The Mercury 3/6/17

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March 6, 2017

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DACA students respond to SB4

Students engaged at bball game

DreamWorks artists discuss “Boss Baby”

THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

‘A NEED FOR AWARENESS’

Northside’s Phase 2 under construction Project expected by August 2018

Campus organizations work to reshape body image STORY BY: ARIANA HADDEN

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s her dream of becoming a Dallas Stars dancer drew closer, Hayley Briscoe found herself spending more time in a studio surrounded by mirrors. Her reflection seemed to mock her from all angles, and she eventually succumbed to the pressure.

Years of battling a range of eating disorders took a toll.

“I love dance so much, but the body image kind of made me think of dance differently and it wasn’t something that I loved anymore,” Briscoe, a psychology junior, said. “It made me feel really isolated. I had negative self-esteem, and those thoughts were always in my head with food and body.”

Forty percent of UTD’s registered dietitian’s caseload involves eating disorders, making Briscoe one of the students fighting a negative body image.

To combat this attitude, the Student Wellness Center, the Student Counseling Center and the Center for Students in Recovery hosted events from Feb. 26 to March 4 as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

Sara Asberry, the registered dietitian on campus, works with students daily on their eating habits and often encounters a vast array of eating dis-

orders. They range from restriction of food, binging and purging, replacing meals with alcohol or an obsession with being healthy.

Asberry said there is a common misconception that in order to have an eating disorder you have to be a certain size or look a certain way, but, in reality, anyone can suffer from a severe eating disorder.

“UTD’s campus is very diverse, but unfortunately so are eating disorders,” she said. “They do not discriminate and we see males, females, transgender clients, international students, even people in their thirties.”

Briscoe struggled with a combination of over-exercising and binging and purging in high school. She became involved with The Elisa Project, an advocacy group that aids people in overcoming eating disorders, to beat her problem.

“It impacted every aspect of my life, including my relationship with family and friends,” Briscoe said. “I’m a dancer, and that was a big part of my struggles with my eating disorder.”

After conquering her illness, Briscoe used her work with The Elisa Project in order to help others people do the same.

NORTHSIDE | COURTESY

Northside Phase 2 will offer similar amenities as Phase 1, including a swimming pool, a gym and study lounges.

DONIA BOSAK-BARANI Mercury Staff

→ SEE BODY, PAGE 12 SAM LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF SOURCE | National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

There is a need for awareness, there is a need for people to seek help and there are people that can help here.

SAHER AQEEL | MERCURY STAFF

Hayley Briscoe, a psychology junior, struggled with eating disorders during her time in high school. She joined The Elisa Project, an advocacy group, to help others overcome similar struggles.

Students to testify against SB6 at Capitol UTD students will travel to Austin to testify against the Texas Legislature’s “Bathroom Bill,” which is on track to enter committee meetings on March 7.

Senate Bill 6 proposes a fine on individuals who enter bathrooms or changing rooms that do not correspond to the sex marker on their birth certificate. It also would fine government properties — including UTD — that don’t enforce the legislation.

Christian Briggs, a computer science junior and president of Texas Rising at UTD, is working with the regional office of Texas Freedom Network to bring students across the state to the meeting in Austin.

The goal of bringing student testimony to the attention of the legislature is to encourage conservative legislators to act as “sideline sitters” — those who will either vote against the bill quietly or abstain.

“Our biggest focus is going to be more of that personal stance,” Briggs said. “People explaining what this means to them, types of harassment they’ve faced in the bathroom, because that’s very common for transgender folk.”

Although Briggs said students would provide more empathetic testimony, he expects a majority of the statements in the meeting to focus on how the bill could harm business interests.

“Usually with those politicians to try to get them to be sideline sitters, your biggest hitters are going to be business organizations,” he said. “Just because they already have contacts with them.”

On Feb. 21, UTD Student Government completed a resolution condemning the bill to the Texas Capitol, which mentioned, among other reasons, the potential financial repercussions of SB6.

“The bill has the potential to cause economic harm to the state … where a similar bill in North Carolina has cost the state $630 million according to Forbes,” read line 13 of the resolution.

Ali Gorczynski, the outreach and field coordinator of TFN, an activist group with a focus on protecting individual liberties, has been working with Briggs to mobilize students. “(Texas Rising) believes that young people should have the opportunity to make their voices heard and fight against legislation that targets our transgender brothers and sisters,” Gorczynski wrote in a statement on behalf of TFN. After committee hearings, SB6 must be approved in a Senate vote, a House vote and gain approval from Gov. Greg Abbott in order to pass.

- Cara Santucci

— Jenna Temkin, Counseling Center psychologist

UTD students can expect more housing options in 2018 as construction begins on the second phase of Northside.

Northside is the luxury apartment complex located adjacent to UTD on Northside Boulevard, whose first phase was completed in fall 2016.

The timeline for the second phase began in early February and will conclude in August 2018, said Maureen Omrod, the director of marketing and communications at Balfour Beatty Investments, in an email to The Mercury.

Phase 2 will become a large complex designed for UTD and its surrounding communities, offering 900 beds within 276 housing units. Additionally, there will be an increase in retail space and services for residents. These amenities include, but are not limited to, a swimming pool, fitness center, community management office and study lounges for students.

Aspects of Phase 2 will not differ drastically from Phase 1 and are meant to complement the existing spaces, but it will offer different floor plans including a 2 bed, 2 bath unit, 4 bedroom units with 2 or 4 baths and a 3 bedroom townhome unit.

Rental rates for units similar to those in Phase 1 will be priced equivalently, but there will be a difference in pricing for new floor plans in Phase 2 to adjust for inflation, Omrod said in the email. These rates will be released later this year during the preleasing period for fall 2018.

In the email, Omrod said the community at Northside aims to enhance the student experience.

“Northside offers the optimal living experience for students at UTD. Students who live here enjoy the convenience of living adjacent to campus along with all the benefits of a world-class residential community: resort-style amenities, award-winning customer service, integrated dining and shopping venues and a social calendar full of resident activities and events,” Omrod said.

UTD owns the land being developed for the project, so the university has provided essential supervision of the operation throughout the construction of Northside.

“The University of Texas System and the UTD campus have provided a ground lease for the project. They have also been engaged in reviewing the overall scope of the

→ SEE NORTHSIDE, PAGE 12

Students lose thousands in scams

UTD PD, ISO encourage students, faculty to reach out about suspicious emails, calls police headquarters,” Kosuru said.

Despite how real it sounded to Kosuru, he said he immediately knew the The Information Security Office and call wasn’t legitimate. Government the UTD police department are aiding agencies will always reach out through students and alumni targeted by recent official means of communication like a letter and will never request gift cards email and phone scams.

In the last year, 26 students reported as a form of payment.

