The Mercury 7/31/17 by The Mercury

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July 31, 2017

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THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM ARIANA HADDEN Managing Editor

As Jessica Chester entered her freshman year of college, she was already four months into motherhood with her first child. Balancing college and taking care of her baby would be difficult, but Chester said she was not too worried — until she discovered she was pregnant with her second child. Chester graduated high school in the top 1 percent of her class and decided to pursue college out of state. When her mother insisted she stay in-state for the sake of her child, Chester applied to UTD in 2005 and received a full ride with the AES scholarship. Despite all the fears and worries she had as a new mother, Chester dove headfirst into college, satisfied she was able to have the experience. “Being a teen parent is a struggle for anyone, but being a parent you have a lot to deal with outside of school,” Chester said. “Just having to wake up a whole lot earlier, having to get the kids ready, getting them to day care, as students we are up all night anyways, so on top of breast-feeding and diaper changes, it was just my personal hardships.” While struggling to balance her course load and caring for her children, the 2009 alumna maintained her scholarship and

→ SEE PARENT, PAGE 8

Alumna Jessica Chester holds her six-week-old daughter Ava in her arms as she recalls her time on campus while raising two children. Chester entered UTD with a four-month-old baby boy, unaware she was pregnant with her second child.

RUTH VARGHESE | NEWS EDITOR

Alum breaks world record UTD orgs assist int’l students with arrival

Local Free Play Arcade livestreamed 24-hour Tapper marathon on Twitch

Members provide airport pickup, temporary housing

SAHER AQEEL | PHOTO EDITOR

Alumna Lauren Featherstone broke the previous record of the arcade game Tapper with a total of 14 million points and won a total of $2,900. She was awake for 32 hours by the end of the 24-hour livestream. DONIA BOSAK-BARANI Mercury Staff

A UTD alumna broke the Tapper world record at Free Play Arcade in Arlington, scoring 14,000,600 points and making her the first woman to hold the record-breaking title for the game. Lauren Featherstone first played the vintage arcade game in 2015 at Free Play Arcade in Richardson. She wasn’t a gamer, but was drawn to the machine every time she visited the arcade. Not long after she started playing, she held the highest score at the location. Now, two years later, she holds the world’s highest score. Featherstone broke the world record on July 15 after playing for 18 hours on a Twitch live stream. She continued playing for the full 24 hours and walked away with $2,900 by earning $100 for every million points and a bonus of $1,500 when she surpassed the previous record of 10,361,550 points. She said she could have kept playing to increase her score but decided to leave her total where it was because she had already done all she had to do and was exhausted.

“At that point I’d proven everything I needed to prove. As far as the world record, I’ve played longer than anyone else has on one quarter,” Featherstone said. “I’ve had the fastest speed. The previous record holder got so many million at so many hours, so as far as pace goes, I was outpacing the previous record. And of course I got more points than anyone else has ever gotten.” In Tapper, the player is a bartender who throws beers to customers and catches empty glasses. The game doesn’t follow a pattern and is completely randomized every time someone plays, so she didn’t memorize patterns, but relied on instinct and reflexes instead. “It’s what’s called a time-management game essentially in that my eyes have to be in a lot of places at once because it gets very fast,” she said. “Keeping track, catching the glass right before it falls off, throwing someone a beer right after they finish the other because you can’t throw it too soon. It is a down to the second kind of game. I did a lot of what’s called point-pressing. I’d sacrifice lives to pick up money to get extra points.” In addition to her strategies, Featherstone’s success was dependent on her sup-

portive team of friends and the accommodations provided by Free Play. She and her team planned ahead and prepared for every possible situation. She opted for glasses instead of contacts, wore several layers, got a shoulder rub from her husband, limited her liquid intake and ate healthy food. Meanwhile, the Richardson arcade transported its own reliable gaming cabinet and a battery backup to the larger Arlington location where Featherstone made history, in order to allow for enough personal space and overcome any outages. Her husband Josh Featherstone experienced her Tapper journey from start to finish. He says Lauren taught herself everything she knows about the game. “She wasn’t so interested in looking for a world record or anything when she first started playing, she was just having fun with it. But then later, as a matter of pride almost, she never looked online for tips or tricks or anything else,” Josh said. “It was all just completely selftaught from the beginning, she would just trial and error, and she learned what would make her survive, what made her get points. There’s

→ SEE TAPPER, PAGE 5

RUTH VARGHESE | NEWS EDITOR

Organizations such as the Indian Students Association help incoming students adjust to campus life with mentors and a connection to the community. SAUMYA JAGATA Mercury Staff

Each year, more than 1,500 international students arrive at UTD. As these students prepare to study in a new country, UTD’s cultural student organizations prepare to welcome them and build an environment of home away from home. President of the Indian Students Association, Vishal Keswani, said his organization helps nearly 700 international Indian students arriving at UTD each year. They focus on providing initial airport pickups and temporary accommodations in collaboration with the International Center at UTD, International Christian Fellowship, UTD alumni and current students.

