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July 8, 2019
THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
“Maybe those killings wouldn't have happened.” Former worker details history of aggression after ex-Chartwells employee charged with murder CINDY FOLEFACK Editor-in-Chief
AMINA HUSSAIN | MERCURY STAFF
Business administration sophomore Eric Aaberg launched an online petition in June urging the university to build a statue of Temoc, the school mascot.
Student starts online petition for Temoc statue
After a former Chartwells employee was charged with two counts of murder in early June, a former student worker has come forward with allegations of physical and sexual harassment as well as drug abuse in the workplace. Dallas police took Kendrell Lyles, a former dishwasher who worked in the Student Union, into custody on June 5 after receiving a tip, and later charged him with two counts of murder. Another former worker, who chose to remain anonymous, said Lyles showed signs of aggression prior to his arrest. “It was known that he would verbally or physically harass people at work,” the source said. “It was common to see him physically grab or shove people. He would make sexual comments about the female employees there at work. That was very common from him.” The former worker said that while Lyles’ harassment was reported to upper management, his behavior didn’t change. They added that Lyles would routinely show up to work while under the influence of drugs and sold drugs to
other student workers. The source also provided a photo geotagged to UTD showing Lyles in his work uniform dividing up a white powdery substance with a card. “He would come in absolutely reeking of marijuana,” the former student worker said. “Everyone knew about that because he would come in and you could smell it throughout the entire back area.” Richard Franklin, Lyles’ attorney, declined to comment for this article. Chartwells corporate officials released a statement after Lyles’ arrest, declining to answer further questions due to the ongoing criminal investigation. “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones impacted by these heinous acts,” the statement read. “At the time of his arrest, Mr. Lyles was not actively working for us, nor is he scheduled to return, and his employment has been indefinitely suspended pending the course of the criminal investigation.” The statement goes on to say that Lyles underwent a comprehensive background check prior to
employment. Chartwells officials declined to comment on the use of drug tests in the hiring process. The former student worker said that they were not required to take a drug test prior to employment. Chartwells officials declined to comment as to whether or not the company would be making policy changes in response to Lyles’ arrest. The former student worker said that had more complaints been filed against Lyles, and had those claims been properly investigated, the murders may have been prevented. “There’s a decent possibility that if he was reported through the proper channels — probably the police — he might have been put in jail and maybe those killings wouldn’t have happened,” the former student worker said. “Honestly, I think that’s something that’s on everyone, not just Chartwells upper management. It’s on us.”
EMAAN BANGASH Managing Editor
This June, a student started an online petition to create a statue of Temoc on the roundabout at the campus main entrance. The petition has since amassed over 460 signatures. Eric Aaberg, a business administration sophomore, said he first thought of having a Temoc statue after noticing the emptiness of the roundabout and proposed it to his friends. He received mixed responses at first, but ended up contacting Student Government President Ayoub Mohammed and was instructed to create a petition to generate more support. “I truly think when people are entering UTD, they have that cool idea of the roundabout, however I think that the mascot would just add to the campus beautifying vision that higher ups have at UTD,” Aaberg said. “And it establishes what our mascot is, and that way people could be like ‘Oh my God, that’s Temoc.’” Aaberg said he envisions the statue to be about 10-20 feet tall, made of metal such as bronze and standing on a concrete platform. He added that the statue could be crossing its arms, holding a comet or catching a comet. Aaberg said he had other suggestions for things around the statues such as crosswalks so students could safely cross and take photos with the statue, having lights on the statue and flowers around the platform. Aaberg said despite people not being sure about how they feel about Temoc or being scared of him, his love for Temoc made him pursue this project and improve school spirit overall. “I love Temoc, and I think truly we need to embrace that school spirit and (have) a statue in a place where people could take photos and things like that and (have) an actual physical piece of Temoc rather than just the old costume in the Visitor’s Center building for whenever he comes out,” Aaberg said. “It’s a sign that UTD’s dedicating its spirit to our mascot.” Aaberg reached out to multiple campus departments including officials at the Alumni Center, who supported the idea.
