The Mercury 11/04

Life & Arts | PAGE 7

VOLUME XXXIII NO. 17

Sports | PAGE 10

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NOVEMBER 4, 2013

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Collection features gritty stories from student and profs Mercury Special Report by ANWESHA BHATTACHARJEE Web Editor

It’s less than a month shy of 50 years since the JFK assassination. The grass is wet, the moon peeps through a jumble of confused clouds — black and white. The editor at the newspaper office stares at the copy; it’s all been the same for 50 years.

A big bird — maybe the La Lechuza — spreads its wings and flies over a Walgreens, a 7-11, an uptown club, the dried Trinity river,

marking its prey, unknown to the sleeping city living its mundane existence. As the first rays of the sun hit the wet earth tomorrow, the mysteries, the dead, the intrigue of the night will give way to the normal buzz — Dallas will resume its life once again.

Unsettling as it is, that is the feeling one is left with after reading each story in “Dallas Noir,” an anthology of short stories, the latest in the noir series by Akashic Books.

Centered on the DFW metroplex, each story in the book is set on a Dallas street, maybe where the author lives, maybe where

legend lives.

The works of arts and humanities professor Clay Reynolds and assistant professor Matt Bondurant, as well as a story from Lauren Davis, a graduate student in history, are featured in the anthology.

While some stories have strong noir elements in them — an anti-hero, a tragic end — others render the reader bereft, emotions

Dallas Noir

in odd harmony with the protagonist’s fate, leaving them with the pain of a lost loved one, the haze of the West Nile virus pesticide or the hurt of onesided love.

Yet, Dallas’ almostfleeting presence, the glaring contrasts of the stinking rich and the hapless poor, its buxom women and its Texan masculinity teamed with Hispanic folklore, all find their way into

Akashic Books David Hale Smith, Editor $12.76 (Amazon) Available Nov. 5

each of these 16 short stories.

The pieces have a timeless quality to them, as if the stories could have happened 50 years ago or today; as if Dallas, despite all the leaps in business and technology, still has an angry score to settle, perhaps with fate.

The stories bring out Dallas’ stubborn nature, people who take every challenge in their stride, a city that refuses to give up despite hardships and continues to reshape its constantly changing skyline as it grows, slow and steady.

CONNIE CHENG/STAFF

CHRISTOPHER WANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Assistant Professor Matt Bondurant’s short fiction, “Hole-Man” is based on reallife events that occured to him last summer on his relatively quiet suburban Dallas street, pictured above. An idyllic setting belies something more sinister in his story.

Professor Clay Reynolds is pictured above at Tavern on Main Street in old Richardson, a favorite haunt of the arts and humanities students and faculty for more than two decades. Reynolds said the atmosphere reminds him of a classic 20th century bar.

Bondurant: Suburbia hides indiscretions

Reynolds: Danger lurks in the darkness

Davis: Legends and folklore loom large

The two lamps stood craning their necks out, angled to shed light on a laptop and randomly organized stacks of paper on the big wooden desk; the potent silence interrupted only by the mechanical ping of the fifth floor elevator.

Creative writing professor Matt Bondurant didn’t seem to mind the occasional intrusion of the real world as he punched away on his keyboard with brusque efficiency.

Bondurant, whose book “The Wettest County in the World” was made into a motion picture in 2012, is a couple hundred pages into his fourth novel. He is scripting a TV show for HBO-Cinemax as well as adapting a graphic novel into a film and is one of the Dallas authors featured in “Dallas Noir.”

He looks like a man unaccustomed to inactivity, and Anders, the protagonist of his noir fiction embodies that restlessness, that desire to socialize, even in a quiet suburb where people enter and exit out of back alleys, hardly ever meeting their neighbors.

Bondurant’s “Hole-Man” is an open-ended story set in East Dallas, where Bondurant himself lives, that juxtaposes the humdrum of the ordinary suburban life and the tug of war within the author between his cynicism toward mankind and his faith in humanity that lives on, forever hopeful.

Set in the backdrop of the deadly West Nile virus that held Dal-

Dallas is a city whose face alters with each darker shade of the twilight. Samuel Grand Avenue is menacing at 6:30 p.m. and Harry Hines is scary at midnight.

Every vignette in arts and humanities professor Clay Reynolds’ “Night Work” could be about the dank Walgreens or the dilapidated convenience store around the dark-lit bend of a street in old Dallas.

Reynolds’ piece in “Dallas Noir” is different from all other stories in the anthology. Devoid of a continuous plot or a central protagonist, the sketches manage to weave a tale of intrigue around unrelated characters that are as yet unaware of the danger that awaits them.

Set in old East Dallas, the six vignettes portray a strange aloofness stereotypical of the average working neighborhood — misery, poverty, sex and death are all quasi-normal — no one has the leisure to dwell on morality when it comes at the expense of daily survival.

Each of the vignettes is a narration through the eyes of a protagonist, someone working in the service industry worried about keeping a job yet scared for his life, not trusting the cops yet uneasy of not reporting a crime.

Perhaps Reynolds, a man who comes across as rigidly upright

Lauren Davis is a fighter. She’s one of those that bravely faces down any challenges fate shoves her way — the only way she can see herself going is up.

A New Orleans native, Davis found herself displaced to Dallas after Hurricane Katrina. Away from her roots, her whole life as she knew it was spinning out of control. After laboriously building her name as a hairdresser for 25 years, without a job or a clientele in a new city, Davis was at a crossroads.

She could either spiral into the abyss of despair like the quintessential noir antihero, or she could start from scratch. Davis chose the latter. She enrolled at UTD as a history major with a minor in creative writing.

“I decided it was time to reinvent myself, so I decided to go to school,” Davis, now a graduate student in history, said.

In fall 2012, Davis was in Matt Bondurant’s creative writing class and David Hale Smith spoke to the class about publishing.

As a parting note, Smith invited all students to submit a noir fiction for an anthology. Davis grabbed the opportunity and submitted her piece. Early in 2013, her story was accepted for publication in “Dallas Noir.”

Although raised by her father and stepmother in Louisiana, Davis has been a visitor to Dallas since the 1970s when her mother

Alumni build therapeutic bots for autistic children Graduates use Kickstarter to fund innovative human, robot interaction project JOSEPH MANCUSO Mercury Staff

CHRISTOPHER WANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Tejeev Patel, graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, expounds on the techical aspects of the various iterations of Robokind’s different models. The firm’s office on the seventh floor of a downtown Dallas skyscraper is littered with experimental models like the ones seen above, in various stages of development.

Robokind aims to change the way humans interact with robots with its latest model, the ZENO R25. The robot sports a variety of social features and is able to carry out a conversation with the user.

Robokind stemmed from Hanson Robotics, founded by David Hanson, who received his Ph.D. in 2007 from UTD. He is well-known for his work on life-like robotics, including a 2009 TED talk where he presented a robotic Albert Einstein that responded to his emotions. The company employs many UTD graduates and has been developing similar robots for years.

“We wanted to build (Hanson Robotics) into a larger company that could start mass producing robots and

get them out into people’s homes,” said Matthew Stevenson, Robokind’s director of software engineering and a computer science alumnus. “We are just about ready to launch our next line of robots, and we are trying to make that launch through Kickstarter. It’s a good way to make some of the first sales while bringing in money for future development.”

While the R25 robots utilize open source software and can be programmed for a wide range of uses, some of the intended purposes for the robot include use as a teaching tool and for autism therapy. A touch screen on the R25’s chest can be used to display questions and accept multiple choice answers.

Internal components of the robot can stream video to nearby tablet computers and conduct lessons or quizzes.

Arts & Technology alumnus Justin Holder said while the robot’s life-like features and expressions help to make it easy to relate with, the technology behind the R25 allows it to easily maintain dialog with autistic children.

“We had one of the old R50 robots in a group with one of the children who hadn’t been talking to anyone at the facility in months,” Holder said. “After about 10 to 15 minutes with the robot, the child was talking to the robot and having conversations. The robots don’t have any sort of patience issue; they don’t get tired of what you’re saying.”

Holder uses his ATEC training to serve as the middleman for the programmers in charge of the robot’s behavior and the modelers who manage

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TAYLOR TISDALE Mercury Staff

The Student Government ad hoc constitutional committee instated at the Oct. 15 SG meeting has been at work brainstorming and planning proposals for a restructuring and amending of the senate constitution to address issues concerning student representation in elections and other procedural inconsistencies in SG policy.

The committee, chaired by public affairs graduate student Adam Ma, was enacted to address specific issues in the current constitution and receive approval from the senate on formal amendments. Currently, the senate constitution dictates that for every 500 students in each classification there should be one seat in the senate. This includes graduate students, who constitute the largest proportion of students on campus and therefore have the most representation in the senate at 14 seats. The committee’s concern is that there has not been enough interest from graduate students, the majority of whom have jobs and families which occupy most of their time. “We are lucky if we get five grad students in the senate,� SG President Liza Liberman said. “Although the current breakdown is representative of current class sizes, we feel it is not the best representation in terms of current student interest and participation in student government and those who have the availability and interest to be more involved on campus.�

The committee will be working toward drafting an amendment to address this issue, as well as others concerning the roles of committees in senate proceedings, the summer session being counted as a separate semester, the creation of a position to oversee the senate constitution in the future, as well as other fine-tunings of policy and protocol.

News

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NOV. 4, 2013

UTD Police blotter

Liberman and SG Vice President Charlie Hannigan will be meeting with the University of Texas System Student Advisory Council from Nov. 8-9 in Austin to address student concerns system-wide. The council meets three times a year and consists of two members from each UT institution who sit on committees in direct communication with the UT Board of Regents, who can bring issues to the legislature. Issues currently being debated in UTSSAC are establishing a minimum campus sustainability effort, entailing the enactment of recycling and renewable energy policies that every institution would abide by, as well as the installation of a welcoming program for incoming international students system-wide, which will be based on the UTD International Student Services offices if the current proposal goes through.

