The Mercury 1/26

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January 26, 2015

BUTCHER MOTEL New CentralTrak exhibit explores Native culture

CLIMATE CONUNDRUM Are commonly held beliefs on global warming true?

PG 6

THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

WHAT'S BELOW?

PG 5 SG PROPOSES INCREASE IN DRINK LIMIT AT PUB

PLUS + Islamophobia hits event in Garland // OPINION, PG 3 Chris Hemsworth flick bores to death // PG 7 Men's basketball masters the three pointer PG 9

ATEC SPLIT FROM A&H PLANNED FOR FALL '15

Employee murdered in home Cause of death currently unreleased; state and local officials investigate further ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Managing Editor

EMILY GRAMS | MERCURY STAFF

UTD President David Daniel proposes new School of Arts, Technology and Emerging Communication ANWESHA BHATTACHARJEE Web Editor

The Arts and Technology and Emerging Media and Communication programs might soon spin out from Arts and Humanities into a separate school as early as Sept. 1, UTD President David Daniel said on Jan. 20 at the Student Government meeting.

The split awaits approval from the UT System Board of Regents who will review the proposal in February.

“From the university’s standpoint, we feel that this is the best administrative structure to really give the (ATEC and EMAC) programs full empowerment to continue to grow, to attract more faculty, to attract more students and even to attract more private fundraising,” Daniel

said.

Other universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Southern Methodist University have similar standalone labs or programs.

However, if the Board of Regents approves the proposal, the school of Arts, Technology and Emerging Communication, or ATEC as it will be called, will be one of a kind in the country.

“We actually hope that no one else has a standalone school because we’d like to be able to tell people we are the only school in the country, although others have similar programs,” Daniel said.

The BA, MA, MFA and Ph.D.

→ SEE SPLIT, PAGE 14

Anna Moses, the assistant director of strategic planning and analysis, was found dead on Jan. 14 in her home in Frisco. Police have ruled the death a homicide.

Moses was 43 years old.

Police arrived at Moses’ house around 10:50 a.m. in response to a welfare check because she had not gone to work, said Frisco Public MOSES Information Officer Chad LaPrelle.

It appears to be an isolated incident.

“The news of Anna’s passing is a shock to the University community,” said Associate Vice President for Communications John Walls in a statement. “Anna has worked at UT Dallas since 2005. She was well liked and respected by her colleagues and she will be sorely missed.”

Police have not released details about how she died. They determined that her car, a blue 2009 Hyundai Sonata, was taken from her home and then abandoned a few blocks away.

The Texas Ranger Division are also helping with the investigation. The Rangers have extra resources that can help the police, LaPrelle said.

Police request that anyone with information regarding this case call their nonemergency number at 972292-6010.

SG requests higher Pub alcohol limit Policy includes modified four-drink maximum, allows for BYOB tailgates by student organizations NIDHI GOTGI Mercury Staff

Student Government is working on a new alcohol policy that could modify the drink limit from two to four beverages in The Pub and grant student organizations the ability to host their own Bring Your Own Beer tailgates.

Currently, The Pub allows a person to purchase up to two alcoholic beverages a day. If SG’s proposal passes, it would allow a person to purchase up to two alcoholic drinks from 5-8 p.m., and then one drink each consecutive hour starting at 8 p.m., with a maximum of four drinks per day. It is implied in the proposal that the hourly limitation only applies if students have had two beverages from 5-8 p.m, said Nancy Fairbank, SG Vice President.

SG conducted a Facebook survey in June that brought to light student preference for less strict alcohol restrictions on campus. SG asked what food changes they’d like to see, the largest response was a request for change in the alcohol limit in The Pub. Four to five students comment-

ed immediately in favor of such a change and numerous others showed their support by liking their comments.

The Pub instituted a happy hour on Jan 15 that features half off chips and salsa and $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. Assistant director of Food and Retail Services Carrie Chutes also brought in alumni draft brews at The Pub. “I think that’s a really amazing idea because we do have some alumni from UTD that specialize in microbrewing beer,” Fairbank said. “Beers that are alumnimade would be a very interesting way to add tradition and spirit to The Pub.” The Pub has two new beers, Day Break and Pretzel Stout, courtesy of Martin House Brewing Company, where alumnus David Wedemeier is a cofounder and director of business development.

“Our objective in reviving happy hour is simply to bring the entire UT Dallas community together to create more traditions on campus,” Chutes said.

SG used UT Austin as an example in

→ SEE ALCOHOL, PAGE 14

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CONNIE CHENG | PHOTO EDITOR

The Pub currently only allows customers to purchase up to two alcoholic beverages a day. If SG's proposal passes, that limit would be increased to four drinks. Student organizations would also be able to apply for forms to host BYOB events.

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THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

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Senior Staff Nidhi Gotgi Emily Grams Priyanka Hardikar Linda Nguyen Arun Prasath Tim Shirley Parthasarathy S.K. Yang Xi Contributors Clara Armentrout Jennifer Chi Michael Gordon Samya Isa Priyanka Kanani Ali Mahmoud Lina Moon Saara Raja Ranjit Sreenivas Praveen Subramanian Justin Thompson Rebecca Tull Shyam Vedantam Christine Vu Marcelo Yates Media Adviser Chad Thomas

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Jan. 13 t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE UIBU IJT CJDZDMF was taken from the bike rack outside of the Science Learning Center between Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. and Jan. 13 at 11 a.m.

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Jan. 16 t " TUVEFOU XBT JTTVFE B DJUBUJPO GPS possession of drug paraphernalia, and another student was issued a citation for possession of alcohol by a minor at Residence Hall West around 10:30 p.m.

Jan. 20 t 5XP TUVEFOUT XFSF BSSFTUFE GPS QPTsession of marijuana less than 2 oz., possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of alcohol by a minor and consumption of alcohol by a minor at Phase 4 around 2 p.m.

Jan. 21 t "O FNQMPZFF SFQPSUFE BO BTTBVMU that occurred in the McDermott Library at 8:41 a.m.

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LEGEND VEHICULAR INCIDENT THEFT DRUGS & ALCOHOL OTHER MAP: UTD COMMUNICATIONS | COURTESY

Corrections: In the Jan. 12 edition of The Mercury, in the article titled “Admiral appointed UT System chancellor,” Bill McRaven wasn’t appointed chancellor on Jan. 5; he began his appointment on that date.

In the article titled “Library hours expanded,” Brooke Knudtson and Darrelene Rachavong’s names were misspelled. Andrew Blanchard was referred to as the Undergraduate Dean of Students. He is the Dean of Undergraduate Education.

In the article titled “Senior captains lead the way,” Madi Hess’ name was misspelled.

The Mercury regrets these errors.

JUST THE FACTS J

OPINION

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JAN. 26, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

Intolerance against Islam not acceptable

Picketers denigrating religious beliefs at Muslim community event in Garland shed light on larger issue of Islamophobia ALI MAHMOUD COMMENTARY

Protestors from across the country picketed “Stand with the Prophet Against Terror and Hate,” an event held in Garland on Jan. 17 where people denounced terrorism and hate within the Muslim community. The protestors had several qualms with the event, but it all really boiled down to one thing: They didn’t want Muslims conducting public speaking events anywhere near them.

Ironically, the protest was called the Free Speech Rally, and some of the most widely known Islamophobes were invited to speak.

Dozens of people congregated around the speakers as they put down their signs with slogans including “Go Home and Take Obama With You” and “It’s Not A Phobia. Islam Kills” painted on them. Despite claiming to promote freedom of speech, the speakers said Muslims shouldn’t be able to rent out public property to host public speaking events. The crowd of listeners intermittently shouted hurtful statements about the Prophet Muhammad and the validity of Muslims’ identities as Americans by telling attendees to go home.

My friends and I from Alpha Lambda Mu, the only Muslim fraternity in the country, initially had plans to undermine the protests with jokes. We intended on practicing our own freedom of speech by holding signs up that read, “Go Home But Leave Your Kabobs” and “Go Home To Plano, Texas.”

But after listening to the hateful speeches and disrespectful comments from the audience, our mood was killed. I was hurt, angry and a little scared. Despite my feelings, the protestors had every right to feel and speak the way they did.

As the day progressed, it was evident we were dealing with people who didn’t want Muslims in the country. I had heard of these people before. I had seen them in the com-

ments section of anti-Islam YouTube videos.

But this was one of my first encounters with them in real life, and I couldn’t believe real people actually had such hurtful views toward me just because of who I was. These attitudes toward Muslims didn’t evolve in a vacuum. Rather, since the beginning of the millennium, Muslims all around the world and perceived Islamic beliefs have been the subject of critique and mockery.

Now, that’s not to say there hasn’t been crazy things done in the name of Islam. I don’t think anyone could doubt that. And no one is defending those horrendous, insane actions, whether it’s a public beheading of journalists, the killing of thousands of Nigerians, kidnapping schoolgirls or executing cartoonists for offensive caricatures. But why can’t the world take a critical look past the run-of-the-mill accusations against Islam and Muslims?

There is a widespread belief that the Muslim world is a single set of people with the same set of values, but even the term “Muslim world” is fallacious. Muslim-majority countries don’t just include Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. They include Turkey. They include Indonesia. At one point in history, they even consisted of Spain. It’s impossible to bunch all of that culture, tradition and history into one group when making statements about the Muslim world.

On a similar note, it’s a mistake to believe that crimes are committed solely because of a person’s religious beliefs. People’s beliefs are a concoction of their experiences and understandings, from socioeconomic status to political views to cultural practices to family tradition. Even if someone observed different Muslims in prayer, he or she would notice that one of the most exclusively religious acts is influenced by one’s interpretation of Islam, family practices and ethnic background.