“Our organization was set up with the mission of service before self,” Keswani said. “Around 17 years ago, the Indian alumni came up with this idea (of setting up this organization) solely for the purpose of providing pickups and drops. It was a totally voluntary service and it still continues after 17 years.” Current UTD students assist the ISA in managing the large number of new students, and ensure they are completely settled before classes start. Feng Zhang is president of the Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars, assisting more than 300 Chinese students adjusting to life in the U.S. each year. “Having lived in the U.S. for nine

→ SEE ARRIVAL, PAGE 8

THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVIII No. 12 Editor-in-Chief Miriam Percival

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Managing Editor Ariana Hadden managingeditor @utdmercury.com (972) 883-2287

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THE MERCURY | JULY 31, 2017

NEWS

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UTDPD Blotter July 18 • At 7:25 p.m. a UTD student's backpack was stolen in Dining Hall West. July 19 • At 2:54 p.m., an unknown person stole items from a UTD student's vehicle in PS3.

July 24 • A UTD student's purse was stolen from their vehicle in Phase 4 at 2:28 p.m.

July 25 • At 11:27 a.m., an unknown person stole a bike from BSB.

July 25 • A hoax email was sent to UTD PD threatening to shoot up the campus center and blow up the police station at 3:45 p.m.

A B

C E A

Sports Editor Summer LeBel

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Life & Arts Editor Bhargav Arimilli life@utdmercury.com

Web Editor Bharat Arimilli

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LEGEND Contributors Carolina Alvarez Donia Bosak-Barani Emilio Chavez EJ Chong Saumya Jagata Shelbye Karr Sam Lopez Anthony McNair Chiamaka Mgboji Shannon Ramirez Ian Seamans Matt Strack Dev Thimmisetty Noah Whitehead

Media Adviser Chad Thomas

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Mailing Address 800 West Campbell Road, SU 24 Richardson, TX 75080-0688 Newsroom Student Union, Student Media Suite SU 1.601

The Mercury is published on Mondays, at two-week intervals during the long term of The University of Texas at Dallas, except holidays and exam periods, and once every four weeks during the summer term. Advertising is accepted by The Mercury on the basis that there is no discrimination by the advertiser in the offering of goods or services to any person, on any basis prohibited by applicable law. The publication of advertising in The Mercury does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by the newspaper, or the UTD administration. Opinions expressed in The Mercury are those of the editor, the editorial board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily the view of the UTD administration, the Board of Regents or the Student Media Operating Board. The Mercury’s editors retain the right to refuse or edit any submission based on libel, malice, spelling, grammar and style, and violations of Section 54.23 (f ) (1-6) of UTD policy. Copyright © 2017, The University of Texas at Dallas. All articles, photographs and graphic assets, whether in print or online, may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without express written permission.

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VEHICULAR INCIDENT

THEFT

DRUGS & ALCOHOL OTHER MAP: UTD | COURTESY

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New rideshare app launches on campus

NEWS

THE MERCURY | JULY 31, 2017

Coding camp builds career skills Campus Computer Science Outreach program provides essential knowledge, skills to kids

UTD second campus to utilize SnapRyde

SNAPRYDE | COURTESY

Students and drivers utilize the carpooling platform around campus RUTH VARGHESE NEWS EDITOR

SnapRyde, a carpooling platform, launched at UTD three weeks ago. The purpose of the app is to help students find a ride easier than with other ridesharing applications. “We thought UTD is a great campus by looking at ridesharing, growth … and we saw there is much more potential and need, and where we can help the student community … so that’s how we targeted UTD,” said Chetan Kabra, senior developer for SnapRyde. The app works by automatically pairing riders and drivers going in the same direction, so no time is wasted for either user. The program was created by UT Arlington alumni who saw a need for a cheaper, easier option for students to get around. “We faced the problem. We came to (the) U.S. as international students, and we ourselves faced the problem of finding rides for even smallest things like groceries or getting around the campus,” said Mayank Jain, president and CEO of SnapRyde. Jain said sometimes public transportation isn’t the best, other platforms are too expensive and friends aren’t always reliable, all problems that evolved into their solution. “So that was the moment it struck to us, that there’s a need of a platform where we should connect students in taking and giving rides,” he said. Nispand Mehta and Chetan Kabra, UTA alumni, worked with Jain, and after about eight months of work, SnapRyde was created. As of now, their focus is not on creating revenue, but gaining users, which is why they offer riders $5 Amazon gift cards and driv-

→ SEE APP, PAGE 5

NOAH WHITEHEAD | MERCURY STAFF

The Computer Science Outreach program brings in students from age groups kindergarten through high school to assist them with their coding skills. Current UTD students are tasked with helping these students, and often receive positive feedback on the quality of their instruction.

