September 8, 2015
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THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Scholarship founded in memory of grad student
Welcome Week Grad works for NASA Sports Previews
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OLD SCHOOL
Brothers-in-law create adult-oriented arcade complete with retro games, alcohol
Friends, classmates hope to raise $25,000 by end of the year for memorial fund
MESA FAMILY | COURTESY
Ben Mesa stands with his two sons, Zachary and Aiden. Mesa died in a boating accident at Lake Grapevine on Jun. 7. The scholarship named in his honor will be open to full-time graduate or undergraduate students with at least 10 years of professional experience. JIANA KHAZMA Mercury Staff
UTD business alumni are honoring a cherished classmate who died on Jun. 7 in a boating accident at Grapevine Lake, just two weeks after completing his MBA. Professors and peers described Ruben “Ben” Mesa as memorable for his booming laughter and commitment to causes he cared about. Mesa’s death came as a shock to those around him. “It just wasn’t the same after he wasn’t there,” Jeff Steele, a former classmate and friend, said. “He was one of those people (whose) personality drove the class.” The cohort that he was a part of created The Ruben Mesa Memorial Scholarship — which has raised over $8,000 in its first two weeks — to
PHOTO BY CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF
Richard Tregilgas (left) and Corey Hyden both have a shared passion for classic arcade games. After Hyden started a collection that filled up his garage, the duo came up with the idea to start Free Play Arcade. STORY BY SURAIYA RAHMETULLA
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Mercury Staff
ames and beer will fill the space of Free Play Arcade, a new venue located in the East Richardson Shopping Center that will house classic games and a dining area with food and alcoholic beverages. The establishment, founded by Richardson natives and brothers-in-law Corey Hyden and Richard Tregilgas, is an adult-oriented, retro arcade expected to open in October. It is the first business to have
Ben really was bigger than life.
→ SEE ARCADE, PAGE 14
— JoAnne Blanchette, Ben Mesa's fiancee
commemorate their classmate. The scholarship will be open to full-time graduate or undergraduate students with at least 10 years of professional experience and is expected to launch in the spring of 2017. The scholarship committee hopes to reach its goal of raising $25,000 by Dec. 31. Pamela Foster Brady — who was also one of Mesa’s professors — recalled an instance in which the MBA cohort was preparing for a study trip to Istanbul. News reports suddenly emerged indicating the possibility of political strife in surrounding regions before the trip. “Students were very anxious, so we had a class meeting to ease their concerns,” she said. “Then Ben stood up. He said, ‘Pamela, have you already booked your tickets?’ And I said ‘Yes, Ben, we have,’ and he said, ‘That does it, I’m going.’” Mesa then grabbed his backpack and left the meeting. Half the class followed him. “That just kind of gives you a picture of his own leadership style,” she said. Mesa’s leadership tendencies also extended to his family. He left behind a fiancée, JoAnne Blanchette, and two sons, Zachary and Aiden. Blanchette said Mesa always did his best to spend time with his loved ones. “Ben really was bigger than life,” Blanchette said. “His presence just brought so much. His sons were his world. Every day he made sure to call his old friends just to touch base and make sure they were okay.” While Mesa was very successful in his accounting career, it was never the main focus in his life. “He made all the little things in life matter,” Blanchette said. “In today’s society when we see individuals there’s always an ulterior motive. Ben always proved real with his integrity and honor. He genuinely wanted the best for people. He was an honorable man, a family man.” As far as the community impact, Mesa’s death has rekindled old friendships. “When things like this happen, you need a way to get grief out of the way,” Steele said. “Usually after graduating, people go in their different directions ... but if anything, it brought (the cohort) back together.” Whether as a student, professional or father, those who were around Mesa said he brought value to the lives of others. “To me, untapped potential best describes Ben,” Foster Brady said. “He was a special guy and I think it was a reality check for our cohort to love life while you’re here.”
obtained an Amusement Arcade permit from the City of Richardson in over ten years. According to the arcade’s Development Blog, over 60 forms of entertaining arcade games and pinball machines primarily from the 1980s will be featured in the establishment. Tentative titles include “Ms. Pac Man,” “Space Invaders” and the “Tempest”. “My favorite arcade game is ‘Rolling Thunder’ and
IN THE DANCING SPIRIT Power Dancers get new coach with NFL, NBA performing experience
RANJIT SREENIVAS | MERCURY STAFF
Jacy Barney (middle), a professional dancer who spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, has joined UTD as the new head coach of the Power Dancers. NIDHI GOTGI
Managing Editor
A former member of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue Dance Squad will join UTD as the new head coach of the Power Dancers. Jacy Barney spent a season with the Cowboys from June 2014 to June 2015 and three years with the Los Angeles Clippers before that. In her junior year of high school, she represented the U.S. in Spain at the Dance World Cup as part of the American Dance Team and later
went on to win the national title of Miss Dance USA. After graduation, she joined the dance team at Orange Coast College and helped them win the national title her first year there. With her extensive experience in professional dance, Barney said she wants to build up the prestige of the current squad. “The main goal is to turn the UTD dance team into a professional team,” she said. “By the way that they look, by the way that they present
→ SEE DANCER, PAGE 14
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THE MERCURY | SEPT. 8, 2015
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SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER
OPINION
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SEPT. 8, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Low diversity in staff draws unecessary attention Dallas Morning News article criticizes UTD faculty for not representing enough racial backgrounds to reflect growing student population go down, especially for women and minority groups because they don’t have role models of the same gender or race to look up to. I don’t believe that race has anything to do with being a role model. I’ve been inspired by each of my professors in a different way without ever considering where they’re from. It’s their level of professionalism, how knowledgeable they are, their accomplishments and the way they present themselves that cause me to respect them. Having a different racial background than my professors has actually increased my opportunities at building a network with them, because what sets
NIDHI GOTGI COMMENTARY
me apart gives me something to talk about. They’ve always been willing to listen. Even though the numbers show that 65.1 percent of the faculty is white, a professor’s race has never registered in my mind when I’m in a class. I’ve tried to get to know each of my professors outside of the classroom setting and I’ve never had trouble finding common ground with them. I particularly remember discussing going to an Indian wedding with one of my white male professors. He was intrigued by my descriptions and expressed an interest in what I had to say. He was culturally sensitive
I don't believe that race has anything to do with being a role model. I've been inspired by each of my professors in a different way without every considering where where they're from.
