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November 14, 2016
THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
COMETS OPEN “AVENUE Q”
The Comets fell to Southwestern in the regional final of the NCAA tournament held on campus from Nov. 11 to 13.
ROMAN SORIANO & YASH MUSALGAONKAR | MERCURY STAFF
NOVEMBER MADNESS A busy Saturday for athletics highlights growth of department across all sports ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS
PG. 6 BEST OF HOMECOMING 2016
Mercury Staff
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s players from Southwestern University hoisted the NCAA regional trophy high in the air atop the green and orange “Comets” logo at the midcourt of the Activity Center gym, UTD’s volleyball team could do nothing but stand and watch in silence. After a nearly two-and-a-half hour match that saw the Comets come back after trailing two sets, the Southwestern Pirates finally put the Comets to
rest, winning the fifth set 15-13 to move on to the Elite Eight. But it didn’t come easy. In front of a rowdy home crowd, the Comets scraped and clawed their way back from the brink of elimination multiple times, including holding off six straight match points by Southwestern in the fourth set.
We’ve kind of grown up a little bit and the expectations continue to get a little higher because we’re at that point. — Bill Petitt, Athletic director
→ SEE NCAA, PAGE 10
bottled up Students speak out about legal, illegal stimulant usage NIDHI GOTGI Editor-in-Chief
His parents still wanted him to go to dental school. As pressure built for Max to bring up his grades, he looked to Adderall — a stimulant that acts as a cognitive enhancer Max hesitantly popped a small capsule — to help concentrate on his studies. “When I studied science, I didn’t really into his mouth and swallowed. It was the night before a big test, and he was study- enjoy it because I felt like I wasn’t really ing with a friend — a friend who’d given learning. … So I would need an added boost to keep me interested and just keep him the pill. Waiting for the effects of the medication me up for longer periods at night,” he said. Max was wary of the effects of the drug the to kick in, Max distracted himself with Youfirst time he used Adderall, Tube videos. One video and his use grew when he led to another and Max I was always came to UTD. remained hooked to his worried about “When I first started on computer screen, forgetting it, I was scared to do it,” he he had to prepare for a test. (my grades), so said. “I was like ‘I’m going “I just got too into whatit added stress to overdose and die.’ So ever I was doing,” Max I didn’t take it that often said. “(My friend) was like to my life, just and I just got comfortable ‘Dude, you’re on Adderall because I was with the (side effects) and right now, you should start more concerned I started using it more. doing your homework.’” Once I’d transferred here, That was Max’s first about studying I kind of needed it because time using non-prescripwhenever I was it was so competitive.” tion Adderall to study for Of The Mercury suran exam. In a survey contaking it. vey respondents who said ducted by The Mercury, — Max, they’d used a non-preabout 17 percent of the finance senior scription stimulant medirespondents, like Max, cation for study purposes, said they’ve used a stimulant medication without a prescription to about 61 percent have taken a stimulant one to five times in their college career. finish school-related work. Most of these participants attributed time *** Before Max, a finance senior, came crunches and a need to concentrate as reato UTD, he attended UT San Antonio, sons for using a non-prescribed stimulant where he was enrolled in a competitive to finish academic tasks. Max, who was enrolled in 18 credit pre-dental program. During his second semester as a freshman, Max was dis- hours during the fall 2015 semester at missed from the program for not maintaining the required GPA. → SEE STIMULANT, PAGE 12 Names of some sources have been changed to protect their identities due to legality concerns.
PG. 8 MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
*Note: not all 305 particpants responded to each question due to the design of the survey.
PG. 9
HAMID SHAH | GRAPHICS EDITOR
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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVII No. 28 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 Hamid Shah
graphics@utdmercury.com
Assistant Graphics Editor Chad Austin
graphics@utdmercury.com
Photo Editor Andrew Gallegos
photo@utdmercury.com
Assistant Photo Editor Saher Aqeel
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News Editor Miriam Percival
news@utdmercury.com
Sports Editor Pablo Juarez
sports@utdmercury.com
Life & Arts Editor Bhargav Arimilli life@utdmercury.com
Web Editor Bharat Arimilli
web@utdmercury.com
Contributors Carolina Alvarez Vibu Anbarasan Ankith Averineni Esteban Bustillos Thomas Cassa Emilio Chavez Eunjee Chong Srichandrakiran Gottipati Ariana Hadden Ramah Jaradat Summer LeBel Emma Mathes Chiamaka Mgboji Yash Musalgaonkar Alvin Nguyenly Roman Soriano Matt Strack Dev Thimmisetty Kevin Vanhorn Noah Whitehead
NEWS
THE MERCURY | NOV. 14, 2016
UTDPD Blotter October 31 • Two non-affiliated suspects were arrested for motor vehicle theft and evading arrest when police recovered a stolen vehicle in Phase 9 at 10:29 p.m. November 3 • Police investigated the theft of $1,100 worth of sound recording equipment from a recording studio located in ATEC at 3:21 p.m. November 4 • A student discovered $40 stolen from their wallet when it was recovered at the police department at 10:51 a.m. November 6 • Several individuals were issued citations for Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor in Phase 3 at 1:09 a.m. • A student reported theft of car keys in Phase 3 at 11:36 a.m. • At 1:32 p.m. a student entered the private quarters of another student and used the victim’s credit card without permission on eight different occasions in Phase 3. November 9 • At 7:57 p.m. assault occured betwen two non-affiliated males on the basketball courts south of Lot J. • A non-affiliated male was issued a citation for possesion of drug paraphernalia while being detained for a traffic violation in Lot U at 9:46 p.m.
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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. Advertising is accepted by The Mercury on the basis that there is no discrimination by the advertiser in the offering of goods or services to any person, on any basis prohibited by applicable law. The publication of advertising in The Mercury does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by the newspaper, or the UTD administration. Opinions expressed in The Mercury are those of the editor, the editorial board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily the view of the UTD administration, the Board of Regents or the Student Media Operating Board. The Mercury’s editors retain the right to refuse or edit any submission based on libel, malice, spelling, grammar and style, and violations of Section 54.23 (f ) (1-6) of UTD policy. Copyright © 2014, The University of Texas at Dallas. All articles, photographs and graphic assets, whether in print or online, may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without express written permission.