SAUMYA JAGATA MERCURY STAFF

Nearly 90 computer science students from UTD had the opportunity to coach 1,000 children with their coding skills this summer at the Computer Science Outreach program. These camps help children learn, as well as UTD students who work as instructors to build skills that would be useful in their careers. “As a public university, we should do more public good,” said Jey Veerasamy, director of Center for Computer Science Education & Outreach. “If we run a program like (CS Outreach), the whole community will know that we are here.” This program began with one workshop for 50 participants in 2012, and currently caters to nearly 1,500 students. While many of the camps occur during summer, after school clubs and private tutoring are held throughout the year.

Outreach camps are designed to caTeenaz Ralhan, senior undergraduate computer science student, is a sec- ter to students from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Instructors are trained ond-year coding instructor. on specific teach“I joined outing methodologies reach because I enfor these camps. All joy working with You have to give of them follow a kids and it obvioushands-on approach ly strengthens my examples which are in their teaching to own knowledge,” relevant to them . . . ensure children stay Ralhan said. “Our engaged throughteam is very strong In general, we pick out the sessions. and we have a great “During the rapport between more of game-based summer, we are all of us and it has examples, something fighting with chilbeen a really posidren’s videogame tive experience.” that they can play time. We have to Ralhan said make coding as working with stuaround with. exciting as those dents, being able games,” Veerasamy to work as a team — Vidya Mani said. “If a course is leader and being Outreach instructor enjoyable, learning there for students happens automatiboth emotionally and as a problem solver helps her grow cally.” Vidya Mani, computer science gradas a person and improves her logicaluate and outreach instructor, said her thinking skills.

role as an instructor involves some creativity while designing her classes. “The (simple) PowerPoint way of teaching doesn’t really work. You have to give examples which are relevant to them,” Mani said. “In general, we pick more of game-based examples, something that they can play around with.” Hiranya Kumar, a computer science graduate, has been associated with Outreach for over a year. He teaches elementary, as well as advanced, coding languages and said it was a wonderful experience for him. “(The camp) is a good understanding for me about how the professional world works, how management works and what are the troubles of organizing events,” Kumar said. He also said it feels great when they receive positive responses from children and parents on their coding camps. “You feel like you have done something productive,” he said. “It is one of the merits of being an instructor.”

UV reverts back to TWC for internet provider DEV THIMMISETTY MERCURY STAFF

After a series of thunderstorms and recurring issues with the wireless access points in the university apartments, UTD and the Office of Information Technology have decided to revert back to the services provided by Time Warner Cable, now known as Spectrum. On July 7 at 4 p.m., a thunderstorm struck UTD, causing a loss of over 200 access points in the University Village apartments. Due to other incidents similar to this, Brian Dourty, the associate vice president of OIT, said the university will be using Spectrum in UV so students can have access to TV and internet until the hardware issue with CometNet and TemocNet can be resolved. “It is our intention to use Spectrum as a fallback, so to speak,” Dourty said. “It’ll be in place to give students guaranteed internet and TV until we have full confidence in the systems that we had in place.” In June, the university decided to implement CometNet, TemocNet and a wireless TV service in the apartments and residential halls to replace Spectrum’s services. These were all supported by the access points that had been installed in every residential unit. However, severe

weather seemed to interfere with the new university service, causing issues in the on-campus apartments. “There is a strong correlation between the storms and the failures. During those storms, we have had significant failures of several access points,” Dourty said. The university is now in the process of finalizing a deal with Spectrum for their TV and internet, which would be identical to the services UV had in years past. Matt Grief, the associate vice president for housing operations, said Spectrum presented the most logical choice. “(Spectrum) has not picked up all their equipment yet, so this was the easiest solution we had,” he said. Grief also said students can utilize the same personal equipment they were using with Spectrum before. At this time, UTD is still finalizing the details of when the switch will take place and what the process will look like. In the meantime, CometNet and TemocNet are still working in all the occupied residential units. “We will draft a communication to students once we know the final details,” Dourty said. “We are currently working on a plan to reallocate all the equipment.” SAM LOPEZ | MERCURY STAFF

July 31, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

This August marks the last month of Mark Spong as the dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. He will step down and become a regular faculty member after taking the upcoming school year off. In an interview with The Mercury, Spong spoke about what the Jonsson School has accomplished and what the future will look like.

LIFE&ARTS

Q&A:

Why are you stepping down from the dean position?

Before I was dean, I was a faculty member, and I still am a faculty member doing research and teaching and other things. For personal and professional reasons, I thought it was a good time to pass it on to someone else. I think we have accomplished a lot here at the Jonsson School. After 9 years, it’s always good to get new administration in place and I’m ready to go back.