One of the things I like best about UTD is the diversity and open-mindedness of the people here. People of different backgrounds support each other in celebrating one another’s holidays, while professors and staff bring many interesting lines of thought to the table. I’ve never felt like I couldn’t approach them with my own perspectives. So you can imagine my surprise when I read an article in The Dallas Morning News earlier this year that mentioned a UTD student who found it hard to relate to her professors because they were a different race than her. I’ve found the case to be the exact opposite. The DMN article claims that the academic staff at UTD isn’t varied enough to meet the diversity goals that the university set for itself. The article states that this is expected to cause student retention rates to
and asked the right questions. I respected him even more for being so receptive of my ideas, even though he wasn’t familiar with them. It’s because of the supportive nature of the professors here that I don’t find it difficult to establish a group of mentors in my life, regardless of their race. Out of the 17 classes I’ve taken, only six of my professors have been white males. More than half of them have been female. Incorporating global attitudes — especially on sensitive issues — was something all of my professors actively strived for. They encouraged conversations that allowed students from all walks of life to participate. They were conscious of the people they were influencing and acted accordingly. That’s what makes good role models. Overall, even though the diversity of faculty and staff isn’t reflected in the numbers available to the public, the atmosphere at the university is much different. The attitudes and beliefs of those around me make me feel like I’m part of a community. The support system here is tight-knit and that helps us grow as a unit — the campus and each and every one of its students.
A HELPING HAND?
HAMID SHAH | ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR
In 2015, over 1,500 migrants have died trying to reach Europe. Many of them have come from countries torn apart by civil war such as Syria and Mali. Much of the initial aid that was offered to help the first few waves of refugees has since diminished and anti-immigrant rhetoric has gone up, with 55 percent of Europeans saying they want to limit immigration. SOURCES: TIME MAGAZINE, PEW RESEARCH CENTER
COMET COMMENTS
"Do you think Donald Trump is a serious candidate?"
“I mean sure, anyone who wants to be president can or anybody you know who meets the requirements can be a presidential candidate.”
“At first I didn't because I thought he was just going to pull out like he did at the last race, but ever since he went to the debate I started believing (that) this guy's serious — he really wants to run.”
George Clark Psychology Freshman
Mellat Shegre Accounting and Finance Freshman
“Donald Trump is an interesting person. I feel like he's being very honest in some of his opinions which is, I mean, good for him. His view on taxes is great but his foreign policy and immigration policy (are) totally whack.” Aamena Javed Global Business and Healthcare Management Freshman
“I think Donald Trump is a joke. He doesn't have any real backing or any good ideas and I hope when the time comes people don't actually vote for him.”
“I'm surprised by how successful his campaign apparently is. He seems to be very popular with the public.”
Priya Thakur Neuroscience Junior
Caelen Seale Literary Studies Senior
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THE MERCURY | SEPT. 8, 2015
NEWS
UTDMERCURY.COM
Wise beyond years Researcher wins grant
Program helps young women enter fields of technology, math Money to support research on bacterial defense mechanisms
ALI TEJANI | MERCURY STAFF
ARUN PRASATH | MERCURY STAFF
Magaly Spector runs the Young Women in Science and Engineering program, which lasts from September to April each year. The program works with girls from local high schools as they work on a year-long science project. RYANNA QUAZI Mercury Staff
A 4-year-old program sponsored by the Department of Diversity and Community Engagement and the Galerstein’s Women’s Center allows UTD students, professors, industry professionals and high school teachers to mentor female students from local schools while they work on a yearlong science research project. The Young Women in Science and Engineering program lasts from September to April. This year, female students will meet with their mentors on Sept. 19 and will begin their projects afterward. Last year, some of these projects included making a video game, making an animated movie and creating a pill dispenser. Magaly Spector, the assistant to the president of strategic initiatives, is in charge of the Young WISE program. Spector is focused on empowering girls at the age where they are first exposed to math and science, which is often in high school. This is the age range the WISE program targets. “The program was a sound success this year, growing from three teams to ten teams of three students from low socioeconomic families,” Spector said. “It will be funded by Texas Instruments, Ericsson, Fluor and National Science Foundation this year and will be getting better than last year.”
