The Mercury 8/1/16

August 1, 2016

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Officers reflect on weeks after shooting PAGE 5

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

Accessibility on campus Campus departments address difficulties of students with disabilities

Signs indicate exclusion zones around campus

NIDHI GOTGI Editor-in-Chief

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hen Mimi Newman was diagnosed with EhlersDanlos syndrome-Type III with Marfanoid characteristics, a disorder that leads to chronic joint pain, she withdrew herself from her surroundings to numb the shock of hearing about her condition — but it hurt more than it helped.

The arts and performance junior was 20 years old at the time of diagnosis and she said closing herself off from the world made her feel helpless.

“Being lonely is the most disabling feeling in the world and I deal with 24/7, nonstop chronic pain,” Newman said. “Feeling lonely and like you don’t have anybody … is not fun, especially in a situation where there aren’t that many people that are dealing with this.”

After coming to UTD in December 2014, she said she found a community that supported her and was attentive to her needs. Despite her positive experience on campus, the state of accessibility for students with disabilities continues to undergo changes and improvements. *** Newman, who’s from the U.K., had looked at 20 different schools, but said she chose UTD because the Office of Student AccessAbility offered her more accommodations than the other institutions she was considering.

“It’s very lonely moving out to a different country from your parents and everyone else so I really felt like I needed somebody who was going to fight

Campus carry takes effect Aug. 1

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

Vinyl signs near entrances to exclusion zones prohibit concealed carry.

NYEMIKE OKONKWO ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

Arts and performance junior Mimi Newman has found a supportive community at UTD since December 2014, but said she feels there is still room for improvement in terms of accessibility for students with disabilities.

in my corner for once,” Newman said. “I felt like (the) office here … could actually fight for me and give me the accommodations that I needed to succeed.”

OSA has arranged for Newman to have extra time on exams, an assigned caretaker to substitute for her in class if she’s not feeling well and had classrooms moved for her to make the commute between classes easier.

Although Newman said the OSA has given her tools to succeed at UTD, discussing her concerns and voicing her complaints to professors are issues she’s still working on.

“For me, I need to learn to

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

→ SEE ACCESS, PAGE 10

SG Senator Grant Branam (left) and Vice President Joey Campain are working to bring accessible Comet Cabs to campus as an on-call service for students using wheelchairs.

Mercury Staff

Signage has been posted on all areas on campus where the possession of a concealed firearm is prohibited in preparation for Senate Bill 11’s early August roll out.

SB 11 permits concealed handgun license holders to carry their concealed weapons on campus and into the general buildings of public universities and colleges in Texas starting Aug. 1. The law permits each public university in the state to establish exclusion zones that suit its respective communities. The UT System Board of Regents approved UTD’s proposed zones on July 13.

These exclusion zones are designated by 19 by 24 vinyl signs displayed near every public entrance of the zone. Exclusion areas include the Callier Centers in Richardson and Dallas, the Natural Science and

→ SEE CAMPUS CARRY, PAGE 10

UTD president shares goals Richard Benson speaks on growth at UTD, plans to integrate art with STEM New UTD President Richard Benson officially took office July 15. The Mercury sat down with Benson to discuss his vision for campus.

How are you settling into your new position on campus?

It’s great. I’ve gotten just a wonderful welcome here. I had a long time to get ready. I guess I was identified as the sole remaining candidate (for president) at the very end of January, if I’m not mistaken. And then it was made official by the Regents on Feb. 29. But from Feb. 29 all the way up to now, July 15, I’ve sort of been the heir apparent, but not in the job. I really moved into a transition after the middle of May. The welcome by the UTD community has been great. In the beginning, I could walk around campus and no one recognized me, which was fine. And now, if I walk around, more than a few people are starting to recognize me, but always in a really nice way.

What first got you interested in UTD? There were three things that brought me here. I preface this by saying, if I

wanted to stay in engineering education, I wouldn’t go anywhere, I would have just stayed at Virginia Tech. I was dean of a great college, great people. The first of the three reasons is I wanted to work across the whole of the university. And that’s something I’ve really wanted to do from the very beginning. So even when I was a brand-new assistant professor, I’d very willingly accept ad-hoc committee assignments that would get me beyond my department and college and I rather liked it.

The next reason is the amazing growth is very attractive. Anybody who’s going to be in any leadership role, you love to build things. Maintaining status quo or, God forbid, shrinking something is not much fun at all. And I probably wouldn’t pick up and leave to take on any kind of status quo job. But UTD isn’t just a little above average, it’s a lot above average. So it’s both very exciting, but it also makes me a little nervous, because when I look at the growth, especially over the time that David Daniel did the job, it’s just so utterly remarkable that I want to make sure I keep us on that trajectory.

And then the last one is by far the most specific. I have to roll the clock back. When I started my career, I went

to work for Xerox in a research position and I really liked it. I (taught) at the University of Rochester in the evening and I liked it. And it hit me I might want to be in academia. So I made the move. It was a little unsual in the day in that I built my research career in industry. I liked engaging with the folks who were at the cutting edge in the corporate world. The engagement with the local community has always been something that’s interested me a lot. UTD is really unusual in that it was created out of industry. Texas Instruments created the university.

But I love the metroplex. This is a very high tech community. It’s an artistic community. I knew, I could tell in my early conversations with the search committee, they were eager to have someone who would want to have a robust engagement with the local community.

What areas within research would you like to see UTD grow the most?

Sometimes it’s a little hard to know.

When I think about some of the most amazing things that have happened in the places I’ve been, in many cases it came up as a surprise. I didn’t see it

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

Richard Benson, a former dean of engineering at Virginia Tech, joined UTD on July 15. UTD’s growth and connections in the surrounding community are a part of what attracted Benson to the university.

coming. I’m a little hesitant to narrow it down just because I want to still get surprised as we go forward. In terms of what we’re doing five, 10 years from now, I’m not entirely sure. I’m a big believer in collective vision, so I think one of the best things I can ever do as president is try to be responsive to the really interesting things that come up — even if they’re unexpected. We have limited resources, so what you try to do is rather than be the visionary, try to be the person that helps realize the vision.

Do you have any plans to expand, not

just ATEC, but all the arts on campus?

I’d like to, I really would. We have a tech flavor, a STEM emphasis, although STEM only gets you so far. I’m a big believer in a well-rounded student and I know that may seem kind of contradictory coming from an engineer, but I’ve always been a little frustrated at the stereotype of engineers. That we’re narrow minded, and I would even say if you look at the best coming out of the engineering world, you will often see just spectacular

→ SEE PRESIDENT, PAGE 10

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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVII No. 22 Editor-in-Chief Nidhi Gotgi

editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294

Managing Editor Cara Santucci managingeditor @utdmercury.com (972) 883-2287

Ad Sales Representative Naima Abedin Sneha Ramashesha ads@utdmercury.com

Graphics Editor Hamid Shah

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Assistant Graphics Editor Chad Austin

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Photo Editor Andrew Gallegos

photo@utdmercury.com

News Editor Miriam Percival

news@utdmercury.com

Sports Editor Pablo Juarez

sports@utdmercury.com

Life & Arts Editor Bhargav Arimilli life@utdmercury.com

NEWS

THE MERCURY | AUG. 1, 2016

UTDPD Blotter July 5 • Two students were arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia at 7:37 p.m. in Phase 9.

