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November 13, 2017
STARBUCKS COMING TO CAMPUS New coffee shop location in SU will stay open past midnight most days, scheduled to open on Nov. 20 WILLIAM LEGRONE Mercury Staff
THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Clogged toilet disrupts classes
A fully-licensed Starbucks cafe will open on the second floor of the Student Union before the end of the semester. The store will open on Nov. 20 and occupies the roughly 3,200 square foot space that was formerly a study area on the second floor of the Student Union. The Starbucks will operate from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on most days, and will be open seven days a week. This will make the new Starbucks the food service on campus that stays open the latest, as the IHOP closes at midnight every day. The UTD’s launch of the new venue marks the campus’ first move away from
“We Proudly Serve Starbucks,” a Starbucks-branded solution allowing colleges and universities to serve a limited selection of Starbucks’ offerings. With this change, students will be able to choose from the full range of offerings found in licensed stores off-campus. Carrie Chutes, director of Auxiliary Services, is part of the process behind bringing the Starbucks to campus. During her eight years at UTD, Chutes received requests from students for a fullylicensed Starbucks every year. The new Starbucks is opening this fall in response to the volume of feedback. “Because it is fully licensed, it has the
→ SEE STARBUCKS, PAGE 14
MADELINE AMBROSE | MERCURY STAFF
Construction workers put finishing touches on the new Starbucks on Nov, 10. It will be located on the second floor of the Student Union.
New carpet, paint needed after sewage flood
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SAHER AQEEL | PHOTO EDITOR
After the toilet overflowed, workers place fans in the hallway to dry the area outside of the bathroom. SARAH CHAN Mercury Staff
A sewage overflow in a Hoblitzelle Hall bathroom disrupted classes and forced several faculty and staff to temporarily relocate offices. On Oct. 28, the Facilities Management office received a call alerting them to what was described as standing water in the women’s restrooms at Hoblitzelle Hall. When they arrived at HH, they discovered that the flooding was much more serious. The sewage overflow was caused by a blocked toilet, which clogged the pipes. The water damage affected hallways and offices in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and one classroom was temporarily closed until Nov. 6. Several administrators, including Academic Support Coordinator Becky Wiser, were relocated because their offices were flooded with sewage water. “I came in Tuesday and it was pretty nasty,” she said. “They had fans drying everything up, and some kind of machine sucking the air out and trying to clean everything up.” Wiser was able to move into an available office within Hoblitzelle, however, other professors had to relocate off campus. This will continue until new carpet and paint is installed, which should take about one to two weeks. Kelly Kinnard, director of Physical Plant Services, said the issue was a toilet clog, not a problem with the pipes or plumbing. The blockage prevented the water pipes from functioning properly. On-call plumbers ran jets inside the pipes, and the water pressure eventually caused the substance to break up, allowing water to continue flowing through the pipes as usual. No actual damage was
→ SEE HOBLITZELLE, PAGE 14
ASC tournament wins & losses NOAH WHITEHEAD | MERCURY STAFF
UTD defeated Concordia Texas on Nov. 2, 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-20) in their first game of the American Southwest Conference tournament. The Comets had a bye during the first round and went on to win the ASC title, earning a bid for the NCAA Division III tournament.
Comets win homecoming game 56 - 32 against Rams UTD women's basketball defeats Huston-Tillotson in exhibition game to start 2017 - 2018 season TRAVIS DICKERSON Mercury Staff
SRIKAR SUDARASAN BASKARA | MERCURY STAFF
The women’s basketball team entered the season strong with their first win, 56 - 32 over the Huston–Tillotson Rams in the homecoming game. Afternoon festivities attracted a crowd of 690 people for the 5 p.m. game against the Rams. By the end of the first period, the Comets gained a large lead of 10 points. This marks a strong opening for the Comets. Head coach Polly Thomason, who led the team for 12 seasons, was excited to see the game turn out so well. “This was our first step on our journey as a team this season,” Thomason said. “I think they really took that to heart.” The Comets managed to keep a constant lead, and the Rams were unable to keep up. The opposing team attempted to gain the advantage, but was kept below five points each period
Senior guard McKenzie Petty made 3 field goals in 9 attempts during her 31 minutes on the court. Petty was named one of the ASC Players to Watch in the league's pre-season poll.
→ SEE HOMECOMING, PAGE 14
Conservative comedian asked to leave campus by UTD Officials Police: Crowder violated UTD policy by not attaining permission beforehand BHARGAV ARIMILLI Life & Arts Editor
YOUTUBE | STEVENCROWDER
Steven Crowder (left) speaks with Sami Shaik a computer engineering freshman, about the second amendment on Oct. 20. This was part of Crowder's YouTube series “Real Conversations” in which he talks with people about political issues.
Steven Crowder, a conservative political commentator, was asked to leave campus after he conducted a series of interviews with UTD students without permission from the university. The YouTube video of the interviews has since garnered over 1 million views. The video, “I’m Pro-Gun: Change My Mind,” features Crowder talking with two students about the Second Amendment and gun control efforts. During the second interview, UTD officials are seen asking him to leave, prompting a discussion about the circumstances of his removal.
A 22-minute long clip of the Oct. 20 event, uploaded to Crowder’s YouTube channel on Oct. 21, is part of his series titled “Real Conversations,” in which he challenges members of the public to change his stance on a variety of political issues. In the last 30 seconds of the video, UTD police officers, called by SU staff, can be seen approaching Crowder and asking whether he’s a UTD student. Meanwhile, students attempt to block the cameras, and the footage ends when the police officers ask Crowder for identification. UTD PD said because the incident was not a crime, there was no report filed. However, they confirmed
Crowder violated university policy by not seeking permission from the university in advance. After the video was posted on YouTube, users on the UTD sub-Reddit reacted to Crowder’s removal, concerned that it may have been tied to his conservative ideology. “Who the actual hell were the people calling the cops and blocking the cameras?” Alec Winter, a computer science freshman and self-described fan of Crowder, wrote on the Reddit thread. “Were they that offended by a different opinion?” Andrew Helgeson, an assistant
→ SEE CROWDER, PAGE 14
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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVIII No. 18
THE MERCURY | NOV. 13 2017
NEWS
UTDMERCURY.COM
UTDPD Blotter
Editor-in-Chief Miriam Percival
editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294
Managing Editor Ariana Hadden managingeditor @utdmercury.com (972) 883-2287
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Sports Editor Summer LeBel
sports@utdmercury.com
Life & Arts Editor Bhargav Arimilli life@utdmercury.com
Oct. 31 • At 9:10 a.m. at Lot Q, an unknown person did not report the damage to a light pole after they hit it.
A B
Nov. 3 • An unknown person stole a student’s backpack and wallet from Rec Center West at 11:29 a.m.
B
• An unknown person stole a student’s wallet from Jonsson Academic Center at 2:45 p.m. The student later found unauthorized charges on her credit card.
C
• At 11:35 p.m. on Campbell Road, a wallet with a fake license in it was turned into lost and found.
D
Nov. 4 • At Res Hall South at 4:36 p.m., an unknown person stole a student’s bike.
E C
D
E
A
Web Editor Bharat Arimilli
web@utdmercury.com
Contributors Gaurang Agarwal Carolina Alvarez Madeline Ambrose Sachin Arya Neil Bhamoo Noumika Balaji Sarah Chan Srikar Sadarasan Baskara EJ Chong Kolton Coats Travis Dickerson Sri Chandra Kiran Gottapati Ayoung Jo Madeleine Keith Christi Lazutkin William Legrone Xiang Li Anthony McNair Shannon Ramirez Bianca Del Rio Anna Schaeffer Ian Seamans Yannis Shafi Roman Soriano Michael Stout Matt Strack Dev Thimmisetty Noah Whitehead
Media Adviser Chad Thomas
chadthomas@utdallas.edu (972) 883-2286
Mailing Address 800 West Campbell Road, SU 24 Richardson, TX 75080-0688 Newsroom Student Union, Student Media Suite SU 1.601 The Mercury is published on Mondays, at two-week intervals during the long term of The University of Texas at Dallas, except holidays and exam periods, and once every four weeks during the summer term. Advertising is accepted by The Mercury on the basis that there is no discrimination by the advertiser in the offering of goods or services to any person, on any basis prohibited by applicable law. The publication of advertising in The Mercury does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by the newspaper, or the UTD administration. Opinions expressed in The Mercury are those of the editor, the editorial board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily the view of the UTD administration, the Board of Regents or the Student Media Operating Board. The Mercury’s editors retain the right to refuse or edit any submission based on libel, malice, spelling, grammar and style, and violations of Section 54.23 (f ) (1-6) of UTD policy. Copyright © 2017, The University of Texas at Dallas. All articles, photographs and graphic assets, whether in print or online, may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without express written permission.