The Mercury is a proud member of both the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
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SOURCE | PEW RESEARCH CENTER
OPINION
NOV. 14, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
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Campus deserves more credit for building school spirit Parade, tailgate create unique university traditions distinct from larger, football-oriented universities RAMAH JARADAT COMMENTARY
With homecoming fresh on our minds, now is a great time to think about how we don’t give UTD enough credit for all that it offers us. During homecoming, larger universities have football games and tailgates, and thousands of students and families participate in them. It’s easy to think about what we’re missing at UTD when we compare it to the immersive football cultures of other schools like Texas Tech or the University of Oklahoma. And it’s especially easy to forget how far we’ve come in building our own identity and traditions. Homecoming week is a time that unites the campus and reminds us that UTD is still a school with unique quirks. One distinct homecoming tradition is the float building and parade involving different organizations on campus. Although it is small, it’s a unique tradition that students have developed among themselves, and it encourages school spirit and diversity. Students have grown more attached to this tradition, with the floats improving each year and a larger number of people coming out to the parade and tailgate than in previous years. Additionally, float building reflects the pride students have for their organization and school because of how much time and
energy are expended to finish the floats. These organizations also come out to the homecoming tailgate, which shows how many opportunities there are for students to get involved and have leadership experiences at UTD. This event really encouraged me to join organizations last year because I saw the many options available to me to make an impact on campus. The members in the organizations were all extremely friendly and appeared to have a family-like vibe, which influenced my decision to get involved. The many organizations revealed there was a huge sense of inclusivity and acceptance on campus. However, one tradition tends to stand out more than the others. From yearto-year, UTD has grown increasingly diverse, making this a tradition in and of itself. U.S. News actually ranked the university as one of the nation’s most diverse campuses, with 23 percent of the population coming from international backgrounds and the rest made up of 36 percent Anglo, 19 percent Asian American, 12 percent Hispanic and 10 percent African-American, multiracial, and Native American populations. Diversity is extremely important on a college campus. It helps expose students to new cultures and backgrounds, which raises tolerance and education about one another and fosters a more welcoming atmosphere for students to thrive. Additionally, this variety I saw among organizations encouraged me to join them. The distinctiveness on campus truly
COMET COMMENTS
KEVIN VANHORN | MERCURY STAFF
becomes visible at homecoming events. The fashion show presents participants of different ethnicities and backgrounds, and the parades include cultural and religious organizations present on campus. These organizations reveal their separate traditions, which all come together to form the overall tradition of the UTD
student body — diversity. The student population has grown 111 percent since 2000, jumping from 10,945 enrolled students to over 26,000 this year. Our traditions are certainly celebrated by more people, and since we are a fairly young university, we have the luxury of molding our traditions, improving
them as we grow. Although it’s easy to think about what we don’t have — a football team or Greek row — we must remember what we do have. We have a tight-knit community of students with traditions and a culture of our own, and homecoming brings them to the forefront.
How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?
Students interested in writing opinions can email editor@utdmercury.com.
“I think he’ll be a probusiness president. Just because of his past dealings in business and the business world in general. But aside from that I’m not really sure what else. He’s been generally good with business, most of his have turned out well but there have been a few nameable ones that have failed.”
“Politically, he’s not experienced enough. Businesswise, he’ll do fine. But I don’t think he has enough knowledge about politics to be solid.”
Patrick Chida Actuarial Science Freshman
Shawn McColm Computer Science Junior
“He doesn’t have any experience leading a country. His temperament isn’t ideal. His stance on things are not solid.”
Crystal Phan ATEC Senior
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
OP-EDS
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.
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Comets and Craters Homecoming 2016
Race for Registration
Homecoming celebrations wrapped up this weekend with the announcement of the Homecoming Queen and King, accounting senior Ashley Levy and marketing sophomore Dalton Owens. Other festivities included the annual homecoming parade and cardboard boat regatta.
Registration for next semester’s classes opened up on Nov. 7 and students are racing for open spots. Some students have also experienced trouble accessing Galaxy through their phones, instead needing a desktop for it to work properly.
Thanksgiving Break
Finals Time
With Thanksgiving break just around the corner, it’s a chance for students to relax with their families during the holiday and catch their breath before the finals time crunch.
Thanksgiving break marks the last period of rest before the stress of finals begins. Final projects, papers and major exams are all on the horizon in the coming weeks.
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THE MERCURY | NOV. 14, 2016
NEWS
UTDMERCURY.COM
Students protest election results at downtown rally
Program helps int’l students with accents
Event full of speeches, marching joins similar movements happening across U.S. Students work to speak English with confidence ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Mercury Staff
MATT STRACK | MERCURY STAFF
As hundreds marched through the streets of uptown and downtown Dallas on Nov. 9 protesting the election of Donald Trump, electrical engineering senior Adam Richards directed choice words at the president-elect. “I see someone who’s demonized people of color, LGBT people, immigrants, you name it,” he said. “As a Christian, as an American, I’m not going to … stand for that.” The rally and march, hosted by the Next Generation Action Network, a local activist group, started under the shadow of the American Airlines Center at the AT&T Victory Park Plaza. It coincided with major rallies across the United States in cities such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Oakland. Locals flocked to the scene with signs painted with phrases like “Make Racists Afraid Again” and “Proud to be a Nasty Woman” to protest the man they saw as unfit to serve as commander-in-chief. From Latinos holding up signs denouncing Trump’s statements against immigrants to parents with small children, diversity defined the demographESTEBAN BUSTILLOS | MERCURY STAFF ics of the crowd. Along with citizens from across the Metroplex, UTD stu- Participants stood with signs and flags at the protest against President-elect Dondents made the trek to downtown Dal- ald Trump on Nov. 9. The rally marched through uptown and dowtown Dallas. las to let their voices be heard. Now that Trump is slated to be pres- sponse to Trump’s victory. ATEC sophomores Delaney Haig and Izzy Morano held the ends of a ident, Haig plans to live their life as a “I think that it shows, 72 days rainbow flag as protestors screamed form of protest. before he takes office, people are al“Last night, I was terrified and I ready in the streets saying that we’re “Together!” in unison in a tight huddle wanted to die,” Haig not going to stand for what Trump just 30 yards away. said. “This morning, I wants to do,” he said. “That we’re out Morano and Haig, woke up and I’m go- here now, already ready to be against who heard about the Last night, I ing to live my life out what he’s for.” protest from a friend, was terrified and of spite. … I’m going said they were both After nearly two hours of speakers to be out here and I’m devastated by the outrotating in and out, the anxious and I wanted to die. going to raise hell.” come of the previous riled up crowd moved into the streets, This morning, I evening’s election. History senior forming an endless stream of proteswoke up and I’m Haig described it as Cody Owen heard tors reciting chants against the man the end of life as they about the protest positioned to take the Oval Office. going to live my knew it. through Facebook. Police cars lined the path for prolife out of spite. “Before I wasn’t After seeing that 63 testors while onlookers whipped out afraid to go outside of percent of white men their cellphones to capture videos of ... I’m going to my house,” they said. voted for Trump, the scene as the march snaked its way be out here and “And now I am.” Owen came to the from uptown, crossed the Woodall I’m going to raise For members of the protest to show he Rodgers overpass and made its way LGBT community, did not belong to into downtown. hell. Morano said one of that majority. For Richards, he said this election the biggest threats became very personal for him. “He has put forward — Delaney Haig, Trump poses comes “Look, we’re not going to be able to a platform that activeATEC sophomore ly seeks to destroy peo- prevent Donald Trump from enacting from his running mate, Vice Presidentple’s lives,” he said. “I his policy goals if we don’t stand up elect Mike Pence. think that his goal is to make America and protest, if we don’t stand up and “Just having someone that’s so full great in his own image and we’ve seen vote,” he said. “Look, I’m going to, of hate is driving his supporters, who what he thinks greatness is. It’s ostenta- probably, end up marrying my boyare also very hateful, to be louder and tiousness. It’s insanity.” friend by the end of January, and I prouder of their hate and target LGBT Looking at the crowd gathered in wasn’t planning on … doing that, but kids a lot more than they did before,” the AT&T Plaza, Owen admired how I can’t let Donald Trump take away Morano said. quickly people had organized in re- my right to marry.”