July 6 • At 4:50 p.m. seven unaffiliated skateboarders were issued a criminal trespass warning.

July 10 • An unaffiliated female was arrested for a probation warrant and was given a criminal trespass warning at 2:58 a.m.

July 12 • At 6:20 p.m. three unaffiliated males were stopped for expired registration and given criminal trespass warnings for the campus.

July 13 • An unknown suspect took a construction lazer from the parking garage construction site between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

July 14 • A student reported that his laptop was stolen from the library between 12:30 p.m. and 9:00 pm.

July 26 • An unaffiliated male was issued a criminal trespass warning at 8:54 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

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Web Editor Bharat Arimilli

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LEGEND Contributors Bryar Bennett Jennifer Chi Ariana Hadden Anthony Inga Emma Mathes Alvin Nguyenly Nyemike Okonkwo Shannon Ramirez Kevin Vanhorn

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Media Adviser Chad Thomas

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OPINION

AUG. 1, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

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Clinton’s nomination sets precedent for women

Female candidate vying for role of president of United States could encourage more girls to assume leadership positions NIDHI GOTGI COMMENTARY

Women have come a long way in American politics since Victoria Woodhull became the first female to run for president of the United States in 1872. Last week, Hillary Clinton’s nomination for presidency by a major party launched women even further in their journey to find a place in American democracy.

Hillary Clinton’s life in the public eye has been riddled with controversy and scandal, not the least of which were the investigations into the Clintons’ dealings with the Whitewater Development Corporation, the 1998 revelation of Bill Clinton’s illicit relations with Monica Lewinsky and, most recently, Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email accounts as Secretary of State to conduct state affairs.

The emails, when they came to light, had a polarizing effect on Americans’ view of Clinton. The lack of transparency in her life cost her their trust, dropping her favorability ratings by a net 16 percent between 2012 and 2015, according to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center. Despite the effect those incidents had on her campaign,

Clinton has dealt with many attacks that wouldn’t have been a problem for male candidates.

When she ran for president in 2008, her merit was questioned by MSNBC’s host Chris Matthews, claiming that she was only being considered because of her affiliation with a former president.

In 2007, NBC analyst Howard Fineman probed how, as a woman, she would be able to handle matters of national security. And, just last week, Elizabeth Warren’s appearance in Clinton’s campaign in Cincinnati, Ohio left viewers discussing their matching blue pantsuits rather than their talking points.

During Bill Clinton’s first term as president, Hillary Clinton’s popularity dropped by 30 percent because she advocated for health care reform, according to Vox. In Bill Clinton’s second term, Hillary Clinton focused on public appearances, such as on magazine covers, which boosted her approval rating. This pattern shows how when relegated to a less influential role, Hillary Clinton becomes a more attractive public figure.

These sexist attacks have been characteristic of women’s rise to positions of influence. Four in 10 Americans agree women have to do more than men to prove themselves capable of assuming higher roles in politics or business, according to a Pew Research Center study in 2015. However, Clinton has endured

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS | COURTESY

Hillary Clinton made history as the first woman nominated for presidency by a major party in the United States on July 26.

these attacks while trying to fight for the office of the president of the United States, which some say is one of the most powerful seats in the world.

Despite what people’s political views and party affiliations are, one must recognize the historical impact of Clinton being the first woman to overcome those obstacles and becoming a presidential nominee for a major U.S. party.

This historic milestone will serve as inspiration for young women to strive

for greater heights and test the limits of their potential. Girls will be more likely to assume leadership positions in public service and try to make a difference in areas of society they find lacking when they see the example Clinton has set for them.

Bill Clinton’s description of Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention as someone who “has never been satisfied with the status quo on anything” and that “she always wants to move the ball forward” rang true when

she accepted her nomination.

With voting fast approaching in November, electing a female president is in the realm of possibility, heightening the scrutiny on female leaders everywhere. How Clinton handles this nomination and possibly the presidency will set an example for women around the world.

But for now, it’s enough to celebrate this achievement for women and recognize it as what it is — a historic moment.

‘Pokemon Go’ fosters community Game boosts interaction between students, forges unique connections CARA SANTUCCI COMMENTARY

HAMID SHAH | GRAPHICS EDITOR

COMET COMMENTS

“Pokemon Go” accomplished on campus in just a few short weeks what has long been missing at UTD — a cohesive sense of community.

The Pokemon Company and Niantic’s augmented reality game launched in the United States on July 6. Using an app on a smart phone, players can use Google maps to explore an area searching for the title creatures on the quest to catch them all.

Campus is a hub for “Pokemon Go.” UTD has over 25 Pokestops — locations where players can replenish on necessary items such as Pokeballs — and five gyms scattered throughout its property.

Before July 6, campus showed its usual summer sparseness. The few people you’d see walking around were hurrying to class, on a tour or attending a camp. Now, even during the hottest times of the day, students are out wandering with phones in hand, scanning the area for nearby Pokemon.

When campus cools down at night, even more people come out from apartments, homes and dorms to wander up and down the mall. But what’s really amazing is the friendly, helpful demeanor

How has “Pokemon Go” changed campus and its sense of community?

“Pokemon Go” players wear.

UTD’s student population has long been criticized for its apathy. Students don’t vote in student government elections, attend sporting events or participate in on-campus events. “Pokemon Go,” of all things, has made a dent in that signature UTD apathy.

At Residential Life’s event “Comets Go,” students actually came. For a summer event, turnout looked fairly good.

What was notable at this event was what is always noticeable at night when I’m out on a walk looking for Pokemon — students were freely interacting.

At night, students on campus walk around in groups. Some are boisterous about their team affiliation — whether Mystic, Valor or Instinct — genially shouting their pride at other groups of players walking around. Although the game divides players into three different teams, the sense of competition never reaches an aggressive level.

What’s more telling, however, is the willingness of other players to share tips and help people walking around searching for Pokemon. The other day, I was in search of the elusive Machop — which my game showed hiding behind ATEC. With the help of a passing student who had just caught the creature, I was able to find him.

I didn’t learn her name and she didn’t ask mine, but we connected for a brief moment, discussing the most interesting Pokemon we’d found on campus before setting off on our separate journeys.

A student modified an existing program to build a website hosting a map that shows the real-time location of all the Pokemon on campus. The map was then shared and dispersed through the UTD Reddit page, helping players locate the exact Pokemon they seek.

Another student created a Slack channel to connect players so they could coordinate times to meet up or share tips.

Through efforts such as the map and the channel, students are beginning to form connections with one another in a way that didn’t exist before. It doesn’t matter how old the student, what major he or she is, or where he or she lives, they are welcomed into the community.

“Pokemon Go” doesn’t solve the issue of apathy. The campus still could be — and should be — more involved and active. However, the community that is being constructed around a mutual love of “Pokemon Go” is doing wonders to connect students with one another, helping them feel welcome and invested in the university.

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“There’s a lot of (Pokestops) around here. It’s been a lot more active since Pokemon. I guess it’s been a lot of a shock because there’s been a lot of people coming out.”