The Mercury is a proud member of both the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
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THE MERCURY | NOV. 13, 2017
Success through application UTD students win Facebook, Microsoft awards at HackTX 17
XIANG LI | MERCURY STAFF
Karan Shukla (left) along with Saketh Nallaparaju, John Kahn, Bobby Thakkar and Swarn Singh competed in the HackTX 17 competition on Oct. 28. The team created Tunify, an app that puts collaborative playlists on a map that people can share, and took first place for Facebook’s “Community Building” award in the competition. NOUMIKA BALAJI Mercury Staff
Two UTD student teams were declared winners of three spot prizes at HackTX 17, the largest annual hackathon in Texas on Oct. 28. One of the teams won Facebook’s
“Community Building” award for building Friendzy — a Facebook native chatbot that connects you with similar people in your local area. The other team won Microsoft’s “Best Microsoft Hack” award along with ExxonMobil’s “Gas Station of the Future” award for building Tunify —
an application that creates interactive music communities through locationbased playlist tagging. HackTX 17 had a turnout of almost 800 participants. Out of 40 other teams, Friendzy was declared the winner of the Facebook award. The team members said their main objective was
to create something geared towards community building. Brian Hoang, a software engineering senior and member of the Friendzy team, said they added to the idea that a community starts with two people, and that it would be helpful if they could build something that would help them
bring two people together. “We were strategically aiming for Facebook’s prize, and Facebook has a huge user base. We thought, ‘Let’s use something that’s native to Facebook,’” Hoang said. “You can go into our Face-
→ SEE HACK, PAGE 10
Diversity through liberal arts Honors cohort builds community, encourages spread of artistic ideas UTD Mobile App
ANNA SCHAEFFER Mercury Staff
A new honors cohort launched this semester for students majoring in the liberal arts. Edward Harpham, dean of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College, led the project to form a Liberal Arts Honors cohort at UTD. Students in either the School of Arts and Humanities or the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences are eligible to join. The program focuses on creating a group of students with similar passions, while exposing them to a variety of liberal arts-based careers. “What we’re trying to do — and this is all experimental — is to create a cohort where students can be concentrated together, get to know each other and take a series of classes together,” Harpham said. “How can we stimulate discussion between liberal arts students? My vision is not to end here, but to continue growing the cohort.” According to the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College website, the program seeks to attract bright students whose focus is in reading, writing and the discussion of ideas. Eighteen students with a variety of
The Office of Information Technology released version 1.0 of the UTD mobile app on Oct. 24. The official app for UTD hosts 17 features allowing students to access campus-related information and content. Features include a map, directory, parking information, calendar and Comet cab/cruiser information. Student Government President JW Van Der Schans plans to meet with the developers of the app to prepare for version 2.0 of the app. During his meeting, Van Der Schans said he intends to propose a list of features that he would like to see in the next major update, including the ability to see dining menus, reserve study rooms in the library and an update to the user experience. SU Art
MATT STRACK | MERCURY STAFF
majors compose the inaugural class of the Liberal Arts Honors cohort. Noah Corbitt and Chetan Reddy, both freshman political science majors, are members of the new group.
“I think that part of the reason one studies liberal arts is so that they can, to put it simply, learn to think,”
→ SEE COHORT, PAGE 10
SG chose 10 locations in the Student Union to present student art. A maximum of 18 pieces of art may be showcased at once. Two frames will be located on the lower level of the SU, two on the staircases leading up to the SG office across from the Student Media suite and the remaining six on the second floor of the SU. Depending on the positivity of
student feedback, SG may expand the project into the SSA within the current term. SG is currently working to create a committee that will curate the student art for the spots. The committee will be composed of both students and faculty. JSOM Mosaic Project SG decided to move the new mosaic to the front of the JSOM building after originally planning to feature it in the SU. SG made the change to save the space at the SU for another project, as well as give the mosaic more exposure to campus visitors and executives. SG is currently focusing on building the mock up and proposal for the mosaic design. Faculty Dining Room Art SG is making preparations to hang two 8X9 art frames in the faculty dining room. SG Vice President Alex Holcomb is currently talking with UTD administration to determine where to hang the frames in the room. Holcomb said he wants to replace two of the paintings in the faculty dining room. The paintings are pending approval from either a committee of students and faculty or from UTD administration.
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NOV. 13, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
LIFE&ARTS
PINPOINTING PAIN Professor develops cream to alleviate chronic suffering
ANUPAM GUPTA | MERCURY STAFF
Salim Megat, a postdoctoral fellow in the Pain Neurobiology Research Group headed by Theodore Price, performs research on proteins that have potential as blockage mechanisms for pain pathways. AYOUNG JO Mercury Staff
In 2011, UTD’s neuroscience professor developed a pain cream to treat persistent pain in his own foot. Years later, Ted’s Pain Cream is available on the market to help consumers with their chronic pain as it awaits FDA approval. Theodore Price, associate professor and the head of the neuroscience program, introduced Ted’s Pain Cream to the public in 2016. However, it took the neuroscientist years of research in a laboratory and collaboration with various experts in order to develop the pain cream. Price said his lab, the Pain Neurobiology Research Group, is trying to understand how pain becomes chronic, and find new targets for better treatment. “Acute pain is treated fairly well in the clinic, but chronic pain is es-
sentially not treated at all,” he said. signaling pathways that increase excit“Drugs that are used for acute pain ability in neurons,” Price said. “It blocks the hypersensitivity don’t work for that really is the thing chronic pain. SomeThat would be a that drive people times they actually total game changnuts when they have make chronic pain chronic pain.” worse.” er for us because In 2010, Price and Price said he stumwe would then be his team identified bled upon AMPresveratrol to be a activated protein able to produce potent AMPK actikinase — an enzyme this as something vator. Resveratrol is that acts as an effecthat has gone a natural compound tive mechanism for found in several blocking the develthrough a vigorous plant sources, such as opment of chronic clinical trial. grape skin and Japapain. The activation nese knotweed. Seeof the AMPK damp— Theodore Price, ing that there wasn’t ens the signaling in chemical pathways associate professor any resveratrol topical or pain treatment that cause people to medicine in the marfeel pain, even in arket, Price and his team started experieas where injuries have healed. “AMPK is like a fire extinguisher for menting with animal models.
The idea to incorporate the research of resveratrol into a pain treatment cream arose when Price first made the cream and used it on himself during his time at the University of Arizona. He had suffered an injury in his ankle and foot while playing basketball years before, and the available products did not help the lingering pain. “I just could not recover from it,” Price said. “And I was extremely frustrated because I knew that the injury was healed.” Price suggested the idea of creating a resveratrol topical to his friend, Bo Lian, who was in the pharmacy school at the University of Arizona. When Price tested out the cream Lian made for him, his foot felt better and he was able to play basketball within six hours. After testing the efficacy of the pain cream on himself, Price started
a company called Resveratech, named after the cream’s key ingredient. His project grew in 2014 when Price came back to UTD, where he had completed his undergraduate degree. Price continued his work on the company with Lucas Rodriguez, a former Ph.D. bioengineering student, by making the formulation, raising money and hiring a marketing firm. It was at this time the company changed its name to that of its neuroscientist and founder, Price. Ted’s Pain Cream did not undergo the FDA’s regulatory approval process. Price said that the cream could make its debut to the public without the clinical trials because resveratrol is included in the FDA’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” list. Research groups at Washington
→ SEE PAIN, PAGE 11
New ‘Pocket Camp’ game returns to roots Latest iteration of ‘Animal Crossing’ series impresses with revamped features ROMAN SORIANO COMMENTARY
NINTENDO | COURTESY
“Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” is a mobile-only social simulation game developed by Nintendo Studios. It was initially released on Oct. 25.
“Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” is Nintendo’s newest addition to the “Animal Crossing” series. It makes a good addition to the series, as it remains true to the original games without watering it down for the
mobile platform, and strengthens Nintendo’s lineup of mobile applications. “Pocket Camp” surpassed my expectations. As the first mobile “Animal Crossing” installment, players did not really know what to expect. Its unveiling revealed that it would be much like a regular “Animal Crossing” game, with several key elements returning, which was a pleasant surprise. “Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” re-
volves around the player completing quests from their villagers, the animals that live on the island with the player. These quests grant the player experience points, so they can level up, and in-game currencies. Bells, the main in-game currency, can also be collected through other means, such as selling fish, bugs and fruit found around the island.
→ SEE POCKET CAMP, PAGE 11
‘Orient Express’ lacks closure Film adaptation of classic Agatha Christie novel fails to live up to standards NEIL BHAMOO COMMENTARY
“Murder on the Orient Express” is a mystery movie based on the novel of the same name. While it was enjoyable and well-produced, it left much to be desired, including a satisfying closure to the story. The movie centers around a group of passengers aboard a train called The Orient Express that derails, where one of the passengers is murdered. The main protagonist, a detective named Hercule Poirot, played by Kenneth Branagh, must find out who committed the murder. The plot advances well because it shows the clues Poirot finds only when he discovers them. The audience never gets any clues
that Poirot doesn’t have. As a result, the audience is never any closer to solving the mystery than the characters in the movie. This allows “Murder on the Orient Express” to be a more immersive experience because the audience can work with the clues they are given to try to figure out the identity of the murderer alongside Poirot. Despite the serious nature of the movie, there were plenty of comedic moments. Poirot’s perfectionism was a source of laughter among the moviegoers. However, after the murder occurred, the frequency of these moments died down. About a third of the way into the movie, Samuel Ratchett, played by Johnny Depp, was murdered, seemingly because of the enemies he made by selling fake products. When he asked for Poirot’s protection, it was clear that he was going to be murdered, since nobody else was afraid for their lives.
There were moments in the movie when the murderer seemed apparent to the viewer, as well as Poirot. Yet somehow, Poirot reasoned that the suspect wasn’t the killer simply based on his intuition. For example, one of the passengers had the medicine used to drug Ratchett, but Poirot concluded she couldn’t have been the killer simply because “she couldn’t kill a cockroach” — which wasn’t a very convincing argument because she could have been acting and hiding her true nature. One of the biggest issues with this movie is the way it used Poirot’s “intuition” as a deus ex machina, or a convenient explanation used by the writer for the resolution of the conflict. In this case, it was in determining who murdered Ratchett. For example, Poirot could tell what type of gun somebody was holding from the one second it was brandished in front of him,
20TH CENTURY FOX | COURTESY
→ SEE ORIENT, PAGE 11
Kenneth Branagh plays the role of Hercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective who investigates a murder onboard a derailed train.
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THE MERCURY | NOV. 13, 2017
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Chess program experiences rapid growth Award-winning team ramps up recruitment process to become ranked first in Texas, attract strong players through victories
SRI CHANDRA KIRAN GOTTIPATI | MERCURY STAFF
Members of the UTD chess team use their laptops to prepare to compete in an annual tournament with players from the University of Belgrade for the Svetozar Gligoric Transatlantic Cup on Nov. 10. DEV THIMMISETTY Mercury Staff
Throughout its 21 years, the UTD chess program has evolved through improving recruitment processes to keep up with the increasing competitiveness in the American collegiate chess scene. Just last month, the chess team defeated Texas Tech and UT Rio Grande Valley to place first in Texas. The program has also been ranked first in the nation 10 times. Coach Rade Milovanovic, Director James Stallings and Assistant
Director Luis Salinas have worked with the program for over a decade, recruiting stronger players and improving UTD’s results in major tournaments. They said the biggest change has been the rise of competitor schools. “When we first started, the main competitor was UMBC. It was them or us (in the championships),” Milovanovic said. “Now the competition is much greater. You have Webster University, St. Louisville, Texas Tech, Rio Grande. It makes everything much more challenging. We have to recruit better, we have to play better.”
Stallings said even with one or two Grandmasters, one of the highest titles in competitive chess, the team had dominated in the past. “Now we have seven Grandmaster and five International Masters, and it’s very hard to win, and it’s required,” he said. “There is a limited pool of talent, not even in the U.S. but around the globe, and we have to recruit those strong players to improve our chances.” Stallings said the recruiting process is much more intensive than it was previously. “We email and Skype prospec-
tive players, and in turn they reach out to us because we do advertise in popular chess magazines or chess websites,” he said. Examples of well-known chess media with UTD ads are “New in Chess,” a magazine, and “Chessdom,” a news website. Milovanovic said the internet has been critical in recruiting, making it easier to recognize which players are strongest. He even has a list of the top 100 young players. “Nowadays, everything is online so the chess world is smaller and we can reach more players around
the world,” he said. Alumni also assist in recruiting efforts whenever they spread news of the program to other players. Razvan Preotu, a computer science freshman from Canada, applied to the chess team after a recommendation from Arthur Caluger, a former UTD chess player. “The team is really strong and there is a lot of financial support,” Preotu said. “I also heard the coach and teammates were good people, so I made the decision to join.” Stallings said the university and the chess program have a
symbiotic relationship. “We are very pleased with the support that the university gives us in terms of resources and financial aid,” he said. “In addition, this program gives UTD more PR than almost everything else because we are competing at the highest level.” Academics, money and accessible resources are the main reasons players choose to come to UTD, Stallings said. “The players know we have a good chess program but I say, ‘Look, as a
→ SEE CHESS, PAGE 11
Kickstarter game offers Helping with hearing challenging gameplay UTD professor named president of national audiology association
Despite learning curve, “Throne of Lies” succeeds in engaging players
JACKIE CLARK | COURTESY
Jackie Clark, a clinical professor, has served on the board of the American Academy of Audiology since 2013. RUTH VARGHESE News Editor
IMPERIUM42 | COURTESY
“Throne of Lies” launched as a Kickstarter project exclusively for Windows-based computers.
KOLTON COATS COMMENTARY
“Throne of Lies” is an online, hidden identity roleplaying game available for PC. Take on the role of member in your King’s court in a Game of Thrones-style battle of wits, which is great for single players and groups of friends online. Styled after the tabletop games “Mafia” and “Werewolf,” “Throne of Lies” assigns each player a class within a good, evil or neutral faction. Players are the only ones who definitively know their class, creating a guessing game of who your allies and opponents are. The game goes through multiple rounds of days and nights until one of the factions meets their victory condition. The factions in “Throne of Lies” are the Blue Dragon (good), the Cult (evil), the Unseen (evil) and the
Neutral. While both the Cult and Unseen are evil, only one of those factions is present in each game. The Blue Dragon’s victory condition is to kill all members of the evil faction in the present game, and the Cult and Unseen’s victory condition is to convert and eliminate all Blue Dragon members. Each of the Neutral classes has its own separate victory condition. Although evil faction members are always outnumbered by Blue Dragon members in a game, they’re allowed to communicate with team members at night while the Blue Dragon cannot. The main appeal of “Throne of Lies” is the combination of individual and faction warfare between players during the game. Each player is trying to deduce what class their opponents are, while simultaneously trying to eliminate the other faction. This gameplay is the basis for all secret identity games, but the “Throne of Lies” list of 40 classes with unique abilities creates a system with virtually no identical games.