Lt. Ken MacKenzie adfalling victim to phone vised students to take prescams, losing a total cautions if their confidenof $40,000, with one If you get an tial information is stolen. student losing almost email or phone “What you need to $20,000, according to call, don’t try do is immediately call the UTD PD. the credit bureau and The scammers often to handle it on put a fraud alert on your pose as agents for the Inyour own, let us credit history,” he said. ternal Revenue Service or “That way if anyone an immigration authority. know about it. tries to open a credit Alumnus Sree KoDon’t be afraid account … it’s not apsuru received a call last of us. ... We’ll proved unless they call month that threatened your cell and actually deportation for not help you out. talk to you.” paying a four percent To raise awareness fee on money sent to — David Spigelmyer, about these scams, the him from India.

UTD PD UTD police depart“They give you a lot ment provides seminars of information saying ‘This is your case file number, this teaching students about commonly used is my name’ and they will give you a ploys. Meanwhile, the ISO is working badge number or police department to protect UTD accounts from maliname. He told me he was calling from cious emails through security features MIRIAM PERCIVAL News Editor

and educating community members.

R e c e n t l y, over 1,200 UTD email accounts received a phishing email designed to trick recipiNATE HOWE ents into giving away information. The email claimed users needed to view their W-2 tax form and contained a link to a site that looked nearly identical to the Galaxy web portal.

“It’s seasonal. It’s related to the fact that we’re in tax season and people’s tax returns are going to be due in April,” said Nate Howe, chief information security officer. “We don’t see email scams that refer to W-2 form and taxes in November.”

In this particular incident, only 13 people had their information compromised. Awareness and Outreach Manager Stephanie Edwards said users reaching out to the ISO about the suspicious email helped them notify other

→ SEE SCAMS, PAGE 10

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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVII No. 34

NEWS

THE MERCURY | MARCH 6, 2017

UTDPD Blotter E

Editor-in-Chief Nidhi Gotgi

editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294

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

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

Graphics Editor Chad Austin

graphics@utdmercury.com

Photo Editor Saher Aqeel

photo@utdmercury.com

News Editor Miriam Percival

news@utdmercury.com

Sports Editor Summer LeBel

sports@utdmercury.com

February 22 • At 9:40 p.m. an unaffiliated person working with a custodial service was issued a tresspass warning for the UTD campus.

February 23 • A staff member’s frozen dinners and change were stolen from his or her work area.

February 24 • At 9:22 a.m. a Mcliff Coffee + Vending employee was arrested for a warrant during the investigation of a theft of $600 from vending machines on campus. A warrant was also executed relating to a felony in Grand Prairie. Hydrocodone was also found on his person.

March 1 • A $490 parking boot was reported stolen by Parking and Transportation.

• A student reported their credit card stolen from the Student Union and subsequently used.

March 2 • A student’s parking permit was stolen from his or her vehicle.

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Life & Arts Editor Bhargav Arimilli life@utdmercury.com

Web Editor Bharat Arimilli

web@utdmercury.com

Contributors Carolina Alvarez Ankith Averineni Donia Bosak-Barani Emilio Chavez EJ Chong Deepak Godavarthi Srichandrakiran Gottipati Ariana Hadden Logan Harless Robert Johnson Shelbye Karr Mithra Kaushik Krishna Koganti Chris Lin Sam Lopez Anthony McNair Chiamaka Mgboji Shannon Ramirez Bianca Del Rio Ian Seamans Shannon Ramirez Roman Soriano Nathan Stienle Matt Strack Dev Thimmisetty Ruth Varghese Marisa Williams

LEGEND VEHICULAR INCIDENT THEFT DRUGS & ALCOHOL OTHER MAP: UTD | COURTESY

JUST THE FACTS

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.

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OPINION

MARCH 6, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

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Liberal ideology hypocritical about free speech

Students should challenge societal regressivism through tolerance of all opinions despite controversy, lack of popularity NATHAN STEINLE COMMENTARY

In the political sphere, the term “regressivism” is ambiguous. Yet, one meaning can be derived after realizing that acting hypocritically about freedom of expression is regression. In this sense regressivism is the advocacy of social or liberal hypocrisy.

Across the political spectrum, too many of us are seduced by regressive tendencies to gain political triumph and security — a gain that comes at a grave cost.

Examples abound and the most obvious is the mob madness of social media reactions. Social media masses simply shut down suspect offenders, and hypocritically take from them their First Amendment right to offend. Without the license to offend, there is no freedom of expression.

Thought police are increasingly forcing language on us, as UCLA professor of law Eugene Volokh documents regarding pronouns for transgender individuals.

He states that in New York, one can face “civil penalties up to $125,000 for violations, and up to $250,000 for violations that are the result of willful, wanton or malicious conduct’ if people don’t speak the way the government tells them to speak.”

Mandating such “highly conspicuous, nonstandard usage … violates basic First Amendment principles,” Volokh concludes.

Arbitrarily legislating word choice for other individuals is hypocritically wanting freedom from discrimination by discrimi-

nating others. Of course, I am not advocating that transgender people be excluded from civil protections. What I mean is that legislating allowable pronoun usage is counterproductive to preventing discrimination.

Transgender people deserve the same protections as everyone else, but it must be accomplished without being hypocritical.

Slippery-slope arguments are rarely valid, but here it is: Where do we draw the line when deciding what is the correct way to address someone? Such arbitrary lines always begin with hypocrisy and end with tyranny.

It’s not progress if we’re reverting to ways of thinking that we know are mutually destructive. Regressive individuals seek to advance hypocrisy, usually through double standards. So, how do we respond to regression?

We must tactfully challenge hypocrisy in the march of progress. Go out and talk to new people. Generate a controversial dialogue.

Write to your congressperson, go peacefully protest, run for office or join a movement.

Say what you feel needs to be heard, rather than what others want you to say.

Clearly, simply protesting or starting a conversation is not sufficient in avoiding regression — it’s about how you do it.

For instance, universities are the supposed epicenters of progressivism, but now are cesspools of regressivism.

At the Feb. 1 UC Berkeley protests sparked by Milo Yiannopoulos’ visit, student protestors were documented excluding and blocking people on the basis of their skin color, which defeats the entire purpose of demonstrating for racial justice. Basically, do not become an example of what you’re protesting against.

Later that evening, the protest was

EJ CHONG | MERCURY STAFF

hijacked by groups calling themselves “anti-fascists” wearing all black and wielding cudgels to harass and assault the opposition which is, quite hypocritically, what fascists do. We cannot fight brown shirts with brown shirt tactics, or else we find ourselves wearing one.

Recently, an organization called American Vanguard posted fliers on campuses around the country, including UTD. Students reacted angrily on social media.

Many demanded the fliers be removed and UTD prosecute the organization because it is not permitted to solicit on campus without being a registered student group.

