October 5, 2015
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A SURVIVOR REMEMBERS
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WHY CARRY ?
CHL holders detail reasons for supporting law allowing concealed handguns in campus buildings MIRIAM PERCIVAL Mercury Staff
For political science sophomore Will Perkins, his concealed handgun is like an extension of his body. The 35-year-old, who served four years in the Army and whose father was a Marine, has spent most of his life around guns. When he wakes up, the first thing he does is put his gun on his hip. “My gun is with me at all times,” he said. “If my gun is in my house, it is on my hip.” When the Texas Legislature passed SB11 — the bill that would allow concealed handguns to be carried in buildings on public campuses across the state — Perkins became one of about 240,000 CHL holders in the state who will be eligible to bring their concealed handguns onto campus starting next August. Although the logistics of how the law will be implemented have yet to be finalized, the issue has become a hot topic on public campuses in Texas. For college CHL holders like Perkins, it’s an issue that hits close to home. ******** Dennis Mccuistion, an accounting professor in the Jindal School of Management, has carried a concealed handgun license for the past two years. He said campus carry deters people who might try to come onto campus and harm others. “In my opinion, it’s all about trying to keep people from thinking that they can come on this campus and start shooting,” he said. “It’s just a question of protecting primarily the students (and), to some extent, the faculty and staff.” He doesn’t yet know if he will carry his handgun on him once the law goes into effect, but he does carry the gun with him in his car. Other CHL holders like Mccuistion have a similar opinion of the campus carry law. Dylan Orgeron, an ATEC senior, received his CHL this year as soon as he turned 21. Although he doesn’t carry it on him every day, he said he still believes that campus carry is an important aspect of safety on college campuses. “Honestly, (preventing) a CHL holder from carrying his weapon on campus isn’t going to prevent somebody from carrying a weapon who intends to
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW GALLEGOS AND ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS | MERCURY STAFF
A CHL holder, whose identity has been protected, displays their handgun in their car off campus. Earlier this year SB11, a bill in the Texas Legislature that will allow concealed handguns into campus buildings in public universities in Texas, was passed. The bill will go into effect next fall.
do harm,” Orgeron said. “I think that it’s just going to prevent someone who has submitted to the background check and has gone through the process from carrying his weapon on campus.” The process to receive a CHL for citizens in Texas who are 21 and olders is an all-day event. Along with the application, which includes a background check, it involves sitting in a five-hour lecture to learn key topics, such as use of force, non-violent dispute resolution, handgun use and safe and proper storage of handguns and ammunition. The students must then take a comprehensive exam and score an 85 or higher. The second part of this program is the “practical,” where potential CHL holders must demonstrate they
know how to shoot a gun. After all of these parts are complete, they become CHL holders. On Sept. 22, UTD held a town hall meeting to discuss the implementation of SB11, particularly potential exclusionary zones where CHL holders will be prohibited from bringing their firearms. Both Mccuistion and Orgeron attended this event to learn more about the zones. “I am against the exclusion zones in general, (but) there may be something specific I have not heard,” Mccuistion said. “But, in general, once you start putting in exclusion zones, those become the target zones for people who want to do harm.” Orgeron also raised a similar concern about the
Golden child Volleyball team befriends girl battling to stay in remission from Leukemia
exclusionary zones, expressing that even though they may be instituted, there is not an easy way to keep guns out of the zones. “Somebody in the meeting raised the point of ‘Should teachers be allowed to declare their classroom or their office gun free?’ and I don’t see any way to enforce that,” he said. “I mean, obviously you can say, ‘Don’t bring a gun in here,’ but does that really stop anyone from bringing a gun?” Although Mccuistion and Orgeron are in favor of campus carry starting next fall, other students, faculty and staff have concerns about the increased
→ SEE CHL, PAGE 12
LGBTQ conference coming to campus Speakers include actors, politicians, Navy SEALS
ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS
NINI TRUONG
Applause rained down from the Activity Center’s stands as Kaitlyn Renee Johnson took the floor during the second and third periods of the volleyball team’s tight conference matchup against UT Tyler on Sept. 29. It was the moment everyone in the gym had been waiting for all night. Outfitted in gold and black, the fiveyear-old and her squad of diminutive cheerleaders from Royce City entertained the crowd with an upbeat routine that featured dancing, tiny pom poms and chants that were sometimes hard to understand. Still, everyone in attendance gave Johnson and her teammates a standing ovation as they left the floor. After the routine was over, Johnson cheered from the sidelines as the Comets held on to beat the Patriots 3-2 and remain undefeated in the ASC. After the lights were turned off and the stands had finally been cleared, both teams would go home that night and resume their lives as normal. Johnson, however, would go home and continue her fight to stay in remission from Leukemia.
To aid LGBTQ students’ transitions into the workforce, Out for Work — a California-based company — will be coming to campus on Oct. 9 to hold workshops and teach skills that will later help LGBTQ students in their careers. “Out for Work functions as a complementary component to the total education of LGBTQ students,” founder Riley Folds said. “The program provides various career plans and opportunities, and is the only all-industry inclusive career program for LGBTQA students.” The event, which is co-sponsored by the FOLDS Women’s Center and the Career Center, will start at 9 a.m. on Oct. 9 and end at 9 p.m. on Oct. 11. Out for Work will showcase a plethora of companies and fields LGBTQ students can enter, including Fortune 500 companies, non-profit companies and government agencies. “We work with companies like PeaceCorps, Teach For America, government agencies such as the NSA, Verizon, Texas Instruments, Toyota and many others,” Folds said. He said the Out for Work conference includes sessions on industry-specific fields, such as STEM careers, evaluating job offers, creating a personal brand and finding fulfillment in a career. There is also a workshop aimed at transgender students’ transitions in the workplace. “The conference has many workshops and sessions that are all-encompassing and includes plenty of career assessments,” he continued. “It’s important for LGBTQ students know whether or not to be out in a resume or an interview and how to combat discrimination on the job.” Not only will there be workshops available for students to attend, but keynote speakers such as Kristen Beck, a former Navy SEAL, Brian Sims, a state representative from Pennsylvania, Donna Rose, a transgender rights activist and Tituss Burgess, an actor known for his role on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” will be present. “On Sunday, after everything has finished, the conference ends with a career fair where students can look for job opportunities and internships,” Folds said. “The career fair is open to all students.”