Although the extensive list of classes and abilities is what sets “Throne of Lies” apart from other games, this list is also its greatest weakness. Because each class has unique abilities, the learning curve for this game is extremely high. The tutorial offers little guidance for new players as it is no more than large walls of text in clashing colors against in-game screenshots. Although players can reference different class abilities and faction descriptions in-game, this distracts them from using their own abilities as well as from reading other players’ chat messages during the game. “Throne of Lies” offsets these issues by allowing players to keep a personal journal throughout the game to keep notes on their suspicions, ability uses or anything else they want to record. The journal system does alleviate some of the stress of memorizing classes, abilities and
→ SEE THRONE, PAGE 11
When Jackie Clark was in Mozambique for her first deployment, she gave a young man a hearing aid. It was the first one she ever gave out as a humanitarian. He was found wandering the streets of Mozambique during the civil war as a toddler. Clark met him at an orphanage when he was possibly around 13 years old. “No one knew where he came from, no one knew his story because he really didn’t speak, and it became clear to them he couldn’t hear,” Clark said. Clark gave the director of the orphanage instructions on how to care for the hearing aid. The next time Clark returned to the area, she asked the director about the boy. “I said, ‘Well how’s the hearing aid doing?’ and it was this total look of ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Clark said. Eventually, Clark discovered that the boy no longer
had the hearing aid. She will never know what actually happened, but she said she assumes that the boy either sold it, or even worse, that it was stolen from him. *** Clark, a professor at UTD, was recently named the President of the American Academy of Audiology, and has been on the board since 2013. The AAA is the largest organization of audiologists and seeks to promote audiology. “It all ends up at the end of the day being what will improve our practice of audiology as well as ultimately what we do, we are a helping discipline … that seek to make people’s lives better, so that they’re part of their community and they can hear and be connected,” Clark said. When Clark was younger, she had learning disabilities, articulation disorders and language disorders, and was in speech therapy until sixth grade. “It felt like when I finished high school that first of all that I would not be college material,” she said. “I didn’t feel I had
the brainpower to do college.” It only took three years for Clark to complete a bachelor’s degree, and she said she does not attribute the early graduation to brainpower, but hard work. After working in retail management for three years after college, Clark said she thought back when she took speech therapy. “I’ve always been amazed at how they fixed me and got me understanding things better, and started investigating the whole speech pathology and audiology,” she said. “And the rest is pretty much history.” *** Out of the many visits Clark took to Africa, she still remembers her very first deployment, where she dispensed the hearing aid to the young man. She said that engaging the caregiver could ensure that the devices stay with the people who have them. “Even though my assumption was ‘Of course the orphanage director should be very interested
→ SEE HEARING, PAGE 11
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ASC SPORTS
THE MERCURY | NOV. 13, 2017
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Volleyball goes three for three SUMMER LEBEL
NOAH WHITEHEAD | MERCURY STAFF
Sports Editor
SRIKAR SUDARSAN BASKARA | MERCURY STAFF
For the third consecutive year, the volleyball team won the American Southwest Conference championship. The Comets finished the regular season with a 21-9 record, including 13-3 against other ASC teams. Their in-conference record was enough to capture the ASC East title, which comes with the right to host the ASC tournament. During their regular season, head coach Marci Allison had to contend with the loss of junior setter Fayna Zeng and sophomore outside hitter Dylan Brinkman. “This is the hardest season I’ve ever had to coach because of injuries that were unexpected to two projected starters,” Allison said. UTD started the tournament with a bye, then opened their play with a 3-0 sweep of Concordia Texas on Nov. 2. They moved on to play Mary Hardin-Baylor on Nov. 3, where the Comets swept the sets again, advancing to the title match.
The championship game on Nov. 4 was a rematch against Mary Hardin-Baylor, who won the loser’s bracket. The two teams traded sets, moving on to a tie-breaker fifth set, but the Crusaders came out on top 3-2. The tournament is double-elimination, meaning the two teams faced off again in another match later the same day. Coming into the second game after the loss, Allison changed the lineup around after speaking to the team captains. “They’ve trusted me all season and the changes that we made paid off at the end of that set,” she said. In the second game, two hours after the first finished, the Comets took all three sets against the Crusaders once again to win the championship. Senior middle blocker Emma Wallbrown said during back-to-back games, the team feels the exhaustion most between the matches. “Once you get going and in the game, it’s pretty easy to just forget about how tired you are and you just have fun,” she said.
Wallbrown was named Tournament MVP for her performance, which included 48 kills in four games. “Emma Wallbrown wasn’t a captain coming into this year and she earned the right to be a captain, and she’s only 5’9” competing against those six footers out there against UMHB,” Allison said. “It’s not about the size of the dog, it’s about the size of fight in the dog, and this is one that deserves this more than anybody else.” After the tournament, the team headed to Georgetown, Texas to play on Nov. 11 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, where they were eliminated 3-1 against No. 6-ranked Claremont Mudd-Scripps. The team had a lot of growing and learning to do this season to make it as far as they did, Wallbrown said. “I think that everybody on the team came together and we worked really hard in practice,” she said. “I’m just so proud of everybody on the team and how well they’ve done.”
P A C E R T N E M A N R U O T C S A Women’s soccer eliminated in Semi-finals YANNIS SHAFI Mercury Staff
The women’s soccer season came to a close on Nov. 3 after a 2-1 loss to MaryHardin Baylor at the American Southwest Conference tournament semi-finals. After defeating Sul Ross State in the first round of the ASC tournament, the team took a road trip to Belton, Texas to take on Mary-Hardin Baylor in the second round. The Comets advanced to the semi-finals for the fourth time under head coach Kanute Drugan. This was the most successful season since Drugan took over in 2014, as the team recorded 16 wins and 4 losses. The defense gave up an early goal in the ninth minute of play to fall behind 1-0 to the Crusaders and found themselves playing catch up throughout the rest of the first half. They were only able to put up four shots in the first 45 minutes and looked to turn it around in the second half of play. The score stayed the same until after 51 minutes when freshman midfielder Keely Fillman scored off a pass from junior midfielder Jessica Rusk. “Overall, we possessed more and controlled most of the game,” Fillman said. “I took a shot to chip (the goalie) and she
SACHIN ARYA | MERCURY STAFF
Women’s cross country wins back-to-back titles ROMAN SORIANO Mercury Staff
The women’s cross-country team took first place at their conference tournament on Oct. 28. Senior Lindsey Rayborn scored first place overall, breaking the ASC championship record. Rayborn said after the team won first last year, they wanted to start a winning streak. Now that they have, Rayborn said she believes the team will be even more motivated. “It was really good to see the freshman this year (get) to start their careers at UTD with a conference win, so it sort of set a bar really high for them,” Rayborn said. “It was also really good for our sophomores because we won conference last year, so they’re coming back to a team that won two years in a row.” Rayborn said she ran more efficiently than she usually does, and that is part of why she performed so well. “It was probably one of the smartest races I’ve ever run, so I was really proud of that because normally I go out really fast and I die halfway through and then I’m barely holding on for the rest of the race,” Rayborn said. The track was a two-lap course. Rayborn said she decided to hang back during the first lap and then make a major move, running faster in order to advance her position during the second lap. She said she used a similar tactic last year. During the race, the weather in Round Rock was very cold and windy. The climate did not make much of a difference for Rayborn. “It doesn’t necessarily affect my strategy, but I see it as kind of an advantage because I’m from Idaho, and it’s really cold out there,” she said.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY: CHAD AUSTIN | GRAPHICS EDITOR
Head coach Rayn House, who was named ASC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year, said the team has been putting in a lot of effort leading up to the tournament. “They set their minds to what they wanted in the summer, they worked hard as a team, they held each other accountable and this group has more heart than I’ve ever come across in any group that I’ve had in any sport that I’ve gotten to coach,” House said. House said the hard work paid off and she has a lot of praise to give the team. House started coaching women’s cross-country last year, and now the team won the ASC conference championship two years in a row. “I think I’m more proud of this group than maybe any other group I’ve ever had, just because I don’t know that anybody really expected this to happen in the way that it happened,” House said. This is Rayborn’s last year on the crosscountry team, and she has broken her 5k and 6k personal records this year. Despite taking first place at the conference tournament, she said she had a new goal. “There’s always more to do, because once you meet one goal, there’s always another to me,” she said. After her win, she set her eyes set on regionals, which took place in Newport News, Virginia on Nov. 11. She placed 14th qualifying her for the NCAA Division III tournament, the first UTD student to do so. “I think that now we just want to be competitive at region,” Rayborn said. “If not this year, then the next couple years. I think that our team is going to get to the point where maybe we can be really competitive at region and be contenders to go to the national meet as a team.”