“There’s a lot more random people walking in the night, that’s a difference. I know I’ve started conversations regarding ‘Pokemon Go’ because it’s just an easy starter.”

“I actually went on campus at 1 a.m. a few weeks ago and the entire campus was swarming with people. I’m pretty sure if I went back a few weeks ago and did (that), the campus would be like a ghost town.”

Anthony Gutierrez Mechanical Engineering Junior

Matteo Perez Biochemistry Sophomore

Leonard Chu Accounting Sophomore

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THE MERCURY | AUG. 1, 2016

NEWS

UTDMERCURY.COM

New food options come to campus Auxiliary Services brings five dining services, updates menus

Student Union, such as the separation of the potato portion of Create into its own area where Baal’s Spice Kitchen used to be , now to be called Smashed.

Five new dining services will come to UTD this fall Chutes said the price will remain the same, and that although there are set menu items, customers still thanks to the efforts of Auxiliary Services.

Director of Auxiliary Services Carrie Chutes and have the ability to create their own potato similar to Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services Bob that at Create.

“Every year we look at what’s working and what’s Fishbein said that they look forward to the implementation of the new dining services as well as new not, especially when it comes to operational efficiency and what we can do to get the people through the dining options.

In order to better cater to students with food al- line quicker,” Fishbein said. “We noticed that people lergies or specific diets, Dining Hall West will offer a ordering salads were slowed down by the people waitnew food station where the beans and greens used to ing for their potato, so by splitting up (the line), we be. The menu will consist of fully planned meals such think we got it.”

Auxiliary Services has added to their stationary as grilled chicken, vegan hominy and brown rice. All food options and to their mobile ones as well. Chutes of the options will be under 500 calories.

“Our new area is called Oasis and it will be just left said they interviewed multiple food trucks over the of the bakery,” Chutes said. “It will be a dedicated food summer to add to the variety of food choices.

“By having multiple trucks together it makes it more prep cooking station solely contained for gluten free of a destination spot, more of an atmosphere,” Fishbein and the eight major allergens.”

Just like Dining Hall West, The Pub is also receiv- said. “When it is just one truck, it gets tiring but when ing menu updates as well as bringing back old favor- there are multiple, it is now an atmosphere and it is now a place to go.” ites, such as queChutes said that sadillas and wraps. the qualifications There will also be We want to keep pushing and seefor the food trucks new dessert options ing how we can be more innovative to come to UTD available, such as and different. were set very high, cinnamon churros that they will and red velvet cake.

— Carrie Chutes, and be around Monday “We have a section Director of Auxiliary Services through Thursday on the menu called from 11 a.m. to 2 chopped or wrapped, p.m starting this and it’s basically your protein such as southern fried chicken, which also can fall. The cuisine will range from Asian to Italian, as be grilled as a gluten free option, and a salad, chicken well as offering a few dessert options and boba tea.

Caesar or chipotle chicken,” Chutes said. “We also The trucks will be parked between the Activity Center and the Visitor Center. have the addition of a smokey bean burrito.”

Fishbein said the new food trucks are contracted Auxiliary Services has also altered services in the ARIANA HADDEN Mercury Staff

JENNIFER CHI | MERCURY STAFF

Executive Catering Chef Elias Acosta (left) and Executive Chef Gene Christiano of Chartwells demonstrated the different options coming to Smashed, the new potato restaurant, at a tasting event on July 29.

and insured through their dining service partner, Chartwells, so as to provide consistency and properly handled food. He also said that these new options are decided solely by students’ opinions.

“This is not us going and changing the menu, it’s not just an emotional thing on our side,” Fishbein said. “We do have these focus groups and committee meetings. Carrie hosts most of them and that’s how we came up with these additional menu items.”

Chutes said that Auxiliary Services is in the final stages of preparing a marketing campaign, which they started last year during Welcome Week called Shop UTD. The campaign combines food and retail offered through Auxiliary Services, and will be represented with its own web page as well as on an app in

which students can receive deals and promos.

“We are going to have another Shop UTD event Aug. 29 as a part of Welcome Week from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the visitor center building,” Chutes said. “We will be debuting the new student catering menu. We want to get Student Government and representatives from student organizations to come.”

Last year, Auxiliary Services received the Innovator of the Year award. The dining services team will continue to build on that recognition and brainstorm new and healthier food options.

“We were fortunate to win an award last year and we won’t settle for that,” Chutes said. “We want to keep pushing and seeing how we can be more innovative and different.”

School introduces new undergraduate degree EPPS to add bachelor’s in public policy available to students this fall

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

Jennifer Holmes, the program head of political science in EPPS, was instrumental in the development of the new public policy bachelor’s degree. The program will blend elements of the international political economy degree with domestic issues.

NYEMIKE OKONKWO Mercury Staff

The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences has added a Bachelor of Science in public policy to its lineup of degree plans, making UTD the first public university in Texas to offer such a program.

The program is intended for individuals who will systematically analyze public policy issues such as education, health care and social welfare, and implement solutions based on qualitative and quantitative research. Students will be prepared for entrylevel analytical and administrative positions in a wide array of professional settings, according to the EPPS website.

Jennifer Holmes, program head of political science, spearheaded the movement to adopt a bachelor’s in public policy and said she believes the new degree plan takes on an interdisciplinary approach that combines some of the best qualities EPPS has to offer, while giving students of other seemingly unrelated disciplines an opportunity to earn a minor from the school.

“It takes the strength of economics and adds it to the more policy stuff, the political science, the more government-focused classes to create an ability for students to take that analytical strength and apply them to the pressing domestic policy challenges that we have,” Holmes said. “It could be environment, it could be education, it could be health care studies, it could be all sorts of different topics that people are interested in.”

The new public policy degree is the brainchild of an interdisciplinary program called International Political Economy launched by Holmes in 2007. The bachelor’s in public policy is designed to merge the globally oriented focus of International Political Economy with domestic issues.

Holmes said she believes topics with several moving parts like education and the environment don’t have clear-cut answers and thus require a certain level

of aptitude and ability.

“We call some of these things ‘wicked’ challenges. They’re really tough. (Students) need to have a more sophisticated set of skills to get certain answers,” Holmes said.

According to Holmes, establishing a new degree plan on campus is an arduous process. The proposal must travel through the dean, provost, Academic Senate, the Committee on Educational Policy and then to the state. The bachelor’s in public policy has been in the making for two years.

The only other universities in the state with the degree are Southern Methodist University, Rice University and Trinity University, which are all private. Holmes said she believes colleges and universities want to have a full slate of disciplines but are weary of wasting resources or unnecessary duplication.

“You have to kind of assess who the competition is. Is there a need that’s unmet and then there’s the whole financial aspect.” Holmes said. “These are lean times for higher (education) and we can’t propose this degree if we can’t afford to staff it.”

Earning a bachelor's requires 120 credit hours, of which includes 42 credit hours of core curriculum requirements, 54 credit hours of major requirements and 24 credit hours of electives. An accompanying minor is also mandatory.

The degree plan will not place an increased demand on existing faculty and students can begin accumulating the required credits immediately.

“This is what’s exciting about it, at least from the administrative costs side: these classes are already in existence with the exception of one,” Holmes said.

Students will be required to take a project-based capstone course at the end of the degree plan.