In addition to being a direct communication link for SG with UT system legislation, the council provides perspective on issues affecting nonundergraduate UT students. Specifically, the representatives from UT healthcare institutions, which are essentially graduate schools, are giving SG insight on ways to be more proactive with graduate student support and advising, Liberman said.

Liberman and Hannigan also met with UTD President David Daniel on Oct. 25 to relay concerns about parking, dining and recycling and trash bin issues on campus. The officers requested that additional trash bins be added to accommodate the overflowing bins on campus. Daniel was very receptive to the concerns brought to his attention and expressed his excitement in working with students to address the issues at hand, Liberman said. t -JCFSNBO JOGPSNFE UIF TFOBUF BU the Oct. 29 SG meeting of a walkthrough of the campus concerning proposed locations for the addition of new digital screens that would

replace the need for paper flyers and contribute to the overall goal of integrating more technological innovation into the campus infrastructure.

The project began two years ago under former SG Vice President Cody Wilming, whose goal was the implementation of digital signs across campus that could relay news, video and PowerPoint presentations from all student organizations. Funding for the project was allocated from the SG budget by the Student Fee committee last year, with confirmed initial locations in the Comet CafÊ and the Student Media hallway. The screens, ranging from 42-55 inches each, are to be added as soon as possible, and there are plans to eventually include screens in the Activity Center, a residence hall and SSB expansion, Liberman said. t -JCFSNBO BMTP EJTDVTTFE UIF Comet Discount Program offered to students as well as faculty and staff, which has up until now been facilitated by Human Resources. The program has contracted roughly 500 local businesses who offer a variety of discounts to students if they show their Comet Card. A project is underway to move updated student discount information from HR to the SG website where it will be orchestrated by the senate. Senate members will contact all current businesses who are involved over the next several months to confirm their location and continued participation so that a more updated and user-friendly discount list can be provided to students on the SG website. t 4( 4FDSFUBSZ *TBBD #VUUFSÍFME voiced new information on the SG homecoming tailgate taking place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 in Lot K for the men and women’s basketball games. Anyone wanting to join will need to sign up on Orgsync in advance to reserve space on the parking lot. Participants are encouraged to bring their own grills, couches, lawn-chairs, Greek

organization signs or anything to enhance the tailgate experience. The event is a drop-off tailgate only, so parking for the event will be outside of Lot K and anything brought along will need to be dropped off beforehand. Planned events include the live band Tenacity, a beer tent, a bestburger cook-off, spirit giveaway and a best tailgate spirit set-up award. t $PNNVOJDBUJPOT $IBJS "MJ 5Fjani confirmed a “Coffee with a Senator� event taking place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Plinth.

Students are invited to come out and meet the members of SG, share a free snack and voice any concerns, questions or ideas they may have. Coffee from Dunkin Donuts will be provided as well as brownies. t 4UVEFOU "ĂŞBJST DIBJS $BTFZ 4VClett notified SG of a meeting that took place between her committee and the University Bookstore. The committee expressed concerns about a growing dissatisfaction among the student body with the clothing designs and prices being offered.

Bookstore management informed the committee that steps have been taken to pursue a diversification of the brands being offered for students seeking cheaper and more aesthetically appealing designs, with a possible UTD fashion show for newer bookstore apparel during homecoming week. t ɨF TFOBUF DPOÍSNFE UIF BQpointment of Aishwarya Ravindran, Molly Vaughan, Alex Zahabizadeh, Marcos Pelaez, Bailee Conrad, Heena Sopori, Sarah Sietmann, Nicole Watson and Ramu Velu. t ɨF TFOBUF BMMPDBUFE VQ UP for food and refreshments for Meet UIF %FBO 8FFL GPS NJOJ DVQcakes for the November Sound-Off, GPS GPPE BOE SFGSFTINFOUT GPS the Coffee with a Senator event, as XFMM BT GPS #MVF #PPLT t ɨF OFYU 4( NFFUJOH XJMM CF BU 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 13 in one of the Galaxy Rooms.

Oct. 16 t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE B CSPken window.

Oct. 17 t " TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS DWI. t " TUBĂŞ NFNCFS SFQPSUFE an attempted theft of artwork at Residence Hall West. t 0ĂŻDFST JOWFTUJHBUFE B NJnor auto pedestrian collision on campus. t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE B EFlayed theft.

Oct. 18 t " OPO JOKVSZ NPUPS WFIJDMF accident occurred between a UTD vehicle and another vehicle. t " TUVEFOU XBT JTTVFE B Class C misdemeanor citation for minor in possession of alcohol. t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE IBSBTTment from another UTD student.

Oct. 19 t " OPO BĂŻMJBUFE QFSTPO XBT arrested for DWI. t 'PVS OPO BĂŻMJBUFE QFSTPOT were cited during a traffic stop.

Three of the persons were cited for consumption of alcohol by a minor and one was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Oct. 20 t " TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS public intoxication. t "O VOLOPXO QFSTPO ESJWing a Zip Car struck a student’s vehicle and failed to perform duty upon striking the unattended vehicle. t (SBïUJ XBT PCTFSWFE PO BO exterior door of Jonsson Building.

Oct. 21 t " 65 4PVUIXFTUFSO FNployee reported an unknown person burglarized a maintenance tool shed near the Callier Center in Dallas.

Oct. 22 t " OPO BĂŻMJBUFE NBMF XBT arrested for DWLI and six outstanding traffic warrants.

t " OPO BĂŻMJBUFE QFSTPO XBT cited for soliciting without a permit. t " TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS two outstanding traffic warrants and driving while his license was invalid. t " TUVEFOU QBUSPM NFNCFS reported damage to the brick stairway leading to the main south side entrance of the ECS Building.

Oct. 23 t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE BO unidentified person had made threats against another student and the university.

Oct. 24 t " TUBĂŞ NFNCFS SFQPSUFE receiving harassing phone calls at the Callier Center in Dallas. t 0ĂŻDFST JTTVFE B DPVSU DJUBtion to a student for minor in possession of alcohol. t 4UVEFOUT XFSF JOWPMWFE JO a car and bicycle accident on Lookout Drive. t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE B UIFGU of a bicycle. t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE BO iPhone and some money were stolen from his backpack.

Oct. 25 t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE WBOEBMism done to his car in the parking lot of Phase VIII. Oct. 26 t " OPO BĂŻMJBUFE NBMF XBT arrested for DWI. t " OPO BĂŻMJBUFE QFSTPO XBT arrested for possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and other agency warrants.

Oct. 27 t " TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS public intoxication and consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Oct. 29 t " TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS four outstanding misdemeanor warrants. t ɨSFF OPO BïMJBUFE JOEJviduals were trespassed from campus. t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE IFS CJcycle was stolen.

Opinion

NOV. 4, 2013

THE MERCURY

UTD’s character in “ugliest” buildings on campus CHRISTOPHER WANG COMMENTARY

Stark. Oppressive. Totalitarian. These are words that the critics of brutalism would use to describe the oldest buildings on campus.

Green Hall. Jonsson Center. McDermott Library. All concrete and glass, built like fortresses: huge, hulking masses looming over the fragile human form: We are brittle bone and squishy flesh; they are cold cement and bronzed glass. We will crumble into dust one day, but these brutal blocks will endure, resisting the eroding sands of time. These edifices are our legacy. We ought celebrate them.

Critics would call our buildings ugly. They would go for the easy target, the unfashionable architecture and the out-ofdate style. They would ignore the context, divorce our buildings from their times, cast them in the most unfavorable light, and mock them undeservedly.

The critics aim their slings and arrows at our walls, ranking, ordering and declaring in their supercilious tone the objective ugliness of our school. And yet, the very aspects they decry are the selfsame virtues we ought to extol.

The founder of the Bauhaus school, Walter Gropius once said, “Architecture begins where engineering ends.” Everything outside the functional, structural, critical parts of a building is art, ornamentation. And the form of brutalism is artistic. If art is supposed to be a pure expression of the times, a reaction to the cultural and political context, then there is no better form than brutalism. Its existence and continued endurance is a testament to the cultural and historical context in which it belongs.

closely and see the wood-like texture in the concrete. This is an old technique, allowing the concrete to dry while still in the wooden caissons that once held the walls in place.

When the wooden boards are removed, the texture remains. This embellishment is one that arose from economic concern more than artistic concern, granted, but it is one of the few frilly features of brutalism.

Perhaps the true triumph of the style is its longevity. Sure, it may inspire plenty of aesthetic debate and may reveal divisions in taste, yet the brutal blocks endure. In fact, across the world, buildings of the style are gaining historic and protected status, particularly in Great Britain, another locale where brutalism was a popular choice for college campuses. The best test of a building is a simple, utilitarian one: Does it stand up to the test of time?

Thick walls keep the concrete boxes cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The choice of building material reduces the risk of catastrophic fire. In tornado alley, a building made of ANWESHA BHATTACHARJEE/WEB EDITOR poured stone is quite safe. Form follows function, and a civic Indeed, this economical style proved popu- structure is supposed to endure, underlining lar from England to The Philippines, from the longevity and power of the state.

Architecture is meant to inspire, even if it Boston City Hall to the Geisel Library in San Diego. The relatively low cost of concrete con- does inspire fear and loathing. In the end, we struction with little adornment proved perfect extend character to buildings. As Winston for government and civic structures. In fact, Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth thereafter they shape us.” Those who shaped is entirely cast in brutalism and is one of the our buildings sought to build a fortress for purer examples of the form. That campus is the mind, a safe place to study, to grow and a balance between poured concrete and green to flourish in the arts and sciences, no matter what happened in the outside world, and at space, something our campus aspires to.