Student Government Vice President near the Administration Building, Joey Campain said SG is in the process Green Hall and the senior class gazebo. of adding a bus route to the closest Each spot allows hammocks to be hung Indian grocery store, Patel Brothers. from three sets of hooks and students Based on feedback SG received from can rent them from Rec Center West. Residential Student Affairs Committee the Texas Party and the Pub event, it realized the need for access to a store Leader Uttara Thiagarajan discussed plans with Indian groceries and other cul- to install printing stations in the residence halls that will allow tural items. students to send their SG will administer printable files to printa survey on the Plinth SG is in the ers on campus. This in the coming weeks process of adding printing station is proto determine what a bus route to the jected to be installed by bus times would best serve students. SG is closest Indian gro- next semester. Additionally, resileaving room for fucery store, Patel dence halls will have ture changes that will ice machines after allow them to cater to Brothers ... based winter break. Uniother demographics on feedback (from versity Commons as well. students). also added a card “If it works out, reader to the back then we can look at door in the lobby to talking to the rest about getting it expanded to more increase security. Thiagarajan also discussed the places. This is just the one that came up first about students directly re- change in internet providers to the on-campus apartments. By February questing this service,” Campain said. Hammock posts are now installed 2017, there will either be connections
made to CometNet or a new ResNet Wi-Fi network. No changes will affect residence halls. At a meeting, Thiagarajan said the director of housing operations and the vice president of student affairs discussed the switch, saying web speeds would increase as a result of the changes. Student Affairs Committee Leader Nancy Fairbank commented on the addition of reusable cups to the togo boxes in Dining Hall West. The change will be implemented by next semester. The one-time cost of to-go boxes will increase from $5 to $6 to cover the cost of the new cups. To increase the influence SG has in the future, the number of grievance boxes on campus will increase, allowing students to report their concerns anonymously. Graduation and International Affairs Committee Leader Jason Waye said grievance boxes will likely be placed by the Wells Fargo ATM in the Student Union, outside the SG office on the second floor of the SU, in the JSOM lobby and in Dining Hall West.
COMING SOON FROM SG • Bus route from UTD to the Patel Brothers Grocery Store • Ice machines and new card readers in the residence halls • Reusable cups in Dining Hall West
ANKITH AVERINENI | MERCURY STAFF
Morgan May, a learning specialist at UTD with a focus on ESL, runs her speech program for international students in the Jindal School of Management. DEV THIMMISETTY Mercury Staff
For over a year, international students in the Jindal School of Management have been receiving help from a faculty member to work on an aspect of English that is crucial to their communication: their accent. Every Thursday, a group of students meet with Morgan May, an ESL specialist who runs the accent improvement workshop. The workshop is open to all JSOM students (with a focus on international students) and teaches them how to communicate more effectively in either a social setting or a future workplace. “So we can build a solid rapport, so we can learn from each other … I think that is one of the main reasons (I do this work),” May said. “The goal is to hopefully encourage students to become invested in their language learning and their communication skills. Language learning … is almost like playing a sport or playing an instrument. You have to practice regularly.” Some students said having a strong accent makes it difficult for them to get their point across in conversations. Olajumoke Faleti, an accounting junior from Nigeria, said she used to repeat herself often while trying to speak in English. People weren’t able to recognize the words she was saying because of her accent. “When I first came, they wouldn’t get what I’m saying, so sometimes I wouldn’t want to talk because I know that they cannot understand what I was saying. It was really hard,” she said. “English is the official language back home, but they don’t teach us the right phonetics. The phonetics (were) really bad. I would advise (international students) to attend workshops like this because … you actually understand why the Americans speak … the way they do. It’s better than just imitating actors (since) you don’t really know why you’re doing it.” Hollywood movies are often the only experience these students have with the American accent and American slang. However, Faleti never used movies for an educational purpose. “I used to watch a lot of American movies back in Nigeria,” she said. “But I wasn’t watching to learn English. I still got what they were trying to say … but I’ve never watched a movie to work on my accent or anything.” On the other hand, Sukumar Atluri, an informational technologies management graduate student from South India, said American movies were quite helpful. “Actually, there is no proper teaching medium for English back in India. (Here), the lessons are taught in English, and all the communications will be going on in English … you will have interactions with (other people) so you will learn a lot better,” he said. “My biggest challenge is my accent. For me, there are two ways of improving. One is watching more number of Hollywood movies, and the other is having more interactions with international students because you learn a lot better like that.”