→ SEE TEMOC,
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SAMANTHA LOPEZ | OUTREACH EDITOR
University research team develops pain-free drug delivery system Group produces 3D-printed microneedle patches as cheaper, more efficient alternative to traditional methods RUHMA KHAN Mercury Staff
A joint research team from UTD’s Gassensmith and Smaldone labs are using 3D printing to streamline drug delivery systems, making the process of receiving medications such as vaccines less painful. The team is achieving their goal through the development of a 3D printed microneedle. Principal investigator Jeremiah Gassensmith said the dissolvable nature of the needles makes them ideal for delivering drugs in a way that limits medical waste and cuts the cost of treatment. “Microneedles are very small drug delivery vehicles. They’re like needles except they’re too small to inflict any pain. This is born out of the idea that nobody likes to get injections,” Gassensmith said. “It’s essentially a way to introduce drugs into the body without introducing any pain.” The lab was able to find a way to print microneedles using commercially available printers, he said. Gassensmith added that one of the challenges with designing the microneedle was printing it in a way that would make the needle small and sharp enough not to cause pain. “The 3D printer you buy off the shelf has too low of a resolution to produce a painless needle. If you were to push them into the skin, they would hurt,” Gassensmith said. Michael Luzuriaga, a chemistry Ph.D. student who served as the leader of the project, developed a technique to sharpen the needles by dissolving parts of it in a
MICHAEL LUZURIAGA | COURTESY
Chemistry Ph.D. student Michael Luzuriaga and a colleague look at one of their 3D-printed microneedles. The researchers hope to use the patches as an alternative to common drug delivery methods such as vaccines.
basic solution. “Michael’s idea was that the plastic the needles are made of can be etched and is dissolvable in the tissue, but that process can be sped up by putting it into a really basic solution,” Gassensmith said. “He had a technique where he dissolved it a little and then flipped it over and dis-
solved it a little more so you get a really sharp tip. Ultimately, a big part of the innovation was creating this sharp tip from the chemical etching.” 3D printing microneedles provides a faster and more cost-effective method to create prototypes, Luzuriaga said. “This is a great way to make different
types of prototypes of microneedles. With molds, you’d need to make the mold first and then make the microneedle,” he said. “It’s cheaper: it’s only a thousand dollars for one 3D printer and you can print 40 microneedles in one hour. It’s a pretty
→ SEE MICRONEEDLES,
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WHAT’S INSIDE?
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One student's Austria-based research combines her love of cognitive science and art history.
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Two coworkers are launching a new food delivery service that will be cheaper than other appbased platforms. Deliveries to UTD start on July 15.
OPINION: Why choosing not to declare a major may save time and money in the long run.
July 8, 2019 | The Mercury
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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVIV No. 44
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UTD PD Blotter
Editor-in-Chief Cindy Folefack
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Outreach Editor Samantha Lopez
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June 28 • A student reported their vehicle was burglarized at 2:12 p.m.
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Contributors Sarah Besserer Bianca Del Rio Amina Hussain Ruhma Khan Anika Kotaru Patricia Mathu Elizabeth Nguyen Louise Nillas Sarah Streety Pavan Tauh
LEGEND VEHICULAR INCIDENT
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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.