Even as we build new buildings, archi- an economical cost to boot. Even now, these tects pay homage to our brutal heritage. The founding buildings--Green, Jonsson, and Mcmonolithic walls seen at both ends of the mall, Dermott--shape our campus environment, at the south with the traffic circle and at the from the mall’s walls to the blockier parts of north with the digital clocks, clearly reference the new ATEC building. Try to remove them our founders’ buildings. Examine those walls from this place. By design, you cannot.

When UTD was founded in 1969, brutalism was at its height. The Cold War was at its height. The belief at the time was that bombs and missiles could fall from the sky at any time and obliterate the landscape. Full-scale nuclear war was treated as a serious and grave possibility. The destruction of the WWII was still fresh in the memory. There were signs for fallout shelters. There were Civil Defense sirens.

Schoolchildren were instructed to duck and cover. And we built bunkers out of concrete to live, work and learn in.

CATHRYN PLOEHN/STAFF

For

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Surveillance helps keep country, individuals safe JOHN THOTTUNGAL COMMENTARY

A lone gunman besieged Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 1, opened fire on a TSA officer and killed him. In addition to casualties, the terminal was shut down and flights were delayed, people were emotionally traumatized and needless to say there was a significant loss of revenue for all parties concerned with the exception of the shooter.

One only needs to remember other mass shootings, specifically the Aurora shooting, to understand the need for a better algorithm-based surveillance. How else does a lone person sitting in a one-bedroom student apartment order more than 60,000 rounds of ammunition over a short time span and not raise any eyebrows?

Surveillance is getting a lot of negativity in the press. The European Union has unanimously condemned U.S. intelligence agencies for spying on them. Google, Facebook and Twitter are all angry at the National Security Agency’s capability of hacking into their servers. According to The New York Times, these companies are now taking extra precautions to protect their networks and the privacy of their users. Snowden’s revelations talk about alleged programs such as ‘Prism’ and ‘Blarney’ that collected metadata for mining information. Companies routinely cooperated with the Department of Justice as they are supposed to legally, but are weary of their customers finding out. They are immune to civil lawsuits concerning wire tapping, a privilege given to these companies from the office of the U.S. Attorney to negate the liability of being sued by their own customers, but this is not information that is widely publicized.

Revealing top-secret information has become the media mainstay with WikiLeaks, Manning and more recently the Snowden revelations.

Snowden has publicly appealed for clemency while he hides out in Russia, unable to leave to a non-extradition country like Peru. The world, especially Europe was up in arms and almost every American ambassador in major European countries was called in to explain the actions of our government to the foreign governments.

With this amount of surveillance and intelligence capabilities, when do we say enough is enough?

The answer in my opinion is never.

If I lost a family member due to a shooter going on a killing rampage and knew later on that it could have been prevented if there was some specific sort of intelligence gathering that could protect privacy but be able to pick out patterns that lead to such behavior, I would be completely fine with that.

If there are surveillance programs used by local, state and national law enforcement agencies that are able to catch child predators and those adults who engage in child trafficking and pornography, I am completely okay with the government tracking some of the internet traffic.

Is your life less important than your sense of online propriety?

One can argue that right to privacy is paramount but do you honestly

think billion dollar computer servers are interested in mining information about which illegal site you are visiting under an alias? Unless, you are using a false alias to buy illegal dangerous chemicals from a number of different websites that could be used to make a bomb, they do not care.

Am I saying that some intelligence officials were not caught red handed in spying on their ex wives, lovers or husbands according to CNN? No. Every system will have people who will abuse their privileges but that does not mean that the whole system of intelligence gathering should be brought down. An honest conversation will likely help the public regain their confidence and trust in the knowledge that snooping on personal habits and conversations, unless posed as a national threat, is simply not in the mandate of the NSA, CIA, Homeland Security or the FBI. The world we live in today is different and our enemies are not clear-cut nor do they share black and white ideologies as in the past.

Our intelligence agencies are under attack and will fall quickly behind in its ability to protect our nation from foreign threats and attacks if they are not able to have the advantage in gathering information from electronic and digital resources. Using technology like the Predator Drone program as was done on Nov. 1 to hit eight suspected Taliban officials in Pakistan and kill them is not a macabre use of military might but a sure shot way of taking out enemies without risking American lives and ensuring some level of protection against the loss of future lives.

One must never forget that military industrial complex that plays a significant role in America’s GDP is also under attack from foreign companies blatantly stealing resources that American companies have to spend millions of dollars researching. Loss of information equals loss of superiority in bringing products to the market first. This means that your job that you depend on stands a chance of being cut if your company is not able to get to the market first.

Companies do not have the jurisdictional means to go after foreign hackers but the intelligence agencies do, and this is why the gathering of information plays an important economic role in maintaining a healthy sense of competition.

If nothing else, is anyone going to argue against the lone woman in the CIA who spent a decade hunting down Osama Bin Laden?

Before you might want to answer that, remember a part of this nation’s very birth and existence as the United States of America came greatly due to the fact that then-general George Washington was excellent in recruiting spies and sending them across into British held territory. Let the words, “The British are coming. The British are coming” not just be another folk story but serve as a gentle reminder that despite definitive flaws, ostracizing the intelligence agencies is not the way to go. Using intelligence gathering to further American economic interests and influence international policy decisions is important and necessary. This is not a liberal versus conservative diatribe, but an issue of survival for America in an era where acquisition of information determines a nation’s outcome.

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News

THE MERCURY

NOV. 4, 2013

UTD ranked among nation’s ugliest campuses Complex Magazine features UTD on list despite millions spent on renovations; some students, faculty disagree with publication JAMES LOPEZ Mercury Staff

Complex Magazine ranked UTD number 27 in “The 50 Ugliest College Campuses” this past September. Kathryn Henderson, the creator of the list, describes the older concrete buildings as resembling parking garages and the newer buildings as “more fitting for a beach resort in Hawaii,” especially the Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory.

Some members of the UTD faculty do not agree with the list and question the list’s credibility. Richard Bretell, the Margaret McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetics, pointed out that most of the schools listed are made up of more modern buildings and designs after World War II, making the list seem biased against newer campuses.

“It’s an aesthetic judgment that I don’t accept,” Bretell said, “because I think many campuses designed after the war are really beautiful, and they’re beautiful in a way that is different from traditional Ivy League campuses.”

Rick Dempsey, associate vice president of administration at Facilities Management, said the vast majority of those who posted comments on the list thought it was ridiculous. In regard to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Laboratory, Dempsey said the building was specifically chosen to stand out to reflect the high-end research conducted in the laboratory and

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LINA MOON/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Founder’s Fountain, which has been out of order for years, will undergo major renovations as part of a multi-million dollar project to rennovate the north end of the campus mall. The project also includes adding green space and more trees.

to make the building iconic through the building’s aquatically-colored tiles.

Biochemistry freshman Danny Trevino said that he likes the modern look of the campus, especially the lighted

DNA strands of the Science Learning Center and the fish scales of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Laboratory. In regards to the older buildings on campus, he said it looks

like a state penitentiary.

UTD has changed drastically since its early days in the 1960s and 70s.

Thomas Lund, senior project manager of the Office of Facilities Planning and

Construction at UTD, said the Brutalist architecture, characterized by massive concrete buildings and pavement, was considered to be the popular style at the time. The campus now boasts modern buildings and green landscapes made by world-renowned architects, more trees and greenery in addition to the traditional buildings.

The transformations of the school could be seen as reflecting the school’s focus on its students. Dempsey said that the west and south sides of campus incorporate shading elements to shield students from more direct sunlight and the harsh Texas heat. The future residence hall will include dining facilities and will be designed to be more conducive to student interaction. Lund said his office considers a building’s or landscape’s potential for inviting student interaction in order to reflect and encourage interaction-style learning.

“We try to come up with ways that provide opportunities for students to interact and get with each other,” Dempsey said.

Bretell said the school’s transformations had to accommodate the change in student demographic from exclusively graduates to commuters to oncampus undergraduates. The newer spaces invite students to stay and hang out rather than simply walking by, consequently fostering a stronger sense of

Sharing stories of “Leaning In” Women’s organization Women of Visionary Influence open first student chapter in the Jindal School of Management

ARGHYA CHATTERJEE/STAFF CONNIE CHENG/STAFF

A panel of six community leaders took questions from the audience and those submitted in a Twitter feed. The group also shared their thoughts on Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.”

Galerstein Women’s Center hosts discussion about women and the workplace VIVIANA CRUZ Mercury Staff

The Galerstein Women’s Center hosted a leadership and career forum, “Lean In and Lead: Developing Your Voice,” that included networking, a keynote presentation and a panel of community leaders on Oct. 30.

The event was presented along with Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Leadership Programs and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

“Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead” is a 2013 book written

by Sheryl Sandberg. Sandberg was the chief operating officer of Facebook at the time of her book’s publication.

Over the summer, a faculty book club read and discussed “Lean In.” Faculty and staff members attending the event on Wednesday revealed the impact “Lean In” had on them.

UTD Human Resources Records Technician Roberta Rocheleau is not yet finished with the book but so far has had a positive experience reading it.

“I wish I had this back when I was starting out my career.” Rocheleau said during the dinner dialogue facilitated by Ana Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for External Affairs and assistant VP for University Advancement at UNT Dallas.

During the dinner dialogue, Rodriguez shared her opinion of “Lean In” through the perspective of being the youngest member of a UNT President’s cabinet. Rodriguez emphasized the importance of mentors and networking. As a member of the Mayor’s Star Council, Rodriguez is part of a leader-driven organization designed to engage and embrace the current Dallas community.

Rodriguez shared one of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawling’s sayings: “If you can’t make it in Dallas, you can’t make it anywhere.”

Rawling’s quote is about the importance of networking in this city; building connections is a great part of building one’s career.

A keynote presentation by Mary Fernandez, CEO of MentorNet, an organization dedicated to cultivating a persisting mentoring culture within STEM fields followed the dinner dialogue.