Editor-in-Chief
******* When Johnson’s mother, Mandy, noticed small dots all over her daughter’s body at 18 months old, she called the doctor to get her checked. When they got to the doctor’s office on Nov. 11, 2011, the physicians performed
Mercury Staff
CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF
Kaitlyn Johnson dances on the sidelines during the volleyball team’s game against UT Tyler on Sept. 29. When Johnson was 18 months old, she was diagnosed with Leukemia.
standard tests and drew her blood. While they were waiting for the results, Johnson went up to her mother. That’s when Mandy felt the heat radiating off of her daughter’s body. “All of a sudden she just crawls up in my lap and lays her head down on me and she is burning up,” she said. “She had a 103 degree fever. So I had stepped out to grab the nurse and the nurse was just about to give her some Motrin and the doctor came in and said, ‘No. Do not give that child Motrin. They’re going to Children’s Medical Center.’ She said, ‘Your daughter
is showing signs of Leukemia.’” The rest of that day is a blur for Mandy. They drove to the emergency room at Children’s Medical and were admitted to the cancer floor at 2:30 p.m. The next day, Johnson had her first round of chemotherapy. During her therapy, she couldn’t leave the house because of how weak her immune system was. Mandy would only dust or vacuum if Johnson was in another room. For Mandy, though, the worst part was
→ SEE JOHNSON, PAGE 9
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OCT. 5, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Community response to Mohamed arrest brings hope Irving teen receives outpouring of support from across the nation after being detained for taking homemade clock to school RAMAH JARADAT COMMENTARY
One of the things I like most about people is the capacity we have to stand up for each other when things go wrong. This really proves to me how collective and loving the human race is. So, of course, I was delighted to see my view of humanity reinforced when I witnessed the entire nation — including the UTD community — sticking up for Ahmed Mohamed and shaming the injustice that had been done to him. As a Muslim, I was enraged when racial prejudice reared its head once again on Sept. 14 only about 20 minutes away in Irving. It was infuriating to read about a 14-year-old who was arrested for building a clock because high school faculty suspected that it was a bomb. Mohamed repeatedly told his teachers and the police that the clock was not a weapon, but the police continued with the arrest anyway. After discovering that proper bomb protocol was not followed and that police interrogated the minor without an attorney present, I concluded it came down to two factors: race and religion. Seeing so many people on social media feel the same way I did confirmed my suspicions that I was not feeling angry just because I am a Muslim. In fact, seeing the hashtag #istandwithahmed become the top trending Twitter hashtag in the United States brought me joy as I witnessed humanity in action. What made me more ecstatic was seeing people of power — like Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerburg and
Hillary Clinton — express their support with the same hashtag. “Tweeting the hashtag shows that you’re inclined to support victims of misjudgment worldwide,” sophomore cognitive science major Ammar Multani said. “The ignorance against race and religion should be known as a worldwide issue.” I find it so amazing to see prejudice backfire and see everyone join together to fight against negative social stigmas. In fact, arresting Mohamed because of racial ignorance actually led to more opportunities for the student than he could’ve imagined, like obtaining an invitation to the White House. “I think it’s amazing that he received that feedback,” Muslim Student Association President Mariam Allahrakha said. “I think it’s very … relieving, you could say, because you know that there are people in power out there who care that justice is being done … and they realized what was done wasn’t right. By him getting praises, it’s spreading awareness … It goes beyond just Ahmed … when something is not right, the people are going to stand up for what is right.” Overall, even though something terrible happened to young Mohamed, many positive outcomes sprung from the prejudice. If he hadn’t been arrested, the entire nation and people of power wouldn’t have recognized him for his creative efforts. More importantly, it gave the community a chance to voice their opinions and raise awareness about prejudice. There’s a reason for the saying, “There’s strength in numbers.” Community support has the power to bring change to inequality, and justice to injustice. Through the strength of the community, we have all the tools we need to change the world for the better, one small step at a time.
EMILY GRAMS | MERCURY STAFF
Supporters of Mohamed include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg, President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Outdated word needs to be put down
Use of word "retarded" detrimental to those with mental handicaps, needs to no longer be used in modern conversations ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS COMMENTARY
JAMISON FAMILY | COURTESY
Evelyn Grace Jamison, (left) is held by her cousin Esteban Bustillos at the 2014 Buddy Walk, hosted by the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas.