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July 8, 2019 | The Mercury
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Professor explores Jim Crow South in new book
WHEN ART, science collide
Faculty member co-edited novel after noticing lack of coverage for time period
Comet combines art history, cognitive science through study abroad research
PAVAN TAUH | MERCURY STAFF
Visual and performing arts senior Rebekah Rodriguez worked on an interactive exhibit at the Belvedere Art Museum in Vienna, Austria as part of her study abroad research. RUHMA KHAN Mercury Staff
A UTD undergraduate combined their passions for cognitive science and art history through research at the University of Vienna. Visual and performing arts senior Rebekah Rodriguez studied abroad in spring 2019 at the University of Vienna’s Laboratory for Cognitive Research in Art History through a scholarship from the International Education Fund. “I was looking at opportunities for grad school that combined the two fields when I stumbled across the lab on the internet,” Rodriguez said. “I decided to shoot the lab an email and it took off
from there.” Rodriguez’s research was on the project “Belvedere Before and After,” which was presented at the Belvedere Art Museum in Vienna, Austria. In this project, museum visitors were hooked up to mobile eye tracking units and left to explore a controlled portion of the exhibit. “The eye tracking data we collected on these participants will hopefully give insight into how people perceive artwork within the museum setting,” she said. “Getting an insight from real people in a real museum context gives an entirely different level of validity to the project.” Rodriguez said her primary role was as an undergraduate research assistant. “(My research) involved taking a
hands-on piece of each of the different projects in the lab,” she said. “I did everything from setting up for data collection in a museum to helping conduct field research.” The research conducted at the CReA lab will hopefully have a strong impact on the way museum curators and directors set up exhibits and galleries, Rodriguez said. “If we’re able to inform museum curators on the different tendencies people have when they perceive art, then they’re better able to design shows and exhibitions,” she said. “Additionally, this research can inform art education. Knowing how people observe art in a context like that can help educators form more practical and useful tools for their own students
to conduct studies in art history.” Rodriguez currently works as a research assistant at the Wig Neuroimaging Lab at the Center for Vital Longevity in Dallas. The Wig lab studies human brain aging. “I love what I do at the Wig lab, but it’s very different than the research I did in Austria. All of my work (at the Wig lab) is done on a Mac, whereas the work I did at the CReA lab was very hands-on,” she said. “I got to interact with participants from multiple different countries who had multiple different perspectives. I found that very interesting.” After graduation, Rodriguez said she intends to pursue a graduate degree in either cognitive science or neuroaesthetics.
CHIAMAKA MGBOJI | GRAPHICS EDITOR
UTD SCHOOL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES | COURTESY
History professor Natalie Ring co-edited the book, which explores similarities and differences between our modern-day criminal justice systems and those of the Jim Crow South. MARCO SALINAS News Editor
Following the 2012 publication of a co-edited collection of essays on Jim Crow, associate professor of history Natalie Ring co-edited a new collection titled “Crime and Punishment in the Jim Crow South.” The new book is co-edited by Amy Louise Wood, an associate professor of history at Illinois State University, and was written partly because of a lack of focus on the period from 1890 up to the 1950s, Ring said. Ring previously wrote a book on the image of the south in the late 19th and early 20th centuries called “The Problem South: Region, Empire, and the New Liberal State, 1880-1930.” Ring said her interest in Southern history goes back to a course on the history of Mississippi that she took during her freshman year at Amherst College, and she’s always been interested in questions about regional image and identity. The current criminal justice system of the United States evokes patterns and practices of the early 20th century, Ring said. She added that many of the problems in the current criminal justice system are concentrated in southern states, with 7 out of the 10 states with the highest per capita incarceration rates being located in the South. “I think that we’re kind of at a moment in which we’re ready to have a real reckoning with aspects of the U.S. criminal justice system today: issues around policing, issues around capital punishment, issues around felon disenfranchisement taking away votes from felons,” she said. “I suppose what we wanted to do was go back and look at criminal justice in the Jim Crow South to see how it could eliminate much about our present-day system.” One issue the book tackles is the system of convict leasing, which was in place from the 1870s to the early 20th century, Ring said. In convict leasing, states would pay private contractors to house and feed prisoners. The practice was a way for the state to eliminate costs and increase revenue while allowing private business people to buy and sell prisoners. “So, there were a lot of historians who’ve written on the history of convict leasing and that kind of pushes up into the early 20th century, which eventually ends in part due to the centralization of the south: states begin to build penitentiaries, there’s a lot of reformers who are not very happy about convict leasing and kind of draw attention to the horrors of that,” Ring said. In the history of segregation, Ring said, there are two forms of segregation: de facto and de jure. De facto segregation occurs by tradition or custom: it is not rooted in law. De jure segregation is a legal form of segregation. “We live in a world in which there is still a tremendous amount of de facto segregation. Even though we had passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965, we still see patterns of de facto segrega-
→ SEE CROW,
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LIFE&ARTS
July 8, 2019 | The Mercury
Eating more for less
Two coworkers launch app designed to decrease food delivery service prices, test run platform at UTD
RYAN MAGEE | VIDEO EDITOR
ADARSH PRADEEP ANIKA KOTARU Mercury Staff
Fed up with the high prices and fees from other food delivery services, two coworkers decided to launch their own platform, with their first test run at UTD. Adarsh Pradeep graduated from George Mason University in Virginia in 2015 with a degree in cybersecurity while his coworker, Hayden Ives, graduated from Oklahoma
HAYDEN IVES
State University in 2017 with a degree in computer science. The pair started their business last June. “My friend and I were talking about food delivery, and as millennials, we prefer to save some money, have food delivered or even go out to restaurants,” Pradeep said. “The price of food delivery is so high. The additional costs would be 50-60% of the meal, when you have the service fee, delivery fee and the tip. It was worth it to drive
and get food ourselves. We thought there should be a better way, so we started brainstorming.” Pradeep and Ives first gained experience with food service apps while in college. Pradeep created an on-campus food ordering app called ‘Linesmash’ and Ives created two apps: ‘Crop Budget,’ which was for the Oklahoma Agricultural Economics department, and ‘Smartboard,’ which was for internal sales ordering.
