The Mercury 1/28/19

January 28, 2019

facebook.com/theutdmercury | @utdmercury

THE MERCURY

UTDMERCURY.COM

university acquires crow museum MEGAN ZEREZ Mercury Staff

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published online on Jan. 24. It has since been updated to include quotes from Sarah Kozlowski, the director of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History.

UTD acquired the Crow Collection of Asian Art in its entirety, university officials announced Thursday afternoon. In addition to the pieces currently housed in the Arts District downtown, UTD received a sum of $23 million from the foundation to maintain and house the remainder of

the collection in a second, dedicated museum to be built on campus.

The pieces currently displayed downtown represent about a third of the total collection. The acquisition comes on the heels of the donation of the Barrett collection of Swiss art in October. “(Back in the summer) having a museum on campus was a non-starter because we didn’t have any money,” Executive Vice President Hobson Wildenthal said. “We were fundraising to build the Barrett museum of Swiss art, and we had to do that first.”

→ SEE MUSEUM,

PAGE 7

PHOTO BY: CINDY FOLEFACK | MERCURY STAFF

Archer fellows navigate recent federal government shutdown Students face delays in obtaining security clearances, completing orientations

NOAH WHITEHEAD | PHOTO EDITOR

The emergency poles scattered across University Village were installed 14 years ago.

Blue emergency poles to be removed from UV ANNA SCHAEFFER Mercury Staff

ARIANA HADDEN | COURTESY

Two UTD students, part of the spring Archer Fellowship Program cohort, were scheduled to begin internships at the Department of Justice this month, but were unable to do so due to the government shutdown that ended Friday.

ANNA SCHAEFFER Mercury Staff

When economics senior Jack Sollows began his semester in Washington, D.C., he did not expect a weeks-long delay in the midst of a national government shutdown. Of the 12 UTD students participating in the D.C.-based Bill Archer Fellowship Program, three — including Sollows

— hold internships that have not yet begun because of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Archer fellows spend a semester in the nation’s capital interning and studying political science in a cohort with other UT System students. This semester, five UTD students — two at the Department of Justice and three at the Department of State — were unable to begin their original intern-

ship positions until the government shutdown ended and are still facing challenges in obtaining clearance or attending orientation for their internships. As of Jan. 24, two students chose replacement jobs elsewhere, but three students are awaiting further action.

On the 35th day of the government shutdown, congressional leaders and

→ SEE ARCHER,

PAGE 7

University Housing is removing Code Blue phones across University Village, replacing the emergency call poles with improved lighting fixtures.

Code Blue phones were installed 14 years ago and gave users a direct line of communication to police when most students did not have mobile phones. Instead of continued upkeep for the Code Blue poles — including maintenance, removal and replacement of phone lines, along with a switch from a 3G to 4G network, totaling in the tens of thousands of dollars — renovations are underway for higher-quality exterior building lighting in residential areas.

Computer science senior and Student Gov-

ernment Student Affairs committee chair Anuhya Emmandi said UTD Police Chief Larry Zacharias reported that in a 10-month window, students used the call poles 40 times. Of those calls, only one constituted an emergency, when a female injured her ankle. In 2016, students used the call poles approximately 80 times, but only 10 calls were for emergencies.

“Student Government reached out to Chief Zach to see what the status is, and do we plan on replacing them, or repairing them, or will they stay that way?” Emmandi said. “The general consensus (in Student Government) seems to be that we should reinvest that money for repairing them into additional security features like security cameras or things like that.”

She said although students rarely used the

→ SEE BLUE POLES,

PAGE 10

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

2

THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVIV No. 36

NEWS

UTD PD Blotter

Editor-in-Chief Bhargav Arimilli

editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294

Managing Editor Cindy Folefack managingeditor @utdmercury.com (972) 883-2287

Copy Editor Diego Alvarez

copyeditor@utdmercury.com

Graphics Editor Matt Strack

graphics@utdmercury.com

Photo Editor Noah Whitehead

C Jan. 17 • An unknown person was reported taking a baseball cap from the mannequin in the Visitor’s Center at 10:01 a.m.

Jan. 18 • A student reported they were defrauded by a person posing as an immigration official at Canyon Creek Heights North at 4:30 p.m.

D

A E B

photo@utdmercury.com

News Editor Emaan Bangash

news@utdmercury.com

Life & Arts Editor Ayoung Jo life@utdmercury.com

Web Editor Bharat Arimilli

web@utdmercury.com

Outreach Editor Carolina Alvarez

media@utdmercury.com

Opinion Editor Madison York

Jan. 22 • A student reported his cell phone was stolen at 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 23 • A student reported the theft of their bicycle at Residence Hall Northwest at 2:21 p.m.

Jan. 24 • Unknown person(s) were reported damaging five panes of glass at Residence Hall West at 10:04 a.m.

C

D E A

opinioneditor@ utdmercury.com

Video Editor Ryan Magee

video@utdmercury.com

Contributors Nikita Bantey Alesandra Bell Sarah Besserer EJ Chong Alexander Christie Bianca Del Rio Amina Hussain Samantha Lopez Chiamaka Mgboji Elizabeth Nguyen Anna Phengsakmueang Nicholas Provenghi Marco Salinas Anna Schaeffer Arian Shariatmadari Medha Somisetty Sarah Streety Dev Thimmisetty Zuhair Zaidi Megan Zerez

Media Adviser Chad Thomas

chadthomas@utdallas.edu (972) 883-2286

Mailing Address 800 West Campbell Road, SU 24 Richardson, TX 75080-0688 Newsroom Student Union, Student Media Suite SU 1.601 The Mercury is published on Mondays, at two-week intervals during the long term of The University of Texas at Dallas, except holidays and exam periods, and once every four weeks during the summer term.

Advertising is accepted

by The Mercury on the basis that there is no discrimination by the advertiser in the offering of goods or services to any person, on any basis prohibited by applicable law.

The publication of advertising in The Mercury does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by the newspaper, or the UTD administration.

Opinions expressed in The Mercury are those of the editor, the editorial board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily the view of the UTD administration, the Board of Regents or the Student Media Operating Board.

The Mercury’s editors retain the right to refuse or edit any submission based on libel, malice, spelling, grammar and style, and violations of Section 54.23 (f ) (1-6) of UTD policy.

Copyright © 2019, The University of Texas at Dallas. All articles, photographs and graphic assets, whether in print or online, may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without express written permission.

The Mercury is a proud member of both the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

LEGEND VEHICULAR INCIDENT

THEFT

DRUGS & ALCOHOL OTHER MAP: UTD | COURTESY

B

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

3

NEWS

Chartwells officials deny worker allegations No evidence of managerial misconduct found in investigation of food service worker grievances, Chartwells representatives say

NOAH WHITEHEAD | PHOTO EDITOR

Chartwells workers accused management of misconduct such as sexual harassment and pay withholding. Representatives said an investigation in December yielded no evidence to substantiate the allegations.

MEGAN ZEREZ Mercury Staff

Chartwells officials denied allegations of workplace harassment and unfair labor practices at their UT Dallas operation. The allegations, published in the Dec. 3 issue of The Mercury, came from numerous current and former Chartwells workers and included sexual harassment and other acts of intimidation, pay withholding and breach of contract.

“We launched an investigation for quality assurance and (human resources) and there (was) no evidence found of these allegations,” said Steven Goodwin, resident district manager of Chartwells’ UTD operations.

