign violation that a member of the Election Board, David Klein, filed as a complaint. So, what happened? The Alleged Violation At about 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, SGA Election Commissioner John Carr saw TWU student Jamie Esparza, a friend of Navarro’s, arrive at the Graduate Student Council and SGA cosponsored Cast Your Vote Cookout event. Esparza was seen wearing a “YOU-N-T” campaign T-shirt. “At that point was when I asked Election Board member David Klein to keep an eye on that person,” John Carr said, claiming the Esparza was breaking the guidelines as candidates were instructed “not to distribute campaign materials.” Esparza maintains she only got to talk to about 20 people, did not solicit votes from any of them, and “never touched a phone.” She says her activities were limited to walking students through voting procedures and directing them to places where they could learn more about all the candidates on the ballot. She claims seven students, at most, asked who she was voting for, which is where she told them she could answer any questions about the “YOU-N-T” campaign they had. Klein said Esparza was herself

SEE SGA ON PAGE 3

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS College of Arts and Sciences pg 2 The College of Arts and Sciences will split into two separate colleges on May 15 to help maintain UNT’s Tier One status.

EXTENDING GRACE

The fifth annual Human Library takes place at UNT

By Taylor Crisler North Texas students and faculty assembled on April 6 in Willis Library to take part in the campus’s fifth annual Human Library event, an annual event designed to “challenge stereotypes and

prejudices in the community through an open forum where difficult questions are accepted, expected and appreciated.” Between the hours of 1 and 6 p.m., a revolving cast of campus workers and students sat in small circles scattered

around the Library Forum. Each person had a tag on the back of their chair, reading everything from eating disorder, Judaism, cerebral palsy and more. These tags revealed some part of their identity that is often stigmatized

or misunderstood. You, the “reader,” are invited to sit down and “check out the book.” Journalism student Victoria Chavez

SEE LIBRARY ON PAGE 4

North Texas softball dishes on its walk-up songs City council candidates discuss issues at forum before May election

By Clay Massey Scrolling through a playlist trying to find the right pump-up jam can be a strain. Sometimes it may be even more stressful than the game a player is competing in. But every year, the North Texas softball team must make a decision on its soundtrack. Each batter picks a walkup song that plays before they step into the box, and each pitcher selects songs to play while they are warming up. While some stress over their selection and can’t narrow their choices down before assistant coach Natalie Kozlowski needs their decisions, others, like freshman Lacy Gregory, are not bothered.

By Julia Falcon

Lacy Gregory – “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers The freshman chose the classic from the Peppers for one reason. “I just like that song,” Gregory said. “Everyone else was stressed out. We had like two weeks and I just chose one.” The choppy guitar riff from the intro settles the freshman into the box. It seems to help, as she’s hitting .362, good enough for second on the team in average. Lindsay Gregory – “For the Stunt” by Russ The other Gregory twin settles into the box with a chill beat that shows she’s ready to stunt – I mean that is pretty much what the entire first verse

SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 6

ARTS & LIFE

Sophomore Hannah Gerecke swings at the ball against SFA on April 5. Mean Green defeated SFA 6-1. Sara Carpenter

With the city council election coming in less than a month, candidate hopefuls have been attending countless forums, with citizens grilling them on all the issues Denton faces. City council candidates spoke at a forum on April 9 at Dan’s Silverleaf, where they discussed everything from gas wells and air quality to transparency, the city’s budget and sidewalks. District 1 candidates Gerard Hudspeth and Fran Hawes, District 3 candidates Paul Meltzer and Jason Cole, and District 4 candidates Amanda Servis and John Ryan were all in attendance for the city council candidate forum, hosted by the Denton Drilling Awareness Group. Emily White and Don Duff were not in attendance due to prior commitments, and District 2 candidate Keely Briggs is running unopposed and did not participate, but was in attendance. Some of the topics candidates were asked to speak on included the current gas well ordinance and if it could be strengthened, as well as the F-rated air quality in Denton and how to fix it. Two Texas House bills were also discussed: HB-40, relating to the exclusive

SEE COUNCIL ON PAGE 2

Vouching for victims of violence

Alumna pursues new career pg 4 A UNT alumna left her career as a professional opera singer to open her own independent flower shop.

By Bianca Mujica

SPORTS UNT men’s rugby pg 7 The UNT rugby team is currently trying to find a conference to compete in as their past conference dissolved, leaving them without competition.

OPINION

The effect of bad PR pg 8 The Editorial Board discusses recent bad PR incidents by corporations and a White House official.

Alumnus Devin Axtman (left) shares his story with the guests of the Human Library event at Willis Library on April 6. Axtman was one of the human books that the event included, titled “Adventures of Cripple and Cerebral Rollsy: A Walk to Remember.” Courtesy | Jeffrey Merrill

Renee LeClaire McNamara

Renee McNamara sits in her office on the fourth f loor of the Union, spending her day on ordinary tasks like taking phone calls and attending meetings. Like most faculty on campus, the core of her job is to help students. But what she does is slightly different than most others: rather than dealing with academics, she deals with violence. McNamara is the UNT Survivor Advocate, meaning she works with students who have experienced any sort of violence and connects them to campus or local resources. She also advocates for them by talking to professors about

class absences, and if the student wants, she can accompany them to things like counseling appointments or meetings with the police. “We are trying to raise awareness so students know we are here,” McNamara said. “We want them to know all their options, rights and resources.” Dean of Students Maureen McGuinness performed the tasks of the survivor advocate before McNamara was hired. But with a number of students coming in for help, it became evident that the university needed a person dedicated to the cause. “We were starting to see an increase of students who needed assistance if they were a victim of any violence,”

McGuinness said. At the time, McNamara had been an academic adviser for almost seven years in what was then the College of Public Affairs and Community Service. She got her master’s in counseling, studied violence for her graduate work and interned at Denton County Friends of the Family, an organization that provides care for people affected by violence. All of that, combined with her experience working with college students, made her the ideal person for the job. Two years ago McGuinness

SEE ADVOCATE ON PAGE 5

NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

Page 2

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD Russia blocks UN Security Council condemnation of Syria attack Russia blocked a western effort at the UN Security Council to condemn last week’s deadly gas attack in Syria on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The resolution would have pushed Moscow’s ally President Bashar alAssad to cooperate with international inquires into the deadly attack. It was the eighth time since the start of the Syrian Civil war that Moscow has used its veto power on the Security Council to shield Assad’s government.

Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad registers as candidate in May election. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered as a candidate in Iran’s presidential election, despite being told not to by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the BBC reported. The hardliner who served as president for two terms between 2005 and 2013 filed paperwork at the interior ministry in Tehran. Khamenei warned him that such a move was “not in his interest and that of the country.”

Bangladesh hangs three Islamist extremists for UK envoy attack Bangladesh hanged three Islamist extremists Wednesday including the leader of a banned militant outfit after they were sentenced to death over a 2004 grenade attack on the British ambassador, Agence FrancePresse reported. The explosion at a 14th century Sufi shrine in the northeastern city of Sylhet killed three people and injured the British high commissioner at the time. They were sentenced to death in 2008.

CORRECTION An article titled “A guide to May’s Denton city council election” which was published in the North Texas Daily on April 6, 2017 stated that Pat Cheek ran for city council four years ago. This is incorrect. Pat Cheek ran for city council forty years ago. In addition, her late husband Bill Cheek was incorrectly named as Phil Cheek. The daily regrets this error.