“It's fun talking to our students and seeing what they want and what kind of mix of existing offerings are more responsive to them and I think public policy is going to be good,” Holmes said.

CHAD AUSTIN | ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR

UTDMERCURY.COM

NEWS

THE MERCURY | AUG. 1, 2016

BROTHERHOOD IN

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High number of students fall for email scam

BLUE

UTD officers speak out about experiences in shooting’s aftermath

ISO to increase efforts to educate campus about internet safety CARA SANTUCCI Managing Editor

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

UTD Police Officer David Rue (left) was patrolling on campus on July 7 when the shooting in downtown Dallas occurred. Rue was one of many UTD officers who went downtown in the week after the shooting to guard the crime scene. He said although he was saddened by the incident, he wasn’t surprised.

CARA SANTUCCI Managing Editor

be that police officers were going to be killed just for wearing the badge.”

Back when Rue was attending college, he simultaneously worked for his campus police department. As a result, he’d attend his criminal justice classes decked out in full uniform.

“As far as being a part of the community, it’s something I was kind of taught in and educated in and raised in as an officer,” he said. “As far as being a police officer (with) an ‘us versus them’ type mentality, that’s not something that I had, personally.”

When Rue was scheduled to go downtown and guard the El Centro College block, he said he was vaguely concerned more shots would be fired.

“You have to be very alert,” he said. “We have to be worried about (getting shot) all the time, because I know there’re a lot of people right now … ready to shoot me because I’ve got a badge on.”

the crime scene downtown. She said their job was to keep civilians away from where the investigation was happening.

“A lot of us did volunteer to help,” she said. “A lot of people came up to us to ask questions and, unfortunately, there’s a lot of things we didn’t know.”

Monitoring the block around El Centro College, where five people in her same profession lost their lives, was a little nerve-racking, she said.

“In this job … no matter what you do, if you’re not scared, then there’s probably something wrong,” Fernandez said. “That doesn’t mean you don’t do it, that doesn’t mean you don’t go, but everyone is going to be scared. It’s just how you handle it.”

UTD Police Officer Miqueas Figueroa lost someone he knew when Dallas police officers were targeted at a shooting downtown about a month ago.

Although the Dallas community has worked to heal and look to the future, Figueroa said both he and the city still need more time.

“The civilians that were injured in the shooting … didn’t realize how something that was peaceful and something that was exercised as an American right was turned so violent and brutal,” he said. “It’s history. But it’s going to take some time to overcome this.”

On the night of July 7, his wife called him to tell *** him the news that five officers were shot and killed at the Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Dallas.

Kendrick Johnson, another officer, used to work “My heart just felt heavy,” Figueroa said. “And at for the DART police force. He was that moment, I wished there was somecontacted by a friend who works for thing I could have done. I felt helpless. the DART PD the night of the inciI wanted to suit up and go downtown My heart just felt heavy. And at that moment, I dent. and I wanted to do whatever I could to wished there was something I could have done. I felt Johnson knew three of the slain help.” officers personally. One of them Going forward, he said he thinks helpless. I wanted to suit up and go downtown and had trained him when he was at the Dallas will be stronger and maybe have I wanted to do whatever I could to help.

DART academy. more faith in the police.

“As a black police officer — my fel“It’s made people … realize and ap— UTD Police Officer Miqueas Figueroa low training officer (who was killed) preciate just a little more about what was a white guy, but he was a good we do. I think a lot of people have been man. … I shed tears for him,” he said. blinded because of what’s on the meIn Rue’s opinion, part of the problem is the media’s “He was a friend and he didn’t deserve that. None dia,” he said. “One person does something bad and it tarnishes everyone else. … If there are bad cops, it’s a portrayal of police officers — specifically only report- of them did.”

Johnson keeps in regular contact with a Black ing the extreme, negative examples. very small percentage.”

“I think a lot of time the feelings or thoughts Lives Matter supporter he met once at a DenWhile the UTD police department hasn’t had an official meeting to discuss the shooting, the officers people receive after watching individual stories leave ny’s. He said, after long conversations about continue to talk about the incident, healing through them deceived of what’s really happening,” he said. what cops and BLM each want, they both wish community support and guessing what it means for “Right now, I think there are tensions that are really each other safety.

“He’s just worried that someday he’s going to run high. … I think there’s not a good understanding of the future of their profession. what the law requires in certain circumstances and I into (a) particular cop that’s going to shoot him and think sometimes we snap to judgment based on clips kill him. So we both have the same argument, I just *** don’t think both sides are listening,” he said. “At the posted on the internet.” end of the day, that’s what everyone wants to do.

After the incident, Officer David Rue said he was Just hear my side of the story. You might not under*** saddened, but not surprised. stand it, but let me just express how I feel.”

“Being from Ilinois, I’m near the Ferguson area,” Somer Fernandez, along with other UTD PD ofhe said. “I saw the outcry and everything that was Additional reporting by Bhargav Arimilli going on with that. I knew the next step was going to ficers, helped the Dallas Police Department guard

Due to a recent spike in fraudulent emails coming to UTD accounts, the Information Security Office has increased its efforts to teach internet safety to students.

The emails — referred to as “phishing” scams — bore the UTD logo and requested recipients, specifically students, enter their usernames, passwords or other confidential information into a malicious website.

“This one was rather clever,” said Andy Cummings, UTD’s information security analyst. “I think a lot of younger folks are not really familiar with the dangers that phishing pose. … They tend to trust a little bit too much.”

Cummings said although most students did not believe the email, about 20 did. On an average week, only three or four fall victim. For the ones that gave their information, the “phisherman” immediately used their accounts to send out more spam.

“We shut it down fairly quickly, but unfortunately people still were responding to the email,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how many technical measures we had in place, the big danger and the big flaw is always the human element.”

The ISO changed the password of the students’ accounts that had been compromised, expecting them to call the eLearnNATE HOWE ing help desk on campus to log on to their account.

Nate Howe, the chief information security officer, said about 90 percent of the emails that arrive at UTD are screened and immediately thrown away because they're obviously spam.

“It’s a step in the right direction, but there’s still the occasional message that’s good enough that it makes it through,” he said. “Our next step is hoping our users, who have that awareness, start reporting it to us.”

Part of the problem with the recent uptick in phishing, Howe said, is students lacking the training the ISO provides faculty and staff. He said because it is difficult to get students to come to a seminar about internet safety, the office instead focuses on community outreach to teach.

Awareness and Outreach Manager Stephenie Edwards concentrates on creating programming for students. Because students’ schedules are so variable, the office has used posters, flyers and boothing to educate.

“We can’t always just get in front of (students),” she said. “There’s not a faculty member saying, ‘I’d really like for you to come to my class and talk to my students about phishing.’”

This fall, she said, the office has considered designing a game offering prizes for students recognizing and reporting examples of email scams. Additionally, Edwards manages the office’s Facebook page, reporting the most recent schemes to look out for.

“Students are kind of in an interesting group because they’ve grown up with phishing,” she said. “It doesn’t make them angry. And that’s something we need to change culturally on campus. Scams and phishing waste your time, they sometimes trick you and they sometimes take your information.”

When fraudulent websites are discovered by the ISO, they block that URL on the school’s internet.