Goodwin said the December 2018 investigation was conducted by members of Chart-

wells’ corporate human resources office. Representatives from Chartwells’ corporate office were unable to provide detailed findings or procedures of the report.

Several employees said that they first turned to managers for help, then corporate, but found few answers. One of these employees, Frances Sanchez, was a former supervisor at Dining Hall West.

“A few of us tried calling corporate – even myself,” Sanchez said. “There’s nothing in place (for) that.”

Sanchez named another former supervisor who she said left in February 2018 because corporate did not respond to her reports of harassment.

“This lady, she knows her stuff … but just like me, she questioned (management),” San-

chez said. “But that was the problem. People don’t like change. The manager didn’t like it when she corrected him.”

The Mercury obtained evidence of grievances dating from July 2018 to January 2019, but some workers allege further issues prior to this date.

A former student worker at Chartwells’ Chick-fil-A store said that at no point was she contacted by any member of the Chartwells HR team. The worker alleged extensive sexual harassment from her former manager, both in person and online. Goodwin said the manager is no longer employed by Chartwells for reasons unrelated to the allegations of harassment.

The Mercury was able to verify incidents of harassment over text and Instagram dating to November 2018. The worker said that she ex-

perienced harassment prior to November, but she had deleted the messages, as she did not want her fiance to find out.

“We have a speak-up hotline that we give to all our associates during their onboarding (process) that’s an anonymous line,” Goodwin said. “We have associates who use it on a daily basis.”

The student worker said she was aware of the text line, but said that it still required a phone number to use and worried the information could be traced back to her.

Chartwells officials could not confirm whether responses to the hotline would be considered in any future human resources investigations.

Several of the employees interviewed for the Dec. 3 and Jan. 14 reports said they

did not receive training beyond their basic workplace responsibilities upon hiring.

Goodwin said all Chartwells associates receive extensive training upon hiring, including an employee handbook and state mandated food safety training.

Chartwells officials declined to provide a copy of any training materials or handbooks, but said the handbook and training covered “equal employment opportunity, open communication, fair treatment policy, an anonymous line for associates to voice concerns, workplace safety and a violence free workplace,” among other topics.

Chartwells officials did not respond to questions about policies regarding fraternization

→ SEE CHARTWELLS,

PAGE 10

DART passes to be accessible on mobile Electronic passes available through DART GoPass app to replace physical stickers on Comet Cards

NOAH WHITEHEAD | PHOTO EDITOR

The juvenile curfew ordinance in Dallas criminalizes minors being in a public space between 11 p.m and 6 a.m unless they are with a parent or guardian. Those found to violate the curfew receive up to a $500 fine.

Dallas curfew under review Hearings to be held on possible renewal of juvenile curfew ordinance EUNJEE CHONG | MERCURY STAFF

Officials at UTD’s Parking and Transportation Department said the electronic passes will be operational by the end of the spring semester.

MADISON YORK Mercury Staff

UTD’s Parking and Transportation Department will implement an electronic student Dallas Area Rapid Transit pass that will be available as a mobile phone app, replacing the existing physical sticker placed on Comet Cards.

All actively enrolled UTD students are eligible for free annual DART passes through the UTD Auxiliary Services website. Cris Aquino, director of UTD Parking and Transportation, said his department is currently working with DART to improve the system by giving students the option to have passes on their phones.

Available for both Android and iPhones, the DART GoPass app will allow students not only to access their DART passes electronically, but also to plan trips, said Rebecca Maples, a DART account executive. Maples said the app has been redesigned to include better security

measures and other features to make traveling more convenient. “(One) of the other features (is) you can now choose your favorite rail station,” Maples said. “When you first open it up, you’ve got those options there. You’ve got better trip planning, and maps, and more security on the credit usage when you buy the pass.”

Maples said DART is recruiting other DFW-area colleges to the GoPass system, and — though the GoPass mobile app has been in use by DART for approximately six years — UTD has only recently started the process of implementing the GoPass system, joining others such as Southern Methodist University, UT Southwestern, University of North Texas Dallas College of Law and the Dallas County Community College District.

Aqunio said UTD is tentatively planning to complete GoPass integration by the end of the spring semester.

→ SEE DART,

PAGE 10

MARCO SALINAS Mercury Staff

The Dallas City Council will host two public hearings to decide whether to reinstate, modify or abandon the city’s juvenile curfew ordinance.

The curfew applied to minors in a public space between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between 12:01 a.m. and 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday, with some exceptions. Exceptions to the ordinance allow for juveniles to be out past curfew if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian, on an errand at the direction of a parent or guardian, involved in an emergency, going home from an employment activity or attending a school or religious event.

Violating the curfew results in a misdemeanor and up to a $500 fine, which is the same amount as the penalty for violating the existing juvenile curfew in Richardson. The Dallas curfew expired on Jan. 18, but may be reinstated following a city council vote.

At a public safety and criminal justice committee meeting on Jan. 14, Executive Assistant Chief of Dallas Police David Pughes said the police department recommends de-

criminalization for curfew violations.

“We are asking that if we do re-establish a curfew, we believe that it’s in our best interest, the juveniles’ best interest, their families’ and ultimately the city’s best interest to decriminalize the punishment and penalties for a curfew violation,” Pughes said.

The recommended penalties are a warning for the first offense and community service instead of a fine.

“We feel like just issuing a juvenile a citation that results in up to a $500 fine, the average fine is about $271 — that ultimately that doesn’t fix the problem longterm,” Pughes said. “And it oftentimes puts juveniles and their families in a worse situation than they were when we confront them in the first place.”

David Rocha, a Dallas resident and psychology and child learning and development junior, said he supports lesser punishments for any replacement curfew.

“A lot of these people that do get fined are in financial struggles, so adding a $500 fine is an even bigger burden for them to go through,” Rocha said. “Whereas if you gave the child community service, it’s something that doesn’t actually put much stress on them.

It just takes time.”

At the Jan. 14 committee meeting, council member Rick Callahan, who represents District 5, said he is against decriminalization.

“I think it is unnecessary to (decriminalize) the behavior for violation of the teen curfew,” Callahan said. “However, I believe that the Dallas Police Department should reserve the right or have the authority to write citations for egregious or more serious violations — perhaps those in addition to another violation of the law, while the curfew is being violated as well.”

At the same meeting, council member Omar Narvaez, who represents District 6, said the curfew is used to disproportionately target minority youth.

A DPD report from June 2018 said of all curfew violations between January 2017 and June 2018, Latinos were issued 70.83 percent, African Americans 18.38 percent and whites were issued 10.05 percent.

“DPD’s report of nighttime curfew violations broken down by district illustrates apparent disproportionate enforcement in council District 6 — which is the district I

→ SEE CURFEW,

PAGE 10

4

LIFE&ARTS

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

Chartwells launches feedback platform New messaging program allows students to talk to management real-time

NIKITA BANTEY | MERCURY STAFF

ATEC sophomore Aaliyah Jaleel began using Tumblr and Instagram to share her artwork, which caught the attention of an editorial director at a publishing company.

Hijabi student illustrates to inspire Self-taught artist contributes to children’s books to promote representation of hijabi women in media EMAAN BANGASH Mercury Staff

At 12 years old, ATEC sophomore Aaliya Jaleel began posting her art on social media such as Tumblr and Instagram. Her illustrations soon caught the attention of editors at Lee and Low Books, a children’s book publisher.