Fernandez described MentorNet as an “E-Harmony for geeks.” She discussed the need to achieve gender parity in STEM fields and disagreed with Sandberg’s advice in “Lean In” that one must first succeed to attract a mentor.

In “Lean In”, Sandberg advocates “sitting at the table,” for women in the workplace to leave the sidelines, be assertive and join the conversation.

Fernandez said she found Sandberg’s advice to be applicable only if one knows where the room is and that the door to the room is unlocked.

“Mentors are the guides to help you find the room.” Fernandez said.

Fernandez knows that mentors are not a one-time solution and that mentors and mentees must keep actively engaging with each other over the course of their relationship.

“Mentoring is not an inoculation,” Fernandez said. “It is a vitamin.”

A panel made up of six community leaders and moderated by Nadine Connell, assistant professor of criminology at UTD, followed the keynote.

Connell led the panel by asking questions of her own, taking questions from the audience and relaying questions from Twitter users who posted in the #UTDLeanIn tag.

Connell began the discussion by asking the panelists what the best career advice they had ever received was.

Cindy Quintanilla, a forensic and dispute service line associate at Big Four audit firm Deloitte, shared a twist on a common saying.

“Fake it til you make it, til you become it,” Quintanilla said.

The panelists then discussed how women in the workplace stood up for their work and took credit.

JSOM professor Michele Lockhart was the guest speaker for WOVI JSOM’s chapter meeting. She spoke about her new book regarding language and leadership.

MIGUEL PEREZ Mercury Staff

Impassioned and misty-eyed, founder of Women of Visionary Influence Pauline Shelley stood in front of a small group on Oct. 22 and kicked off an evening of support and empowerment.

The JSOM chapter of Women of Visionary Influence, or WOVI, is the first student chapter of the nationwide nonprofit organization, which has chapters in New York, Austin and Phoenix.

WOVI JSOM brings together students, alumni and faculty members to partake in two hours of intimate discussion and a group activity.

Shelley, who is also chairman of WOVI, opened the first meeting with a few words on the organization’s mentoring program for women.

“I believe that every woman can benefit from having a mentor as well as being a mentor,” Shelley said. “When you’re a mentor you learn a lot about yourself. It has a positive impact, makes you more confident and makes you feel empowered.”

Marketing and MBA graduate student and WOVI JSOM president Chantal Sethi said the group exists to help women thrive and be successful.

“We really want powerful women that are going to be able to contribute to the group,” Sethi said. “One of the main aspects of WOVI is mentoring. Pauline calls it the ‘heartbeat’ of WOVI.” WOVI’s monthly meetings also focus on leadership training and feature an educational or motivational guest speaker.

After a majority of WOVI members graduated this summer, the organization briefly lost its student status and is looking to revitalize itself with undergraduates from all schools.

Marketing and MBA graduate student and WOVI JSOM vice president Misty Morris said the organization is a great way for students to connect and receive personal and professional feedback.

“One thing we’re trying to impress upon people is that when you’re done with school, you’re going to want to network,” Morris said. “I think this helps you identify your skill set before you’re out there trying to push it on employers.”

Business Administration and Communications lecturer Michele Lockhart was the evening’s guest speaker and gave the group insight into her new book, “Political Women: Language and Leadership.”

Lockhart managed to keep the energy going with an interesting look at women in politics and the rhetoric they use, focusing on vice presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Geraldine Ferraro.

Sethi rounded out the meeting by presenting the group with the ‘dream bowl,’ an exercise where members shared a dream or praised on a fellow member.

Morris said WOVI JSOM has several leadership opportunities available and all majors are welcome to apply.

The group’s next meeting will be held Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. Location is TBA, but interested students can check WOVI JSOM’s Facebook page for updates.

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Dialogue event prompts cultural discussion Students of various backgrounds gather to enjoy food, learn more about fellow attendees’ experiences and viewpoints SRAYAN GUHATHAKURTA

The Multicultural Center hosted the diversity dialogues program, a night of food and conversation that was aimed to bring together a dynamically diverse crowd to learn about each other.

The event, which occurred on the evening of Oct. 30 at the McDermott Library suite, was primarily for students; however, a limited number of faculty, staff and community guests also attended.

Daniel Cordova, the assistant director of the Multicultural Center, coordinated the event.

“The event is hosted every semester to help participants learn and share diverse perspectives of cultural topics,” he said.

The program was hosted over dinner, where every participant was assigned to a table. At the table they were joined by a facilitator who coordinated different activities that were designed to enhance positive communication and develop positive relationships with other culture

groups. Every table had members from different countries of the world, belonging to different religions and ethnicities.

Computer science senior Ed Bradburn, who was the facilitator at one of the tables, started the session with a brief introductory round where every attendee introduced themselves and the culture they came from.

Following this there was an icebreaker round that required every person at the table to pick up a random card from the set and answer the question on it.

The questions on the cards prompted every attendee to talk about the culture they came from and how it has shaped their life.

Electrical engineering graduate student Ruoqun Xu talked about the neighborhoods of China where she grew up and how her father had been a constant motivation in her life.

There were also alternate funny questions that asked attendees what superhero they would be if they had the choice.

“I would want to be SpiderWoman so that I can fly over all

the traffic,” Xu said.

The secondary discussion round had more intense questions about where the attendees had seen discrimination in their lives.

While participants could opt not to answer a particular question and pick a new question, several of them decided to respond to the tough ones.

Bradburn was one student who had an interesting and funny tale about when he first experienced cultural diversity.

“I had a Muslim friend I grew up with who had asked me if I went to pray at the Mosque, and I thought he meant Mass,” he said. “While trying to understand the question, I realized the cultural diversity around me.”

The program helped participants learn about different setbacks and acceptances in different cultures across the world. Bradburn explained about the prevalent concept of white privilege that still exists in America. White privilege is a colloquial term used to indicate preferential treatment received

by people having fairer skin.

Each person took away something different from the event.

Business administration senior Chidi Echebiri said, “As

you talk to different people from different parts of the world, you realize how we are alike yet so different in many ways.”

As a continuation to the event, there will be a second dialogue on Nov. 11 that will be a less-structured, open discussion.

Jennifer Fox, Director of Research Operations at Baylor Research Institute offered a solution from a managerial perspective.

“I made a point during our meetings for everyone to talk about what they accomplished that week, that month,” Fox said.

Colleen Dutton, vice-president of Human Resources at UTD, agreed with Fox’s tactic.

“Sometimes it takes someone else to show your superior your accomplishments,” Dutton said.

Online traffic through the Twitter tag was substantial.

One user asked for advice for a woman with no career role models.

Tessa Hoskin, Senior Manager at Raytheon drew from

her experience as the only female engineer in her family to answer the question.

“Mentors are great, but if you are passionate, go for it,” Hoskin said. “If you don’t have the role model you want, go become the role model you want.”

The panelists were then asked to define “having it all” and if doing so was possible.

“You can have it all but you can’t do it all,” Hoskin said.

“There’s always a trade-off.”

Quintanilla described the ways she manages to squeeze the most out of a busy schedule.

“You get creative. I wake up at 5:30 in the morning to be able to spend time with friends and family because that’s important to me,” Quintanilla said.

Another Twitter question posed the problem of whether to accept a job offer if one

knew that it was due to tokenism.

“At my first job, during my first week a gentleman came up to me and said the only reason I was there was because I was an African-American female,” Hoskin said. “I said ‘Okay’ and he said ‘You’re okay with that?’

I replied ‘The only reason you’re here is because your dad works for the company.’ Don’t let it get to you, use it as an opportunity to be a leader. Right

the wrong.”

At the conclusion of the panel, students and faculty exchanged business cards provided by the event organizers.

Several sat back down and continued or started conversations. Galerstein Women’s Center director, Lauren DeCillis’s opening words of the night, “let’s change the conversation from what we can’t do to what can do,” seemed to have been accomplished.

Mercury Staff

CONNIE CHENG/STAFF

The diversity dialogues event on Oct. 30 featured an activity in which students picked a random card from the table and answered the question on it. Each attendee got a chance to speak about their background and culture and how it shaped their lives. Everything from superheroes to family was discussed.

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PARTH PARIKH/STAFF

UTD President David Daniel views the latest addition to the Edith O’Donnell Arts & Technology Building on Oct. 19. The scuplture, entitled “X,” was created by Liz Larner, a Los Angeles-based artist.

When Akashic Books approached Dallas-based literary agent David Hale Smith to edit the anthology, he was left to deal with the daunting task of defining why Dallas is a noir town, Smith said.

“That’s what I wrote in my introduction — I think it’s got that mix of glitter and glam and big money and rapid land development,” he said.

“But it’s also got a dark history, it’s got the JFK tragedy, and then it has an underbelly, of course, like every other major metropolis and a kind of

collision of cultures here, so I think it makes a very good noir town.”

The book is slated for its national release on Nov. 5, and to promote the event, numerous authors including Bondurant and Davis attended a book signing on Oct. 30 at Half Price Books on Northwest Highway.

The authors will have another event on Nov. 5 at the Barnes and Noble in Lincoln Park followed by one on Nov. 15 at the Barnes and Noble on 15th Street.

The book is priced at $12.76 both online and in stores, while Amazon priced the Kindle edition at $9.99.

The anthology breaks the myth

that Dallas is a city for older people; it challenges those who believe Dallas isn’t as “happening” as some of the more glamorous cities like Austin or New Orleans. “Dallas Noir” provides its own flavor of the darker side of human life that carries on right in the heart of the city, unnoticed and transient.

The stark contrasts between the old and the new are perhaps depicted best by the cover of the book — an iPhone photo Smith took of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, a massive Italian modern architecture on a dried-up river in an old cowboy, cotton-exchange city.

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community and ultimately affecting the way people think, Bretell said.

“The big difference between the ATEC building, the newest building on campus, and the earlier buildings is that it has a much higher ratio of public space in it,” Bretell said. “It’s not just corridors in the rest of the building.”