Besides, it’s proven that the terrorists aren’t always the most adherent, knowledgeable Muslims out there. Two British terrorists purchased “Islam for Dummies” and “The Koran for Dummies” off of Amazon before going to fight in Syria, according to The

OMAIR SIDDIQI | COURTESY

A protestor stands outside the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland where “Stand with the Prophet Against Terror and Hate,” a conference held by Sound Vision, a Chicago-based Islamic group, was held. Several threats were made against the conference.

Economist. It doesn’t take much more evidence than that to call into question the real role of Islam in today’s jihadist movement.

The simple answer as to why some Americans, might think the way they do is the failure to critically analyze the media they consume. Though not all sign-wielding protestors that believe that the world would be a better place without Islam and Muslims, perhaps we subconsciously harbor negative understandings of people we don’t understand simply because of what we always hear. Maybe we feel a little uneasy when we see a girl on campus wearing a hijab because we assume she’s not wearing it out of choice.

Maybe we have certain assumptions about what the Ahmed or Mohammed in our Calculus class believes with regards to women’s rights or domestic violence because we assume Muslim men oppress women. Maybe we think that Muslims don’t believe in

American values, such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. But maybe, it’s time for us to take a deeper look into this issue.

I’d like to look deeper into the current headlining issue of free speech as an example.

In the wake of the shootings in Paris, some people have declared that Islam is in opposition to what is believed to be the Western value of unrestricted free speech. But what is free speech in the countries we consider free societies? Even in the West, there are things that cannot be said. In France, the French comedian Diedonnè was arrested for antiSemitic hate speech. Though racial denigration is not formally illegal, in American someone will likely lose their job if he or she throws a racial slur at a coworker.

If that’s the case, how is it still acceptable to denigrate and mock religious beliefs? To clarify, I do not oppose a respectful argument for or against certain religious beliefs.

But why overlook our fellow human beings sensitivities? People in the United States’ history died for the right to speak openly about politics and religion. The right to free speech is an American value. To mock and denigrate others’ beliefs and sensitivities are not American values.

There’s still a lot of progress to be made.

The Muslims I know simply ask for fairness and respect, just as any other human being would. We want to live safely and prosper in a country that we’ve called home for our entire lives. We believe it is people’s rights to be jerks and mock beliefs that we hold so dearly, but we hope and believe that the people of this country will be better than that and make disrespecting someone’s sensitivities as socially unacceptable as it is to be openly racist. But until then, we can only use our freedom of speech to fight for our right to live peacefully in this country.

Silk Road trial holds ramifications for future of Internet ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS COMMENTARY

Whether people realize it or not, the Internet may change forever because of one court case taking place right now.

Ross Ulbricht, a 2006 graduate from UTD, is currently on trial for his connection to Silk Road, an online marketplace where users could buy and sell a myriad of illegal products from narcotics to fake IDs. Prosecutors allege that Ulbricht, who they say founded and ran the site, obtained $18 million in bitcoins, an online currency that allows for anonymous transactions, under the username Dread Pirate Roberts.

Ulbricht is charged with operating a continuing criminal enterprise, money laun-

dering, computer hacking and narcotics trafficking and could face life in prison if he is found guilty on all counts.

What makes this case unique is the fact that it is one of the first of its kind to deal with the murky issue of privacy and liberty on the Internet. Part of the reason people used Silk Road was because it was a place to go that wasn’t regulated by governments.

Silk Road worked in theory because users have always been put at fault if they were operating in illegal activities rather than the websites bearing the consequences. This is because the Communications Decency Act, a law passed in 1996 that aimed to regulate indecent material shared on the Web, stated if a website was unaware of what users were selling, then it could not be held responsible for what its users were doing.

This law has allowed for major websites driven by user content such as Facebook and Amazon to thrive. If someone posts

COMET COMMENTS

something obscene or illegal, the law goes after the user, not the website.

In this case, the government is bypassing this precedent directly and going after the entire website rather than focusing on those who were directly buying and selling illegal products.

What’s scary about this trial is the implications it could have if Ulbricht is found guilty. If the government wins its case, it could set a new precedent in how cybercrime is handled. Instead of punishing the individual users, this case could be just what the government needs to restrict the freedom websites grant to their visitors.

This case speaks to a larger issue at hand.

The Internet is a domain that transcends national borders. For one government to crack down on what one underground website is doing brings into question the perceived freedom that the Web is supposed to bring.

Whether or not Ulbricht was as involved

with the website as prosecutors say he was or if he is guilty of the charges brought against him are only part of the case. This is not to say what was happening on Silk Road should be condoned, but rather to question what role we want any government to have in how we interact in the digital world.

Since the inception of the Internet, there has always been a movement to make it a realm that is free of government interference. It has become the modern marketplace, not only for goods, but for ideas, projects and communication. It could be argued that the Internet is akin to the light bulb in the role it’s played in illuminating our world in this technologically savvy era.

If the government wins this case on the grounds it has built it on, it may change how we interact on the Web forever. If the government can stop one website from running based on what its users were posting, what’s to stop it from doing the same to

any other website driven by user generated content?

Imagine a world where Facebook is restricted because of an inflammatory comment made by one user that the government blames on the platform of the website itself. The same could be said of Twitter, reddit and a myriad of other sites that could be affected if this case is decided in the government’s favor.

I am not saying that Ulbricht is innocent or shouldn’t be punished if found guilty of the charges brought against him or that there shouldn’t be some form of regulation on what happens on the Internet.

What is questionable here is the fact that the government is trying to clamp down on a market that was made specifically to circumvent government interference. Very little in the real world is free from the grasp of Big Brother; that may soon become true in the digital world as well.

“President Barack Obama recently announced plans to subsidize tuition for community college students. Do you think the federal government is doing enough to help students?”

Tell us what you think about the government’s role in helping students and answer our poll at www.utdmercury.com.

“Personally, I don’t. The only politician that I’ve really seen address the issue is Elizabeth Warren talking about methods to try and allow college students to pay back their loans and have smaller interest rates on their loans while putting more regulations on the banks that are imposing sort of exorbitant rates on student loans...”

“I think it’s a good start on doing it beforehand.

I don’t know how well it was going, but I think that it’s a good start on helping college students get somewhere and get a good start on their education.”

James Bartlett Computer science sophomore

Christine Leazar Arts & Technology graduate student

RESULTS FROM LAST ISSUE What Student Government initiatives matter to you?

45%

22% 36%

20% 6%

3% 1%

1% 2%

Better Wi-Fi connectivity

Student discounts on Toll Tags

Campus mobile app

New flyer kiosks

Better Homecoming taligates

The online poll was open from Jan. 12 to Jan. 26 and had 44 participants.

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THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

International Center merges existing offices International student services including ISSO, Intercultural Programs, Education Abroad combine to alleviate increasing needs of foreign students NIDHI GOTGI Mercury Staff

The centralization of international student services under one office will be formally inaugurated in February.

UTD’s international students comprise 24 percent of the student body, and there is an increasing interest in education abroad by domestic students according to Cristen Casey, assistant vice president of international programs. The new International Center hopes to better accommodate the burgeoning needs of these students.

It has been a part of the university’s 10-year plan beginning five years ago to centralize the international student services, said Lisabeth Lassiter, director of intercultural programs and study abroad.

The IC oversees the operations of all the international program’s departments on campus, Casey said.

Merged in April 2014, the departments that operate under the IC are the International Student Services Office, or ISSO, Intercultural Programs, Education Abroad, International Risk and Safety and International Partnership Development.

Before the creation of the IC, ISSO was responsible for international student programs, which is now handled

by Intercultural Programs. The Office of International Education’s affairs have been divided into the offices of Education Abroad, International Risk and Safety, and International Partnership Development.

Prior to the merger, the ISSO and the Office of International Education were the only entities on campus that tended to the needs of the international student community.

The ISSO is the immigration advising and benefit processing office for students

with F and J visas. It helps international students assemble travel documents and look for jobs after graduation.

“What we really want to do is build awareness of the IC and what services we provide to students and what’s available to them than do any kind of rebranding,” Casey said.

To spread awareness about its services, the IC launched a new website for each of the five offices at the end of December 2014. The IC also collaborated with InterCom, a communication system for the faculty and staff, presented at the Texas International Education Consortium and other conferences and used email to spread the news of its formation.

One thing the IC is trying to stress moving forward is technology and its role in creating a hassle-free interface for students to get pertinent information about international studies, Casey said.

As a part of this goal, the IC developed an app that allows students to search study abroad opportunities and explore options that will allow transfer credit.

“The app was initially geared toward helping prospective and new students with the process of obtaining immigration documents they need to begin their studies at UT Dallas,” said Director of Immigration Services Josephine Vitta.

“We also will be working to move towards web conferencing for some of our immigration workshops to better serve students outside the DFW area.”

International student employees at the IC helped develop the app while working with Information Resources and Information Security to ensure that everything was done correctly.

Expansion efforts include some new education abroad programs such as exchange plans with the University

of Wollongong, Vienna University of Economics and Business and Dublin City University. In addition, Education Abroad is hosting weekly information sessions and walk-in advising hours for students.

Although the IC is currently in full operation, it will formally host an open house on Feb. 27 to announce its founding. Students in attendance can meet the staff, tour the offices and learn about the department’s goals and strategies in achieving those objectives. They will also be shown videos of administrators discussing international education at UTD. The IC will host celebratory events during International Week in late March or early April. Students can expect an education abroad fair in November during International Education Week.

The iFriend program, in which an American student is paired with an international student to acquaint the latter to American customs and traditions while learning about a different culture, will continue to grow under the IC and promote cultural awareness on campus.

“The benefit of Intercultural Programs is helping domestic students realize that if they want to learn another culture, yes it’s a great idea to study abroad, but we can also connect them to somebody from a different culture right away,” Lassiter said.

Although the IC’s long-term goals are still being established, the newly unified offices hope to expand the popularity of education abroad and take advantage of the diverse population on campus to increase cultural appreciation.