“Tumblr was where the editorial director of Lee and Low found me because she was looking for hijabi artists,” Jaleel said. “She literally just searched up ‘hijabi’ in the Tumblr search bar and found my work and my portfolio and went from there.”

In October 2017, Jaleel began illustrating for the book “Under My Hijab” by Hena Khan.

“It was really exciting and nerve-wracking because I was like, ‘Am I really the right person for this job?’” Jaleel said. “It was like that imposter syndrome thing where it’s like, ‘I don’t know if I’m good enough for this, I can’t believe they chose me to do it.’”

Jaleel said she wanted to pursue a career in film and animation before she began to

illustrate children’s books. She had always been interested in film and cartoons and wanted to see more hijab-wearing women represented in the media.

“That was definitely something I wanted to see done, and so that’s why I started drawing hijabi characters and whatnot,” Jaleel said. “It’s really exciting because now I’m looking at all the different media and there are more instances of representation, and I see even hijabi background characters.”

A self-taught artist, Jaleel attended a private high school where no art classes were offered. She started posting her art on different social media sites in middle school.

She did portrait commissions in high school and published her illustrations in a self-published book called “Ali and the Moon” by Mehnaz Kafray.

Jaleel said when she illustrated “Under My Hijab,” she often had to manage time for school and illustration, working under a flexible schedule with monthly deadlines.

Jaleel said she would structure her days so that she could do homework one day and illustrate the book the next day.

“Everyone at the publishing company was really flexible because they knew I was a student, so if I had like finals or midterms coming up, I could be like, ‘Can we push this deadline to next week?’” she said. “They would be willing to do that.”

Jaleel has two book deals with publishing companies Simon and Schuster and HarperCollins. She said she was recommended by the editors from Lee and Low to Simon and Schuster. HarperCollins found her work in Publishers Weekly announcements and from checking her website.

“Don’t be afraid to put your work out there,” Jaleel said. “Even if you don’t like it, there are people out there that will love it.”

ATEC junior Huda Moopen said she first saw Jaleel’s work on social media.

Later, they were in the same animation class together during their freshman year, where she said Jaleel would send her and her friends sketches and ask for their help on color and design choices.

“I got to see all the black and white sketches, and seeing where she started and seeing the book in person complete

CAMEROONIAN food EMAAN BANGASH Mercury Staff

Although African cuisine in general has been significantly influenced by centuries of colonialism, it still remains fairly unique compared to other cuisines in neighboring continents and countries. This episode, I had the opportunity to make a traditional Cameroonian dish, eru, with fellow Mercury staffer Cindy Folefack.

Contrary to what I believed, eru is actually pronounced “err-oh,” with a guttural “r.” Eru is a Cameroonian dish made from okazi leaves, spinach and different types of meat such as beef, turkey or fish.

The okazi leaves have a surprisingly large amount of protein and make for a sizeable meal when combined with the different meats. Eru is traditionally eaten with fufu, which is a staple side food made from ground cassava or plantain.

Mixed with water and vigorously pounded in a pot, fufu is fluffy and doughy.

Making the eru was simple enough and wasn’t very different from making a stew or soup. Folefack had me chopping beef chunks to be simmered in a pot along with some chicken bouillon cubes, dried fish and crayfish. The dried fish still had the bones in them and were fairly sharp so Folefack instructed me to hold the bag of dried fish from the top so my fingers wouldn’t be poked by the bones in the bag. Much to my despair, she added a hefty amount of the dried fish with the bones still intact into the pot.

She soaked the eru leaves in a large bucket of water and left it to sit for about 15 minutes. After the meat was fairly soaked and cooked through, she added spinach and eru leaves. She also garnished the stew with some oil from large bottle filled with a thick bright orange substance, which turned out to be palm oil. I noticed throughout the cooking process that she added little to no spices other than palm oil and the bouillon cube, which was added for taste.

Fufu was even simpler to make — we added a pink-tinted flour to a boil-

and done is an incredible experience because I just got to see her work at every stage,” Moopen said.

Moopen said Jaleel would try to finish homework weeks in advance so she could have time to work on her illustrations. She said she would make sure Jaleel would give herself breaks in between working and helped motivate her throughout.

“In addition to being a student, she’d have other projects she’d be working on, and sometimes she’d just get really caught up with it all, even during breaks,” Moopen said. “When we’d be hanging out, she’d always be working on her iPad on the book, so sometimes I’d just have to catch her in between and we’d go on boba runs or explore new art museums.”

Jaleel said she looks forward to the progress being made on hijab representation in film and animation in the near future.

“I really hope that I can be an inspiration for other hijabi or young artists that are like, ‘Oh, if she can do it, so can I,’” she said.

RYAN MAGEE | MERCURY STAFF

ing pot of water and stirred vigorously to make the fluffy dough. We then wrapped it in plastic to maintain its shape and left it to cool.

When we sat down to eat the eru, Folefack gave me some palm wine, which is a drink made from the sap of palm trees such as coconut and date palm trees. It looked very milky and green and tasted faintly of kombucha drink and ginger ale, but without the carbonation. She told me repeatedly that she hated the drink, but I ended up finishing my glass gleefully as she looked on in disgust.

Trying eru was something entirely different. Folefack instructed me to take a bit of the fufu and eru together into one morsel in my fingertips. This was something I was used to because we use the same method to eat Pakistani dishes, except we use thick bread called roti or naan. During the first bite, I felt something hard and sharp in my mouth and was terrified that it was a fish bone.

Thankfully, it turned out to be the okazi leaves, which were hardy and thick. The okazi leaves and spinach went wonder-

fully with the beef and other meats in the dish. The flavor was rich, and I was surprised to note that neither the fish nor the beef overpowered the other.

The fufu tasted like a thicker version of mashed potatoes, but the combination of soft fufu and hard and chewy eru worked well together.

It is interesting how this Cameroonian dish doesn’t include any sort of spices beyond basic salt, pepper and flavors from different meats. Folefack told me that African dishes usually contained so much meat that sometimes she would crave vegetarian dishes. The stew smelled strong but fresh, and I could sense that the taste would mostly consist of the flavors of the beef, spinach and Okazi leaves themselves. Coming from a culture where we normally marinate everything we eat in masala, spice powders and oils, it was a strange concept for me, but it wasn’t an unpleasant experience. On the contrary, I found it refreshing to be able to experience the raw flavors of the ingredients of a dish, and eru was definitely a worthwhile dish to try.

MEDHA SOMISETTY | MERCURY STAFF

Students can text 972-808-5028 to address concerns or give suggestions to Dining Services management.

ZUHAIR ZAIDI Mercury Staff

In response to a rising number of student suggestions and complaints regarding dining on campus, UTD Dining Services created a messaging portal to allow students to anonymously provide feedback on all matters related to dining on campus.

The portal will allow students to suggest improvements or complain about issues they’ve faced at Dining Services outlets on campus. The app will put them in contact with one of Dining Services’ managers.

Steven Goodwin, the resident district manager for Chartwells, UTD’s food service provider, said the initiative provides Chartwells and Dining Services a source of inspiration and motivation for improvements that can be made on campus.

“We really want to have a pulse for what students really want and need in the moment,” Goodwin said. “Our managers can have access to that information and be able to get someone out there to address the need within a couple of minutes.”

The messaging program, which operates on a platform called Chatback, allows students to engage by texting their question, comment or concern to 972-808-5028. The service will then return an automated message to the student that will let them know that a Dining Services manager will respond to their concern within 24 hours.