Mark Spong Dean of ECCS

Jonsson school dean steps down after nine years

Who will the new dean be?

Basically, they’ve hired a professional search firm to look nationwide for a new dean. They’ll be bringing in candidates in the fall, and in the spring they will start interviewing them. I think they are looking to introduce the new dean in the fall 2018 term. That would be a good time, or maybe even summer 2018. I am completely out of the process.

What are your plans after August?

I’m not going anywhere; I’m just going to teach and research. I’m going to be on leave for this year, but when I come back, I will be teaching robotics and control systems. My title would just be professor.

Who will handle the dean responsibilities in the meantime?

The interim dean will be Poras Balsara (a professor of electrical engineering). He’s been a longstanding faculty member, and he has done a lot for the Jonsson School. He’s been here doing research and teaching. He has served as an associate dean, helping me a lot. He serves on university-wide committees. He’s done it all in terms of service for the university.

Over the past 30 years, what do you think has been the biggest accomplishment for the Jonsson School?

Thirty years ago, there was nothing. I think it has been tremendous to grow from nothing to the third place engineering school in the state behind UT (Austin) and Texas A&M. When I came on board in

MARK SPONG | COURTESY

2008, we had very bold plans to start the mechanical and bioengineering departments, and they have both been very successful. Prior to 2008, we only had electrical engineering and computer science. We’ve gone from two departments to six now.

What else do you see in the future for the Jonsson School?

I think the Jonsson chool should continue to grow, We added more than 10 faculty members and more than 10 percent of the student population every year, and I think soon we will double in terms of faculty size and research. I think the student population aspect will start to level out, however.

What do you think has been the biggest reason for your growth?

Celestial film lacks plot Poor writing detracts from breathtaking visuals

I think that one, of course, is the six million and growing people in DFW. There’s a real hunger for our research university. The Tier 1 Initiative has been really good for our university and for the Jonsson School. Both of these have led to the new departments of bioengineering and mechanical engineering, which did not exist prior to 2008.

What is your biggest contribution to the Jonsson School?

Everything that we’ve done has been a team effort. It’s not just me who has been growing this school; it’s a collaborative effort between me and all the other faculty (and) staff members. That being said, we’ve hired a lot of outstanding research faculty and they’ve been doing an amazing job. Our annual research expenditures have gone from about $20 million to over $50 million. We produce about 80 Ph.D.s a year now, which I think is really impressive. We’ve opened the bioengineering and sciences building — the BSB is brand new. On Rutford and Franklyn Jenifer, we are constructing a new engineering building, which will be the primary home for mechanical engineering.

‘Atomic Blonde’ stuns with aesthetic Spy movie offers engaging action sequences, beautiful scenery throughout IAN SEAMANS COMMENTARY

STX ENTERTAINMENT | COURTESY

“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” was released July 21 and the product of French director Luc Besson. The film is based off the popular French comics.

ARIANA HADDEN COMMENTARY

As the newest sci-fi flick to hit the big screens, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” can best be described as that of a bad high school jock stereotype — pretty to look at, but lacking any substance. While the film had gorgeous effects, it was lacking in character development and script writing. The film takes place in a futuristic outer space where an infinite number of planets are at peace with one another. The participating races have joined hands and created an extensive ‘planet’ in which they share their vast amounts of knowledge. The story begins with the destruction of an entire planet and civilization, followed by a cover-up of the events. Although equally interesting and important to the storyline, the sequence pretty much gives

away the plot in its entirety, leaving no surprises or plot twists to discover later. It also lasted what felt like 20 minutes before introducing the main characters, agents Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), who together form a special-ops team that works for the government. As if to catch up with the time spent on the introduction, Valerian and Laureline’s background is glossed over and left virtually untouched, leaving it up to the imagination as to how they ended up in their roles. As far as character development, all you really get from Valerian is that he’s good at his job and he knows it, causing him to act recklessly. He is constantly trying to court Laureline and overly confident in his ability to swoon her, coming off as egotistical. Following the portrayal of Laureline, it seemed the film would focus on her strong feminist role and fearless attitude as she consistently rejects Valerian’s passes