On these grounds, it is reasonable to desire

the removal of the fliers. Nevertheless, the intolerance directed toward the ideas presented on those posters is worrisome.

Student Government President Akshitha Padigela in her statement to The Mercury regarding the content of the posters said, “Posters, such as the ones we have seen across campus, should not and will not be tolerated.”

It is outright hypocritical to want diversity of opinion while suppressing opinions that are absurd. According to a current U.S. Supreme Court precedent, hate speech is free speech. Thus, it’s deceptive for students to want a free environment while being intolerant of

opinions that they think are hateful.

We do not have to accept others’ opinions, but we must tolerate them.

I certainly agree that the content of those posters was indefensible, but I also think that the views should be tolerated since they do not incite violence.

Ultimately, when starting dialogue use semi-Socratic methods so that all opinions are heard and weighed per evidence rather than emotion. When confronted with a displeasing idea, reason with it rather than suppressing it. Regressive thinking turns us against our own principles by convincing us to be hypocritical toward one another, and in the process we lose all that we have fought for.

Comets and Craters Northside working on second phase Northside’s second phase of apartments is under construction, promoting a growing culture of recreational activity near and on campus.

Broken handicap doors A number of handicap access doors on campus don’t work, impeding accessibility on campus. Student Government is encouraging students to report it to senators if they notice one.

And with the Tobacco Ban, UTD became a safer place for students ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF

COMET COMMENTS

Do you think the university provides enough information and awareness to help you spot a phishing or phone scam?

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Students interested in writing opinions can email editor@utdmercury.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

“Yes, I have seen a lot of posters around campus and they also send out a lot of emails about it so you kind of notice it. I think they do an efficient job.”

“A lot of what I learned is what I learned by myself. I believe the university needs to actually show examples of what they look like, as opposed to saying ‘beware of them.’”

“I myself have not had any trouble, but I am sure the university is doing something and not just letting these scams go.”

Michelle Lazaro Mechanical Engineering Freshman

Ryan Pittman Computer Science Senior

Tyeric Mitchell ATEC 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

Apart from your name and photo, personal info will not be published.

We reserve the right to reject submissions, and we cannot be responsible for their return. We reserve the right to edit for clarity, brevity, good taste, accuracy and to prevent libel.

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THE MERCURY | MARCH 6, 2017

PD refuses to hold DACA student on ICE detainer UTD student and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient Edwin Romero was arrested and held overnight from late Feb. 21 to 1:30 p.m. the following day in the Richardson City Jail due to outstanding traffic warrants. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requested he be detained even after posting bail.

The request was denied.

In a statement published on Facebook, the Richardson Police said they did not hold Romero because ICE issued the detainer in relation to a civil, not criminal matter. In a press conference shortly after his release, Romero said his friends told him while he was in jail that he continued to be detained after his bail was paid due to ICE’s detainer request.

Richardson Police Sergeant Kevin Perlich said bail often takes time to process and that time was spent in determining why the detainer was issued by ICE. An immigration detainer is a request that ICE can send to a law enforcement agency to detain an individual for additional time if ICE believes the individual may be a non-citizen and should be deported. A detainer allows the police to keep the individual for an additional 48 hours.

Romero is protected from deportation by DACA, which is a policy that allows individuals who were brought into the country as minors by their undocumented parents to stay in the country.

- Ian Seamans

NEWS

UTDMERCURY.COM

DACA students fearful after recent ICE raids NIDHI GOTGI Editor-in-Chief

UTD DACA student: ‘We’re just taking preliminary precautions.’

ROMAN SORIANO | MERCURY STAFF

Mechanical engineering sophomore Eric Villa plans to create an organization that helps Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and first generation students adjust to college life.

ROMAN SORIANO Mercury Staff

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that began in early February in Dallas, as well as other major cities in Texas, have raised concern among DACA students on campus.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is an immigration policy introduced during the Obama administration that gives certain undocumented immigrants, who came to the United States as minors, temporary immunity to deportation.

ICE coordinated a nationwide operation in an effort to deport undocumented immigrants and many of these raids are still ongoing around the country, as reported by Vox. Although DACA students are theoretically safe under the policy’s protection, which lasts for two years after an

individual becomes eligible for deferred occurring with the new administration to action, parents and other family mem- calm her fears. She said the best way to stay informed is to combers of DACA recipients municate with other stuare still undocumented It was a very dents in the same comimmigrants and are still munity. at risk of being deported scary situation, “Us DACA students during these raids. all I can say in the kind of have a responFlor Campos, an acsibility to understand counting junior and end it was the things happen,” DACA recipient, said community com- how Campos said. “For exher fears were heightened ing together. ample, when this hapafter a DACA student at pened with the guy that UTD, Edwin Romero, — Eric Villa got detained (Romero), was detained by ICE over an outstanding parking mechanical engineering I was communicating it sophomore to a lot of people that I ticket on Feb. 21. knew cared about what “I actually got driven was going on.” to school because I was Campos said the Office of Community afraid of driving myself,” Campos said.

Campos said she has to be alert about Engagement is trying to hold a forum that what is going on with law enforcement on would give DACA students information and around campus, as well as the changes on how to deal with any encounters they

may have with ICE agents.

This forum would go over students’ basic rights and certain regulations, such as ICE agents’ requirement to present a warrant before they can enter someone’s home.

Eric Villa, a mechanical engineering sophomore, is creating a new organization that will assist first generation and DACA students in acclimating to college.

“As a first generation college student, being a freshman, sometimes it’s kind of hard to really know what to do,” said Villa. “Of course, the only thing you know is that you have to go to class. But what do I do outside of class?”

DACA students often have parents with little to no educational background, making it more difficult for them to navigate higher education. Villa plans on

→ SEE DACA, PAGE 10

ATEC game library reopens Tutoring company Renovation expands media, book resources for academic, social purposes LOGAN HARLESS Mercury Staff

ATEC’s Games and Media Library, which closed for renovation last semester, reopened in February.

The library has moved to a bigger room with new inventory and a redesigned space and purpose.

“That room was so small and you get four or five people getting really into it, the noise traveled and there were offices outside,” said Michael Andreen, ATEC senior lecturer and games faculty representative on the GML committee.

Though popular, the GML was primarily a space for students to play video games and not the academic resource that the GML committee desired.

“If we’re going to get a bigger space it can’t just be a space that people go and play ‘Smash Brothers’ for eight hours,” Andreen said.

Currently, the GML is not functioning at full capacity.

“The lab is actually open now. It’s not quite fully running, we still only have one library tech on duty. We are currently in the process of hiring three more” said Josh Miller, a graduate student and representative on the GML committee.

When the new staff is fully trained, the GML will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday. Hours will be split with 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. reserved for research and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. set aside for recreation.