Director of Food and Retail Carrie Chutes said the program was created in response to suggestions and complaints about Dining Services and Chartwells that were made on other platforms such as Reddit.

“We just don’t want people to feel that they never have the opportunity to get in touch,” Chutes said. “This program is a way to make it a fail-safe proof that they have someone to get in touch with immediately.”

Rani Chavez, the marketing director for Chartwells, said the app will allow students to have a more customized and safe experience with regard to dining on campus.

“We encourage students to come see a chef or manager if they have any specified allergens they want us to know,” Chavez said. “Our team is more than happy to work with students on their specific meal plan and be able to cater to them in a suitable way.”

Students can attend Food Service Advisory Committee meetings to directly engage with Dining Services personnel. The next meeting will be held Jan. 29 at 12 p.m. in SSA 14.244.

Electrical engineering sophomore Ali Muhsin said the creation of a messaging platform was a necessary improvement.

“Honestly, with such a large audience to cater to, maintaining a certain level of standard at dining halls and retail locations is definitely difficult to manage for both the university and students,” Muhsin said. “Having a program like this where students are free to voice themselves is essential to maintaining and improving the standard UTD holds itself to.”

SPORTS

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

5

NOAH WHITEHEAD | PHOTO EDITOR

Junior forward Jordan Castillo scored against East Texas Baptist University at a Jan. 10 game where the Comets took home a sweeping win with a final score of 113-73.

Men's basketball maintains winning streak ARIAN SHARIATMADARI Mercury Staff

The men’s basketball team has been off to a strong start this season, remaining undefeated since Dec. 8. On Thursday, the team took home a narrow victory against Belhaven University in Mississippi, with a final score of 72-71.

Sophomore guard Javon Snow said the team’s overall dynamic is a factor in its continued success.

“It’s a good atmosphere, we’re a really close-knit group and we’re really playing well together this year,” Snow said.

Belhaven closed the first half with a 10-point lead but missed 21 field goals and 13 three pointers in the

second half, which ended up costing them the game.

“We are currently in a battle in our league in the American Southwest Conference.

We’re trying to win the East Division,” said Terry Butterfield, the head coach of the men’s team. “The winner of the division will be the one that hosts the conference tournament this year at the end of the season.”

Hosting the conference tournament has been a long-time ambition for Butterfield, who is in his 19th year as a head coach for the men’s team. The mewen’s team has not won the conference championship since 2014, and hosting it could be important in winning the tournament this year.

“We definitely want to host the con-

ference tournament this year,” Snow said. “So, we’re in position to do that if we keep winning and have a shot at the national tournament.”

Last year’s ASC East Division champion was LeTourneau University, with 24 overall wins, whereas the Comets are currently at 15.

“We’re doing what we need to do on the court, on and off the court, and it’s translating to our record,” said freshman forward Simeon Soname.

This time last season, the team had six losses and 12 wins. Butterfield said though last year’s record was not the worst, this team’s performance season has been markedly different.

“Each season is different, there’s no two seasons that are alike,” Butterfield said.

He said cutting losses in half by this point has been a key indicator of improvement, but there is still some ways to go to secure victory.

“Nothing’s been decided,” Butterfield said. “Everything is very much up in the air. We have eight league games left. Everything is basically up for grabs right now.”

Since the recent game against Belhaven, the team improved its record to 15-3. Butterfield said the right mentality is important in achieving results.

“It’s easy to have high morale when you’re winning and experiencing success. I think that success breeds confidence, and hopefully confidence can be turned into more success,” Butterfield said. “They sort of are dependent on each other.”

Butterfield said the potential impact a loss in the final stretch would have on the morale of the team wouldn’t hold the players back for long.

“I think that guys have to be resilient when things don’t go their way,” he said. “You have to turn the page and you have to get on to the next one.”

In regard to the final eight games the team has to play, Butterfield said one of the most important ways to help the team carry on is the fans.

“It makes a huge difference when we have our student body come out to support,” Butterfield said. “There’s nothing harder than being on the road and playing in front of a partisan crowd, pulling for the other team.”

Long-time chess team coach set to retire Rade Milovanovic leaves team after two decades, 10 Final Four victories DEV THIMMISETTY Mercury Staff

ANNA PHENGSAKMUEANG | MERCURY STAFF

Chess team coach Rade Milovanovic got started at UTD in 1999. 20 years and three Final Four appearances later, he's saying goodbye to the team.

After 20 years with the UTD chess team, coach Rade Milovanovic is retiring.

Before the season began in the fall of 2018, Milovanovic notified the team he would be retiring to spend more time with his family.

Milovanovic started working with the UTD chess program in 1999, shortly after immigrating to the U.S. from Yugoslavia — present day Bosnia-Herzegovina — where he was a member of the national chess team.

“I came to the U.S. because of the civil war in ex-Yugoslavia,” he said. “Like a refugee, I came here in 1998 with my family.”

In Yugoslavia, Milovanovic worked as a lawyer and played chess in his free time.

Although he wasn’t earning an income through chess, Milovanovic played at the level of International Master, which requires recognition by the World Chess Federation. The IM title is the secondhighest title a chess player can possibly receive, next to Grandmaster. Milovanovic coaches IMs and GMs on the UTD team.

“When I came to United States in 1998, I played one tournament here at the same time as the Pan-American Collegiate Championship,” he said. “There I met Dr. Tim Redman, who was director of the (UTD) chess program at the time. After this, we connected, and I went to work with him.”

In the fall of 1999, Milovanovic joined the team as a chess trainer, traveling with the team to Canada for the Pan-America Collegiate Championship. The tournament is often the biggest, most prestigious

tournament of the year, he said. The top four teams play in another tournament named The Final Four — formally known as the President’s Cup — to determine the best college team in the country. Although UTD didn’t win the Pan-Am Championship in 1999, the team has won the tournament 10 times since Milovanovic joined the program.

Milovanovic’s role as a chess trainer involved working on analyzing games with players and making tournament arrangements, but after two years, he made the transition to coach of the team, giving him the final authority on who gets to play in what tournament and how the chess team should practice. “(Being a coach) was not new because I was 44 years old when I came. I was doing this before, not professionally, but as a team captain as we called it in Europe,” said Milovanovic. “I would take a team of guys to travel for a week or two for a chess tournament. I managed the group and handled the travel arrangements and everything.”

Milovanovic said in his mind, the job of a chess coach has been the same as a coach in other professional sports.

“Like any other sport, you are making decisions on who will play and who will not play, and you work with the players to see what’s best,” he said. “You have to travel — there are trainings and so on — and you must always be preparing. You have to analyze past games and your opponents, and consistent practice is very important.”

Information technology and systems graduate student and chess team member Kacper Drozdowski said the coach’s experience in playing chess was always memorable.

“He has been playing chess for so long,

you know? It’s always interesting to hear what he has to say about how chess used to be played and how it should be played,” Drozdowski said. “I like hearing about how the university used to be or how it was when he was working as a lawyer.”

Milovanovic said his favorite memory with the team was a comeback story.

“I remember one event in 2003. It was Pan-Am in Miami when we, for the first time, took a clear first place,” he said. “This was special because we were the underdogs.

The team from Baltimore was the heavy favorite, but we somehow beat them.”

The program’s current director, Jim Stallings, said Milovanovic’s calm presence was always reassuring.

“When you’re in a competitive situation, things can go up and things can go down.