→ SEE VALERIAN, PAGE 5

“Atomic Blonde” stars Charlize Theron as a cold, brutal, bisexual spy in a neoninfused 1989 Berlin, with the mission to find a list of allied and enemy agents that’s been compromised. The movie is the directorial debut of David Leitch, and it relies heavily on his background in stunt coordination. Despite having a complicated, yet cliche plot, the movie is a pleasure to look at and listen to. Going into the movie, I didn’t expect a feminist take on the action genre. The film is set in 1989 Berlin, and Lorraine (Theron) works in a male-dominated field. Theron isn’t filmed from titillating angles, but instead, the camera treats her as it would a male lead. In the introduction shot of Lorraine, she is in a bathtub, covered in bruises and cuts, and yet as she moves from the bath to the mirror, she’s shot from angles that treat her as a human instead of a slab of meat. Throughout the movie, Theron is shot (when not in action sequences) to help show her thought process, not to sexualize. Her body is seen by the camera as a cold killing machine, with wounds shown realistically and without restraint for the sake of beauty. In the film, there is a sex scene between Lorraine and another woman. Initially, I was apprehensive, as lesbian sex is often portrayed in a way to appeal to straight men, but in “Atomic Blonde” that isn’t the case. The scene isn’t gratuitous, the cinematography maintains consistent with the rest of the movie and it isn’t out of character. “Atomic Blonde” chooses a specific aesthetic, starting with the opening shot, and it sticks to this visual language till the very end. Lighting communicates the mood of

FOCUS FEATURE | COURTESY

“Atomic Blonde” was released July 28 as director David Leitch's first solo directorial credit. The film is a mystery/thriller starring Charlize Theron.

nearly every scene in harsh neon tones. Lorraine’s clothes are featured as stunning, almost futuristic outfits, and hair and makeup are frequently featured by the camera. Lorraine’s injuries are fantastic in their detail, but even more impressive because of their continuity throughout the film. All of this together creates a visual style that is very specific to “Atomic Blonde.” It isn’t fully ‘80s, nor is it today, and it certainly doesn't look like any other action movie. The plot, which revolves double agents, a powerful list and four intelligence agencies, is complicated by a lack of overt explanation to the view, but it remains intelligible and even surprising at times. The plot isn’t as complex as the Cold War era spy film, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy,” but it is arguably better than recent James Bond installments. I would advise you not to expect much from the plot, but instead go to this movie for its well-choreographed action and beautiful neon aesthetic.

Theron is the absolute star of this film. James McAvoy and John Goodman put forth good performances, but Theron’s ice cold, two-dimensional character is captivating. While watching, I realized that perhaps she made a more compelling James Bond than Daniel Craig, with her steely demeanor and penchant for a specific drink. With every fight, ice bath and Stoli on the rocks, I came to like her portrayal even more. Even though she didn’t put on a range of emotion, she did make me want to see whatever movie she stars in next. “Atomic Blonde” has arguably the best action sequences in recent memory, and its interesting and beautiful aesthetic make me want to see it again, even if the plot isn’t great. I’ll be on the lookout for both Leitch and Theron’s next works, and hopefully they’ll live up to my new expectations.

NEWS

UTDMERCURY.COM → TAPPER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

just this weird connection between her and the game, they’re made for each other.” Chris Delp, the community liaison for Free Play, introduced Lauren to the idea of playing Tapper competitively and became her coach. As a professional gamer and Free Play associate, his connections and experience set the stage for her attempt at beating the previous high score. For the 24-hour event itself, he did everything from setting up the cameras to contacting Budweiser and coordinating her support team. Although he was her coach, Delp said Lauren’s innate competitive personality and knowledge of the game was a better help to her than any coaching he could have provided during the event. A graph of her performance made by her husband showed that her split times were better as she was under more pressure.

→ VALERIAN

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and dives headfirst into every situation without hesitation. Unfortunately for all cinematic feminist icons and heroines, her character follows the typical route female sidekicks tend to pursue and ends up falling for her partner, revealing her vulnerability to his ladykiller tendencies. Despite finding themselves in sticky situations, I never once feared for the characters’ safety, as they always had some sort of gadget made specifically for that situation to save the day, making it difficult to care or emotionally connect to the characters themselves. Valerian

THE MERCURY | JULY 31, 2017

“As a competitor, she came with the fiery competitive spirit initially. You can’t teach that. I just saw her unlock it … she gets to this point where she just gets dialed in. There are people who, when the bright lights are on, they perform better,” Delp said. “Most people fall off, they’re playing at 80 or 70 percent of what they’re capable of because they’re nervous in the spotlight. Lauren is the other type of person. When everything is down, she gets better, significantly better.” Before her record-breaking score, Lauren only had a personal high score of 5,000,000 points. She was capable of tripling her score for some time, but going any further than her personal best would have exhausted her. Monthly arcade trips became more frequent as she and her coach trained for the big day. When Lauren reached her point goal to put her on top, she felt proud, but also void of energy. She was awake for 32 hours by the time the stream ended and took no breaks except for short bath-

room breaks during the marathon. “Doing these endurance games, doing 24 hours of a pretty physical game, it’s not something you would necessarily want to do just because or every weekend or something. In fact, that’s why I’d gone to 5 million,” Lauren said. “It’s draining. My body is still recovering. I’m really happy that I saved up all of my energy for the world record.” While Twin Galaxies, a subset of Guinness, finalizes Lauren’s score on the leaderboard, she will be accepting an award for her achievement and meeting others who made gaming history. Lauren and her supporters believe she is capable of beating her own score, but she plans to await another challenger before trying again. “I may be the only woman world record holder for any arcade game currently, which is really cool. If I’m not the only (woman), there’s certainly very, very, very few. So it’s nice to bring some womanpower to it,” she said.

