August 19, 2019
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THE MERCURY
We are not the MIT of the plains, nor do we seek to be. We are a great university. We are the University of Texas at Dallas. — Theresa Oriabure Commencement 1992
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
ifty years ago, UTD was nothing more than a small center for research and education. Forget undergraduate classes, sprawling engineering buildings and Temoc; UTD wasn’t even called “The University of Texas at Dallas” until 1969, 10 years after the research center was established. Today, it is considered one of the best research universities in the nation, has produced nobel laureates, parliamentarians and astronauts, and has grown to
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Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXIX No. 44
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UTD PD Blotter
Editor-in-Chief Cindy Folefack
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August 3 • An unaffiliated woman reported her purse stolen from her vehicle in Lot U at 1:44 p.m. August 3 • An unaffiliated man reported his Hyundai Elantra stolen from Lot J at 9:08 p.m. August 7 • A UTD employee reported his cell phone charger taken from his desk at 10:42 a.m. at SSB. August 9 • A faculty member reported lab equipment stolen at 12:06 p.m.
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Contributors Ayesha Asad Alesandra Bell Sarah Besserer Jenna Cherrey Ellis Blake Hidalgo Bianca Del Rio Calis Lim Elizabeth Nguyen Sarah Streety
LEGEND VEHICULAR INCIDENT
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THEFT
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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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Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
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NEWS
Turning Point reaches agreement on Plan B concerns
CINDY FOLEFACK | MERCURY STAFF
Audience members wore purple to a Plano city council meeting to show support for continued funding of The Turning Point, the only rape crisis center in Collin County.
Council members advise continued financial support for non-profit after dispute over emergency contraceptive, abortion MARCO SALINAS News Editor
Following concerns from Plano city council members that threatened to defund The Turning Point, Collin County’s only rape crisis center, the Plano city council has indicated that it has reached an agreement to continue funding the non-profit organization. The Turning Point provides services to those impacted by sexual violence, including counseling, advocacy and access to contraceptives, among other things. The organization also provides UTD with sexual assault nurse examin-
ers through the Student Health Center. These nurses conduct on-campus sexual assault forensic exams for UTD students so that survivors don’t have to be transported off-campus after being assaulted. In an August 1 budget work session, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Ricciardelli said he believed the Plan B Pill, an emergency contraceptive, could kill a fetus if it prevented the implantation of a fertilized egg. Representatives for The Turning Point stated that they only administer Plan B pills to women who get a negative response on pregnancy test within 72-hours of their assault. “The Turning Point rape crisis cen-
ter is a wonderful group. Ninety-nine percent of the work they do is not just good, it’s tremendously important, excellent work,” Ricciardelli said. “My conscience will not permit me to give funding to any organization that disseminates the Plan B pill, because in some circumstances the Plan B pill destroys a human life.” Fellow council member Shelby Williams said he shared Ricciardelli’s reservations about funding the center. Williams shared his thoughts in a Facebook post on Aug. 13. “The Plan B pill works primarily to prevent the release of an egg (ovula-
tion), can prevent fertilization of an egg, and has no effect if implantation has already occurred (no issue so far), but it also can prevent implantation of an already-fertilized egg, thus terminating an already-conceived life,” Williams wrote. “If it weren't for that, there would be no issue, and this would never have been discussed.” Political science senior Julia Leary was at an Aug. 12 Plano city council meeting. Leary said she became aware of The Turning Point in a ninth grade health class and interacted with The Turning Point while she was a part of The Public Health Initiative at UTD.