It’s great to have a coach who can be steady through all of that,” Stallings said. “We can only hope our new coach will have as much (of) a record as Rade did.”

The chess program is currently searching for a new coach, who should be coming on to the team in the very near future, Stallings said.

“We want a new coach as soon as we can, so maybe February,” he said. “We want to give the coach time to prepare the students for the Final Four in April.”

Milovanovic said he will always look back and cherish his time with UTD. “If somebody asks me what the beauty is of playing chess, the best thing is the people. You don’t tend to remember the results, but you remember the people,” he said. “More than a hundred students passed through the program, and I got to meet a lot of different students from all different paths of life.”

6

COMICS

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

SPIDERMOC

ALL WORK NO PLAY

BIANCA DEL RIO | MERCURY STAFF

BLACKBOARD PREMIUM

SPARK JOY OR ELSE

CHIAMAKA MGBOJI | MERCURY STAFF

CAROLINA ALVAREZ | MERCURY STAFF

UTD LOOTBOX

EJ CHONG | MERCURY STAFF

WEIRD ICEBREAKERS

SARAH BESSERER | MERCURY STAFF

ELIZABETH NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF

O&B: URINE TROUBLE

PRESS ‘F’ FOR RESPECTS

SARAH STREETY | MERCURY STAFF

MARVELOUS MAZE

RYAN MAGEE | MERCURY STAFF

MATT STRACK | GRAPHICS EDITOR

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

7

NEWS

→ ARCHER

→ MUSEUM

President Donald Trump agreed on a three-week deal to temporarily reopen the government and continue holding discussions on the immigration issues at the crux of the shutdown.

Sollows is interning at the Department of Justice in the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, where his clearance paperwork hasn’t been processed since mid-December. He said on the official internship start date, Jan. 22, all Archers in non-governmental positions began their positions, but some in government-related internships have still been unable to commence work.

“I was lucky enough to get temporary work from my office to bridge the gap, but it would be much nicer if I was able to work fully,” Sollows said before congressional leaders and President Trump came to an agreement. “The main effect is in the uncertainty.”

After the government reopened, Sollows said he was grateful for the backpay included in the temporary resolution for federal workers.

“Having personally seen the effects that it’s caused in some offices, it’s very good that the offer gives support for those people,” Sollows said. “For the support of the Archer fellows, this uncertainty is removed temporarily, but there’s no guarantee that we won’t be in this same situation in three weeks.

If we’re here again, it’ll be false hope, but if we’re not, it’ll be progress towards something better.”

Keenan Courtland, a program coordinator at the Archer Center, said the center has dealt with government furloughs before, but this shutdown requires long-term backup plans because of the uncertainty in whether the government will remain open after three weeks.

“The previous longest furlough in our time was 17 days,” Courtland said. "In this case, we’re much more prepared for it to go on much longer.

My philosophy, and I think this is shared by the Archer Center, is making sure that students are engaged in

By late summer, the Crow Family Foundation, which has operated the museum since its founding, offered UTD an additional “bridge” grant of $23 million.

“The Crow family decided that they could free up money to give to UTD to build a second museum on campus,” Wildenthal said. “At that point, things took off.”

About $20 million of that grant will be used to construct a standalone building on campus to house the art, Amy Hofland, executive director of the Crow Museum, said. She said the UTD museum is set to open within the next three to five years.

“We’ve already got great science, engineering and management (programs),” Wildenthal said. “But up until now, we’ve been relatively undistinguished in the arts.”

Hofland said the merger fulfilled multiple needs for all stakeholders.

“It was really looking at shared needs and complementary resources,” Hofland said. “The things that Crow needed, UTD had. And UTD wanted a museum.”

The museum itself had outgrown its downtown facilities, Hofland said.

Currently, only a third of the collection can be displayed at a given time, and there is no space for educational and cultural programming.

Hofland said in talks with Asian American leaders, it became clear that the downtown museum was not always accessible to those whose heritage it hoped to celebrate. “(Richardson) is a major population center for Asian Americans,” Hofland said. “We need to be responsive to the cultural life of the region, not just the city.”

Another concern was financial sustainability.

“The Crow family has donated tens of millions of dollars to the museum, and they certainly could continue to do that,” Hofland said. “But for a museum to thrive, it has to be held by the public trust. It has to leave the nest.”

Discussions to move the collection and merge operations formally began

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ARIANA HADDEN | COURTESY

Economics senior Jack Sollows was supposed to intern at the Department of Justice's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, but has not yet been able to begin working because of the 35-day government shutdown.

what’s happening around them. If your site is impacted, it’s a learning opportunity in its own right. This is not just a wall in front of them, but something they can better understand bureaucracy or the city through.”

Biology senior Matthew Gehrlein’s security clearance had already been processed before the shutdown, but his internship at the State Department’s Office of International Narcotics Law Enforcement could not start because there was no staff available to conduct his orientation. He said State Department employees returned to work January 22, but because of a month-long absence caused by the shutdown, intern orientation was pushed back by two weeks.

“I didn’t realize how much the government shutdown would affect me until I got the email,” Gehrlein said. “It was hard to empathize with the government workers until it affected me personally. But I am not counting on this (job) to survive. It helps me understand more of what they’re experiencing.”

Sollows said for him and a few other Archer fellows, the situation is complicated because the federal workers who process clearance for interns were furloughed, so now those employees have to return to work, finish processing clearances

and finally induct the interns.

“Now it’s a race against the clock as to whether they can onboard me and the other Archer fellows in these next three weeks,” Sollows said. “Three weeks goes by fast here, considering it’s only 15 business days.”

Both Sollows and Gehrlein said the Archer Center has provided extensive help for fellows affected by the shutdown.

“I’m grateful to be here, and (the Archer Center) is reaching out to other offices to see if I can find some temporary work,” Gehrlein said. “It’s been neat to experience it at the heart of where the political crisis is happening.”

Courtland said students affected by the shutdown have taken the opportunity to learn more about the nation’s capital, and the Archer Center will continue to encourage fellows in their ideas and aspirations.

“These challenges are difficult but also create an amazing opportunity for resilience,” Courtland said. “If there is an intention to work within certain agencies, we’ll work through a student’s ideas. It’s an opportunity for students to stay within the track they wanted to do and find opportunities that still allow them to grow for their future goals, both productive and impactful for their careers.”

in December 2017, spearheaded by Richard Brettell, a UTD professor.

“I gave a talk in November about the future of the Crow Museum, and Dr. Brettell heard the talk,” Hofland said. “(He) had the idea that the Crow Collection...could be a part of a new strategy to bring arts and culture to the campus.”

Wildenthal said Brettell was instrumental in securing the most recent donation. Brettell founded the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History, which will oversee the Crow Collection. He has also spearheaded efforts to secure the Barrett collection of Swiss art and the Davidow collection of contemporary art, which is currently housed in JSOM. Brettell’s connection with the Crow donation stretches back to 1997, when he advocated for the creation of a public museum to showcase the Crow family’s extensive collection of Asian art. Less than a year later, the museum opened its doors on Flora Street.

“He’s the kind of person who sees things before they materialize,” Hofland said. “He brought us all together…and didn’t think about the impossibilities of it all.”

Hofland said in making the decision, stakeholders had taken note of how quickly UTD has grown in the last few years.

Dennis Kratz, the dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, said he hoped that with the Barrett and Crow donations, the School of Arts and Humanities will get more attention.