Spector said the program would be different this year due to the addition of other high schools and an increase in funding. “We have another district joining and a new high school, Uplift Peak Charter,” she said. “We also got an increase of $15,000 funding over last year ($35,000 last year and $50,000 this year) from new donors.” UTD students served as mentors to these groups of girls while they completed their projects. Amanda Wall, a senior interdisciplinary studies student and a member of the WISE program, described how the girls changed after speaking to women at the Ericsson North American headquarters in Plano. “They explored the facility, learned about different career options and participated in a panel,” Wall said. “The panel allowed them to ask questions and hear the stories of successful women in STEM fields. I think that really opened up their eyes to all the possibilities available to them, regardless of gender or race.” Wall and her team faced challenges along the way, but as they neared the end of their projects, their excitement grew. “It was lot of work keeping the girls on track with their research, but seeing how excited they became as we got closer to the results was incredible,” Wall said.
→ SEE WISE, PAGE 14
Kelly Palmer (right) stands with members of her research team. Palmer was recently granted $1.9 million from the National Institute of Health to study how bacteria resists against antibiotics. ALI TEJANI Mercury Staff
An assistant professor in the School of Natural Science and Mathematics received a $1.9 million, five year grant from the National Institute of Health to study antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Kelly Palmer’s grant — which was drafted in collaboration with Michael Zhang, the Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair of Systems Biology Science — placed in the top 15 percent of grants submitted to the NIH. Palmer explained that this funding opens opportunities for further grants to support UTD’s endeavors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics research. “The money is used to pay for salaries, research in the summer months, (to buy) lab supplies and genome sequencing, which can be quite expensive,” Palmer said. Palmer studies antibiotic resistance in her laboratory by analyzing the Enterococcus bacteria’s uptake of foreign bacterial DNA, or plasmids, that code for antibiotic resistant genes. “We’re interested in the defense mechanisms in Enterococci that prevent them from taking up the plasmids,” Palmer said. “The two (mechanisms) we study are called restriction modification and CRISPR-Cas.” The lab’s graduate research students run daily experiments to clone bacteria, identify genes and check the functionality of defense systems. These tasks require the researchers to spend up to half a day in the lab.
Hannah Adams, a Ph.D. candidate in molecular and cellular biology, said that the 12-hour workdays are worth the effort. “Usually if I’m in the lab for that long, it’s because I’m trying to get a really important experiment finished,” Adams said. “The idea of getting that great data pushes you forward.” Although they have a large time commitment, Palmer and her graduate researchers share a desire to achieve a quick turnaround of results to show their progress to the NIH. “In five years, we hope to renew the grant,” Palmer said. “We would say, ‘look at all we accomplished with the first round of money you gave us.’ We need to understand how antibiotic resistance evolves in the clinic.” The $1.9 million grant covers the lab’s operating costs, but the funding is not enough to provide for the purchase and upkeep of advanced genome sequences at UTD. Currently, the Palmer lab sends their samples to labs at the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University and the University of California at San Diego for assistance with genome sequencing. A core facility at UTD would require technicians who can work with samples from the research labs. “The dream would be to have a core facility at UTD,” Palmer said. “I think there’s a need for one. We could provide some money … for the upkeep
→ SEE RESEARCH, PAGE 14
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NEWS
THE MERCURY | SEPT. 8, 2015
Presidential search committee members named Group plans to have replacement for Daniel by Spring 2016 PRIYANKA HARDIKAR Mercury Staff
Representatives for the search committee to replace former president David Daniel were announced on Aug. 20. The search committee — which will be chaired by UT System’s Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Steve Leslie — will consist of Regent David J. Beck, Regent Sara Martinez Tucker and Student Regent Justin Drake. Daniel, who is now the deputy chancellor and chief operating officer of the UT System, began his new job on July 1. Leslie said the committee will be looking for someone who is like Daniel. “If you take a look at our previous president, we want someone similar to that,” Leslie said. Leslie said that person is someone who has the ability to recruit and retain top caliber faculty. Leslie also emphasized that he or she should fulfill their responsibilities to the best of his or her ability. As part of the regent’s guidebook, the search advisory committee is helping to identify potential candidates for the Board to consider who meet the given criteria. Executive Director of Public Affairs Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said they remain in the early stages of the process. “We have not established a timeline at this point,” LaCoste-Caputo said. “The goal is to have the new president in place no later than spring 2016.” The search advisory committee assesses potential candidates, conducts interviews and makes recommendations to the Board. Then they will interview a few candidates to ultimately name a finalist or finalists for the presidency, LaCoste-Caputo said. “They understand that choosing the right leader
directly affects the potential success of an institution,” LaCoste-Caputo said. “Identifying that ideal candidate is challenging, but the process in place has led to many successful outcomes and Regents are confident that it will in this case.” Leslie said the details of the process will remain confidential until the results are announced at the end. “(Confidentiality) is critical at the level that we are talking about, because what we want to do is identify the nation’s very top candidates,” she said. “They are typically highly valued at their current locations.” However, before the Board is permitted to vote to select one of the finalists as president, state law requires a 21-day waiting period where campus visits and public forums with faculty and students are held. In the next few months, the UT System plans to establish a website that showcases the search and keeps the community up-to-date. The website will give the public a chance to individually submit nominations for the next president. This feature allows everyone in the campus community to hold a voice in the process, LaCoste-Caputo said. “This is an approach we used during the UT Austin presidential search and members of the search advisory committee found it very useful,” LaCosteCaputo said. LaCoste-Caputo said the criteria each candidate must meet in skills and qualities will be determined during the search process and will inevitably set a high bar. Former President Daniel’s leadership helped set that standard, Leslie said. “President Daniel has done a wonderful job over the last ten years. It sets the stage for us to do what I think will be a very strong and successful recruitment for the next president,” Leslie said.