“I don’t know what the harm would (be) if we lost them. I couldn’t even imagine because I don’t think our police departments, our city resources are equipped to handle all the people that would be turning to them instead,” Leary said. “When I was at the city council meeting, just the amount of women who came and talked about how the center literally saved their lives, it was super impactful to hear the direct impact it had on people.” Ricciardelli also expressed concerns about solely funding counseling at The
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Sleep not top priority for students: why it should be Survey results show that only one-third of respondents at UTD regularly receive recommended number of hours of sleep CALIS LIM
Mercury Staff
Look through any student’s calendar, and you’ll likely see some recurring events: tests coming up, work hours and hangouts with friends. There is one event notably absent from this list: sleep. We block out time for other crucial aspects of our life, but sleep isn’t prioritized for most students. While the National Sleep Foundation recommends that young adults — ranging from 18 to 25 years old — receive seven to nine hours of sleep, a Mercury survey of 118 students found that only 30.5% of respondents received the recommended amount of sleep or more on a regular basis and 69.5% of students who took the survey received less than that. Sleep affects our social health as well as the people closest to us, such as significant others. This is an idea that Heidi Kane, assistant professor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at BBS, has explored in her research. As head of the Close Relationships and Health Lab, she has focused on the cognitive processes through which relationships, either friendly or romantic, are related to aspects of our health, such as sleep. “Let’s say I’m sleep deprived. Am I going to have the motivation to engage with my partner to find a resolution? Am I going to have the attentional capacity to pay attention to my partner and their needs? Am I going to have the regulatory control to control my own emotions so I can keep the conflict from escalating?” Kane said. “This process in our relationships can be affected by sleep.” Stress and anxiety are the most prevalent consequences of sleep deprivation among UTD students, even more so than other campuses. According to the campus-wide 2017 American College Health Association Assessment, 38.9% of UTD students felt that their academic performance had been adversely affected by stress in the 12 months prior to the survey, compared to 27.4% of students at other institutions. Simi-
ALESANDRA BELL | MERCURY STAFF
larly, 30.6% of UTD students felt that their academic performance was adversely affected by anxiety in the past 12 months, compared to 18.3% of students at other institutions. This litany of negative effects is no
secret, and it’s safe to assume that most students know these downsides. Yet we still continue to hit the books, hit the gym and hit the town, but we forget to hit the hay. Why is that? Well, according to The Mercury’s survey results, academ-
ics was chosen by 68.7% of students as their top priority. Regardless, the lack of sleep among students is a problem that the university faces and the administration has acknowledged. “I’ve had some promising meet-
ings with academics. I have a meeting with graduate education next week, and we’re really focused on health and wellness because it's such a concern in
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LIFE&ARTS
Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
Military student finds her place at UTD Navy veteran gives insight into years of military service, transition back into college ELLIS BLAKE HIDALGO Mercury Staff
RYAN MAGEE | MERCURY STAFF
As servicemen leave the armed forces, finding work in the civilian sector can be challenging. Enlisted soldiers without college degrees may be unable to find work despite their skills obtained during service. Regardless, many still choose to leave for the benefits of civilian life. Engineering student and Navy veteran Reina Woolridge chose to serve in the Navy because of an intrinsic desire to be involved. After three semesters at UNT, she left in 2014 to join the Navy. “I had my college paid for. I think more so I just had this need — I had this thing inside of me where I wanted to do something good. I was a part of the government involvement on campus and I was just thinking, ’I really want to do something, I want to be more involved,’ so I joined the Navy,” Woolridge said. “At the time, the Navy was doing a lot of rescue-type missions. Or at least, the media was covering a lot more rescue missions, so I thought it was more (of ) what we’d be doing.” After serving in Japan for four years under the rate AT-2, which stands for avionics electronics technician, Woolridge said one of the biggest adjustments into civilian life was interacting with people again. “I was a single sailor. I was only ever around other single sailors. The culture is a lot different than what you’re used to,” Woolridge said. “You have to be careful with people to make sure you don’t offend them as much. The work pace is a lot quicker in the military; over here it’s a lot slower. I notice that people aren’t as hardworking, so it can kind of get to you. Even just in school I’ve noticed that in group projects that I’ve had, other veterans that are in the classes are more willing to help than non-veterans.” Despite existing skills acquired during her time in the Navy, Woolridge said she wanted to pursue a career in Engineering, which led to her to return to