“We are also planning on having a lot of really cool events. ... We’re going to have things like, potentially a Game of the Month … throughout the month students can come in and play it, it’s going to be really cool. And at the end of the month we can have a faculty member or a graduate student host a discussion on it,” Miller said.

The space has been repainted, new furniture and consoles have been brought in and the inventory has been updated and catalogued. A large part of the GML’s growth has been in non game-related media, with new television for media viewing, computers with animation software and art books from famous movies by studios such as Pixar and DreamWorks.

The new resources give students the opportunity to actually play the games or see the art that they discuss in class. For some students, doing so is a necessity.

“We are going to have students who need to play these games because they

uses peer education

Peeyr develops as part of VDC’s incubation program

PEEYR | COURTESY

(Left to right) CEO Gautam Bhargava, software engineer Tanuj Girish and Chief Product Officer Patrick Dayton co-founded the tutoring service Peeyr.

tion as a tool to elevate their life and on the flip side, high-income students get to utilize those Mercury Staff resources and do get to utilize them because Interested tutors can now find opportuni- they have support from their parents and peers ties at an education company which is work- who are more than likely educated,” Bhargava ing with the Venture Development Center at said. “Plus, the low-income students face other challenges with having to food on the table or UTD to connect peer tutors at low cost.

Peeyr, which was started by co-founders, having bad situations.”

Because of this, he decided to improve the CEO Gautam Bhargava and Chief Product education system by creating Officer Patrick Dayton and a peer education platform in have helped over 100 stuStudents learn order to improve the qualdents so far. ity of education for those in Bhargava and Dayton better from low-income families and atcome from entirely different someone who tending low-income schools. backgrounds and have put can connect “I felt that there was this their experiences and interhuge imbalance in the sysest in education together to with them. tem and wanted to connect make the company what it is today.

— Gautam Bhargava the super-smart and inspired students with those who “We think that students Peeyr CEO aren’t maybe as inspired and prefer to learn from somehave many resources,” Bharone that can connect with gava said. them and from personal exHis goal was to create a platform where perience, and the main reason we started this company, it’s always been with people we con- people could book tutors in under a minute nect with and relate to and we think that those while knowing that they are using a safe and trustworthy space. people are usually your peers,” Bhargava said.

Dayton, having come from a small town, Bhargava’s inspiration for the app came from his experience in public school. He was graduated from an ivy league university and from a high-income family but went to a low- completed his degree in mechanical engineering and business at MIT. He later joined Peeyr income school due to the busing system.

“I realized how bad the education system in June 2016. was at the middle school level. It’s because low→ SEE PEEYR, PAGE 10 income students are uninspired to use educaMITHRA KAUSHIK

CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF

ATEC senior Emily Korzekwa browses the newly renovated Games and Media Library after it opened last month.

are in Michael Andreen’s History of Games course. So they need desperately to play these older games on older consoles that they may not have access to because they are writing papers on them,” Miller said.

Unless a student needs to bring guests to play a multiplayer game, the GML is only open to ATEC students.

Additionally, outside of the recreation period, students can only use the library if a professor puts in a request for access.

ATEC administration has identified the GML as a valuable resource for both students and faculty. They plan to continue funding the library as well as continuously updating the inventory.

“One of the nice things about the library is it can kind of be a work in progress. We can constantly update things as we go,” Andreen said.

Despite the library’s transition into

a more academically focused space, Miller does not want to discourage the students who had previously made the GML their own.

“In the past it’s primarily just been a cool place for students to come hang out which is not a problem, we want to have that kind of community. ... But there also still needs to be an academic focus,” Miller said.

The new GML is the result of months of planning and renovation, and Andreen has high hopes for its future.

“The big thing with this is always going to be striking a balance. My vision for this is a place where people can play things and research things all together,” Andreen said. “There is a lot of potential for growth and we are right on the cusp of getting going. ... I want to see this turn into a space where people can have fun but also learn to think more deeply about games in general.”

LIFE&ARTS

MARCH 6, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

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Q&A:

DreamWorks Animators

Upcoming comedy to explore themes of family, equality while employing next-gen animation technology On March 2, director Tom McGrath and producer Ramsey Ann Naito came to UTD for a presentation about the creation of the movie “The Boss Baby,” coming to theaters soon. McGrath and Naito have worked on a variety of films for Dream-

Works including “Penguins of Madagascar,” “Shrek 3” and “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.” The Mercury had a chance to sit down with McGrath and Naito to talk about their inspiration for “The Boss Baby” and the creation process.

Q: Where did the idea for “The Boss Baby” come from?

DreamWorks such a great place is we are always trying to push the medium farther, and it is never easy because it is easier to just use the same models and rigs that previous movies had. You are always starting from scratch.

McGrath: It came from a book by Marla Frazee, which is a very popular, awardwinning kid’s book. It’s a metaphor about how when a baby comes into your life, as parents, it rules the house. It conducts meetings and it was a great example of babies being a boss. And we just thought it was such a cute idea, seeing a baby in a suit, that we got together early on and thought, “This would be a perfect story for an animation. It would be really original and really unique.”

Q: What was the hardest part about working on the movie?

Naito: That’s such an interesting question because over the course of three years, there is just a long list of challenges that we overcame, and I think we ultimately had a great experience making the film. I think a wonderful thing about making the film was that no matter what we went through, the entire crew was just so committed to the film, and their love and identification with the film and the relatable themes. We got through everything. We overcame every challenge.

McGrath: There’s always a challenge, I think. The hardest part on any film is to try and make a new film, and not use the same tools over and over and over. Even technology is at a place where we could do really funny expressions and they have better tools to do that. Better clothing, with wrinkles and baby fat. What makes

ROBERT JOHNSON | MERCURY STAFF

Film producer Ramsey Ann Naito (left) and director Tom McGrath speak to students about developing “The Boss Baby,” an animated comedy about a briefcase-toting baby on a mission to stop an evil CEO. The film is scheduled to be released on March 31.