“It’s a great moment for the university and the School (of Arts and Humanities),” Kratz said. “It’s part of our goal to balance UTD, to get us the same sort of reputation for the humanities and the liberal arts that we have for science.”

Sarah Kozlowski, director of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History, said she hopes the recent donations will open new faculty positions in the O’Donnell Institute and in the School of Arts and Humanities.

The O’Donnell Institute does not currently have a scholar of Asian art — a shortcoming they will soon be

remedying, Kozlowski said.

“We will be of course partnering with the wonderful Jacqueline Chao, who’s (the) curator at the Crow and a scholar of Chinese art,” Kozlowski said. “But I think it will be important to think about more faculty hires in the field of Asian art.”

Kozlowski said the newly acquired Crow collection would fulfill one of the major initiatives of the O’Donnell Institute.

“I’m especially excited to partner with the Crow to pursue object-led research and teaching,” Kozlowski said. “The individual objects (are) … points of departure for exploration of global art history.”

Hofland said the Crow’s current curatorial staff will continue to oversee the collection even after the transition to UTD but is excited to work with the School of Arts and Humanities to add new programming that serves campus needs.

In addition to the new museum, UTD will continue to operate the Arts District facility. Wildenthal said the museum’s current location on Flora Street allows UTD to have an increased presence downtown.

“We have the UTD room at the Dallas Museum of Art … but that’s only one room,” Wildenthal said. “(Now) we have a footprint downtown by the DMA and the Nasher and the Dallas Symphony and the Dallas Opera. UTD will be right down there with the major cultural players of Dallas.”

Wildenthal said with the Crow and Barrett acquisitions, UTD continues to make a name for itself as a capable recipient of donations from art collectors. He also hinted at a future, separate museum to join the Crow and Barrett museums on campus.

“We hope both collections will be merely the nucleus of an evergrowing (group of) museums,” Wildenthal said. “Many private collectors … when their generations turn over, want to do something with (their art collections) and they’ll have a natural home (at UTD) so that these collections can grow.”

8

OPINION

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

Steven Crowder

Harms Debate: Change my mind.

NICHOLAS PROVENGHI Contributor

E

ven if you’ve had the pleasure of not knowing Steven Crowder — the former actor/comedian and current conservative social media darling — you may have still heard of his video series “Change My Mind,” which regularly pulls millions of views on YouTube. On Jan. 22, Crowder brought his specific brand of infotainment back to UTD for the third time in two years, asking students to change his mind about the proposed border wall.

In the aftermath of an unexpected appearance behind the now memetic sign, I got a firsthand experience as to how Crowder’s process works.

Having only found out about Crowder’s appearance as it was in full swing, there wasn’t necessarily time for me to prepare for any kind of interaction. It was a frantic message from a friend, one of those who went out to protest his appearance, that drew me into the fray.

When I walked onto the Plinth, my friend was scared, surrounded and being harassed by the crowd while Crowder himself shoved a microphone and camera in their face. After repeatedly saying that they were uncomfortable, I wanted to drag the attention away from them, so I spoke up. I engaged and unwitting-

ly sealed my fate as the newest throwaway face of “snowflake triggering!!!”

The conversation started with me calling out Crowder’s exploitation of emotional labor. Crowder, however, labeled it differently and used it as the pinned comment of our interaction on the Facebook upload of the video, entitled “PROTESTOR SCREAMS Then Rethinks,” as the most chuckle-worthy moment of the day. To clarify my point, it’s important to define emotional labor — a sociological concept that surrounds the work done internally to control one’s emotions in the context of a job, such as a nurse showing compassion to their patients, or a clerk maintaining a smile in the face of a screaming customer. The one regret I have is misusing this term, as I couldn’t think of a better way to describe what Crowder does, which is inspire an emotional reaction in bystanders and then exploit it.

But that was the crux of the conversation.

Crowder knowingly does and says inflammatory things, making claims that center on highly emotional issues, such as immigration, gun-control, abortion and so on.

And his description of the video — “Let the triggering commence!” — proves the emotions of his interview partners are the focus rather than any kind of fact. In doing this, he’s allowed to make a profit off the emotions of the frequently nameless people responding to his requests for “debates” while

they get thrown to the wolves without even the dignity of being named.

During our own conversation, short, choppy, derailing questions peppered the discussion from his end. The most notable moment of the whole video, where Crowder made fun of “emotional labor” to another protestor three feet in front of me, provoked the exact reaction that became the focus of the whole video.

My emotional moment was on the train to capitalization for some dude with a big sign and hastily assembled mob of onlookers.

And there was nothing I could do anymore.

Of course, there’s been cyberbullying, or at least attempts at such. YouTube is full of assertions of my being a “soy boy,” less than a man, a “snowflake,” and one person who really thought that saying I should become a BuzzFeed Try Guy was the most scathing thing they could say. But that’s not bothersome, at least to me. The lack of control of my image, and the misinterpretation of such, is the worst, most infuriating part of the experience. If it felt like I had been given a chance to steer the debate, then maybe it would be easier to stomach, but to be reduced to a screaming protestor, only having the benefit of my first name, is the most demeaning thing possible. And it’s a trend in media, especially online media.

People turn into memes and jokes all the time and lose their agency. It’s an ethical

black hole and, for too long, has been accepted as a facet of the internet. It started on forum boards and image hosting sites, but now it is part of the fully-fledged online media machine.

Being part of this circus has reaffirmed the importance of facts. And when Crowder finally ponied up some facts, the conversation returned to its stated premise — the border wall. But it wasn’t actually about the wall — it never was. Wanting to have an actual discussion about the wall and its effects is admirable, not duping people who have an inkling of interest into being part of some kind of manipulative sideshow for the entertainment of people whose minds have usually been made up already.

Crowder can’t come to UTD without being invited anymore, as he learned when he was asked to leave campus during his first appearance when the sign read, “I'm Pro-Gun: Change My Mind,” and, as was previously mentioned, the College Republicans were responsible for his latest visit. If this is the best that we as UTD students think we can do to facilitate discussion of national issues on campus, I’m issuing a challenge to all of us to do better. To be aware of the human factor that plays into all issues. To not demean those who have an emotional response in the face of genuinely upsetting topics. And to want to have these discussions in a meaningful way rather than near-exploitative.

CHIAMAKA MGBOJI | MERCURY STAFF

Remix to conviction Public must maintain pressure on judicial officials to get justice for R. Kelly victims CINDY FOLEFACK Managing Editor In early January, Lifetime aired a documentary series chronicling R&B singer Robert “R.” Kelly’s history of sexual assault and pedophilia, with alleged crimes going back 30 years. In all six episodes, one point was made overwhelmingly clear: R. Kelly’s success is fueled by not only the enablers who continue to support him, but also by the willful ignorance of those who don’t even take the time to listen to his victims. This ignorance has allowed him to victimize girls as young as 13. Until we start paying attention, he won’t stop.

The series, “Surviving R. Kelly,” starts by detailing Kelly’s relationship with singer Aaliyah, who met him when she was 12. Kelly helped Aaliyah write, record and produce her debut album, released in 1994. “Age Ain’t Nothing but A Number,” was a chart-topping, multiplatinum album that jump-started Aaliyah’s career. This success was followed by

a media bombshell when Vibe magazine discovered a secret marriage certificate, where the then 15-year-old singer was listed as 18, the legal age to marry then 27-year-old Kelly without parental consent. The marriage was quickly annulled after reports of the certificate came out and should’ve been enough evidence of Kelly’s predatory behavior to end his career. So why didn’t it?