college. She said after getting her degree, it won’t be likely that she’ll rejoin the Navy. “I want to have more freedom. You don’t have a lot of freedom in the military. I want to help people, right? Well, in the military, you’re not always helping people,” she said. “I would prefer just to stay out and work with the military as a contractor or for a different company altogether.” She said part of the reason she left was to see her family, which she wasn’t able to do while she was serving. “That’s part of why I got out too, I have family here. My whole time serving in the Navy, I never came back to the US and some family died while I was abroad,” Woolridge said. “If I’d stayed in the Navy, I’d have stayed overseas and there was no telling when I would’ve been able to see my family.” While she transitioned from military to school, Woolridge said a lot of her friends transitioned from military straight into the workforce, which proved to be difficult when many of them lacked a college education. Applying for jobs at companies that advertise themselves as “veteran friendly” was also challenging because they didn’t live up to the label. “I have a lot of friends that are really struggling financially. I have a few that went to companies like Raytheon and Texas Instruments working as techs, which they’re fine at and it lets them spend time with their families, which is why they got out,” Woolridge said. “A lot of companies say they’re ‘veteran friendly,’ which I don’t think is true. When I got out, I immediately tried looking for a job in all these places marketing as ‘veteran friendly,’ and I didn’t even get a call back.” As a UTD student now, Woolridge described the benefits presented by the university to her not only as a student, but also as a veteran. She said having access to VA health care was challenging, and that being able
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Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
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to utilize the services offered through the Student Wellness Center was useful in determining if she needed to go to the VA for more serious cases. “Another thing is health care. A lot of people don’t really talk about it in the military, because you’re covered while you’re active duty, but when you get out, if you haven’t served 20 years, you don’t get a lot of health care services. You have to enroll in the VA and go to initial clinic which is in Dallas. I don’t have a lot of time to go to Dallas and spend the whole day there while they check over me,” Woolridge said. “That’s been really hard,
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Turning Point. “My view is that even if funds are only used for certain purposes, by paying for one thing, we free up the funds that would’ve paid for that thing to be used for the Plan B pills instead. Since money is fungible it’s hard for a restriction on funds to be meaningful,” Ricciardelli said. Ricciardeli said he would like to use the $57,000 to fund counseling for survivors of sexual assault through a contract with a private counselor. At an Aug. 12 city council meeting, Rachel Mailman said the city of Plano should continue to fund the rape crisis center.
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terms of mental health,” said Kacey Sebeniecher, director of the Student Wellness Center. “I can see the shifts starting to happen at different levels as we go up the chain (of authority).” Because of these meetings and collaborations, there are plans that are designed to ad-
but the school has a clinic that I learned about through the veteran’s center, where they can see you for free and be like, ‘Oh, well you need these types of medications.’ Then I’ll be able to know that maybe I should go to the VA and spend time so that I can get better or if it’s something that’ll pass.” Woolridge said taking undergraduate classes with non-veteran students can be challenging because people have faced different levels of responsibility in their lives, and that veterans have had the opportunity to have more responsibility as a result of their job. She said it helps to be patient with veterans as they’re transitioning into civilian life. “We’re coming from a time
when we were being told what to do and where to be all the time, so we really didn’t have any freedom (prior) to being here. So some people take that a little differently. Some people are super quiet and don’t express their feelings. They could be hurting on the inside and not saying it out loud,” Woolridge said. “Also remember that some of us are direct. Just be patient with us. Maybe say, ‘Hey, the way you’re speaking is making me feel uncomfortable. I understand you’re transitioning so let’s work through this together.’ A lot of us are transitioning so we want people to tell us when we’re being (brash), but at the same time we can’t really help it, so we need help in that aspect.”
“The Turning Point saved my life,” Mailman said. “I was assigned a wonderful, licensed practical counselor who believed me, listened to me, supported me. I came to grips with what happened and was able to succeed at work and at home. I sent my abuser divorce papers. I was supported in counseling sessions and group sessions when he refused to sign them. I learned that I was still myself even with his name on me.” Executive director of The Turning Point, Wendy Hanna, said the practice of giving Plan B is not related to the funding received from the city of Plano. “We are asking for funding for therapists trained in the unique and highly sensitive dynamics of
sexual assault and post-traumatic stress,” Hanna said. “To create such a hullabaloo over the nonrelated practice of offering a medication that is essential in the ability for some survivors to move forward from their trauma really just takes away from what is really important and vital to their healing: restoring their power.” Plano mayor Harry LaRosiliere proposed continued funding for The Turning Point, with a change of the current contract. “My proposal is pretty simple: we write into the contract of the grant that the $57,000 is for counseling (and) any administrative support that may be applicable,” LaRosiliere said. Voting on the finalized budget will take place Sept. 9.
dress this campus-wide issue, Sebeniecher said. “We’re starting to host events at different times,” she said. “Doing the late night events, that promotes people staying up late. If you’re coming home from a 10 p.m. event, you likely won’t sleep until 2 a.m. But if we have 6 p.m. event, then hopefully you’re in bed by 10 p.m. or 11p.m.” Sebeniecher said that despite
existing adjustments the university has made, campus offices are always open to changing in response to student needs. “I definitely think there’s more changes to come,” Sebeniecher said. “And the beautiful thing about UT Dallas is we’re young. We’re 50 years old, and we have opportunities to make that culture shift and to influence what our college life is like here.”