Naito: Also, it did occur to me that in my brother. The film is about my brother our film, we have two looks. We have a and our relationship, really. I was age 10 fantasy look, and it’s very different than and my brother was 12 when we got our the rest of the film. There were definitely first Super 8 camera, and we did a business of mowing lawns some challenges and washing cars in terms of what to buy film for kind of pipeline But we were very conthis camera. We we were going scious of diversity, especially started watching to use and how movies together, for telling this story about we were going and my brother to produce this Baby Corp. where babies kind of pushed to look exactly are made, and all babies are me in that direchow we wanttion and taught ed it to look, created equal. me how to use a which was not this typical CGI — Tom McGrath, camera. Once I got to college, I realistic look. director of “The Boss Baby” didn’t know how to get into filmQ: If you could making. I finally attribute your heard of Cal Arts, but at the time I was success to one thing, what would it be? thinking, “How do you even get into this Naito: I would say for me, it’s probably business?” But I think as a kid, there are a personal trait of just throwing myself in certain aspects, whether it be dance or there, and not being afraid of new experi- music or theater, that you embrace and it ences, which has attributed to great suc- kind of sticks with you. And I think that cess, but also some failures, and I think to pursue that young passion that you had the failures are when I learn the most. I’ve as a kid is a very valuable thing to do bebeen in this business for 20 years, and the cause there are a lot of naysayers along the great thing is that I keep throwing myself way that say, “That’s too hard to get into.” into these experiences and I keep learning. But persistence is key. When you're a kid, those early things you’re passionate about McGrath: For me, I would have to say can work throughout your whole life if

you embrace them.

the film, the authentic lens to the film.

Q: I noticed that you went with the look of the classic all-American nuclear family. Is there a reason that you went in that direction?

Q: Over the course of the 11 screenings that you guys had, what was the most drastic change that was made?

McGrath: Probably just because it came out of the book, and it’s a classic nuclear family, like you said. We wanted “Boss Baby” to look kind of more like an alien. Even the skin color and hair color is quite different. He was supposed to look like an anomaly in this family. We embraced that. Partly because of the book, and you know you could pick any race or nationality or anything like that, but probably because it started in the book so we went with that. But we were very conscious of diversity, especially for telling this story about Baby Corp. where babies are made, and all babies are created equal. We were quite aware of how we wanted to have a broad spectrum of babies from around the world.

Whether it’s Asian, African American, Latino, we tried to make Baby Corp. a multinational company.

Naito: I feel like also the ordinary-ness of Tim’s family kind of helped to contrast how extraordinary his fantasy point of view was. Which is the whole point of view of

McGrath: There was so much material that was great. Our first internal screening that we had, when we put the assembly together, was two hours long.

We couldn’t possibly make a movie that long. You have to find ways to shrink it. Because we had worked the script so much and found the voices of the characters early and the whole story, we actually started with the end of the movie and worked from there. The story never really changed on a large scale, but scenes changed or scenes were deleted. As you develop the movie, the movie starts to speak to you and tell you what it needs, and also tell you what it doesn’t need. You start to shape things, and you have to lose things that you actually love for the betterment of the movie, but on the whole, what’s great about putting up the movie in front of people — whether its people at work or whatever — is that you can feel it in the room. How people are reacting, and as a director or filmmaker, you can kind of tell where maybe it’s a little too long or things are happening too quick, and you can just make adjustments.

Pokemon League diversifies New app celebrates, promotes ‘geek culture’ group events, activities UTD students develop ‘Cosmunity’ platform

Gamer club to host trivia competitions, art nights in addition to tournaments

to connect gaming, cosplay, anime enthusi-

DEEPAK GODAVARTHI | MERCURY STAFF

Computer science freshman James Landry (left), computer science senior Andrew Julian (middle) and ATEC senior Tyler Mitchell play a game of Pokemon during a Pokemon League gathering. The group holds tournaments once a month.

DEV THIMMISETTY Mercury Staff

Every Friday, a group of Pokemon fans gather in ATEC to play games, discuss strategy and meet new people. About once a month, a tournament is held, attracting even more fans, with the winner receiving a coveted in-game item or Pokemon.

For almost three years, the Pokemon League at UTD has been organizing these meetings with the purpose of nurturing a community for enthusiasts of one of the world’s biggest franchises.

“Really, I just want people to have fun,” said Alexandra Choung, a literary studies junior and vice president of the club. “I’ve actually made a couple of my friends through Pokemon. I think it’s a good way for people

in the past, but leaned to come together and talk towards competitive about what they like.”

Pokemon battles using Initially, the club was I feel like I've the teams that players just an informal gatherlearned more had formed on the Nining of friends. One of the about the game tendo 3DS games, the first members, President most common iteration Jonathan Popa, an applied and...been able to of Pokemon today. mathematics graduate stupass on my knowlHowever, the focus dent, spearheaded the efon battling was not apfort to make it an official edge as well. pealing to all members student organization.

— Jonathan Popa, nor was it conducive to “There are a lot of benefits to being an official applied mathematics attracting new members student organization,” he graduate student to the club, so membership decreased. Based on said. “We can have larger that, Popa and Choung events. .... We can increase decided to have tournam our membership through advertising as well.” → SEE POKEMON, PAGE 6 The Pokemon League’s events have varied

RUTH VARGHESE | MERCURY STAFF

Software engineering junior Zac Cooner (left) and software engeering senior Chance Hudson showcase Cosmunity merchandise.

RUTH VARGHESE Mercury Staff

Zac Cooner, a computer science junior, co-developed a platform to connect a community enthusiastic about “geek culture.”

He was inspired after attending the Fan Expo Dallas in June. Then, he noticed there was no app to help people at the convention interact with each other.

“I was shocked at how there was really no technology to be seen,” Cooner said. “And so my mind just kind of lit up and I thought, ‘Well, what if we built a platform that could cater to all of the different audience

profiles of people who attend these conventions?’”

Cooner’s answer to the missing component at the Expo was his app Cosmunity, which has three main components. Users can keep up with other users, buy and sell items popular within “geek culture” and create or find events in the area to share interests.

“Cosmunity really hits not only cosplay, but also comics, anime and gaming. We really tie it all together in the term ‘geek culture.’ Because it’s a very broad range of interests, but we wrap it all up in one nice package,” he said.

Cooner played videogames growing

→ SEE APP, PAGE 6

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March 7, 10 AM - 4 PM, SSB 4.300 EUROPEAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION Experience the various histories, cultures, customs and cuisines of Europe.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

ents once every three weeks, with game nights and other activities in between.

“We like to have a lot of diversity in our events,” Popa said. “We’ve held trivia nights, we’ve shown Pokemon video content. We are even holding a Pokemon art night, where members can color in outlines of Pokemon.”

In spite of efforts by the officers, increased membership seems to correlate with tournament nights. On average, while 12-16 members show up to tournaments, only 5-10 members will show up to other meetings, Popa said.

“I want our bigger turnouts (at tournaments) to become the standard,” he said. “That’s why we want to do more advertising and get involved with freshman orientation. Our objective is healthy growth.”

Another issue that the club faces is balancing school work with club duties. Most officers are busy and have other responsibilities.

“We work as a team and pick up the slack when one person can’t commit,” Popa said. “I still hold academics above hobbies, so I am fine with my fellow officers taking time off for that.”

For Choung, the Pokemon League was

→ APP

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

March 8, 7 - 9:30 PM, The Plinth SIX THINKING HATS Learn about a new approach to thinking.