Their new service, Citrus, provides users with two different cuisines to choose from every day. After choosing a cuisine, users will receive three different options for dishes. Once ordered, the food will be delivered between 7 and 8 p.m. with a $1 delivery fee. “We realized that typically when we order a meal, we generally tend to narrow in on one or two different
→ SEE FOOD,
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Review: 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' ANIKA KOTARU Mercury Staff
RYAN MAGEE | MERCURY STAFF
REVIEW: 'TOY STORY 4' EMAAN BANGASH Managing Editor
I have never seen a Toy Story movie in my life. Look, maybe the idea of my toys coming alive when I’m not around was never exactly appealing to me as a kid. I thought it was all over after “Toy Story 3,” when Andy gives his toys to the little girl Bonnie, but then “Toy Story 4” came out and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Honestly, it was way better than I expected. First of all, this movie is gorgeous. Pixar really blew CGI out of the water with this movie, and I found myself at times wondering if I’m looking at something real or CGI because the animations were so seamless and beautiful. Humans and animals looked strangely realistic at times, and the textures on the toys were gorgeously rendered to look shiny, rough or bumpy. Try watching a clip of any of the previous movies and then this one; the difference is insane. In this new movie, Woody finds that he’s not being chosen to play with as often as the other toys are, but he still tries to be a big part of his new owner, Bonnie’s, life and is the reason the character “Forky” is created. When she’s lonely and scared at her kindergarten orientation, Bonnie makes Forky out of a used spork, a pipe clean-
er, googly eyes and a popsicle stick, and he becomes her favorite toy. I’d seen all the memes about this character before watching the movie, and he definitely lives up to the hype. He’s the funniest character out of all the ones I’ve seen, with his iconic line “I’m trash” and him frantically trying to escape into any nearby trash can because it’s what he’s made of. It’s a line that millennials and gen-z kids can relate to and it was hilarious every time he said it. The whole movie is this cat and mouse chase after Forky because he keeps trying to go back to the garbage where he came from. Woody’s fixation on the grubby little spork irritated me at first, but it’s because Forky was the source of comfort for Bonnie on her first day of kindergarten, I understood why Woody was so desperate to find him. It didn’t matter what Forky was made of or where he came from, but that he was there for her when times were tough. This is a theme that is repeatedly demonstrated by multiple characters throughout the movie and it makes you think about the roles toys actually play in a child’s life. This becomes especially apparent in a scene involving a character who was initially framed as a psychotic villain, but turns out to be a surprisingly deep, tragic character who was cursed with a de-
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At first, I was afraid I was going to be bored during this movie. I thought to myself, “Oh, another film related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’ll be more guns, more fighting and just the same storyline recycled over and over.” I enjoyed the MCU up until the second Avengers film, where everything
started to feel the same to me. However, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, facepalming when characters did something I found idiotic and audibly gasping when they left me on a cliffhanger during the mid-credits scene. As someone who easily gets bored with action movies, I found one that had me glued to the screen just as “Iron Man” in 2008 did. I am very glad to say that this movie has sparked my interest in the MCU once more and every bit of hype about this film is well deserved. In the beginning of the film, we are introduced to the villain, Mysterio/Quentin Beck, who is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. I liked the way his character was portrayed. He was a strong big-brother figure for Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, which caused me
