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March 27, 2017
Professor teaches literature through anime
Bill Nye speaks on climate change
Golfer who is deaf shares experiences THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Comedians amuse students during Springapalooza
Election and reflection
MERCURY ARCHIVES
Joey Campain, SG vice president, and Akshitha Padigela, SG president, ran on the United As One ticket in the 2016 election. Padigela won the contested election with 1,133 votes. Campain, who ran unopposed, won with 1,419 votes.
President, vice president look back on year in office CARA SANTUCCI CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF
JW Van Der Schans (left), SG president-elect, and Alex Holcomb, SG vice president-elect, sat down with The Mercury on March 20 to discuss their plans for office.
CometUnity president, VP take office in uncontested election DONIA BOSAK-BARANI Mercury Staff
JW Van Der Schans and Alex Holcomb from the CometUnity ticket have been elected as next year’s Student Government president and vice president, respectively. Van Der Schans, an international political economy senior, has been a member of SG since his sophomore year and has served on the executive council as secretary and treasurer. Holcomb, an economics junior, is currently a senator in the legislative affairs committee. Together, with 24 senators, Van Der Schans and Holcomb said their ticket represents community. They said they hope to increase student involvement on campus by giving students a voice as a collective body, while still expressing their diversity. “It’s a lot about involving students in our organization and involving students in other organizations. All coming together as a student body
to push the campus forward, which the backgrounds of where they’re as a community, CometUnity, that’s coming from, but the organizawhat we’re trying to do,” Van Der tions that they’re in, the voices that Schans said. “So that’s kind of the they would have, the opinions that would be shared or crux of why Comenot shared,” HoltUnity is a name Having that comb said. “Having ticket, the idea. We that diverse intersechave a lot of pasdiverse intersectionality is really, resionate senators that tionality is really, ally important, and I want that same idea think that the issue to move forward.” really important, lies with where we The students on and I think that don’t have it reprethe ticket itself reprethe issue lies with sented in SG.” sent a diverse array of Van Der Schans UTD students from where we don’t and Holcomb ran on international stuhave it represent- a platform of technodents to Greek life, logical advancements, which will be an asset ed in SG. accessibility, food reto SG because it will — Alex Holcomb, form and communiincrease representaSG vice president-elect cation reform for ortion, Holcomb said. ganizations. Students “Whenever we will drive every aspect were choosing the senators … we were doing it very of the platform, Van Der Schans said. deliberately, making sure that there → SEE ELECTION, PAGE 12 was a wide diversity of not just
Managing Editor
With the 2017 Student Government elections drawing to a close, the current president and vice president are wrapping up their term in office by reflecting on their administration. “I underestimated how much work it is,” said Akshitha Padigela, SG president and finance senior. Over the past year, Padigela spent 20 hours a week in her office, in addition to several additional hours to prepare for her official obligations. Padigela ran on the United As One ticket with current Vice President Joey Campain last January. She was not the original choice for president, but was voted into the spot by the members of the ticket after the first candidate dropped out. “I had reservations and that’s why I never did it, but I had been in Student Government prior to me being president, so I knew I was qualified,” she said. “So when the opportunity came, I was like, ‘Why not?’” The primary goal of Padigela’s ticket was to unite the campus on all levels — from administration to the student body to Student Government. “For me, it was, ‘Okay I’ll just meet with every single organiza-
tion.’ That’s not plausible,” she said. “You can’t hear the concerns of every single student. Working on that, that has been the hardest.” Instead, Padigela and Campain turned most of their attention second semester to making changes in the governing document of SG — the constitution. Before they addressed the issue, there was not a way to hold senators accountable to their obligations. “If you weren’t doing your work outside of senate, if you weren’t doing your projects, if you weren’t bettering student life, then there was no way for us to reflect on that,” Campain said. “And if you weren’t willing to change, there was no way for us to remove you.” In the past, the only way an underperforming senator could be removed from SG was if he or she violated the attendance policy three times. “As far as legacy, I don’t really care if they realize a couple years down the road that this is what Joey accomplished. I see my legacy as being how senate runs as a whole, which is why I’ve been so passionate about editing our constitution,” he said. “It enables the organization two, three, four years from now to be as effective as a student senate should be. There’s a lot of room
→ SEE REFLECTION, PAGE 12
Housing adds gender-inclusive application option
Fall 2017 application choice first of its kind in University of Texas System RUTH VARGHESE Mercury Staff
RUTH VARGHESE | MERUCURY STAFF
Samuel Price (second from left), an ATEC freshman, and Akira Lear (third from left), an ATEC junior, are slated to be roommates next year. Both made use of the gender-inclusive housing option offered.
Beginning fall 2017, UTD will be the first school in the UT System to formally adopt a procedure for gender-inclusive housing and one of the first institutions in Texas to address the issue. Catherine Pickrel, director of residential life, and Matt Johns, assistant director for LGBT+ programs at the Galerstein Women’s Center both worked to bring this to campus. “(This change) has essentially added a third gender in our system,” Pickrel said. “If you have opted into gender inclusive housing, that opens you to room with any student that has also opted (in), regardless of whether or not they’re male or female in Orion.” If a student chooses gender inclusive housing, they can only view others on
the system who have also opted in and are placed in a room with them. As of now, 23 percent of those who applied for housing, both new and returning, have opted-in. The option is only for university related housing, such as the residence halls and University Village apartments. Because gender is a protected category under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, students will not be able to see the gender of anyone who has signed up. There is no specific area of the residence halls or University Village that will be gender inclusive, only individual suites and units. “I think it’s really important to everyone on this campus that no matter how you identify or where you’re from or who you are, you’re not excluded or secluded in a certain area. We really want to have it integrated in all areas of campus,” Johns said. The idea came from a growing number
of LGBT+ students who wanted to be sure they could live in a safe place, Pickrel said. Prior to gender inclusive housing, the housing department worked with students individually to find a place where they could feel comfortable. “That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to move forward with this,” Pickrel said. “So that we can get them an option and so any student that is supportive or affirming, we want them to be able to have the same option as other students.” A UTD task force was created approximately one year ago that researched what other universities were doing and how they addressed the issue of genderinclusive housing. The team was created in response to the increasing number of LGBT+ students who approached the housing staff for rooms where they could
→ SEE UV, PAGE 10
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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVII No. 35
NEWS
THE MERCURY | MARCH 27, 2017
UTDMERCURY.COM
UTDPD Blotter
Editor-in-Chief Nidhi Gotgi
editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294
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Photo Editor Saher Aqeel
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News Editor Miriam Percival
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Sports Editor Summer LeBel
March 7 • Parking and Transportation placed a boot on a student’s vehicle in PS3. The boot was then stolen at 9:15 a.m. March 10 • A student’s $250 to $300 was reported stolen from Rec Center West at 4:33 p.m. March 17 • A student was arrested off campus for drunk driving at 2:05 a.m. March 18 • An unaffiliated person was arrested on warrants, theft of property, and driving with an invalid license in Lot U at 8:13 a.m. March 22 • A UTD student reported another driver hit their vehicle in Lot J and failed to leave identification at the accident site at 6:53 p.m. • A UTD student was arrested for possession of controlled substances in Res Hall North at 1:22 a.m.