Words are funny. A phrase or term that is lighthearted and jovial to one person may sting like iodine to someone else. It’s all a matter of perception. With some words, like the word “retarded,” there is no gray area. It is better left unsaid. When my cousin Evelyn was born with Down syndrome three years ago, I honestly didn’t know how to react. No one in my family had ever been mentally handicapped and I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. Was I supposed to be happy and hopeful that Evelyn would be as healthy as possible? Or was I supposed to be worried about her future? After I held her in my arms for the first time, those fears were assuaged. My heart swelled with love and pride as I held on to the closest thing to a perfect human. As she’s grown, one thing has become evident: Evelyn is definitely different from other kids, but not for the reasons you may think. She is the most headstrong and demanding girl I’ve ever known — and she can’t even talk yet. If she doesn’t get her way immediately, rest assured that she will let you know. She’s also confident. Her brother may be two years older than her, but she doesn’t let that stop her from letting him know who the real boss is from time to time. Evelyn immediately has anyone who meets her wrapped around her little fingers, and the best part is she knows it. It’s impossible to not love this little girl. Still, for Evelyn and millions of others who are mentally handicapped, the qualities that make them human aren’t enough to make them immune from words like “retarded.” The literal meaning of the outdated word characterizes those who are slow in development, but it is used colloquially to describe something or someone as stupid or foolish. Unfortunately, when people use the word “retarded” in this fashion, they don’t realize the pain it causes Evelyn, people like her and those that love them. For years, “retarded” has been used to dehumanize those with Down syndrome and other disabilities. People may think I’m just another liberal journalist who is trying too hard to be politically correct, but I’ve seen first hand the pain that using the word causes. About two years ago, I was at a Christian
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camp when a grown woman said one of the counselors, who was being silly to entertain the campers, looked “like a retard.” A chill went up my spine as I looked over to my left, where Evelyn’s father — who was one of the leaders of the camp — sat slumped in his seat. He didn’t look angry or disappointed; he just looked exhausted. He’d had too much experience with a word that equates idiocy with Evelyn. The woman who said this didn’t know Evelyn has Down syndrome, and I doubt she would have used such language if she did. The problem is there are so many other people who just don’t seem to understand or care about how hurtful this word is. It’s almost an everyday occurrence that I hear it from people who are using it lightheartedly, but have no idea how ignorant and vicious they sound. Every time I hear that word I think of Evelyn and how easy it is for someone to make her feel inferior. Evelyn’s not at the age where she can understand how bigoted and heartless people can be, so luckily she hasn’t had to deal with being called a “retard,” and I pray she never has to. What I fear most, however, is that her peers will ostracize her and treat her differently just because of how she was born. It’s intolerance at its most basic, frustrating level and it’s encouraged, whether consciously or not, by use of the word “retarded.” “Retarded” creates a sense of exclusivity to those who don’t have a mental handicap and paints those who aren’t “normal” as inferior. It discredits all of the extra work and hardships that people with Down syndrome, who often go on to lead fully functioning and active lives, have to go through just to keep up with everyone else. “Retarded” is archaic, ignorant and it must be silenced. October is Down syndrome awareness month. Not everyone knows someone with a mental handicap, but I’m sure everyone knows someone who is affected by it. Starting this month, think about them before you say, “retarded.” Evelyn is loud, sassy, hardheaded, smart, beautiful and strong. But more than anything, she’s brave. She is braver than I have ever had to be just to be herself in a world that has grown accustomed to treating people like her as second-class. As she continues to blossom and grow, I know she’ll handle all of the challenges thrown her way with grace and strength. I can only hope that I grow up to be like her one day. Evelyn isn’t “retarded.” She’s a human, just like the rest of us. It’s time we stop using labels that say otherwise.
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THE MERCURY | OCT. 5, 2015
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Students react to Trump Concern spreads over candidate’s comments about women, autism
CATHERINE NANAGAS | MERCURY STAFF
Donald Trump’s candidacy has become the talking point of the Republican presidential race so far. Currently, Trump leads the polls ahead of early favorites like Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina. BHARGAV ARIMILLI Mercury Staff
Comments made by Donald Trump over the course of his presidential campaign about autism and women have caused members of the public, including students at UTD, to express their concern over his presidency. Recently, 11 Republican Party candidates gathered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. on Sept. 16 to discuss topics such as the nuclear deal with Iran, undocumented immigrants and Planned Parenthood. Though 11 candidates participated in the debate, most of the media’s attention was focused on Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina, Jeb Bush and Ben Carson. In particular, Trump received backlash for his assertion that there was a link between the use of vaccines and the prevalence of autism. “I think that was incredibly shortsighted and closed-minded,” Andrew Swanson, a finance and marketing freshman, said. “It was uninformed, to sum it up.” Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, interrupted Trump during his speech to point out that there was no medical evidence to support his claims. Trump also came under scrutiny for his comments towards Fiorina in a Rolling Stone article, criticizing her appearance and the fact that she is a woman. Tessa McGlynn, president of College Democrats, said she believes that Trump’s comments towards women are indicative of a larger problem. “I was totally with Carly,” she said. “I hate to say that as a Democrat, but women do hear (the way) he’s talked about Megyn Kelly, or just the way he’s talked about women in general. I think Republicans are silently consenting (to) this, as he’s still leading in
the polls.” Madi Bixler, a management sophomore, said she believes Trump’s comments did not portray his greater image and campaign in a professional manner. “I do support Trump, but if you’re going to be answering questions (in a debate), let’s keep the foul play to a minimum,” she said. “He didn’t have to throw her under the bus like that.” According to NBC News, despite the fact that over 33 percent of Republican voters agree that Fiorina won the debate, Trump continues to top the polls. A recent poll conducted by Suffolk University shows that Trump is still at the forefront of the race for the Republican nomination with 23 percent of voter support. Carson and Fiorina trail behind with 13 percent each. In spite of these numbers, McGlynn said she believes Trump will soon lose his standing. “Everyone thought (Trump’s campaign) was a little amusing at first,” she said. “There was definitely an entertainment factor, but the more he spews his painful rhetoric, the less funny it is.” Swanson echoed McGlynn’s sentiments towards Trump, noting that his campaign gained traction because of how radical his platform was at the time it was introduced. “Now that (his presidency) is becoming more and more of a possibility and now that his ideas are becoming more and more extreme, it’s turning into a frightening thought,” Swanson said. Bixler said she believes in Trump as a candidate, but feels that he may be losing his grip within the Republican Party. “I think he has great policies (and) I totally support his views on immigration and on a lot of other things,” she said. “However, the way he’s gone about (promoting his policies) has been unprofessional. Looking at the statistics, he may drop out and end up running as an independent.”