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT | COURTESY
wasn’t able to recover fast enough.” UTD eventually fought back and leveled the match 1-1 for two minutes before the Crusaders scored in the 53rd minute and held their lead until the final whistle. The Crusaders went on to win the match and hand the Comet’s their fourth loss of the 2017 season. The team had various opportunities to take control of the game in the second half, primarily through their 11 shots, five of which were saved. Despite allowing two goals, junior goalkeeper Monica Dallacasa’s saves allowed the Comets to continue to make an offensive push in order to tie the game. “In goalkeeping, the most important factor is making a decision,” Dallacasa said. “It is important to remember that mistakes are part of the game and you just have to learn from them.” Though the Comets’ season ended earlier than expected, seven members, including Fillman, made various all-ASC teams. All seven of these members will be returning to the team next fall. “It is just up to us to take this knowledge and experience and put it together for the final puzzle,” Dallacasa said. “Commitment from everyone, which we have, will definitely help us make the final push.”
Men’s soccer fails to meet preseason expectations YANNIS SHAFI Mercury Staff
The men’s soccer team was eliminated from the ASC tournament on Nov. 4 after a 1-0 loss to UT Tyler. UTD won the ASC title in both 2015 and 2016, and were picked as preseason favorites in the annual ASC poll. After defeating Hardin-Simmons in the first round, the Comets traveled to Belton, Texas where they played the UT Tyler Patriots in the second round. Head coach Jason Hirsch prepared his players for their test against the Patriots. “UT Tyler had one of the best defenses in the conference this season,” Hirsch said. “Overall we played well and were fortunate.”
The Patriots were able to record seven shots, compared to the four shots by the Comets. The Patriots also added to their chances by drawing three corner kicks, while the Comets didn’t have a single attempt. Kasden Williams, a junior midfielder and defender, said he knew the Comets missed a lot of scoring opportunities, not only in this game, but throughout the entire season. “We would create great chances to score, but didn’t put a lot of them away,” Williams said. “This is huge because if you can’t put away your chances, you can’t win big games.” The Comets came out in the second half and attempted three total shots, forcing
the Patriots to save three balls. They were also able to draw four fouls and maintain possession, in an attempt to tie the game up. The match finished with the Patriots winning 1-0, ending the Comets’ hopes of qualifying for the ASC finals. Despite the fact that the season ended earlier than the team wanted, Coach Hirsch still has the opportunity to work with 37 of the 44 players that are still on the team. These freshmen, sophomores and juniors have had experiences to learn from this past year. “We had a lot of good young players step up and win spots on our team this fall,” Hirsch said. “They have a really good shot at becoming ASC champions again next fall.”
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HOMECOMING
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represent the countries of those who attend UTD. 2 Maddie Ho, Srikruthi Krishmachaitankya Matilda Ho, Brianna Harrington, Rachel Scruggs and Samantha Watkin of Tri Delta decorate a float for Homecoming 2017 in Lot T on Nov. 9. The parade had 54 golf carts total. 3 UTD cheerleaders dance during tailgate festivities. The event featured food, live music and booths hosted by organizations on campus. 4 Students showcased their talents during Comets Got Talent on Nov. 9. Acts included singing, comedy, juggling and intrumentals. 5 Rob $tone sings in front of students for an evening concert. $tone opened up the concert by singing “Chill Bill.” 6 Students dance during the homecoming tailgate. Student Affairs and Student Government host the tailgate annually. 7 Victoria Pena, a sophomore guard, lines up her shot for a free throw. Women’s basketball won their first home game 56-32. 8 Students race each other in the Cardboard Boat Regatta. During the event, participants build boats out of duct tape and cardboard.
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1 Students march in the homecoming parade. The flags
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LIFE & ARTS
THE MERCURY | NOV. 13, 2017
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On Nov. 6, Ana Ramirez, the concept artist for Disney Pixar’s “Coco,” gave a presentation about the upcoming film. The Mercury sat down with Ramirez and asked her about working on her very first movie and the personal experiences that helped inspire her work for “Coco.” Disney Pixar’s “Coco” is in theaters on Nov. 22. ANUPAM GUPTA | MERCURY STAFF
Q: Can you describe your role as a concept artist in the making of “Coco?” A: I got to work on a lot of different things, like sets, characters, background characters, graphics and color. I also worked on a lot of translations as one of the few Mexicans on the project. I got to join the team at a very, very early stage. That’s when we get to do the most concept art and have the most fun and experiment the most, trying to find the look and the style of the film. Throughout the film, I was really lucky to have projects that involve a lot of hands-on paint and traditional media stuff, just because Mexico is filled with those street signs and a lot of crafts and pottery and all these things that have to be handpainted to look real. I got to do a little bit of everything in every department.
Q: What part of the concept art did you enjoy doing most? A: Just like in general, collaboration (at Pixar) is a very enriching experience, especially because this is my first film. So, everyone I know who I worked with was on their third, fourth, fifth, 10th film, you know? So much more experienced than me. I think that was my favorite part, just getting to know these people better and get knowledge from them and absorb everything like a sponge or something ... but design wise, everything was so fun — hard and challenging, of course, but a huge learning experience.
Q: Did your Hispanic heritage influence how you approached “Coco?” A: Yes. 100 percent. It feels sometimes like its fate that I’m on this project. They knew that I was Latina or Hispanic, but I don’t think they knew exactly where I was from. I’m from Guanajuato, the town that heavily influenced the film, especially the land of the dead. When I got there, I saw all these reference boards of pictures of the crew in Guanajuato, and I’m like, “That’s so weird! I lived there.” It’s so funny. Miguel’s family in the film, they’re all shoemakers, and my dad is a shoemaker too. But that all happened once I was already on the project, and it’s not like we did that because of me, but it just happened to be my life. I feel really lucky because I think Pixar is trying really hard to make Pixar a more diverse place to work at and make it more inclusive of women, men, anyone, all people and all genders and all ethnicities, so that’s really awesome. I think this film is proof of that.
Q: Miguel and other characters use Spanish words during the “Coco” trailers. This is a noticeable step forward in terms of Disney/Pixar characters embracing their culture. Can you expand on any other ways this film makes progress in that area?
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY: SAHER AQEEL | PHOTO EDITOR CAROLINA ALVAREZ | MERCURY STAFF
Q: There are people who say “Coco” resembles “The Book of Life” in many ways. What are your thoughts on similarities and differences between the two? A: “Coco” has been in the making since 2011 or something, which is a long time. I remember being an intern when “The Book of Life” was announced, and that was 2013, two years after “Coco” had already been going on research trips. I think there are so many films about Christmas and there are so many films about other holidays, why can’t we have more than one holiday movie of Day of the Dead? I think it’s just so uncommon and unusual to celebrate other cultures in film, and we are often so misrepresented as a culture that that’s why it seems unusual. If anything, it’s awesome that there’s more than one. I was just in Vancouver last week giving a talk, and Jorge Gutierrez (creator of “The Book of Life”) was the moderator for my talk, and we are totally friendly. We all admire each other’s work, and I think “The Book of Life” is great. I really admire also how much and how hard he fought to make that film. I don’t think they’re at all similar. I think the fact that they are based around the culture doesn’t mean that the story is the same. The story is completely different. “The Book of Life” is a love story, and “Coco” is about family and self-love and a little boy who’s just trying to seize his moment and do what he loves, which is to play music. I think the stories are completely different and the settings too. The only similarities, I would say, are based around the holiday and color palette, but that’s Mexico. I think they are very different, but we are all supportive of each other’s work, and I think it’s good that we are doing it.
Q: Do you have anything to say to young people in the industry trying to be a concept artist? A: Draw from your own experience. Always. I think it’s so easy to get really freaked out and scared when you’re in school and say, “No one’s going to hire me for me. I need to draw like this artist at Disney or this artist at Pixar or DreamWorks to get hired. That’s what they’re looking for,” but it’s not really true because they already have artists who do that. So they want something new and something fresh and a new take on things. They’re always looking for something new and it’s important to embrace your imperfections and the quirks about yourself because that’s so essential to who we are. I would say let that shine through your work, and don’t be afraid to be yourself. Work hard and be kind.