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sports@utdmercury.com
Life & Arts Editor Bhargav Arimilli life@utdmercury.com
Web Editor Bharat Arimilli
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LEGEND Contributors Carolina Alvarez Donia Bosak-Barani Srikar Baskara EJ Chong Deepak Godavarthi Ariana Hadden Logan Harless Shelbye Karr Mithra Kaushik Chris Lin Sam Lopez Anthony McNair Chiamaka Mgboji Shannon Ramirez Bianca Del Rio Ian Seamans Matt Strack Dev Thimmisetty Ruth Varghese Noah Whitehead Marisa Williams
VEHICULAR INCIDENT
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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
SOURCE | Campus Pride, 2017
OPINION
MARCH 27, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
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Editorial Board SG must improve transparency to boost voter turnout As 2017 Student Government elections ended with another low turnout, it is important to consider what can be done to increase student participation in choosing representatives. Only 6.5 percent of the student population made their voice heard. In an effort to improve student involvement in SG elections, The Mercury increased its coverage of the process and attempted to make it more transparent. By filming and publishing the interview that helped our editorial board evaluate the presidential and vice presidential candidates, we hoped the student body could get to know their representatives and make an informed decision independently of our opinion. We also organized and filmed a public forum in collaboration with SG and other student media organizations to draw attention to senatorial applicants and how they plan to work with the uncontested presidential and vice presidential candidates. Although attendance at the forum fluctuated as the event progressed, the candidates’ platforms and vision for SG reached a wider audience when a recording of the forum was circulated on the web.
Although these projects garnered attention and interaction among the student body, there’s still more that can be done to increase voter turnout. Part of the issue lies in the uncontested elections. The Mercury received a comment from a student asking why they should vote if only one person was running for the presidential and vice presidential offices. There’s less of an incentive to participate if it seems like the outcome won’t be affected by their opinion. By emboldening multiple candidates to run for executive positions, SG can drum up interest among the student body to invest time in getting to know the different platforms and who will represent them best. It’s understandable that succession planning comes with uncertainties, and those who may have been enthusiastic about running for office at the beginning of the semester may not feel that way when it comes time to file for candidacy. For this reason, establishing interest early and supporting those candidates as they move toward filing and running for office is crucial to prevent uncontested elections. Involving those potential leaders in executive decisions and allow-
ing them a chance to see what it’s like to hold the president and vice president roles would ease some of the hesitation in wanting to pursue those posts. Newly elected SG president JW Van Der Schans and current SG president Akshitha Padigela both said in separate interviews with The Mercury that there are responsibilities and nuances involved with the presidential and vice presidential roles that are often lost on candidates who run for those positions. Being more transparent about the duties and decision-making processes can be one step the newly elected candidates can take to allow interested members to feel more prepared to take on the top leadership positions in SG. Vice president-elect Alex Holcomb also proposed another change that can positively affect how many candidates run for office next year. He suggested basic training efforts to empower every senator to be able to draft proposals and take on initiatives without relying on others with those skillsets. Pursuing projects independently with real-time feedback from the president and vice president will allow senators to affect change and be more confident in
ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF
UTD Student Media hosted a forum for presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates on March 21 to allow student to hear what the various people running for office wanted to do should they be elected.
their abilities to take that to the administrative level of SG. Increased transparency at the presidential and vice presidential levels and improved communication and training among senators will help foster an environment that will encourage more candidates to run for office. Their different
platforms and goals will resonate with various student groups on campus and inspire them to vote. - Nidhi Gotgi, Cara Santucci, Miriam Percival, Bharat Arimilli, Bhargav Arimilli, Summer LeBel, Chad Austin and Saher Aqeel
A&M controversy indicative of larger issue with clickbait media Published op-ed generated outrage, publicity when misrepresented in news CARA SANTUCCI COMMENTARY
Just when we thought Student Government voter turnout couldn’t get any lower ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF
COMET COMMENTS
The outrage over Rick Perry’s comments about the A&M University Student Government election is indicative of the problems in the way people are consuming media. A&M’s student government race made headlines last week when current U.S. Energy Secretary Perry published an oped in the Houston Chronicle questioning the legitimacy of the disqualification of the official winner of the election. Robert McIntosh, the winner by votes of the A&M election, was disqualified for not disclosing a finance report for the glow sticks he used in a campaign promotion video. This disqualification made Bobby Brooks A&M’s first openly gay student body president. In the opinion, Perry said he was proud of the school for “treating every student equally,” but thought the disqualification over glow sticks was a questionable representation of due process by the schools’ judiciary committee. This action, he argued, called into question whether McIntosh was disqualified both for his family’s close connection to the
Trump campaign and for the purpose of pursuing historic diversity at the expense of a legitimate election. All of these claims are beside the point, and I am absolutely not trying to justify Perry’s past attitude toward diversity. But, in this instance, the story the media told through clickbait headlines got people up in arms over an inaccurate representation of what happened. The Texas Tribune published an article on March 23 on Perry’s comments under the headline, “TAMU elected its first openly gay student body president. Hold up, says Rick Perry.” The Washington Post headline read, “Rick Perry challenges election of Texas A&M’s first gay student body president” and The Guardian’s read, “Rick Perry ‘deeply troubled’ by election of gay Texas A&M student president.” The problem was these headlines implied a false connection between Perry’s comments about the legitimacy of the disqualification and the fact that A&M now has its first gay student body president. This was not at all Perry’s argument, and boils his oped down to an eye-catching headline about Perry’s homophobia. Now, if a reader were to click on the story and read the whole article from the Tribune or the Post, you would know the actual details of what happened at A&M
and what Perry was trying to say. Most people, however, chose not to read the story and instead retweeted the publications’ headlines, adding a comment aggressively attacking Perry. The facts of this case are really beside the point. It is just an example of the bigger problems of clickbait journalism that twists facts around to try to squeeze as much profit out of a story in a struggling industry. The public deserves better from its media. How can the left-leaning criticize the obvious biases in Fox News when the more liberal, mainstream media outlets are capitalizing on news in the exact same way? The solution isn’t to blame the media or question the validity of the freedom of the press, although we should expect better from places such as the Tribune. The solution is to be smarter readers. People need to read past the 140-character limit on a publication’s Twitter and finish the story if they are to form a valid opinion on an issue. Especially in an era where fact-based journalism is constantly under fire by the most powerful person in the country, it is crucial we take the media presented seriously and make an effort to understand a situation before we spread catastrophic, dramatic messages about it. If we don’t, how are we any better than our fear-mongering, lie-spreading president?