THE SEARCH COMMITTEE
STEVE LESLIE
SARA MARTINEZ TUCKER
DAVID BECK
JUSTIN DRAKE
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LIFE&ARTS
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SEPT. 8, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Q&A
THE FINAL
FRONTIER
with
Retta
HAMID SHAH | ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR
UTD graduate overcomes obstacles, lives out dream of working for NASA
SID PATEL | MERCURY STAFF
Retta brought her stand-up act to campus on Aug. 26 in the ATEC performance hall as a part of SUAAB's Big Bad Comedy Show.
CHRISTINA DEOJA | COURTESY
Christina Deoja poses in front of one of NASA's landing vehicles in the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. CARA SANTUCCI Mercury Staff
In fifth grade, a precocious Christina Deoja stood on her tiptoes and pulled down a large book on astrophysics. She didn’t understand any of the words, but she loved looking at the photos. Twelve years later, Deoja landed the job she had dreamed about since she was 10-years-old. “I would just stare at pictures of galaxies and I was always outside looking at the stars,” Deoja said. “To me, that was something that was always fascinating.” Deoja said she originally aspired to become an astronaut. “I told my parents I wanted to be an astronaut … probably since I was (in) fifth grade,” she said. About 7 years later, Deoja attended UTD to earn her degree in electrical engineering. She spent her senior year interning at the Johnson Space Center
— NASA’s Houston headquarters — following her previous participation in the Texas High School Aerospace Scholars Program. After her internship completed, she went back to school for her final semester. As graduation approached, Deoja started to worry because she hadn’t heard from NASA with a job offer. A month before she walked the stage, she got the call. Her mother, Sylvia Gallegos, heard the news from her daughter and the whole family celebrated her achievement. “(Working for NASA) was what she wanted,” Gallegos said. “We never really talked about her working anywhere else. That was going to be the place for her.” In 2008, Deoja graduated from UTD and moved to Houston to start her job at NASA. She married her college boyfriend, Sam Deoja, in 2011.
→ SEE SPACE, PAGE 9
Q: Can you tell me how you got into stand-up? A: I just started doing open mics. After school — after I graduated — I was in North Carolina and I was doing chemistry. I wanted to be on a sitcom. I saw that, at the time, all these comics had their own sitcoms so I figured I would just take that route. That’s why I started doing stand-up. I would do the open mic in Raleigh, North Carolina. There was a club (called) Charlie Goodnight’s — one of the top tier clubs — and I would do the open mic there. Q: From where do you pull inspiration for your act? A: I’m a storyteller by nature. I love to tell a good story — spin a good yarn, if you will. I embellish it. I embellish everything. The (stories) usually come from life. They’re generally stuff that happens to me. Q: When would you say your big break was? A: In 1999, I won Comedy Central’s first stand-up competition. That’s when I feel like people in the industry started knowing who I was. I ended up doing Montreal’s “New Faces” showcase at Just For Laughs and I got an agent. I got a deal right after that with ABC Disney. That kind of started the ball rolling. It wasn’t until years later that I did “Parks,” but it was the first time people knew who I was and I got more auditions. Q: Since “Parks and Recreation” ended what
have you been working on? A: There’s a Bravo show called “Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce” that shoots in Vancouver. I will be on season two. Q: Have you ever felt pigeonholed by the fame of your character on “Parks and Rec” when you go into auditions? A: Not really … I felt pigeonholed before “Parks.” I was always going in for the nurse, the receptionist or the traffic cop. “Parks” let me be a person with a personality. The part that I’m playing on “Girlfriend’s Guide” is completely different than Donna. So I felt I was more pigeonholed before I got “Parks”. Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your new character? A: Let’s see how much I’m allowed to say. I am kind of — not a nemesis — but I butt heads with Lisa Edelstein (who) plays Abby McCarthy, who is the lead in the show. She gets a job where I end up being her supervisor. I get to spar with her verbally, anyway. Q: Duke is probably pretty different from UTD. What was your college experience like? A: College was amazing. It was great. It was my first time away from my parents, so I got to be independent and I just had fun. I was not sheltered, but my parents were very strict. They were all about school. Going away … gave me a little bit of freedom.
→ SEE RETTA, PAGE 9
PINPOSSIBLE
Flower Crowns
Difficulty Cost Durability
LINDA NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF
I
've never been a music festival kind of person, but I will admit that I like the flower crown and floral dress look that accompanies these events. As much as I like them, I could never stomach actually buying one because I'd look at them and say, "I could make this." But I never did, so I thought it was time to put my money where my mouth is and see just how difficult making flower crowns can be.
WHAT YOU NEED - 16 gauge wire A - thinner wire (about 24 gauge) - thin ribbon — I went with white - floral tape - wire cutters - hot glue gun - fake or real flowers
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Measure out the wire you want for your crown by loosely wrapping it around where you want it to sit on your head. 2. Cut some ribbon that is at least the length of the wire with a fair amount hanging off both ends to tie the crown
on your head. The longer you want the ribbon to flow down your hair, the longer the ribbon hanging off the ends of the crown should be. 3. Use floral tape to attach the ribbon to the wire and create the base of the crown. B 4. Layout the flowers and use hot glue to attach pieces of the thinner wire to the base of the flower so it's easier to wrap around the crown. C 5. Attach the flowers and use floral tape over the wrapped wire to hide it. D The flower crown ended up being a simple project to do. I made some rookie mistakes my first time around by forgetting my hot glue gun and not thinking to use a thinner, more malleable wire to attach the flowers to the crown base. The materials cost me about $20 and I was able to make two nice crowns with them. I used pretty big flowers for these, so next time I'll probably use smaller flowers with more greenery. Overall, though, I was pretty happy with the outcome of the project and I can definitely see myself making more of these in the future.