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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
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SPORTS
Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
Men's soccer sets sights on championship Team strives for more goals this season, hopes mid-August preparation will help players through upcoming fall matches AYESHA ASAD Mercury Staff
After taking a summer break, the men’s soccer team is looking forward to creating more opportunities to score this season, as well as build a strong team dynamic. Jason Hirsch, head men’s soccer coach, is striving to score more goals this season compared to the last. The team finished the 2018 season with 13 wins, three losses and two ties. “Our goal is to compete week-in and week-out, and try to win every single game we play,” Hirsch said. “Our focus will be on trying to concede as few goals as possible, while trying to score as many as possible. We would like to score more total goals than last fall, and that will be a lot of our focus: trying to create and score goals.” The team officially started training on Thursday, Aug. 15, and are practicing rigorously in order to reach the American Southwest Conference championships towards the end of the season. Last season, the team headed to the ASC title match after scoring a last-minute goal against East Texas Baptist, but lost 1-0 to Mary-Hardin Baylor in the next game. “This season, like last, we need to show up hungry for a conference championship," junior midfielder Merek Byckovski. “This means competing in both matches and practices, but more simply what head coach Hirsch emphasizes: a winning mentality. As long as we enter the conference tournament healthy and playing our game, we should be set for a conference ring and NCAA tournament run.” The players hold all the necessary elements of a resilient team, Hirsch said, and that makes the men’s soccer roster a team with great promise. “All good teams need talent, good
ANDREW GALLEGOS | MERCURY ARCHIVES
A men's soccer player runs toward the ball during a 2015 match against the University of Texas at Tyler.
team chemistry, a winning mentality and leadership from within the group of players,” he said. “We have been speaking with our squad and talking about these things specifically for the last few years, and we think this team has a lot of potential if they can bring all of these aspects into their planning.” In order to develop this potential, Hirsch is planning on adapting a novel strategy better suited to the team. “We are trying a new shape, which is a little more complicated but is one I believe could really work well with our squad,” he said. “Many of the concepts
are the same, but we will try and be more aggressive on the attack and commit numbers into the final one-third.” Thirteen new freshmen and one transfer student are joining the team this year. To help them integrate into the team successfully, senior defender Mason Anderson plans to make them feel welcome. “I have been lucky enough to be named captain by my teammates, so I truly do enjoy encouraging my teammates and getting the best out of them in high-pressure situations,” Anderson said. “As for the new recruits and transfers, I actively seek to make them feel like
part of the team. Being a transfer myself, I know what it feels like to be the new guy, so I make sure to reach out to those guys. The last thing they’re expecting is for a senior captain to take an interest in them, so that’s exactly what I do.” Returning players may face a challenge as well. With the new strategy in mind and the ambition to advance to nationallevel competitions, Anderson emphasized the importance of staying optimistic. “The easiest way to keep up team spirit is to win games, but we also have many great leaders on the team that are doing an excellent job every day to maintain a
positive culture within the team,” Anderson said. “We do this by encouraging one another and lifting each other up when we make mistakes or aren’t having the best day on the pitch.” Byckovski attributed the team’s success to his coaches and peers. “We could not achieve the success we reach year-in and out without the professionals around us,” Byckovski said. “And although college soccer can seem like a job at times with so many commitments and trips throughout the semester, my teammates make the experience exciting, enjoyable and certainly memorable.”