However, Howe said, if a student accesses the website without UTD’s WiFi, he or she is unprotected.

Next, the ISO contacts the entity hosting the web page and requests it be taken down — which can take up to 24 hours to do.

“Unfortunately, at that point, we’re playing against the clock,” Howe said. “That first 24 hours is very critical to get the word out. … As more people join that conversation and become the eyes and the ears to help the security office, then now it’s not just the security office but it’s the whole community saying, ‘We’re not going to put up with that.’”

Cummings echoed Howe’s sentiments, encouraging students to reach out to the ISO. “We like being a spoke in bad guys’ wheels,” he said. “For people to join us in that effort would be huge.”

SIGNS OF EMAIL PHISHING: • • • • • ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

President Barack Obama shook the hand of Dallas Police Chief David Brown to thank him for his leadership in the face of tragedy when Obama visited the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on July 12.

Police attended the Back the Blue BBQ on July 21 on the Plinth.

About 344 people attended the event, collecting about $4,000 for the Fallen Officer Fund.

Urgency in an email Typos/bad grammar Irregular formatting Irregular or mismatching URLs Requesting personal information over the internet SOURCE | ANDY CUMMINGS, ISO

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AUG. 1, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

LIFE&ARTS

Club benefits children of cancer patients Alumnus

UTD’s chapter of Camp Kesem to provide children summer activities such as crafts, sports, songs

applies to NASA UTD geoscience graduate aims for selective NASA opportunity

HAMID SHAH | GRAPHICS EDITOR

UTD students Kimberly Fiock and Dave Guiterrez co-founded Camp Kesem to provide a support group and social outlet for children.

ARIANA HADDEN Mercury Staff

Defeat overwhelmed five-year-old Kimberly Fiock as her mother left for the doctor. It was just like every time her mother left, she would come back in pain and there was nothing she could do about it. Her mother had been receiving chemotherapy treatment for her breast cancer for about six months.

As Fiock got older, she said she learned more about what her mother went through, and the hardest part was that she felt like her hands were tied.

“I just remember feeling really helpless,” Fiock said. “Because you don’t really know what cancer is, but you know your parent is sick and you can’t do anything to help.”

Fiock didn’t have an external support system at the time. To help other children avoid that, she got involved with Kesem, an organization that runs camps across the country to offer a supportive community to children aged 6 to 16 with parents who are fighting cancer.

“I went through exactly what they’re going through, so it’s cool for me,” Fiock said. “It really connects with me in that I am these kids. I am a child of a cancer survivor.”

Kesem put up advertisements on campus to begin a new chapter at UTD. The first year of the camp will be run by neuroscience junior Kimberly Fiock and accounting sophomore Dave Gutierrez. With the help and guidance of the Regional Program Director, Ciara Lepanto, Fiock and Gutierrez said they aim to have a successful first year of camp.

“Camp Kesem is a nationwide community driven by passionate college student leaders that support children through and beyond their parent’s cancer,” Lepanto said.

“Our mission is to support children … with innovative, fun-filled programs that foster a lasting community.”

Fiock said she first became interested in the camp after seeing a flyer advertising the opportunity for a new chapter of Kesem at UTD. After contacting the program, she learned of the director position and quickly applied.

“It’s like an escape for kids,” Fiock said. “For a week

they get to just be kids and they don’t have to think about their parents being sick or their responsibilities at home or anything like that.”

Gutierrez said that his involvement in Kesem came from a love for summer camps and the service that Kesem provides is an added plus.

“I love being able to work towards a goal that is much greater than myself,” Gutierrez said. “What Camp Kesem stands for is something truly great. The better good of others is something I will always fight for, and getting involved in Kesem was one of the easiest decisions I’ve made.”

Throughout the establishment of the UTD chapter, Fiock and Gutierrez said Lepanto has been there to guide and ensure the success of the new chapter, matching that of other established chapters.

“As a program director, my number one goal is for my chapters to put on an amazing camp that serves as many campers as possible while ensuring that they are all safe, respected and loved,” Lepanto said. “If we can make that happen this summer, I will be a happy camper.”

Even though the actual camp will not be held until the summer of 2017, Fiock has already begun planning activities and interviewing people for positions.

The chapter needs a year of preparation and training before the camp can be held.

“It will be a year-long commitment, it will be both semesters, and then the camp runs for a week in the summer following,” Fiock said.

Despite it being the inaugural year of the program, Fiock said she has high hopes for Kesem’s success in the UTD community. She already has activities planned for the camp such as arts and crafts, water activities, sports and camp songs.

“Since it will be our first year, I definitely want to have a full camp. That’s our goal,” Fiock said. “We’re shooting for around 50 kids, which is a lot because we as a chapter will fundraise and pay for the camp for all the kids. My biggest goal is to make us a full camp with full staff and make us a really successful chapter right off the bat.”

With expectations just as high, Gutierrez said that

he is equally excited and eager for the first year of the UTD chapter.

“I hope that our camp can get up and running as fast as possible,” Gutierrez said. “I look forward to picking a great group of coordinators and members, and I am excited to start fundraising as soon as possible. My goal as a director is to always be there for every member in the organization, and I would like it to be one of the most well-oiled machines on campus.”

As co-directors, Fiock and Gutierrez said they utilize their involvement on campus through Collegium V, the Terry Scholars program and Greek Life to bring attention to the program and influence people to sign up to help.

“We oversee everything,” Fiock said. “We have a board of coordinators who have specific positions and so we oversee all of those positions so we help basically with every aspect like finding a camp, recruiting kids, helping fundraise so that these kids can go to camp, marketing our organization to the community. We basically wear all different hats.

Every position has its own hat, and Dave and I get to wear like 30 different hats at once.”

Although there is a lot of pressure to ensure the first year is successful, Gutierrez said that he is not worried about not having enough people sign up to help.

“I believe that due to our cause being such a well-known problem, we will have plenty of people ready to get involved as soon as possible,” Gutierrez said. “If you're asking me, I am going to tell you that you joining this organization will not only change your life, but it is going to change the life of someone who desperately needs it.”

As co-director, Fiock said she feels prepared for the upcoming year and looks forward to kick-starting the program.

“I am super excited. I am already planning everything out and we’re already in the process of looking for campsites and going through our training,” she said. “It’s really exciting that this school year hasn’t even started yet and we’re already getting a jump start. It makes me so proud to be a part of the (UTD) community.”

Q&A: NASA Astronaut, UTD Alum UTD graduate Jim Reilly completed his doctorate in geoscience in 1995. He then went on to join NASA. During his 13 years at the organization and three space missions, Reilly traveled over 14 million miles in space and completed 31 hours of spacewalk time. He is now an instructor for the U.S. Air Force in Colorado and is the only astronaut who is also an honorary U.S. Marshal.

How did you become interested in becoming a NASA astronaut? How did the opportunity open up?

When I went back to school I was looking at getting my degree and becoming an airline pilot. Working in the geosciences department, a research assistant asked if I wanted to get my masters and go to the Antarctic. In the middle of that a friend of mine called and said they were looking for a job at an oil company called Santa Fe Minerals, I then worked for them for 17 years running all over the world. It was some really neat work which led to my dissertation. I then got my Ph.D. at UTD in 1995. (In 1985) I had decided I was going to try and apply for the astronaut program. I put in my first application and continued to do that until 1994 when they called me in for an interview and then I was called December 7, 1994 to join in March of 1995.