A
B
C
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Every issue, The Mercury’s craft connoisseur will scour Pinterest and craft blogs in search of the best and worst DIY projects. Show us your results on social media using #pinpossible and @utdmercury.
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JENNIFER CHI | MERCURY STAFF
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Welcome Back Block Party - Humza Khan (left, a.k.a. Crew Darey) of Radio UTD kicks off Welcome Week at the Welcome Back Block Party at parking log T on Sunday, Aug. 23.
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Fitness Demo Blast - Students meet in the auxiliary gym at the Activity Center on Monday, Aug. 24 to do some excercises.
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Rec N' Wild - Rock climbing walls, water slides and snow cones were available in the
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Karaoke in The Pub - Radio UTD hosted a karaoke night for students to sing their
Grooveboston Presents Ethos - StuE dents gather in the Activity Center main gym for a dance party and light show on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
JENNIFER CHI | MERCURY STAFF
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ARUN PRASATH | MERCURY STAFF
C CHRIS LIN| MERCURY STAFF
RANJIT SREENIVAS | MERCURY STAFF
CHRIS LIN| MERCURY STAFF
UTDMERCURY.COM → RETTA
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(Duke) had a good basketball team, so there was that kind of energy on campus. I think you make your closest friends in college, and so I got to foster really great relationships with girlfriends that I’m still tight with. I think college essentially formed me into the person (I) finally am. You grow up — especially if you’re doing your own laundry. I think it was the first time I was very independent. Q: What advice do you like to give to young people who are trying to break into the entertainment industry? A: If you’re trying to be in standup, I say write everything down. Anything that you think is funny, write it down. Keep a notepad and pen by your bed. I scribbled so much shit on notepads and couldn’t read it, but every once in a while you might get a gem. Then you try every bit at least three times in front of a real audience before you give up on it. With acting, you have to really believe in your heart of hearts that you know you can do it. I’ve had this conversation
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Sam first met Deoja when they were working in the Pub. He said their friends noticed how interested Deoja was in NASA and how dead-set she was on becoming an astronaut. “We (didn’t) know anybody who was that passionate about space,” Sam said. Deoja is now a test director in the Energy System Test Area in the Power and Propulsion group. She works primarily on testing electrical power and battery systems for NASA’s equipment. She has been working on Project Morpheus for five years. The focus of the project is on new propulsion and autonomous landing technology for lander vehicles. She was also assigned to the Orion Program — NASA’s next manned vehicle going into deep space. Earlier this year, Deoja worked on the first flight test in Florida. The flight test was very successful; Deoja said the vehicle landed exactly on the projected target. Last May, she won the UTD Alumni Achievement Award for graduates under 40 years of age who
LIFE&ARTS
with Amy (Poehler). (Acting) is the kind of thing you knew was going to happen; it was just a matter of when. Q: When “Parks” became a steady job, what was the first thing you wanted to buy? A: I’m a handbag girl. Once a year I would splurge on a designer handbag, but this was before “Parks.” I just kept that going. Q: How do you think you’ve changed over this journey? A: Within even the last year, I’ve gotten more confident. As an actor, you can be very co-dependent — like you need reassurance. I’ve gotten a little more confident getting this other job, which is a different character; it’s not pigeonholing me. Sometimes you get scared and you want to take any job. I’ve gotten to the place where I am not doing that anymore. Not that they’re killing themselves to offer me jobs, but I’ve just had an experience where I talked with my managers and I said it wasn’t something I wanted to do. I’ve been saying no recently.
have a bachelor’s degree from the university. In her keynote speech, Deoja spoke about the failures she experienced back when her job was brand-new. The Morpheus vehicle she’d been working on crashed in its first attempted landing. “Overcoming failure has been something I’ve learned early on in my career … because space travel is not easy,” Deoja said. “When you’re doing something no one’s tried to do before, you’re going to encounter those setbacks.” Deoja said the second vehicle the team built has been performing phenomenally. She said she learns something new every day in her job at NASA. “I still look around sometimes and I’m like, ‘wow I’m really doing what I always wanted to do,’” she said. Although she has a position as a test director at NASA, Deoja is still interested in other aspects of space travel. Sam said she hasn’t let go of her dream of becoming an astronaut. “Ten years ago, I would have made fun of her, (but) I don’t make fun of her anymore,” he said. “If she wants to be an astronaut, then she will be an astronaut someday.”
THE MERCURY | SEPT. 8, 2015
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SEP. 8, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
SPORTS
SEASON'S GREETINGS Everything you need to know about fall sports as their campaigns kick-off
Men's soccer looks to All eyes on UTD Women's soccer build on past success V-ball in ASC East team young, excited
ARUN PRASATH | MERCURY STAFF
ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR
JENNIFER CHI | MERCURY STAFF
Sophomore midfielder Danny Meyer runs up to the ball during the men's soccer teams' season opener against UT Tyler on Sept. 1. UTD won the match 2-0.
Junior setter Mary Speights prepares to serve the ball during the volleyball team's first game against Wiley College on Sept. 2. UTD has been picked to finish first in the ASC East.
Freshman wing Melissa Fulfer fights for the ball during the Comets' 2-1 overtime victory against Principia on Sept. 4. The team is facing a large loss of talent from last year and will be starting several freshmen.