was especially difficult to feel for due to his arrogant attitude and annoying Keanu Reeves tone of voice, sounding like a matter-of-fact surfer dude. While any viewer would usually root for the romance in the film, this is one instance where I wouldn’t. The on-set chemistry between the two leads was so off for the majority of the film that I was convinced Laureline loathed Valerian and Valerian was an arrogant child with a big ego. The dialogue between the two made me cringe, and at times felt rushed and unnecessary. Despite the ever-growing list of problems with the film, it excelled in its special effects and scenery. “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” was a

truly gorgeous film to look at, with lavish celestial colors and creatures. The differences in the variety of races and creatures were drastic but definitely eye-catching. Even the gross or ugly creatures were somehow appealing or spectacular in their own peculiar way, causing me to become attached to them. After watching this movie, I probably would not watch it again. If more time was spent on the actual story and plot as opposed to all of the effects, the film could have been much better, instead of falling short of what the film could have been.

SAHER AQEEL | PHOTO EDITOR

Featherstone began playing Tapper in 2015 at the Richardson Free Play Arcade. Chris Delp, the community liason for Free Play, encouraged her to play professionally.

→ APP

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ers $10 gift cards for using the app. It also does not take a percentage of the driver’s revenue, which differs from Uber’s business model. SnapRyde shows how much the ride costs and riders pay drivers directly, but it will soon include automated payments. Some of the challenges Jain said they faced was creating a team, learning the technology and advertising the app to students.

SnapRyde currently operates at the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UTD, and just passed 1,100 users. SnapRyde plans to branch out to the rest of the UT system and then to other states. In the near future, the management will combine with another ridesharing student startup called Swifte to widen their userbase. “Everywhere the need is same,” Jain said. “Students really need a reliable, cheap transport in student’s community, and that’s what we target.”

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6 7 KIDS THESE DAYS

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EVOLUTION OF A SUNBURN

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COMICS & GAMES CHANGING TIMES

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UPPERCLASSMAN

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OPINION

JULY 31, 2017 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

Political bias in media tarnishes ‘real’ journalism Major news organizations' increasing polarization cause distrust in mainstream media despite role to report factual information Ariana Hadden COMMENTARY

As the growing political divide in this nation continues to expand its reaches, accusations against the media’s ‘fake news’ and contribution to polarization are increasing. Despite this negativity, it is important to note that journalists have a responsibility to report the facts without bias. A journalist’s purpose is to provide the public with information to help them make an informed decision — a goal every reporter hopes to achieve. The fact of the matter is, however, that much like the public, journalists are also human and err in letting their political affiliations and nuances interfere with reporting. This, of course, excludes journalists who use their platform to spread their own prejudices. While the media aims to be the middleman, the majority of major news organizations lean one way or another politically. It is astounding how much that preference affects the news that needs reporting. Take, for example, coverage from traditionally conservative news organizations, such as Fox, and the coverage from more liberal outlets such as MSNBC. Though the news itself will be the same, the manner in which it is handled and reported might differ, depending on which way the station leans. In a Pew research study conducted during the 2012 election, only 6 percent of all Fox coverage

of Obama’s campaign held a positive tone, whereas MSNBC’s coverage of Obama was around 39 percent positive, reflecting this bias in the media. Not only does this partial coverage affect what is being reported, but so does overall news judgment. The manner in which CNN handled the Trump wrestling GIF, for instance, is a prime example of what should not be reported. Back in early July, CNN threatened to release the name of the Reddit user who posted a GIF video of Trump tackling a man with the CNN logo in place of his face if he did not issue an apology. While the GIF was seen as insulting, according to CNN, the Reddit user said "(CNN) should have used their better judgment, since the president tweets things off the cuff, it's a kneejerk reaction.” News organizations should be focusing more on the big picture rather than waste their time and resources to investigate GIFs that the president tweets. Despite the pattern, it is important to note that journalists are not the enemy. It is, as mentioned before, a journalist’s role to provide accurate, factual information so informed citizens can make decisions. That also entails uncensored topics that are typically hard to swallow or taboo. Journalists who report on negative information, like the scandal involving the Trump family’s ties to Russia for instance, shouldn’t be construed as the media trying to attack him, but rather just doing their job and investigating the facts. It is important to know that real journalists strive to report only factual