to look up to him greatly, but as soon as he showed his true colors, the vengeful side of his character was very believable as well. Mysterio is shown fighting an Earth Monster and meeting with Nick Fury, (reprised by Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (reprised by Cobie Smulders). After this, we see Peter Parker, who is upset over Tony Stark’s death. Due to the ‘Blip’ in “Avengers: Infinity War” (the event which caused half of the universe to return five years after the decimation), Peter’s school has decided to restart the school year. He and his classmates are preparing to go on a summer trip to various cities in Europe. However, Nick Fury wants Peter to be active as Spider-Man while he is on the trip. He gives Peter artificial intelligent glasses called E.D.I.T.H. which were created by Tony Stark. These glasses are able to fire weapons on command and have access to the Stark Industries database. At this moment, I sympathized with Peter, since so often kids dream of having a life where they fight crime or have some sort of fame. But Peter didn’t ask to be bitten by a radioactive spider, yet he knows the responsibility he holds is massive. As a sixteen-year old, he only wants to be normal. I can’t imagine carrying the weight of being a superhero while also being a full-time high school student. In Europe, he wishes to get closer to MJ, who is played by Zendaya. When I saw “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, I thought MJ was an unlikeable character due to her attitude, but for this movie, I liked the change I saw in her and she emitted a certain warmth. The awkwardness between her and Peter was something so grounded in reality. I could definitely see a relationship like this budding in my own high school. Peter is forced to fight some monsters along with Mysterio while he is on the trip. This is where I saw the relationship between these two and I found it very admirable. Mysterio gave him advice with MJ and acted like a shoulder to cry on. Peter noticed that during the fights, Mysterio was doing the most work. He later
SARAH BESSERER | MERCURY STAFF
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July 8, 2019 | The Mercury
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fective voice box and just wants to be loved by a child. The ending surprised me a bit. Pixar made plot decisions that I thought were interesting and most likely angered a lot of viewers. I didn’t get the chance to be super attached to certain characters like other Toy Story veterans
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choices,” Pradeep said. “You know, there are a lot of options on these other apps wherever you go, but you typically have something in mind.” After getting an idea for the app, Pradeep posted on the UTD subreddit to see if students would be interested. “We have received great feedback considering we have done practically zero marketing so far, just Reddit
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tion,” Ring said. “Even in the wake of Brown versus Board of Education decades out there are still school systems that remain heavily segregated.” Ring said it is important to understand the history of segregation and not leave it in the past. All states except Vermont and Maine impose some form of voting restrictions on convicted felons. “So, the number of people that have been denied the right to vote
may have, but the ending was still surprisingly emotional and I’ll admit I shed a few tears. Coming from someone who hasn’t seen any of the movies and only knows a handful of facts about them, “Toy Story 4” is a satisfying and endearing movie with unbelievably beautiful CGI, relatable characters and hilarious jokes. It’s hard to say what happens to the toys be-
cause of the way the story ends, and I was left wondering if Pixar will make yet another movie involving these new characters. What about Forky? Do Bonnie’s parents know their daughter is playing all day with literal trash? Will there be a “Toy Story 5” involving Bonnie as a mom giving her child her ratty, gross Forky that she saved for years? Only time will tell.
and Instagram,” he said. “The Reddit post was the highest ranked post in r/UTDallas in a matter of hours and netted us 10 signups so far. We expect more once the school year starts and we start to market.” Citrus is open for signups on the website. There is no app at the moment, but users can text in orders and see online menus. The delivery service will be launched on July 15, but in the meantime, students can sign up for the waitlist on the Citrus website.