A: Adrian Molina was a story artist at Pixar, and he kind of stepped up and took it upon himself to write the story without anyone truly asking him, which is great because that’s a lot of work, and its very admirable that he would do something like that and just take on for the team and try and make the film better, but then it ended up being so good that Lee (Unkrich, director of “Coco”) was like, “Yes. Come on board,” and he hired him as the writer. Lee is a very generous person, and I think he was aware that he need more of someone who was part of the culture to help him make it better. So then Adrian became the co-director, and I think because of that, Adrian really pushed and fought for it. Adrian, his mom is Mexican and he is very close to his mom, so it feels like that’s his culture, and he knows Spanish and stuff. I think he’s the one who really pushed for it. Every screening, we would all give notes, and I would always write, “More Spanish,” or “Make it funnier,” stuff like that. I think that it was a team effort, but truly, I think Adrian, Lee and Darla (Anderson, Producer of “Coco”) wanted that to be the case. And we also wanted to use very common expressions that Mexicans would feel like, “Oh my God, this is so local! How did they know?” But, also things that were easy to understand for other people who don’t speak the language.
Q: How do you feel “Coco” plays into the current climate in America? A: I think it’s a very important time, a good time for that film to come out. It’s important for people to go see it and it’s very relevant. I hope that this film will help other people understand our culture better, hopefully bring people together, and maybe open the door for other cultural films to be made in the future. Not just by Pixar, but by other filmmakers and other studios because there’s such a little gap for those films right now. Acknowledging someone else’s culture and how beautiful other cultures can be is hard. It’s hard these days. I feel like its awesome that they did that and hopefully it’ll give other people the courage and affirmation that it’s important and relevant and people should do it. Hopefully others will understand, be more kind and there will be more films representing other people and cultures. I think its completely relevant and important to see it. ANA RAMIREZ | COURTESY
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THE MERCURY | NOV. 13, 2017
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book page, chat with the chatbot, and it pulls information from your Facebook profile, as well as get what your likes are. It’s going to take that into consideration and use that to pair you with the best likely match in your area.” The bot retrieves a person’s information from their Facebook profile. An individual can decide on the name they want to use while talking to another person anonymously. Devesh Laungani, a computer science senior and member of the Friendzy team, said they designed the chatbot to prioritize the user’s interests. “It asks you for a particular topic you want to talk about at that time,” Laungani said. “It gives higher priority to that and we used machine learning algorithms for that. It compares your Facebook interests in the backend and comes up with a matching algorithm to match you with others. When you find a match, you send a message and that person gets to confirm.” The Friendzy team said they
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Corbitt said. “To learn to analyze the world deeply as opposed to just accepting it for what it is.” Corbitt and Reddy said the honors cohort provides ample opportunity to become immersed in the liberal arts environment on campus. “Most liberal arts majors wouldn’t get exposure to what a liberal arts education is supposed to be if not enrolled in this readings class,” Reddy said. “It definitely broadens the scope of the education we receive here.” The Liberal Arts Honors
NEWS
The Tunify team was declared the winner of the Microsoft award out of the 23 competing teams. The team built a webbased application by using Spotify, that put collaborative playlists on a map that people could share. Users can click on any
place on the map, add music to any playlist and share them with others. The team had asked other participants and sponsors to add their songs to the playlists. Swarn Singh, a computer science freshman and Tunify team member, said this was his first hackathon experience and the entire environment was buzzing with excitement. “I understand why the hackathon environment is the coolest,” Swarn said. “If you tell four or five computer science majors that they need to get something done, it may take a while. But if you tell them it has to get done in 24 hours and here’s a lot of free food and free stuff, they’ll be more motivated.” Karan Shukla, a computer science graduate and a Tunify team member, said one of the best things about hackathons is the productivity. “People are productive studying in the library because they are surrounded by other people studying,” Shukla said. “Hackathons are like that for building. You never see people building software when you are just wandering around campus. In this hackathon, it was just a ho-
Readings course brings a different professor or academic expert involved in the liberal arts every week to discuss economics, literature, culture or history. Valerie Brunell, assistant dean of the Honors College, facilitates the class. “The purpose of the course is two-fold,” Brunell said. “I want to expose this cohort to a breadth of ideas, disciplines and faculty, and their discourse on varied topics will allow them all to get to know each other better as students and people.” Corbitt said he doubted whether the cohort marks a fundamental change in the university’s values, but still considers it
a beneficial addition. “It definitely shows that the organizers are willing to commit certain resources and some level of care,” he said. “It’s not enough to make this a liberal arts university, but I don’t think that’s what they’re trying to do. It shows us that there are pockets where our interests are voiced.” The Honors College website reports that only 5 percent of its students major within the schools of Arts and Humanities or Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. Harpham said an honors program focused on A&H and EPPS may increase the applicant pool for UTD in the liberal arts fields, expanding
believe the feature that sets their app apart from other competitor projects is the layer of consent that acts as a security barrier. Marwan Kodeih, a computer science senior and Friendzy team member, said he feels this barrier is important so people don’t receive messages from random strangers who they wouldn’t want to talk to. “When we showed it to the Facebook judges, we really stressed about the security aspect because Facebook is about security,” Marwan said. “We get the benefit of leveraging Facebook’s info while still protecting the user’s security when they’re talking to people. We want to make sure there is consent from both sides. Once the two users consent, they are directly connected.” ***
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BRIAN HOANG | COURTESY
From the left, Marwan Kodeih, Brian Hoang, Devesh Laungani and UT student Carson Moore won Facebook’s “Community Building” award for creating a chatbox that connects users with others in the area.
tel full of people building software.” John Kahn, an interdisciplinary studies junior and Tunify team member, said they had to use new Microsoft tools to make
the horizons of the university. Both Corbitt and Reddy said they see the Liberal Arts Honors cohort as a move in the right direction. Reddy said he looks at the group as a chance to create a prestigious program at UTD in the long run. “I’m excited to see what the future holds,” Reddy said. “Right now, it is not at its full potential. Once it has more people, it brings more resources, and more resources brings more attention. This is definitely the step UTD needed to take in order to make sure that, in the future, a liberal arts education is just as important at this university as engineering.”
their pitch better. He said the team is looking at a tentative release of Tunify in January on the Android and iOS platforms. After winning the Facebook award, the Friendzy team quali-
fied for the Facebook Global Hackathon, held at Facebook’s Headquarters on Nov. 16-17. They will be competing with participants from eight countries around the world.
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Fish and bugs can be acquired by using fishing rods or bug nets, just like the previous installments in the series. Fruit is shaken down from trees scattered around the island. However, instead of playing in a town and having a house, it takes place on a campsite, and the player lives inside of a customizable tent. All these features that fans of the series are familiar with are enticing, but a great deal of new aspects keep the app from becoming stagnant. Although the furniture system returns, it is now achieved in a different manner than before. Rather than simply buying it, players now must collect materials to craft it by completing quests for villagers. The crafting system is an interesting approach for an “Animal Crossing” installment, but I think it’s a natural fit for the series. Completing quests raises the players’ friendship levels with the villagers, encouraging the user to talk to the villagers often and form stronger relationships with them. By
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and as a result he could tell that the person was once a policeman. While it is possible that Poirot has incredible observation, this level is simply too convenient and takes away from the realism. The movie was entertaining and riveting throughout, but the
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University in St. Louis and Washington State University will soon be conducting clinical trials for post-surgical pain and chronic musculoskeletal pain, respectively. An FDA approval would be able to show evidence of the efficacy of resveratrol and help lower the cost of the pain
LIFE&ARTS
leveling up, the player is rewarded with unlocking new furniture, Bells or the new in-game currency, Leaf Tickets. Leaf Tickets can be used to buy specific items such as throw nets and honey, both of which are new. The tickets can also be purchased through micro-transactions, starting at 99 cents for 20. Throw nets and honey affect how the player can catch bugs and fish. The nets are used to catch multiple fish at once, speeding up the process by a considerable amount. Honey works in a similar way, by attracting multiple bugs that can be caught at once. Both items are helpful to the player, but they are not necessary to enjoy the installment. These are mostly made available through microtransactions, and although they’re useful, they are not required. I personally liked to buy them whenever I could through normal in-game methods, such as completing quests, but I would not spend actual money on them. “Animal Crossing” has always been a good fit for mobile devices.