Syrian struggle hits home Refugee crisis garners support from students in United States VIDYA MOHANRAJ Mercury Staff
The Obama administration has stated that due to the influx of refugees fleeing their countries, they will accept about 185,000 refugees into the United States by the end of 2017 to alleviate struggles relating to the Syrian civil war. Students at UTD are using organizations and various events as a platform to shine a light on the conflict. The Syrian crisis began approximately in 2011 with violence from the government against demonstrators who were advocating greater freedom. Various groups with different political affiliations and interests within the region of Syria were posed in opposition to the government. President Bashar al-Asaad of Syria was accused of using chemical weapons against his people in 2013, and, in 2014, the Islamic State created further chaos by joining in the fight against Assad. As of Sept. 2015, over 4 million people have fled Syria and the violent conflict, and hundreds of thousands of refugees are seeking a new home primarily in Europe. Neuroscience sophomore Randa Ahmad, who used to visit Syria often to see her grandparents, said that she is supportive of the United States’ role in accepting more refugees. “People are realizing that these refugees need help, and I think it’s great that America is finally stepping up,” Ahmad said. “Because the United States considers itself a leader for democracy and America centers its foreign policy around humanitarian causes … I think we need to live up to it.” Social media has sparked attention for the Syrian war and the lives of the refugees. On Sept. 2, the picture of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach created a state of frenzy over social media and helped highlight the plight of the Syrian people. “It’s important that the media is adamant and shows us what’s really going on so we can help,” Ahmad said. “Before the war, people didn’t even know what Syria was.” Donations to Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, the International Rescue Committee and
TIM SHIRLEY | MERCURY STAFF
The Syrian civil war, which started in 2011, has left 4 million people looking for a new home after fleeing the war-torn country.
other organizations were made from across the globe after the incident. Google contributed $1 for every dollar donated towards the refugee and migrant crisis, reaching a total of $11 million from Sept. 15 to Sept. 18. Paul Diehl, a professor of political science and the president of the International Studies Association, said that people have to look beyond standard sources of information, and that trying to get informed is the most important step. “We are trying to reorient people to think about something other than themselves,” Diehl said. “The problem is convincing the average person that this is important.” Students at UTD have actively been working towards raising awareness. Neuroscience senior Nour Sharaf is the chapter president of United Muslim
→ SEE SYRIA, PAGE 5
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Relief, and is encouraging UTD students to get involved in order to get informed. “October is United Muslim Relief ’s Refugee Month,” she said. “We’re hosting Soccer for Syria on Oct. 11 and all the proceeds go towards Syrian refugees.” Other organizations, such as Shaam Relief, Muslim Students Association, Alpha Lambda Mu and many other advocacy groups on campus are working towards inspiring students to take a stand. “People are always pitching ideas to us and trying to take action,” Sharaf said. “We’re open to implementing students’ ideas for events to raise awareness. Showing up and showing your support means a lot.” Much of the refugee crisis is represented by number counts: how many refugees are coming into the United States, how many are crossing European borders or how many are seeking asylum and have died trying to get it. Ahmad said that the inhumane circumstances of the forced migration are lost in translation. “Families want an atmosphere that is suitable for their children to go to school, to grow up, without the fear of being killed or harmed,” she said. “And if you look at the means by which
NEWS
they’re traveling, they know they have to either join the exodus or perish.”
SOURCES: UNITED NATIONS AND MERCY CORPS
THE MERCURY | OCT. 5, 2015
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OCT. 5, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
LIFE&ARTS
A Survivor’s Tale
Holocaust victim recounts family’s time in Hungary before Nazi occupation CARA SANTUCCI Mercury Staff
Zsuzsanna Ozsvath sits before a weathered, black photo album. She runs her hands lightly over the stained cover. They are the deft hands of a classically trained concert pianist. She closes her eyes briefly before opening the book. The pages, full of black and white images of her and her family in the 1930s and ’40s, crinkle as she flips through them. She stops on an old elementary class photograph taken in Békéscsaba, Hungary in 1939. She points out her younger self with a smile. She is about seven years old and puffing out her cheeks; a little prankster surrounded by fifteen of her smiling peers. “Everybody who is there (was) killed. Every single child,” Ozsvath says, no longer smiling. “They were all deported to Auschwitz.” Historical Background Ozsvath was born in 1934 in Hungary to a Jewish family. Her father owned a pharmacy in Békéscsaba, where she spent the first seven years of her life. Her parents met in a café in Budapest. Ozsvath said it was love at first sight. When the depression began in Hungary, her grandfather was concerned that the money he gave them for their wedding was going to disappear. Her father invested in a pharmacy in Békéscsaba instead of paying for the ceremony. Hungary was in a tough situation after World War I ended. The Treaty of Versailles cut the country to twothirds of its size and one-third of its population. Ozsvath learned of the economic depression from her parents.