“I think it’s important for the campus community and the surrounding community to know how we’re expanding our services and doing more to support students,” Lassiter said.

SG REPORT CHRISTINE VU Mercury Staff

A proposal for a new school, changes to housing policies, expanded dining options and better care for students’ mental well-being were among the topics discussed at Student Government’s first meeting of the spring semester.

UTD President David Daniel spoke about a proposal for a new Arts and Technology and Emerging Media and Communication school. The new school, tentatively called the School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, would take 1,300 students from the School of Arts and Humanities and provide better programs for these majors.

The student affairs committee chair, Katie Truesdale, discussed a new mental health initiative. UTD is working with the National Alliance for Mental Illness to better provide students with

help and access to mental well-being.

Students can expect a larger network of professionals to help with stress and other issues.

A new housing policy will put student resident dollars to better use by reallocating deposit money directly toward rent. Students currently pay a $50 non refundable fee with a $150 refundable deposit to live on campus.

New campus residents will have to pay a $75 non refundable fee, but instead of a deposit, a prepayment of $400 that will go toward first month’s rent.

“The new policy changes were made so that the students aren’t having to pay the $150 that just goes to the school until you stop living on campus,” said Residential Student Affairs Committee Chair Akshita Padigela. “This way, the residents can pay that money when they sign up for housing-usually March or Apriland have a cushion in August or so

when they are also paying for tuition, books, etc.”

Padigela also announced that the old dining hall next to the Student Union will undergo changes to become a food court-style service. Dining changes include longer hours and a full service Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and a Tomatoes. The current Chick-fil-A will be transformed into a Ben & Jerry’s.

Senators Club reward cards will now be implemented to bring more students to SG meetings. A student’s card can be stamped each meeting when minutes are collected to win T-shirts and other prizes. The Senate Club rewards card only requires students to swipe their Comet Card and record their attendance to validate participation.

The next SG meeting will be held on Feb. 3 at 5:15 p.m. in the Galaxy Rooms in the Student Union.

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Scholarships now harder to acquire SAMYA ISA

Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses also play an important role said Executive Vice President and Provost The Academic Excellence Scholarship, Hobson Wildenthal, who helped create the established at UTD in 1992, has become AES program. The scholarship’s webpage states that the quality of each incoming class increasingly difficult to earn.

Over the years, the university has as measured by SAT and ACT scores has undergone significant expansion and increased significantly, and thus, the scholthe number of students accepted into arships have become more competitive.

Wildenthal confirmed that the SAT the university — plus the scores needed for a scholarship — have increased. and ACT scores of incoming students are “The growing number of applications increasing, and the percentage of admitted freshmen receiving AES we receive has resulted scholarships was decreasin increased coming. From fall 2010 to The growpetition,” said Wray fall 2014, the number of Weldon, assistant ing number of freshmen who received an provost for the Office applications AES offer went down by of Admission and 16 percent.

Enrollment Services. we receive Currently, the average In just 10 years, has resulted test scores for an AES enrollment has of $3,000 per semester in increased increased from about is a 30 on the ACT and 14,000 students to competition. a 1315 on the SAT’s more than 23,000 students.

— Wray Weldon, critical reading and math The admissions Office of Admission & sections combined. The average test scores for process has become Enrollment the highest scholarships, more personal, which cover all tuition Weldon said, and variand provide a $3,000 stious factors, including scholarships, have attributed to the pend per semester, is a 34 on the ACT and school’s expansion. Students attest to a 1510 on the SAT’s critical reading and the fact that scholarships, especially math sections combined.

One of the main purposes of the proAES, are one of the biggest factors that gram, Wildenthal said, was to increase drew them to the university.

Maryam Riaz, a recipient of the enrollment of academically able students. In scholarship last year, said that increas- the fall of 1992, UTD had 95 freshmen. By ing numbers of prospective students the fall of 1993, there were 452 freshmen.

“The difference was the beginnings of fear not getting a scholarship because they’ve heard that it’s become progres- the AES program,” Wildenthal said.

One of the program’s goals is to ensure sively difficult and the requirements a good enrollment and then create a have become more stringent.

“As UTD is becoming a bigger insti- domino effect that convinces the comtution and aiming toward becoming a munity that the university is reputable Tier One school, the scholarships have and encourages other students to attend become harder to attain, making (UTD) as well, whether they have a scholarship or not, Wildenthal said. a more competitive school,” Riaz said.

AES also helps create a strong alumni The scholarships are rewarded based primarily on GPA, SAT and ACT group and is a way of investing for the scores, and things such as International future, he said.

Mercury Staff

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THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

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JAN. 26, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

LIFE&ARTS

Native art showcased at CentralTrak exhibition

Art collective Postcommodity merges indigenous commentary, culture with new aesthetic

Husband and wife duo travel world, master art of piano PRIYANKA HARDIKAR Mercury Staff

MARCELO YATES | MERCURY STAFF

Art showgoers observe the video installation created by Postcommodity, an internationally acclaimed Native American art collective who brought their exhibit to CentralTrak. The installation, titled “Gallup Motel Butchering,” will be showcased through Feb. 21.

REBECCA TULL Mercury Staff

A Navajo woman butchering a sheep in a Gallup, N.M. hotel is one of the subjects displayed on four large video projections set high on the white walls opposite CentralTrak’s main entrance.

The work entitled “Gallup Motel Butchering,” or GMSB, is the creation of artist collective Postcommodity. It opened at UTD’s artist residency on Jan. 17. The exhibit will continue running through Feb. 21.

Started in 2007, Postcommodity is an internationally acclaimed Native American art collective. Its members are Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martínez, Kade L. Twist and Nathan Young. All four of its members are not only prolific artists in their own right, but also immensely varied in their professional interests and creative pursuits. Their work has been featured globally from Winnipeg, California, to Sydney, Australia.

The artists’ heritage drives their artistic purpose, providing a particular perspective on the definition of identity within societies, especially in the increasingly linked communities of the 21st century.

The breadth of this purpose and the diversity of their indigenous backgrounds—Navajo, Xicano, Cherokee, Delaware, Kiowa and Pawnee Nations— lends to the multifaceted nature of the collective’s work.

Their inspiration is as much a product of individual passions as it is of shared influences.

“One collective member might feel an influence from an artist or work that another member has never experienced,” Young said. “We have been heavily influenced by noise music, black radical artists, writers and thinkers, Indian casinos, heavy metal, lowbrow culture, American Indian museums, land use and hunting.”

The work featured at CentralTrak focuses on the longevity of Native identity within

PIN POSSIBLE LINDA NGUYEN COMMENTARY

One of my favorite things to do is walk down the home decor sections of stores. It’s always fun to look at the canvas prints and other interesting wall accent pieces, especially the string art pieces, but it’s one of those projects that’s

the context of Western society.

It is a significant reality for the collective, as well as a continuing thematic presence in their work.

In the work, a woman is butchering a sheep in preparation for a family celebration.

The hotel that is the site for the butchering was constructed on the traditional homelands of the Navajo people.

Though utilizing video, the work is deconstructed into repetitive video stills. Although the length of the entire piece is nine minutes and five seconds, the clips remain on loop. The piece’s commentary on Native identity and Western society is a concern that is not only important within the Indigenous context of the United States, but also globally.

“GMSB may seem very local and specific, but we feel it is truly global in its concern. For us, this would mean that it is equally as relevant to Dallas as it would be to anywhere else in the world,” said Young.

He specified that this di-

chotomy was unintentional.

Rather, Postcommodity sought to expose the reality of Indigenous American people.

“This piece has its origins in what some people call an urban myth, or in this case a rural or Indian myth, a crazy story that as an Indian person you might have heard stories about,” Young said. “We want to tell that story to everyone.”

The exhibit also creates a juxtaposition of silence and noise. The muted projected stills tower above the chatter and soft laughter of guests.

With the collective’s well-documented use of sound in other works, as well as the musical backgrounds of its members, Postcommodity’s “Gallup Motel Butchering” is curiously silent.

Postcommodity felt silence was imperative to the efficacy of the artistic work in order to ensure an unembellished scene, Young said.

In short, the purpose of the

→ SEE BUTCHER, PAGE 8

She slightly rose in place, like she was hearing her own music for the first time. Her head and body rotated in a circular motion, following the range of pitches. His head tilted in her direction as they exchanged reminiscent glances.

It was their way of listening to the music and reacting to it, said pianist and professor Nina Schumann.

Schumann and Luis Magalhães, a husband and wife duo known as TwoPianists, performed Jan. 22 at the Jonsson Performance Hall.

“One of our piano instructors thought this would be a great way for our Piano I, II and intermediate students to get a chance to see artists who started out the way they did and have an idea of what you can do with your music if you choose to become a professional,” said events coordinator for Arts and Humanities Chinweolu Greer.

Muhammad Murad, a Piano II student who is a music minor, jotted down required notes for his class on the technique illustrated by Schumann and Magalhães.

“It was cool seeing how their technique differed from my piano teacher’s, like how he was rolling his shoulders left to right whenever he played low to high notes,” Murad said. “It got me thinking about techniques I can incorporate into my own life.”

Schumann and Magalhães began performing together in 1999 when they met at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, at the time both students at the University of North Texas.

“A lot of great things can happen at the Dallas Airport, not only catching flights,” Magalhães said, laughing.

Nine years later, the couple founded TwoPianists

1. Sand the wood.

2. Paint the board whatever color you desire.

3. Print out the design you want to use. A silhouette typically works the best for this project. Choose one with very few details.

4. Cut out the silhouette and use some painter’s tape to loosely attach the silhouette to the board.

5. Begin hammering the nails around the silhouette until you go all the way around, and then carefully remove the printed design.