NTDAILY.COM

City council candidates talk transparency, ethics, fracking at forum COUNCIL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 jurisdiction of this state to regulate oil and gas operations in this state and the express preemption of local regulation of those operations, and HB-3403, relating to the authority of a municipality to require that certain oil and gas operations be set back a certain distance from child-care facilities and schools. At this forum, residents were also urging neighbors to reach out to State Rep. Lynn Stucky and ask him to support HB-3403. The F-rated air quality given to the city of Denton by the American Lung Association is something Meltzer wants to fix, as well as focus on higher voting turnout in the city. “I think if we have the worst air quality, we should have the most innovative solutions,” Meltzer said. Hudspeth brought the topics back around to transparency and openness with residents and their government. “A lot of this comes down to transparency,” Hudspeth said. “I don’t know how to reconcile with the stories you get. When the sun’s not showing and wind isn’t blowing, those are things to reconcile and make sure they make sense. I can’t sign on anything that there is no transparency attached.” Hawes is also one to support transparency,

saying she wants to incorporate her ideas and the ideas of the people in District 1. “I plan on being one of the most open representatives in my district and welcoming all information from everyone around,” Hawes said. “It does not take that much transparency if you are open to everyone’s suggestions.” When they were asked about if they were interested in the money from gas and oil companies, all candidates except Jason Cole, who has family ties to gas and oil companies, said no. Other than his support for gas wells, Cole said he wants to help small businesses thrive and strengthen the current gas well ordinance. “If a gas well goes, everything within 900 feet is going to melt,” Cole said. “We need to have the maximum allowable distance the law will allow. The ordinance needs to be stronger.” Another hot topic at this forum was the 100 percent renewable Texas town of Georgetown. “Running for council, I will assure you I will fight for the gas wells better regulated,” Servis said. “A lot of people are dependent on gas. We can move Denton to renewable resources.” The city of Denton has a long standing history with fracking problems, like when

HB-40 was banned and then repealed, and the influx of more gas wells around town. The city is also spending $265 million to build a natural gas-fired power plant with 12 engines. This was passed 4-3 in September, after a city council meeting that lasted until the early morning. Former council member Ryan said that gas wells were also an issue when he was on city council in 2014, but he also wants to focus

on other underlying issues, such as water conservation. “The growth Denton has seen is on our roads. Traffic adds to air pollution,” Ryan said. “We need to make sure we have planned out and informed citizens what roads to take to alleviate pollution.”

@falconjulia22

City council candidates speak at a forum at Dan Silverleafs about environmental issues. James Norman

April update on construction and obstructions on campus By Jackie Guerrero Various roadblocks and pathways are closed in and obstructed as new and old construction projects throughout the UNT campus continue, set to finish in April. North Texas Boulevard and I-35 Road closures and obstructions of pedestrian walkways are expected as the Interstate-35 project continues along the intersections of North Texas Boulevard and North and South I-35. This is due to the realignment of frontal roads at the new North Texas Boulevard bridge and the widening of the main traffic lanes from Bonnie Brae to McCormick streets. The construction is set to finish this semester. Science Research Building The east and south sides of the Science Research Building are being renovated. The sidewalks and D parking lot next to the building will be blocked by construction fencing. The exterior and interior renovations will be wrapping up at some point this month. Language Building

All sides of the Language Building except the west side are being renovated. Renovations include the removal and replacement of the concrete walkways on the building’s plaza, as well as new drains, access ramps and planters. The renovations will be wrapping up this month. College of Visual Arts and Design Building In parking lot 50, east of the Art Building, the new CVAD Building will be built to consolidate art departments. Lot 50 and the sidewalks adjacent will be obstructed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The project is set to finish in October. New Dormitory behind Kerr Hall The new dormitory and tour center will be in the northwest corner of Eagle Drive and Avenue A. There will be construction fencing, restricting access to the construction site in parking lot R. The project started in January 2017 and will be completed by July 2018. West Hall The south wing and parking lot 17 will be obstructed due to roof repairs being

done due to recent storm damage. The roof repairs should be finished later this month. Community Garden The green space between Legends Hall and North Texas Lofts will be greeted by a new raised-bed community garden. Pedestrian traffic will be obstructed until May 2017, when the garden is set to be completed. Central Path The central pathway is located in Clark Park and the southeast corner of parking lot 27. This pathway will link the Hurley Administration building to the Gateway Center along with new landscaping. Walkways near these sites may be obstructed and Maple street will be closed until May 2017. Air Force-ROTC Improvements Parking lot 19 (across from Santa Fe Square) through Fouts Field to the AFROTC building faces infrastructure upgrades. The upgrades will provide the campus with power network redundances. Vehicular traffic will be affected on various days throughout the week until June 2017.

Hickory Street Improvement From Bonnie Brae Street to Carroll Boulevard, expect various sidewalks and portions of the roadways to be closed throughout the duration of the project. The obstruction is due to the upgrade to the existing sanitary sewer and water service and reconstructed roadway. The project started in January 2017 and will be completed by January 2019. Parking lot 85 Parking lot 85 east of Victory Hall is dealing with the addition of lights to the lot for increased security. There will be some minor pedestrian and vehicular obstruction until May 2017 when the project is set to be finished. Fraternity Row and Lot 40 The north side of Maple Street, directly across from Fraternity Row, will be obstructed. The new fraternity houses being built on parking lot 40 will create road and walkway obstruction. This project will be completed by May 2017.

@gagaart1

Production Team Chelsea Watkins | Design Editor Circe Marez | Designer/Copy

By Celeste Garcia The College of Arts and Sciences will be splitting in two on May 15 in order for the new College of Science to focus attention on maintaining UNT’s Tier One status, senior project administrator for the sciences Sue Gao, Ph.D. said. This split comes after UNT gained the title of Tier One university in February 2016. Within the current College of Arts and Sciences there are 19 departments, four of which will fall under the new college, along with one program. “The College of Science is going to consist of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics

and Teach North Texas, an interdisciplinary program that trains science and math teachers,” Gao said. The remaining 15 departments and programs will then become the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, or CLASS. Gao explained this split is in preparation for the future. “Carnegie Foundation is going to reevaluate Tier One institutions,” Gao said. “We have a lot of competition and work to do to keep us [Tier One]. In this emphasis on Tier One status, there are two things that are vitally important: research grants and expenditure and Ph.D. production.” Dr. Pamela Padilla, current associate

Business Adam Reese | Director 940-565-4265 adam.reese@unt.edu Adela Francis | Advertising Director

Faculty Advisor Gary Ghioto | 940-891-6722 gary.ghioto@unt.edu

To pitch a story, or contact the Editor-in-Chief, please email northtexasdaily@gmail.com

UNT is preparing Hickory Hall for renovations to accommodate for the administrative decisions to split the College of Arts and Sciences into the College of Arts and the separate College of Science. Jake King

biology professor and future associate dean of research and graduate studies for the College of Science said the new college will focus attention on keeping Tier One status through “increased productivity and making the process [of applications for research grants] better for everybody.” “Now we as a college can look at how to best facilitate graduate students,” Padilla said. “This will help in thinking about curriculum and mentoring Ph.D. students so they can be successful in terms of professional development and access to resources.” Maintaining Tier One status affects UNT’s eligibility to get research grants. UNT and other Tier One institutions are put in a separate category to compete for certain funding opportunities that would not have been available without the status, Padilla said. Padilla noted that keeping this title is also “good for reputation and opportunities,” as it aids in not just the retention and helping of current students but recruitment of future students, both graduate and undergraduate. For the majors under COS there will be a review of degree requirements, namely reevaluating the requirement of CAS to take 42 advanced hours, said John Quintanilla, Ph.D, current professor of mathematics and future associate dean for undergraduate studies of COS. “All the current degree requirements that currently exist for CAS are on the table for reexamination,” Quintanilla said. “We’ll take a fresh look at [those] after the split and decide if that’s something that still makes sense for the new college.” Quintanilla said the split “brought up a

lot of good conversations,” and, although no decisions have been made yet, any potential changes could go into effect as early as this fall semester. COS will be located at Hickory Hall by the time of the official college split, Gao said. The dean’s suite will temporarily be held in room 120, but all offices will move upstairs once renovations to the second floor are completed, which is planned to finish by the end of the summer. Gao will become the interim dean of COS for the first academic year of the college meanwhile a search begins to find a permanent dean. Most other staff members, such as the science advisors who currently work under CAS, will simply transition into this new college. The current dean of CAS, David Holdeman, Ph.D., will remain dean of CLASS. Holdeman said the benefit of this split for CLASS is renewed observation on the needs of the remaining departments as the size of CAS becomes smaller. “One of the benefits for CLASS will be that my staff and I will be able to focus on the needs of the liberal arts and social sciences departments,” Holdeman said. “We’ll be able to pay more attention to them and focus on advocating for their needs.” Holdeman said that CLASS students should not expect any immediate changes to the current function of the school.

@celllyg

TRENDING @ntdaily @thedose_ntdaily @ntd_sports

#United

A United Airlines passenger was forcibly removed from a flight Monday. The video of the removal went viral, sparking international outrage and scandal.

#SeanSpicer

White House press secretary Sean Spicer came under fire Tuesday after making a false statement about the use of chemical weapons during WWII.