PABLO JUAREZ
ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS
PABLO JUAREZ
Mercury Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Mercury Staff
After posting a 14-5-3 record and falling short in the 2014 ASC championship game, the men’s soccer team is looking to build on last years play — this time with a veteran-laden squad. A year removed from winning the ASC regular season, the Comets have been tabbed as the early favorites to walk away with the regular season crown, according to a pre-season poll. “We’re going to go in there with the same attitude. Last year we approached it the same way,” said head coach Jason Hirsch. “It’s very, very difficult to win every game … because of the strength of the opponents we play. At the end of the season, we want to be fighting for a conference championship.” Hirsch will rely on veteran leadership and experience to help overcome any adversity the team may face throughout the year. “I have high expectations for all the upper classmen. The (leadership) responsibility doesn’t really fall on one guy or even two guys,” he said. “Whether you’re a captain or not, if you’re an upper classmen
After finishing as the runner-up in last year’s ASC tournament, the volleyball team is looking to move past last season’s finish and get back into championship form. Losing only two starters after a 22-11 campaign, the team — which has been picked to win the ASC East — returns with experience to start the season. Still, head coach Marci Sanders is less concerned with the Comets’ performance than she is with the play of the rest of the ASC field. “You can always guarantee us to be slow and steady and always trying to improve, but you never know what everyone else is going to do,” she said. “So the expectations remain the same year to year.” Sanders, who spent the summer working with the U.S. women’s national volleyball team, will be bringing several of the techniques from her time with the squad to help improve UTD’s on-court performance. Some of these new methods include looking at practice and game footage to help point out minute details that players need
Despite going toe to toe with nationally ranked Hardin-Simmons in the ASC semi-finals last season, the Comets finished on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Heading into the current season, the young squad is looking to forge their own legacy. Under first year head coach Kanute Drugan, the team saw a three win improvement from the previous season and boasted the best goal differential (+29) since the program’s 2011 campaign. Now the roster has an entirely new make-up. After losing nine seniors and all 11 members of last year’s starting line-up, Drugan has changed how he presents his style of soccer to the young team. “You’re dealing with new people who are coming into this from various backgrounds of teaching,” he said. “Practice has been entirely different. If the seniors that just graduated had been here (when) we practiced, they wouldn’t have seen anything that (the team) would come out here with.”
→ SEE MEN'S SOCCER, PAGE 11
→ SEE VOLLEYBALL, PAGE 11
→ SEE WOMEN'S SOCCER, PAGE 11
NUMBERS ON THE BOARD CHAD AUSTIN | MERCURY STAFF
UTDMERCURY.COM → MEN'S SOCCER
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and you’ve (been) around the block, we expect all those guys to step up some way in a leadership role.” Captains for the upcoming season have yet to be determined and will be announced while the team plays through its non-conference games. The players will vote for team captains after getting an opportunity to see how their fellow teammates perform. Hirsch is also looking to mix new players into the rotation. How quickly they adapt and learn the system will play a key role in how deep
→ VOLLEYBALL
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to improve on. More importantly, Sanders will be implementing a new, faster style of play this year to increase the tempo and pace of ball movement. She said losing Taylour Toso, the six-foot outside hitter who was last year’s conference MVP, has forced the Comets to find other ways to score besides relying on height. “We aren’t a very big team,” Sanders said. “I would say we’re definitely, on average, below six (feet tall) … We are small, so we know we can’t really try to set it high and jump as high as our opponents, so we’ve got to be a little bit faster in transition.”
→ WOMEN'S SOCCER
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Despite the lack of experience, the team’s personality has been positive. “There’s so much energy … I’m really pleased about that,” Drugan said. “It’s the kind of group (where) nothing phases them. It’s not a mindset that we cultivated; (it’s) part of the cultural personality of the group.” Even though the team lost a huge part of its core with the outgoing seniors, junior goalkeeper Kristi Istre doesn’t see it as a drop-off in talent. “(Drugan) has been really good with getting us recruits and freshman that have been able to help us a lot,” she said. “Our biggest strength is
SPORTS
THE MERCURY | SEPT. 8, 2015
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of a playoff run the team can make. Sophomore midfielder Danny Meyer was in unfamiliar territory last year, but quickly established himself as an instrumental piece for the Comets. Meyer started in all but one game last season as a freshman and earned second team All-ASC honors. He said he tries to be as encouraging and supportive as possible to the new cast. “There’s a reason they were recruited to play here, but it’s up to them to show that every single day in practice and during games,” he said. Meyer said the camaraderie in the locker room continues to grow as the new players start to assimilate themselves into the team’s culture. “During practice, we are competitive and serious,” Meyer said. “When we have some down time or are in the locker room, we are a
relaxed group and like to mess around. We all get along great.” This year, Hirsch has placed an emphasis on having the right mentality before, during and after each game or practice. “Every team can beat any team,” Hirsch said. “You got to go out there and take every team seriously, because if you don’t it can bite you.” After capturing the program’s first ever victory in the NCAA Division III national tournament last season, the team is focused on their objectives. “We are incredibly goal oriented,” Meyer said. “Everybody wants to win the conference championship and advance to the later stages of the NCAA tournament, so we push each other every day to be the best we can be in order to achieve those goals.”