At the time, the Aaliyah story was treated as media gossip, a topic for latenight talk shows, rather than a clear pattern of grooming and pedophilia on Kelly’s part. Kelly’s fame allowed him to ride out the media storm, until a tape of the singer raping and urinating on his 13-year-old goddaughter became public in 2002. Again, the story was treated as media fodder. Singer John Legend, who appeared in the docuseries, said the tape was being sold on street corners in New York at the time. Kelly was charged with 21 counts of manufacturing child pornography, seven of which were eventually dropped after it was discovered that police failed to obtain a search warrant before entering Kelly’s prop-

erty, a jury later acquitted the singer of the remaining 14 counts. Months later, Kelly’s hit single “Ignition,” was topping charts. At this point, Kelly’s career had survived an illegal marriage with a minor, several lawsuits from women alleging they were sexually abused by the singer while underage, not one, but two sex tapes with underage girls and pornographic photos of himself raping underage women. So why do Kelly and his career seem so invincible?

According to a 2017 report from the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality, black girls are seen as “less innocent and more adult-like” than their white peers. Survey participants believed that black girls need less protection and know more about sex than white girls of the same age. This sentiment was echoed by victims and interviewees in the docuseries. Radio host Charlamagne tha God, who appeared in the series said, “I always say if you want to get away with murder, kill a black rapper. If you want to get away with sexual assault, assault a young black girl.” One of the jurors who secured Kelly’s not guilty verdict also ap-

RYAN MAGEE | MERCURY STAFF

peared in the series, saying he didn’t the believe the women who testified in the child pornography case because, “The way they dress, the way they act — I didn’t like them.” Other jurors said they couldn’t be sure if the girl in the video was Kelly’s goddaughter, even after the girl’s aunt positively identified her to police and in court.

In July 2017, BuzzFeed News released a damning report detailing the stories of concerned parents who lost their children to Kelly. According to the story,

Kelly took away the girls’ phones, cutting them off from their families, forced them to call him “Daddy” and subjected them to physical and sexual abuse. The report prompted one woman, Oronike Odeleye, to start the #MuteRKelly movement, with the goal of getting Kelly to face trial for his crimes as well as end his music career. The movement gained traction and managed to cancel a few of Kelly’s concerts in the summer of 2018.

→ SEE R.KELLY,

PAGE 9

Shutdown at the D.C. corral Partial government closure necessary to reexamine issue of border security ALEXANDER CHRISTIE Contributor

EJ CHONG | MERCURY STAFF

During the Trump presidency, Americans have seen many records broken. We’ve broken all sorts of stock market records. No president has had more federal judicial appointments than President Trump at this point in his presidency. Now, we’ve had the longest government shutdown. However, the term “government shutdown” is a purely bureaucratic term.

What has occurred at the southern border of the U.S. every day for the last 30 years has proven that even when the government has been open, immigration laws have been negligently enforced, and that shutting down the government over them was necessary.

The best strategy Democrats have come up with as an explanation for why we were in crisis mode is that government workers were missing their paychecks. Of course, this narrative does not explain why we were not in enough of a crisis to keep the congressional Democrats in Washington, D.C. to negotiate

with President Trump, instead of hanging out with Lin Manuel Miranda in Puerto Rico.

It is ironic that congressional Democrats want us to feel bad about non-contractor government workers missing one or two paychecks for which they are guaranteed back pay, especially since some of these same government workers are responsible for crafting policies which have led to an uncompetitive, overregulated job market in the United States which has lowered private sector wages and benefits. If those who worked in manufacturing and mining got that sweet of a deal, Donald Trump could never have been elected in the first place.

Light joking at the expense of our nation’s bureaucrats aside, it would be disingenuous to not touch on the original reason for the shutdown, since there has been scant progress on funding a new wall, a signature promise of Donald Trump’s campaign.

Apart from being a signature Trump promise, building more walls and fences along the southern border is also a tried and true idea. A blend of a border wall and laws targeting im-

migrants have decreased illegal immigration into Israel by over 99 percent, according to statistics published by the country’s Ministry of the Interior. It was a good idea when Donald Trump walked down the escalator in Trump Tower and it was a good idea in 2006 when almost every prominent Senate Democrat, including then-Sen. Barack Obama, who now bellyache about Trump building more physical barriers, voted in favor of the Secure Fence Act, which proposed the construction of 700 miles of border fencing as well as additional checkpoints, lighting and expansion of newer technology such as cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a country where the federal budget is over $4 trillion, according to the White House’s budget for fiscal year 2019, the money Trump is requesting is $5.7 billion dollars for a border wall, about 0.13 percent of the federal budget.

An impasse over this miniscule amount of money is why government workers were not being paid. Congressional Democrats have

→ SEE SHUTDOWN,

PAGE 9

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

9

OPINION

→ R. KELLY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

The Time’s Up campaign even backed the movement, until media attention died. Within two months, the story faded from headlines and, seemingly, the public’s memory, until the docuseries aired.

It shouldn’t take constant reminders of the harrowing abuse Kelly inflicted and continues to inflict on his victims to get us to act.

There are girls trapped in Kelly’s mansions and recording studio who haven’t seen their families in years. These girls have a future of sexual victimization awaiting them, unless we take off our blindfolds and stop feigning ignorance to Kelly’s crimes. If you or someone you know streams his music, stop. Listen to other artists because at this point, there is no excuse to con-

tinue supporting him. Don’t buy new music from him, don’t go to his concerts and help the #MuteRKelly movement end his career.

On Jan. 18, after just two weeks of public pressure, Sony Music dropped R. Kelly from its record labels. Chicago police are seeking a warrant to search his recording studio. The culture surrounding sexual assault has changed since 2002, but it’s our job to make sure it stays that way by keeping pressure on enablers in the music industry and law enforcement officials who have become complacent. It’s our job to make sure Kelly serves time for his crimes and his victims see justice.

Our actions do have an impact, but we must be willing to put in the effort and help Kelly’s victims, past and present. Together, we can stop him from victimizing others in the future.

→ SHUTDOWN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

shown their true priorities aren’t to keep federal employees paid, but to prevent a border wall from being funded. After all, Sen. Chuck Schumer shut down the government a year ago because Senate Democrats wanted an immigration amnesty deal that did not include a border wall, which itself is a reversal of his positions when he voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 and the bipartisan Gang of Eight deal backed by the Obama administration that passed through the Senate but failed to advance through the House.

While approximately half of illegal immigrants are estimated to be overstaying their visas, according to data from the Center

for Migration Studies, the real problems of illegal immigration occur at our southern border.

Meaningful reform to visa overstays would require reform of the legal immigration system. Therefore, if we want to stop the actual horrors of illegal immigration, which happen to the migrants themselves, border patrol agents and citizens in any country illegal immigrants pass through, we need to focus on deterring entry at our southern border. Smugglers can make thousands of dollars for each individual smuggled across the border, according to figures cited by a Homeland Security official in a report from The Washington Post.

Our border is a very dangerous place for those who help enforce our immigration laws as well. While we have yet to build

a wall of stone, metal or bollard, we have already committed to a “wall” of people — the 16,000 or so border patrol agents that work on the southwest border, playing the world’s most dangerous game of red rover. Yet, the border patrol seems to be the only government workers for whom the congressional Democrats have not even an iota of sympathy. A wall would make their jobs a lot easier and safer. Though the shutdown is over — at least for the next three weeks — it will hopefully not be Donald Trump’s last attempt to build a wall. As he’s stated before, he can always cross the Rubicon and declare a national emergency.