→ SEE ACCENT, PAGE 12
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NOV. 14, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
LIFE&ARTS
PUPPET POWER Theater production addresses social issues using puppets
UTD THEATRE | COURTESY
Psychology junior Ali Peterkort (left) and arts and performances junior Natsumi Bailey played the roles of Kate Monster and Christmas Eve, respectively, in the fall production of “Avenue Q.” ARIANA HADDEN Mercury Staff
Singing, off-color humor and puppets all came together to communicate important life lessons in UTD’s production of “Avenue Q.” “Avenue Q” is a musical written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx that stars a puppet named Princeton. Upon graduating from college he moves to New York City where he makes poor choices and learns about the ups and downs of life. Using puppets helps to address Princeton’s struggle in becoming an adult from a satirical angle. “They wanted to use (the musical) under the premise of something familiar, so they used the concept of Sesame Street but transformed it into something that would be used for adult audiences,” the UTD Theatre director, Shelby Hibbs, said. “It blends this childhood puppet show with something that is more about adult themes and adult problems as well.” The musical features songs with adult
humor, including “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “The Internet is for Porn” and “Schadenfreude,” which reveal a pressing underlying message. “The basic (assertion) of the show is having puppets on the stage singing ridiculous songs, and it’s pretty much going to be a fun, crazy and ridiculous musical, but there are moments where these puppets become fully three-dimensional beings,” Hibbs said. “We begin to empathize with them, begin to feel for them. We begin to identify with them. While it is really fun and crazy, there is real heart to this show.” The show addresses the struggles of becoming an adult while portraying how there can be brighter sides to tough situations. “Despite the hard times you go through, not everything is forever,” said Natsumi Bailey, an arts and performance junior and the character of Christmas Eve. “You might be in a bad place right now, but things will get better. Life is always changing.” This show is the first musical UTD Theatre has produced. Psychology junior Ali
Peterkort, one of the leads in the show, said musicals bring together dancers, actors and singers to create a fun show that provides a different rehearsal and performance experience, and she hopes to do more musicals through the program. “It’s incredibly exciting and I’m very glad it’s happening,” she said. “Last year we really fought to have musicals be a thing here at UTD and I’m really glad that it’s come to life and we’re able to put on the best production that we can because we are supported.” The show not only teaches the audience how to deal with the issues they face growing up, but it also addresses social problems such as racism and stereotyping by incorporating human characters as well as puppets. Bailey said her character, Christmas Eve, struggles with stereotypes. “She is one of the human characters,” Bailey said. “She has a very heavy Asian accent, and is very stereotypical, but she’s actually a very real person. It’s cool to play someone who is a realistic person that has to live with that stereotype and the difficulties under-
standing her and other people.” Racism is another central theme addressed in the musical. “There is a lot of racism and relations between people, and I think that’s important even now because of movements like Black Lives Matter,” Bailey said. “The show will help people understand racism and how everyone is different but that we are all humans.” Peterkort said she wants to see the show offer a form of support to audience members who feel marginalized. “We will be coming on stage with more love and exuberance to share in this time of division,” Peterkort said. “The theater has always been a place for acceptance, and we hope that everyone who takes a seat in our house can find some comfort in the stories we are telling.” Students’ efforts impacted the show tremendously, Hibbs said. “With all the things that have been thrown at the students like puppetry and singing and learning how to sing with a
puppet there were a lot of difficulties, but everyone has been really great about pushing forward and building arm muscles so they can hold the puppets,” she said. “Once we got started with the rehearsals everything just sort of fell into place.” The biggest struggle for Peterkort was learning how to effectively maneuver a puppet in the show. To help, the students participated in a puppet boot camp. Professional puppeteers came and taught the students the basics of getting comfortable with the puppets and how they worked. In order to connect with the character, the actors had to essentially “become” the characters and understand their problems. “Facing the puppets was kind of terrifying because I have never done puppet work before,” Peterkort said. “It is not something you would think about. It went from a challenge to something that was really fun. … I have been able to find more life and play with it instead of being scared by doing something wrong or looking awkward because I don’t
→ SEE AVENUE Q, PAGE 7
Gamer group gains traction E-sports organization hosts casual gaming events, competes in nat’l competitions DEV THIMMISETTY Mercury Staff
YASH MUSALGAONKAR | MERCURY STAFF
Tespa, an electronic sports organization, has a chapter on campus. It focuses on hosting casual gaming events and manages various competitive teams at UTD.
The world’s most played video game, “League of Legends,” shapes the UTD gaming community more than any other game. The leaders of the prominent gaming organizations on campus attribute this to players wanting to join the competitive team as well as be a part of the casual gaming experience. Tespa is a leading collegiate electronic sports organization with a chapter on campus that puts together casual gaming events and manages the various competitive UTD teams. E-sports refers to video games that have a professional gameplay side to them.
ATEC sophomore and Tespa at UTD Vice President Matt May said “League of Legends” — one example of an esport — has a unique niche in the gaming community. “I’d say (LoL) is our most casual (and) popular e-sport. We have the Founder’s Lab … where a lot of people will go to just play League on Friday nights, but competitively … they have not been showing us as much,” he said. For “League of Legends,” competition involves two teams of five players battling each other virtually to take the opposing team’s base. Whichever team can destroy the opposing team’s stronghold, or nexus,
wins the game. Tournaments often involve games composed of multiple brackets where many teams compete to determine an ultimate winner who takes home cash prizes or scholarship funds. LoLUTD, a group exclusively focused on casual and competitive LoL at UTD, became an independent organization from Tespa at UTD last year. They maintain eight competitive teams, as opposed to the one or two teams that compete in CS:GO, “Overwatch” and the other e-sports. However, Tespa at UTD President Shane Ellason, an
→ SEE LEAGUE, PAGE 7
‘Moonlight’ rewrites masculinity Standout indie film explores sexual identity in three storylines weaved into one VIBU ANBARASAN COMMENTARY
“Moonlight” premiered at Telluride Film Festival as an indie stand-out, but soon became the most well-received film of the year. Mild spoilers ahead. The film is about Chiron’s life and is told in three acts. It is an exploration of his upbringing in a Miami suburb in the 90s, black masculinity and sexual identity. Director Barry Jenkins and company handle the loaded prompt with finesse and deliver one of the best films of the decade. Three actors play Chiron’s character at different phases of his life -— his childhood (“Little” played by Alex R. Hibbert), adolescence (Chiron played by Ashton Sanders) and adulthood (“Black”
played by Trevante Rhodes). Tarell Alvin McCraney, the film’s screenwriter, and Jenkins were both raised in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. “Moonlight” is an adaptation of McCraney’s shelved play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” with added elements of Jenkins’ personal experience. Little (Hibbert) lives with his mother (Naomie Harris). Juan (Mahershala Ali) and his girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monàe) serve his ideal needs for parenting and he often flees to their residence. Juan saves Little from a hoard of bullies in the first act and takes him in with open, guiding arms. From that moment forward, he and Teresa looked out for Little and treat him as their own son. Chiron’s mother is introduced to crack while he’s young and her addiction, which grows with him, impacts his surroundings. Harris’ performance stands out,
among the rest of the excellent acting, as the best. In each act, she channels the maturity required to portray the character at different ages with nuanced gestures and tone of voice. James Laxton’s pinhole cinematography blurs around the edges, focusing on the subjects. The characters stand tall and shine bright in a comfortable hue of Miami’s standard neon palette. Nicholas Britell’s score knit the colors on the screen and the performances together in organ and violin compositions. The quiet direction Jenkins took allowed for McCraney’s words to speak loudly through the characters and the story. Chiron’s adolescence is turbulent with bullies in the schoolyard and his mother’s drug addiction. He finds comfort in visiting the now-widowed Teresa and his
A24 | COURTESY
→ SEE MOONLIGHT, PAGE 7
The film narrates the story of Chiron, the protagonist, as he grows up and grapples with identity. It premiered on Sept. 2 and was released on Oct. 21.