The transformations on campus have other positive effects on the students, faculty and staff. According to a Landscape Architecture Foundation article about UTD’s landscape enhancements over the past few years, the renovations improved the perceptions of the campus of 87 percent of 334 UTD students, faculty and staff surveyed. The renovations have also influenced the decision for 44 percent of surveyed applicants to apply and enroll at UTD, and 70 percent of the campus users surveyed experienced stress reduction and an overall increase quality of life.

Dempsey also said they also consider how the building complements the rest of the campus and the building’s sur-

NOV. 4, 2013

roundings. Functionality, however, remains the main focus.

Literary studies junior Nina Hernandez recognized how the newer buildings are shown more publicly than others such as Johnson and connects that publicity to how the school responds to the growing demand for a STEM education.

“It correlates with not only the school’s focus but just the focus on the twenty-first century,” said Hernandez. “We’re looking towards technology; we’re going with the advancements of the time.”

Some buildings stand out to some people in personal ways.

Bretell said he particularly liked the McDermott Library at its inception because of the penetration of natural light throughout the whole building. But as the collection of books and number of students grew, the library’s creation of stories blocked off that natural light.

Bretell said that if he were to change one thing, it’s to hire more architects of greater prestige for new buildings. He said that there is a difference in quality of a building designed by a world-renowned architect as opposed to a regionallyrenowned one. In respect to

architect prestige, the ATEC building is the most “ambitious” architectural choice the school has made. “(The ATEC building) is one of the times in which the building is as good as the landscape, rather than the landscape being the place that makes the building,” says Dr. Bretell.

Hernandez also pointed out the lack of study space in the Johnson building.

“Aesthetics almost don’t matter to me because there’s more (than that),” Hernandez said. “I would, however, like a nice place to study.”

According to the online campus News Center, the school plans to renovate the space between the McDermott Library and the Administration building with approximately $15 million in 2014.

The future transformation will include reducing the amount of pavement and setting up more trees and grass in order to create a “more park-like environment.”

Henderson ended her commentary on UTD’s campus by admitting that UTD has its award-winning Visitor Center and University Bookstore, which hopefully point to an upward trend.

In Brief The Mercury wins award for Ulbricht coverage at Nat’l College Media Convention, along with four additional recognitions The Mercury came back with five awards from the National College Media Convention, including a Best of Show award for the Oct. 7 issue of the paper featuring UTD alumnus Ross Ulbricht.

Emerging media and communications senior and former graphics editor Cathryn Ploehn won 5th place for an editorial cartoon on the Lackland hearings earlier this year and an honorable mention for page design.

Former Mercury staffer Matthew Adamez won 3rd place in the comic panel category and 5th place for his comic house ad.

Hosted by the Associated Collegiate Press and the College Media Association, the convention was held from Oct. 23-27 in New Orleans with representatives from UTD TV, A Modest Proposal and The Mercury.

Sheila Dang, economics senior and managing editor for

The Mercury, said this is the paper’s first Best of Show win in the four-year non-weekly broadsheet category.

“We’ve won first place, so there’s really no going up. It’s just continuing what we have now,” Dang said. “We’ve got that milestone and now we can just keep bettering ourselves in terms of our content, our readership and writing about things our students care about.”

-Miguel Perez

Life&Arts

NOV. 4, 2013

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Student shares circus skills with children From clowning to trapeze, Lengfelder stresses movement, character in art SARAH LARSON Life & Arts Editor

With a strong performance background, Joshua Lengfelder didn’t have to run very far to join the circus to teach children basic trapeze skills.

A Dallas native, the emerging media and communication sophomore teaches the art of trapeze to kids in Lone Star Circus School in Addison.

Created by eighth-generation, French circus performer Fanny Kerwich, Lone Star Circus is a nonprofit organization designed to teach a variety of circus techniques such as aerial silks, tumbling, acrobatics and contortion.

Lengfelder grew up around Kerwich and her circus performances because his father was a friend of Kerwich’s. He credits his father, who teaches theatre at Southern Methodist University, for showing him the ropes of circus per-

forming.

“I remember dreaming of a backyard full of ropes and silks and trapezes, but I didn’t want to run away to the circus; I wanted to join Lone Star,” he said.

It was one evening a year ago when Lengfelder was trying out the trapeze for fun that Kerwich recruited him to teach at Lone Star.

“I really want to stress the importance of family within this kind of thing because that’s really the way art in these kinds of circles gets passed down,” he said.

His mother is an opera singer and his father is theatrically trained, so Lengfelder grew up in a very art-oriented family. While he was interested in mostly music growing up, physical movement is very important to him now.

“It wasn’t until about five years ago when I became very physically oriented,” Lengfelder said. “I feel like we’re

worthy of award

ANNE MARIE FOX/FOCUS FEATURES

Rob Woodroof, played by Matthew McConaughey (right), searches for an alternative treatment of AIDS across the border in the “Dallas Buyers Club” biopic drama.

Star-studded ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ powerful, emotional SHYAM VEDANTAM COMMENTARY

Matthew McConaughey gives his best performance to date in an amazing true story about the relatively unknown AIDS crisis during the 1980s.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (“The Young Victoria”), “Dallas Buyers Club” is the true story of Ron Woodroof.

Played by Matthew McConaughey (“The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Magic Mike”), Woodroof is a poor electrician in rural Texas during the 1980s. He seems to be a typical man of his time living a dayto-day lifestyle of beer, women, the rodeo and drug use. However, when his health starts deteriorating rapidly, he gets blindsided with a shocking revelation — he has full-blown AIDS. He’s

told he has around 30 days to live.

However, Woodroof is the type of person who doesn’t accept such a plain declaration of defeat from a physician or test numbers. He starts doing his own research into AIDS and its possible treatments. His research reveals that there is a shocking dearth of proper AIDS medications in the U.S., so he crosses the border into Mexico where he learns about alternative treatments that are not approved by the FDA. In order to profit on this discrepancy, he starts a “Buyers Club” as a way to sidestep federal law and sell medications to people who are in need of an alternative to AZT, the predominant drug for AIDS treatment at the time.

For those who are unaware of the AIDS epidemic that crossed America during the 1980s, last year’s awardwinning documentary “How to Survive

losing our physical sense mechanism.”

He notes that with every new trapeze class each year, more children are entering having done less physical activity.

Besides being concerned with the changing level of activity children are getting, Lengfelder noted the differences between European and American circuses.

“Clowns are the heart and soul of the circus, but in American circuses we’re chasing them around with spray bottles and pies,” he said. “European circuses are more artistic and comprehensive.”

Lone Star Circus puts on a yearly circus performance in the Dallas Children’s Theater in downtown Dallas. This year the performance, Charivari, will run for two weeks at the end of the year, instead of the one week it has traditionally run.

ARGHYA CHATTERJEE/STAFF

Joshua Lengfelder grew up around performance arts and the circus. He now teaches children trapeze skills at Lone Star Circus School in Addison.

An exhibition of victory Alumna joins gallery showcasing challenges, strengths of cancer patients

JOHN THOTTUNGAL Mercury Staff

A life sized nude female mannequin sits on a pedestal in the center of the P^2=V/C art exhibition at the Plano Arts Association in downtown Plano.

Rich oil and acrylic paintings and poetry fashioned the walls at the well-lit quiet gallery, whose serene atmosphere is secluded from the daily flow of the DART trains whizzing right outside. The exhibition is being held to commemorate cancer and autoimmune disease survivors’ struggle and victory.

The catchy title of the exhibition and its premise is the brainchild of Talley Williams, the director of the Plano Arts Association.

“Purple and Pink or P^2 is equal to victory over cancer,” Williams said of the latest exhibition.

The PAA’s exhibition aims to resonate with the pain and hope that the journey of cancer and autoimmune disease involves.

The exhibition, which opened with an evening reception on Oct. 26, showcases local artists’ works depicting their interpretation of the diseases and the effects on the person.

The mannequin catches everyone’s eye as they walk in. The color scheme is split evenly in the middle of the body, with the right side showing a bluish-gray hue and the left a vibrant greenish-yellow one. Intricate floral patterns in black adorn the left side, while the floral patterns are woven in with splotches of blue meshed with gray highlights on the right side.

The skull is colorless and features an organic chemistry formula of a chemotherapy agent with spiders crawling away from it highlighting the far-reaching consequences of the disease. The double-colored and decorated mannequin is designed to highlight the separate emotional and physical battle patients go through.

“By nature, I am an artist and by profession, I am an scientist,” said Jayashree Bihari, a recent public policy doctoral alumnus.

She writes, paints and has now forayed

PARTH PARIKH/STAFF

Jayashree Bihari stands next to her centerpiece in the P^2=V/C gallery at the Plano Arts Association in recognition of the hope cancer patients experience.

into fiberglass sculpture works as shown with her work “The Mannequin,” the central piece of the exhibition. Selling for $4,000 dollars, Bihari wants to donate some of the proceeds back to the gallery as she is fully committed to William’s dream of an art gallery where the community is vibrantly represented. Another work at the exhibition, an acrylic painting called “The Ballerinas” also by Bihari, is inspired by her own experience as a classically trained dancer in the Kathak style of Indian dance.

“This exhibition is not just about the physiological disease that is cancer but also of the cancers that attack our society,” Wil-

liams said.

She described racism, sexism and prejudicial attitudes as cancerous cells that attack each individual in a society and starts a chain reaction that perpetuates the negative and harmful biases. Williams felt inspired to design this exhibition and get local artists together as she has gone through the pain of many close family members suffering from Lupus, an autoimmune disease, and breast cancer.

The PAA started in 1967 during the wake

Bhutanese refugee seeks student accessibility Hearing-impaired student wants to start employment initiative for others like him VIVIANA CRUZ Mercury Staff

In the 1990s, Bhutan, a small, land-locked country in South Asia, underwent an ethnic conflict that resulted in the expulsion of nearly a fifth of its population in an effort to preserve its Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist identity.