What are your thoughts on gender inclusiveness? HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Students interested in writing opinions can email editor@utdmercury.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
“Well, my opinion is that it’s fine as long as everyone, males and females, are okay with it.”
Soe Hien Htet Computer Science Freshman
“Yeah sure. I would not see why not if things work out between everyone.”
Tahrima Rahman Computer Science Alumna
“That would be okay. A lot of people are married who go here or have serious relationships, and living with any gender would not bother me.” Jacob Billeaudeaux Finance Junior
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 27, 2017
NEWS
UTDMERCURY.COM
Counseling Center explores online program
Growing student demand, limited resources leads center to consider using Therapy Assistance Online to serve students virtually
“It’s more to give greater access to those that are less able to access our services,” he said. “We are open one evening The Student Counseling Center may a week, but a lot of our students — eshave shorter wait times and more per- pecially graduate ones — have full time sonalized therapy in the coming year, jobs and so they can’t come in to access thanks to a new Student Government our services.” SG Vice President Joey Campain proinitiative to implement an online therposed the idea in the fall of 2016 while apy program. serving on UT System’s The center has seen Student Advisory Comrapid growth in the Over the mittee. The committee number of students refocused on graduate questing counseling seryears, we have mental health and methvices. According to the been given ods to implement counSCC, student intake inmore staff to seling accessibility. creased 28 percent from “On our campus, we the 2014-2015 academic provide servichave specific groups of year to the 2015-2016 es, but we can't graduate students that academic year, which are very disconnected has resulted in a growing seem to keep from life on campus,” waitlist. up with the Campain said. “They “It became a sustained demand that come to campus and and growing problem spend the majority of just in the last few years,” there is. their time in BSB or said Jim Cannici, the diNSERL. Nothing really rector of the SCC. “It’s — Jim Cannici, requires them to come very much because we’ve Director of the SCC to the interior of cambecome such a bigger pus. How can we prouniversity than we were. vide a service to students Over the years, we have been given more staff to provide services, that never will have interactions with but we can’t seem to keep up with the de- the Counseling Center?” With the new software, students mand that there is.” As part of a larger restructuring to ease would only have to come to the SCC strain on its staff, the SCC is exploring the once to be paired with a UTD counpossibility of implementing Therapy As- selor and to undergo an intake session sistance Online, a software that combines to determine the level of care needed. online treatment programs with video Students are categorized into one of four levels: critical, high, medium or chat-based therapy sessions. Cannici said the primary benefit of low priority. Those with critical or TAO is to improve the reach of the SCC. high priority, which includes suicidal BHARGAV ARIMILLI Life & Arts Editor
DEEPAK GODAVARTHI | MERCURY STAFF
Jim Cannici, director of the Student Counseling Center, discusses the possibility of implementing the Therapy Assistance Online, a program with virtual treatment and video therapy sessions. Student demand for the SCC has increased,, putting a strain on the staff at the Counseling Center and creating a need for the system.
thoughts or self-injurious behavior, will be treated through in-person therapy at the SCC. Those with medium or low priority, which can include academic stress or anxiety, will receive treatment through TAO modules and video chat sessions. Each video session lasts around 30
minutes instead of the normal hour, which has the potential to increase the number of clients a therapist can see in a day. A 2016 article published in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice compared the effectiveness of TAO and traditional therapy in a study of 72 college
students with anxiety. TAO was found to be more effective in terms of long-term improvement. Cannici noted that TAO is uniquely positioned for treating UTD students seeking therapy.
A Comets Remember A
ing plans to send out a general survey about language learning barriers at UTD. It will gauge how well changes to the language department would serve the student body and whether they are needed.
→ SEE THERAPY, PAGE 10
Hiring freeze impacts UTD Over 35 positions vacant after hiring freeze, expected to increase by summer
President Akshitha Padigela’s proposal to engrave the rocks in the reflection pools with the names of Comets who’ve passed while attending or after being accepted to UTD was approved. The project will be complete in time for the Comets Remember event on April 6 at 10 a.m. The families of the remembered students will be presented with the stone with their student’s name on it. Padigela said all students who passed since 2007 will have their names engraved and rocks will continue to be added, should any Comet pass away in the coming years. Student Affairs is taking care of the cost and SG will create a plaque to mark the location.
D UTD App D
ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF
Waivers for the hiring freeze are evaluated by a committee and President Richard Benson before being sent to Gov. Greg Abbot’s office for approval. Currently, UTD has requested over $1 million in waivers for faculty and support positions. IAN SEAMANS Mercury Staff
A statewide hiring freeze is affecting UTD, where 55 percent of staff are paid using state funds. The freeze was announced in January by Gov. Greg Abbot and will last through August. At UTD, the impacted positions are mainly active in the summer term and at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders. The Department of Family and Protective Services and all agencies under the purview of Texas’ elected executives such as the attorney general and railroad commissioner were exempted from the freeze. Universities can continue to hire, but only if the position is funded by a non-state entity, such as a foundation or an individual. If a position is funded by the state, the university can submit a waiver to be exempt from the freeze on a per position basis. Waivers can be submitted to the governor’s office for reprieve from the freeze, but at UTD it must first be reviewed by a committee and President Richard Benson before being sent. The Callier Center requires a certain number of child care staff in order to
maintain accreditation and that num- $557,000 for summer school faculty ber is currently low. Without a waiver and support, followed by $306,000 for to hire more providers that number Callier Center positions and $222,000 will continue to naturally decrease as for three other positions. individuals leave their jobs, said Vice However, UTD did not have a President of Budget and large number of job Finance Terry Pankratz. vacancies at the time He reported the unithe freeze was anI think each versity has already subnounced. There were of the schools mitted several requests to 35 positions that were the governor’s office but vacant at the time, and divisions in have not heard back yet. but that number is their own way expected to grow over “One that we have will certainly be the summer months, sent down is for a sePankratz said. nior buyer in our proimpacted as we curement office. Well “From a UTD try to deliver you might say, ‘What’s perspective, it is a so important about a challenge to manage our services senior buyer?’ The realthrough this. I think throughout the each of the schools ity is that we only have remainder of and divisions in their two and one just reown way will certired. So now we’ve got the year. one person who’s trying tainly be impacted as to facilitate the buying — Terry Pankratz, we try to deliver our (of all items) for the VP of Budget and Finance services throughout entire university, and the remainder of the really one person is not year,” he said. “Our enough,” Pankratz said. primary focus has been on protecting the academic In waivers the university sent, they estimated how much state funding would mission and making sure that we be spent in the hiring of the applied the appropriate number of faculty positions. The largest waiver is to spend to meet with our students.”
Vice President Joey Campain informed senators the long-awaited UTD app is nearing completion. The app will go through a beta test next month. The hope is to have it structured to track the Comet Cabs and Comet Cruisers, as well as have links to important websites, such as the library’s site. The projected completion date is fall 2017.