LIFE&ARTS
UTDMERCURY.COM → AVENUE Q
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know what I’m doing.” Casting originally took place in May, giving the students the opportunity to study the script over the summer. Rehearsals began near the end of September. “It’s basically taken over my
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ATEC junior and one of the original founders of LoLUTD, said the other e-sports teams are doing better in competition. “Our CS:GO team is just destroying the competition right now,” he said. “Our ‘Overwatch’ team is (also) placed well heading into playoffs.” On the other hand, LoLUTD’s teams are only a part of an intercollegiate league. LoLUTD President, Jonathan Yoder, a mechanical engineering junior, said the teams could not qualify beyond the collegiate star league, which is separated by divisions based on rank in the game. “There was a third-party team (of UTD students not associated with LoLUTD or Tespa at UTD) that beat our best teams to take UTD’s spot for the uLoL tournament,” he said. “It sucked that we couldn’t stand up to them, but they look really good, so I think they’ll go pretty far.” The uLoL tournament is the official competitive League of Legends tournament hosted by Riot Games, the creators of LoL. Every year, hundreds of schools compete to be a part of it. Ellason said the LoL team, like all the e-sport teams on campus, are plagued by the same problem: time commitment. Tespa
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conversations with his friend Kevin, who is involved with the story in each act and grows up with Chiron by three different portrayals. Since his days as “Little,” Kevin (Jaden Piner) looked out for Chiron. Kevin allows Chiron to be himself, in their passerby conversations. In their most intimate encounter, Chiron confirms his sexuality in his youth with Kevin and violently leaves it. The second act of Chiron’s life ends with a juvie sentence after a physical altercation with his bully. He is forced to leave behind everything he liked in Liberty City from Teresa to his newfound intimate connection with Kevin.
life, but it doesn’t bother me,” Peterkort said. “I love it. This semester, since I knew I was going to be doing the musical, I wanted to devote a lot of my time to it.” Hibbs was excited for opening night on Nov. 10. “We had a nearly full house and a very responsive crowd,” she
said. “At the end of the night, many people stayed to meet the puppets and performers in the lobby. Overall, it seemed like the show was a hit.” The show will go on until Nov. 18 and is free to all UTD students and faculty with a Comet Card.
at UTD’s outreach coordinator, Caleb Baron, said playing competitively involves a lot more work than most people realize. “The competitive side … is hours a day practicing, working on teamwork, (figuring out) a strategy, looking at team (compositions),” Baron said. “As far as being a student on campus, dealing with work/school makes casual play much more enticing, as opposed to the competitive side, which is much more time heavy.” Ellason added, at times, even players don’t know what they’re signing up for. “A lot of (players) are interested in the idea, but once they go through the practice, the scrims, the work and all of that, a lot of them drop off,” he said. “We had three CS:GO teams, but only one of them continues to compete.” Nevertheless, Ellason said LoL is still the largest part of UTD’s gaming community because of casual gamers. Kolton Coats, an ATEC junior and Tespa at UTD’s media coordinator, said casual gamers have different concerns. “Some people don’t want to play competitively because they are representing the school, and it’s like, ‘Oh if I do badly, it will reflect on the whole school,’” Coats said. “The characteristics of casual gamers are usually just trying to rank up or have fun on their own or with
friends instead of the competitive ones, who want to be part of a team and play in tournaments.” This population of casual gamers at UTD is nurtured by the many events that Tespa at UTD and LoLUTD help organize, like one-on-one tournaments or game nights centered around mini games derived from the original. Ellason said the efforts made by Tespa at UTD are meant to broaden the community, such as the upcoming December Holiday Party, a large social gathering for gamers to not just play the games they’re interested in but also connect with new people on a social level. “What we really want to do is get more involvement. We are trying to make (Tespa at UTD and gaming) more accessible to (students),” he said. “Our goal is to provide a place for all the gaming students on campus to have an opportunity to pursue their goals in gaming, whatever they might be.” May added that Tespa was also there to help students with their everyday lives. “With college, there’s a lot of stress … and gaming is a great way to get rid of that,” he said. “We want to create an atmosphere where you can just go and hang out with a group of friends basically while unwinding with some video games.”
Chiron (Rhodes) in his adulthood becomes what he remembers of Juan. He deals drugs, wears a du-rag, sports grills and drives the same car as Juan. Chiron goes by the name Kevin used in his youth, “Black.” He is molded by the masculinity that he grew up with — masculinity that didn’t allow him to reflect his true self. In the third act, Black and Kevin (Andre Holland) reconnect and assess their lives with each other. Chiron retraces his steps back to Miami after spending 10 years in Atlanta and he’s set to explore what could have been and what it can be, on the shoulders of Kevin. His intimacy with Kevin picks up where it left off. “Moonlight” is stylistic and
cannot be generalized to a particular significance with its subject matter. It follows traditional narrative breaks that are woven through the aesthetics of the structure. As a whole, it bridges distant connections among characters to one or two scenes. Jenkins’ vision for the film stands out, and from the casting to the narrative changes, everything fits together. The synergy of the production brings the effect of live theatre to the silver screen. The cast’s chemistry and commitment to Jenkins’ vision makes “Moonlight” magical.
UPCOMING EVENTS TEA TUESDAYS Join the Women’s Center for a refreshing cup of tea.
Nov. 15, 10 AM - 4 PM, SSB 4.300 ACCENT IMPROVEMENT Learn to communicate more confidently in American English.
Nov. 17, 3 - 4 PM, JSOM 12.106 THANKSGIVING LUNCH Join Residential Life and the International Center for a free Thanksgiving lunch. Comet Card required.
Nov. 24, 11 AM - 1 PM, Residence Hall North
THE MERCURY | NOV. 14, 2016
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THE MERCURY | NOV. 14, 2016
ANKITH AVERINENI | MERCURY STAFF
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(Clockwise from top left): - festivities kicked off on Nov. 9 at the Plinth with the Homecoming 5k. - students and faculty gathered to make golf cart floats on Nov. 10. - Orgs hit the campus streets on Nov. 11 for the annual homecoming parade. - Celebration continued with the campus store fashion show on Nov. 8.
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SPORTS
NOV. 14, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
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Crosscountry runs past barriers Cross country captures team, individual ASC title SUMMER LEBEL Mercury Staff
For the first time in program history, the UTD women’s cross-country team captured the ASC Championship title. At the Oct. 29 meet, the top two women’s individual finishers and another runner in the top 10 represented UTD. Head coach Rayn House was also named the ASC Women's Cross-Country Coach of the Year. While the win is historic for the school, House said she thinks it is even more meaningful to the team. “Some of the girls that have been here, especially our seniors, they’ve worked so hard for four years and really done what they needed to do to put this program on the map,” she said. “I know the school is proud, and it says a lot for the growth of UTD and UTD Athletics, but I’m even
COMET SPORTS | COURTESY
Junior Lindsey Rayborn runs to the finish line during the ASC Championship meet held at the Balcones-Spicewood Cross-Country Course on Oct. 29. The Comets captured their first ever ASC championship. Rayborn became the first Comet, male or female, to win the individual ASC title.
more proud for the girls who have really laid the groundwork for this. You can see it in their faces.” House, who is also the assistant softball coach, is new to both the school and the sport.
“My experience at UTD this first year has been amazing,” she said. “I never dreamed that my first conference ring would be in running. But if I was going to do it, I wouldn’t have done it with any other group. There aren’t even ways to tell
you how awesome they are.” The team’s effort and character have been the most important factors in leading them to the title. “It’s their work ethic,” House said. “They just work hard and they respect others.”