“It was terrible (after the war), not only because of the inflation and the depression, but it was a country that was defeated … (and they had) taken away everything that it owned,” she said. Exacerbating the problems Hungary faced was fascist ruler Governor Miklós Horthy, who had been in power since the 1920s. Under Horthy’s rule, over 100,000 Jews were killed in Hungary. Although in danger, Ozsvath’s family never fled the country. “My parents were watching it with certain concern, but then they hoped that it (would) settle down; as the depression somehow (was) solved, it (would) be better,” she said. “It’s what you always do — you hope for something better.” She remembers her father desperately wanting to come to America. Because of his experience as a pharmacist and a chemist, he had several offers at the time to come to the U.S. At the behest of her mother, the family stayed put. “That is our whole family’s story — that my mother was crying and sobbing, ‘please let’s not go away.’ So we stayed,” Ozsvath said. In 1938, everything changed. Horthy had begun to leave the Hungarian Jews alone in order to protect himself in case the axis powers lost the war. The Germans noticed his reticence and enforced the first anti-Jewish laws in Hungary. Ozsvath’s father tried to get passports so they could leave the country, but it was too late. “By that time you couldn’t go anywhere,” she said. “My father tried everything on Earth … and
PINPOSSIBLE
Book Clutch
ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR
Zsuzsanna Ozsvath looks at photos from her childhood in Békéscsaba, Hungary. As anti-Semitic sentiments grew in the country under the reign of Governor Miklós Horthy, Ozsvath’s family faced increasing amounts of pressure to flee. Then, matters escalated when the Nazi occupation of Hungary began on March 19, 1944.
didn’t succeed.” Only four-years-old at the time, Ozsvath didn’t understand what was happening. She only knew her parents were upset about the laws. News of what was
happening to Jews in Germany and Poland was coming to Hungary very slowly. When her parents heard
→ SEE SURVIVOR, PAGE 7
Difficulty Cost Durability
LINDA NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF
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hen I was a child, my cousin and I used to pretend to be spies. We would hide notes to each other in books and spend too much money on spy equipment toys. Too many pens that doubled as hiding places and fake spyglasses could be found all over my house. Several years have passed, and I still get excited by puzzle boxes that you have to solve and fake books that double as storage. Scrolling through Pinterest for my next project, I was elated to find this DIY book clutch. It excites the little kid in me that loved to hide things in plain sight, and the bookworm in me that thinks a book is an important accessory. It was definitely a challenge, but I’m glad I had the chance to get pushed out of my comfort zone.
WHAT YOU NEED - An old, hardcover book - An X-Acto knife or a utility knife - Mod Podge - A brush - Fabric - Needle and thread - Box clasp - Super glue - Ruler - Wax paper or parchment paper
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Take the cover off of the hardcover book. Trace the outline of the book opened onto the fabric that you want on the outside. Then, using the ruler, mark a 1-inch border around your outline. Cut out the final shape. 2. Brush Mod Podge on the front cover and lay the fabric on it according to your initial trace marks. Smooth out the fabric. Brush more Mod Podge on the spine and back cover and cover the book while it’s opened. The fabric will tighten a little bit when you close the book, but it should still wrap the book completely. 3. Cut the corner squares of the fabric on the outside edges so it doesn’t overlap when you glue the excess around the edges of the book. Then glue the excess over the edges so the book is fully covered. 4. Trace only the front cover of the book on the coordinating fabric and measure 1-inch in from your outline. Cut that out and glue it in the back cover. 5. Let it dry for several hours or overnight. 6. Turn to the first page. Trace out where you want the hole to be in the book and begin cutting out the pages. This will take several hours and can
be spread out between several days. 7. After you’ve finished cutting the pages, separate the book in the middle. Place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper in the middle. 8. Count in 10 pages from the front, place a piece of wax paper there and do the same with the last 10 pages. 9. Mod Podge the middle two sections on the outer and inner edges. Use several thin coats and let it dry in between each coat. 10. After it’s dry, open the book as wide as you would like it to go on a piece of paper or paper towel. Trace the shape of the inside sections without the cover. Then, add an inch to both sides and draw the reflection of the trapezoid so you have a diamond-shape minus the bottom and end points. 11. Trace that onto the fabric you want for the inside and cut two versions of it out. 12. Fold the fabric in half so that the off side is on the outside and do a basic running stitch on the top edge. When you are finished, flip the fabric inside out. 13. Using super glue, attach the diagonal edge to the outside of the middle section with the narrow side down. Glue the other edge to the outside of the other middle section. Then follow the same process for the other piece of fabric. 14. Mod Podge the page with the fabric glued onto it to one of the outer pages.
15. Glue the outer most page in the front and back to the front and back covers respectively. 16. Mod Podge the end pages and book covers with their respective middle sections, ensuring that you use wax paper to keep the two sections from sticking together. 17. Let all of this dry overnight. 18. Use super glue to attach the clasp to the book. 19. Let the super glue dry one more time overnight just to be sure that everything sticks. This was one of the hardest and lengthiest projects I’ve ever done. At one point, I was about to start crying while cutting the pages of the book, and I’m still not satisfied with the end project. I think if I could go back and do it again, I would spread out the project over more time. I covered the book and hollowed out the pages in one night, and it took me about six hours to do. The other parts were spread out over the next two days to give ample drying time for the Mod Podge. It’s a great medium-time commitment project that you can work on little by little for about a week. I wouldn’t suggest trying to finish this in a day. It’s a cute accessory though, and I think this clutch will become a part of my daily campus outfit because it makes the inner nerd in me so happy. I’ve already gotten a lot of use out of it.