The Bhutanese government claimed that those expelled were illegal residents.

The Bhutanese refugees fled to Nepal. One of them was accounting junior Som Bhandari, who arrived at a refugee camp in eastern Nepal at the age of six.

“We left everything behind: our belongings, our house, our land, our livestock,” he said. “We came to Nepal empty-handed.”

Although Bhandari’s ancestors immigrated to Bhutan from Nepal in 1624 and Bhandari considers Bhutan his homeland, the Bhutanese government does not recognize Bhutanese of Nepali origin to have immigrated until

the 19th century.

Bhandari and his family eventually settled in the Sanischare refugee camp. They lived there from 1992 until 2008, he said. The camp was a congested environment. Many people died from fever and cholera. There was no electricity; kerosene was used for lighting and cooking purposes. However, a budget reduction for the camp forced its residents to buy coal instead of the expensive kerosene. This caused a smog problem.

Although the conditions were unfavorable, there were very few options. Refugees could not assimilate into Nepalese society due to civil war and Bhutan’s political climate was still unfriendly to those of Nepali origin.

Bhandari had suffered from hearing loss since birth, but first noticed it soon after a school was established in Sanischare. In fourth grade, Bhandari became conscious of the hearing loss. By high school, it was his sole focus,

and he was uncertain about his future.

“I was starting to get frustrated and disappointed,” Bhandari said.

He was able to complete high school with the help of a grant from the relief organization Caritas Nepal. After high school, Bhandari enrolled in a bachelor’s program with the support of his family. In order to reduce costs, he studied at home and took tests at the university.

When an offer for resettlement in the United States came, Bhandari accepted.

“I wanted to be back home, but I am not allowed to go back,” Bhandari said. “Resettlement is better than Nepal.”

Bhandari and his family settled in Dallas and began building a life. At the suggestion of his doctors, Bhandari underwent a cochlear implant and began using hearing aids. BhanCONNIE CHENG/STAFF

Som Bhandari, accounting junior, immigrated to the U.S. after civil unrest in Bhutan. He wants to help other students with disabilities find employment.

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NOV. 4, 2013

Student shows-off band’s new grungy album

Drummer promotes, creates artwork for The Perjury PABLO ARAUZ Mercury Staff

The Perjury is a local rock ’n’ roll trio with a sound rooted in early 1990s alternative indie and grunge.

The band consists of drummer and mechanical engineering freshman Gabe Jordan, bassist Spencer Carroll and guitarist Lucas Bartke, who both attend other schools.

Their debut full-length album titled “Friendship” was released in May and contains 13 tracks that resonate in the style of grungeera rock ’n’ roll.

“If you’ve ever listened to ‘In Utero’ by Nirvana, we kind of went for sort of that sound,” said Jordan, who treats the band almost as a full time job.

Along with rehearsals and performances, he promotes the band’s shows and also creates artwork for the band, which goes along with the group’s sound.

“The music is grungy, and garage-rocky, and it’s stripped down,” Jordan said. “I went for a sort of minimalism.”

The band started in February 2012 when the three left the pop rock group Stage 36 to pursue a project with a more abrasive sound.

Bartke said that it all started after a practice with Stage 36 when the three learned they had the same lust for the grunge style of rock ’n’ roll.

Currently the band is promoting “Friendship” and writing new material.

“We’re always jamming as a band and making new compositions as a band and by ourselves, so there’s always something there that we can feed off of,” Bartke said.

Carroll said that Jordan and Bartke primarily write the songs while he comes up with steady bass lines for each riff. He said he’s also a sort of mediator for the band when the other two members disagree.

“Luke and Gabe will always be arguing about something, and I’ll be the one to compromise,” he said.

And while it gets a little hot in the rehearsal room, the band has managed to build a local following with their hard work and good tunes.

“Sometimes it’s tense but it really is one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever worked on,” Carroll said, “We’ve been friends since the start.”

The Perjury is playing Nov 15. at the Liquid Lounge in Deep Ellum. Find them on Facebook at Facebook.com/theperjury.

PABLO ARAUZ/STAFF

From left to right, The Perjury includes Spencer Carroll, Gabe Jordan and Lucas Bartke. Jordan, a mechanical engineering freshman, plays drums for the band and is currently promoting their new album “Friendship.”

Though the energetic Lengfelder is currently teaching, he was a birthday party clown a few years ago. He tied balloon animals and did magic tricks for children.

“It’s not a hard job, because you can be a complete hack and entertain kids, but everything went to my agent,” Lengfelder said. “And there was no character to being that

clown — I was just told to make more balloon animals.”

There are three parts to being a clown: a zany side, a character side and a philosophical side. Without all three parts, there’s no quality to it, he said.

“Fundamentally, making balloon animals is a cop out,” he said.

While Lengfelder has proven he wants to be able to perform many different skills in the circus such as stilts, unicycle, juggling and trapeze, he is truly a teacher at heart.

“If I’m learning a trick, I’m not just learning it to show people; I’m learning the steps to teach someone else,” he said.

Lengfelder attended Texas State and Southern Methodist University in the past and hopes to fulfill his parents’ desire of completing school before moving on into the world of the circus.

“I’d love to have a professional troupe within Lone Star touring, if not around the U.S., then Texas,” Lengfelder said.

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Make $10-$14/hour Seeking Math and English tutors for after-school enrichment program in Plano/Allen area. Require some experience working with children. Paid training/material provided; $10-14/hour DOE. Email resume to allen-plano@ bestinclasseducation.com”

Job Vacancy YUBIN WANG/STAFF

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McDonald’s – Preston at Alexis (just south of Belt Line)

The Japanese Student Association hosted its Halloween-themed Maid and Butler Cafe of the Dead on Nov. 1 in the Galaxy Rooms. Servers dressed as maids and butlers to provide coffee and other treats to guests.

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THE MERCURY

Life&Arts

NOV. 4, 2013

a Plague,” directed and written

by David France, is a facinating watch. “Dallas Buyers Club” tells a similar story, centering on a main character instead of the grass roots movement portrayed in the documentary. In fact, “Dallas Buyers Club” is carried by the strong performances of its small cast.

McConaughey especially gives a dazzling performance. He lost 36 pounds for the role, and his presence on the screen is shock-

ing at first. But to limit his praise to just his dedication to the physicality of the role would be an injustice. McConaughey plays the bigoted homophobe and racist with an unflinching truth and balances his character’s equal parts of charisma, hatred and desire to live. His ultimate transformation feels completely earned and deserved — his character doesn’t completely change, but becomes enlightened about the world that surrounds him.

Equal praise should be showered on Jared Leto (“Requiem for a Dream”) for playing a transgen-

der man named Rayon. While the world has come a long way from simply praising any actor for playing a transgender role, Leto is breathtaking and unrecognizable in the movie. While McConaughey is the star of “Dallas Buyers Club,” Leto is the one who yields tear-jerking moments from the audience. Rayon’s compassion, addiction and hurt are beautifully portrayed. Both Leto and McConaughey deserve Academy recognition for these roles.

The issues tackled by screenwriters Melisa Wallack (“Mirror Mirror”) and Craig Borton are

Caught Reading

The Mercury

Chetan Vahanesa, electrical engineering graduate student, was caught reading The Mercury.

He will win a $20 gift card to Palio’s Pizza, a local pizza, pasta and salad restaurant.

You can contact Palio’s at 972-234-4002.

Thank you Palio’s Pizza!

WWW.UTDMERCURY.COM

9

not clear cut, but addressed head on. It’s also very balanced; both sides of the AIDS medication debate can be understood. Medical companies need to learn about the effectiveness of a new drug, but doctors have to balance this with a human desire to fight for the lives of the patients in front of them. There’s a lot of legal information dispersed throughout the movie, but the narrative never loses focus and it is all enthralling.

There are some problems by director Vallee, but these all really amount to nitpicks. The use

of the ringing sound to represent a subjective thunderclap headache is done a couple more times than was necessary. Title cards indicating the date also chop up the film. The film feels like its about 15 minutes too long, but truth be told, there isn’t a scene that deserves to be cut out of the film. This is due to the fact that the subject matter is so heavy and when the situation feels hopeless as McConaughey tries to fight against the oppressive government, it really weighs on the audience.

Simply put, the story of Ron

Woodruff is compelling. “Dallas Buyers Club” explores the malicefilled society in which Woodruff had gladly taken part of before his disease and the failure of the government to help its citizens from a fascinating perspective.

It’s informative but emotional. It would have been nice for the film to recognize the other grassroots events happening at the time as explored in “How to Survive a Plague,” but strictly as a biopic, it’s great. “Dallas Buyers Club” is a good story that is propelled into one of the year’s best by its leads.

8.5/10

of the national civil rights movement. As its first African American director, Williams makes it a point to design exhibitions that represent all of the demographics found in Plano.

Williams, a deeply spiritual woman and Bihari, an artist who believes in the transformational power of art, share a common vision to use art to affect change at the deepest level in the local community. The gallery receives a grant from the City of Plano

in addition to private sponsors.

“More and more local businesses in the community are now donating to the gallery and helping it, because they realize the value it brings to Plano,” Williams said.

Bihari, who has a Ph.D. in sociology in India, worked for years with women who suffered from domestic abuse and marital violence. She talked about under-representation of female artists from the Indian subcontinent at previous art competitions. Her work as a sociologist deeply influenced her work as an art-

ist, especially her work with women who were suffering in silence.

“Art has the power to change society,” Bihari said when she spoke of her decision to become a full-time artist after quitting her job.

The free exhibition runs every day except Mondays through Nov. 9, and more information about the gallery can be found at www.planoartassociation.com. Students can utilize their DART pass and get off at the downtown Plano station that is just a few stops north of the George Bush Turnpike to reach the gallery.

dari enrolled in Richland Community College to continue his higher education. His life began to normalize, he said.