Having it on your phone allows for short play times throughout the day and keep up the relationships with your villagers without needing to wait until you get home and play on a console. I found myself playing whenever I had downtime, but rarely felt like I had to play for hours on end, like with the previous installments. It has enough features to allow sporadic play to be fulfilling, but not enough that the player gets overwhelmed and feels like they must keep playing. In its current state, “Pocket Camp” seems simple, but there’s several new things that weren’t present before, making it a notable addition to the series. The micro-transactions are not invasive. Although they provide convenience, the game can be played completely free without them. Nintendo has done a good job of translating the core “Animal Crossing” experience onto a mobile phone platform and including new aspects to keep the game from becoming dull.
ending was quite disappointing. The connections between the passengers is what drives the resolution of this movie, but some of them seemed very forced. For example, the train conductor was in love with a woman who died because of Ratchett. However, the audience wasn’t shown a scene in which Poirot finds or sees any evidence of their love before he came to this conclusion.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie, despite some minor gripes and concerns — mainly the far-fetched intuitive capabilities of Poirot — and would recommend this movie to anybody who enjoys a good mystery. I would rate this movie a 7 out of 10, mainly because of the overuse of Poirot’s intuition as an explanation for certain realizations.
cream. “That would be a total game changer for us because we would then be able to produce this as something that has gone through a vigorous clinical trial and show efficacy and it could be reimbursed by insurance,” Price said. Price’s research group is currently working on a variety of new topics in pain research,
and he said that he hopes to turn scientific discoveries into medicines. “My dream is that one day we’ll drive down Synergy (Park Boulevard) and there will be a whole bunch of biotech companies that have sprung out of people’s ideas at UTD that are trying to get next generation medicines into the hands of people,” he said.
THE MERCURY | NOV. 13, 2017
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chess player, you are still going to be spending most of your time in classes, and your degree is going to be of real value here,’” he said. “We are trying to improve our training resources all the time, so we are getting better computer resources as well. It helps the players, especially when they have to spend so much time studying for classes already.” Preotu said the hours he spends
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and engaged,’ but there was no emotional engagement with this young man with the orphanage,” she said.
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the events of the game, but players unfamiliar with the standard notetaking procedure of “Throne of Lies” are often chastised by toxic, more experienced players when their journals are shown after their death. An issue with “Throne of Lies” is the lack of face-to-face interaction. While secret identity games such as “One Night Ultimate Werewolf,” “Avalon” and “Secret Hitler” have gained popularity in tabletop communities, they rely on empathy and personal knowledge of other players as their main forms of deduction. While
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on chess at UTD are much more valuable for improving his skills. “At my high school, there was no one I could really work with for chess,” he said. “Even though I do spend less hours per day on chess, here I can talk to coach, share ideas and practice some games with everyone. It keeps me sharp.” The last time the chess team won a national championship was in 2012. This year, a roster with a multitude of strong players may help the team win first place again, Stallings said.
“In our last tournament, their A teams played evenly with our A teams,” he said. “It was our B teams that were stronger than their B teams, and so the depth of our roster makes a big difference.” Salinas said his primary motivation is wanting to help out the university as a whole through the chess program. “It’s one of UTD’s brands,” he said. “We are known for brain games, and the chess program helps the university grow, which is the big reason I want to continue working here.”
Clark teaches a course at UTD where she takes students to an underdeveloped region in subSaharan Africa to work with audiologists. She said she hopes that by taking students to Africa for the class, they will continue
their path by creating their own practice in the region. “I always tell our students that I promise that your life will be changed in some way, you’ll look at things differently when you go, and so far, that’s the truth.”
this game tries to compensate for the lack of in-person contact by using the various abilities of each class, random lynching of players is commonplace and discouraging for those trying to learn. However, what “Throne of Lies” lacks in approachability and player interactions is made up for in visual stimulation. By using customizable skins and weapons for each player, the game adds an extra level of immersion by showing each avatar at a King Arthur-style round table. When a player is voted to be executed during the day phase, their avatar is killed on-screen by whomever accused them. This small amount of visual feedback encourages players to play more
in order to obtain more in-game currency and purchase customization options. Although the skins players have can’t be customized any more than what is offered as a base, there are currently 18 unique skins for players to choose from. Overall, “Throne of Lies” offers enjoyable gameplay for anyone willing to put in the time and effort to learn its ins and outs. While the learning curve is steep, participation in the game’s community and research using in-game and outof-game resources can help alleviate new players’ discouragement. “Throne of Lies” is priced at $9.99 on Steam with no in-game purchasing during its current open beta, and earns 4 out of 5 stars.
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HOLIDAYS
SHANNON RAMIREZ | MERCURY STAFF
VIRTUAL FURNITURE
ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF
CARLZ SAYS
CAROLINA ALVAREZ | MERCURY STAFF BIANCA DEL RIO | MERCURY STAFF
OPINION
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NOV. 13, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
College campuses are key to bridging political, cultural gaps Spread of ideas, different viewpoints are necessary in creating discussion among citizens in times of national division ROHEN DEO OP-ED
The current political climate has made honest discussion a precarious activity. The country is divided more than ever along political lines. A Pew Research Center study found that the political divide reached record levels during Obama’s presidency, and the recent election of Donald Trump has made matters worse. In this bleak reality, it seems unlikely that the two sides will ever come to terms with each other. College campuses should be focal points for reaching across political and cultural divides. An individual taking a productive step forward is Steven Crowder from the YouTube show “Louder with Crowder.” Political commentator, comedian and YouTube personality, Steven Crowder came to UTD for a new segment of his show called “Change My Mind.” In this new series, Crowder ventures out to a public area and discusses political topics with people who are interested in engaging in informal debate. He starts off by stating his position and then asks people to change his
mind on that particular issue. Crowder has made a name for himself by providing commentary on a wide range of political and cultural issues. In addition to commentary, he also pokes fun at mainstream opinions and figures. Humorous and controversial, Crowder approaches issues with an open mind, and is more than willing to have debates on his show with guests that disagree with him. In the video that was published on Oct. 21, Crowder came to UTD to address the Second Amendment and calls upon students to change his pro-gun stance. This is a good topic to begin with because the American public is divided overall on gunrelated issues according to a Pew study. Crowder sets up a table with a sign that states his intention, and welcomes any passing student to have an honest conversation with him. He sits casually by the Plinth and waits for people to notice his sign. Students come up to him and present their viewpoints, and Crowder exchanges his. The discussion is civil and respectful, with both speakers being able to present their arguments without any insults. A line forms next to the table with students eagerly waiting to talk to Crowder and trade ideas. However, the debate is cut short by the appearance of the UTD Police. The video ends with the police asking for Crowder’s ID, and presumably, the show is shut down.
EJ CHONG | MERCURY STAFF
The main reason he was shut down seems to be because he was not affiliated with a registered group on campus. Students can petition the appropriate political groups on campus to have him back and watch his videos and use him as an example to initiate debates of their own. Sponsoring Crowder through clubs and
organizations on campus could help as well in having him back. Hopefully, Crowder will be able to return to campus with new topics to talk about. The important takeaway here is the honest discussion he was able to have with complete strangers. In a time when the country is divided and civil debate infrequent, Crowder
takes a step in the right direction with his new segment. Universities are the marketplace for new ideas and thoughts, and it would be great to see more students engaging across political lines. I encourage all interested students to watch Crowder’s video and keep an eye out for more “Change My Mind” videos.
Accessible buildings, ethical parking needed Pre-ADA structures, pricey handicap permits hinder access around campus IAN SEAMANS COMMENTARY
ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF
COMET COMMENTS
UTD tries to be an accommodating campus for all students, but parking policies and older buildings can hamper the movement of students with physical disabilities. At UTD, students with a handicap placard are required to purchase a $140 parking pass in order to park in state-designated handicap spaces. It’s commendable that UTD discounts their handicap permits, unlike UNT, SMU, UTA and UT, but a significant cost remains. It seems unethical to charge a fee, especially if that fee’s only purpose is to prevent UTD from selling out of permits too quickly. If the university is worried about handicap parking passes being given away too quickly, the best option isn’t putting a price on permits. Instead, the university should have enough spaces to accommodate all students who need them. It isn’t ethical to charge someone for parking they’re forced to use if they want to continue going to college. Another hindrance is the architecture of old buildings. There are two eras of buildings on campus, those built before the Americans with Disabilities Act and those built after. Older buildings, like the Student Union, McDermott Library, Founders, Green Hall and Jonsson Academic Center, were not built with accessibility in mind. The ADA was passed in 1990 and mandated all new buildings be accessible to all members of the public.