6. Reinforce any loose nails with the hot glue gun.

7. Using the embroidery floss, tie a knot around the nail you want to begin with and begin weaving the floss back and forth to fill in the space.

8. Tie off the end and use some hot glue to reinforce the knots.

→ SEE PIANISTS, PAGE 8

Every issue, The Mercury’s craft connoisseurs will scour Pinterest and craft blogs in search of the best and worst DIY projects. Show us your results on social media using #pinpossible.

@utdmercury

meant to look like you created it yourself. I figured, why shouldn’t I actually create it myself?

The basic premise behind this project is to use nails to outline a silhouette of an animal, object or word. Then string is woven between the nails to fill in the outline.

Coming from someone who honestly doesn’t do much work with wood and nails, this project is deceptively difficult.

DIY String Art

Records, which is now based in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Before creating their own record company, Schumann and Magalhães worked with Universal Records.

“We decided it would be better to have more freedom in what we record, when we record and how we record — all the small things that result in the happiness of the output,” Magalhães said.

In addition to starting a record company, the pianists have also toured and performed throughout the United States, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Scotland, Switzerland, China and Japan.

They have given master classes in South Africa and in the United States, including at New York’s Juilliard School.

Schumann, originally from Stellenbosch and Magalhães, of Portuguese descent, both began piano lessons when they were about 5 years old.

“It’s a question of seeing it as kids — the joy of performing,” Schumann said. “When you come on stage, it’s the most amazing experience. Both of us had that, and once you have that, it’s like a drug; you can’t stop it.”

Later on, they each separately joined piano professor Vladimir Viardo’s master classes. Viardo offered Magalhães two options: study at UNT or study in Moscow.

Magalhães decided on UNT. Vladimir’s inspiration also led Schumann to UNT. “When you go and study music, it isn’t a question of the institution, but it’s a question of the teacher,” Schumann said.

“He changed my way of thinking completely and made me aware of capabilities I never knew I had.”

However, before meeting Viardo, Schumann’s first inspiration came from her primary teacher in South Africa, Lamar Crowson. For 11 years Crowson taught her the principles of music and how to understand the composer’s intentions.

“He always said to me, ‘Either

WORK IN PROGRESS SANYA PESHWANI | COURTESY

LINDA NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF

Don’t be deceived — positioning the nails in this versatile decor piece is not as easy as it seems.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED wood panel (12” x 12”) sandpaper paint and brush 11/16-inch linoleum nails

painter’s tape hammer hot glue gun

Overall, this project was most difficult in the nailing. Granted, I ended up using slightly bigger 1-inch nails, but the nails would often come out of the wood. The weaving was my favorite part because there is just something therapeutic about threading the string back and forth among the nails. As with most art projects, it’s nice to be able to turn off my brain from the pressures of school and work and just work with my hands.

This project also required me to make my first solo shopping trip to Home Depot. Just a tip, the smallest wood sizes they have are 2 feet by 2 feet, but if you ask nicely they’ll cut it for you. It was an experience, but if you’re someone who enjoys working with wood and nails, this project will probably be simple.

LIFE&ARTS

UTDMERCURY.COM

THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

7

New group gives students a place to craft UTDesign Makerspace provides students opportunity, free space to create innovative projects using high-tech tools SAARA RAJA Mercury Staff

UTDesign Makerspace is a new organization on campus with the goals of promoting student creativity and innovation. The group offers free space along with industry grade tools and equipment for students who would like to create their own projects.

Makerspace is located in Synergy Park North, directly across the road from the residence halls. It was started as a small-scale pilot in 2014 in order to work out all of the details involved in being an official campus organization rather than just an interest group.

“We have access to 3,000 square feet inside the Synergy Park North building,” said Vice President of Makerspace Jonathan Lin. “To put it into perspective, what we have dedicated to Makerspace here at UT Dallas is the exact same amount of space that Georgia Tech has for its equivalent Senior Design Program and its equivalent Makerspace combined.”

The official campus-wide launch of Makerspace is Feb. 12.

The club provides access to a wide variety of equipment from common hand tools to machine chop tools, there is even a 3-D printer available said Secretary of Makerspace Vivien Ngo. “This is nice because a lot of people com-

monly don’t have access to these tools and especially not to the level of quality that we might provide,” Ngo said. “Kit 3-D printers are very common among hobbyists, but they don’t have the kind of precision that ours might.”

Makerspace was created with the vision to cultivate creativity and innovation among students. Any student or faculty member is welcome to use the facility as long as he or she registers as an official member of the organization via the UTD OrgSync website.

“We aim to build a community, so anyone with the desire to further their interest in technology and arts (is welcome),” Lin said.

A requirement to becoming a member is the completion of two basic safety training videos online. This training is done through BioRaft and is the same credential for students conducting research in the Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory.

“Because of the nature of our equipment and the dangers present, we have only a onestrike policy, not a three-strike policy like you would usually find,” Lin said.

The organization’s best advantages, according to Ngo, are its affordability and convenience for students.

“It’s really cool because a lot of people are students,” she said. “They don’t generally have the funds to buy these tools, especially

ARUN PRASATH | MERCURY STAFF

Jonathan Lin uses an electric saw to build a project in the Makerspace room at Synergy Park North. The group was created to encourage students of any major to make crafts using high-tech tools, including a 3-D printer for campus use. things like high-level 3-D printers. Also, for the engineers, a lot of (students) may not have access to these engineering tools until their senior year when they do their Senior Design Project. That’s also very limiting when they go out into the job market.”

If the organization had existed earlier, said Makerspace President Albert Aguirre, it would have positively affected his creative process for his own senior design project, a capstone project in which senior engineers demonstrate their knowledge through prac-

tical application.

“I feel I would have had a more hands-on experience, mostly,” he said. “This would lead to better study for my classes, since I could

→ SEE MAKERS, PAGE 8

Weak cyber crime action movie Visiting author details feats features lackluster performance

of WWII scientist, writer PRIYANKA HARDIKAR Mercury Staff

Jacques Monod was a scientist by day and an activist by night. He lived during World War II and worked to accomplish more than his scientific ambitions, fighting for freedom for his country and family.

Scientist, author and educator Sean B. Carroll wrote about Monod and the philosopher, Albert Camus, in his latest novel, “Brave Genius: A Scientist, a Philosopher, and Their Daring Adventures from the French Resistance to the Nobel Prize.”

On Jan. 14, Carroll presented “Brave Genius” at The Dallas Museum of Art as the first lecture of the lecture series Ad Astra, curated by associate professor of art history, Charissa Terranova.

“The best way I can summarize the theme of tonight’s talk is with this little CARROLL pearl from Henry van Dyke: ‘Genius is talent set on fire by courage,’” Carroll said.

Ad Astra, meaning “to the stars,” was created for The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History. “(Ad Astra) looks forward to a movement into an age where art and science explore new areas through computation,” Terranova said.

Carroll’s book takes place in Paris during World War II through the postwar period to the student and worker riots of May 1968.

In addition to telling the history of this time period, “Brave Genius” sheds light on the shared mode of focus: Monod, a founding figure of microbiology, and Camus, an existential philosopher. It is a story of big ideas, Carroll said.

Monod was a researcher at the Sorbonne in Paris, studying the genetic control of bacteria that eventually led him to win a Nobel Prize.

But as German control intensified during World War II, Monod sent his Jewish wife and children outside of the capital for their safety and joined the most militant resistant group.

In 1970, he authored the book, “Chance and Necessity,” which focused on the processes of evolution that demonstrated that life is only the result of chance.

“This book really could’ve been his autobiography because chance played a role in his personal life,” Carroll said. “If you had met Monod in the late 1930s, you would’ve seen no sign of the greatness that was to come.”

Camus, on the other hand, came to Paris from Algeria in 1940. Though a novice writer, by 1944, he became the editor of the resistance newspaper Combat. His anonymous editorials urged Frenchmen to take action against the German occupiers.

“These two men both saw the darkest days of World War II and did not shatter their optimism,” Carroll said. “They saw the threat coming from Stalin and the Soviet Union, but they stood up when it cost them a lot, and they held these thoughts to the ends of their lives.”

In the beginning, while Camus made a difference through his published writings, Monod took a more hands-on approach.

Using the alias “Malivert” and working with student Geneviève Noufflard, Monod went on to become a high-ranking staff officer of the national resis-

tance organization, the French Forces of the Interior.

As Monod’s liaison, Noufflard passed along messages to and gathered intelligence reports from other resistance members in hopes of assisting the Allied bombing effort and sabotaging Axis operations.

“As much as he knew that science was the engine behind technology that infected all of our lives, he felt that the most important results of science were to change our relationship with the universe and the way we see ourselves in the universe,” Carroll said.

After investing six years of his life into the war, Monod felt, with desperate urgency, that it was time to turn back to science. He started to look for people to work with in his lab.

“He said to one of them, ‘I don’t care if you don’t have any experience,’” Carroll said. “‘That’s perfect background as I’m in search of the secrets of life.’”

While Monod continued his research on the science of genetics and chance, Trofim Lysenko, a Soviet biologist and agronomist whose crop improvement research gained the support of Joseph Stalin, rejected genetics as a science.

In fact, he wanted a revolution to throw out Western science and completely abandon the science of chance, which he referred to as genetics.

Monod was stunned, Carroll said, and publicly criticized of not only Lysenko, but also the entire Soviet scientific establishment, despite how well the communist party was doing in France.

His first op-ed appeared on the first page of Combat. The headline read, “Lysenko’s victory has no scientific character whatsoever.”

This single op-ed was the reason Camus and Monod met because, at this moment, these same thoughts were running through Camus’ mind.

In 1948, the two men were finally introduced and hit it off almost instantly.

The men met often in cafés in Paris to dine and exchange ideas. At this time, Camus was working on his book, “L’Homme révolté,” meaning “the rebel.”