March 13, 2 - 4 PM, SPN 1.121

up and enjoys watching Japanese anime.

“We just wanted to build a platform that could help drive that experience and bring it to as many people as we could in a meaningful way. That’s really important to us,” he said.

Chance Hudson, a former computer science and software engineering student, said that he, Cooner and their co-founder Cole Egger all worked together in developing the app.

Hudson left UTD to work at a private company before Cosmunity. He said he didn’t like the computer science program at UTD, and wanted to find an opportunity that would let him code freely.

“I’ve been coding since I was 14 so that’s just what I want to do. I didn’t want to take classes about the theory behind it necessarily. I’m more interested in the actual practical application,” he said.

Cooner is a current student at UTD and

a way to turn one of her passions into a way of socializing.

“In high school. I always found myself playing alone or not having anyone to talk to about it, and it became a personal thing,” she said. “Because I felt like I didn't have a place to go, a place to hang out and talk to people regarding Pokemon, it’s really important for me that there is sort of a space for people like that.”

Popa had similar motivations for running the club.

“I just enjoy bringing Pokemon fans together,” he said. “I feel I've learned more about the game, and I feel I've been able to pass on my knowledge as well. It’s a good social activity and it’s entertaining.”

Choung has plans to expand the club even further, if possible.

“I would like to get into a more official standing and maybe get into touch with the Pokemon Company,” she said. “I guess it’s part of the nerd culture — we’re part of a bigger thing.”

Although the Pokemon League is geared towards established fans of Pokemon, Popa wants to expand the club by recruiting new members, whether or not they are long-time enthusiasts.

“We are definitely open to newcomers,” Popa said. “I’m always interested in teaching new members about Pokemon.”

is on a deferred scholarship while working on Cosmunity. He said he’s unsure about returning because he has high hopes for the app.

“Right now I feel like I’m on a rocket ship and I’m just holding on as tightly as possible to just push it as far as I can because I think that we’re onto something really special here and it’s kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Cooner said.

The app was launched on Feb. 21 and is available on iOS and Android platforms.

For Cooner, Cosmunity is a way to achieve what most students strive for during their college careers.

“I think that many people go to school to maybe find something that they’re really passionate about, find something that they can earn a living with and just find something that is rewarding to them every day,” he said.

“This is by far the most significant and rewarding endeavor that I have ever had the opportunity to participate with. So for me, I’m totally in love with Cosmunity. I hope that it never ends.”

SPORTS

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MARCH 6, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

EARLY EXIT Comets defeated in first round of NCAA tournament following third ASC championship in five years

ANKITH AVERINENI | MERCURY STAFF

The UTD women’s basketball team prepares for its first round game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps during the NCAA Division III Tournament on March 3. The Comets lost in a 79-63 decision, ending their tournament and their 12 game win streak, a school record. The team finished the season with a 25-4 record, one win short of the school record of 26, held by the 2014-2015 team that made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

SUMMER LEBEL Sports Editor

The UTD women’s basketball team was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament following a loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

The Comets suffered a 79-63 loss on March 3 after blowing an early 10-point lead. Senior guard Kayla Reinhart, who transferred into the program this season, had five points and five rebounds in her 35 minutes of play.

“I definitely could not have asked

for a better way to finish my basketball career,” Reinhart said. “Obviously I would’ve liked to go out on a win, but only one team gets to do that.”

The UTD earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament following their third ASC championship in five years. After defeating Sul Ross State and Mary-Hardin Baylor on Feb. 23 and 24, UTD advanced to the title game on Feb. 25. The Comets defeated Louisiana by a score of 6760, during a game in which they never trailed. The tournament victory comes

after a 25-3 season, extending their win streak to 12 games, beating the record they set earlier this season.

The tournament’s MVP award was given to senior guard Alyssa Crockett.

Reinhart and senior forward Micaela Gonzalez were named to the All-Tournament team along with Crockett.

Winning the ASC title was the goal from the beginning of the season.

“It’s nothing short of amazing,” Gonzalez said. “It’s really dreams coming true. It’s that special.”

Going into the year, the team worked

on its conditioning to prepare for the ASC tournament.

“Before we even touched a basketball, we had the mindset that we were going to come in and work as hard as possible every single day,” Gonzalez said.

The game was the third in three days, posing a mental and physical challenge for the players. Head coach Polly Thomason combatted fatigue with an emphasis on defense and rebounding, which were focal points all season for the team.

“We kept working, we kept fighting

and we kept finding ways to get points when we needed them,” Thomason said.

The athletes worked with the trainers to keep them physically ready for the potential stretch of three games in three days, but it also involved selfdiscipline, Reinhart said.

“Mentally, that’s on each individual player on their own to make sure that they’re checked in, focused and ready to go,” she said. “I think everybody did a really great job of that.”

→ SEE NCAA, PAGE 8

Halftime engagement Softball season off to solid start Cheer assistant says ‘yes’ to proposal during bball game Team earns first national NFCA/NCAA Top 25 ranking in program history SUMMER LEBEL Sports Editor

RUTH VARGHESE | MERCURY STAFF

Robert Stevens, an interdisciplinary studies sophomore, got the inspiration to propose to his girlfriend, junior cheer assistant Molly Millsap, from her love of mascots. Stevens wore a blowup mascot suit to surprise her during the halftime show. Millsap was cheering at the Feb. 16 basketball game when it happened.

RUTH VARGHESE Mercury Staff

The basketball game halftime show on Feb. 16 was interrupted by Robert Stevens tearing out of a blowup mascot suit, walking across the court to his girlfriend Molly Millsap and getting down on one knee to pop the question.

She said yes.

Stevens, an interdisciplinary studies sophomore, proposed to Millsap, an interdisciplinary studies junior, during UTD’s International Night basketball game.

“I told her mom then, before we even got accepted into the school, that whenever I proposed, I wanted to be in a mascot suit, and then when we

came here (and) found out they had a blowup mascot. So it just worked out perfectly,” he said.

Stevens started planning the proposal last semester and tailored it to fit Millsap’s love for mascots and the comedy they bring to a sporting event.

Millsap, an assistant to the cheer team, was already supposed to be at the game to cheer.

“They’re one thing at the game that always brings humor. The action of the game is from the players but at a sporting event what gives you humor, what makes you laugh, is the mascot,” she said.

Millsap said she wanted a proposal people could see. Stevens fulfilled that wish.

→ SEE PROPOSAL, PAGE 8

UTD’s softball team earned their first national ranking after opening the season with the best start in program history.

The NFCA/NCAA Division III rankings listed UTD softball as the 18th best team in the country on its Feb. 22 poll.

The Comets started the season with a 5-0 record leading up to their first loss of the year against Sul Ross State.