SAMANTHA LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF
COMICS BACK TO SCHOOL SALE
Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
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SAME AS IT EVER WAS
JENNA CHERREY| MERCURY STAFF
O&B: SCAREDY CATS
ELIZABETH NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF
SARAH STREETY | MERCURY STAFF
IF LOOKS COULD KILL
MORE LIKE A "TO-DON'T LIST"
RYAN MAGEE | MERCURY STAFF
LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD
BIANCA DEL RIO | MERCURY STAFF
SARAH BESSERER | MERCURY STAFF
SAMANTHA LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF
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OPINION
Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
SAMANTHA LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF
The 'sport' in esports
the 'e' in esports
Why competitive gaming is a sport
Why competitive gaming is not a sport
EMAAN BANGASH Managing Editor
Esports, short for “electronic sports,” has taken the world by storm with its lavish tournaments, millions of fans and expanding library of esports games. It’s a $1.5 billion industry, according to PC Gamer, and is growing tenfold. Even though “sports” is in the name, esports still isn’t taken as seriously as other traditional sports. In an ever-changing world, we need to give esports a chance, and that starts with recognizing them as a sport. The Oxford Dictionary defines sports as an activity that requires physical exertion, skill and individuals or teams must compete against one another either for competition or entertainment. One could argue that not all sports completely fit this definition. For example, golf is widely considered a sport, but requires very little physical exertion other than swinging a club and walking from hole to hole. It can be played by the elderly, overweight or non-athletic. Additionally, darts are defined as a sport. BBC Sports reports on darts just like any other sport, but what physical exertion is required to
toss a dart? If sports are going to be defined by how rigorous they are, golf and darts definitely shouldn’t be considered sports. However, they are, and because the physical exertion part of the definition can be applied to many different games and sports, from varying degrees of rigor, it doesn’t seem fair to dismiss esports as not a sport. But what physical exertion is required in esports besides clicking a mouse and some keyboard keys? Beyond these movements, esports requires a capacity to sit for hours in extreme concentration and engage in continuous mental exertion in a potentially stressful environment. Professional esports players often practice for 10 hours straight a day, and it’s no joke. According to scientists at the German Sport University, esports players produce the same amount of cortisol as race car drivers, and their pulses are often at 160-180 beats per minute. Like many sports, it requires fast reflexes, quick thinking, high quality hand-eye coordination and competitive spirit. Skills, training and teamplay, all of which encompass what is sports, are present in esports as well. These games are a lot more difficult than you might think when in a competitive setting.
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AYESHA ASAD Mercury Staff
To some, the word “gamer” may conjure a mental image of a sickly, wideeyed juvenile frantically hammering buttons on a controller, discarded Fritos bags littered around him, but this is hardly the case. Being a gamer requires courage to pursue a passion relentlessly, as professional gamers do. They adhere to a strict regimen and work for hours a day to bring in revenue. Gaming may be their career, but is it a sport? Maybe not. The rise of esports has been explosive: more than 600,000 people watched the North American League of Legends Championship Series Spring Split Finals in 2019, and ESPN has dedicated a section of their sports page to esports. In this vein, many may be tempted to label playing video games as actual sports. However, popularity does not deem an activity a sport. Rather, physical exertion does. According to the Oxford English dictionary, a “sport” is defined as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” By this definition, vid-
eo games cannot be considered sports, as they do not require physical exertion — generally, the only movement required is pushing buttons. One could delve even further and define “physical exertion,” which, according to Dictionary.com, is “the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit.” Clicking a mouse doesn’t result in physical fitness as it does not require one to get in shape or be of a certain build, nor does it require much physical effort. Even sports like golf or darts require significant arm strength in order to swing a club powerfully or throw a dart forcefully towards a target. Furthermore, if video games were to be considered sports, then chess and other competitive sedentary games would have to be considered sports as well. Though some may argue that chess is a sport, the attitude is far from universal. Board games, card games, chess and esports do not fit the definition of “physical exertion.” After playing a particularly difficult game of Monopoly or Clue with your friends, do you feel as though you’ve just finished playing a sport? Have you ever called a game of Solitaire with family a “scrimmage?” Even a game of cards may require more physical exer-
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BORN EQUAL Exploring one pro-life organization's selective outrage RUQIYA BARREH Contributer
SARAH BESSERER | MERCURY STAFF
In his opinion piece, “Why We Stand for the Victims,” Michael Lockwood — the founder of Comets for the Preborn — said that he believes “all innocent human lives… are worthy of protection.” Throughout their time here on campus, CftP has constantly represented themselves as the defenders of the innocent and those who will stand for vulnerable communities that can’t protect themselves. In spite of the lofty claims CftP and Created Equal — CftP’s parent organization — make about the morality of their endeavors, they have both been painfully silent in regard to the recent investigations into the miscarriages and child abuse among undocumented immigrants. When faced with the human rights atrocities being committed at our borders by our government, instead of rising against