Like Monod, Camus took a public anti-Soviet stance and even included some of Monod’s scientific research in his book. When it was published in 1951, it triggered a major separation from Camus’ affiliates of previous years, Carroll said.

“He was taken by surprise by how strongly his closest friends reacted to this book,” Carroll said.

“But he found this new friend in Monod, and it became clear they were both seeing the world in the same way.”

The two men’s common perspectives and similar cause formed the irreversible friendship that Carroll’s book centers around.

Carroll said he hopes through this compilation of art and science, art will finally lead science to find its valued place in American culture with the ability to visualize, dramatize and tell stories.

Like Carroll, freshman Rachel Zhang also supports the transition into an art and science world of expertise.

“For so long, people have classified art as something completely irrelevant to technology or science,” Zhang said. “Dr. Carroll’s book presents to us, through the scope of history, all the greatness that can take place if the two fields are compiled.

We might find out that there’s a lot of unexplored possibilities out there that can make a huge difference in our daily lives and change our perception of what art can be.”

Carroll said he believes if he were in Monod’s place, he would have chosen to fight the Nazis.

→ SEE CARROLL, PAGE 8

“Blackhat” fails to make hacking watchable for audiences

UNIVERSAL PICTURES | COURTESY

Director Michael Mann’s hacker action flick starring Chris Hemsworth is hardly worth a glance.

SHYAM VEDANTAM COMMENTARY

“Blackhat,” starring Chris Hemsworth, is a plodding crime drama about hacking, with clumsy dialogue and boring characters.

Michael Mann’s “Blackhat” opens with a Chinese nuclear plant explosion caused by a cyberattack. Minutes later, a villainous entity manipulates the stock exchange to collect more than $70 million. Now the race is on to find out that is doing this and to what end.

Chen Dawai (Chinese music star Wang Leehom), who is part of the Chinese military, recognizes some of the code causing these attacks as some of the work he co-wrote at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To find the people responsible, he calls upon the help of his roommate, Hathaway (Hemsworth), and his sister, Lien (Wei Tang).

Hathaway is actually in prison for his own share of cybercrimes. He’s quick to point out, though, that he acted as a Robin Hood of sorts — he never stole from people but only from corporations and banks. The audience gets introduced to him in an excellent scene in which he is punished for putting money into his cellmates’ prison credit accounts. It’s the only character introduction done with subtletly.

Hemsworth gets to show off his natural moviestar charisma.

The pursuit of this villain takes the team, which includes the always interesting Viola Davis as the United States’ FBI liaison, across Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia. However, all this globetrotting doesn’t distract from the many scenes in which the actors have to sit in front of computers, randomly attack the keyboard, scan unending lines of monotonous code and say some seemingly ridiculous conclusion. Dramatizing computer work is a problem Hollywood still hasn’t figured out. In such a visual medium, it’s difficult to make someone sitting and typing exciting, but infusing the situation with drama or even avoiding it alto-

gether seems to be the best strategy.

This isn’t aided by the poor script by Morgan Davis Foehl, who has worked as an editor, not writer, on previous films. There are a couple problems in the script. Other than Hathaway, no one else gets any character development or backstory. This might’ve been acceptable if there was any drama to his character. A blackhat is a term used to describe people who cause trouble for no apparent reason. However, it’s obvious from the first scene that Hathaway is more of a whitehat.

His good intentions are never in question. He gets played up as a genius, but he never has a secondary ploy that he could have been running.

The only drama in “Blackhat” is the cat-andmouse game. But the way the mystery comes together falls flat. Without delving into spoilers, the film doubles back against a rule it set up earlier.

The villian’s plan is also over the top and underwhelming; the final stages of his ploy don’t really build upon what was done earlier.

Furthermore, Lien is a particularly weak female character. While Davis has the acting chops to elevate the script she’s dealing with, her snarky looks convey more than the dialogue. Lien lacks any agency. She gets into a relationship with Hathaway for no particular reason. The two lack onscreen chemistry.

While the runtime for “Blackhat” is a little over two hours, this film feels like three hours. It’s poorly edited and has long cuts of uninteresting shots. This is disappointing because Mann’s previous work — finding space in the gray between right and wrong — has been excellent. “Collateral” is tightly edited and is tense throughout. None of that energy is here.

The recent jailing of Barrett Brown is indicative of the government’s disdain of hacking. His mere relationship to a hacking job by Anonymous got him 63 months in jail. The Sony hacking is another reminder that the central story here is not fiction anymore. “The Interview” wasn’t smart or funny enough to capitalize on the cultural significance it was saddled with, and neither is “Blackhat.”

8

LIFE&ARTS

THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

UTDMERCURY.COM

Superhero attraction in Fair Park will delight children, adults alike ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS COMMENTARY

Heroes and villains run amok at The Marvel Experience, an immersive, hyper reality attraction held at Fair Park through Jan. 31.

The best way to describe the Experience, organized jointly by Marvel and Hero Ventures, is to think of a haunted house, only the monsters and goblins are replaced by Spider-Man and Iron Man. As visitors first walk through the attraction, housed in seven large domes right next to the Cotton Bowl, they enter into a quick debriefing session held by Nick Fury, Captain America, Wolverine and other heroes. S.H.I.E.L.D., the agency responsible for the protection of the planet from threats, is under attack by the terrorist organization Hydra lead by the Red Skull, and new agents are needed to combat this ominous threat.

Visitors are then quickly whisked into the largest area of the event: a dome that doubles as a playground and a museum paying homage to Marvel lore. There are attractions that vary from interactive video games where users can simulate flying as Iron Man to rock climbing walls paint-

→ BUTCHER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

land to native peoples remains constant.

The actions of the woman are inherently normal. She is preparing a family feast as countless Navajo individuals have done before her.

“We did not create this work for shock value or to incite visceral reactions,” Young said. “This installation is a metaphor for what it’s like being an indigenous person living in the world today.”

CentralTrak Director Heyd Fontenot first encountered Postcommodity on a curatorial trip to Santa Fe. “I came to this job with a wide berth of contacts,” he said. “It’s like a talent shopping trip.”

At first glance, he knew the group’s work had to be shown in the gallery.

The necessity of CentralTrak and the importance of exhibitions like Postcommodity’s remain clear to Fontenot.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

However, he also realizes that there is no way of knowing for sure how one would act in such a high-stakes situation.

Perhaps one has to lose one’s freedom and face the abyss to truly appreciate liberty and the opportunity to create, he

ed in the palettes of Spider-Man. For the more academic enthusiasts, there are displays that house replicas of important artifacts such as Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer and Captain America’s signature star-spangled shield.

As the guided attraction continues, visitors walk through a full-size replica of an Avengers Quinjet into an empty dome where they are handed 3-D glasses.

Suddenly, the ceiling is transformed into a screen as spectators are wrapped up in what feels like a first-person experience as they watch the Avengers take on Hydra.

Continuing on the adventure, guests are trapped in a room where a door has been jammed by Hydra’s attacks. As the Hulk appears on the screens above to come assist in opening the doors, a giant, animatronic green hand appears on the other side of the door, pulling the door open to the squeals of young and old alike.

The final stop on the tour has visitors sitting in a theater that doubles as a thrill ride as the seats move and sway as the Quinjet flies through a sea of threats and finally takes down Hydra.

It was hard for audience members to conceal their child- like joy as they flew through the imaginary threats that seemed so real. This really applies to the whole experience. The attraction was clearly made with children in mind, but that doesn’t mean the horde of adults who go will be missing out on anything.

LINDA NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF

The largest area of the Marvel Experience features museum-like exhibits and interactive games for visitors to participate in.

One of the only downsides is the price of admission. While tickets for children under the age of 4 are free, general admission starts at $37.50 and VIP packages go all the way up to $99, so you’ll need to save up some comic book money to get

at that, the flawed plot wasn’t too big of a concern.

Overall, The Marvel Experience was truly that: an experience.

→ PIANISTS

“Coming here, you have a sincere look at what we do,” he said. “Art is about making these connections. It’s really important to engage people.

Anytime I do a show, I do programming that illuminates the show.”

Artist Janiel Engelstad, head of the organization Make Art with Purpose and a member of Dallas Observer’s 100 Creatives, described Postcommodity’s work as a study of identity at MAP’s “Dialogues on Race,” a panel discussion that took place at CentralTrak on Jan. 22. “[The artists in Postcommodity] are creating fine art that also has a lot of underlying ideas, whereas I am doing social practice,” Engelstad. “We are both giving voice to people and ideas that are not often given a platform and traditions and histories that are often underrepresented and not seen as important, and that’s where the common ground lies.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

I’m a fantastic teacher, or you’re a slow learner,’” Schumann said.

Schumann and Magalhães, now teachers themselves live by example for not only their students but also for their two children.

“They already learn that it takes sacrifice and discipline to embark on this career,” Schumann said. “Although right now they only really appreciate the presents we bring them after tours, my daughter did acknowledge the other day for the first time that we are very good.”

But no matter how many tours they go on, there’s something special about each ARUN PRASATH | MERCURY STAFF show, Magalhães said. One that stands Husband and wife duo, Nina Schumann and Luis Magalhães, began playing together in out in particular is their performance 1999 after meeting in Dallas. They played in the Jonsson Performance Hall on Jan. 22 in Scotland where the South African National Youth Orchestra was invited to screaming and had to be dragged out of the decades ago, Magalhães said.

“It is possible to overcome that by partake in a festival after 27 years in exile hall,” Schumann said. “It turned out he was from an institution for mentally ill patients becoming creative and, of course, by due to apartheid. continuing to practice,” he said.

The British Broadcasting Corporation and couldn’t control his emotions.”

For Schumann, the most important Despite audience reactions, Schumann recorded the performance, which featured TwoPianists playing the opening concert. said when she plays and performs there is advice she would give young musicians is Schumann remembers it to be one of her a rush of emotions that she can’t overlook, that there is no single pathway to success.