They bounced back, going 10-1 before dropping two out of three on the road against Belhaven. This stumble caused the team to fall off the top 25 in the March 1 poll, though they still earned 17 points in the voting.

Head coach Rich Wieligman is in his second year with the team, which went 25-20 last year before losing in the ASC semifinals.

“This year, they picked the ball up and started right back where they left off and kept going,” Wieligman said. “That’s fun to see, that they’ve kept it together.”

Sophomore outfielder Melissa Livermore set the school record for career steals during a game against LeTourneau on March 3 with her 78th steal.

She said the players have bought in to the program, which has allowed them to keep building off their success from the previous season.

“It’s incredible to have a great start like we did and just keep going,” Livermore said. “Everyone is all in and knows now how far we can go.”

The team uses the motto “Ohana,” a Hawaiian word meaning family. Livermore said that dynamic has contributed to the team’s success.

“I really think the freshmen have joined as part of our ohana,” she said.

SRICHANDRAKIRAN GOTTIPATI | MERCURY STAFF

Hope Griffith, a sophomore utility player, steps up to bat at the first game of a March 4 doubleheader against LeTourneau. UTD won both games (5-0, 6-1) as well as the game Friday (8-7) to sweep the series and improve to 16-3 on the season.

“It’s like we’ve known each other for so much more than three-fourths of a year.”

Following the rough series against Belhaven that took the Comets from 10-1 to 11-3 on the season, Wieligman reminded his players that development is a process.

“They get frustrated now because their expectations rise and it’s putting pressure on them,” he said.

For Wieligman, the team’s accountabil-

ity following losses is a sign of maturity.

“Nobody likes to lose, but they take a lot of pride in what they do,” he said.

“I think that’s really growing up and having that championship mentality.

The first three losses of the year all came during long road trips to Sul Ross in Alpine, Texas and Belhaven in Jackson, Miss.

→ SEE SOFTBALL, PAGE 8

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→ NCAA

SPORTS

celebrated by going out to dinner and bringing the trophy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 with them to the restaurant beAlthough the Comets never fore heading back to UTD. trailed in the game, Louisi“We had a little karaoke party on the bus, ana still kept it just jamming close except for a and singing,” 13-point deficit Any time Thomason said. during the third you can get “We had a really quarter. Louisiana that from the good trip on the was ranked secway home.” ond in offensive crowd, it does rebounds during The team parenergize you the season. ents came to the dinner as well, “We never and gets you after making could really pull to play to ansigns to cheer away from Louiother level. them on. UTD siana, because also provided a they were hot,” Thomason said. — Polly Thomason, fan bus for stuHead coach dents wanting to “We knew coming in that they travel to Brownwere going to be wood in support a challenge.” of the team.

After the win, the athletes “It felt like a home game with

a lot of the support there,” she said. “Any time you can get that from the crowd, it does energize you and gets you to play to another level.”

Going into the NCAA tournament, UTD was able to play with a home field advantage. The Comets were awarded the privilege of hosting the region’s first and second round of the tournament.

Thomas said it was sad to watch the team lose after all of its hard work.

“Today just wasn’t our day,” she said.

However, she doesn’t want to think about next season yet, instead wanting to focus on the graduating seniors before they leave.

“I just really want to still enjoy being around these guys and really celebrate the season that we had,” Thomason said.

→ PROPOSAL

for the juggler in the halftime act to use Millsap as an assistant so that she would be out on the court for his proposal.

“It made the proposal so much more meaningful. The fact he did it in a way it meant more special to me and it’s very personal and no one else can connect in that way. That’s what I really love about it,” Millsap said.

The proposal ended with an engagement and a kiss.

For Stevens, the engagement symbolizes a new turn in the couple’s relationship.

“It meant a lot to me in the aspect of our relationship, just getting to the next level and just since then it really has it’s just a title that it feels that we have more love in general,” he said.

“We’re not married yet, we’re still in a relationship, but we’re in the in-between stages of being boyfriend and girlfriend and being Mr. and Mrs.”

caused issues with stiff legs that requires extra running to shake off.

“You don’t realize it’s that big of a deal until you start playing and your focus is taken away because you’ve been sitting on a bus for so long,” Livermore said.

Players have been waiting for the announcement of rankings, but Wieligman said he was focused on other things.

“It hadn’t entered my mind, but then I got the call,” he said.

“It was a good surprise.”

For the players, it’s something special to remember.

“That record will never be broken,” Wieligman said.

Two ASC teams are ranked higher than UTD, East Texas Baptist University and UT Tyler, who won the national title last season. Livermore said the team is optimistic looking forward to games against them, as well as other opponents.

“There’s not always a set winner,” she said. “Anything can change.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

The thought of it would be because of who she is, she likes mascots, I just knew everything I put into it, associating a mascot in it, me actually being in a mascot suit, would mean the world to her,” he said.

Millsap knew Stevens was in the blowup mascot costume but did not know what was going to happen. Stevens had planned

→ SOFTBALL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

The extended trips played a role in the team’s struggles. The next step is to work on getting mentally prepared for that type of traveling.

“We’ve got to figure out how to get that done right,” Wieligman said. “It’s tough to get on a bus for that long.”

In addition to getting out of the game mindset, the bus ride also

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SPRING FEVER

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recipients quickly.

Every week over seven million emails are sent from external addresses to UTD accounts.

Out of those, 83 percent are flagged as spam and blocked by the filters. Despite these precautions, occasionally emails slip through.

→ DACA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

providing resources specifically tailored to DACA students alongside all first generation students, to help ease the stress of going through college with little knowledge of what to expect.

“I’ve gotten information through different organizations that I’m a part of to kind of relieve that stress on my side,” Villa said. “Providing that information to other students, especially DACA students because I can definitely relate to them, is something I definitely want to push forward.”

Juan Morin, a finance senior who is a DACA recipient, says that although he’s not very worried about his own well-being, he’s concerned about his undocumented relatives.

“We’re being strategic about it not to go to areas where there are too many heavily Hispanic areas.

→ PEEYR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

“I saw what they were doing and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So I quit my job at the oil and gas company I was working at the time, and joined the team,” Dayton said.

Peeyr runs on the idea that people are able to learn better when they are taught by their peers and the reason that Bhargava believes their company is successful.

“If we turn these filters up to be aggressive, we might catch a bit more of these but we would also start to block legitimate messages you were expecting to get,” Howe said.

In addition to information sessions to educate students about information security, the ISO also provides free resources to all UTD members, such as LastPass, a password manager,

NEWS

and Comet Space, a one terabyte cloud storage service.

If students, faculty or staff receive suspicious calls or emails, Crime Prevention Officer David Spigelmyer encouraged them to reach out to the police department.

“If you get an email or phone call don’t try to handle it on your own, let us know about it,” he said. “Don’t be afraid of us. … We’ll help you out.”