COMET COMMENTS

ANTHONY MCNAIR | MERCURY STAFF

information while maintaining an attitude as close to neutral as possible. That being said, journalists have been responsible for providing a slant in the information they are reporting, and will probably continue to do so. After all, it is difficult to keep one’s own opinion out of the situation. Regardless, it doesn't mean everyone gets to automatically call everything 'fake news' because they don't like it. Ever since this term was coined, citizens have utilized it anywhere it is ap-

plicable, causing an uproar in the realm of the media by blurring the lines between actual news and ‘fake news.’ In a 2016 study, Pew Research Center shows that 64 percent of U.S. adults claim ‘fake news’ is causing a great deal of confusion in what is fact or fiction, providing a backup to the network of shared knowledge. So how do we fix this? For starters, keep in mind that just because certain news organizations have tarnished the reputation of the media does not mean

all outlets aim to take down major organizations. I strongly suggest doing your research and begin following reputable organizations you align with and trust. There is no solution in victimizing journalists, and though your views might not align with all outlets, keep yourself updated with what is happening on the other end of the political spectrum by following unbiased news sources like Associated Press and not believing every ‘news’ story that pops up on your Facebook feed.

How do you feel about the art barn being torn down?

“I guess it would’ve been nice if they were replacing it with other art services or art facilities, but I guess the university is kind of deciding what it wants to be and it wants to be a research university, and that’s fine.”

“To be quite honest, I didn’t even know that it got torn down.”

“So, I didn’t know about that, I don’t think I’ve been there before, but that sucks because whatever was in there is gone now.”

“I don’t really mind that much because I think they’re getting a new place for the art, even though it’s kind of far … there’s always going to be more funding for science places than the art places, so I just didn’t care that much.”

Sharada Menon Political Science Junior

Bilal Ahsan Biology Senior

Mohammad Syed Neuroscience Senior

Salwa Awan Healthcare Studies Junior

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obtained support from her peers and professors. “My professors were very kind to me, I never felt like anybody discriminated against me or treated me badly because I was young and pregnant,” she said. As a member of the Power Dancers and by joining the UTD chapter of the Sigma Kappa sorority, Chester said she got to enjoy some of the social aspect of college. Despite this, she said she missed out on important college experiences such as meeting her fellow classmates. Even though Chester ran into a few obstacles, including coordinating study groups while taking care of her children, she never let anything prevent her from obtaining her goals. “Sometimes the kids would have to come to class with me. I remember my senior year I had a group project in one of my business classes because I had a presentation that day, and my child ended up with strep and I had to present and I could not let my team down so I had to bring him,” she said. “I was literally standing there holding him while giving my presentation, then had to go straight to the doctor’s office to have him treated.” Throughout her college career, Chester had multiple advisors due to staffing changes. During her sophomore year, she visited her second advisor who was positioned across from the Health Professions Advising Center. Because it was the first time she heard of HPAC, she immediately inquired about its importance. “I told her I was going to medical school and asked, ‘Should I be talking to someone (in the HPAC office)?’ and she outright said ‘No, you don’t need that, you’re on the right track and that’s only for people who need additional help,’ so I took her word for it,” Chester said. A few semesters later, she came across an advertisement for an interest meeting for the Collegiate Fellows and decided to attend. After being accepted into the program, she went to a seminar in which a doctor from Parkland Hospital discussed the importance of HPAC and how behind schedule medical students were who had not begun the program. “All of these ladies were nice enough, I never felt like I was mistreated until I realized I had been,” she said. “At that point I got angry, it just pissed me off. I grew to kind of resent my school, I felt judged, I felt mistreated. (I felt) they thought I couldn’t have done it or couldn’t have made it because I was a young mom and (they) judged my abilities.” While her academics and extracurricular activities proved her hard work and dedication, Chester said she could not help but feel as though her potential was stifled.

nine years, I am quite familiar with the rules … and I have the responsibility to help these students,” Zhang said. FACSS, with the help of the International Center and local church members, facilitate airport pickups and temporary accommodations for Chinese students. “We also hold an event called the Local Help, which provides free transportation to new incoming students, which brings them to the mobile carrier store and bank branches,” Zhang said. “There is one more event called the Safety Event. We invite three speakers; police officer, doctor and chief editor of life magazines to make presentations to discuss regarding safety and the law, house and medical care and life in Dallas.” Jinchao Chai, a computer science graduate student, came to the U.S. in 2016 from China. “I had already signed up for Local Help online. We just sign up there to tell when and where we arrive and how many of us arrive. (FACSS) connect us to the local church. They supplied a bedroom and the food. I lived there for four days. They helped me with everything, for the bank, phone number and took me to restaurants and supermarkets and helped me to move into my apartment,” he said. Chai is now a part of FACSS and handles their career development team, which helps Chinese students find jobs or lets them know about skills required for their career. He also volunteers to help out new students as part of FACSS’ Local Help program.