CHRISTI LAZUTKIN | MERCURY STAFF
Jonsson is one of the largest offenders of the pre-ADA buildings. Of the building’s nine public entrances, only two have assisted opening doors, and four have at least one set of stairs in front of them with no ramp. The western part of the building is elevated, and the only way to access it from the college is via several sets of stairs. If you’re unable to use those stairs, the next best option is to enter the eastern part of Jonsson, take the elevator to the fourth floor, go to the western side of the fourth floor, and then take the elevator back down to the ground floor. The only other option is to go to the accessible entrance, located on the opposite side of the building from the mall. While technically complying with the ADA, the building makes movement overly difficult for students who can’t navigate stairs.
This is a ridiculous situation. Renovations would cost money, but we have money. The Alumni Center was recently built with a gift of over $15 million, and the UT System’s endowment is one of the largest university endowments in the world at $24 billion. That’s more than enough money to pay for some powered doors and ramps. The administration should research accessibility renovations and eliminate the cost associated with handicap permits to make our campus friendlier to all students. According to the Office of Student AccessAbility, there are approximately 1,000 students who receive accommodations from the office, and we should provide them with a campus that goes above and beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
How do you feel about the new Starbucks on campus? HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Students interested in writing opinions can email editor@utdmercury.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
“I’m worried that it’s going to be overcrowded and we aren’t going to have the chance to sit down or get coffee. I hope they maintain it well. Other places on campus get dirty really easily, so if they can keep the Starbucks clean and nice, that would be awesome.”
“I think it’s a cool idea, I just wish they didn’t do it during the semester. That was a huge sitting area for the SU, and now the SU feels a little bit more cramped. ”
“I feel like it will be a nice place to hang out, and study too. It’s really big, so there’s a lot of seating and everything. Every other place on campus closes so fast. They should open early and stay open later.”
Razan Ali Biomedical Engineering Freshman
Matthew Villarreal Computer Science Senior
Aniv Thanikella Neuroscience Freshman
Letters must be 250 words or less. Students should include their full name, major and year. Faculty, staff and administrators should include their full name and title. Email letters to editor@utdmercury. com. Although electronic copies are preferred, a hard copy can be dropped off at the reception desk of the Student Media suite (SU 1.601). Please include a headshot. Authors may only have one letter printed per edition of The Mercury.
OP-EDS
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THE MERCURY | NOV. 13, 2017
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director of the Student Union, said Crowder’s removal wasn’t related to the content of the event, but to the fact that Crowder and his team did not file the appropriate paperwork with the university. In the video, Helgeson can be seen speaking with UTD police officers before they approach Crowder at his booth. “Typically, I’ll contact the campus police to help me get the people to leave campus just so they know that we’re serious about it,” Helgeson said. “I’ve talked to campus police and they appreciate when I come out with them too just to explain this is a policy thing (and that) we’re not against what you’re doing or what the idea behind your event is.” Part of the misconception lies in the fact that UTD is a public university, Helgeson said. “A lot of groups will come and say, ‘It’s a public campus, I can do what I want,’” he said. “It’s
public in that anyone can apply here. It’s not public in that people can just come do whatever they want.” Sami Shaik, a computer engineering freshman, was one of the two students interviewed in the video, and said he witnessed the event in its entirety. “I was just walking to the library and two people were running past me saying, ‘Steven Crowder’s here,’” Shaik said. “This was after the Las Vegas shooting and I thought this talk really needed to happen. I thought (Crowder) was a UTD administrator or someone in UTD.” Shaik was seated next to Crowder at a table on the Plinth when university officials approached the comedian. Shaik said Crowder told the officials that his staff had submitted all the paperwork needed to hold an event on campus. Shaik said an administrator then pointed out that if he made all the arrangements in advance, SU staff would have set
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done to the plumbing in this situation. The walls and surrounding area needed restoration after the water damage. Kinnard contacted a thirdparty contractor, who drained the stagnant water and placed dryers and air purifiers to restore the flooded area. They also disinfected the affected areas with biocides. A flood of this magnitude is a rare occurrence and only happens a few times a year, Kinnard said. However, blocked toilets are a much more common event because of the disposal of paper towels and feminine hygiene products into the toilet. Both expand inside the pipes, and eventually cause blockage. “Thanks to everybody for understanding all the noise and all the dryers, and bearing with us for the week while we got everything dried up,” Kinnard said.
by the Comets. Thomason credited the flexibility of the team to constant rotations. “I think that’s a strength of ours this season, is the ability to share the ball and read the defense and that’s what we teach every day in practice,” Thomason said. Last season, the Comets won both the ASC East Division and the ASC Tournament title, earning them the right to host the opening rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in the program’s history. Thomason hopes the team will pull off the same this season with new transfer juniors and freshmen joining the team. Key players to watch this season
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NEWS up the table for him. Shaik said Crowder said it was his right to hold the event on public university grounds. Crowder’s camera crew then stopped filming and began to pack up, Shaik said. Five minutes after the police initially arrived, Crowder and his camera crew left UTD. “(Crowder) kept on saying, ‘You’re silencing these kids, you’re not letting conservatives talk,’” Shaik said. “No one then responded much.” CRTV, the media agency representing Crowder, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Once Shaik realized that Crowder wasn’t affiliated with the university, he asked Crowder to remove his video from the interview as Crowder and his team were preparing to leave UTD. Despite Shaik’s request, his interview was still included in the video. “I don’t really mind that my interview’s up,” he said. “I just hate that he didn’t go through
include senior guard Mckenzie Petty, sophomore guard Victoria Pena, and senior guard Ja’Lee Carver, named by the preseason poll. All three put points on the board during the game by being all over the court. The last score was made by junior guard Tyra Banks with seconds to spare, and had spectators on their feet in applause. The Comets will face off in a home game against Austin College on Nov. 15. This will be the first of two times they will face off against Austin College this month with their second game scheduled for Nov. 25. Coach Thomason said she remains cautiously optimistic. “I’m still a little nervous as we’re still really young, and we have a lot of unanswered questions,” Thomason said. “One game doesn’t fix it but I’m excited to see where we go.”
UTDMERCURY.COM
the proper channels.” Alec Winter said although Crowder may not have sought permission in advance, his removal from campus was indicative of a larger problem at UTD. “I don’t know the legality of what he was doing,” Winter said. “I’m less mad at the cops for throwing him off because they might have just been doing their job. I feel it was because of the topic he was talking about. If he had a sign that said, ‘I’m pro-choice: Change My Mind,’ I think he would have been there from dawn till dusk and nobody would have said a thing.” Winter said the incident prompted him to think more about the role of free speech on college campuses. “I think it’s something we really need to start thinking about, because I feel like with both sides of the spectrum there’s a lot of double standards in terms of free speech.” Additional reporting by Madeleine Keith
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full menu, which is something the Pub and our other ‘We Proudly Serve’ locations didn’t have the capability to do,” Chutes said. “Everything you’d want from a Starbucks, this will have it. This includes mobile pay and gift cards, so it’s fully integrated.” When considering the location for the Starbucks, Chutes looked closely at the SU and JSOM. “It took a long time to vet the perfect location and space for it,” Chutes said. “We looked at every possible area, and the Student Union being the central hub, the heartbeat, it was the best location, we feel, for Starbucks. It also offered a good amount of square footage.” The extra space allows the new store to be one of the biggest Starbucks locations in the Richardson area, and makes up for the loss of the study lounge that was removed to make space. “It’s three times the number of seating in a regular Starbucks
off campus,” Chutes said. “That place where we are building the Starbucks is replacing what was a study lounge, so it was very important for us to keep the spirit of that place and have an area for students to sit and study in.” Staff openings for students will not be available by the time of the launch, but will be soon after. “The majority of the staff will be full-time staff, some of (whom) will have already worked at Starbucks,” Chutes said. “The director of retail has shared with me that once we open and hit the ground running, there will be (student) hiring opportunities, just like every other food service on campus.” Nidhi Patel, a senior in global business and supply chain management, has been a Starbucks Gold member since December, 2015. “I’m excited that there will be a Starbucks open past eleven, and that they kept the study space too,” she said. “It makes it more convenient and I won’t lose my parking to get a drink.”