The dynamic between the team also helped on their path to success. “Sometimes with girls, everyone doesn’t always love each other all the time, but
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Athletes inducted into Hall of Honors
Volleyball, women's basketball gain first ever respresentatives in Hall of Honors as athletic deparment recognizes three former athletes tionally ranked for the first time, so it’s kind of fitting.” The lessons volleyball taught Calverley are still useful in her life, including time For the first time ever, volleyball and women’s basketball were represented in UTD’s management, teamwork and dedication. “Discipline is everything,” she said. Athletic Hall of Honors as athletes from those “Discipline on the court makes you so teams were inducted into this year’s class. UTD’s Athletic Hall of Honors gives much more disciplined in real life.” Volleyball head coach Marci Sanders said recognition to members of the UTD community who made a significant Calverley encouraged everyone to work hard impact on the athletic department. In- and stepped up to every challenge she faced. “I definitely think they picked the ductees are chosen biennially and the right person,” Sanders number changes from year said. “I’m glad that the to year depending on how I was caught committee chose who many individuals receive they did. It’s exciting to enough votes to join the off guard. get a volleyball player ranks. After the athletic in there. Hopefully, department compiles a shortlist, a selection com— Chelsea Cragin, we’ll have many more to come.” mittee then chooses from Former wbball player Chelsea Cragin is the nominees. UTD’s first women’s This year’s class, which was basketball honoree. inducted on Nov. 9, consists of three former athletes. Athletes that played Cragin played point guard from 2006for at least two seasons can be nominated af- 10 and still holds a number of school records, including career assists, steals and ter a five year waiting period. Niki Calverley, who was a setter from minutes played. Cragin said she was surprised when 2007-10, is the first volleyball player to join the Hall of Honors. She was also the she found out she was being honored by the school. program’s first All-American athlete. “I was caught off guard,” Cragin said. “During my time there, there were a lot of firsts, not just with me but with “It was a surprise and I’m very honored to our whole program,” Calverley said. “We have been a part of that program.” Cragin was the first athlete recruited by won our first conference, we were naSUMMER LEBEL Mercury Staff
COMET SPORTS & DOUG FEJER | COURTESY
Niki Calverley (left), Brett Rose (middle) and Chelsea Cragin (right) were inducted into UTD's Hall of Honors on Nov. 9. Cragin and Calverley were the first inductees for women’s basketball and volleyball, respectively. Inductees are selected biennally from a shortlist by the athletic department.
women’s basketball head coach Polly Thomason, who took over the program in 2005. “I knew she was going to be that kid for us that was going to really bring in more talent and raise the bar for our program,” Thomason said. Thomason said she was impressed by what Cragin accomplished both on and off the court. Cragin graduated in three years, then stayed for a fourth
year to continue playing and obtain a master’s degree. “She’s the epitome of what a UTD student is — a hard worker in her extracurricular activities and a hard worker in the classroom,” Thomason said. “She was that perfect player you hope for as a coach.” Cragin and Calverley’s inductions show the maturation of their respective sports
teams during their tenure as athletes, UTD athletic director Bill Petitt said. The women’s basketball team qualified for the ASC tournament for the first time during Cragin’s freshman year, and the volleyball team won their first ASC championship during Calverley’s sophomore year. “It really shows the growth of our program and how far the programs have come,” Petitt said.
Pieces in place for long season Men’s basketball aims to stop early exit trend with heavy reliance on upperclassmen PABLO JUAREZ Sports Editor
A year removed from having a roster with no seniors, the men’s basketball team now has key upperclassmen with valuable experience under their belts. According to an ASC poll of the league’s coaches, sports information director and select media, the Comets have been picked as the favorites to win the ASC East — a division they haven’t won since 2013. The Comets picked up six of the 15 first place votes available, barely edging out the defending divisional champions East Texas Baptist University. Although the team doesn’t have a true go-to player on the roster as in past years, it will continue to rely on the system that head coach Terry Butterfield has implemented. The system is predicated on spreading the floor with ball movement and having everyone involved. Last year, the team had nearly four players average double digits despite being a young team. Senior guard Dapo Ogun-
feitimi said going into last year he wasn’t sure what to expect. “This past year we were just a bunch of young guys,” he said. “We had no seniors, I think we had two starters return and those two starters were freshmen when they started (the program). It was definitely, especially in the beginning of the season, very up in the air. No one knew how it was going to go, but honestly it turned out to be a pretty successful season.” Now the teams’ starting line-up features two seniors and three juniors. Ogunfeitimi said this shows what was established last year will be used as momentum going forward. “Even though we didn’t win a championship or anything, we definitely built some ground to work (with) for this year,” he said. “We didn’t lose anybody. We have everyone coming back.” Key players to watch include junior guard Caleb Banks, senior forward Kyle Coulter and Ogunfeitimi. Banks took the reins as the team’s starting point guard and was named honorable mention All-
ASC East along with teammates Coulter and junior guard Jon Hatcher. From the ASC West side, perennial power house Hardin Simmons — the team that knocked out UTD in the conference tournament in each of the past two seasons — has once again been tabbed as the favorite to win its division. The Comets, who have statistically held opponents to low scoring averages in comparison to conference rivals, allowed 69.9 points per game last year which continues to be part of a downward trend. The team held opponents to 69 points per game in the 2014-2015 season and to 67 points during the 2013-2014 season. The team hasn’t enjoyed a double digitscoring margin since the 2013-2014 campaign, where they went on to advance to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16. Amid these trends and a pair of early conference exits, Ogunfeitimi said the valuable experience the team gained last year shouldn’t be understated. “It is going to work wonders for us (this year),” he said.
MERCURY FILE PHOTO
The men’s basketball team has been tabbed as the favorite to win the ASC East. The Comets will open their season with a home game against Trinity on Nov. 15. The team said they will rely on the experience gained from last year as momentum for this upcoming season.