Z Language Survey Z Jonathan Schueler, leader of the academic affairs committee, is mak-
S Laundry Rooms S Residential Student Affairs Committee Leader Tiffany Chu is taking steps to resolve the laundry issues students experience in the dorms. Chu’s plan is to send out a survey this week through a Qualtrics link to measure the interest of the student body in installing shelves in the laundry rooms to place unclaimed clothes.
Q Senate Bill 4 Q Christian Filsouf, leader of the legislative affairs committee, spoke to UTD Police Chief Larry Zacharias concerning SB4, a new bill in the Texas Legislature that would give local and state police, including campus police departments, the power to enforce laws concerning immigration. Zacharias informed Filsouf that UTD police will not take action against students in alignment with SB4 because their job is to enforce criminal law rather than civil law. Filsouf told the senate that any student, regardless of background, should not be afraid of calling campus police if they need assistance. Students can also contact the chief directly with questions or concerns.
LIFE&ARTS
MARCH 27, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
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Understanding literature through anime
Arts and humanities professor teams up with space scientist to teach class on intersection of Japanese culture, storytelling
CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF
Mechanical engineering senior Alyssa Phillips (left) and research scientist Marc Hairston give a talk about the use of anime, manga and Japanese culture in diversifying academic experiences in college. DEV THIMMISETTY Mercury Staff
A space research scientist and an Arts and Humanities professor have teamed up for almost a decade to co-teach a literature course that focuses on anime, manga and Japanese culture. They hope to broaden students’ collegiate experience by exposing them to people of different backgrounds through the course. On March 24, research scientist Marc Hairston and a former student gave a talk about the topic at Comet Con. The use of anime in coursework began in 1998, when Hairston loaned his friend, Arts and Performance Professor Pamela Gossin, a copy of the famous anime film “Nausicaa” because he thought it related to the humanities course she was teaching about the nature of nature. Enthralled by the film, Gossin incor-
CHAD AUSTIN | GRAPHICS EDITOR SAM LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF
porated it in her course, and nine years later, the two decided to offer the overview course Literature of Fantasy: Anime and Manga. The class uses Japanese animation, graphic novels, poetry and light novels as the primary subject matter for students studying the themes of literature and storytelling. Hairston graduated with two undergraduate degrees in physics and literature. As a result, he said he recognizes the need for students to understand literature through other mediums. “I think it’s important that the students can feel jazzed up about the literary subject, which is what happens oftentimes with anime,” Hairston said. Alyssa Phillips, a mechanical engineering senior, enrolled in the course in 2008 when she was pursuing her first degree at UTD in arts and performance. “Literature courses can often feel
boring. Usually, you’re studying books that were written before you were born,” she said. “On the other hand, anime is something that you can relate with. It’s something more modern, and a lot of students have personal interest in it.” Hairston said the class is often the only literature course that the students take besides the graduation requirement, but it’s a critical part of their college experience. “We have students from a lot of different majors take the course: business, engineering, ATEC and anything you could imagine,” he said. “If you take (this type of ) class, then you’re going to learn the background of people. Anything that exposes you to the wider world and allows you to understand and empathize with other people is good, and that’s a true college education.”
While students are generally surprised at the depth of anime storytelling, Hairston said it’s difficult to expand the class as much as he wants to. “We always feel like we have to cram so much in one class,” he said. “With all the new material coming out, it’s like drinking from a fire hose. There are over 10,000 titles of anime out there.” One aspect of the class that is both a boon and a burden are the cultural differences, Phillips said, making it difficult to always engage with the text. “Anime comes, obviously, from Japanese creators and culture. Some things can be very different, like gender roles, the role of the family, even the independence of school-age kids,” she said. The culture disparity teaches an important lesson to students at UTD as well as viewers around the world, Hairston said. “We get this incorrect notion that
everyone views things the way we do,” he said. “Through studying anime, you start to see that there is a variety and hopefully, it increases our understanding of each other. The coolest thing about anime is that it promotes a transnational youth culture.” Every semester the course is offered, about 70 to 80 students enroll. Hairston said the diversity of the students is a unique opportunity for them to realize how similar they can be. One example was a Japanese concept from an anime about a college student in Tokyo. “We talked about this and all of a sudden, the whole class erupted,” he said. “People were talking and saying ‘I used to be like this’ and ‘I thought I was the only one.’ It was just amazing to see that these students’ experiences were being reflected in a completely different culture, halfway around the world.”
‘Zelda’ game breathes life into industry Latest iteration of popular franchise introduces new features, storylines ARIANA HADDEN COMMENTARY
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” is a different take on the traditional LOZ franchise because of additions like voice acting and genre, but that might not be such a bad thing. It is an open-world action-adventure game following the main protagonist, Link, and his quest to save the land of Hyrule. “Breath of the Wild” is the 19th game in the LOZ series, and the first open-world game in the collection in which players have the freedom to choose when they want to approach objectives. Players can also gain items through dungeons and fight bosses to build up the health or heart meter. It
NINTENDO | COURTESY
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” was released on March 3 as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch game console and garnered acclaim from critics.
holds some similarities to its predecessors, yet introduces new mechanics such as voice acting, making it an entirely new experience for returning LOZ players.
The game begins with Link awakening from a 100-year slumber to find an
→ SEE ZELDA, PAGE 6
Live-action reboot stuns with visuals Remake of classic Disney film entertains despite minor disappointments SUMMER LEBEL COMMENTARY
“Beauty and the Beast,” Disney’s latest in a line of live-action reboots, broke box office records in its opening weekend with a combination of beautiful cinematography and a healthy dose of nostalgia. The film, which now holds the record for the largest March opening and the largest PG rated movie opening, relied heavily on elements from the 1991 animated classic while adding a few new twists. The most notable difference when watching the movie is the extended length compared to the animated version, with an increase in runtime
from 84 to 129 minutes. The added time caused the movie’s pacing to lag in some parts, like the fight sequence at the end, which dragged on for much longer than the original. Some of the additional time came from the closing of several glaring plot holes from the original movie. Audiences find out what happened to Belle’s mother during a gloomy trip to Paris facilitated by a magic book. The timeline confusion from the previous movie is cleared up, removing the references to the Beast’s 21st birthday and the passage of ten years of time. The film also clarifies that not everything in the castle is alive, so the broken furniture in the west wing aren’t the bodies of servants the Beast has killed in his rage. One change in plot caused outrage
DISNEY | COURTESY
→ SEE DISNEY, PAGE 6
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” was released on March 17.
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THE MERCURY | MARCH 27, 2017
LIFE&ARTS
UTDMERCURY.COM
Bill Nye Lands at UTD
NOAH WHITEHEAD | MERCURY STAFF
CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF
NOAH WHITEHEAD | MERCURY STAFF
(Far Left) Bill Nye discusses space exploration and climate change with Neil Degrasse Tyson on the phone during his visit. (Left and Above) For the final day of Springapalooza, "An Evening with Bill Nye" took place on March 24 in the ATEC lecture hall.