#Tamagotchi

Japanese toy company Bandai has rereleased the hit 90’s toy, Business Insider reported. The Tamagotchis can be purchased in Japan or from Amazon Japan.

#CharlieMurphy

Comedian Charlie Murphy, 57, died Wednesday after losing his battle with Leukemia, Complex reported. He was the brother of comedian Eddie Murphy.

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 3

Denton police data shows decrease in DWI arrests By Julia Contarelli Denton police data shows a decrease in the number of DWI arrests over the past four years. In 2017, up to April 12, Denton police reported 84 DWI arrests. In 2016, 96 were reported. 2015 had 106 cases reported, and 2014 had 127. “We are going in the correct direction, I think that things like Uber and Lyft, that sort of ride-sharing, are helping a lot too,” Denton police spokesman Bryan Cose said. “When I started here we had only one taxi company that was only running one or two cars and they closed shop at 11 o’clock.” Uber was available in Denton in Feb. 2015 and Lyft was available soon after. Officer Cose believes that before Uber and Lyft people who went to bars and had too much to drink did not have a way to get home safely, but “now there are plenty of options to get home safely.” DWIs in 2017 From January 1 until April 12, Denton police arrested a total of 168 people on DWI charges. For university police, DWIs account for the largest number of arrests, while for Denton police charges like theft, assault and shoplifting are more common. Most DWI arrests by Denton police occurred on early Sunday mornings. Through April 12, the 84 arrests by Denton police included: 19 on Sundays,

15 on Saturdays, 15 on Fridays, five on Thursdays, 12 on Wednesdays, eight on Tuesdays and 10 on Mondays. On February 19, four people were arrested, this being the most DWI arrests in a day in 2017 so far. UNT police will not provide day-today data for arrests in 2017 until Oct. 1 of 2018, when the Annual Security Report is released. How the police deals with DWIs Texas is one of the 13 states in the United States that does not allow alcohol checkpoints. Texas also does not allow the use of Intoxilyzer tests on the street. Only after the suspect goes to jail are the police allowed to do a breath or blood test. “I can tell you that the vast majority of people that do get arrested here in Denton, they are pretty well over a .08 [blood-alcohol content],” Cose said. When a police officer gets indications that a driver is intoxicated, after pulling over the car, the officer conducts a short interview. If this leads to more suspicion, the next step in Texas is a Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST), which is the same everywhere nationally. The SFST is a combination of three tests which are made in a specific chronological order. The horizontal gaze nystagmus test is a tremor of a person’s eyeball, which occurs as the eyes gaze to the side.

File photo According to DUI Justice Link, “The examiner looks for three indicators of impairment in each eye: if the eye cannot follow a moving object smoothly, if jerking is distinct and sustained nystagmus when the eye is at maximum deviation, or if the angle of onset of jerking is prior to 45 degrees of center.” If the person in the test has any eye disease, those need to be informed to the officer for a more clear read. The second test is the walk-and-turn test, the person is asked to walk over an imaginary or a real line, turn on one foot

in the end and walk the way back. In this test the officer will be looking at certain clues like balance while listening to the instructions, whether the person begins before the instructions are finished, and if the person stops to remain balanced. Others include not touching feet heel-to-toe, using arms to balance, and stepping out of the line and taking more or fewer steps than asked. Last is the one-leg stand test, where the person is asked to stand on one foot, with the other one approximately six inches away from the ground for a total

of 30 seconds. The clues for this test include not maintaining balance, using arms to help, hopping and putting the foot down. “Officers here in Denton use the same sobriety test that officers use in New York City, or Anchorage, Alaska, all over the U.S.,” Cose said. Officer Cose is also a DWI teacher for the other officers. Denton police has a mandatory annual class to refresh the techniques to apply the SFST.

@ContarelliJ

New residence hall construction delayed until summer By Jackie Guerrero The new residence hall set to be built behind Kerr Hall at the northwest corner of Eagle Drive and Avenue A has been delayed. Construction for the project has not yet started and will start early in the fall semester, maybe summer 2017, Cassandra Nash, associate vice chancellor for facilities design and construction said. When construction does start, the project will take 17 months to complete. The hall’s approved budget is $4.9 million. The reasoning for this new residence hall is to fulfill the university’s dormitory master plan. There has been a “recent additional need” for a new hall, Nash said.

The location is based on the preferred location set in the master plan. Along with a new residence hall, there will also be a new campus tour center, which will include a function and office space, auxiliary, housing and dining offices and a preview dorm room, facilities design and construction project manager Andrew Herrell said. UNT Housing is in charge of when the dormitory will be available for students to apply for residence, Nash said. This hall is designed for all students, so everyone will be able to apply. When completed, there will be a supply of 500 beds, filling around 250 rooms. International studies freshman Allijah Riley, who

File photo

SGA Election Board disqualified presidential candidate, Supreme Court struck down decision SGA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 acting as “campaign materials,” in wearing the shirt, along with “touching phones and talking specifically about that campaign and only that campaign.” There is some confusion, though. It is not clear why Esparza was not asked to leave immediately and why her information was not collected so that she could be called to testify in the Election Board hearing afterward. “I wasn’t sure if they would think that a shirt itself would be enough grounds for a disqualification,” Carr said. “Which is why I said [to David Klein] ‘maybe you should watch her, see if she’s specifically campaigning for a certain candidate.’” Klein admits he only saw Esparza “helping people on their phones” and did not hear Esparza seeking endorsement. About 25 minutes after Esparza arrived, Klein asked her to leave. His testimony as a witness is based on a conversation he claims happened with a male UNT student, who said he had heard Esparza “mention” the Navarro campaign. Neither Carr nor Klein attempted to record this witness’ information as evidence. “Not having a process is no excuse for not getting witness statements or witness information to call up for something like a hearing at which you are going to disqualify a ticket,” SGA Supreme Court Chief Justice Jena Chakour said.

The Supreme Court Hearing At the SGA Supreme Court hearing on April 5, Robert Navarro presented an email exchange between John Carr and opposing candidate Mia Muric, who gave him the email. “Muric asked, “Are there a number of witnesses willing to confirm that this allegation occurred?” John responded, “The students that received the solicitation while in line were witnesses who have not allowed the release of their identities. I also overheard of other individuals who witnessed the incident, but they have not reached out to me directly.” Navarro’s main contention is that Carr and Klein cannot base their disqualification on overheard, unsourced claims. Navarro and Maldonado also said they were not given adequate time to prepare for the hearing March 30, or they would have been able to bring Esparza. “There were only three out of six Election Board members at the Violation Code hearing,” Navarro said. “One of those members was David Klein, who wrote the violation, therefore having an inherent bias against us.” However, John did not take place in any decision-making at the hearing. Navarro further alleges that Carr was partial to Barrett Cole, citing tweets from last year’s election where Carr promotes the “THRIVE” platform, which Cole ran on as vice president last year and president this

year. When Carr was appointed Election Commissioner in September, Cole tweeted her support for Carr with the hashtag #ThriveWithUs. “This is the first year my position was paid, so I think I’ve paid attention to [the bylaws] more than a lot of past people have,” Carr said. “Disqualification is really the only thing we can do.” Chief Justice Jena Chakour asked Carr why the Board chose disqualification, “which would imply a certain magnitude of violation, without confirming significance, which you had access to.” “At the time of the hearing, nobody knew the results of the election,” Carr said, so the significance of the campaign violation was established from Esparza being at the SGA event for a fourth of its duration. The altered Supreme Court ruling strikes all votes cast for Navarro and Maldonado between 3 and 5 p.m. March 29 from the final tally. “This consequence was voted by the Court to fit the violation of the event.” “At this point,” Navarro said, “I’m just tired of fighting the system.”

@taylorbcrisler

resides in Maple Hall, feels it is a good idea to build a new residence hall. “I think it is a good idea for new people coming to campus,” Riley said. “It [Maple Hall] is full, but I can’t tell there are a lot of people living in there.” At the moment there is no name for the new hall, Nash said. The UNT System and the campus will come up with a name as the project moves along. Jacobs, headquartered in Dallas, and Mackey Mitchell, based in St. Louis, Missouri are the project’s’ architects. Jacobs has worked on previous projects for the campus like the Highland Street Parking Garage, Business Leadership Building, and Chestnut and Victory Residence Halls.