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RUTH VARGHESE | NEWS EDITOR

From left to right, Jessica Chester poses with her four children, Ava, who is the fourth addition to Chester's family, following her older brothers Skylar and Ivory whom Chester had while attending UTD, and Kameron who is almost two years old.

“I felt sabotaged, I fell so far behind at that point I almost gave up on it all and I felt like, had I had the proper information, the proper support, I could have pursued what I originally set out to do, and I don’t feel like it was right for someone to decide for me what I could and could not do,” she said. Although teen and college pregnancy rates are steadily declining in the U.S., in a study done by Pew Research Center, women are more likely to work and attend college while pregnant. Similarly, interdisciplinary studies senior Mikaela Johnston discovered she was pregnant in college during her junior year. While she never felt worried about what her peers might say, she said she was concerned about how her professors would react. “I remember being super nervous, like I didn’t necessarily want to tell people because I didn’t want my teachers to think, ‘Why are you having a baby?’” Johnston said. “I had just gotten a scholarship and thought they’d be like ‘Why should we give you money, you’re just going to drop out?’ and so I had all these fears of what they would do.” Johnston works with UTeach, and was surprised by how receptive and supportive the faculty and staff were about her pregnancy. “They didn’t undermine my ability, they knew (I) could graduate and have a baby, and that was really reassuring for me,” she said. “They were all way happier and more supportive than I thought they would be.” When campus police officers

offered to give her a ride to her apartment when they saw her walking home one afternoon, Johnston said she was relieved. “I started carrying stuff, not in my backpack, but in a rolling suitcase and I was hobbling across (the parking lot) and one cop drives by, loops back around and asked if I needed a ride,” she said. “(It was an) awesome pregnancy experience.” Although moving around campus and frequent hunger pangs made attending classes difficult at times, Johnston said she does not recommend using school as an excuse to avoid having a child. “I’m not saying just go ahead and have a baby because it is easy, because it is not, I’m just saying the vague idea that, ‘It’s school and I shouldn’t,’ is not a good enough reason, because they’re wonderful and challenge is good,” she said. Child care services at UTD UTD offers a child care program from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the Student Union for students who are attending classes. The program is run in conjunction with the Dallas International School. After multiple attempts to contact the DIS, they could not be reached by time of publication. Kim Winkler, associate dean of students, said the program has two staff members and is capped at 22 children due to lack of space. “There is definitely a need and a want for faculty, staff and students, but the campus at that

point would have to make that kind of commitment,” Winkler said. “We are at capacity at what we can do here in the (Student) Union, but it would have to be a bigger university shift.” While the program has been around for over 20 years, the DIS only began leading it in 2009. Aside from the website, Winkler said there is no advertising for the program for fear of having to turn away children due to lack of staff and space. She hopes to see the program grow over the next few years. “I would love to see a full-time day care. While I’ve been here at UTD, I’ve raised all three of my kids and I would have loved for them to be here on campus where I could drop them off all day, go eat lunch with them, I mean that would be amazing,” she said. “Personally, I would love that, but I just don’t know how feasible that is.” Despite the unavailability of child care services and career setback, Jessica Chester, now a mother of four, received a job opportunity at Parkland Hospital, where she works in family planning and educating teens on the importance of birth control, sexual health and hygiene. “If I can help a teen reach their goal by not becoming pregnant too early and becoming comfortable before starting a family, and to the ones who already are pregnant or (have) a family, say to them, ‘That does not have to stop you from reaching your goals you set out to reach,’” Chester said. “It may be harder, may take you longer, but you can do it.”

“This is one way I get to know more Chinese students and the second is that I want to give back to their help. I want to thank them by supporting them,” he said. While Indian and Chinese students form a relatively large part of the international students arriving at UTD, Salman Kabir, president of the Bangladeshi Student Organization, said around 14 students from Bangladesh would be arriving at UTD this year. Each new student receives a mentor from the Bangladeshi Student Organization. These mentors ensure students are well aware of academic and oncampus opportunities. “Whenever new students from Bangladesh come to UT Dallas, we try to engage them in on-campus activities that BSO does,” Kabir said. “We also try to engage them with the external Bangladesh community so that they don’t feel homesick.” Piran Vaharwala, an MBA student from India, arrived in the U.S. in July. He currently resides at a temporary accommodation provided by the Indian Students Association. “It is not about what happens after landing (in the U.S.) because most of the anxiety is when you start from home. You don’t know what you are going to do here,” Vaharwala said. “The best part about what ISA is doing here is that you are already prepared, you know what is going to happen, you are assured that someone is going to come pick you up. You are assured that you will be given a lot of help in settling down. It is a great thing they do. It is a voluntary service they do and they don't expect anything in return except that we do the same things for the ones that come next year.”

RUTH VARGHESE | NEWS EDITOR

President of the Indian Student Association Vishal Keswani (left) speaks with Piran Vaharwala, an international student who just arrived at the apartment.