Q&A: Comedian Rory Scovel Up-and-coming comic discusses career challenges, inspirations, plans for future On March 21, comedian Rory Scovel performed as part of SUAAB'S Springapalooza's festival. The Mercury sat down with him to talk about his work so far. What prompted you to follow a career in comedy? I don’t know if there’s necessarily one specific inspiration — maybe family. I come from a family with a lot of big personalities, and a big family. That kind of drove me to be a little bit of a performer just to get attention. The psyche of my family, if that’s the right phrase, is just that everyone’s trying to be funny. So if you are being funny, you get to have that attention and keep it. I’m just wired that way from childhood. Now that I’m doing this, my inspiration is just
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anonymous voice that leads him to the now ruined kingdom of Hyrule, where he meets the spirit form of Hyrule’s last king. The king explains that Calamity Ganon, a later form of the series’ overarching villain, Ganondorf, is bringing forth destruction to the kingdom and is sealed in Hyrule’s castle but growing in power. Unlike previous Zelda games, “Breath of the Wild” offers more options to proceed with the storyline. Players can choose to go through main dungeons in any order they choose, or not at all. While it is a nice new addition, it might come across as lacking too much direction if you are a die-hard, traditional Zelda fan. Alongside that, Link is given a special tool called the “Sheikah” slate to discover the world map at different pedestal waypoints. Accessing more waypoints across the land raises structures and adds landmarks to the overall map, making it easier to run the main quest.
anything going on. To get to go out and make some people laugh, you try to think of a way to chip in, in life. If that makes people laugh and they feel good about something, it kind of makes you think, ‘Alright, I’m doing something.’
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?
Probably the same as most, which is financial. It’s such a commitment time-wise. What you’re making is usually what you’ve spent to go be there. Basically, you’re coming home with no money. The biggest setback for me was trying to figure out, ‘How do I actually do this and afford to pay rent and buy groceries?’
I’m in a Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler movie that comes out June 30. I haven’t even seen it yet. I already know I’m a small role and I don’t know what they’ve left in or taken out. Either way, I’m over the moon that that was something I even got to do. It’s called “The House.” They can’t afford tuition for their daughter — she’s about to go to college — so they start an underground casino in a friend’s basement that goes from being this super shady casino to being like the movie “Casino.” Dimitri Martin, who I think was here last year, I’m in one of his movies called “Dean” which comes out June 2. Outside of that, we’re going to do a third season of “Those Who Can’t”
If there is one thing to know about LOZ games, it is that one does not simply walk through Hyrule field. Link traditionally rolls everywhere, yet in “Breath of the Wild,” there is no roll feature. The movement actions follow a similar style from its predecessor, “Skyward Sword,” in that you can sprint and climb using stamina, or simply walk. While this adds some variety, it was a nuisance to walk everywhere when you are accustomed to rolling. Another difference is the strength of the enemies. In previous games, the field creatures were not hard to defeat and could often be slayed in one or two hits. In “Breath of the Wild,” there are some creatures that can easily onehit kill you, making them much stronger and more difficult to beat. Another key element in the overall gameplay is Link’s ability to attain weapons other than a typical sword or bombs. Early on, you are able to retrieve and use an axe, which was a pleasant addition to the usual weapon findings. While it does not follow LOZ gameplay tradition, it adds variety to fighting methods, which is not
necessarily a bad thing. Voice acting and the ability to choose what to say truly display the new and advanced structure of the game. Whereas previous games were much more linear, this game utilizes the ability to make choices and proceed in any way the player sees fit, offering a wider array of outcomes and possibilities while still giving proper guidance through the mysterious female voice. The sheer beauty of the landscape and size of the map is breathtaking. “Breath of the Wild’s” map is about twelve times as large as that of “Twilight Princess,” making it the largest area covered in a LOZ game. The graphics and attention to detail for the game is more advanced than previous games, and makes the game itself a gem to both look at and play. While it displays many differences from its predecessors, “Breath of the Wild” still offers players the familiar LOZ storylines and battles. Those who have enjoyed the previous games will no doubt enjoy this one, making it worth the purchase.
Did you face any setbacks or challenges when you were becoming a comedian?
on truTV. And then I’m just kind of going out trying to get my own TV show. Any general life advice you’d like to share with our readers? I feel like I always have advice until it gets brought up to give advice. I try to always tell people to not take things so seriously. Maybe we’re all from different political climates but since November, I’ve never taken things more seriously in my life, especially being a dad now. For anyone who’s in college, when you look back on it, I tell people to really, truly enjoy it. Once you’re out of that rhythm of ‘your life is that you go to school,’ then you are now in a world where there’s no blueprint. All these things are exciting, but it comes at you fast.
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before the movie was released — having the first openly gay Disney character, LeFou. Howard Ashman, the lyricist of “Beauty and the Beast” as well as several other Disney movies, was openly gay. Ashman died from complications due to AIDS right before the release of the original animated version, so it’s fitting that one of his movies would have this distinction as a nod to his memory. Unfortunately, after all the hype and build-up, the end result fell flat. There were a few moments with Gaston and one in the final dance scene where he realizes he’s dancing with another man, but it felt forced and minimal at best. None of the scenes were much different than the original film, although it felt like a small step in the right direction. Controversy aside, Josh Gad often stole the scene with his conflicted portrayal of LeFou. The rest of the cast is full of big names, most of who do
SRIKAR BASKARA | MERCURY STAFF
Rory Scovel performed in the SSA Auditorium on March 21 in SUAAB's ‘Big Bad Comedy Show.’
an adequate job in their roles. Emma Watson plays a convincing Belle outside of her accent, which comes through more during her musical numbers. Her voice is not as strong as Disney’s original Belle, Paige O’Hara, but she holds her own, as does the rest of the star-studded cast until the final reprise of “Beauty and the Beast.” During the number, six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald blows the rest of the cast out of the water with a rendition more impressive than both Emma Thompson’s earlier in the film and John Legend and Ariana Grande’s for the film’s credits. The music is kept mostly the same as the original animated version, including the familiar musical cues that induced heavy nostalgia. Four new songs were written for the movie instead of using the additional songs already written for the Broadway version of the show. The most notable of the new numbers is “Evermore,” which the Beast sings after sending Belle back to rescue her father. While the song is nice
enough, and Dan Stevens does a decent job singing, it drags the pacing of the movie as he spends three minutes moving around the towers of the castle simply watching Belle ride away without moving the plot forward much. During the ride away from the castle, Belle is still wearing her signature yellow ball gown. The design was changed slightly for the movie, but kept close to the original. The other costumes throughout the movie stayed relatively faithful with minor changes, including Belle’s blue dress and the Beast’s blue suit. The elaborate, periodappropriate clothing during the balls in the opening and closing scenes were visually stunning, and the costuming added a nice background element throughout the movie. Overall, the movie was entertaining and nostalgic, making it easy to overlook the minor disappointments in what is turning out to be Disney’s most successful live-action reboot yet.