This new hall has raised awareness for students who live on campus, particularly Kerr Hall because of it being built on top of the existing parking lot R, a residence student parking lot. Social work studies freshman Kaitlyn Nelson does not like the new addition to the campus, due to the hall’s location. “It is taking away parking, which is already a big issue on campus,” Nelson said. “It sucks that they are adding a building on campus. I live in Kerr Hall...when people come to visit me I don’t know where to tell them to park.”

@gagaart11

ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2016

NTDAILY.COM

Human Library allows students to be read as ‘books’ open about identities LIBRARY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 engaged with participants about her experiences in her book, “Anxiety Disorder.” Her book began when she was 16 after a hormonal reaction to a certain brand of birth control. “I had a six-month period while taking it where I had borderline hallucinating episodes,” she said. That’s when she began getting anxiety attacks. “The first anxiety attack you have is basically how you’re going to react every time you have one,” Chavez said. After she stopped taking the medication, the hallucinations eventually ceased, however, she was still left with the anxiety attacks. “Now, whenever I have anxiety attacks, I can’t move, I can’t talk,” Chavez said. “It basically lasts for about an hour.” It took seeing a therapist for her to understand that hallucinations like these were more common than many accept. Regardless, she had a hard time letting people in to help her.

“For the longest time, I didn’t tell people because people would think I was crazy,” Chavez said. Chavez relates incidents where anxiety attacks have been debilitating, and the inconsistency with which they occur is often destabilizing. While she hasn’t found a medication that’s allowed her to function enough to maintain her current standard of living, she has found success in learning how to manage and anticipate them. Now, she hopes to remove some of the stigma that kept her afraid of getting the help she needed. Other books in the library had a much different story to tell. “Ask me how I identify in a way that doesn’t sound like a threat,” Library staff member Deborah Caldwell said. Caldwell recommends the statement as a starter topic. Her book is titled “Multiracial.” After her white American father and Korean mother emigrated to rural Louisiana in 1986 when she was 4 years old, the question would come to carry hidden meanings. “So many times, over the course

of my life, people managed to put it in such a way,” Caldwell said. “It’s ‘do you belong here?’ It’s ‘prove your authenticity.’ ‘What slur should I use for you?’” Caldwell relates stories of both casual and malicious racism encountered during her self-identified “Norman Rockwell” childhood. Moving from Seoul’s population of 11 million to a village of 600 felt, to her, like traveling back a couple of decades. “I never had another Asian [person] in my class until I went to high school,” Caldwell said. She is old enough to remember resenting the 2000 U.S. Census, the first to provide survey options for multiracial Americans. Up to that point, every standardized test carried with it the angst of having to fit her identity into a box that couldn’t contain it. It is in that liminal space where she finds her own unique immigrant story instructive, both at The Human Library and in her role directing a youth group for Korean girls. And like Caldwell, Office of Spiritual Life worker Elijah Cumpton

At the Human Library event at Willis on Thursday April 6, Officer Kevin Crawford (center) shares his story about his line of work. Officer Crawford was one of the many “human books” at the event, each one telling stories about their lives. Courtesy | Jeffrey Merrill hopes to provide hope for people, as well. “There’s that burden of being a representative minority,” Cumpton said. “If you’re out and identified as a trans person and you make the choice to respond violently, guess what, here’s the next headline.” Cumpton’s book is titled “Trans Christian,” and he spoke of how he applies his understanding of his Methodist faith to his identity in a toooften invisible and politicized group.

Despite this burden, Cumpton feels like we have to extend grace to sometimes hostile parties because fear and anxiety around gender come from “a deep place that’s absolutely human.” He is drawn to what he calls “social justice gospel,” and mentions Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker’s Movement freely. Cumpton relates anecdotes where he’s had to display extraordinary grace and humor in what would otherwise be banal

interactions because trans people are tossed into a “subhuman” category. As are some of the other open “books” that made this year’s Human Library a collection of unique, inspiring tales. “Just treating people as human and making people see you as human because no one really wants to hurt another human being,” Cumpton said. “We just do that thing where we imagine people aren’t.”

@taylorbcrisler

UNT alumna uproots career to pursue flower business By Amy Roh Beth Jackson can talk about tulips, benjamin buttons or sweet peas for hours. Few people are keen on discussing flower types for more than a fleeting minute, but for Jackson, it’s a new and lifelong passion. Jackson, a former UNT College of Music admin and professional opera singer, operates her own floral design business called Laughing Earth Flowers. The name was inspired by the famous Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “The earth laughs in flowers.” Ever since its initial launch in 2012, Jackson has hit the ground running with her passion for the art

of floral design. “To me, that’s part of being an artist,” Jackson said. “You’ve given something to somebody that they can identify with, that they can experience something beyond their day-to-day lives. It’s like you’re making flowers for emotion.” Jackson spent a large part of her childhood in her grandmother’s flower shop. She remembers hanging around while she worked, whether it be meeting with customers or making arrangements. Despite the brutal West Texas heat, Jackson also watched her mother nurture rose bushes, irises and even a dwarf peach tree in the family’s backyard. She was always surrounded by the flora and fauna, but it wasn’t

until later in life that she discovered her natural talent for it. “Some friends discovered that I made nice arrangements and would always ask if I could make them for a party or an event,” Jackson said. “After a while I finally got one person to ask if I wouldn’t mind doing their wedding flowers for the first time.” After performing as a professional opera singer, Jackson began to acknowledge what her close circle of friends has been saying the whole time — floral design was a natural skill worth pursuing. “I sang for about seven years as an opera singer when I graduated from [UNT] and got tired of living out of a suitcase,” Jackson said. “But [an] artist needs to have an art. So

Q: Do you need to get tested for STDs?

A: Yes.

Finding out your status is a great way to take care of yourself AND each other!

floristry was the next thing.” Jackson started reading a countless number of blogs, watching other florists work and taking up courses at the American Institute for Floral Designers. She had already worked at local flower shops in between singing gigs. The daily routine of working at a shop attracted her to more flexible forms of floral design, like special events rather than operating a business in front an endlessly rotating door. “Special event floristry would give me the time to concentrate solely on design and working with a specific kind of client instead of the day-to-day business of running a shop,” Jackson said. Ever since Laughing Earth Flowers was established, Jackson has been operating it as a onewoman show. She creates, arranges and delivers everything, often working out of her home and meeting clients at nearby coffee shops in lieu of a studio. “I always joke about how our house turns into the flower zone,” said Jeffrey Snider, Jackson’s husband and a UNT voice professor. “She doesn’t have a shop, so she always keeps our bedroom really cold to keep the flowers nice and fresh. People ask how it’s going and I say, ‘well, she’s got a wedding coming up, so it’s the flower zone.’” Studio or lack thereof, Jackson sees it as a way to channel her service and talent into the community. “Artistry is artistry no matter what your medium is,” Jackson said. “The artist needs to make art and

Beth Jackson, UNT Alumna and owner of her floral shop, Laughing Earth Flowers, poses in the College of Music courtyard. Jackson was a professional opera singer before opening up her own floral shop. Sara Carpenter you need people to have the art to view because that interaction is part of what defines us as a community” In the midst of a growing business, Jackson said she still faces the challenge of running a completely independent endeavor. The struggles and complications that come with owning such a complex business aren’t the easiest challenges to get through. “When you’re starting a new business, there’s just one or two days a month where I have to cry because of the worries,” Jackson said. “You’re always thinking, ‘what does it mean to succeed?’ On one hand, to succeed is that I can support myself doing this even if I didn’t have my husband’s salary to help me. But to succeed means that you’re finally getting to do something that you love.” Despite the stress, Jackson has been collaborating with other wedding planners and events. Her keen eye has been favoring her reputation among the local community. “I had a vision for what I wanted,

but I don’t know what to say as far as [which type of] flower to use,” said Kaitlyn Keller, a wedding planner for Blue Dress White Rabbit. “I was only able to send her photos of [what I wanted], but she was able to take inspiration from those photos and [create] something new that wasn’t a copy of anything while still capturing the vision that I was going for.” Since its inception, the business has been steadily gaining notice from the community, a badge of pride that she wears dearly. As it continues to expand, Jackson is looking nowhere but forward. Although the floral business is a lot different than the music business, both showcase the beauty that comes with being passionate. “It’s a rewarding thing for me to get to know clients and design something for them that when they see it they feel personally moved,” Jackson said. “Now, that’s like a little piece of beauty that they take with them.”