“Music must be there to be enjoyed,” more emotional performances because of in every page and in every note. Then the way a person in the audience reacted. there is this click, where it all makes sense. she said. “I love it when people tell me But it is still a populated industry, that my music touched them, and that “In the middle of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in which I was and that makes it hard to keep up, as should be the purpose — to let the music soloist, a person in the audience started the demand remains the same as it was speak.”

said. But for now, Carroll is focusing his attention on the people who stepped up during unfavorable situations.

“These people had more courage in their finger than I’ll ever have in a lifetime,” he said. “We need true stories about people who rose to the occasion in all times, from all cultures, to remind us of our better selves.”

MONOD

in.

Another weak spot was the storyline of the quest that users were sent on, which won’t be getting critical acclaim any time soon. Seeing as this was essentially a theme park ride, and a genuinely fun one

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

both simulate and build the circuits, rather than just simulate them and more practical experience as well.”

Ngo said the substantial learning Makerspace offers outside of the classroom is one of the main benefits of the program.

“Learning something in class when you feel like you need to (is different)” she said.

“In this kind of learning you really get to make it your own, and you get to do what you want. Students have more of a drive to do these kinds of activities.”

Makerspace offers students freedom to pursue their own creative expressions. Students may choose to work in teams to collaborate on projects, but there are no formal requirements to doing so.

“Robots, drones and radios are my main

CAMUS

interests in maker culture,” Aguirre said.

“However, I would like to see projects from all majors being completed in the Makerspace, be they engineering oriented, STEM or art-based projects.”

There are currently about 35 members; the majority are in the School of Engineering and Computer Science, or ECS. Males also comprise a larger segment of the organization.

“I feel like some girls feel like since they’re girls, they are inherently bad at using tools, but I think it’s just practice,” Ngo said. “To be honest, I also was not super into hardware, that’s why I’m a computer scientist; I thought I would hate it, (but) when I use power tools I feel really powerful. It’s really fulfilling.”

With plans to recruit members from the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Ngo said that joining Makerspace on a whim is not a bad idea for non-ECS students.

“Since it’s free, it really lowers the barrier

of entry,” she said. “You don’t have to invest so deeply to find out whether you like or hate it.”

During the February launch, the organization plans on supplying free food and having activities for their guests.

“One (activity) is called Trash to Track, and it is using recyclables and items typically categorized as junk and making a little racecar out of them,” Ngo said. “Then we’ll have them on a pinewood derby car racetrack and race them.”

There will also be a ribbon cutting ceremony with Dean Mark Spong of ECS .

As for the future of Makerspace, Aguirre has lots of hopes of it positively impacting the UTD community.

“I want to see people learning and building on their skill set so that when they do graduate, they can offer more than their degree,” he said.

UPCOMING EVENTS TEA TUESDAYS

MUSTACHE BASH

AMERICAN FOOTBALL AND THE SUPER BOWL -

Jan. 28, 3-4 PM, SSB 3.107

Jan. 27,10 AM - 4 PM, Galerstein Women’s Center

Jan. 28, 9-10:30 PM, Galaxy Room A

“SEX, BRAIN AND CULTURE”

iFRIEND PROGRAM AND MIXER

EMPOWER AND CONNECT WOMEN’S SERIES

Jan. 29, 7:30 PM, Jonsson Performance Hall

Feb. 6, 3-5 PM, SU Galaxy Rooms

Feb. 4, 5:30-8 PM, SU Galaxy Rooms

SPORTS

JAN. 26, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

9

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

Head women’s basketball coach inspired by father’s coaching career, seeks his insight as her assistant coach ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Managing Editor

YANG XI | MERCURY STAFF

Head women’s basketball coach Polly Thomason faced a turning point in her youth that helped define who she was for the rest of her life.

That moment came during her senior year as a member of the varsity basketball team at Martin High School in Arlington. She had been a member of the squad since she was a sophomore and felt like she should be starting.

Despite her track record, she still found herself on the bench to start the year.

“The first three or four games of the year I wasn’t starting,” she said.

“And I was like, ‘Dad, this makes me really mad; I just want to transfer.

Let me go to another high school.’”

Instead of supporting his daughter’s request, James Thomason pointed out the error in her way of thinking. He told her she was sitting on the bench because she could play at every position and was a better asset to the team coming in to replace the player who was struggling the most.

Even though she didn’t like that answer, Thomason stayed on and eventually became a starter and was named All-District as a senior, helping to lead her team to the state playoffs that year.

Even though she’s grown up now, she’s still taking advice from her father who is a volunteer assistant coach on Thomason’s staff.

The arrangement began after her first year as a collegiate coach at UTD. Thomason would always talk to her father after games about what happened.

During these conversations, James would often share insights that Thomason hadn’t thought about during the contest.

“I was like, ‘OK, I would like to know this information while the game is going on,’” she said. “So I asked him, ‘Would you mind sitting on the bench and being my assistant?’”

Head women’s basketball coach Polly Thomason (left) consults with her assistant coaches Mallory McAdams (center) and James Thomason during a timeout. James, who is Thomason’s father, coached for 15 years at the middle school and high school levels.

→ SEE COACH, PAGE 10

Three-point shooting key to success

Comets reach new heights from downtown thanks to teamwork, big contributions from transfer senior guard MICHAEL GORDON COMMENTARY

The three-point shot, one of the most exciting plays in basketball, is the cornerstone of the men’s basketball team this season.

The Comets are on pace to rewrite history: If they maintain their shooting efficiency, the team will set a program record in threepoint percentage and three-point shots made.

Generating a productive three-point offense has been the Comets secret weapon this season. Against Trinity on Jan. 3, they hit 15 threes, a school record.

The Comets are ranked 11th in the country in both three pointers per game with an average of 9.9 and three pointers in the season made with 168.

In the ASC, the Comets are number one in three-point percentage, hitting 39 percent of their shots, 18 percentage points over the next highest leader.

With three starters hitting threes at a rate of 38 percent or better, the Comets have a roster that can punish opposing teams with the long range shot.

→ SEE THREES, PAGE 10

LINA MOON | MERCURY STAFF

The Comets are shooting threes at an all-time high. If they continue their trend of shooting the ball so effectively from beyond the arc, they will finish the season as one of the top teams in the nation at threes and as the best team from long range in program history.

SEAHAWKS VS. PATRIOTS Who will triumph in the Super Bowl?

TEAM LOGOS: NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE | COURTESY

Seahawks 21 — Patriots 17

Patriots 30 — Seahawks 28

“The unstoppable offense of the Patriots will meet the immovable object that is Seattle’s defense. The Patriots’ passing game, which is the cornerstone of New England’s scoring machine, will have a difficult time penetrating the Seahawks’ secondary, which had 17 interceptions this season.”

“Rob Gronkowski will score two touchdowns and be named MVP. I think Tom Brady will get that elusive fourth Super Bowl ring he’s been chasing since the Patriots’ last victory in 2004, tying him for the most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. The win will propel Brady into the discussion for the greatest quarterback of all time.”

ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Managing Editor

Seahawks 34 — Patriots 31 “I pick Seattle because of their emotional comeback win versus Green Bay. They’re going to use that momentum and emotion and let it carry them to a Super Bowl win.”

MICHAEL GORDON Mercury Staff

Patriots 27 — Seahawks 23 “I am from New England!”

POLLY THOMASON

TERRY BUTTERFIELD

Women’s Basketball Coach

Men’s Basketball Coach

Seahawks 24 — Patriots 23

Patriots 30 — Seahawks 23

“I think it will be a close game for sure, but I’m pulling for Seattle.”

“Peyton Manning couldn’t beat the Legion of Boom, but Tom Brady can and will.”

MADI HESS

Senior Point Guard COACHES AND PLAYER PHOTOS: UTD ATHLETICS| COURTESY

NOLAN HARVEY Senior Point Guard

*The comments made are solely those of the participants and are not meant to advocate gambling.

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THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

→ COACH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

The only caveat was that she was allowed to tell him no, and he couldn’t get offended if they didn’t agree.

“When we’re in this role, I’m the boss,” she said.

James, who is now retired, spent 15 years coaching boys’ and girls’ basketball at the high school and middle school levels. He coached at schools from small towns in West Texas to the Metroplex and finished with five different district titles before retiring.

During his time, he has seen the game evolve dramatically. When he first started coaching, the game was much different for girls.

“It was called a two-court game where you had three offensive players and three defensive players, and neither one of them could cross the half court,” James said.

Even though it took the girls a few years to get used to a full court game, James said he has seen the game blossom into something great.

It was that experience that allowed James to see the game in a different light than Thomason. As a

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Finding the open man Any team hell-bent on shooting from behind the arc needs to have players who can effectively distribute the ball.

Three-point shots are created through assists, and when it comes to generating those long range buckets for teammates, the Comets have senior guard Matthew Medell and freshman guard Caleb Banks who combine for just under five assists per game.

This season, the offensive strategy feeds into the Comets’ strengths – working the ball to find the open man. “(Head coach Terry) Butterfield emphasizes how we should shoot the ball when we are open,” said Medell, who has a .365 shooting average from beyond the arc. “This allows for all of us to be confident when we get an opportunity.”

The Comets success from downtown is also generated in part by the play of forwards Kyle Coulter and Reagan Keogh.

SPORTS QUICK HITS

SPORTS

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member of the staff, Thomason said he adds an extra set of eyes that helps catch some of the details that she may miss during the heat of the game.

During games, he keeps shot charts detailing what shots are working and what shots aren’t for the Comets.

“I know who’s making the shots and where they’re taking them,” James said.

Game planning is also part of his role. He sends Thomason two or three emails a day about strategies and thoughts on upcoming games.