SPORTS
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MARCH 27, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
School first, soccer second UTD IM Sophomore student-athlete prioritizes education over offers to turn professional in French leagues
sports to track behavior Sportsmanship system will factor into team playoff qualifications LOGAN HARLESS Mercury Staff
RUTH VARGHESE | MERCURY STAFF
Alfredo Kaegi, a left wing and forward, practices on the UTD soccer field on March 21 as he works on rehab following knee surgery. Kaegi came to UTD to earn his degree after playing soccer for semi-pro teams in France for eight months. He played his first season at UTD this past fall, which brought him recognition on the playing field as he won multiple awards. He intends to go pro after getting his degree, which will provide him with a back-up plan for his athletic career. RUTH VARGHESE Mercury Staff
A sophomore soccer player, who’s received offers to go pro in France, is pursuing his education at UTD before attempting to play professionally. Alfredo Kaegi, a left wing and forward, finished his first season on UTD’s soccer team last semester. He won Freshman Offensive MVP, First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region and was the leading goal scorer at the conference last season. While he said he worked hard for his recognition, he could not have succeeded without the team. “Whenever we first went to Chicago for those first three games, I wasn’t scoring, I wasn’t doing my job. And then
whenever we came back, I started scor- cer in France was unlike what he had ing. I had a better season than I thought experienced before. Not only did he have to deal with a I would,” he said. higher level of play, Kaegi graduated I love the sport he was also one of the from Frisco Heritage so much that if I youngest members on High School where he the team. played on a dual rosend up not being a “It was just a faster ter with FC Dallas so professional socspeed of play, a lot more he could participate aggressive. It’s a comin his high school cer player, then I’d different level games while receiving like to stay close to pletely when it comes to the additional training the sport as much game,” he said. “It really from FC Dallas. After changed me as a player.” high school, he spent as possible. Every day in France the next eight months was a repeat of the in France where he — Alfredo Kaegi, day before. Because played semi-pro for UTD soccer player Kaegi was not going the reserve team for to school, there was HSC Montpellier. The time Kaegi spent playing soc- nothing to break up the regularity of
his weeks. “It was literally just soccer. That was pretty much what my days and my weeks consisted of, was just soccer, soccer, soccer,” he said. “It was pretty much like a job. Except I didn’t get paid.” After playing with HSC Montpellier, Kaegi moved to a satellite team called Castelnau Le Cres. He then received an offer to play for Le Havre AC, fulfilling one of his goals. “Going to France and having that experience and getting offers, that’s letting me know that I can go pro,” he said. Despite having the potential to play professionally in France, Kaegi said he wanted to get his degree because soccer is not a guaranteed career. He came to
→ SEE SOCCER, PAGE 8
Golf in full swing for spring season Comet men’s, women’s teams get back to business following extended mid-season winter break DONIA BOSAK-BARANI Mercury Staff
A UTD golf player is using her platform as an athlete to draw attention to a cause dear to her as the team completes its 19-week season after the offseason break. Shreena Bhakta, an emerging media and communications freshman, is on the women’s golf team and has played golf for five years. Bhakta is the only deaf member on the UTD golf team, but she said she feels like any other player because of the school’s accommodations. Bhakta is completely deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other. She overcomes her hearing impairment with cochlear implants and has worked with a speech therapist since she was 7 years old. “I feel like I’m the only girl who is deaf who plays golf, and I’m trying to teach deaf people that it doesn’t matter who you are, you can be who you are,” Bhakta said. “I have not met one person who is deaf and plays golf, so I want to expand and open to deaf people that ‘Hey, I’m deaf, and I play golf in college,’ which is amazing.” Michelle Edgar, an emerging media and communications freshman, believes that Bhakta’s hearing impairment doesn’t pose major obstacles for her on the field. “We really don’t notice any difference because golf isn’t really a sport where you have to communicate a lot,” Edgar said. “When we have tournaments, our coach just has to talk to the players that she’s playing with and say she’s hard of hearing, so they just use hand signs.”
UTD intramural sports created a new sportsmanship system to incentivize players to be on their best behavior. The scoring method treats both undefeated and teams without any wins equally. All participants in competitive intramural sports are awarded a sportsmanship score from zero to four, based on how they behave in each game. If teams average lower than a three during the regular season or score below a three in a playoff game then they are eliminated from playoffs. Referees assign separate scores to each team at the conclusion of games. “You start with a three. … If you show some sort of behavior that exceeds the expectation … things that go above and beyond to show excellent character earn you a four,” said Chris Gormley, the assistant director of competitive sports and head of UTD’s intramural sports programs. “If you receive technical fouls, if you receive yellow cards, if you are constantly yelling at, berating the referees, even if it does not rise to the level of a technical foul, these things constitute getting you a two. Any physical altercation, fight, ejection, suspension, those would result in a one or a zero.” This system serves as both a motivator and deterrent. It encourages players to monitor their behavior or risk missing the playoffs, while also forcing them to conduct themselves better in the event that they do score below a three, said Derek Tallent, a supervisor for intramural competition and political science junior. “If they get a two or a one that generally means they went down for some reason. We write down exactly why they got that score and tell them why that got that score and that way they can correct their behavior. It also incentivizes them too because they have to have a three average to get into the playoffs,” Tallent said. The purpose of the system is perhaps best summarized as a way to hold players answerable for their actions. “Sportsmanship scores were implemented … as a check to give player and team accountability to their own behavior,” Gormley said. For freshman mechanical engineering freshman Jaachi Emeruwa, though, the system should be less subjective. “It might be better to have something that you can count, like if you count the number of technical fouls, or just total fouls. There should just be some reason explained to us as to why we got our score,” he said. Emeruwa’s team was disqualified from basketball intramural playoffs by the sportsmanship score system despite an undefeated regular season campaign. Making any change, however, would require that checks remain in place to promote sportsmanship. “It’s very important to me that change comes with still solving the problem that we have with sportsmanship,” Gormley said.
UTD GOLF TEAM | COURTESY
Shreena Bhakta is in her first season at UTD. Bhakta is completely deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other, making her the only golfer who is deaf at UTD. Bhakta, who has never met another golfer who is deaf, is able to overcome her impairment with the help of a cochlear implant and speech therapy.