@rohmyboat

START MOVING AHEAD. START TAKING THE LEAD. START OPENING MORE DOORS. START BUILDING YOUR FUTURE. START ACCOMPLISHING MORE. START FACING NEW CHALLENGES. START SEEING HOW FAR YOU CAN GO. START STRONG.

For more info about scholarships and ROTC at the University of North Texas, visit goarmy.com/gx48, email army.rotc@unt.edu or call 940-369-8011.

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 5

UNT art students bring new life to Lake Forest Village By Amy Roh UNT art students were honored in March at a reception for their sculpture displays at the Lake Forest Village retirement center. The artists, Felicia Jordan, Mani Negarestan, Lauren Noorlag and Emily Sides, were chosen among the 20 students in UNT’s Studio Art and Sculpture program, led by assistant professor Alicia Eggert. Their four artworks were inspired by the Lake Forest Village campus and will be on display for approximately a year. “We have a sculpture in existence on our campus and we have several residents who are artists,” said Laura Wells, director of resource development. “It just started with the idea [that] it would be really cool to involve students from UNT or have other sculptures on campus.” Wells got in touch with Eggert,

who eagerly agreed to the offer. “I wanted to give my students an opportunity to working the public arts sphere because it’s a way artists can make a decent living after school,” Eggert said. “I wanted to give them the experience of working with a community to develop and fabricate something for a specific place.” Each piece was voted on and critiqued by the residents and staff. Afterward, students came up the campus to install them in their desired locations. The project has been ongoing since the fall semester. “All this work was done for a class last fall,” Eggert said. “The fact that they’re taking time out of their classes this semester to come and set up the work made it really special.” Since the art has been on display,

Wells says residents at the retirement home approach her all the time with questions about them. “[A resident] said, ‘You have no idea what this means to me, just being able to interact with the students and inspire them in some way and see their pieces of art is so fulfilling to me,’” Wells said. “And that’s just one story. Every time I walk on this campus, they have questions.” “Conifer,” created by sculpture senior Felicia Jordan, utilizes steel geometric shapes to imitate a pine cone. While touring the campus, Jordan noticed an old pine tree that reminded her of something close to her own life. “My mom has pine cone collections and it reminded me of that, so I [took back] like five of

Figure drawing senior Mani Negarestan stands next to his sculpture “tsen-tainte” next to the lake of The Good Samaritan Society of Lake Forest Village. Negarestan’s sculpture, made of wood and white paint, is an abstract representation of the movement and posture of a running horse’s body. Katie Jenkins

them and put them in my pocket,” Jordan said. “So just taking from the campus and giving back to it would be the ideal thing.” Before the exhibit, Jordan came up to Lake Forest Village to put final touches on her installation. She said a whole group of residents gathered around her, simply to watch her work. “A lot of the older ladies were welders in their younger days and they’re really fascinated with how art works and how the mind works,” Jordan said. “Their whole personality level and energy level has just been amazing.” Sculpture senior Lauren Noorlag created “Peacock” as an interactive piece. It boasts a metal peacock with a steel plume and feathers, cans installed inside to be makeshift houses and feeders to inhabit birds from the surrounding area. Residents have already spotted a couple of swallows curiously checking out the new digs. “They love it,” Noorlag said. “When I auditioned my piece, they were really excited because there’s a bed and breakfast for birds out there. There’s already been bluejays and different types of birds up there.” “Tsen-Tainte,” created by drawing and painting senior Mani Negarestan, utilized surrounding nature as inspiration. The sculpture, made with plywood and painted in a vibrant white, stands on a hill near a small lake. Negarestan said he wanted it

In a grassy square next to a resident building, sculpture senior Felicia Jordan stands with her newly installed piece at The Good Samaritan Society of Lake Forest Village. The outdoor sculpture titled “Conifer” is a geometric representation of a pinecone made from welded steel. Katie Jenkins to be away from buildings, in a more natural setting. “I was really inspired by horses and their movement, so that’s where I got my inspiration from,” Negarestan said. “That sense of energy and movement that makes it more abstract.” Sculpture junior Emily Sides created “Folds,” a three-dimensional representation of geometric planes intersecting and creating a single geometric form. Using black acrylic in lieu of her original vision of steel, Sides wanted a multidimensional quality to her

work. “I really just wanted a reflective quality piece so that whenever people walked by they saw themselves but yet still saw nature,” Sides said. The artworks will continue to stay at the center, possibly rotating after another competition in the future. “Our plan is for this to be an annual thing,” Wells said. “We really weren’t sure that this would come into fruition but it did. I’d love to see this grow and I’d love to see the community get involved.”

@rohmyboat

UNT hires survivor advocate to aid and support victims of sexual assault ADVOCATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 hired McNamara as the first and only full-time Survivor Advocate. Her current graduate assistant, Audrey Malacara, works as the parttime Survivor Advocate. Most of the students they work with have faced sexual violence, intimate partner violence or stalking. “We want students to know there’s people who care about them and want to help them through whatever they’re experiencing,” McNamara said. “We want them to know that we take this very seriously.” The process of helping someone depends on what happened to them and what action they want

to take. Some may want to see what options are available with the police department or Student Legal Services, some may want to start counseling and some may not want to take any action at all. “I’ll never force a student to do anything they’re not comfortable with,” McNamara said. “My job is simply to say what is available and to help in whatever way I can.” When a student does want to take action, McNamara has connections from her current role as the survivor advocate and her past role as an adviser. She continues to increase her presence with things like going to faculty meetings, collaborating with organizations, visiting classes

and using social media. “A big part of my role is building partnerships and relationships across campus,” McNamara said. “So when I reach out to professors on behalf of a student, they understand where I’m coming from.” What she does is not limited to just the victims. People have come in to speak with her about concerns for a friend or family member, and victims occasionally bring someone along during their consultation with McNamara. She hopes this can be an example of how violence is relevant even to those who have not experienced it. When a student experiences violence, they can report it to the

SENIORS! ONE YEAR MBA? All Majors Welcomed! bit.ly/UNTOneYearMBA

Dean of Students, the campus Title IX Coordinator or UNT Police. An investigation will begin upon the student’s request, which will include looking into violations of the Code of Conduct if the aggressor was a student. Title IX, the federal law that prevents educational institutes from discriminating based on sex, protects victims of violence. Students cannot be forced to share spaces, such as dorms or classrooms, with their assailant. Schools also cannot retaliate against students filing a complaint and must have established procedures for dealing with sexual discrimination, violence and harassment.

In addition, the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act requires colleges and universities to educate staff, faculty and students on the prevention of occurrences such as rape, dating violence and sexual assault. UNT complies with this law through Haven, the online program for educating students on things like healthy relationships, consent and bystander intervention. Students may not realize that initiatives like Haven help create a safe environment and inform people about the potential dangers they may face. In the Department of Justice’s 2005 Criminal Victimization report, they found that approximately 2 out 3 rapes were committed by someone

the victim knew. They also found that 38 percent of rapists are a friend or acquaintance and 28 percent are an intimate partner. When it comes to UNT, McNamara hopes she can continue to raise awareness about her role so students in need know where to reach out. She wants to create a space that promotes safety, support and empathy. “I want students to know there’s people who care and want to help them,” McNamara said. “I want them to know they’re not alone.”

@biancamujica96

SPORTS Page 6

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

North Texas announces partnership with Learfield to outsource all multimedia By Clay Massey For the first time in school history, UNT will outsource its comprehensive multimedia rights. UNT Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker announced in a press release last Friday the university will partner with Learfield for the next 10 years. North Texas is the ninth collegiate property in Texas to be represented by Learfield. The partnership is effective immediately. “We are excited to partner with Learfield,” Baker said in the release. “Greg Brown and his team are industry leaders. This partnership begins immediately and will generate in excess of $5 million in new

revenue over a 10-year period. Our relationship with Learfield will also open up many other opportunities to incorporate new elements and technologies into our game-day experience.” The university and Learfield will form and staff a new “Mean Green Sport Properties” team that will be dedicated to the university and manage all aspects of rights agreements that includes signage, digital, corporate sponsorships, TV and radio play-by-play and coaches’ shows, according to the release. Learfield named Joe Domingos as General Manager to lead Mean Green Sport Properties. Domngos has nearly 25 years of sales, sports marketing and sponsorships experience and most recently worked with the University of

Louisiana-Monroe. Learfield has been an industry leader in collegiate athletics for more than four decades. CEO Greg Brown said that the university was a natural fit for the company whose office is located just 30 miles away in Plano. Learfield is also partnered with the University of Missouri and the University of Memphis, two of Baker’s former schools. “We look forward to the opportunity to work with [Baker] again,” Brown said in the release. “We will engage sponsors with innovative concepts … to maximize the potential of UNT athletics over the next decade.”