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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about the Jews wearing the yellow stars, her father tried to send her and her brother away. “Thank goodness that didn’t succeed. I mean, I cannot think of … what I would have become somewhere else without my parents,” Ozsvath said. Beginning Personal Memories Governor Horthy wasn’t particularly interested in following through on the German orders to persecute the Jews. Ozsvath said it was clear to Horthy that Hitler was going to ultimately lose the war, so he tried more and more to align himself with the Allies
LIFE&ARTS
without angering the Axis powers. This is not to say that the Jews in Hungary were free from danger. Horthy ordered Hungarian soldiers to the Russian front to fight for the Germans during the Winter of 1941. They took 55,000 Jews along with them. Virtually all of them were killed, including Ozsvath’s uncle. The Hungarian Jews were taken from their home into the icy conditions wearing only sweaters and pullovers. If they were fortunate, they wore coats. They were instructed to pick up mines in the minefields in Russia to make travel safe for the Hungarian army. “Of course, they didn’t know how to pick up mines … so they were exploding one after the other one and tortured to death,” Ozsvath said. “Incredible
THE MERCURY | OCT. 5, 2015
atrocities done by the Hungarian army.” Ozsvath, then a girl of about seven, remembers her father crying after he heard the news about his brother dying on the Russian front. To this day, Ozsvath does not know what happened to her uncle exactly. She and her family only know what happened to masses of people, she said. As the news from Germany and Poland filtered slowly into Hungary, Ozsvath’s father became increasingly desperate to leave. He sold his pharmacy and put the funds into a bicycle shop in Budapest, where his family moved in 1941. Around this time, Ozsvath began to play the piano. Her family has a strong musical connection. Her uncle was world-famous musician Jeno Adorjan. Her father played the piano, the cello, the viola and the violin.
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She has fond memories of weekly chamber music concerts in her house. Once she started playing piano, she would participate in the concerts when they needed a pianist. For her, music was never an escape, but was instead a way to express her deepest emotions. Ozsvath would spend eight hours a day playing the piano. At that point, the Russians had arrived in Poland and it was obvious to her that the war was going to end soon. Then, on March 19, 1944, the Germans started their occupation of Hungary. This is the first part of a multi-part series on Ozsvath. Read the next issue of The Mercury for the next installment of the story.
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SPORTS
OCT. 5, 2015 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Referees’ job needs to be repected
comeback kid Men’s soccer player gives team boost in return from injury PABLO JUAREZ Sports Editor
Recent attack on a referee puts importance of sports into perspective PABLO JUAREZ COMMENTARY
Confrontations between athletes, coaches and referees are hardly a rarity. Emotions in a game can run wild and those involved make decisions in the heat of the moment. Take, for example, a baseball manager walking out of the team dugout because of a controversial strike call. He makes sure to get his money’s worth before leaving the field, but a face-off like that will hardly ever escalate past verbal jabs. On Sept. 7, that line was crossed. Two football players from John Jay High School in San Antonio took it upon themselves to even the score with a referee after they alleged he used racial slurs and made questionable calls that favored the other team. One player knocked him down while the other came from the opposite end and speared him while he was on the ground. The two players said they were following orders from an assistant coach to hit the referee. In no capacity were the two players’ actions acceptable. Their actions were no longer in-game infractions, but rather a criminal act that could lead to prosecution. This incident was the epitome of reaching the boiling point and highlighted the arduous job that referees are tasked with. The job of officiating often faces the most scrutiny in today’s world of sports, regardless of the level or sport. From football to baseball to basketball, referees have to make judgment calls in the blink of an eye. As an observer, especially from the comfort of one’s home and with the benefit of instant replay, it’s easy to point out calls that the referee may have missed. What is often overlooked is that, as fans, we get the opportunity to see the plays after the fact in slow motion replay from various angles in the stadium, while the team of officials must make their decision seconds after the play has ended. What needs to be understood is that referees are experts in their field. They thoroughly read and memorize their respective league’s handbook. Taking into account human error, a majority of referees do a great job at controlling the atmosphere of the game by properly implementing the rules set in place. One whistle from a referee has the power to decide a game, but it’s not necessarily fair to place the entire burden on them. The athletes primarily decide the culmination of plays leading up to the infamous controversial call. In 2007, a high profile allegation against then NBA referee Tim Donaghy surfaced. The allegations included fixing the point spread on games he bet on by making tactful calls during the course of the match. Donaghy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. This debacle had a ripple effect on the rest of the league. Conspiracy theories resurfaced and game officials were put under a microscope. However, one bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch. Referees have a tough job that needs to be put into perspective. Fans and athletes should respect them. Otherwise, incidents like the one in San Antonio will no longer be anomalies, but rather a frequent occurrence.
Referees have a tough job that needs to be put into perspective. Fans and athletes should respect them. Otherwise, incidents like the one in San Antonio will no longer be anomalies, but rather a frequent occurrence.
CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF
Junior forward leads men’s soccer team with four game winning goals following ACL reconstruction surgery.
During a team practice on Sept. 3, 2014, junior forward J.T. Hawkins was in a full sprint trying to get the ball around one of the defenders. Suddenly, his right leg buckled under him. After taking a tumble to the ground clutching his right knee, he immediately assumed the worst. Hawkins had suffered a noncontact knee injury, tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament. “My leg wasn’t there,” Hawkins said. “I didn’t really feel anything at the time. I just instantly knew that (my knee) was gone.” He had never suffered a sports injury until then. He sat on the grass waiting for the training staff to cart him off of the field. All of his teammates made their way to the training room after practice to give their condolences. Awaiting diagnosis, Hawkins expected the injury to be an ACL tear. When the doctors confirmed this, his fears were realized. “My heart just dropped a little bit,” he said. “I just realized that I wasn’t going to be playing for another seven months.” Natives of McKinney, Hawkins’ parents had never missed any of his college soccer games. When they initially found out about the injury, Hawkins said they tried to pretend like everything was normal. “When I got home … they (acted) like nothing happened to make it seem like nothing was going on,” Hawkins said. For Hawkins, the main concern that loomed over his head was that the probability that he would tear his other ACL had risen by 50 percent. The months that followed would test his confidence on a daily basis. Hawkins had the option to seek a private surgeon to treat his torn ACL, but
opted for the team of doctors and physicians from the UT Southwestern Medical Center that work in conjunction with UTD. Robert Dimeff and William Roberts, both physicians for the Dallas Stars, headed the team. Approximately five to six weeks after the initial injury, Hawkins underwent surgery. The real challenge for Hawkins started after the surgery. For the first couple of weeks after the procedure, his leg was locked into a brace in order to keep the knee straight. He couldn’t sit in a chair, ride in a car properly or sleep comfortably. The only time he was able to remove the brace was when he used a Continuous Passive Movement machine for four hours a day in order to improve mobility in the knee. “The first couple of weeks were absolutely terrible,” Hawkins said. “Everything went really fast once I was up and moving.” Hawkins had the opportunity to do his rehabilitation with the staff at UT Southwestern, but decided to do it with Tom Monagan, UTD’s head athletic trainer. “Tom is a very reliable and experienced guy … so I just did it with (him),” Hawkins said. “If it was not for Tom, I wouldn’t be the way that I am now.” Monagan said he always sets out a game plan and goes over it with the athlete when starting rehab, setting out both short-term and long-term goals. Monagan said Hawkins was a quick healer, but that it’s important for every injured athlete to understand the difficulties he or she is facing during rehab.