this barbaric attack on human rights, CftP and Created Equal have chosen to concentrate their efforts on vilifying those seeking a medical procedure and taking agency over their own bodies instead of rising to the defense to the incredibly vulnerable population who need advocates. This paradox goes to show that when push comes to shove, the main concern of anti-abortion organizations like CftP isn’t actually protecting the sanctity of life. If CftP are the defenders of the unborn that they claim to be, then it makes no sense that they remain uncharacteristically silent as reports of women miscarrying within ICE detention centers have nearly doubled under the Trump administration due to severe emotional and physical stress, inhumane conditions, and inadequate medical care — if any at all. A point that they return to time and time again is how “unborn lives” (i.e. fetuses) are just as deserving of protection and rights as everyone else; this mis-
sion is how they justify their attempts at shaming abortion, a valid medical procedure, through highly graphic imagery, accusatory rhetoric and misinformation. A complaint written in September 2017 by different advocacy organizations, such as the ACLU and the Women’s Refugee Commission, surfaced with pregnant women reporting cases of extreme abuse and neglect at the hands of ICE detention workers, ranging including suffering from exhaustion and dehydration from being transferred between detention facilities more than six times in three months, or bleeding for over an hour while waiting for medical attention before eventually miscarrying. Another report by the Women’s Refugee Commission found that ICE’s treatment of pregnant women is so abhorrent that more women are electing to give up their asylum cases and be deported in fear of losing their child. By all accounts, these types
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Aug. 19, 2019 | The Mercury
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OPINION
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Esports players often have to think on their feet, whether it’s making sure a teammate is healed up enough during teamfights or making that perfect skill-shot that kills off the enemy team’s strongest player. Most esports games require intense teamplay, where all players have to be thinking about the consequences of their actions as well as their teammates. In the game “League of Legends” for example, teams are made up of five players and must take care of their own side of the map as well as constantly being aware of others invading or ambushing them. Professional esports players beat out thousands of the best players in the world to get into the top positions, which requires ample dedication, mental capacity and a willingness to practice continuously (like any other person playing a sport). It's a high-stakes environment with almost as much competition, teamplay and rigor as more physically exertive sports. One might argue that esports promotes poor fitness. It's not healthy to play in front of a screen for hours, yes, but don't be quick to equate esports to a guy playing video games all day in his basement. Profes-
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tion than League of Legends, yet hardly anyone considers Slapjack a sport. Finally, sports promote physical well-being and fitness. Esports, however, do not. Spending inordinate hours in front of a TV or computer is linked to obesity, according to a 2019 study at the University of South Australia. Even professional gamers that have physical trainers only keep fit by doing activities outside of play-
sional esports players now have gym trainings, nutritionists and coaches to maintain their physical fitness. According to MensHealth.com, professional “Heroes of the Storm” player and eighth best in the world in 2018 Mike “Glaurung” Fisk tries to include a daily workout regime after his practice, which consists of 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups and 10 pistol squats. While in the past, professional esports players often disregarded their health in favor of training for hours and hours, esports companies are starting to recognize that a healthy body equals a healthy mind. According to Independent.co, in 2018 European esports company Rfrsh Entertainment hired physical trainers, a doctor, a massage therapist, a sports psychologist and a nutritionist to ensure players in their “League of Legends” and “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” teams would perform better than when they lived their sedentary lifestyles, and the numbers clearly show this was the case. For example, in 2018, their “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” team Astralis won competitions and earned $3.7 million prize money compared to their previous sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle in the year 2017 that won them comparatively little. Even UTD’s head
esports coach Greg Adler said the teams will require mandatory gym hours starting in the upcoming semester. With esports players physically training like athletes would, esports doesn’t promote obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, and therefore should be considered onpar to other sports. Esports can be considered sports because they are challenging and demanding both physically and mentally, require as many skills and competition and require more than just a sedentary average player. The trouble with not treating esports as a sport is that it’s often written off as just people gathering together playing video games. Players aren’t taken as seriously as players of other sports, which is a shame considering the amount of effort, dedication and time professional players put into improving their craft. Traditional sports have been around for forever, but why can’t new sports step into the spotlight? Take a second to recognize that there is more to esports players than just people sitting behind a screen for hours playing their favorite video games. Support your own teams at UTD. The world is changing so rapidly, and it would do people some good to be more accepting of new, cool things they may not understand.
ing online games, such as going to the gym. Other professional gamers don’t exercise as regularly. Rene Pinkera, who won the World of Warcraft world championship at the BlizzCon 2015 tournament, detailed his daily routine, which included minimal physical exercise. "We do a short warm-up; we do a couple of stretches with our arms and our hands. After that, we play, because that is what it is all about," Pinkera said. He goes on to say that he and his teammates play “sometimes as many as 12” hours a day.