@Clay_FC

Softball players share the songs they picked for their walk up

Hanna Rebar (8) swings at the ball. Rebar’s batting average is .213. Jake King SOFTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 says. “Yeah, I do it for the stunt. I just do it for the stunt.” Maybe this is why she’s hitting .353 with a .421 OBP. Camille Grahmann – “Double Bubble” Trouble by M.I.A. M.I.A. may be best known for her classic hit “Paper Planes” but this reggae-infused electronic jam is Grahmann’s choice. Just wait until the bass drops. Harely Perella – “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain “Let’s go girls,” rings out over the public-address system when Perella steps into the box. This country classic is one for the whole team.

Bailey Thompson – “Im’ma Shine” by Youngbloodz A classic from the “Step Up” soundtrack. If something from “Step Up” does not get you pumped, I cannot help you. Did I just admit I’ve watched “Step Up”? Hanna Rebar – “Jungle” by X Ambassadors, Jamie N Commons This one is epic. The beat is big, the vocals are scratchy and the vocalist asks you to follow them into a jungle. This will make you want to run through a wall. Perfect walk-up material. Kelli Schkade – “Show Me the Money” by Petey Pablo Schkade settles into the box a beat that is absolutely sure to get Lovelace

M.S. in Biotechnology Laboratory-based, hands-on experience on a university medical center campus. Professors are NIH-funded biomedical research faculty. High faculty/student ratio.

Field moving. Show her the money. After all, Schkade leads the team in almost every offensive category with a .365 average and a team-best six home runs. If only the NCAA paid its athletes. Lauren Craine – “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg Another rap classic. It’s got it all the ingredients - money, marijuana and booze. And with Snoop Dogg featured on the track, you know its quality. Nicole Ochotnicki - “Get Like Me” by David Banner ft. Chris Brown, Young Joc 2008 was a wild time. This song came out and Young Joc was actually still relevant enough to feature on something. Crazy. Glad Ochotnicki remembers a time like 2008.

NTDAILY.COM

Spring football game left more questions than answers

By Matt Brune Spring football has come and gone, leaving fans and players alike anxious for North Texas’ upcoming 2017 campaign. With five months to kickoff against Lamar University on Saturday, Sept. 2, let’s kill some time by delving into what we learned this spring. Starting with this – last season’s mark of 5-8 was nothing to scoff at. Five wins superseded most expectations in 2016, especially with the Mean Green coming off a 1-11 2015 season that featured one of the worst losses in school history. But very often in sports, teams regress to the mean after overachieving. For North Texas to win six or more games and get back to a bowl, they must get consistent quarterback play and show improvement on both the offensive and defensive lines. In the spring game we saw a lot of things that can help us rate this team in those categories already. To win close games you have to be consistent. When times get tough, the Mean Green will need to repeatedly get stops on defense or convert opportunities on offense. Neither side showed that consistency in the spring game. The defense dominated the early stages of the game and in the second half, the offense dismantled the defense with quarterbacks Quinn Shanbour and Cade Pearson under center. Shanbour ended the day 13of-22 for 253 yards and two touchdowns, while Pearson went

Hannah Gerecke – “My Time” by Fabolous ft. Jeremih A pretty good walk-up song. You’ve got to think it’s your time every time you step in the box. Must explain some of Gerecke’s clutch hitting and 13 RBIs. Stacey Underwood – Elvis Presley songs This is a different one. Underwood only warms up to Elvis Presley, and will roll through about five songs before the game is over. But she always starts with the same one — Jailhouse Rock. “It’s my favorite song,” Underwood said. Head coach Tracey Kee is not a fan. “Yeah, me and Elvis, that was nothing I was ever interested in,” Kee

13-of-18 for 148 yards and a score of his own. That’s right, last year’s starter Mason Fine did not have the best of days. Fine threw the lone interception of the afternoon, and he only threw for 116 yards. Is a quarterback controversy brewing? Potentially. The quarterback play in the spring game left me feeling uncertain and concerned about the position heading into the summer. After stealing the hearts of the UNT faithful last season, Fine came out and was arguably the worst quarterback to get snaps. Perhaps it’s because the defense knows him too well – or maybe he just was off. Regardless, the seed of doubt has been planted. Will the Mean Green have a reliable quarterback come September? The offensive line was also suspect in the spring game. Head coach Seth Littrell and new offensive line coach Chuck Langston have both aired their concerns on this unit after last season’s porous performance. In 2016, the offensive line was one of the worst in the FBS, and ranked 121st in the country in sacks allowed. The defensive line, on the other hand, manhandled the offensive line in the spring game. Even Littrell took notice. “Our D-line overpowered our offensive line,” Littrell said. “Especially on the second unit.” The defensive front seven, in general, had a big spring game, especially junior linebacker Brandon Garner. Garner was flying around the field all game and made nine tackles and two for a loss. The rest of the defense did a good job in the run and pass game, especially after losing Fred Scott and Cortney Finney in the offseason. In short, the defense has the

said. “For two years now I’ve listened to Elvis when she toes the rubber. Whatever works.” Dani Gregory – “POWER” by Kanye West It was only a matter of time before Yeezy made an appearance on this list. This is a Kanye classic, and the intro gets anyone hyped. Grace Blagg – “Wabash Cannonball” by Boxcar Willie This is the song that stands out the most to me. It’s the only bluesy, country rock choice on the list, and I love it. Steel guitars, train whistles and harmonicas. Get up and stomp your feet like it’s the Cotton Eyed Joe, deep in the heart of Texas.

@MattBrune25

Know” by Gyft Last year Elder had a really chill beat to settle her into the circle, but this season it’s a thumping rap beat by Gyft that gets her going. “People see me but they just don’t know,” says the lyrics. Elder is out to prove a point. And with her 4.83 ERA, she is doing just that. Rhylie Makawe – “Down” by Marian Hill Are you down? That’s what the song asks. I don’t know. Are you? Makawe is. Don’t tell anyone, but this is Kee’s favorite.

@Clay_FC

Jessica Elder – “They Just Don’t

Become Part of a Cause GREATER THAN YOURSELF! Apply Now for Fall 2017

depth the offense desperately lacks. If North Texas wants to go to back-to-back bowl games, the offensive line must protect whoever is under center, and the quarterback must take care of the football. One bright spot for the offense in the spring game was the wide receivers. After losing three of their top four wideouts from 2016, senior Turner Smiley and sophomore Rico Bussey Jr. both showed to be capable deep threats. Bussey caught eight passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, while Smiley hauled in four passes for 125 yards and a score. But with a shaky quarterback and offensive line, deep threats most likely won’t be featured in this offense, which can marginalize wide receiver’s production – and hamper their potential. While the spring game – and season for that matter – provides a glimpse of what next year could look like, it hardly guarantees anything. Yes, there was a lot to take from Saturday’s glorified scrimmage, but perhaps in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter that much. After all, Littrell and other coaches admitted several times during spring interviews the game was “watered down.” Nonetheless, the inconsistent play this past Saturday left a lot to be desired from a team that looked poised for a turnaround after appearing in just their second bowl game in the past decade. Coming off of a season where so much went right, North Texas and its fans need to prepare for something to go wrong. Because based off of what we saw Saturday, it just might.

Master in Public Health (MPH) A theory-to-practice applied program and one-on-one faculty interaction with world-class scientists. Work with local/regional public health professionals. Exceptional value!