→ SEE HAWKINS, PAGE 9
CHAD AUSTIN | MERCURY STAFF
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“Sometimes you have to take two steps forward, then you take one step back and then you go forward again,” Monagan said. “There can sometimes be setbacks in rehab.” Going in, Hawkins said Monagan did not sugarcoat the process. “(Tom) was completely straight up with me,” Hawkins said. “He would always challenge me because he knows (by telling me), ‘I don’t know if you can do it, I don’t think you can do it,’ he is basically just making me tell myself, ‘OK, I’m going to show you wrong.’” Monagan said the main things he focused on in the beginning, especially with an ACL injury, was the pain and swelling control, along with getting the range of motion in the knee back. A total body ergometer is often used in order to maintain the athletes’ cardiovascular levels. Hawkins said the biggest thing he had to do during rehab was lift weights. A majority of muscle in one’s leg is maintained simply by walking. Hawkins said much of the muscle in his right leg atrophied due to not walking for 10 days. “I couldn’t even pick up my right leg for four days,” he said. “After my third day of rehab, Tom finally was just pushing me and I ended up lifting my leg. It was that difficult.” His right quadriceps and calf had diminished. In order to regain his strength and size, Hawkins had to do calf raises, leg presses and hip flexor exercises everyday. Once his leg returned to normal size, he focused primarily on his cardio and cutting. At four months, he was able to start jogging and do light soccer-related activities such as dribbling, but had to wait the full six months before doing any contact drills. While sidelined, Hawkins said he learned a lot while watching the team from the bench, but admitted it was still a trying time for him. “It was rough to start off,” he said. “It’s like they always say, ‘You never realize what you (have) until it’s gone.’” He would see mistakes and errors from the bench that he wouldn’t have seen otherwise and corrected them for himself.
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SPORTS
“I feel like, and I’ve heard, that I’ve come back a different player just mentally and the way I do stuff within the game,” he said. Hawkins called this entire recovery process 60 percent mental and 40 percent physical. Before playing his first game, all he could think about was tearing his ACL again. “Of course I had the first thoughts of, ‘I’m going to tear this thing, or it’s not going to work, or I’m not going to be able to run or something bad is going to happen,’” he said. Despite those fears, Hawkins made his presence known in his first game back from the injury by scoring the Comets’ first goal of the 2015 season in a non-conference game against UT Tyler. “I just looked up and then I walked over to Tom and just looked at him and thought, ‘Man, what a relief,’” he said. Hawkins currently leads the men’s soccer team with four game-winning goals and is second in goals and points, with four and nine respectively. In his first week back in action from the seasonending injury he suffered last year, he received honors as ASC offensive player of the week. He still experiences aches and pains in the surrounding areas of his ACL during pre-game warmups and after games. Despite this, head coach Jason Hirsch said he believes Hawkins came back as the same player he was before the injury, except with a little more hunger after missing an entire season. Once Hawkins was medically cleared to play, Hirsch said he and the training staff set no minute restrictions for him. Moving forward, Hawkins said the injury always lingers in his mind especially with the scar it left. But after stepping on to the field for the first time since tearing his ACL, he said he felt like nothing had ever happened and that everything was back to normal.Now he has his eyes set on the team’s accomplishments. “(I’m excited for) conference in general because this is where it all matters,” Hawkins said. “Making sure we get into the tournament and, once we get there, making sure we win it and, once we win it, go through Nationals. (We) just have to take it one step at a time.”
After looking through the teams available, Johnson chose UTD's volleyball team.