“Sometimes I like them, and sometimes I’m annoyed by them,” she said. “It’s just like with any parent; it’s like, ‘Come on!’ I just have to remember that he’s not telling me what to do. He’s not telling me he knows more than me. He’s just trying to help.”

He also helps in recruiting, particularly in the Arlington and Fort Worth areas, where he currently resides. He helps scout the talent that the rest of Thomason’s staff doesn’t have the time or resources to look at.

James is on the sidelines for every game, including

road games, which he drives to himself.

This year’s home game against Howard Payne was the first game that he has missed in his 10 years as a coach for the Comets.

“He goes out to Mississippi (College); he goes out to Sul Ross. He loves it,” Thomason said. “I can’t imagine him ever not being there.”

Growing up, James’ influence on Thomason was huge, particularly when it came to her participation in athletics. Title IX was relatively new at the time and the thought of girls playing sports was still considered taboo by many.

This particularly affected Thomason’s mother, who wanted to participate in sports but was barred from doing so by her parents.

“As soon as she had daughters, she was like, ‘Yeah, y’all are playing if you want,’” Thomason said.

Sports were always a part of the conversation in the Thomason household, and the hours James spent coaching in the gym rubbed off on his daughter.

As Thomason has progressed as a coach, James has told

her to work the players hard but to make it fun for them.

This and other qualities have been passed on from one generation to the next. They’re both very easygoing, James said, something that helped Thomason when she was turned down for the coaching job at University of the Ozarks. More than that, though, they’re both hard-working.

“I think that what I’ve always tried to teach her is that it takes hard work to be the best at anything, and that’s what she’s trying to do,” James said.

Thomason has only improved as she’s progressed as a coach, he said, and has become much better at the job than he ever was.

Thomason said that if it weren’t for the support that her parents had offered her, she never would have been able to make it that far.

“This is not an easy profession to get into, and they were like, ‘Go for it,’” she said. “I’m very blessed.

If it wasn’t for them saying ‘Go chase your dreams.

Go do what you want to do in this life,’ I wouldn’t be here today.”

Their presence in the paint helps the Comets spread the floor against opposing defenses.

Combining for 12.5 rebounds and 16.5 points per game, these two alleviate pressure for outside shooters.

By having ball savvy big men who can pass from the zone and demand respect from the opposing team, the team increases its efficiency at shots from outside the paint.

“We end up shooting the three ball because we work the ball to the open man and find the player in the best position to make a play,” Medell said.

Coulter also contributes from beyond the arc; he is second on the team in three-point percentage with 45.9 percent of his shots going in.

determining the right proportion of two and theepoint shots to take.

For the Comets, the return on a three pointer is almost just as good as a midrange or shot in the paint.

When they take a three-point shot, they are efficient as a team, shooting 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, accounting for nearly half of their offense.

“We have guys at every position that can shoot effectively and that’s what makes us number one in the conference in three-point percentage,” Medell said.

The Comets are scoring double digit threes on a consistent basis, doing so in eight games this season.

One of the main contributors to the Comets’ shooting this season is senior guard Rafael Farley, who leads the conference in scoring, three-point percentage and three-pointers made.

After spending one season at Abilene Christian University, averaging 4.6 points per games as a junior for the Wildcats, Farley is playing at an AllConference level for the Comets.

His production as a shooter has increased since the transfer this season to UTD, raising his scoring to 22.1 points per game.

He puts in an average of 3.8 threes per game and is shooting 48 percent from downtown.

Farley attributes his three-point shooting success to the work they put in at practice.

“We work on shooting in a variety of ways, coming off down screens and spot-up catch and shoot,” Farley said.

Certainty is a major factor to his success.

“Confidence is key. If you don’t believe in yourself, you aren’t going to make those tough shots,” Farley said.

Shooting Efficiency Teams that rely too much on the three-point shot can lose games when the opposing teams properly defend the perimeter.

That’s why the Comets are emphasizing shooting efficiency this season, generating an offense that can hurt opponents in a variety of ways.

An important problem facing a basketball team is

Working as a Cohesive Unit The shooting efficiency and success of the team can be attributed to the trust the players have for one another, Medell said.

The willingness to work as a unit instead of as individuals has been vital to the team’s success. Still, the team has no time to sit back to dwell on its success at shooting, as it currently only stands at 7-5 in the conference.

“We have to stay hungry and stick with the game plan because as soon as we get complacent we can lose our edge,” Farley said.

SENIOR GUARD OUT WITH HAND INJURY Senior guard Nolan Harvey, who leads the men’s basketball team with 4.5 assists per game, will be out for the next several weeks with a broken left hand. Harvey injured his hand while on the team’s trip to Concordia on Jan. 15. Replacing Harvey in the starting lineup is freshman Caleb Banks, who is averaging 2.6 points per game compared to Harvey’s 11.1.

— Esteban Bustillos

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COMICS

THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

UTDMERCURY.COM

Dank Memes

by Justin Thompson

by Tim Shirley

(answers are below sudoku) by (A) Justin Thompson, (B) Tim Shirley, (C) Miguel Perez, (D) Emily Grams, (E) Ian LaMarsh

6

9

2

4

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by Ian LaMarsh

CLASSIFIEDS

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To place a classified advertisement for the next issue, ad copy accompanied by payment must be received the Wednesday before publication, rates start at $10. Call, fax or come by SU 1.601 or mail ad and check to The Mercury, 800 W. Campbell Rd., SU24, Richardson, Texas 75080. For more information, Call 972-883-2210 — Email ads@utdmercury.com

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5

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Win $500 Write an essay on happiness. No entry fee. Check it out at humanhappinessfoundation.org (A Non-Profit Corporation)

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5

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Ultra!

ANSWERS: (A) Bugs Bunny, (B) Patrick Star, (C) Hello Kitty, (D) Goofy, (E) Barney

Notice of Public Meeting The UT Dallas Student Fee Advisory Committee will convene meetings during January and February to consider budget requests for fiscal year 2015-2016. Meetings will be held in the Student Union Gemini Room (SU2.504) from 11:30 to 1:30 on the dates indicated below.

Tentative Session Agenda Date January 23, 2015 Distribution of materials and orientation to the process.

January 30, 2015 Consideration of requests from International Student Services, Living-Learning Communities,

Multicultural Center, Galerstein Women’s Center, Career Center, Academic Competition Teams, Student Success Center, Pep Band, Reunion, Callier Center, Student Affairs Marketing, Staff Development, Student Union and Student Services Building Maintenance

February 6, 2015

Consideration of requests from the Dean of Students Office, Student AccessAbility, Student Development, Student Engagement, Student Media, Student Transition Programs and the Student Wellness Center

February 13, 2015 Consideration of requests from Athletics, Activity Center/Recreational Sports, Student Counseling Center, Center for Students in Recovery and Student Health Center

February 20, 2015 Wrap-up (if needed) For more information go to www.utdallas.edu/studentaffairs/studentfee.

COMICS&GAMES 921 (Episode 1)

JAN. 26, 2015| THE MERCURY

11 7

Guns or People

by Tim Shirley

by Emily Grams Crash! The Bane of All Computer Technologies

by Justin Thompson

by Emily Grams

UTDMERCURY.COM

PHOTOS

THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

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Coming out of hibernation

TOP LEFT, Nesquik Snack Attack — As a part of the Winter Welcome Back, the Nesquik Bunny stopped by the Chess Plaza on Jan. 14 to dance battle with students such as Tou-Te Tsai, an accounting graduate student. Nesquik representatives distrubuted cases of Girl Scout Cookie-flavored Nesquik.

TOP RIGHT, Karaoke in The Pub — On the night of Jan. 15, Radio UTD hosted their biannual karaoke event in The Pub. As always, singers with all levels of experience came out to demonstrate their vocal abilities.

Tyler Reed, arts and technology freshman, was one of many who brought some moves.

SECOND ROW, McDermott Library Extended Hours Celebration — In honor of McDermott Library’s new 24/5 schedule, students explored the library from top to bottom for a scavenger hunt, caricature artist, customized stress balls, free coffee and more. This celebration was sponsored by Eugene McDermott Library and Student Government.

THIRD ROW & INSET LEFT, SUAAB Variety Comedy Show feat.

John Crist — SUAAB’s comedy show, featuring comedian John Crist, was the biggest campus event on Jan. 15. Students piled into the Clark Center to be entertained by Crist’s onstage antics. Sisters from Kappa Alpha Theta joined the comedian in an impromptu photo shoot following the show.

TOP LEFT: CONNIE CHENG | PHOTO EDITOR TOP RIGHT: CLARA ARMENTROUT | MERCURY STAFF SECOND ROW & DIRECTLY ABOVE: ANDREW GALLEGOS | ASST. PHOTO EDITOR INSET ABOVE & SERIES RIGHT: RANJIT SREENIVAS | MERCURY STAFF SERIES LEFT: ARUN PRASATH | MERCURY STAFF

SERIES RIGHT, Lone Star Fiesta — On Jan. 16, International Student Services welcomed new international students coming to UTD in spring 2015 with a midday fiesta in the Galaxy Rooms. Students learned about Texas culture, enjoyed Tex-Mex food and danced country western style. Dancers moseyed to country music alongside line dancing coaches Richard Rogers and Terrie Campbell.

SERIES LEFT, Candy Skulls Face Painting — Before World Cinema’s showing of The Book of Life on Jan. 21, students joined the Intercultural Programs and SUAAB for face painting and cultural exposure in the Clark Center. Artists transformed the moviegoers’ faces into sugar skulls, a traditional part of the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico.

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THE MERCURY | JAN. 26, 2015

NEWS

UTDMERCURY.COM

Blood donations drop in January

Cold weather, holiday season make early part of year difficult to collect blood; student orgs assist in blood drives PRIYANKA KANANI Mercury Staff

The month of January has been celebrated as the National Blood Donor Month since 1970. Every year there are thousands of patients who need blood, especially during winter, which is one of the hardest periods to collect blood in.