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

• Bio-Pharm & Drug Development • Medical Diagnostics • Clinical Research & Medicine • Biomedical Research • Forensic Science • Bio-Engineering • Advanced Degrees (MD or PhD)

• Epidemiologist, Scientist, or Biostatistician • Public Health Planner or Public Policy Maker • Local Health Department Administrator • Occupational Health/Safety Professional • Health Educator or Nutritionist • Healthcare Administrator • Global Health, Disaster and Preparedness Professional

www.uthct.edu/biotech biotech@uthct.edu (903) 877-7593

11937 US Hwy 271 | Tyler, TX 75708

www.uthct.edu/publichealth mph@uthct.edu (903) 877-7000

NTDAILY.COM | PAGE 7

Men’s rugby club searching for new conference By Samantha Marrow The UNT men’s rugby team currently has a problem. Unlike official NCAA sports and other intramural teams, men’s rugby lacks something necessary to compete – a conference. After the DI-AA Southwest Conference dissolved, UNT was left with no conference, no guaranteed opponents and a scheduling nightmare. This past summer, three teams dropped out of the conference, leaving only

UNT and Texas State University remaining and scrambling to find competition. But all that might be about to change. On Saturday, club president Nathan Lonngren and assistant coach Andrew Marshall made the trip to Austin to make a bid to become the 10th team in the DI-A Red River Conference. Although they have not heard if they were accepted yet, joining the Red River Conference would eliminate

scheduling headaches and give UNT access to elite competition such as Oklahoma University, Louisiana State University and the University of Texas at Austin. “The struggle of trying to find games makes everything else harder on us,” Lonngren said. “We literally call or email the other coaches from the other clubs, and contact the other schools who we had played to get those chances to play.” The only other team vying

The men’s rugby team practices every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at UNT Rugby Complex. Koji Ushio

for a spot in the Red River Conference is Texas State – the other school left out in the cold when the Southwest Conference disbanded. UNT already applied for this conference once before when the Southwest Conference originally dissolved, but their bid was denied. They refused to give up, however, and are back again, hoping for a second chance at finding a permanent conference to compete in. “Lonngren and I made a presentation to the nine coaches,” Marshall said. “We told them everything that we could bring to the conference and a big thing is a strong competitive team that has proven itself on the national level.” UNT is hoping a selling point for the conference will be its head coach, Michael Engelbrecht, who has experience coaching national championship teams. Along with serving as UNT’s coach for the past three years, Engelbrecht is currently on the USA rugby nationals coaching staff, where he coaches the under 20s team working with high school All-Americans. With the national team, the USA has won the college sevens national championship three years in a row, and for the first time in 15 years, went to the USA rugby college 15s national tournament.

“A lot of what we do at the collegiate level is developing young men,” Engelbrecht said. “I’m hoping the decision makers know my track record, my history and what I’m about in terms of culture.” The men’s rugby team practices every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at UNT Rugby Complex. Koji Ushio Along with Engelbrecht, UNT is also betting on its own success in hopes of making it into the Red River conference. This season, the Mean Green are 7-3 in regular 15s and have defeated several teams in the Red River Conference by double digits, knocking off Baylor 75-3 and Houston 65-27. Despite their success, Engelbrecht described their season as disjointed. “We have been doing both 15s and sevens which are very different games with different decisions, tactics and strategies,” Engelbrecht said. “I have to give the players credit because they have been coming out here, working hard and learning more about the game.” The two different games are not only separated by the number of men on the field but also the length of the game. In sevens, teams play seven-minute halves instead of the usual 15 players playing 40-minute halves. Even the number of substitutes

allowed varies with five for sevens and seven with 15s. And although their minds have not been focused on one particular variation of the sport, UNT attended two regional qualifiers this season for sevens and attended the USA rugby college 15s national championship April 8. All without a conference. “It was hard for us to get into 15s playoffs,” Lonngren said. “But we got in at-large [bid], which is when we send in our resume and then people on a committee will pick the team for the bid. Thankfully we were picked.” UNT has not heard back from the Red River Conference yet but is hoping for a decision to be made within the week. Recently at nationals, UNT lost to Florida State University 30-28 in the quarterfinals and Brown 41-38 in consolation. Even though they didn’t take home the hardware, members of the team are happy they proved they could compete on the national stage. Now they just hope they proved to the committee why they belong in the Red River Conference. “I think they could benefit from us being there,” Marshall said. “Hopefully they see that, too.”

@sam_morrow14

Volunteer coach Raj Lama lending a hand, sharing experiences with Mean Green tennis By Cesar Valdes Standing in the middle of the courts at the Waranch Tennis Complex, a seemingly frail, elderly man unloads a barrage of volleys to members of the North Texas tennis team, testing their reactionary abilities. Each player eagerly awaits

UPCOMING GAMES Thursday • Tennis vs. SMU – 5 p.m. Friday •Softball @ UAB – 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday •Tennis @ UT-Arlington – 11 a.m. • Softball @ UAB – 1 p.m. Sunday •Track @ Bryan Clay Invitational

MEAN GREEN QUICK HITS Basketball Junior forward Jeremy Combs announced last week he was transferring out of North Texas. Combs will be eligible to play at his new school immediately since he is a graduate transfer.

Softball Senior infielder Kelli Schkade is ranked in the top 20 in Conference USA in on-base percentage with a .444 mark. Schkade is also leading the Mean Green in batting average with a .365 clip.

their opportunity to practice with Raj Lama. As he rains down a cascade of tennis balls to sophomore Tamuna Kutubidze, Lama vehemently serenades the sophomore with words of encouragement for every volley she recoils. The more Lama speaks, the harder it becomes for Kutubidze to contain her smile, and very soon she releases a grin. The eldest brother of head coach Sujay Lama, Raj works for the team as a volunteer coach. But his impact on the team is much greater than his title would indicate. When a player wants to gain additional coaching time, they set up private sessions with Raj. “Last year my [eight-match win streak] was because of [Raj],” Kutubidze said. “As a freshman, I just wanted to do really well. I didn’t know how everything worked. So, I was just texting him all the time like, ‘Hey coach Raj, can we do extra?’” Occasionally, Raj takes to playing volley matches with some players during practice. In these sessions, the 60-yearold is unable to chase down the incoming balls laterally. His motion is limited by a herniated disc he acquired through years of chronic back issues. Still, Raj is able to easily return shots within his range. He no longer seems fragile but appears to be rather nimble. His f luid footwork and adroit swing of the racquet serve as evidence of a man once capable of competing with some of the best tennis players in the world. As an adolescent growing up in Nepal, Raj had trouble finding

motivation to excel in tennis. During that time in Nepal tennis was nearly nonexistent. The turning point in Raj’s tennis career occurred when he overheard a conversation between his mother and father. “My dad was talking about me, how bad I was ... and he was comparing me to my little sister who was already traveling all over Asia with the national table tennis team,” Lama said. “He was comparing me, how his little daughter was so much better. Then I said, ‘That’s it, I’m going to prove him wrong.’” From then, Raj, just like his younger brother Sujay, went on to have an impressive playing career. Raj became the Nepal National Champion from 1975 to 1980. His professional career was capitalized by winning the Dubai Open in 1980. After that, Raj moved to Germany where he played in a German league for a season before falling ill with a lung infection followed by hepatitis. “When I went to see the lung specialist he gave me this medicine and it just affected my liver,” Lama said. “After 23 weeks [in the hospital] I didn’t know how my body looked. So when I saw myself, I looked like a zombie. I didn’t want to believe that I was going to die.” Raj survived his nearly illfated ending and continued to pursue a professional playing career in tennis. Quickly, however, he realized those ambitions would be limited by the financial resources available for tennis players during that time, and he went on to pursue the next best thing – coaching. Coming as no surprise,

Men’s basketball forward Jeremy Combs transferring out of North Texas By Reece Waddell Junior forward Jeremy Combs announced Friday evening that he will transfer out of North Texas. Combs was a preseason all-Conference USA selection in 2016, but was plagued by a nagging ankle injury that eventually forced him to miss the latter half of the season. Combs tweeted this response to Mean Green fans and his teammates shortly after announcing his decision. Combs will have one year of eligibility remaining and will be able to play immediately at his new school because he is a graduate transfer.

Combs’ move from Denton comes weeks after the hire of new men’s basketball head coach Grant McCasland, who took over for Tony Benford after North Texas went just 8-22 last season and failed to qualify for the C-USA tournament. McCasland was originally confident Combs would remain with the Mean Green when asked about it on March 21, at his welcome ceremony in the student union. “At this point we’re planning on all of them staying,” McCasland said. “I think we’re on the right track. It’s going to take time for there to be a trust built. They didn’t come here

to play for me. That’s just the truth.” In three seasons with the Mean Green, Combs appeared in 76 games and scored 914 career points. He was a C-USA all-freshman selection in 2014 and led North Texas in scoring during his sophomore campaign. “I would like to thank coach McCasland and the new staff for their understanding and support,” Combs said in a press release. “The University of North Texas and Denton will always be special to me.”

