community

been swallowed by the storm that was brewing in the area. They spotted us on the sea and dispatched a Japanese ship to pick us up and bring us to Singapore.” and I got shot at once,” Phan said. “I made it to Singapore when I was 19 years old. My boat was saved by the U.S. Air Force. If they didn’t find us that very night, we would have

Residing in a multi-ethnic country has helped Phan assimilate among other cultures and improve his English. Phan later moved to the U.S. after being sponsored by his brother at UT Austin via a private sponsorship program.

“After so many years of interruption I went back to college,” Phan said. “I went to community college and eventually graduated from UT Austin, became an engineer, and guess who I’m working for. After a couple years working as an intern for a different electronic company, I decided to work for the U.S. Air Force, so I spent 33 years with the U.S. Air

What are the best places to nap on campus?

Commuters and poor sleep schedules can finally get some rest between classes

Latinx Film Festival addresses pressing humanitarian crises

UTD celebrates movies that tackle heavy subjects

foster knowledge and culture exchange. A film festival is an example.”

Between busy schedules and commutes, it’s no secret that college students struggle to get some shut-eye. There aren’t any designated sleeping areas on campus, but UTD does offer lofty areas that could serve as much-needed napping spots between classes.

A meta analysis by the Center for Disease Control found that 60% of college students get approximately 7 hours of sleep, with 75% experiencing sleep disturbances and 26.4% experiencing insomnia. Students at UTD reportedly get even less than these numbers, with the National College Health Assessment recording 57.2% getting either four to six hours of sleep or five to seven hours of sleep on average. Additionally, inadequate sleep could result in a decreased GPA, as found by the National College Institute.

Rey Manriquez, a psychology graduate and Student Wellness Center peer health educator, is a work-study student assistant in the ongoing “Sleep and Daily Experiences” research project. Manriquez agrees that students aren’t getting enough sleep and believes part of the crisis comes from time management.

“I think it’s very important to create boundaries for yourself,” Manriquez said. “Learning to say no and establishing your boundaries when it comes to your personal life is extremely important before you take on any additional projects. You should always make sure that your needs are met first, and that’s highly applicable when it comes to school, work and