So you did over 31 hours of spacewalks during your time at NASA, what was that like?

For the space flights that we were doing, we were assembling the International Space Station and we were essentially high altitude construction workers.

We trained a lot to get ready for a single mission.

It takes between seven to nine months of intensive

JIM REILLY | COURTESY

Jim Reilly (left) earned his Ph.D. in geoscience from UTD in 1995. He became interested in NASA’s astronaut program in 1984 and submitted applications every year until 1994, when he was called to join.

training, in terms of actually going outside (the space station), the only thing I can truly remember being apprehensive about is not wanting to screw it up. The only thing going through my head was what I needed to do to keep in sync with my spacewalk partner. I really didn’t have time to get nervous about any of that and even if I did I probably wouldn’t because I was surprised on my first launch I thought I’d be kind of

nervous, because when strapping yourself to three and a half million pounds worth of explosives you’d think to be smart enough to be a little nervous, but the reason I think is that by the time you get there you’re trained so well that you can do anything (because) you’re trained to do it. The only time I was

→ SEE ASTRONAUT, PAGE 7

JOHN THURMOND | COURTESY

John Thurmond (right) was inspired by astronaut and alumnus Jim Reilly (center), whom he met while working on the geoscience Homecoming parade float. Thurmond is following in Reilly’s footsteps by applying for NASA’s astronaut program following his long career in the oil industry.

MIRIAM PERCIVAL News Editor

Alumnus John Thurmond is applying to the NASA astronaut program for the first time. He was inspired by former NASA astronaut and alumnus Jim Reilly whose similar background and experience encouraged Thurmond to pursue his dream.

Last year was the first time Thurmond was able to apply to the program since moving back to the United States after a decade abroad in Norway doing exploration research for Statoil.

“It’s something that I never thought would happen and I still don’t think it will happen,” he said.

“But when the announcement came out, I noted that I met all of the requirements and I thought, ‘Why not, what’s the harm?’”

When he was a graduate student at UTD, Thurmond recalls meeting Reilly when he participated in the geoscience club’s homecoming parade float.

Reilly’s similar interest in geoscience and involvement in the oil industry, like Thurmond, encouraged him to apply to the program.

“Normally I would’ve thought (I had) no chance, but since I met all of the requirements and I was similar to an astronaut that I had met, I thought I don't rate my ‘why not?’” Thurchances very mond said. high, but it’s one At this point, he is waiting on of those things a response from that to have a NASA. He applied in January and said rejection letter it takes between six is a pretty cool to nine months to thing to have. hear back.

“I would be e n o r m o u s l y — John Thurmond, pleased to make it geoscience alumnus past the first step and just get an interview,” he said. “I don’t rate my chances very high, but it’s one of those things that to have a rejection letter is a pretty cool thing to have.”

Even if Thurmond doesn’t get accepted this time, he said that he wouldn’t give up hope.

“One of the things that people will tell you about applying to the astronaut program is if you’re really serious about it, you should apply more than one time,” he said.

Thurmond also credits UTD with his success.

“UTD laid a better foundation for me than I imagined it would as an undergraduate,” he said.

“I went on to grad school at MIT, and found that I was fully prepared to cope with that, giving me the confidence that anything was within my reach, if I were willing to work for it — even becoming an astronaut.”

Thurmond said he plans to keep building his resume with additional certifications, like a pilot’s license, so the next time the program opens up, he can show improvement.

“I work in exploration for an oil company now,” he said. “I explore in everything I do and the opportunity to explore on that scale would not be something I would pass up.”

UTDMERCURY.COM → ASTRONAUT

LIFE&ARTS

program. A friend of mine who taught how to speak in public said, ‘If you have a problem let me know and I can set you up with something.’ ever really apprehensive was on my performance, I went out and did a couple of presentations for I was more worried about if I could keep up or if the geological society, which is actually the most I did something wrong or a mistake somewhere challenging audience I could ever put myself in that would cost money, time or worse, hopefully front of. But it wasn’t as good as I would like it to be so I called him and said, “Hey, I really need never the case, someone’s life. to find a venue where I can do something a little Do you miss being an astronaut and going on space bit different and get some practice.” So I got into contact with the head of the U.S. Marshal’s trainmissions? Would you do it again? ing for all 94 districts and he said I have three I would do it again, possibly, but one of the presentations for you to make, so I did that, and things about spaceflight is that once you advance it turns out all of the chief deputies, these are to the next tier in performance and you get to the all of the deputies that run the offices in all 94 max, you’re just doing things over again. I was at districts, so these are very senior people and I’m that point in my third mission. The requirements standing in front of them and it resonated. In the both mentally and physically to get ready for the course of all of this I tell my friend … that I had flight after you’re losing some of that challenge a great, great grandfather who was a deputy in is a bit more difficult to accept and at that point the western district of Arkansas. They then asked you have to make a decision if you want to stay if they could send America’s Star, as they call it, or if you want to leave. But people say, ‘Do you to space with me and I said, ‘Sure I’d love to do miss NASA?’ and I look back and say I don’t miss that.’ The director of the marshal service, Louie the experience of being there in terms of meeting McKinney, came down to Houston and swore me and such because it is a lot of work, and at times in as an honorary U.S. Marshal and that was a lot more than what it’s like any othI expected. So er job. But what on my second I really miss I was lucky to have some really inspiand third flight though are the I flew America’s rational professors that I had that chalpeople. We were Star in space part of one huge lenged me to work harder than what with both my self-motivated I would normally have done. ... They credentials as and high pera U.S. Marshal forming team, I made it possible for me. and a badge do miss that. In that has about fact there was a 10 and a half transition commillion miles ing back out of — Jim Reilly, on it. that into the real world and havUTD alumnus and NASA astronaut Do you have ing to experience anything else you a much broader want to add? perspective of human performance. I remember being flabbergasted when someone said, ‘I’ll take care of this One of the things that would not have alpart’ and then they didn’t do it. To me I miss the lowed me to become an astronaut if I hadn’t people a lot, it’s good to see them and it’s like be- experienced would be all of the people there ing at home with people when you get a chance to at UTD particularly all of the professors that meet up with them.

I had that challenged me to work harder than what I would have normally done. They were In addition to being an astronaut, you are also an instrumental in my success, because they actuhonorary U.S. Marshal. How did that happen? ally believed in me. They know you can do well so they give you the projects that allow you to A big part of what we do as astronauts, as you excel and have fun. I was lucky enough to have might imagine, is a lot of public speaking. And I some really inspirational professors there and have the fear of getting up and speaking in pub- instructors. They made it possible for me. lic. So I was battling that when I first got into the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

THE MERCURY | AUG. 1, 2016

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AUG. 1, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

SPORTS

Home away from home Transfer student-athletes acclimate to change in scenery, team dynamic PABLO JUAREZ Sports Editor

Like many other second-year college athletes, Zavier Landry and Mitch Barati were at a crossroads. It was time for them to decide where they wanted to continue their athletic careers.