And what about casual gamers? They do not have physical trainers. Someone playing video games in their house is not strengthening their body, stamina or health. They aren’t playing a sport. They’re playing a game. This doesn’t mean that being at the top of the Fortnite leaderboards doesn’t require precise skill. Many non-sporty activities require precise skill, such as painting, sculpting and drawing. Gaming is an activity — it is a game, it is a competition — but it is not a sport.
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of cases entail everything that CftP stands against; these vulnerable women are being systematically attacked by government institutions and prevented from having children that they actively want. However, there are no attempts to raise awareness or calls to action against this human rights atrocity anywhere on CftP’s social media and the leaders of the organization appear to be just as silent as well. This inactivity begs the question on what CftP is truly fighting for if not for a woman’s right to have children in a safe and healthy manner. Additionally, one of CftP’s main issues with abortion is how it’s punishing innocent children who’ve committed no crimes other than “merely existing.” Once again, even though
CftP uses this as justification for their events on campus, they have done nothing to raise awareness about the real threats against undocumented children within ICE detention centers. The New York Times reported that the Office of Refugee Resettlement received about 859 complaints from children with ICE facilities concerning sexual abuse between March 2018 and July 2018 — the largest amount during any five-month span in the past four years. One case in particular in Yuma, Arizona, reported young girls being sexually abused and mocked by ICE officers with no repercussions being made against any officials. What makes these innocent children any different than the “unborn children” that CftP constantly defend? Why does CftP remain silent yet again in the face of these tragedies? As much as CftP would like
to claim that it’s an organization based around family values, a quick examination of the facts at hand show otherwise. Their apparent disdain for the lives of people of color demonstrates their hypocrisy and showcases that when push comes to shove, CftP isn’t truly concerned with advocating for the people who truly need support and preserving the sanctity of life. By actively choosing to protect unborn children and turning a blind eye to the undocumented children that are already here and in need of assistance, CftP is essentially declaring that these minorities’ lives are worth inherently less than unborn ones and are less deserving of their time and effort. Ruqiya Barreh is a sophomore from Austin who is majoring in psychology and minoring in public health.
AUG. 21
COMETVILLE
Treats, games, giveaways and information about student organizations and campus departments. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. SU Mall Rainout: AC
Aug. 19, 2018 | The Mercury
10
NEWS
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utd over the years As UTD turns 50, we take a look back at how the campus grew, and highlight some of the achievements of the university and its students. 1961- Eugene McDermott, J. Erik Jonsson and Cecil Green, having previously founded Texas Instruments, founded the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest, operating the center from Southern Methodist University. 1964- The Founders Building opens on the modern-day campus. 1967- The school is renamed to the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies. 1969- House bill 303 is signed into law, and the school is added to the UT System, becoming the University of Texas at Dallas. 1971- Bryce Jordan is elected president of UT Dallas. He comes up with a logo for the university consisting of the letters “UTD” surrounded by a box. 1973- Karl Hoblitzelle gifts nearly 300 acres of land to the campus. The residence halls, University Village Apartments, Alexander Clark Center, Waterview Park and Hoblitzelle Hall all were built upon that land. 1973- UTD awards its first diplomas. 1974- Maureen Steiner becomes the first woman to receive a PhD at UTD. 1975- UT Dallas’ School of Management is established. Carolyn Lipshy Galerstein is selected as UT Dallas’ first female dean. The Galerstein Women’s Center is later opened in 1996 in her honor. 1975- UT Dallas welcomes its first undergraduate students — juniors and seniors — on campus, bringing total enrollment up to 3,333. 1976- The Love Jack statue, created by artist Jim Love, is installed on campus. 1976- Several iconic buildings around campus open, including the Eugene McDermott Library, Cecil H. Green Hall, J. Erik Jonsson Hall, Hoblitzelle Hall and the University Theatre. 1980- The Mercury is born as the official student newspaper of UTD. The title was chosen by a contest called “Name Your Student Newspaper.” Other potential titles submitted include: UT Delight, UTD Laser, UT Bonanza, UTD Commuter, UTD No Horn and The Habitat.