“In 3-5 years, we’d love to see this company take off with UTD and refine it for students who are really interested in services and who will optimize it for them. I’ve noticed with a lot of bigname delivery companies, the service is inconsistent, and we want to provide good customer service, first and foremost,” Pradeep said. “After that, we’d want to expand to local colleges and we’d like to try the apartment market again.”
based on these laws has skyrocketed in the past 40 years from 1.17 million in 1976 to 6.1 million as of … November 2016. 1 out of 13 African Americans in the United States have been disenfranchised, which means that they have lost their voting rights, and this is rooted in the history of disfranchisement in the south,” Ring said. “That is something that Amy Wood and I were interested in exploring in this book. And we’re also at a moment where states and criminal justice reformers are grappling with these issues and trying to push for reform.”
Ring said it’s difficult to understand today’s current events without a better understanding of the history of Jim Crow. She added that it’s useful to keep history in mind and know where these historical practices originate. “We live in an age in which there is still systemic racial discrimination,” Ring said. “So if we go back and we look at the Jim Crow South and look at how that particular system, how the edifice was put in place, it could give us a better understanding of the pieces of that system that still linger today.”
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felt like Stark gave Peter the E.D.I.T.H. glasses because he wanted Peter to choose who received them. Peter feels like he does not live up to Stark’s legacy, and gives them to Mysterio. Once Peter is out of earshot, Mysterio reveals to the audience that he is the villain and his goal was to obtain the glasses to use for evil purposes. MJ learns that Peter is SpiderMan after witnessing his spiderwebs during an attack in Prague, since he was often absent during the trip, and making the connections that he lived in New York. This concerned me. I was also concerned during the first film when Ned discovered Peter’s secret. It bothers me that Peter puts all of his trust in his friends, which of course there is nothing wrong with that, but there is no guarantee that his friends will keep that secret for life. They could very easily backstab him with such a secret. However, his friends knowing his secret helpS him with his battles. Later, Mysterio takes advantage of the glasses and Peter realizes that the monsters they fought together were just illusions. There’s a
montage of Peter dealing with many different situations, which are all illusions by Mysterio. It showed Peter adapting to all these different situations related to his insecurities and it was the most nail-biting scene in the whole film. Peter is defeated and gets hit by a train, but survives. With the help of Happy Hogan and his friends who are aware of his identity, he is able to stop Mysterio and ultimately use his weapons against him to kill him. In the mid-credits scene, Mysterio was revealed to be filming himself defaming Peter before his death. He reveals who Spider-Man is and films Peter in such a way that Peter was responsible for his death. It made me so angry that this was left on a cliffhanger. I needed to see how Peter was going to handle this situation and how the people in his personal life would act around him. I sat there, completely in awe. I believe this film’s secret weapon was the high school cult-classic feel to it. It had so many comedic moments that reminded me of the awkward days of high school, from Ned and Betty’s relationship to Flash’s Instagram livestreams. This movie felt easier to relate
to than any other Marvel movie, probably because of its realistic feel. The characters feel like real, awkward high school students. I know that the other Spider-Man movies take place in a high school setting, but for me, the MCU version of Spider-Man definitely felt more like a coming-of-age movie than all the other MCU movies. The film kept reminding us that Peter is just a kid through the mistakes he makes. Some could even argue this film had mumblecore moments from the second-hand embarrassment you could feel for Peter (especially when Brad mistakenly thinks Peter is hooking up with a woman and takes a picture). Along with that, there’s a strong amount of action which doesn’t feel repetitive. It has you rooting for the good guys the whole time. As for me, I was rooting for them to get back to their personal lives, such as Peter taking MJ on a date. “SpiderMan: Far From Home” definitely has characters that are lovable and a good amount of comedic relief. Altogether, the feel-good quality of this film, coupled with an exciting plot makes it a must-watch.
UPCOMING EVENTS ASK A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL Ask questions about services at UTD, how to help a friend in need in this event hosted by the Counselling Center.
July 10, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m., Founder's Building
JSOM-BRAND YOURSELF ON LINKEDIN Learn how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out and build your brand and network.
July 11, 3 p.m. - 4. p m., JSOM 12.110C
KEYS TO FINDING A WORK LIFE BALANCE Learn key strategies that are essential to help you find a balance between work and life.