******* watching her child suffer. There were times when When members of the team first met Johnson Johnson would ask her mother to make her feel betthis summer, they immediately took a liking to ter, but there was nothing Mandy could do. One of the more difficult aspects of chemotherapy her. Johnson and her mom have been involved ever since. set in when Johnson started to lose her hair. The team has started several new traditions “The worst thing is, she’s a little girl and she’s like, ‘I’m losing my hair!’” Mandy said. “The first time, in honor of Johnson, including having a special it didn’t really bother her because she was so young, locker dedicated to her that the players fill with but now she was at the age that she knew and that gifts. Along with the locker, Johnson has been introduced as an official member of the team durwas hard.” After two and a half years of extensive treatments ing the Comets’ home games this year, sporting the and difficult adjustments, Johnson received her last number 00. Senior captain Abbie Barth has been there to dose of chemo on March 7, 2014. Her family was slowly adjusting back to life as normal, but they still walk with Johnson during those intros. “She’s awesome,” she said. “She’s got quite the remained wary. On July 11, 2014, Johnson went in for another personality. She’s cute, she’s funny, she’s very outgoing. I think she puts a lot of things in perspective round of blood work. “She’s a social butterfly, she loves to talk and visit for us. Whenever we’re having a hard time, we kind and everything, so we were making our rounds to all of think about her and the hard times she’s gone of the nurses,” Mandy said. “About that time, her through — and she’s only five.” September is Childhood Cancer Awareness doctor came out from the back and he’s like, ‘You month and since the team only has five home can’t leave.’” Even though the doctor wouldn’t say it, Mandy games this year, it designated its game against Tyler as its first ever “Gold Out” game in honor of the knew something was terribly wrong. “My husband and I knew at that point that she month’s official color. The Comets sported gold had relapsed,” she said. warm ups and socks and encourThey went to the hospital, where aged attendees to wear goldJohnson spent 45 days as an inpacolored apparel. The athletics tient while the doctors tried to find department also sold special gold some way to get this latest attack shirts for $20 to help raise money under control. Nothing seemed to for childhood cancer victims. work. The marathon stay took its The players and coaches from toll on Johnson. Tyler each gave Johnson a gold “You could just see it,” Mandy bead necklace and the athletics said. “She was like, ‘I just want to department presented her with a go home.’ She was so tired of being commemorative gold ball signed in there.” by every member of the volleyThe family kept trying, but the ball team. cancer continued to grow. That’s Even though the game seemed when their doctors recommendinconsequential given the cired an experimental treatment in cumstances, it proved to be a nail Philadelphia that uses a de-activatbiter. After four back and forth ed HIV virus to manipulate one’s sets, Tyler was able to extend the T-Cells. After the family spent six game to a fifth period in front of weeks in Philadelphia, the cancer a packed crowd. finally went away for a second time. “If it wasn’t for that experimental As the Comets gathered in — Mandy Johnson, the huddle to get ready for treatment, she may not be here today,” Mandy said. Kaitlyn’s mother the final set, Johnson was on Even though the cancer has their minds. gone away, the family is not with“That fifth set, we wanted to out its challenges. Along with win it,” Barth said. “We were dealing with the prospect of losing their daughter, talking about her, we were like, ‘We have to win they have had to talk to Johnson one-on-one about for Kaitlyn.’” losing her life. The Comets came back to form in the fifth set, “When we had come home from the hospital after and took down the Patriots 15-9. After the vicbeing there for 45 days, she had told me and her dad tory, Johnson said she felt “cool” cheering in front she was not going to take her medicine,” Mandy said. of everybody. “And I said, ‘Honey, if you don’t take your medicine, As the stands cleared out, Mandy couldn’t help you’ll go up to Heaven’ … We had to sit down and but admire the support everyone had shown her have the conversation of ‘If you don’t take this, you daughter. She and her husband are still fighting to will die’ … That has been the hardest.” keep Johnson healthy and she does her best to get There is still a chance that the cancer may come the word out about Johnson so others can be more back, but Johnson’s family takes it day by day and aware of childhood cancer. does their best to make Johnson feel like any other That night, a gym full of people knew who her child. Johnson loves to be active, so they worked with daughter was. the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation — a non-profit “It really is heartwarming,” she said. “I have to that pairs children who have cancer with local high hold back my tears, but it’s heartwarming to see school and college teams — to find a team Johnson all of this and know that they’re doing this for my could adopt. child … it makes me very happy.”
We had to sit down and have the conversation of 'If you don't take this (medicine), you will die ... That has been the hardest.
THE MERCURY | OCT. 5, 2015
CHAD AUSTIN | MERCURY STAFF
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Through the door to the next world (The Jumpers #6)
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→ CHL
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potential for gun-related attacks on campus. Despite the concerns, Orgeron said that restricting a person’s right to carry a gun would only decrease the safety of college campuses. “Unless you can prevent everybody in the country from having a gun — which is completely impractical — then there needs to be a law to allow people to carry weapons,” Orgeron said. The shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon on Oct. 1, where nine people were killed along with the gunman, has reinvigorated the debate over campus carry and its potential effects. Perkins said he believes incidents like these can be avoided if a CHL holder can be there to deter campus shooters. “Bad guys are going to break the law anyway,” he said. “So why allow them the opportunity to go and kill possibly hundreds of people when maybe one or two people in that office, in the building, in that class has a handgun who can stop it?” ******* Although Perkins has never had to use his concealed handgun to defend himself or his loved ones, he said he likes to be prepared. “I’m not going to say that there’s been a situation where I’ve had to pull my gun, but there are definitely situations where I’m comfortable knowing that
NEWS
if it goes sideways, my family is covered,” he said. He isn’t in support of stricter gun control, but he would like to see CHL holders be required to get more hours practicing at the gun range. Currently, the number of rounds a holder is supposed to shoot to qualify for their license is 50. He said he would prefer to see that number increase to 200. He expressed an interest in seeing more training requirements for holders to maintain their CHLs. According to Perkins these changes like this would make CHL carriers more knowledgeable about their guns. “What a lot of people do is they go and get their CHL and they never go back to the range ever again,” he said. “‘Oh, I did great.’ Well, you did great one time … Muscle memory takes time to develop, but if (CHL holders) were forced to spend more time at the range, all that does is benefit them. All that does is benefit the people around them.” As the date for the implementation of SB11 gets closer, Perkins wants the general public to become more aware about guns and, specifically, more knowledgeable about why CHL holders arm themselves. “The majority of people who carry are the honest, hard-working American citizens who just want to go about their business,” he said. “But they’re not going to be left unprotected should somebody decide to step up to them and say, ‘Hey, you know what? I’m going to rob you.’ … It forces people to reconsider their attitudes towards everyone.” Additional reporting by Esteban Bustillos
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This poll was open to students on campus and those who follow The Mercury on Facebook from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3. Voters could vote on more than one area they wanted restricted.
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