nearly 30,000 students. UTD’s beginnings can be traced back to 1961, when the university’s three founders — Eugene McDermott, Erik Jonsson and Cecil Green — aimed to make a hub for research and education in the south. Their vision was realized in 1969, when Texas governor Preston Smith signed the legislation that allowed the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies to join the UT system as UT Dallas. Throughout the next 20 years, the university would award its first diplomas, bring the Love Jack to campus and welcome underclassmen. With the introduction of underclassmen came the creation of a distinct “UTD” culture. In October 1990, students pranked the UTD community by filling a fountain outside of Founders with foam, adding a rubber duck for good measure. Nearly 30 years later, two students found a shrine to Steve Buscemi under a stairwell in Green. That same year, three students were trapped in a study room in Residence Hall Northwest for three hours. They played hangman and drew on the windows with residence hall staff until maintenance staff broke a hole through the drywall to get them out safely. Along with our university’s playful spirit comes a sense of solidarity. A 1989 Mercury opinion article spoke out in support of student protesters at Tiananmen Square, with several Chinese students expressing similar sentiments at the time. Later on in 2001, university administrators as well as Student Government called for unity in the wake of 9/11. Students who voiced concerns about being profiled after the attacks were met with unyielding support. Finally, in early 2018 when the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was in jeopardy, University President Richard Benson sent a message of support to affected students while the International Center compiled a list of resources available to them. In the face of adversity, we came together. That is the spirit of UTD. Another hallmark of the university is its diversity. In 1993, The Mercury reported that the student
population was 75% white; 10 years later, people of color made up nearly half of the university’s population. In a 2018 guest opinion, international political economy senior Sabur Woldu summed up the benefits of having such a diverse student population. “UTD’s diversity provides you and me the ability to break bread with our brothers and sisters from across the world and has allowed communities from different corners of the globe to come together and flourish in one place,” Woldu wrote. “I myself am immersed in many different communities at UTD, and each one holds a special place in my heart. I’ve met incredible people in all of them, I’ve mingled with people I otherwise wouldn’t have and I’ve seen the beauty of all these communities coming together to make UTD feel like home for me.” UTD has come a long way, but what’s next? It seems history repeats itself, with more buildings coming soon to accommodate for more students coming in. A new science building will arrive by 2020 for the thousands of aspiring students coming in. A potential parking structure will add about 1,200 spaces for students to park their cars by 2022. Although UTD is mostly a research-based university, it has a heart for the arts. In 2017, students voiced their concerns about the former Art Barn being taken down and was replaced by the now Physics Building. A petition was started, which received over 350 signatures in two days to keep the beloved building, which was frequently used as a space for people to paint and sculpt to their heart’s desire. After facing backlash in response to the Art Barn’s demolition, the administration is now planning to create a UTD Athenaeum by 2026, which will hold significant art collections and the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History. UTD will also be building a museum on-campus to house the full Crow art collection. The next generation of Comets is already on campus finding ways to make their mark at UTD. They’ll attend classes, learn the history of the university and plan for their futures, just like thousands of students before them. What will UTD look like in the next 50 years?
1981- The Student Union opens. 1986- The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science opens. 1990- For the first time, freshman and sophomores are admitted to the university. The very first freshman class has around 100 students. 1992- Dr. Hobson Wildenthal becomes vice president for academic affairs, where he helps shape the early undergraduate programs into what they are today. 1998- “Blaze," UTD’s first mascot, is designed by Aaron Aryanpur. After a copyright dispute with UT Arlington in 2002, the anthropomorphic comet is renamed “Temoc.” 2001- UTD enrollment reaches approximately 12,000 students. 2002- The schools of Arts and Humanities and Engineering and Computer Science collaborate together to form the Arts and Technology (ATEC) program. 2008- The Spirit Rocks are added to campus. 2009- The residence halls are constructed and opened to the student body. The dining hall opens to serve meals seven days a week. 2015- Dr. Hobson Wildenthal is appointed as president ad interim of UTD, where he was previously provost and executive vice president. 2016- Dr. Richard C. Benson is appointed as the fifth president of UTD. UT Dallas’ student body now exceeds 26,000 students, including 119 National Merit Scholars. 2018 - ECS West, a new building for engineering students, opens.
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