Bhakta said the dynamic between her teammates and coach has helped improve her performance as well as the team’s. “I get to see my golf teammates and my coach happy because if I score good, then we are all happy. If I score bad, we are all still happy,” Bhakta said. “It doesn’t matter if we score bad or good, we all get happy because we love golf. It makes our relationship closer.” The women’s golf team had its stron-
gest season last semester. One freshman group of three players currently ranks eleventh out of 325 schools. This spring, they hope to place in the top three, which has never been done by UTD women’s golf. So far this season, the team has played a Division III and Division I tournament and placed fourth and tenth respectively. “When we played with the Division I girls, they were all surprised that we
were playing because we don’t get any scholarship money to do it, so it’s solely because we like and enjoy playing golf,” Edgar said. Both men and women’s golf competed in four tournaments during the fall season and will compete in at least three more games during the spring at the Texas Cup, West Regional Invitational and
→ SEE GOLF, PAGE 8
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the ASC Championships to conclude the season. Head coach Butch Edge coached both teams since 2015. He said he hopes to see how they’ve improved on the golf course now that the off-season is over and newer players have gained experience during the fall. “We’ll be better in the spring than we were in the fall. It’s only my second year here, and it takes about three years to get a program rolling,” Edge said. “We have great freshmen men and women coming in next year, and we’re going to try to take it to another level.” The golf team’s off-season lasted from October to February. NCAA rules and regulations state coaches cannot be involved in training during this period. The players stay in shape by visiting a strength and conditioning coach and practicing through an unaffiliated club or on their own. “At that time it’s all voluntary,” Edge said. “(But) if they don’t keep up during our off-season, they won’t be playing very much
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UTD through connections he had on the team and with the coach. His time in France didn’t make it easier for him on the UTD soccer
SPORTS
stronger, not just athletically, but in the spring.” During the regular season, the academically,” he said. “We talk team has morning practices off- about being special in the classcampus Monday through Thurs- room and on the golf course. The day at Twin Creeks and Watters men last year won the national Creek in Allen or Canyon Creek championship for the top academic golf team in the nation.” Country Club in Richardson. Their improvement will be “Our sport is not like any othon display durer sport because ing the remainof our commiting competitions ment. We have to I feel like I'm in March and drive 16 miles to the only girl April, ultimately a course. It’s not who is deaf leading UTD on campus,” Edge golf to the ASC said. “The comthat plays golf, Championships mitment golfers and I'm trying in mid-April. The make is unbelievgreatest progress able because our to teach deaf is expected in the practices are four, people that it freshmen, who four and a half doesn't matter have historically hours a day not shown the biggest two, two and a who you are, differences behalf. There’s a lot you can be who tween the fall and of little intricacies spring seasons. in golf that aren’t you are. “Both men and in other sports.” — Shreena Bhakta, women are way Balancing academics and sports UTD golfer stronger, especially after freshmen is particularly chalfall season, comlenging for freshing into freshmen men, Edge said. “They’re coming into a new spring. You see a tremendous environment, a new program. Ju- amount of difference because the nior golf is not high school golf. lightbulb goes off, so to speak,” Their requirements are much Edge said.
team but it gave him an advantage, he said. Although Kaegi’s ultimate goal is to become a professional soccer player, he’d still pursue an athletically inclined career if that doesn’t go as planned. “It’s a big part of who I am.
It’s pretty much all I do. If it’s not school or work, it’s soccer. It’s a passion of mine,” Kaegi said. “I love the sport so much that if I end up not being a professional soccer player, then I’d like to stay close to the sport as much as possible.”
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MARCH 27, 2017 | THE MERCURY
ATEC PROJECTS
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Student leadership program comes to campus Internationally recognized program, certification available free of charge through Student Leadership Programs office said. “Our hope is that, through this workshop, that you really have thought more about leadership concepts and models in general, so it is something that you are able to use in your interview settings, in your corporate settings or to apply to graduate school or other opportunities.” The five models follow a cyclical order and students are required to demonstrate understanding by submitting an online reflection after each session. The first is called Model the Way, where students learn that leaders exemplify the way for others. The others are Inspired a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart. “Their goal is to break down leadership into something that is simple and applicable into a lot of areas but also make it meaningful and help people to understand how their words are translating to the people that are following them,” Roller said. The certification is one of few
targeted to benefit all students across campus. “It’s a great resume builder and we get to learn other people’s thought and experiences and it provides a nice bonding experience,” said Vishalini Kadirkama Sundaram, a health care studies senior and a workshop co-facilitator. “It also helps students get their feet wet in what leadership is that’s not based in a classroom setting. It’s not a cookie-cutter leadership program, it’s more of a specialized thing that you can apply to all areas of your life, not just professionally.” The program went through a trial run in fall 2016. Students who have received their certification were given the opportunity to apply for a co-facilitator position for future workshops and have been working with Roller this semester. They’re able to directly apply this knowledge in practical field experience. “As a co-facilitator, I dive into one main aspect of lead-
selves if they don’t feel comfortable doing that,” Johns said. The goal is to reduce the stress placed on students who might feel comfortable. Johns was a membe worried about having roomber of the task force. mates that are the task force. not accepting of “Being the first The fact that his or her idenUT system school UTD was gender tity, Johns said. that did this, it was Akira Lear, an exciting to be on inclusive and ATEC junior and that task force and did show me transgender male, for housing to be so proactive in making that it supported came to UTD because the universure our students me specifically sity would allow feel even more was something him to room with welcome than they other men. Lear already are on camthat made me had to legally pus,” Johns said. choose to come change his gender For the students that do opt-in, a folhere because my to male in order room with othlow up email is sent safety was one of to er male students. to make sure the the most imporLear chose to student understands come to UTD the implications. tant things. because he knew Any student can contact housing if — Akria Lear, there would be gender-inclusive he or she no longer ATEC junior housing soon. wants to participate. “It was kind of When students see the names of potential room- more of just a safety thing for mates who have signed up for gen- myself, since even if I have my der inclusive housing, sexual orien- legal gender changed, I might tation is not listed. Previously, the go into a dorm even at this camhousing department worked with pus with ... terrifying people that I don’t want to live with,” students on a case-by-case basis. “This new procedure helps stu- Lear said. “Having gender-indents to not have to out them- clusive, which is this extra thing
of safety, of this person knows you’re trans and they’re not going to discriminate against you for it.” For the past year, Lear emailed his roommates as soon as he received their names to let them know he was transgender. Lear said he appreciates the fact UTD will make genderinclusive housing possible. “The fact that UTD was gender inclusive and did show me that it supported me specifically was something that made me choose to come here because my safety was one of the most important things,” Lear said. Johns said UTD is showing support for the LGBT+ community through this change and that this is proof of the diversity at UTD. “I think LGBT+ students that see UTD implementing gender inclusive housing just feel more at peace, going to a university, knowing that they’re not hated or discriminated against. There’s so many times when they step off this campus that discrimination happens,” Johns said. “But if we can in any way make a student that identifies in the LGBT+ spectrum feel more comfortable, then we want to do that.”