Senior setter and team captain Kayla Jordan said the team has adjusted to the new style of play despite some initial struggles. “It was hard getting used to at first, but I think now as we’ve gone through a lot of reps and stuff we’re getting the hang of it,” she said. “The faster offense does help a lot with how we’re running things.” Despite these changes, the team will still be relying on some old faces to form the main support system heading into the year. Junior outside hitter and captain Abbie Barth sat out all of last year due to injuries, but will be coming back to the court and taking a big role on the offensive side of the net. Before she got hurt, Barth started all 40 matches of her sophomore season for the Comets and was named to the All-ASC second team after averaging 2.66
kills per set. Even though she had to take a spot on the sideline last season, Barth said the time was not wasted. “I know whenever I got hurt I kind of felt like I let the team down because I wasn’t strong enough or whatever,” she said. “(The) positive is that by sitting on the sideline and watching, I think I learned a lot just watching and experiencing the sideline culture.” With so many changes and returning talent, the team has high expectations for what it wants to accomplish this season. Junior middle blocker and captain Michelle Toro said the Comets want to take home a conference championship. “We’ve been there so many times and have been expected to win so many times,” she said. “It’s due. We’re overdue for a ring.”
our depth. We have a bench full of players that are prepared to go on the field at any time.” Istre said the morale of the team is high and that the group is energized for the upcoming season. “We’re confident and we’re having fun, which is the best part of soccer,” Istre said. With few experienced players, the team will rely heavily on junior forward Megan Mugavero to generate the offense and provide leadership. Last season, Mugavero was named third team All-ASC and is the only returning all-conference player for the Comets. The team scored 46 goals last season, but 35 of them walked out the door. Mugavero accounted for nearly half of the remainder with five
goals and pitched in five assists as well for a total of 15 points — tied for third best on the team. Mugavero said she is prepared to do whatever the team asks of her in order to be successful. “My personal goal (is) to be whatever role I get,” she said. “I’m a forward, so whether that’s to score goals for the team or just help support people and just be there (for them). (I want to) really step up as a leader this year.” A recent pre-season poll picked the Comets to finish fourth in the ASC this season, behind Hardin-Simmons, UT Tyler and Mary Hardin-Baylor. “It’s just fuel for the fire,” Mugavero said. “We’re just ready to go out there and show everybody.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH Danny Meyer, SOPHOMORE Forward, Men's Soccer - Started 21 of 22 games as a freshman -Ranked third in ASC in assists and fourth in shots -Named second team AllASC
ABBIE BARTH, Junior OUTSIDE HITTER, Volleyball
MEGAN MUGAVERo, JUNIOR FORWARD, Women's soccer
- Sat out all of last year due
-Named third team All-ASC
to injury
-Ranked 10th in ASC in
-Listed on All-ASC tourna-
shots taken
ment team in 2013
-Finished season with five
-Earned second team All-
goals and five assists
ASC honors as a freshman
-Appeared in all 19 games last year
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COMICS&GAMES
SEPT. 8, 2015 | THE MERCURY
Hide and Seek OR
by Emily Grams
The Treachery of Print
Puzzle: Sudoku 4
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Make some art ... with The Mercury!
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Contact graphics@ utdmercury.com The Nerdettes Looking for fun, nerdy girls to join our group. Go to the-nerdettes.com and join us on our days of hanging out, sewing, anime nights and more!
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UTDMERCURY.COM
NEWS
THE MERCURY | SEPT. 8, 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS Come watch the UTD men's soccer team face off against Southwestern in a non-conference match.
Figure out how to best use an expo to your advantage with the Career Center's presentation. RSVP required via Comet Careers.
Student veterans and their spouses are invited to a reception to explore potential career opportunities.
Meet other transfer students for a night of food, games and fun sponsored by Transfer Student Services.
Learn to protect yourself in this seminar run by the UTD and Dallas police departments. All students are welcome to attend.
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→ ARCADE
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Richard’s is ‘King & Balloon,’” Hyden said. “Renovations are underway and we are making good progress. We expect to announce the grand opening date any day now.” Free Play also boasts a menu that will feature over 30 different beers. Since there will be alcohol at the arcade, customers under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and persons under the age of 18 are required to vacate the premises after 9 p.m. There is a $10 admission fee and customers can enjoy the games at Free Play Arcade until closing hours. “You can stay as long as you like and you can play as long as you like,” Hyden said. “Food and drinks are $5 to $15.” Hyden, a lawyer by trade, decided to venture into the world of arcade games at the start of his career. “After a year or two of law practice, I bought my first arcade game and I was hooked,” Hyden said. “As I got more into arcade gaming, I started discussing these games with everyone that would listen. I found out that everyone still loves these games. There just isn’t anywhere to play them.” Games are also deeply rooted in Tregilgas’ life, who grew up playing classics such as “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Pitfall!”. “I think it’s just a passion for gaming overall, over a period of time,” Tregilgas said. “I remember my dad (and) the first system he ever bought. We had a Sega Genesis that he got from Sears and we played ‘Sonic’ all the time on that. We started playing a lot of the classic games and I just have always loved games since then.” Hyden and Tregilgas created Free Play after collecting a large store of classic titles. “My garage turned into a mini-arcade and there wasn’t one person who came to my house that didn’t spend some time playing the games,” Hyden said. “Eventually, I started buying more and more games,
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She explained how her students succeeded in finishing their projects and how they are all now interested in entering STEM fields. “They went on to complete their project and have each expressed interest in pursuing science related degrees,” Wall said. “In fact, three of my girls have already registered for a computer science class offered at their school next year.” Sonia Torres, an incoming computer science freshman, participated in the WISE program her junior
NEWS
amassing a collection for what would become Free Play Arcade.” The journey toward making Free Play a reality was not easy. There was a lengthy procedure involved in obtaining the proper permits, conducting parking studies, securing the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission license and developing a proposal. In order to inform the surrounding residents about the retro arcade’s mission statement, Hyden and Tregilgas used a traditional marketing approach. They walked through neighborhoods and talked to numerous homeowners associations. Hyden and Tregilgas also had to present their business model to the Richardson City council. During the public hearing, residents who opposed the establishment of Free Play Arcade had the opportunity to approach the city council and list their grievances. “I don’t think that this business portrayed in this way belongs in that neighborhood,” Cathy Anderson, a resident who lives three blocks away from the Richardson East Shopping Center, said in the video recording of the public hearing. “I wouldn’t be opposed to it being in Richardson in another place that wasn’t such a family location.” After listening to the pros and cons, the Richardson City council voted 6-1 to approve the establishment of the retro arcade. “Overall, we were very happy with the results,” Tregilgas said. “We really hope the community sees that we are a good thing for them. We hope to be a good entertainment venue and not a burden to the community.” They also placed an emphasis on students at UTD. “I do think that students at UTD will have a sense of nostalgia,” Tregilgas said. “These games are pretty universal. They may be older than some people, but we have taken these games to conventions. We have had all of our friends and family play. It’s just amazing. You watch peoples’ faces light up as they play a game for the first time or as they return to a game.”