July 15, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., AD 3.108
LIBRARY TOUR Tour the McDermott Library and learn about its services.
July 16, 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m., MC Information Desk
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July 8, 2019 | The Mercury
FIREQUACKERS
POCKETS ARE IN, BABE
COMICS
BIANCA DEL RIO | MERCURY STAFF
O&B: PAWS OF DEFEAT
ELIZABETH NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF
SARAH STREETY | MERCURY STAFF
HOW TO BEAT THE HEAT
SARAH BESSERER | MERCURY STAFF
ACTIVITY
SAMANTHA LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF
OPINION
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July 8, 2019 | The Mercury
DECISIVE INDECISION Why staying undeclared major has hidden benefits PATRICIA MATHU
Mercury Staff Calling adventurers — undeclare your majors! What’s more daring than explaining to extended family at Thanksgiving that you aren’t actively working towards a degree? Or anything more terrifying than not knowing when you’ll graduate? Being undeclared is a signal that you are planning to gain something from your education, might save you money in the long run and sets you up to pursue something you’re genuinely interested in. If being undeclared seems terrifying, first, consider this affirmation: you don’t need to know exactly what you want to do for a career. Even though the college application process encourages boiling a complex life into a 500-word essay, it is totally normal to change, completely scrap or not even have this vision in the first place. I entered college undeclared and loved every minute of it. I don’t want to minimize the cost of school and familial pressures — I am lucky to have a scholarship, a supportive and understanding home environment and transferable credit that gives me flexibility in my degree plan. I acknowledge the privileges that made my undeclared-ness possible and positive. Undeclaring isn’t for everyone. And yet, I think there are many more people than those currently undeclared who could gain from decisive indecision. There is so much more than a diploma and GPA between the freshman and senior year of undergraduate education. There is a dedication
to personal and professional development, increased independence, and self-exploration. In addition, there are clubs, internships, research opportunities and so many steps along the way to supplement what you can’t find in classes. Entering college undeclared is a visible declaration that you intend on allowing college to shape you. Undeclared doesn’t have to mean aimless. Rather, it’s an openness to new experiences, new passions and new potentials. Furthermore, by entering college undeclared, you’re liberated to experiment with your courses, too. Most freshmen, like myself, are only exposed to the classes their high school offered. While they may enjoy many of those classes, how are incoming freshmen supposed to say with certainty that they want to study biomedical engineering if their only exposure to the health field was one biology class in high school? Chances are, if you are distinguishing between these specific majors, the pre-requisites are going to be similar so there is no need to rush. That being said, it’s important to have a game plan. When I arrived on campus, I reached out to professors in different majors that I was considering. Meeting with engaged, passionate students and professors helped me navigate what was interesting to me and helped me assess where there are resources on campus. Don’t be afraid to do this, too — professors are here because they want to help you! But I would not have had the self-agency to do this if I had entered college declared. There is a fallacy that entering college undeclared is a waste of money, but I’d argue the opposite. By entering college undeclared, you’re forced to think critically about what you
want from your education and what experiences are worthwhile. In addition, the fear of going from declared to undeclared is equally unjustified — these fears are the same ones that keep established professionals in unfulfilling careers. These are sunk costs and it’s not too late to change paths and chase what you love. Changing majors can be pricey. After two major changes, there is a $50 fee for every consecutive change at UTD. Changing your major out of undeclared, however, doesn’t even count! The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 30% of undergraduate students will change their major at least once. Consider this: instead, those students could enter college undeclared, explore survey courses and knock out some prerequisites, and only declare once they settled in a major they feel confident in, saving themselves some money in the process. There is a lot of emphasis on choosing a major that will best prepare you for landing a job or going on to further education. These are worthy pursuits and I acknowledge that I am a rising sophomore that hasn’t had to navigate this yet. But I still believe that there is a much smaller emphasis on specific majors than we are led to believe. For example, a good nonprofit manager could have a degree in chemistry or public policy or art history as long as they are a strong leader. Your coursework doesn’t have to perfectly reflect your professional goals, so major in something you are genuinely excited about learning. Take the leap of decisive indecision. Patricia Mathu is (now) a historical studies major from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
LOUISE NILLAS | MERCURY STAFF
TEMOCKERY
RYAN MAGEE | MERCURY STAFF
COMET COMMENTS
How would you feel about putting a Temoc statue on campus?