MITHRA KAUSHIK Mercury Staff
Students now have the opportunity to easily obtain a leadership certification that is endorsed internationally through the Student Leadership Programs office. The Student Leadership Challenge Model workshop series offers free certification, which individuals can complete by attending five sessions the model is centered around. The program is based on the Leadership Challenge model and is a student version of a corporate design used in companies across the world. The workshops are directed and conducted by Beth Roller, assistant director of leadership programs and the certified facilitator for the SLCM program at UTD. “One of the number one qualities that corporations or people that are hiring are looking for is leadership,” Roller
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SRIKAR BASKARA | MERCURY STAFF
Students attend a Student Leadership Challenge Model workshop to obtain a certification. SLCM is based on a program used internationally that is adapted for students.
ership and I get to teach other students about what leadership is and how they can apply it in their personal and professional lives,” Sundaram said. The program is also unique
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“It’s something that — on the surface — looks pretty well designed,” he said. “Our population here, particularly, is so used to doing online activities. It would appear to be a good fit for our population.” Counselors can assign modules, conduct video chats and monitor overall progress. However, if conditions don’t improve, students will be asked
in that it offers an interactive approach rather than a straightforward lecture type course, which makes the program more engaging for students. “It’s not like taking a class,
it’s about really getting to know the material and very practical methods of how to apply it,” Sundaram said. “It applies to everything, from being a student to being a friend.”
to attend in-person counseling sessions at the center. “It doesn’t mean it’s going to be effective for everybody,” Campain said. Cannici agreed with Campain, emphasizing the importance of face-to-face interactions. “One of the great advantages of counseling is that one-onone eye contact, non-verbal behaviors (and) tone of voice — which is less accessible through the online program,” he said. The cost to license TAO is
$21,060 per year, which includes unlimited clients and therapists. Because of the relatively low cost, Cannici said he doesn’t anticipate any extra fees for students. “$21,000 isn’t all that expensive,” he said. “A new psychologist or a new staff member would be much more than that.” Cannici said the decision to integrate TAO into the SCC is still awaiting approval from the administration. If approved, it could be implemented as late as 2019.
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for growth in our senate.” Those constitution changes were confirmed after the 2017 election. Although the president and vice president ran on the promise of uniting the campus, Campain admits the idea fell by the wayside as time ran out during the administration’s first semester. “Honestly, so far we haven’t done much,” he said. “As me and Akshitha reflected on what our idea of executives in Student Government was, it was to ensure that our group was it,” she said. “So this year we functioning as a whole. … came up with the one-on-ones. And a lot of this is happening We meet with the senator onesecond semester because first on-one and we kind of decide semester is a lot of that senate what project they should work work. A lot of, ‘How can we on based off what they want.” Campain said he has already noget this group off the ground?’” One thing Padigela and Campain ticed a difference in the way senators did organize to further their original are approaching their obligations. goal was the President’s Day Brunch, “I’m excited that our senaan event that brought together stu- tors have stepped outside the dent leaders from various organiza- box and taken on projects that tions to discuss stuaren’t necessarily dent concerns. just the run of the mill project that “The biggest (Constituyou expect from disadvantage that a student senate, we have is our tion changes) but actually trying term is one year, enables the to change the life so time is our bighere on campus,” gest constraint,” organization he said. Padigela said. two, three, “And so when Looking back on four years from her term, Padigela getting a response back from an had difficulty coming now to be as email takes some up with a concrete effective as a time and then list of goals she acfrom that you student senate complished, because have to write that so many of them are should be. proposal. … It stuck in the proposal takes time.” stage. This includes — Joey Campain, projects such as PresiWhile the president and vice presSG vice president dent’s Park, a massive amphitheater for perident dedicated the second semesformances on campus. “I wish I had choter to constitution reform, the first semester was spent sen smaller projects to work on so working on senatorial engagement. I could see things happen at the “The way I saw my role this very end, when my term is over year was empowering senators and say, ‘I did this,’” she said. towards kind of enabling them Padigela said she also wished to take projects on their own,” she was given more informaCampain said. tion on how the executive The committees in SG de- branch of SG worked during cide as a group which projects her transition into office. “There’s just a whole lot they’ll pursue during the year. “Even if that’s not some- more to it. And almost every thing I want to work on, I’d single thing that you’re like, still have to work on it because ‘Wow, I can’t believe they my committee is working on haven’t thought of this,’ I’m
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The president and vice president-elect want to emphasize the strengths of the students by collaborating with school officials. “Right now, a few students do work with the administration to get certain technology out there, but a lot of students I know personally have good CS backgrounds, good programming backgrounds and could really be an asset to the university, but the university
isn’t really using it,” Van Der Schans said. One of the major objectives of the new administration is to improve SG as an organization by refining communication. Both the president and vice president hope to use their own experience in SG to promote these enhancements. “Making sure that everybody’s on the same page, they start out and they know the responsibilities of their position and know how to effectively do it, making sure that all of those
sure someone has thought of it and there are reasons that they can’t do it,” she said. “For example, parking. They can’t just put more parking spaces in because … where is that money going to come from?” Campain expressed similar concerns about their transition to president and vice president. “We didn’t exactly know what it was going to be like (or) how our year was going to be spent,” he said. “We want to work on our transition this year to make sure our executives know exactly the challenges we face.” For Campain, the biggest challenge he faced in adjusting to the vice presidency was in learning and respecting the existing chain of command. “(The vice presidency) requires a lot of transparent communication. And just to be frankly honest, I have gotten in trouble with it a lot,” he said. “Sometimes I would outstep and I’d take some power away from our executive chairs by reaching out to senators and starting those conversations with senators. And although it’s never negative, if I took some power away from the executive chair, then that kind of stresses our relationship.” Despite these setbacks, Padigela and Campain expressed how serving Student Government was a tremendous chance for growth. “It’s just been a huge learning opportunity for me,” Padigela said. “What kind of leader I am, when I need to be leader and when I need to just be here to listen to people.”
checkmarks are done, hasn’t been done in the past and has been kind of overlooked,” Holcomb said. “I think if we took a step back and got down into the responsibilities of a senator and how to do the job, I think we could do phenomenally more, just more over the time of your term.” They will also focus on increasing student involvement. Van Der Schans said what makes student government as influential as it is can be attributed to the fact that those running it are
ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF SOURCE | UTD STUDENT GOVERNMENT
students, just like those who are impacted by its decisions. “We don’t have enough student involvement in the process, or student suggestions in the projects, it’s a lot of student senators,” he said. “The things that we do, a lot of people still enjoy and appreciate just because we’re coming at it from a student perspective and not an administrative perspective, but we still don’t have the outside students coming in.” Van Der Schans and Holcomb said they plan to repre-
sent every student so that all students benefits from their work in SG. “At the end of the day, the senators are representatives, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only students that can do anything. I think that the driving force that UTD has is the passionate students, and if we can facilitate that and use representatives as a catalyst for that process to advance, we’re going to make the university … the next level,” Van Der Schans said.
I think if we took a step back and got down into the responsibilities of a senator ... I think we could do phenomenally more. — Alex Holcomb,
SG vice president-elect