Then, in February 2012, Bhandari was in a serious car accident. He stopped his studies at Richland and spent several months recovering.

“I feel like I’ve only just started to fully recover,” Bhandari said. “It’s been a gradual process. Each semester it gets a bit better.”

Bhandari enrolled at UTD for the summer and became part of the Jindal School of

Management. Upon arriving, Bhandari was eager to check out what kind of resources and services were available for individuals with hearing loss. The accident also left Bhandari with difficulty concentrating and he hoped to obtain support for that as well. However, Bhandari found the university lacking in support programs.

“I was wandering aimlessly,” he said. “I am still looking for someone to guide me onto the right track.”

Bhandari said he would like to start an employment initiative to help students of varied ability find jobs on campus or internships through the univer-

sity. Bhandari has been communicating with Dean of Students Gene Fitch expressing his concerns and ideas.

“We cannot compete in the same way as others; can (the university) help lift us up?”

Bhandari said.

Bhandari recognizes the good things about UTD as well. He appreciates his academic advisor and his professors, but he would still like to see more.

“I have been to school in Bhutan, in Nepal and here in America,” he said. “This is thought to be the best country and if Nepal and Bhutan can be very good then America can be better.”

10

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THE MERCURY

Sports

NOV. 4, 2013

Keeping it down to Earth

Can our volleyball team win the ASC? Commentator finds many reasons to be optimistic

Natural defender enjoys physicality of position, hopes to go semi-pro

PARTH SAMPAT COMMENTARY

SARAH LARSON Life & Arts Editor

With mud scuffs on his practice shirt and a blonde curl in his hair, UTD men’s soccer goalkeeper was made for the game.

A Houston native, mechanical engineering senior Stephen Nicknish grew up playing sports like baseball and soccer as a child. He credits his sports-loving father for introducing him to baseball since he was a pitcher in college.

However, it was soccer that stole Nicknish’s heart. “(From baseball) I kind of broadened my outreach,” he said. “I joined my friend’s team when we were 7 years old and I just got hooked on it.”

Although baseball was fun, save for batting, soccer was just the sport he was looking for with the constant activity

and motion involved, Nicknish said.

While he used to play defense when he was younger, being UTD’s soccer goalie is what Nicknish is really passionate about. There is a lot of technique that goes into being a goalie and there is a different side of conditioning to it than other positions, he said.

“My dad always told me that I had to do whatever it took to get that ball — bite, teeth, claw, whatever it took. If the ball hits off your face, you made the save,” Nicknish said.

Although his father pushed him to be the best soccer player, Nicknish said he was lucky to have supportive parents.

“I love my dad,” he said. “He and my mom have supported me throughout my entire soccer career. They’ve always encouraged me. They’ve never been negative.”

Admittedly getting scored on is one of

his least favorite things, Nicknish said, but his dad was always there to brush off failure and encourage better play.

Although America’s traditional pastimes include football and basketball, Nicknish sees soccer’s popularity rising with the creation of Major League Soccer in 1993 and the increase of viewership during World Cup soccer.

Nicknish’s favorite soccer teams include Manchester United and Arsenal.

More than just following their scores, their style of play and their passion is what he really follows, Nicknish said.

“I’ll watch and see how their professional goalkeepers react to certain situations to help me in my play,” he said.

Truly dedicated to his art, Nicknish’s favorite goalkeeper is now retired goalie

Marci Sanders’ volleyball squad might be picking up a few pointers from the women’s basketball team — they’ve found a way to rebound.

After a blistering start to the season marked with three consecutive losses — their worst start since 2005 — the Comets have righted the ship. When the seeding for the ASC post-season conference was released on Oct. 27, no one was surprised to see the Comets as the No. 1 seeded team.

The initial losses could be written off as the loss of the team’s two highest scoring players, Dana Hilzendager and Halea Williams, who graduated last year. The relatively young team quite evidently failed to meet up to the expectations that were set by last year’s record-winning team.

The Comets went into regular season with a record of 3-5. Sanders’ decision to expose the young team to such a demanding pre-season paid off wildly as the Comets won eight consecutive games before their first and only loss of the regular season to Mary-Hardin Baylor.

This team recorded the program’s 200th win with the first win of the season, which was also Sanders’ 200th win.

The team has put behind the loss of their two highest scoring players as Taylour Toso set an all-time season kills record, surpassing Hilzendager’s record of 390 in a single season.

They did it as a team. There was no one player lifting the rest of the team on her

shoulders. It was a completely united effort as each player rose to the occasion, again and again. With Toso, Meredith Crawford and Abbie Barth attaining 300-plus kills each, the Comets have been an offensive powerhouse. The team has one of the conference’s best setters in Kayla Jordan with 1,121 assists and 9.58 assist/set, second only to UT-Tyler’s Rebecca Floyd.

The Comets recorded a 16-game winning streak after the loss to Mary HardinBaylor to match last year’s record of 27 wins in a season. After these magnificent streaks, the Comets are the regular season title win and will host the post-season conference from Nov. 7-9.

Six teams, including UTD, will play in the American Southwest Conference at UTD’s home court. The Comets have played very competitive games against the five teams this season.

The team has recorded a double sweep against everyone, except No. 2 seed Mary Hardin-Baylor, which is the only team that holds the bragging rights for trouncing UTD in the conference.

Among the five contenders, the Comets have routed Hardin-Simmons’ in straight sets on both occasions and UT Tyler and Concordia-Texas once. The team has played tough sets against the others, managing to win some sets by a difference of just two points and eliciting the thought that these sets could have gone either way if not for the team’s grit, consistency and focus on the court.

It may be too early to predict anything about winning, as post-season conferences brings out the best in every team, but UTD stands a good chance to hoist the ASC trophy.

Men’s basketball aim for elusive ring

Four years of disappointment could end this season PARTH SAMPAT Mercury Staff

CHRISTOPHER WANG/PHOTO EDITOR

The championship ring: the accolade every athlete lives for, the ring that has eluded the men’s basketball team for four years — falling short in the semifinals thrice and losing the title game once.

The men’s basketball program has been the most decorated sports program at UTD. It can almost be said that it’s the crown jewel of sports at UTD, along with volleyball. The basketball team has been crowned ASC champions twice, ASC East champions six times and are the only team at UTD to reach the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament.

The Comets under head coach Terry

Butterfield have gained tremendous consistency over the past couple of years, winning the ASC East Championship for five consecutive years. The team has posted 20-win seasons for the last five years.

Butterfield’s philosophy of concentrating on defense and rebound has been at the heart of the team’s success.

The team has the best defense in the conference, topping the conference by conceding an average of 60.7 points per game last season, 6.8 points a game less than Mary Hardin-Baylor at No. 2 and 7.7 points per game less than Texas-Lutheran at No. 3.

Women’s b-ball look to defend first-ever title Comets hit the court Nov. 16 in pursuit of back-to-back conference championships PARTH SAMPAT Mercury Staff

The team that won the women basketball program’s first ASC championship last year return to court on Nov. 16 to try and continue their journey from where they left off — winning championships.

Their journey to the trophy was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride.

The first three months of the season had a flying start with the team winning 13 out of 15 games with conviction and complete dominance.

They won their first three games in spite of a rather somber affair against Jarvis Christian in the second game. A close loss in the fourth game to Austin College was just a minor bump in the road.

The Comets struck back viciously with an eight-match winning streak, shattering teams in their wake. They won the first game of regular season against Hardin-Simmons 79-66 and

shooting 0.547 percent in field goals.

Defending conference champion Concordia-Texas was vanquished in a very competitive match and a small margin of six points.

Sul Ross State was the worst off as UTD won the game 102-59 — the pinnacle of the season at that point.

All 14 players on the roster were introduced in the game and each scored at least two points.

The Comets then played five consecutive away games, something they had never faced before.

Cold spells in the second half of the games against LeTourneau and East Texas Baptist saw their opponents overturn UTD’s lead and run away with the game. Silly mistakes in handling the ball, rebounding terribly on defense and poor execution on offense cost the Comets the win.

The slump in form was quite disastrous and could not have come at a worse time, so close to the end of the season.

The women had to weave their way to the American Southwest Conference by winning all remaining games. This meant beating then leaders Louisiana College, who were unbeaten in the conference.

The team, back on their home turf for the final stretch, side-stepped Mississippi College and went on to face the biggest hurdle to competing in the post-season conference — Louisiana College.

The team showed true character in the face of adversity. With six seconds on the clock in the second half, Louisiana College took a two-point lead, and with that the Comets’ hopes of playing in the conference. But a foul

by Louisiana with one second on the clock gave UTD hope. Senior Katie Korioth stepped up to the foul line and sank both free throws to take the game to over-time.

UTD played the game to the wire in over-time, tying the game with 17 seconds on the clock and taking a two

MERCURY FILE PHOTO

The Comets began the first three months of last season dominating their opponents to win 13 out of 15 games. They eventually defeated Louisiana College to take the title.

point lead with two seconds on the clock.

There were no more bumps as the win over Louisiana revitalized the Comets’ performance and they quickly dispatched their opponents in the next

two games to book their place in the conference.

They swept Hardin-Simmons aside in the first round of the conference and

THE MERCURY

Sports

NOV. 4, 2013

CHRISTOPRHER WANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Stephen Nicknish, men’s soccer goalkeeper and a mechanical engineering senior, grew up around sports with an encouraging family and hopes to join a local semi-professional soccer team after graduation.

Oliver Kahn, who played for Germany’s national team in Bayern Munich.

“The biggest things in soccer is having that fundamental foundation, and Oliver Kahn had that,” he said. “He was good, but more than that, he would make spectacular saves while keeping fundamentals solid.”

Nicknish said his team’s dynamic is all about working together to get the win.