Zavier Landry, a senior guard for the women’s basketball team, came to UTD last season as a transfer athlete from Cisco Community College. She said it was a decision that carried enormous weight and BARATI one that began with a simple phone call.

It was just “Well, first I got the call from UTD about going from coach Polly out and play(Thomason) and ing baseball she wanted me to come play basketand having fun. ball, so I had to That’s what the think about that,” Landry said. “I year really was had to not only for me. think about the — Mitch Barati, school, but I also baseball catcher had to think about the players. Every coach is different, every player, every game, every league is different. All of that was in the back of my mind.”

Landry knew that she didn’t want to leave Texas, so she never seriously considered offers to play in any other state. Although in Texas, she said her transition to UTD wasn’t one with-

out obstacles. She said there were moments where she had to rethink her approach to the transfer and had to adjust accordingly.

“On the court, my team is my team no matter who I’m playing with and I was always brought up like that,” she said.

“Off the court, I kind of put a shield up and I may not have a strong relationship with some players as I do on the court. I’m a homebody. I love staying in the house, but (my teammates) made me feel comfortable to where I could be myself around them and that was always my problem. I would think about how other people would look at me and that shield would just come up and I would go back to my shell, but this team has made the experience at UTD worthwhile.”

Because her grades had dropped so low, Landry wasn’t COMET SPORTS | COURTESY able to finish out the rest of last year’s basketball season. She said Senior guard Zavier Landry came to UTD as a transfer student from Cisco Community College. Although she said moving teams was an adjustment, the women’s basketball team made the switch worthwhile. it was a trying time and one that required some self-reflection.

“That kind of took a toll on me (because) I from this season and his former coach at Lake comfortable with the team was a bit more complicated due to the sheer number of players on came from a place where school was first and Sumter Community College.

Barati received attention from colleges in his the roster. Barati said what made the year truly then basketball. But when I got here I was so worried about the team (and) the games (that) home state of Florida, but ultimately decided to enjoyable were the expectations he faced entering I wasn’t focusing on the academic side,” Landry come play at UTD. During his transition, he said the season.

“My biggest advantage coming in that I liked said. “The (academic) pace here is so much … the biggest hurdle he had to face was overcoming the most was that I came in with no expectafaster. It was hard because I didn’t try and I had the distance from home.

“I’ve never really played that far from home,” tions,” he said. “I was just an out-of-state kid who to realize that I had to learn my lesson, I stayed in the library and made sure that I did everything he said. “All the other schools I’ve been at were at didn’t really know anyone. It was just about going most an hour away from my family. I called and out and playing baseball and having fun. That’s in order to play next fall.” what the year really was for me.”

For Mitch Barati, a senior catcher for the texted my family more than I usually did.”

Getting acquainted with the coaching staff was baseball team, his path to UTD stemmed from a mutual connection between his pitching coach a relatively quick process for Barati but getting

Former college players join coaching staff Softball, women's basketball make assistant coaching hires with Division I pedigree, ASC experience

RAYN HOUSE | COURTESY

NATALIE MARLOWE | COURTESY

New assistant softball coach and head cross-country coach Rayn House (left) played softball at Texas State’s Division I program. Natalie Marlowe, the new assistant women’s basketball coach and assistant women’s golf coach played at Chicago State University.

PABLO JUAREZ Sports Editor

Despite the off-season, the women’s basketball and softball programs have kept busy making assistant coaching hires to bolster their coaching staffs.

Natalie Marlowe and Rayn House were officially announced in late June as the new assistant women’s basketball and softball coaches, respectively. Both assumed their duties in early July.

Marlowe brings with her ample Division I experience at both the playing and coaching level, having been a former four-year starter at Chicago State University and serving as an assistant coach at the University of the Incarnate Word prior to coming to UTD. Marlowe will also serve as the assistant women’s golf coach. However, she said her first day on the job wasn’t a typical one.

“Polly (Thomason) threw me into camp right away,” Marlowe said. “If you haven’t worked camp you wouldn’t understand how chaotic it can be. …

I was running around like a crazy person, but it was awesome and I had a lot of fun.”

When deciding on her next coaching destination, Marlowe said she factored in the prospect of having a better work-life balance at a Division III school

because of its emphasis on on-court and off-court UTD police chief, who’s been a huge supporter of issues, and ultimately decided to stay in Texas due to women’s basketball, made sure to call me out in the recruiting ties she had developed in her previous front of everybody before his presentation and kind of gave the women’s basketball team a plug,” she said. coaching tenures.

She also said another draw to UTD was head “So that was pretty cool, just to know and feel really coach Polly Thomason’s philosophy — which closely welcomed on campus.”

Almost a year removed from hiring head coach matched her own.

“First and foremost, the one thing that (Thomason) Rich Wieligman, the softball program continues to and I both connected on is how much we care for and add talent to their front line. Rayn House officially became the program’s about the kids that new assistant softwe’re coaching,” she I really feel like UTD is the closest ... ball coach on July said. “That’s been one 5. She will also serve thing that has always to getting the Division I college expeas the women’s head driven me — trying rience alongside the Division III softcross-country coach. to get the most out She spent the last of the kids that you’re ball experience. two seasons gaining coaching. Obviously — Rayn House, exposure to the ASC it’s rewarding for them but for us (as assistant softball coach with the LeTourneau Yellow Jackets and well) to look back previously played for and know that we’ve made a difference or impacted their lives not only on Texas State’s Division I softball program. She found out about UTD’s open position from a mutual connection. the court but off as well. That’s huge in my eyes.”

“At the very first of the summer, I finished my Marlowe said she has already experienced UTD’s welcoming, familial atmosphere in her short time here. graduate assistantship at LeTourneau University,” she “When I had my orientation for new hires, the said. “Between some contacts that Coach Wieligman

and I both had, our names crossed paths and everything really just fell into place.”

House had actually never been on UTD’s campus prior to her initial interview. She said she was blown away on her first visit, but what really sold her was the opportunity of working under Coach Wieligman and the university’s combination of academia and athletics.

“The vibe and atmosphere of campus I think is phenomenal,” she said. “From the recruiting side of it, sometimes it’s hard when you don’t have the resources. With everything that UTD has to offer both to us coaches and for sure to student-athletes, it’s a great place to recruit to. I really feel like UTD is the closest I’ve ever been to getting the Division I college experience alongside the Division III softball experience. It’s a wonderful combination and I really enjoy recruiting that way.”

Throughout the interview process, House said that her faith helped narrow down her choices and steer her to UTD. “My faith is something that’s extremely important to me, so throughout the interview process I prayed about it and made sure that I was keeping my eyes open to every aspect of every place I visited,” she said. “I really look forward to getting to work with the kids as closely as I have gotten to work with the athletic staff.”

COMICS&GAMES

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POKEMOM

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LIFE OF TEMOC

TRUE INTENTIONS

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“For me, I need to learn to be pushier, but sometimes being pushy when you’re a level below somebody not only professionally but also physically, it’s really hard to say, ‘I don’t think what you just did was fair,’ so I have to work on that,” she said.

Newman said she feels supported by OSA and the arts and performance faculty, but feels the school isn’t focusing on issues important to students with disabilities, especially when it comes to construction.