@ReeceWaddell15

success followed Raj into his new role on the tennis court. From coaching renowned WTA tour players to coaching in Germany for over two decades, Raj finally settled down in the United States where he spent a majority of his time as the director of tennis at the Gainesville Country Club in Florida prior to arriving in Denton. When it was time for Raj to move to his next stage in life, an opportunity opened up for him to help out his brother at North Texas. The decision for Sujay to bring Raj onto his coaching staff last year wasn’t solely based on their blood relation – Sujay wanted to make sure he was doing what was best for the team and also his older brother. “I just didn’t want to rush into it when he moved here several years ago,” Sujay said. “I just wanted to make sure that it was the right thing. I didn’t want to do it just because he was my brother. I wanted to be 100 percent sure.” And just like Sujay and associate head coach Jeff Hammond, Raj is passionate about his new endeavor. On the courts he’s a maestro of tennis, sharing his knowledge of the game for everyone willing to listen. But he also brings a sense of comfort and refreshment for some of the players on the team. In fact, it was the players who asked that Raj be an official

UNT Sophmore, Laura Arciniegas, during an intense match with New Mexico State. Amber Nasser part of the team going into this season. “He’s really nice and really funny,” sophomore Maria Kononova said. “He’s basically responsible for improvements I’ve made last year and this year.” For Raj, his mission at North Texas is a self less one that is harnessed by his desire to deliver aspiring athletes the opportunities he was never afforded growing up. And he is ready to give his

players the chance he never had. “I did not have me when I was younger,” Raj said. “If I had me, I’d be great. We have a lot of inf luence on our students’ lives. I want to feel responsible on my part. If I wanted to work for money, I’d be a pro guy.”

@The_CesarValdes

OPINION Page 8

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

“UNITED”

NTDAILY.COM

Lessons from the week: How not to do public relations By the Editorial Board

Political cartoon by Antonio Mercado

Limiting freedom of speech on college campuses By Bethany Wallace The First Amendment of the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Our forefathers gave us the freedom of speech and the right to expiration. Universities have “free speech zones” so students can express their political opinions without the risk of punishment or government involvement. Taking away a student’s free speech zone will only cause students to rebel. According to GOPUSA, student Kevin Shaw is suing his community college in California for violating his First Amendment rights. Shaw “was barred from passing out copies of the U.S. Constitution because he wasn’t in the free speech zone,” which is only about “the size of three parking spaces.” Also, calls to the school district about the situation “were not

immediately returned.” According to the Foundation of Individual Rights in Education, “10 percent of the 450 colleges monitored have similar free speech zones.” In 1960, this became a way to control campus protests. Campuses wanted to give students the ability to practice protest rights as long as it was on school grounds. This year, student protesting has increased since the election of President Donald Trump. Before, it was harmless, but as Trump climbed the political ladder, protesting went to the extreme. In some cases, it became very violent among our fellow Americans. Other schools want to influence students to express their opinions in any part of the campus without the risk of academic punishment. According to The Denver Post, Colorado campuses will eliminate restrictions on free speech zones soon. On March 20, “the Colorado House of Representatives voted to ban so-called ‘free speech zones’” as they have been “used to confine public demonstrations to designated areas.”

According to The Red & Black, the University of Georgia at Athens wants to expand their free speech zones. Kenton Law is a freshman at Lilburn University, and he believes “free speech is more than a political theory,” and “it’s personal.” The law’s main goal was the removal of a campus priest after he constantly labeled students “’sinners’ and ‘whores.’” Since we have the freedom of speech, should we try to use it wisely? I understand some schools’ concerns with allowing students to speak their minds in public. Sometimes, it may take a turn for the worst. But this is what we all need to watch out for. Being able to speak up is a privilege, but taking advantage of it is what gets people in trouble. I cannot speak for the people who may try to provoke you to act out, and you are the only one responsible for your actions. I do recommend speaking with your voice, not with violence.

Pepsi’s controversial ad has seemingly begun a cringe-worthy time for companies in terms of public relations, as two other fiascoes happened with worse ramifications. While Pepsi’s ad stereotyped African-Americans and Asians, Monday saw United Airlines brushing aside a violent passenger situation on one of their f lights. Not to mention that on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer further set the PR world ablaze by calling the actions of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria worse than Hitler’s. While PR snafus have been abundant since the latest

@wallace_bethany

SMMC & Wees Fargo Present: Illustration by Samuel Wiggins

The April 2017 Prize Pack Schedule a coaching session to win 1 of (8) $100 VISA Giftcards. We are located in CHESTNUT 313!

Attend an event for a chance to win an iPad Mini, Amazon Echo Dot, or Beats Solo 2 Headphones! Questions? Come visit us, Chestnut 313/ESSC 110! Phone: (940)369-7761 Email: moneymanagement@unt.edu

presidential election, all of these incidents point to an American culture valuing corporate gain over the needs of the people. United’s controversy began on Sunday when physician David Dao was beaten and taken from his plane seat by authorities at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. “Oh my God!” screamed a woman in protest after Dao’s bloodied body was dragged out of the plane. “If they had just tried some diplomacy, none of this had to take place,” passenger John Klassen said to CNN about the matter. The next day, multiple videos of the incident went viral while a response from United CEO Oscar Munoz called the passenger “disruptive and

belligerent” and argued that his “employees followed established procedures.” He ended up issuing another apology, where he declared that United was reaching out to the Dao family to “resolve this situation.” He also said, “No one should ever be mistreated this way.” The issue isn’t that Dao was kicked off the f light. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines can remove passengers at their own discretion if f lights are overbooked. But the way Munoz and United handled it was

SSa’s Seeet

Condoms To Go Romance Boutiques A Seeet YY Can ShSe

or to day f Come in

Of % 0 2 regular

1 item priced 0/16 12/3 expires

Spaces filling fast for Fall 2017!

3112 W. University DR Denton TX 76207 940-382-5888

completely unprofessional. From the physical assault on Dao to Munoz’s initial statement, which justifies his employees’ actions as fully legal, United refused to take full responsibility until the backlash swelled. Now their stock has fallen by 1.1 percent, losing the company $255 million, according to MarketWatch. The Independent also reported that United’s 4 percent share decline resulted in a total market value loss of $1 billion. More foot-in-mouth moments came from Sean Spicer downplaying Hitler to vilify Assad – or as Spicer called him, “Ashad.” He told reporters that people “didn’t use chemical weapons in World War II,” including Hitler. This is only true if we neglect the multiple ways that six million Jews were slain in the Holocaust. There was even a time when 6,000 Jews were gassed at Auschwitz each day, according to the U.S. Holocaust Museum. When a reporter asked him to clarify, Spicer said, “I think when you come to sarin gas, [Hitler] was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing.” This is also false because Nazis murdered about 700,000 Jews with gas vans. Although Spicer apologized for his statements, they’re still alarming since they happened one day after Passover started.X It’s easy to see why Spicer said what he did. In another stroke of incompetence from Trump’s administration, Spicer wanted to inspire jingoism in the American press by invoking one of history’s most heinous dictators. But the extent of his misinformation was still unsound, and perhaps the most embarrassing PR blunder in recent White House history. Let this week be a lesson to all corporations and businesses. Due to modern tactics against the spread of fake news, the public is tired of insincerity and bad press. Belittling social causes through Kardashians, belittling Hitler’s villainy or belittling beverage consumers are all offensive ways to grow with the times. This entire week is a 101 in doing public relations wrong. Hopefully, corporations will do better.

www.SarasSecret.com www.CondomsToGoUSA.com

@ntdaily

Apply online today at

AMERICANCAMPUS.COM WALK TO CLASS OR BIKE TO CLASS PRIVATE BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS AVAILABLE FULLY FURNISHED APARTMENTS AMENITIES FOR A FIT & HEALTHY LIFESTYLE INDIVIVDUAL LIABILITY LEASES ROOMMATE MATCHING AVAILABLE

See office for details.