The seasonal flu and extended holidays cause cancellations of appointments for blood donations. Frigid weather conditions have led to Red Cross cancelling several of its blood drives in January this year, causing a shortfall in several units of blood collected. According to the American Red Cross, more than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day, and every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood.

Student organizations such as the UTD chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-ed service fraternity, have regularly conducted blood drives on campus.

“I think it is really important for us (to donate blood) especially when we are young,” said Melanie Maurer, former vice

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SG used UT Austin as an example in the proposal by citing The Cactus Café on its campus, which has a full bar and only the obligatory restrictions expected at a bar. The bar was set to be shut down in 2010, but student protests prevented that from happening.

“It’s a good comparison for us and The Pub to say, ‘Look, another university is serving alcohol on their campus and it seems to have been successful for them,’” Fairbank said. “Although,

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degrees in ATEC as well as the BA and MA degrees in EMAC will migrate to the new school, while the School of Arts and Humanities will retain the other degree plans, he said.

Apart from changes in administrative structure, students will not see any changes in their transcripts, Daniel said. If the regents accept the proposal, a new dean for ATEC will be appointed after a nationwide, comprehensive search.

However, upon approval, most endowments for Arts and Humanities will stay with the school unless specifically designated for ATEC or EMAC. Some faculty members might be awarded joint lectureship with both schools, Daniel said.

Dennis Kratz, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, and Todd Fechter, interim director for ATEC, both declined to comment on future plans for both schools, citing it premature to speculate before the regents’ approval.

Positive feedback from ATEC and EMAC students The news came as a shock to some students because they weren’t aware of what it will really mean to them, said Katie Truesdale, EMAC junior and SG Student Affairs Committee chair.

However, once aware, ATEC and EMAC students have reacted positively to the news for the most part, said SG President Brooke Knudtson.

Since the new ATEC building opened in fall 2013, ATEC and EMAC students already think they are in their own school, she said. They have very little interaction with administrative staff in the School of Arts and Humanities.

“When you break it down, especially with arts and technology and emerging media becoming such a popular field, I think that it would be quite beneficial to the entering students, the alumni and the school to actually give it its own school in its own right,” said Cameron Gallucci, an 2013 EMAC graduate.

During her first few years at UTD, the faculty, while good, were few in number, and several classes were taught by teaching assistants who weren’t good instructors, she said. With a dedicated dean, the school will hopefully be able to bring in more funding and more full-time faculty members to improve the quality of instruction, Gallucci said.

“If it goes through and they can get the additional state funding, hopefully they won’t have to raise tuition too much,” she said.

If the segregation of the two schools is approved, classes in ATEC should be structured better, particularly in terms of prerequisites, said ATEC senior Morgan Dedmon. ATEC is conceptually closer to the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science than Arts and Humanities, she said.

president of Alpha Phi Omega. “We are really healthy. We are generally trying to take care of ourselves, and it’s really important at this age to recognize that we can help in this way because maybe at some point in our lives when we get older, if we get unhealthy we really can’t contribute in that way.”

Student organizations conduct blood donation drives on campus about once a month, oftentimes as a community service project, said Kacey Sebeniecher, wellness coordinator at the Student Wellness Center.

The student organizations typically contact the American Red Cross or Carter Blood Supply to conduct a blood drive on campus. Once the schedule for this blood drive is determined, the student organization confirms with the Student Wellness Center on whether any other blood drives are being conducted.

“The only thing that we are responsible for (in the blood drives) is to make sure there are not too many drives happening at a time,” Sebeniecher said. “If there are too many drives happening in January, the blood companies are not going to get enough blood in February.”

Last February, Alpha Phi Omega conducted a blood drive on

campus in coordination with Red Cross.

“It was a really good experience trying to get people to donate blood and finding out there are so many people that are excited to donate blood,” Mauer said. “When we were doing our sign ups, we almost had to get a second bus out here on the day of or before the blood drive. So many students signed up.”

Maurer, who led in organizing the blood drive on behalf of Alpha Phi Omega, said the blood drive collected 60-70 units of blood in six to seven hours.

Each Alphi Phi Omega drive had 70-130 student donators, and one pint of blood saves three lives.

According to American Red Cross, blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Individuals who are above the age of 17 and weigh at least 110 pounds and are generally in good health may be eligible to donate.

“I personally like the fact that the blood drives are studentdriven,” Sebeniecher said. “It is important for students to feel like they have a hand in helping from start to finish. It is really great to see students taking the step to help out and do a lot of hard work to make sure this happens.”

we’re not advocating a full bar just yet.”

The second part of the proposal deals with BYOB tailgates, which also is modeled off of UT Austin. UTD President David Daniel waived the restriction on serving alcohol at student events for Student Affairs to supply free beer to students of age at the annual tailgate hosted by SG. However, no one has ever been allowed to bring his or her own alcohol to UTD. By using other schools as examples, the senate hopes to win administration approval for its BYOB proposal. The biggest drawback to this approach is that most UT System schools don’t

provide many details on their alcohol policies online.

Fairbank said UT Arlington recently approved BYOB tailgates and the sale of up to two alcoholic beverages at a time, per person at sporting events. UT Permian Basin and UT San Antonio also allow the sale of beer at athletic gatherings.

UT Tyler’s system is very similar to the one SG is advocating for UTD. The senate wants to implement a process in which student organizations and university departments that want to sponsor BYOB tailgates have to fill out a specific form that would have to be approved by the president or dean of students.

“I think there’s a lot that ATEC does that really isn’t appropriate for the title “Arts and Humanities,”” Dedmon said.

In classes such as computer graphics that rely heavily on programming and mathematical principles, a majority of students don’t have the required math skills, unlike students in similar classes in the engineering school, she said.

“Some ATEC Ph.D. students have had trouble getting their doctoral theses approved through administration just because when you put an ATEC student in front of a humanities board, it’s just a very different group of people, combining the typical humanities and art students with game design and all of the different things in technology that ATEC students do,” Truesdale said.

Separating out as its own school will allow ATEC to develop the necessary technical infrastructure required for advanced classes and hopefully help the varied fields of ATEC to develop as independent tracks within the new school, Dedmon said. Right now, the ATEC major is designed to make students a jack of all trades, she said.

“I hope the ATEC major gets broken off into more specific majors and less a hybrid of everything,” Dedmon said. “I think everyone would be better off in the long run, and I think as a separate school, it would be more possible.”

While EMAC has always been a branch off of ATEC, Truesdale said she hopes after the split, the new dean will prioritize both programs equally.

If the separation of ATEC from A&H goes through as proposed, it would be a good opportunity for the EMAC program to expand to multiple tracks, including an entire track around interactive design and user experience, Gallucci said.

It would also help if ATEC and EMAC courses overlapped with each other a little more than they do now, pushing digital writing into animation and integrating sound design deeper with the EMAC program, she said.

“In my experience over at UTD, especially when we moved over to the nicer building and moved out of (the old building) the two programs were very divided,” Gallucci said. “I don’t think it was done intentionally, it was just an unintended ‘I am EMAC; you are ATEC. I’ll talk to my group, you talk to your group and maybe we’ll say hi in the halls.’”

Gallucci, Dedmon and Truesdale also hope career guidance and advising will improve with the creation of a new school.

Improved A&H facilities on the way?

The verdict for Arts and Humanities was a mixed bag.

The proposal to separate ATEC and EMAC did not seem like a good idea when so much of what ATEC and EMAC majors do is interdisciplinary and requires the humanities, said Jennifer Crumley, doctoral student in studies in literature.

“I think the marriage of technology and science and arts and humanities is something that people have been trying to split up for a long time, and I think it continually seems to not work,” she said. “We seem to hear arguments like, ‘We should hire a philosopher on staff in a technology company’ like Google has done.”

However, Knudtson said she thinks the change will allow the university to focus more on fundraising for the arts and build new facilities such as a gallery space for sculptors, performance halls for music and a theater space with a proper backstage setup.

“It’ll be almost like they would be able to shine all by themselves in their own school without ATEC being the main priority,” she said.

However, most of the Erik Jonsson Academic Center, which is where the humanities lectures are held, is still not up to date and it seems that if ATEC and EMAC separate out of the school, Arts and Humanities might become a back-burner item again, Crumley said.

“One always has to be concerned a bit about the shoving under the rug of Arts and Humanities,” she said. “Being combined with ATEC and EMAC, while ATEC/EMAC certainly got the bulk of funding and the bulk of recognition, A&H was able to be in the auxiliary realm of those schools even though we existed prior to them. But the segregation as far as negative impacts might be that we just get forgotten again, which tends to be a recurring theme, not just at this school, but in our culture in general.”

Daniel spoke to the contrary at the SG meeting, citing Arts and Humanities as being vital to the university as a whole and hoping to see improvements in infrastructure in post-ATEC arts and humanities.

“There are some obvious decisions, especially in facilities,” he said. “The music facilities are not what they should be; the performance facilities are not what they should be. I really want the Arts and Humanities programs to look forward and for them to think about what they need and where they’re going to grow and invest, and we want to support that.”

However, in the little more than seven years that Crumley has attended UTD, renovations in the Jonsson building have started only in the past two. Yet, she doesn’t rule out that the proposed separation could be made to work toward the benefit of both schools.

“I can see the benefit in segregating the two if there is a plan already in place after the split to focus more energy, money and time on traditional arts and humanities,” Crumley said. “Then of course, that’s the better thing to do so that you don’t have plans in all these different paths and you can focus on your daily work and do it correctly. But if it’s just a split so that there doesn’t have to be the baggage of Arts and Humanities for ATEC and EMAC, then I think that’s the wrong approach.”