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“I realized I really needed to have my head in it,” she said. “This year, I came to practice this group loves each other all the prepared to work.” She had a hard time sleeptime,” she said. ing leading up to the race with Hollee Ratliff, a neuroscience the pressure of the competifreshman, said the group always encourages each other, even just tion. Despite her stress, she still maintained confidence in during practice. “The whole team is kind of close her abilities. “I knew that I’d beaten all knit,” she said. “We cheer each other on, we work together as a of those girls before and that I team, and that’s how we succeed.” could do it again,” Rayborn said. For Rayborn and the other Ratliff placed second overall in the competition. She said she runners, training year-round was excited to be able to come in was key to pushing into first this year and help out, but she place. They plan to continue that in the upcoming off-seastressed it was a group effort. “The conference wasn’t won son, which will lead into Rayborn’s last by Lindsey year. (Rayborn) and “I want to I,” she said. My experience at go out with “It was won UTD this first year a bang,” Rayby all of the born said. team memhas been amazing. “I want to bers. It doesn’t I never dreamed try and win take just two that my first confer- c o n f e r e n c e people, it takes again, both as seven or eight.” ence ring would be a team and as Lindsey in running. But if an individual. Rayborn, a That’s always geoscience I was going to do been at the junior, made it, I wouldn't have top of my list. UTD history done it with any I definitely by becoming want to make the first stuother group. There it to nationals dent-athlete to aren’t even ways to as well.” win the indiFor next vidual title in tell you how awes e a s o n , cross-country. some they are. House exAt the start pects their of her freshASC title win man year, Ray— Rayn House, will drive born thought them to more winning would CC head coach success movbe easy, but ing forward. quickly learned “Now that that wasn’t the case. She placed second overall in we’ve got a taste of what winthe same race in 2014 and seventh ning is like, there are girls that are on the team this year that in 2015. “It was very humbling because I will come back so much stronwasn’t able to just go out there and ger next year,” House said. “As long as they keep this feeling easily win,” she said. This season, Rayborn focused in their gut, how good this on staying healthy, both mentally feels, I think we’ll be okay for next year.” and physically. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
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By the time the fifth and final set finished, however, the Comets just couldn’t keep up. As the victorious Pirates cheered in the locker room across the hall, seniors Abbie Barth and Michelle Toro flanked head coach Marci Sanders at the post-game press conference with blank looks on their faces. “We definitely felt like we could have moved forward and I think we are disappointed that we got outplayed by Southwestern,” Sanders said. But even though the volleyball team lost in one of the closest matches in program history, the importance of this past weekend is hard to overlook. For the first time ever, UTD hosted the first three rounds of the Division III NCAA volleyball tournament after the Comets took home the ASC championship and won its bid to host the contest. On top of hosting an NCAA tournament, the athletic department also had to handle the men’s soccer team hitting the road to compete in its own NCAA tournament on Trinity’s campus while women’s basketball tipped off its homecoming game on Nov. 12. Along with all of this, both the women’s and men’s crosscountry teams traveled to Georgia on Nov. 12 to compete in the NCAA regional meet after their best ever finishes at the ASC meet on Oct. 29. It’s the first time anything like this has happened at UTD. Since 2013, UTD has had at least one team in the NCAA tournament each year and it is quickly becoming the new normal. ***
Upcoming games Nov. 15 Men’s Basketball vs Trinity
Home (5:00 pm)
Women’s Basketball vs Austin College
Home (7:00 pm)
Nov. 18 Women’s Basketball at Rose-Hulman
AWAY
Men’s Basketball at Guilford
AWAY
Nov. 19 Men’s Basketball at TBD
TBD
Women’s Basketball at BSC/DePauw
TBD
Although this level of success may be relatively new at UTD, it isn’t unique. The volleyball team won backto-back ASC championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2008 and 2009 and the men’s basketball team made three straight NCAA appearances starting in 2008. But across the athletic department as a whole, the last three years have seen more programs succeed at the same time than ever before. Since 2013, UTD has had seven different teams make appearances in national competitions. To put that in perspective, the university fields 13 different teams. That means over half have reached the national stage since 2013, with three teams — volleyball, men’s soccer and women’s basketball — going multiple times in that time frame. With all of that leading up to UTD hosting the NCAA volleyball tournament over the weekend, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Bill Petitt described it as UTD’s “tipping point.” “I kind of think we’re at that point,” he said. “I think we have gone from a regional school to now a national school. I think schools across the country in Division III have heard of UTD now. Five years ago? Maybe not. But now I think we’re getting out there enough, with our NCAA appearances, if we can win a few games and get deep into a tournament or two, I think that will go a long way. I just think we’ve kind of grown up a little bit and the expectations continue to get a little higher because we’re at that point.” There’s not one single event to explain UTD’s rise, but rather a few that Petitt points at to explain how UTD got to where it is. From hiring Jami Clinton, the strength and conditioning coach, to adding more training staff, to building a weight room
UTDMERCURY.COM and renovating the main basketball and volleyball court, the department has seen several major updates during Petitt’s tenure. Although the staff doesn’t talk about it too much, Petitt said he wouldn’t be surprised if UTD has a national champion within the next five years. For him, it’s not a matter of if, but when. “I think the next decade, it could be really special,” he said. “I think it’s just where people go, ‘You know what? They grew up.’ (We) went from a program where the facilities weren’t great and we were just kind of limited in some of the things we do, but I think we’ve just grown up as a department and we’re not even 20 years old.” *** The weekend proved eventful, with hundreds of visitors from Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, California and Washington making the trip to Richardson to watch their teams play. At the same time, just six hours down Interstate 35, the men’s soccer team took on Chapman on the campus of Trinity, falling 1-0 to finish their season. Simultaneously, the women’s cross country team finished in ninth place and the men’s cross country team finished in 20th at the NCAA Division III regional finals, their best ever finishes at the competition. In what proved to be the final game of the season for the volleyball team, the Comets failed to maintain a substantive lead throughout the course of the match, but they kept scraping their way back. Finishing an emotional fourth set, multiple players dropped to their knees out of exhaustion. The final set went back and forth, with UTD finally catching a few breaks and finding holes in Southwestern’s defense. But despite the Comets’ efforts, Southwestern still held on.
For the volleyball team, even though it exited much earlier than players and coaches planned, the tournament capped an historic season. The Comets finished with a berth in the Sweet Sixteen, the team’s best ever finish, and a 32-3 record, this is the single greatest team in program history. “We’ve had the most wins we’ve ever had and we’ve gotten the farthest we’ve ever gotten and a lot of other firsts,” Sanders said. “So we can’t hang our head about it, we just look forward to the future.” Standing amid a court filled with family, friends, fans and former players after the match, Barth, who has played for UTD for five seasons, reflected on what this year’s accomplishments meant for the state of the team. “I think in the next couple of years it will definitely be a national championship team, for sure,” she said. “The freshman class, I can’t say enough about. They played huge today and this whole year. They have big things ahead of them.” Assistant Athletic Director Angel Marin organized the tournament for UTD, working 16 to 18-hour days over the course of the week to put everything together. She fought back tears as she watched the court clear out and the nets get taken down for the final time this season. Despite the emotions of the moment, Marin still declared she had the best job in the world. “It’s a great time to be a Comet, it really is,” she said. “We are on the rise. It was a lot of fun. This weekend was a lot of fun. I hope that the student athletes come back and remember all the great things that happened this weekend. Obviously the outcome isn’t what we wanted, but there’s a lot to be proud of and I hope that’s the memories and relationships that they take with them.”
COMICS&GAMES
NEVER TOO EARLY
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EMAIL ANXIETY
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GETTING DOGGED
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INTROVERTED FRIEND
NO ONE CARES
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THANKSGIVING POLICE
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THANKFUL FOR...