and senior year of high school. Torres said that she has always been interested in math and science, but felt afraid to pursue STEM. She said that meeting women in STEM made her feel less afraid. “It seemed kind of scary,” Torres said. “Meeting professionals took (that) fear away.” Wall said the WISE program acts as a way to help girls overcome these types of challenges. “I think that Young WISE and similar programs are great steps working toward overcoming these biases and encouraging young girls to seek careers in science where they are markedly underrepresented,” she said.
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themselves (and) the way that they entertain the crowd.” Sophomore dancer Alexis Longoria’s personal goal for the year aligns with Barney’s expectations for the team. “What I’m looking to gain from (Barney’s) experience is just learning a new level of professionalism and conducting ourselves as if we were already a pro-level team,” she said. “She’ll be able to get us really close to that level.” Barney was offered the job on Aug. 18 and conducted her first practice a day later. As part of the interview process for the job, Barney had to lead a class for three returning dancers so they could assess her teaching style and ask her questions such as what she’d change about the team and what her policies would be. Hayley Briscoe, a sophomore dancer, said that Barney worked on technique with the three dancers and then taught a new routine. They all felt that she was a good fit for the team. “Out of all the potential coaches we interviewed, we felt … connected with her the most and were really excited about having her be a part of the Power Dancers,” Briscoe said. “She (was) a good combination of everyone that we interviewed. She was fun and outgoing but she (was) able to give us critiques and be strict.” Longoria said the first practice was important because almost half of the team hadn’t met Barney yet and it was important to gauge how her personality and methods would work with the unit. “Jacy’s coaching style was very much precisionoriented and she noticed things and was able to clean things that we had been struggling with previously,” she said. “She has a really keen eye for technique.” Barney said the main difference she expects between professional dance and collegiate performance is that, in college, the focus will be around campus, on the basketball games and on school spirit. Although the team will be competing in an event hosted by the National Dance Alliance in Daytona, FL, its priority is to be involved in campus events. Another difference Barney pointed out was that collegiate dancers must also learn to work the sidelines and entertain the crowd in addition to performing routines.
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with other researchers.” Despite the need for funding, obtaining the grant was not easy. Palmer’s grant was not awarded after her initial application. “I was emotional,” she said. “I got feedback
“It’s easy when music comes on to do the dance that you’ve been taught, but the hardest part probably is when you’re at a game and there’s a random pause,” Barney said. “Your responsibility is to be energetic and keep the crowd entertained.” Longoria explained that Barney encourages the girls to be as in sync with each other as possible when it comes to dance formations or their makeup for performances. “The uniformity has definitely changed (from last year) from the dance aspect as well as the appearance aspect,” she said. “Uniformity makes the team and (Barney has) really told us that.” In terms of new recruitment, Barney isn’t necessarily looking for experience. Instead, she said that someone with a positive attitude and an enthusiasm for dance would make a great addition to the team. “If there’s someone that’s truly passionate — even if they haven’t been technically trained their whole life but that’s something that they enjoy doing or really want to be a part of and truly do love it and are willing to put themselves out there — they would be a great asset,” she said. This year, tryouts will determine who will be on the full squad, as well as who will form the competition team that will go to nationals. The team will be more visible on campus this year, Barney said. “We want them to be something the student body looks forward to watching,” she said. “I think with my experience in the pro world, setting guidelines and higher standards … will automatically take them to that level.” As the team is undergoing a series of changes, Barney said the challenge is going to be laying the groundwork as smoothly as possible. “I feel like the dynamic will change (once we have the full team),” she said. “Having new people and new faces and new rules and a new coach … I think that transition period will be a little rocky, but I definitely think that it’ll smooth out.” While her professional experience has been a major part of her career, Barney expressed enthusiasm about taking a new step at UTD. “It’s cool that I’ve been on pro teams and things like that, but this is just beyond (expression),” she said. “I can’t even put words together. I’m so excited. This truly is an amazing opportunity and I really am excited to be here and see what we can do with the team.”
and peer-review on how to refine the ideas. It’s easy to be upset about the initial failure, but you realize the reviewers are trying to help you be a better scientist.” Palmer said it was important to use the second opportunity to make her research better meet the needs outlined by the NIH. “The message there is ‘Don’t give up,’”Palmer said.