Comets and Craters New brand campaign
“First of all, I think the present design of the mascot doesn't agree with my tastes. I'm not sure I would like a larger version of our mascot.”
“I think that would be great. I mean, everybody would like to see the mascot at the front.”
“I mean, I don’t feel any particular way towards it, but if a lot of other people want it and support it and it would increase school spirit, that’d be cool.”
Haoran Jiang Visual and Performing Arts Senior
Pooja Kamble Information Technology and Management Graduate
Surbhi Banubakode Biochemistry Senior
The university launched a new campaign, "At the Speed of Bright," to highlight UTD's status as one of the fastest-growing research universities in the nation.
Magnolia tree dies For the second summer in a row, one of the magnolia trees by the reflection pool died. The cause of its death remains unknown.
July 8, 2019 | The Mercury
8 → TEMOC
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In addition, Aaberg is working towards sending emails to former alumni who were around when Temoc was first introduced and students as well. “I feel like at UTD, we have a good sense of school spirit but it’s kind of like you see either people with a lot of school spirit or not a lot, it’s not a mix between,” Aaberg said. “What I really want is to contribute to school spirit and I think having a statue and having other things too would definitely contribute.” He said he plans on having about 3000-4000 signatures total to get a large enough number to show students support the idea. The petition is currently circulating
NEWS
on social media. Biology junior Allyson Kizer signed the petition after speaking to Aaberg about the possibility of a Temoc statue and liking the idea. “I feel like I have more school spirit than most people. I have a Temoc tattoo, so I feel like our school needs a lot of school spirit and having the terrifying Temoc at the Visitor’s Center isn’t really enough, you know?” Kizer said. “Most people only see that one, and they think our mascot’s terrifying. So, I feel like if we had an updated statue, it might help with that.” Compared to other universities, she said, UTD could improve in its school spirit. Being on the dance team, Kizer said she notices students aren’t as enthusiastic at school games as college students tend to be.
“I mean, just because we don’t have a football team doesn’t mean our other teams aren’t really fantastic,” Kizer said. “I don’t think it would immediately make everyone want to support the team… but I think having a Temoc statue could eventually help.” Aaberg said he hopes to get as much support for the statue as possible to increase school spirit at UTD. He said possible future statues could be made in honor of the university’s founders. “I’m very excited to see where this goes because regardless, I truly think this is going to happen,” Aaberg said. “We’re going to be able to make a change at UTD and it’s going to represent the students’ voice as well as the SG’s position and influence.”
MICHAEL LUZURIAGA | COURTESY
The 3D-printed microneedles can be used as patches to inject medicine when placed on the skin.
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great system I think.” Microneedles are not a new product, Luzuriaga said, but this is the first time microneedles have been 3D printed. “Our goal was to go in there and print one and hopefully have resolution that can be used for therapeutic delivery in the future,” he said. There are different methods of putting drugs into the micronee-
dles, Luzuriaga said. These include coating the microneedle in a solution containing the drug, or allowing the material to absorb the drug of interest. “It’s a polymer, so with different solvents you can expand the network and that allows you to diffuse small molecules into the network,” Luzuriaga said. “Once you dry out the solvent, the network closes up again, confining the drug of interest into the polymer interior.” Gassensmith said 3D print-
able microneedles will be able to change the way patients receive healthcare. “A person can get these and slap them on their skin and actually administer it themselves and be on their way, essentially cutting out a lot of medical waste, scary needles and interactions with strangers that people might find uncomfortable,” Gassensmith said. “Particularly in developing countries where there’s some skepticism about vaccines and foreign health care workers coming in and administering them.”
Bedroom to rent in a home within short walking distance to the UTD campus. The right female candidate will have use of bedroom and the rest of the home, to be shared with owner, a caring young working grandmother. Call/email for interview. (214)632-5059 piedmontcrest@yahoo.com