We’re just taking preliminary pre- said. “A lot of organizations from Dallas came together, to make cautions,” Morin said.

In order for progress to be made, those phone calls and put that presCampos thinks people need to build sure on ICE to release him.”

Morin said undocumented ima strong sense of community not migrants themselves just on campus, but cannot affect too in Texas as a whole.

The only much change them“You start to see selves, and it’s up to the areas of the U.S. people out citizens to protest where the commuthere who and fight for unnity is very strong documented immiand fight back for can help us grants’ rights. what they believe out are U.S. “Undocumented in. Then you see the residents and immigrants … scenarios where we they’re not going to have a community citizens. go out and protest. that isn’t so strong and there’s a lot of — Juan Morin, That’s the easiest way to get arrested voiceless people,” DACA student and get sent back he said. to Mexico,” Morin Villa says a good example of the community work- said. “The only people out there ing together presented itself shortly who can help us out are U.S. residents and citizens, and any other after Romero was detained.

“It was a very scary situation, all organizations or legal firms out I can say in the end it was the com- there that are willing to spearhead munity coming together,” Villa such a movement.”

“The basis behind the model is that students learn better from someone who can connect with them,” Bhargava said.

Peeyr is open to all although Bhargava said their target audience is high school students and tutors who are in college. It is a simple site where after registering people can pick their tutor and meeting location within minutes.

In August 2016, Bhargava and Dayton had created the first version of Peeyr when they

found VDC’s services through the DFW StartUp Facebook page. Bhargava and Dayton applied to create a venture between Peeyr and the VDC and were selected. In the following month, the VDC took Peeyr under their wing as a part of their incubation start-up program.

Bhargava and Dayton are currently using the VDC’s resources to help them with networking, funding and helping them get Peeyr to reach a wider network.

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D Core Classes D Jonathan Schueler, leader of the academic affairs committee, informed the senate that the UTD Core Curriculum Committee approved 14 new classes for the School of Arts and Humanities.

The final step in the approval process will happen when the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board meets in the summer.

Should the additional classes be approved by the Board, they will be offered and accepted for core credit in the fall.

Q Bathroom Bill Q Christian Filsouf and the Legislative Affairs Committee drafted SG’s resolution for SB6, more commonly known as the “Bathroom Bill.” It was presented and passed by the senate during the SG meeting on Feb. 21.

Anu Emmandi, the leader of the communications committee, and Filsouf are currently working on a communication strategy to deliver the resolution to the student body. It will also be sent to the Texas Legislature representing the community at UTD.

H Res Life Signage H Tiffany Chu and the Residential

→ NORTHSIDE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

project and have provided — and will continue to provide — valuable insights and guidance to the development team throughout the process,” Omrod said.

Calvin Jamison, the vice president for administration at UTD, envisions a transit-oriented development for Northside. He hopes that with the development of the retail spaces, students, faculty and

Affairs Committee are working to implement sign placement in the apartment and residential hall parking lots so individuals can easily find the row in which they parked. Chu also hopes to have dorm signage put in place with the name of each residence hall to allow for easier navigation of campus.

a Campus Piano a Leader of the Student Affairs Committee Nancy Fairbank is currently working on a proposal to make a mobile piano for student use, both inside and outside. Her hope for this addition is to add to the culture of the university and allow students who are musically inclined to express themselves.

V Consent Video V The official release date of the consent video produced by SG is April 3. Its purpose is to explain the moral and legal definition of consent. The video will be released on SG’s Facebook page, as well as shared by the other offices on campus. Amanda Smith, the dean of students, will be speaking at student orientations in the fall and plans to have the consent video shown during her portion.

staff will want to frequent the newest offerings.

“The major objective of creating the entire Northside experience is to create an environment where people can live, work, play and study,” Jamison said. “It’s an additional amenity to enhance the experience for our entire campus community, and we think the second phase will give us the critical mass of persons living there to assist with that process.”

“I feel really grateful to be a voice for a lot of people who don’t necessarily have one when they’re struggling and I feel like a big weight has been lifted off,” Briscoe said. “I don’t have those thoughts anymore and I am able to enjoy dance like I used to. I have so much better relationships with my family and school work and things I couldn’t do before.”

Even though eating disorders are common among college students, few people seek help, said Jenna Temkin, a psychologist at the Student Counseling Center.

The rate has only increased over the past four decades, with reports that 50 percent of college women and 33 percent of men engage in behavior that indicates an eating disorder.

“Eating disorders preoccupy and take up so much of people’s thoughts,” Temkin said. “The normal person might think about their body a little bit throughout the day and move on, but the person with the eating disorder is thinking of the food they are eating and the body that they are in 100 percent of the time. It is a total preoccupation.”

Due to societal standards of beauty, it’s natural to feel the pressure to diet to fit a socially acceptable appearance, Asberry said.

While healthy results are the goal, problematic behavior, such as addiction, has also resulted from trying to fit a mold.

“I have had students describe to me that getting on the scale and seeing the number go down was intoxicating for them, and they wanted it every day,” Asberry said. “And to the point where they would reach a certain weight, they still wanted this feeling and so you have to keep doing more and more extreme behaviors in order to try and maintain that and eventually something’s got to give.”

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses combined, according

SAM LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF SOURCE | National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

to recent research done by The Elisa Project.

“One person dies every 62 minutes because of an eating disorder,” Temkin said. “There is a need for awareness, there is a need for people to seek help, and there are people that can help here at the university.”

The Body Project, a researchbased group on campus run by students and faculty, has students talk about how they feel about their bodies and how media influences that view. They host sessions in which leaders go through scripts with students acknowledging good things about their bodies and discussing ways to stay positive.

Child learning and development and psychology senior Kaylie Hartman is a leader in the group.

“The Body Project isn’t just for people struggling with their bodies, you can learn how to be body positive and share it,” Hartman said. “Even if you take the food aspect out of The Body Project it is just really encouraging and changes your mindset on how you see yourself, talk about yourself and talk about other people.”

Because they use a predetermined program, The Body Project is only open to females. They are looking to soon release a

KRISHNA KOGANTI | MERCURY STAFF

Kaitlyn Morris, a computer science sophomore, participates in the Student Wellness Center’s Mirrors on the Mall event as a part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

male-focused script.

“We challenge fat talk and really talk about how we feel in our own bodies and how that feeling is enhanced or affected by what we see and hear,” Asberry said. “It’s amazing how triggered we can be by things that we thought we were much stronger around.”

UTD offers guidance and

help regarding eating disorders through The Student Counseling Center, The Body Project, The Elisa Project and the Student Health Center.

“Positivity is just as contagious as negativity,” Asberry said. “And if we can harness that and talk more positively about our bodies I think we leave less room for the negative comments about them.”