Some pressing issues she pointed out were that the restrooms in the Erik Jonsson Academic Center are not accessible because of the heavy doors and little space to turn a wheelchair in a bathroom stall. The green bus stop shelter near the JSOM roundabout only has space for one wheelchair user at a time, so if it rains, a second user would be caught in the shower, she said.

Kerry Tate, the director of OSA, said she hears concerns like these but stressed that the size of the project affects the amount of time it takes to address the complaint. However, the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance ensures that every complaint voiced on the Americans with Disabilities “Report a Barrier” form on its website is addressed, Tate said. *** Newman also highlighted the difficulty of getting from the Erik Jonsson Academic Center to Green Hall for someone using a wheelchair, and although the route is long, Director for Physical Plant Services for Facilities Management Kelly Kinnard said mapping safe paths to get around construction is factored into planning a project.

“It’s UTD’s responsibility to make sure that we

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Engineering Research Laboratory, the Bioengineering and Sciences Building, the Center for BrainHealth, all residence halls, Recreation Center West and Dining Hall West.

Students licensed for concealed carry may have a firearm in their housing unit of the University Village apartments, but they’re required to store the weapon in an approved safe when it’s not carried on their person.

UTD’s policy includes other guidelines in addition to exclusion zones. For instance, some of UTD’s buildings and rooms have a variety of uses at different times throughout the year. License holders are restricted from carrying concealed handguns in these areas in the presence of school children, in patient care facilities and in disciplinary hearings.

Open carry is not allowed and any carrier who intentionally or inadvertently displays or makes it noticeable

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have accessible pathways,” Kinnard said. “Sometimes they’re a little more circuitous than we would prefer but ultimately we do provide a pathway. It may not be the most direct route, but it will be ADA compliant.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and the Texas Accessibility Standards are followed to ensure compliance with construction projects, and the stricter code is applied in cases where guidelines differ, Kinnard said.

Neither ADA nor TAS requires automated doors to be installed in buildings for handicap access, which is why they’re missing on older buildings on campus. Kinnard said the design for newer buildings will consistently include auto doors.

“In all of our new projects, even though it’s not code, we put them in because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “If it’s an older building, one that does not currently have one, if someone wants one, we can put one in for them. It’s typically paid for by that department.”

Student Government Senator Grant Branam said the Comet Cab facility wasn’t providing the same service to students with disabilities, so last summer he worked with other SG members and OSA to bring an accessible Comet Cab onto campus.

“We thought, ‘There needs to be some sort of service or way that we can ensure that people who have wheelchairs … (can) get around campus,’” he said.

“We started talking about having the equivalent of a Comet Cab and we looked into … what other schools were doing and what was right for our campus.”

After discussing it with administration, one accessible Comet Cab was brought to campus in January, but issues arose when it didn’t meet the weight requirements to support a wheelchair user.

The accessible Cab is also different in that it won’t follow the designated routes and is instead an

on-call service.

“We don’t have that many students on our route that need to take advantage of the service but we want to have the service for the students, so making it on-call allows it not to get lost just in the general routes,” said Joey Campain, the SG vice president.

If Cab drivers notice a student on their route who needs an accessible Comet Cab, they call the Parking and Transportation office to have it sent to the location. As of now, there isn’t a formal process for the students themselves to request the Cab other than by calling the parking office.

Campain said once the weight issues are resolved and proper testing is done, the service would be formally announced and promoted both through SG and OSA. *** Despite the difficulties construction and other aspects of campus life pose for students with disabilities, Newman said the UTD community has been attentive to her needs.

“This school has done so much for me,” she said. “I’m so supported by most of the professors here. … I don’t want to complain. … They fight for me.”

In the last four months, Newman’s health has deteriorated, so she’s nervous about starting classes this fall, but said she knows the campus community and the resources it offers will support her and put her fears to rest.

“I’m a 4.0 student,” she said. “I don’t want the reason (it drops) to be my health. That’s a stupid reason for me to have to think that I’ve not done the best I can. It’s scary. From my semesters at UTD, I’m confident that they will work with me to get to where I need to be."

that they’re carrying a firearm will be subject to disciplinary review. CHL holders must carry their firearm in a secure holster on their person or in a storage unit that is under the person’s control at all times.

Alex Piquero, the associate dean for graduate programs in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, serves as the chairman of the Campus Carry Working Group and the Implementation Task Force.

Piquero has worked to help put the new law into effect at UTD. “There are two goals. One is to implement SB 11 because that’s what we legally have to do. Secondly, and I think equally as importantly, is to do everything we can to ensure the safety and security of faculty, staff, students and guests of this university,” Piquero said.

UTD Police Chief Larry Zacharias said he believes the new law will have no discernable effect on the UTD community.

“They didn’t change who can get a license, they didn’t change the process, so there’s nothing really

in this law that will spur people to go out and get a license if they didn’t already have one,” Zacharias said.

Zacharias acknowledged that a portion of the UTD community is troubled by SB 11, but encourages the campus to understand many students at UTD are prohibited from gun ownership because they are either under the age of 21 or are not permanent residents of the United States.

Information on campus carry is provided at every new employee, freshman and transfer orientation and the UTD police are there to help dispel any concerns, Zacharias said.

“Any student organization that wants to have a representative from the police department come talk to their group about it in a more formal setting, we’d be happy to schedule that,” he said.

Zacharias said he believes it is important for the UTD community to develop a deeper understand of their CHL-holding neighbors.

“Most CHL owners don’t carry their weapon with

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creativity, even artistry, in it. I want our liberal arts programs to be strong. This is a university, not a technical institute.

What steps can we take to integrate art into the STEM on campus?

First of all, you can look around the country to places that do it rather well. Sometimes you do it just in the most obvious of ways. You put things in close proximity to one another. So one of the things that I hope we might do as we see new construction come forward is maybe we can see spaces for art in those buildings, no matter what the purpose of the building is.

Can you tell us about your opinions on campus carry?

I was watching the UTD policy take shape from afar. I think UTD has done a good job. I think the committee has done a good job. I think it’s a good thing that each campus was permitted to come up with its own policies. You do see some variations from one campus to another. ... What I asked the working group to do was, in essence, do one more service to the university. I’ve asked them to reconvene and assess after Aug. 1 how our policy is playing out and if there are ways we might make improvements. I’ve also asked them to look at other schools in the UT system to see if there are best practices that we might want to borrow. I think we have a good plan, I think we launched it as well as we could’ve. But there’s always possibility for improvement.

them all the time and when they do they usually don’t want people to know that they’re armed,” Zacharias said.

Eric Bruno, a member of the Texas chapter of Students for Concealed Carry, also said he believes the campus will not experience noticeable change.

Bruno said he hopes UTD students develops a richer understanding of their peers who choose to bring their firearms to campus.

“The person that does not know anything about license to carry owners should know that they are law abiding.

They’re serious and committed to it,” Bruno said.

Piquero and the Campus Carry Working Group will monitor the impacts of SB 11 on the UTD community. Any concerns will be brought to the attention of the Working Group and adjustments may be made to the policy that prioritizes the safety and security of the campus.

“I personally don’t want this wonderful campus to change and we have tried to do every single thing we can possibly do to make sure that happens,” Piquero said.