I can’t think of any logical reason why what happens on our border would not qualify.

This shutdown, the longest in American history, has cer-

tainly been inconvenient for the Beltway. The message of those relatively privileged government workers was dutifully broadcasted everyday by traditional media, celebrity activists and social media. Our government could have been shut down for far longer before it even approached the level of damage and dysfunction that our inability to practically enforce our immigration policies has done to us, Mexico, our Central American neighbors and illegal and legal migrants from any of those countries. A wall is not a perfect public policy solution — no solution is — but it is unique among immigration enforcement measures in that it is really only meant to stop those who have not yet violated our laws, instead of those who already have.

IT'S THAT TIME OF THE SEMESTER

EJ CHONG | MERCURY STAFF

COMET COMMENTS

What do you make of the new art museums to be built on campus?

Comets and Craters Student receives int'l honor

“I’m not much involved in art and everything but if it’s there, I’d be interested in going and having a look. I think it’s really good that UTD is doing something like that. I don’t have that much time to go downtown, but if it’s on campus, it’s definitely a plus point.”

“If you’ve been (to UNT), you know how it is, there’s art and music everywhere, even when you’re walking to class. UTD doesn’t have that yet, but it’s trying to get to that point. Even if you’re not in the arts scene, you can still benefit from it.”

“At the art museums, I always see European paintings and stuff like that, I never saw an Asian (art) exhibition here before. I come from China and when I first saw this exhibition, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s like I’m going home!’”

Rishika Parashar Computer Science Graduate

Ubaka Osamor Mathematics Senior

Yiyuan Liang Business Analytics Graduate

Global business and marketing senior Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz y Celis became the second UTD student to receive the Schwarzman Scholar award. The award will fund a one-year master's degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Phase 9 parking partially closed Parking spots near the Energy Plant in Phase Nine were recently blocked off for construction purposes.

Esports team ranks in top 10 The League of Legends team ranked eighth out of 25 esports teams in a first-of-its-kind Coaches Poll disseminated by ESPN. Other ranked teams included UC-Irvine and Columbia College.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?

Students interested in writing opinions or letters to the editor can email editor@utdmercury.com.

Letters must be 500 words or less.

Students should include their full name, major and year. Faculty, staff and administrators should include their full name and title. Authors may only have one letter printed per edition of The Mercury.

Email letters to editor@utdmercury. com. Although electronic copies are preferred, a hard copy can be dropped off at the reception desk of the Student Media suite (SU 1.601).

Please include a headshot.

We reserve the right to reject submissions, and we cannot be responsible for their return. We reserve the right to edit for clarity, brevity, good taste, accuracy and to prevent libel. Apart from your name and photo, personal info will not be published.

Jan. 28, 2019 | The Mercury

10 → CHARTWELLS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

between managers and workers. Several workers confirmed it was common practice for managers to text workers and offer rides outside of work.

In previous reports, numerous Chartwells employees said they were unable to clock in without a supervisor, which often resulted in unpaid time spent working as well as concerns about exceeding an hourly limitation as stipulated by certain student visas.

“If there’s a supervisor override, that means there’s something going on with their schedule,” Goodwin said.

“They have a missed punch, or they’re clocking in too early or late, or they haven’t taken their full 30-minute break.”

Several employees reported being denied breaks, which could have resulted in the required su-

NEWS

pervisor override. Goodwin also said some employees elect to forfeit their breaks.

Goodwin declined to comment on union activities but affirmed the employees’ rights to form a union. He said Chartwells management has had no contact with any union organizers or affiliates.

Representatives from United Food and Commercial Workers Union, who are assisting employees in the organizing process, have mentioned ongoing contact with several members of Chartwells management.

In November 2018, Shelley Seeberg, a UFCW campaign manager, said UFCW was provided a “verbal commitment (from Chartwells) to the right of workers to have a union.”

According to UTD PD Chief Larry Zacharias, in October 2018, UFCW organizer Cassidee Griffin was issued a criminal trespass warning and re-

moved from the campus. UTD police responded to a request from the office of the Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services, headed by Bob Fishbein.

According to the National Labor Relations Act, employers cannot prevent union organizers from accessing premises or speaking to employees who are on break if they also allow other organizations access to premises.

However, because UTD is a state entity, the NLRA does not apply to its officials, Zacharias said, citing a statement from university lawyers justifying Griffin’s removal.

“If any student employee of an auxiliary on-campus vendor feels uncomfortable with a work-related situation, we always encourage them to reach out to me or to (UTD Director of Food and Retail) Carrie Chutes directly with any concerns or questions,” Fishbein said in a written statement.

→ CURFEW

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

represent,” Narvaez said.

The report showed 91 night curfew citations were issued in District 6 between January 2017 and June 2018.

The second highest number of night curfew citations was 35 in District 1.

The public hearings are scheduled for Feb. 6 and 13, with a decision to be made by Feb. 13.

“There could be youth that are homeless, that are facing abuse and

neglect (or) that have some kind of other challenges in their home, which is why they’re out at night — because they’re escaping what is dangerous,” Narvaez said. “This ordinance, the way it’s looking right now, doesn’t address those issues.”

ALESANDRA BELL | MERCURY STAFF

→ DART

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Until that time, according to the Auxiliary Services website, students will continue to be provided the stickers to verify their possession of a pass. Additionally, Aquino said, even after the GoPass app is available to students, the stickers will continue to remain an alternative.

“One challenge right now with the plastic sticker (is) the user can lose the pass,” Aquino said. “And

→ BLUE POLES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Code Blue poles, Student Government wants to maintain a safe campus for its residents.

“With the blue lights, there is a sense of security,” Emmandi said.

“How can we replace them so that students feel safe, while at the same time not creating a false sense of security? Because if we leave them up and they’re not working, it doesn’t help students either.”

Matt Grief, associate vice

you may say, ‘Well, somebody can lose their phone.’ But, you know, if they get another phone, they can just download the app and be up and running. That’s one of the main benefits right there.”

The process of requesting an electronic pass will remain similar to the current one. Students will log into the parking portal with their credentials and request a pass, though there a few key differences.

Aquino said it can often be a challenge to process students’ pass re-

quests quickly, particularly because they receive most requests at the beginning of the calendar year, just as the university reopens.

“They’ll have access to their pass in a short period of time,” Aquino said. “There will (be) some process of time, of course, because we still need to send (the student’s) information to DART, DART will need to upload it to their system and ‘turn on’ that request, for lack of a better term. But the process in time will be reduced significantly.”

president for Student Affairs, is overseeing the lighting renovation project. He said as Code Blue poles have continued to experience failures over the last few years, it has become difficult to invest in older technology when another solution may benefit students more.

“What we decided is that we would rather invest in better lighting, because we know the phones were not used very often — if at all — for emergencies, and certainly with most people having the use of cell phones

we felt like this was the change we needed to make — to provide a quality, lit environment with much better technology,” Grief said.

All pole lights and wall packs in residential areas are brighter than previous lighting. Lighting in parking areas is also under renovation for improved visibility at night.

“We put student security at the highest level,” Grief said.

“We want to keep students safe on campus, and this is one of the things we think we can do — to upgrade the technology here.”