“We goof around some, but when it comes game time, we’re serious,” he said. “There’s a lot of positive reinforcement as we’ve matured into understanding constructive criticism and what we each need to work on.”

Nicknish said he’s pretty hard on himself and has to work on not letting it affect his play. Soccer is all about keeping focused, relaxed and calm, he said.

“But I love this team and the coaches,” he said. “All these guys are like my second family.”

When not playing soccer, Nicknish participates in Crossfit workouts and enjoys being outside fishing, hunting and being with his dogs. He looks to find a job to stay in Dallas after graduation and is hoping to join a local semi-professional soccer team.

LINA MOON/GRAPHICS EDITOR

WWW.UTDMERCURY.COM

11

Butterfield has driven home the fact that free throws can win or lose a game, and the Comets have made sure that they never lag behind in that area. Ironically, they lacked their usual standard from the foul line in the semi-finals of the American Southwest Conference last season, which cost them the game against Concordia-Texas and a spot in the finals. They shot a piddling 59.4 percent from the foul line, exceedingly below their season average of 74 percent.

Despite their brilliant defense, the team was unable to handle the full-press play of Concordia-Texas in the semi-finals, who pushed and pressed the Comets to the point of smothering them and forcing the team to turnover

the ball an appalling 23 times.

UTD’s offense is not to be trifled with either. They were the second best in the conference last season with an average of 70.6 points per game and a scoring margin of 9.9.

The Comets have none other than Kyle Schleigh to thank for their brilliant offense.

Schleigh had a dazzling season last year, breaking several program records in just his junior year. Schleigh averaged an outstanding 21.4 points per game. He also broke the program records for most rebounds in a single season, most rebounds in a single game and most points in a single season last year.

With four players in their senior year, everyone’s eyes will be on the juniors to see whom the baton will be passed on to next year.

Junior forward Chris

McOmber had an impressive season as he shot 52.3 percent from the field goal line, 47 percent three-pointers and scoring an average of 8.6 points a game. Junior guard Nolan Harvey played his part to near-perfection with 97 assists in 27 games and 70 turnovers.

With the squad relatively experienced this year and having faced two tough losses in the semi-finals in two consecutive years, there is hope that they will break through the semi-final barrier this year.

The Comets were picked to finish second in the new format of the ASC by the league office on Oct. 22. Schleigh was also named the ASC’s Preseason Player of the Year.

With such a backing from the league, this team definitely has what it takes to win the conference.

took down perennial powerhouse and former champion Howard Payne in the semi-finals, to face Louisiana College for the second time in three weeks.

The Comets prevailed yet again, and they won it fashionably late once again. Trailing by 13 points at the end of first half, the team slowly chipped away at the lead until they took the lead at 61-60 for the first time in the second half with 2:18 on

the clock. Louisiana tied the game at 63-63 with 41 seconds on the clock, but the momentum was with UTD, and they quickly capitalized with a field goal with 23 seconds left and two baskets from the foul line with five seconds left.

Louisiana College players could not understand what hit them — UTD hit them. And with that, the team won the program’s first conference title.

The party was meant to continue to the NCAA DIII conference, but it was cut short by a tragic first-round loss to

Washington St. Louis. The Comets led the Bears 40-39 with 6:40 on the clock. But their failure to score after that created an excellent opportunity for the Bears to snatch the win with a five point lead.

With most of the team intact, this championship winning team will be put to the test by the best in the conference who will be vying to snatch the trophy away from UTD. It’s probably too early to talk about a repeat performance, but this team is quite capable of doing so.

Sports writers and photographers are invited to join our award-winning staff.

No experience necessary, but hustle is always a plus.

sports@utdmercury.com

LINA MOON/GRAPHICS EDITOR

12

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News

las in its deadly grip in fall 2012, Anders portrays the frustration Bondurant himself felt when he fell a victim to the virus and had to stay in hospital for a few days, he said.

The monotonous buzz of the mosquitoes, the smell of DEET, the average middle-class family, the non-descript street, the roofing crew’s single-pitched hammering — all cast an imagery of normalcy, defied only by a silent question — who lives in the houses and what do they do?

The haze from the planes spraying pesticides provides the perfect analogy for an unkempt and seemingly harmless suburban house where something’s not right.

“Suburban neighborhoods are

interesting,” Bondurant said. “A lot of suburban people, not just in Dallas but in other cities too, lead very quiet, unknown existences, especially when you have these back alleys and driveways and you never see anybody — there are people down the street that I’ve never seen — who knows what’s going on inside their house?”

Reading through the story, there is that sense that one is a mute spectator, distant yet part of Anders’ life, as if one could reach out and stall the imminent threat, almost like reading through Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451.” Yet, unlike Bradbury’s novel, where one knows Claire is dead but the end predicts a fresh beginning, “Hole-Man,” in its final paragraph, poses the question “Will it be different this time?”

The story came together after Bondurant met the editor, Da-

vid Hale Smith, through mutual friends at D Magazine and invited him to speak to his creative writing class about publishing.

At the time, Smith had just been asked to edit the anthology and was in the process of curating stories for the book and he asked Bondurant to contribute.

Although most of Bondurant’s works are about cities he has lived in before, this is the only story he has written about a city he is currently living in. Bondurant’s story could fit into any suburbia, there is nothing specific to Dallas’ culture in the story, he said.

Yet, as the story wraps up, the reader is left with vivid images of a calm before the storm, a stubborn refusal to give up and a flash of hope for something better — images that have kept Dallas afloat since even before Lee Harvey Oswald fired his notorious shots.

and principled, conveys some of his own dilemma through the sketches — the constant duel between doing what’s right and doing what’s best for one’s self.

Back in the mid-nineties, Reynolds and his son were returning from a late-evening club baseball game at Mesquite, and urgently needing a restroom facility, stopped at the first convenience store they saw after miles of driving without seeing one.

The store on Samuel Grand Avenue, the group of men in a nearby pickup truck and the eerie sense of foreboding stuck with Reynolds.

When David Hale Smith, editor of “Dallas Noir,” invited him

to write for the anthology, that is the noir moment he chose to start with.

All the separate scenes in the story are connected through a silent, lurking fearfulness, setting the stage for a tragic end or the awareness that something bad is about to happen, Reynolds said.

The poignant use of the word “maybe” in the rapid millisecond-assessments that the characters make of the imminent threat or the perceived victim draw out the reactions of a human mind used to dealing with death and fear on a daily basis.

In the heart of the city, in Deep Ellum, on Pearl Street, by the historic district, there is the sense that one needs to watch out for danger — the contrasting desperation and obscene

wealth — elements that Reynolds paints vividly in his little night sketches.

Reynolds’ Dallas is Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s song, “Dallas from a DC-9,” a city of big oil and cotton money and private clubs, a city that seems always to be in transition.

“Dallas tears down old buildings almost before they become old,” Reynolds said. “It makes you sad in a way.”

Yet, in his own way, he fits right in with the mood of the city. With his 20th book and 10th novel, “Vox Populi” out on stands, Reynolds isn’t thinking of what’s next. He is thinking, instead, of ways to make his next work special, beyond the reaches of mediocrity, to keep his work new, just like the city of Dallas.

THE MERCURY

NOV. 4, 2013

moved to Dallas. Working in the city in the 1980s, old mythologies and Hispanic folklore caught her attention and fascinated Davis.

“Full Moon” is a culmination of these mythical influences in a starkly changing Dallas set in the backdrop of the uptown nouveau riche. Danny, the protagonist, is symbolic of the new generation of Hispanic Americans working hard to climb up the social ladder, educated and derisive of the old legends and folklore, yet conflicted by their inability to overcome the trappings of childhood superstitions and beliefs.

“Dallas can in many ways seem superficial, and I wanted to instill some sort of quality of mysticism or myth in what’s behind those mirrored glasses and steel structures,” Davis said. “It doesn’t have to be a sterile environment, it can be as alive as any other environment.”

The story is a portrayal of the greed, emotional void and a general sense of worthlessness that accompanies the cycle of making more money to climb up the endless social ladder.

The curse of the witch-bird or the La Lechuza is nothing more than a guilty conscience that gnaws away at Danny, a man who remains the rebellious 12 year old in his heart, prohibited from drinking or drugs, brought up in strong religious trappings.

A meth-induced haze, an accident that turns into a murder and

the almost-dried-up Trinity River set the scene for a perfect noir piece.

The new, trendy uptown dwellers revel in their newfound wealth, almost mocking the older, poor Oak Cliff locale across the river with its botánicas and the deathlike appearance.

Yet, the values of the living, the stronger ties of family, love and

humanity still survive on the other side of the river, where the grass is not green, in the slow pace of Oak Cliff, despite the misery of poverty and age.

Reunited with his past, his ideals and his earthly self once more, Danny finally finds his solace in the ancient cemetery of nearby Pleasant Grove where his mother lies buried.

havior and the modelers who manage the robot’s movements. His knowledge of both worlds allows him to see where in the pipeline a problem is and to help fix it. He said that while most of the people working at Robokind have degrees in computer science or engineering, many other fields of study are

also present in the company, including a geology graduate.

The ZENO R25 is an advanced robot that contains sensors that allow it to respond to touch on its body, detect where speech is coming from and perceive emotions.

However, one of the key differences that make it stand out from its competitors is the price.

“Most of these robots go for $20,000 plus,” said Tejeev Patel,

another UTD alumnus working with Robokind. “The old R50’s we were able to bring down to around $16,000, and now we’re able to bring it around $5,000.”

Currently, the R25 preorder is available through Kickstarter for less than $3,000. Robokind hopes to raise $50,000 through the crowdfunding website and had four R25s preordered at the time this article was written.

MARCELO YATES/STAFF

Lauren Davis listens on a panel consisting of the authors as well as the editor of “Dallas Noir.” The book launch and signing brought a full crowd to Half Price Books on Northwest Highway on Oct. 30.