ELECTION DISTRACTION
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UTD, took 10 Adderall pills in the course of that semester to help him study. He noticed his attitude toward his studies change from motivated to obsessive. “I definitely started caring about my grades a little bit more, and it made me more anxious about my grades all the time. I was always worried about it, so it added stress to my life, just because I was more concerned about studying whenever I was taking it,” Max said. *** Joanna Haug, a sociology sophomore, experienced a similar phenomenon. Haug, however, has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and was prescribed Adderall her sophomore year of high school. “It was not a great time for my mental health, so it helped in that I was getting more work done and I was concentrating on my work more but I was so much more stressed about the work that I was doing and I was doing more than I needed to be doing with not so great results all the time. I had a few borderline panic attacks,” she said. Neuropsychiatric testing, which is usually done to determine whether someone needs a prescription for a stimulant, covers everything from memory to reaction time, among other aspects of cognitive function. Gabe Yeamans, a psychiatrist in UTD’s Student Counseling Center, said this assessment will provide indications that someone has ADHD or ADD, but it doesn’t provide a fool-proof diagnosis. “What really seems to be the problem with ADHD is it’s a deficit in this complex executive functioning where you have to figure out what the problem is and then conceive of all the steps that are needed to solve that problem and figure out a plan for doing each one of those steps,” he said. “It’s something that’s so complex that you notice it in life but it’s hard to have a test that you get an answer
to that in a few hours.” The stigma that those with ADD are less capable than those without is something Haug dealt with from the minute she was diagnosed. “I sat in a psychologist’s office and cried. I was 15 years old and I already felt stupid, I already felt slow,” she said “I was like ‘How am I going to go through my life, with this?’ In reality, it doesn’t make anyone stupid. … It means you think differently, that you go through the world differently.” Haug said she feels people take the concept of using stimulants without prescription lightly because of how they intend to use it. “People see it as not a big deal because it’s (used) in an academic setting so it doesn’t feel like a ‘party drug.’ People don’t see it as taking something absolutely illicit and terrible. … People see it as it’s just helping me concentrate, it’s just helping me get to that next step and they don’t see it as something harmful,” she said. Haug said with prescribed stimulants being passed around without much thought, it devalues the reason for those with ADD and ADHD to use their medication. “I have people who’d be like, ‘You’re so lucky, you have extra time, you get medication,’ and I’m like it’s not like we’re starting off on the same level and I’m going higher. It’s like, ‘I’m starting off down here because I can’t do the things you can do really easily in your everyday life,’” she said. *** In The Mercury’s survey, the primary concern for those who thought about using a non-prescribed stimulant but didn’t, was legality. Since Adderall is a controlled substance, the rules of the Controlled Substances Act apply to the possession and delivery of the medication without prescription. “The Controlled Substances Act includes everything that has some kind of narcotic based compound. That’s going to include your legal medications as well as your illicit drugs,” said Rod Bishop, a UTD Police Detective. “The stuff that we see most of the time on campus and that I’ve had personal experi-
NEWS ence with is Adderall.” In the state of Texas, an individual can be charged with delivery, possession or possession with intent to deliver of a controlled substance, which includes Adderall. In the Texas Health and Safety Code under the Controlled Substances Act, Adderall distribution falls under penalty group four. The penalty group determines whether the charge will be a misdemeanor or a felony. *** The second most popular concern for those who’d considered using a non-prescribed stimulant was addiction. Yeamans said continued use of stimulant medication in high doses does lead to tolerance, which in turn tempts users to take it even more. As of last spring, Max stopped using Adderall as a supplement to help him study. “You can get dependent on it just because you see the results and I definitely did see the results but at the end of the day it’s all about your motivation and how much you actually care about the result you want to achieve. Yeah, that pill gives me more motivation, but now I just have to study a day or two early. It’s not that big of a deal,” Max said. He said after reflecting on his own abilities, he couldn’t justify using the medication. “The way I grew up, I never had to take (Adderall) and I was able to get into a good dental program and I almost had a guaranteed seat in a dental school if I’d survived those three years. I was definitely capable of learning without (pills) but I started taking it to give myself an edge and I was like ‘I don’t think I need it,’” Max said. With proper discipline and a steady work ethic, he said he can do just as well in school without the medication, if not better. “I was like ‘Honestly, it’s all a mental thing really with me.’ It’s just an added boost of ‘OK, I’m going to study, I’m going to take this pill and it’s going to help me,’” Max said. “But now I’m like ‘I need to study because my grade depends on it.’ Now I’m good without it.”
CAMPUS SERVICES UPDATE
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Informational technologies management graduate student from South India, Joseph Veeravalli, said American English was different from what he was accustomed to. “Basically in India, we spoke in our mother tongue at home,” he said. “We just spoke basic English, but the pace and slang is completely different, so I just want to improve on that.” Veeravalli watched movies at home too, but he realized guided learning with May would be far more effective in improving his pronunciation. “First, we do practice with some words and their slang (equivalents). Later we practice sentences (with) those words. We concentrate on those words which are typical (so) we can have conversation with others,” he said. Faleti said the workshop con-
sists of a variety of activities. “We do a lot of different things. We practice an international phonetic alphabet, then we apply it to different words. You will be shocked like, ‘Wow, I can’t pronounce this word!’ But she will correct you and you can work on what you’re doing wrong,” she said. May puts an emphasis on application in her workshop through games like Taboo and a card game that requires players to understand what a word means using terms that are uncommon. “(May) tells us to incorporate (my learning) in everything we do. … I use it in class, when I’m doing presentations. I try to use it anywhere, even if I’m talking to someone on the bus,” Faleti said. Communicating in public with a better accent reduced Faleti’s anxiety. “It’s easier when you can use what she’s teaching you because it makes your speech easier. It’s less stressful,” she said.
Hadeel Alzuwaydi, an accounting graduate student from Saudi Arabia, is new to the workshop. She studied English in Saudi Arabia, but said her skills were strengthened only after she had studied here. “Back in my country, English is the second language. We study it in … school … so when I came here, I had basic knowledge English from the movies or TV shows,” she said. “My English got better (because) I got academic English for a year. … I studied at University of North Texas.” For Alzuwaydi, the accent workshops and English improvement are not just preparation for a future career, but actually a requirement because it is spoken by almost everyone she interacts with. Alzuwaydi said that English will help her further her academic pursuits. “My goal is actually to just continue studying and learning accounting,” she said. “I want to learn about different cultures and try a different life.”
Residence Hall North under construction Residence Hall North has been undergoing construction to repair cracks in the stucco since mid-September. Director of Housing Operations Kevin Kwiatkowski said the damages were identified last spring. “They were found earlier this year due to some leaks inside,” he said. “None of them affected any student suites luckily.” University Commons waited to start repairs until they discovered all the issues and the best way to tackle them. Kwiatkowski said the cracks couldn’t have been avoided.
“There isn’t much that can be done to prevent an issue like this from happening,” he said. “They just have to make routine inspections to find issues as soon as they appear.” This is the first time University Commons has experienced such an issue. The university housing staff hasn’t encounter this issue in any of the other residence halls. Despite the construction, residents have not been affected in any way other than the noise. Entrances have not been blocked off. “Everything’s operation
normal for the residents. They can use the stairwells, they can come out those doors just being cautious (of the) construction equipment,” Kwiatkowski said. Residents were informed about the construction ahead of time so it wouldn’t come as a surprise to them. “We sent an email and posted some flyers about a week or five days before it all started to let them know what to expect,” Kwiatkowski said. The construction should be completed by mid-November, weather permitting.